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Kudzu, an 8-bit Zelda-like, has released for Nintendo Switch and Game Boy. Check out the Kudzu launch trailer, screenshots, and more.
We’re a diverse community of gamers who love to write about our favorite hobby! Meet our most recent cohort of writers.
PAX has come and gone, and we’ve got impressions. Read about the best games of PAX East 2024, according to our expo correspondent.
In our Final Fantasy VII Rebirth review, learn whether Cloud and company’s latest reimagined adventure lives up to its own ambitions.
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.
The design team has done an amazing job of making the Chocobos not only easy to use, but fun. And the perfect mix of cute/weird.
Reviews
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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…
A Journey for the Senses Adventure games are hardly a new thing. For decades, series like Myst, Monkey Island, and Telltale’s The Walking Dead have provided alluring and enrapturing settings for us to explore. Whether it be navigating a mysterious island, traversing a cove…
The Punished Podcast
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Video game adaptations are everywhere — shows, movies, books, board games, music, and more. But what makes them work? Let’s discuss.
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.
Punished Notes
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In this edition of Punished Notes, Sam discusses how the incredible fall game release lineup is kind of killing him, among other thoughts
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.
Punished Chat
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Hollow Knight: Silksong is one of this year’s biggest new releases. What do the writers at The Punished Backlog think of it so far?
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!
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.