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Five female games writers reflect on the female video game characters, from both indies and AAA games, that inspire them.
More than 20 years after release, Metal Gear Solid 2 continues to reflect the anxieties and sad political realities of modern America.
If you loved playing a hundred hours of BG3, hopefully you’ll enjoy hundreds of minutes of our spoilercast discussion.
While Frog Detective is far from perfect, I found that after spending an afternoon with the collection, I could hardly wipe the smile off my face.
In our Devil May Cry: Peak of Combat review, learn why the DMC franchise’s first-ever mobile entry is easily its weakest.
Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons helped me come to terms with my own personal sacrifices as a son and an older brother.
Reviews
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A Whole New World Yoshi’s Crafted World is not merely another well-crafted (get it?) Nintendo platformer with clever level design, uplifting music, and plenty of extras to collect along the way; it’s the truest imagining of childhood play in video…
In our OlliOlli: Switch Stance review, learn whether Roll7’s two classic skateboarding games hold up in the move to the Nintendo Switch.
Hat Kid Sets Sail Downloadable content is a strange beast. Gaming publishers just seem to love milking every penny they can out of their games. This often results in pointless micro-transactions and dull, uninteresting DLC packages. That being said, sometimes…
The Frost Waits for No One Digital card games are all the rage these days. While physical games like Magic the Gathering and Yu-Gi-Oh! are still alive and well, more and more card games are making the transition to the…
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.