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Punished Series
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.
Latest Articles
Top Articles
Punished Series
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.
Want an edge in Monster Hunter Wilds? Check out our guide to the Hunting Horn, and learn whether it can be an important tool on your hunts!
In our Good Coffee, Great Coffee review, learn if developer TapBlaze’s successor to its pizza indie hit satisfies.
A few weeks after Earthblade’s cancellation, Lena Raine has released an Earthblade concept album that is equal parts compelling and tragic.
In our Kingdom Come: Deliverance II review, learn whether Warhorse’s massive medieval sequel measures up to its biggest inspirations.
In our Expelled! review, learn whether indie developer inkle Studios’ newest story-driven game stacks up to its other titles.
In our Split Fiction review, learn why Hazelight Studios and Josef Fares’ latest co-op adventure is their best effort yet.
Reviews
View AllIn our Split Fiction review, learn why Hazelight Studios and Josef Fares’ latest co-op adventure is their best effort yet.
In our Carmen Sandiego (2025) review, learn if Gameloft’s newest title lives up to the nostalgic hype. (Spoiler: It doesn’t.)
In our Eternal Strands review, learn whether this RPG from former BioWare and Ubisoft talent lives up to its spiritual forebears.
In our Dead Letter Dept. review, we take an ode from this horror game’s unique hook and share our critique the old-fashioned way: by letter.
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.