Latest Articles
Latest Articles
The Best Games We Played This Year 2017 was a year many will associate with FBI probes, Korean missile tests, and women (and men) having the courage to say “me too.” It was a decidedly messy year, but ultimately one…
Unruly Heroes, Chinese Mythology, Rayman, and More One of the most impressive games I saw at Paris Games Week 2017 was Unruly Heroes. In my article of the best games played at PGW 2017, I called it “fluid and expressive,” “a…
We Are Hope Over the weekend at Jump Festa 2018, Bandai Namco released the first ever trailer for One Piece: World Seeker. The game, which was unveiled in the December 11 issue of Weekly Shōnen Jump, stars Monkey D. Luffy in what…
It’ll Do Just Fine. 2017 was the year of Zelda. While the Switch’s continued sales success and Super Mario Odyssey’s rave reviews help further the point that, yes, Nintendo has had a banner year, Breath of the Wild was the title that kicked…
The Epic Journey of One Cat’s Search for a Home and a Purpose Cat Quest is a 2D RPG catventure from the Gentlebros that is presently nominated for GooglePlay’s 2017 Indie Game of the Year award. (You can read our…
Greats That Didn’t Quite Make The Cut As the name of this very website suggests, gamers often struggle to keep up with their extended backlog of quality video games. Sometimes, you just decide that, for whatever reason, a certain game…
La Crème de la Crème of Paris’ Premier Gaming Expo Paris Games Week came and went last month. Amid the noise and fervor caused by Sony’s impressive October 30 PlayStation Showcase (catch up on all the announcements here), you’d be…
A Punny, Satisfying Adventure Through the Fantastical Kingdom of Felingrad In the land of Felingrad, there are cats, there are puns, and there is magic. This is the essence of Cat Quest, a 2D action-RPG from the Gentlebros (and published…
The Punished Podcast
View All
In this podcast episode, we discuss the joy in familiarity, difficulty, hype, and gameplay loops as we consider video games as comfort food.
In this podcast episode, we discuss video game protagonists. We debate create-a-character versus heroes and share our favorites.
In this podcast episode, we discuss the history of open-world video games: the good, the bad, and everything in between. (Also, GTA VI!)
In this Fantasy Gaming-centric episode, we recap the first half of 2026 before delving into our first waiver wire of the year.
In this episode of The Punished Podcast, we discuss the rise and fall of E3, game trailers, authenticity, and the big bucks.
In this episode of The Punished Podcast, we discuss the past, present, and future of games media and journalism.
Punished Notes
View All
In Sam’s latest Punished Notes, he covers the new Fire Emblem, has a few thoughts on Final Fantasy X (all these years later), and even a bit on… tapas?
In the latest Punished Notes, Sam talks about Splatoon Raiders, Kingdom Hearts, Denshattack!, and…baking?
In a Punished Notes dedicated entirely to Resident Evil Requiem, Sam wonders if the post-zombification of the game’s world bears a resemblance to our own post-pandemic one.
In his latest Punished Notes, Sam gets into some New Year’s Gaming Resolutions, as well as a few predictions (and hopes) for some big gaming anniversaries coming up. Also: Wuthering Heights?
In the latest Punished Notes, Sam covers Doritos and Mountain Dew games, Kirby Air Riders, and… the blues?
In this edition of Punished Notes, Sam discusses how the incredible fall game release lineup is kind of killing him, among other thoughts
Punished Chat
View All
Super Mario Sunshine is probably the beloved plumber’s most polarizing adventure. Punished Backlog editors Sam and David discuss why that is.
After all playing Disco Elysium, several writers weigh in on the good, the bad, and the very ugly of the cult classic.
Mina the Hollower released last month to rave reviews. How do the writers at The Punished Backlog feel about it?
As part of our Game of the Year coverage, here are some DIFFERENT awards for the year’s best games!
Hollow Knight: Silksong is one of this year’s biggest new releases. What do the writers at The Punished Backlog think of it so far?
From the classics to new releases, we discuss the “Big Three,” the best anime ever, and what makes these series stand the test of time.
Punished Favorites
View All
Our list of the best cozy games covers puzzles, platform adventures, farming, shop sims, visual novels, and much more.
Nintendo’s latest console is still early in its life, but it’s already racking up hits. These are the best Nintendo Switch 2 games so far.
In our list of the Best Video Game Dogs, we highlight the old and the new, the lithe and the chonky, the magical and the normal. They are all good dogs!
Anime is often known for its flashy visuals, but just as important is the music. Here are 11 of our top anime character theme songs ever.
From big AAAs to indie gems, this year’s shaping up to be a delight. Here are the 19 best video games of 2026 we’ve played to date.
From the bird and the bear to the earliest console shooters, here are The Punished Backlog’s top 16 Nintendo 64 games of all time!