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Welcome to another glorious week! With the summer winding down, what better time to dust off the cobwebs of that backlog of yours. Here’s what we’re up to as fall approaches: David Last week was pretty light for me. Finished…
Is Square Enix’s Comeback Imminent? After years of development, Dragon Quest XI released in Japan last month. While this headline would be worthy news in and of itself, the Japanese release of the game was accompanied by confirmation that DQXI…
“Surprise!” Well, this is a turn of events. Crackdown 3 has officially been delayed until spring of next year, per Polygon. This is shocking news to me. If you’ve read previous articles on The Punished Backlog before, you’ve noticed that we’ve…
Undertale Makes Its PlayStation 4 Debut Undertale came out this week for the PlayStation 4 and Vita — the Vita, can you believe it? Originally released on PC in September 2015, Undertale garnered a cult following for its sharp writing, outstanding soundtrack and…
Who Even Needs a SNES Classic? Last week saw the announcement of UFO 50, a new game from Spelunky-creator Derek Yu and studio Mossmouth. Yu is teaming up with the creators of Downwell, Time Barons, Skorpulac, and Madhouse to create a compilation of fifty retro-styled games…
After a long wait, and many Persona 4 spinoffs, how does Persona 5 play? Does the 100+ hour JRPG deserve a spot in your backlog? Click to read our thoughts.
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View AllThe Punished Podcast
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In The Punished Podcast Episode 20, we talk about all the hottest gaming news that broke this summer. Plus, our Fantasy Gaming league!
In this podcast episode, we discuss the history of video game difficulty, what makes a game “fun,” Clair Obscur, Souls-likes, and more.
In this podcast episode, we discuss why we replay video games, what changes between playthroughs, old games versus new ones, and much more.
In the latest episode, we go through the best (and worst) video games of 2025 so far, and provide a Fantasy Gaming league update!
In The Punished Podcast Episode 16, we discuss the best old school games, what retro even means, preservation, and much more.
In honor of Valentine’s Day, we discussed romance in games. Learn our favorite romance mechanics, characters, subplots, and more.
Punished Notes
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In the latest edition of Punished Notes, Sam talks about Lumines, visual novel and Roger, and other random thoughts from random games.
In this Punished Notes, Sam dives into how the latest Bethesda shooter harkens back to a simpler time in AAA gaming, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, and more!
In this new Punished Notes, Sam talks about the mystery behind Avowed’s dialogue options, what it means when you say a game takes time to “get good,” and more!
For this edition of Punished Notes, Sam lists some brief and simple New Year’s resolutions, shares some games from 2024 that just missed the deadline for his tier list, and discusses his latest TV binge being on… CBS?!
So far, there hasn’t been a game that has pulled me out of post-election despair, and maybe that’s not a bad thing.
In this edition of Punished Notes, Sam gets into his thoughts on the reveal of Gears of War: E-Day, his favorite part of Hellblade II, and other thoughts.
Punished Chat
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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.
Donkey Kong Bananza is one of the biggest game releases of 2025. Does it work? Does it deserve its score of 91? We share our thoughts.
On the fence about Nintendo’s latest console? Six of our writers sat down to share our initial Nintendo Switch 2 impressions.
After a drama-packed premiere, our writers got together to share our The Last of Us Season 2 impressions so far.
Let’s see how The Punished Backlog’s excellent writers feel about that explosive Nintendo Switch 2 reveal!
Avowed has taken the gaming world by storm in recent weeks. What do the writers at The Punished Backlog think of Obsidian’s latest so far?
Punished Favorites
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In our list of the best GameCube Games, see how classics like Metroid Prime, Melee, and Double Dash stack up.
While we here at The Punished Backlog could not be more excited about a new Nintendo console, we also figured it now is the right time to pay tribute to the first Switch and all its best games!
Indie games are labors of love, and this year, it looks like there will be a lot to love! These are our most anticipated indie games of 2025.
In honor of the 20th anniversary of the Nintendo DS, check out the very best Nintendo DS games ever created.
From straight-up horror games to RPGs and cute indies, here are some of the best horror game moments of 2024 so far!
Waiting for Hollow Knight: Silksong? Make the wait easier by reading and playing our picks for the best Metroidvania games ever made.