Latest Articles
Top Articles
Latest Articles
Top Articles
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
Cozy games have exploded in popularity. Like fast fashion, though, the genre’s rapid development has created its fair share of challenges.
These best horror games of 2023 wore their inspiration on their sleeves, challenged genre expectations, and haunted players differently.
When games make me cry, it feels like proof to the haters that this is a serious storytelling medium. Here are 9 times I teared up in 2023.
In The Punished Podcast Episode 4, we discuss our favorite games of 2023 and tally the final results for our Fantasy Gaming league.
Reviews
View AllThe Cost of Fame Robbin’ Season continues in full force with Atlanta Season 2’s second episode, “Sportin’ Waves.” From drug deals gone bad, to shopping trips turned to shopping sprees, to acoustic covers, there’s a lot to unpack here. Let’s dive…
Climbing the Mountain Within You Minutes into my first playthrough of Celeste, I found myself breathing more heavily than usual. The 2D platformer certainly presented some light challenge early on, but that wasn’t what was causing such a physical sensation.…
Robbin’ Season Starts Off Strong Donald Glover is no stranger to success. Initially a sketch comic during his studies at New York University, Glover quickly gained traction with his writing work on the show 30 Rock. In 2009, Glover took a…
Embracing the Weirdness Legendary Gary is delightful in its weirdness. The indie adventure game takes a casual approach to strategic combat and offers an experience that is half grab-bag-of-unrelated-styles and half touching mise en abyme. A Story of Two Worlds…
Top Articles
The Punished Podcast
View AllIn 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.
In The Punished Podcast Episode 14, we crown our Fantasy Gaming 2024 winner and host our 2025 draft—with a new dynasty format!
For The Punished Podcast Episode 13, we recorded a Final Fantasy VII Rebirth spoilercast. Come for the ending analysis; stay for the music.
The Punished Podcast: Episode 12 – The Best Games of 2024 (Speed Dating Style)
In this episode of our video game podcast, Amanda asks the writers to pitch her on one of their favorite games of 2024.
Punished Notes
View AllIn 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.
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.
Punished Chat
View AllAfter 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?
We’re launching a new brand and logo for The Punished Backlog! Let’s take a look back through the years and reflect on our past logos.
How Do We Feel About The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom So Far?
The 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.
Punished Favorites
View AllIndie 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.
As the 25th anniversary of the PS2 approaches, help us celebrate by checking out our list of the 23 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.