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Punished Series
Weekend at Dave’s – Episode 4: David talks the risks of open-world design, a Google Stadia-driven future, and why he’s so darn excited for PAX East 2019.
Weekend at Dave’s – Episode 3: David talks Xbox’s new acquistions, Sony skipping E3, Hajime Tabata, Pixar, Detective Pikachu, The Game Awards, and Stan Lee.
Latest Articles
Punished Series
Weekend at Dave’s – Episode 4: David talks the risks of open-world design, a Google Stadia-driven future, and why he’s so darn excited for PAX East 2019.
Weekend at Dave’s – Episode 3: David talks Xbox’s new acquistions, Sony skipping E3, Hajime Tabata, Pixar, Detective Pikachu, The Game Awards, and Stan Lee.
Music can really help set the mood, including in gaming! Check out our list of six of the best romance songs in video games.
In The Punished Podcast Episode 14, we crown our Fantasy Gaming 2024 winner and host our 2025 draft—with a new dynasty format!
In our Eternal Strands review, learn whether this RPG from former BioWare and Ubisoft talent lives up to its spiritual forebears.
It’s the month of love, and that means it’s time for an in-depth ranking of all Stardew Valley romances.
The shadow-drop of Ninja Gaiden 2 Black at the last Xbox Developer_Direct could signal better times ahead for Xbox, giving us something old and new all at once.
Death is an inevitability of life. 2021’s indie hit Death’s Door gets to the heart of that and helps us better understand what it means to continue living a good life.
Reviews
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In our Rose & Camellia Collection review, learn whether this 2000s flash game makes a successful transition to the Nintendo Switch.
In our Rough Justice ’84 review, learn why this tabletop-inspired neo-noir crime thriller is a case best left unsolved.
In our Tales of Kenzera: ZAU review, learn whether this African-inspired EA Original from Surgent Studios hits the right notes.
In our Ender Magnolia early access review, learn whether Adglobe and Binary Haze’s follow-up to Ender Lilies is currently worth buying.
The 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.