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Punished Series
Latest Articles
Top Articles
Punished Series
This year was packed with great games, television, movies, and music. Here are just a few of my favorites things from 2023.
2023 had tons of great games, but that didn’t stop us from revisiting the past. Here are five 2023 backlog games Allison enjoyed.
This year, Jason wants to take the time to sit back and give some thanks to some game parts that we often take for granted in the modern age.
Kris marvels at phenomenal single-player journeys from musical skateboarding to the peaks of Hyrule to Pikmin to open world street fighter.
In the fourth iteration of his Game of the Tier series, Sam reflects (with humor and admiration) on every new game he’s played this year and ranks them.
From charming indie debuts to long-awaited sequels and remakes, here are some of writer Alyssa Payne’s favorite video game moments of 2023
Reviews
View AllIn our Marvel Snap review, learn why Ben Brode’s new collectible card game is a sterling example of what a good mobile game looks like.
In our Chainsaw Man episode one review, learn why Mappa’s latest anime adaptation is an easy Anime of the Year contender.
In our Disney Dreamlight Valley review, we highlight familiar faces, the stumbles, and a whole lot of magic.
Stray is far from perfect, with a rushed story and problematic scenery, but as a cat-riding-in-a-bucket simulator, it’s pretty incredible.
Top Articles
The Punished Podcast
View AllIn The Punished Podcast Episode 10, we discuss our most anticipated games of fall 2024! We also do our Fantasy Gaming waiver wire pick-ups.
What makes DLC worth it? How does the expectation of DLC change our experience? We discuss all things DLC, including the best DLC out there.
For The Punished Podcast Episode 8, we share our favorite games and biggest disappointments of 2024 thus far.
If you loved playing a hundred hours of BG3, hopefully you’ll enjoy hundreds of minutes of our spoilercast discussion.
In The Punished Podcast episode 6, we celebrate 28 years of Pokémon! We discuss the formula’s greatest innovations, stagnations, and more.
In The Punished Podcast Episode 5, we share our most anticipated games of 2024, restart our Fantasy Gaming league, and talk some Zelda!
Punished Notes
View AllIn 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.
In this Punished Notes, Sam dives into Balatro, a replay of Fallout: New Vegas, and more.
In this edition of Punished Notes, Sam gets into his experience with Golden Sun’s storytelling, the best narrative mechanic of Baldur’s Gate 3, and other thoughts.
Bethesda’s Starfield may be janky, but I’m having a great time. Its mundane moments make the unordinary ones all the more compelling.
It’s a special edition of Punished Notes, as we celebrate Volume 30! To honor the occasion, here are 30 notes for your reading pleasure.
Every time I turn on TOTK, a million thoughts pop into my head that I could potentially write about. Honestly, I’d rather just keep playing.
Punished Chat
View AllThe Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom has been out for about a month. How do the writers at The Punished Backlog feel about it so far?
Five avid Stardew Valley players discuss why Stardew Valley is so good, the future of the game, its Harvest Moon roots, and more.
Long lost robot girlfriends, zombies, and fascism, oh my! We get together to discuss this indie horror survival game.
How does Tears of the Kingdom compare to rest of the series? Where should Zelda go next? Get our early Tears of the Kingdom impressions here.
Want a fun way to celebrate, laugh, and/or cry about your favorite games of 2022? Introducing The Punished Backlog’s first ever prop awards.
Favorite characters, problematic approaches to Manuela, figuring out what that whole goddess thing was about… we discuss it all.
Punished Favorites
View AllFrom 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.
As the 25th anniversary of the PS2 approaches, help us celebrate by checking out our list of the 19 best PlayStation 2 games ever.
Whether a game succeeds or disappoints, there’s no denying the power of a great teaser. These are our most hyped video games ever.
For this edition of Punished Favorites, we’ve decided to highlight our favorite SNES games of all time and why their legacies live on.
For this edition of Punished Favorites, we’ve decided to highlight some polarizing entries in beloved franchises and why we still love them, warts and all.