Today’s episode is another exciting edition of our Fantasy Gaming series, our version of Fantasy Football where we draft video games based on projected Metacritic scores and try to get the best overall team by the end of the year. In Episode 17, we go through all of the best (and worst) games of 2025 so far that we’ve drafted, discussing what worked and what didn’t. Later in the episode, we discuss how the latest scores affect our league standings.
– Amanda Tien, Editor
The Punished Podcast Episode 17
MP3 Download | Spotify | Apple Podcasts
Note: It’s worth noting that we recorded this on March 30 and wow, it’s been a big first two weeks of April for gaming news. There was the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct (which made us feel a lot of things, especially after those three seconds of Hollow Knight: Silksong). Additionally, Microsoft’s South of Midnight and Raw Fury’s Blue Prince have received Metacritic scores. Stay tuned for a Fantasy Gaming piece from David this Friday, April 11, with updated standings.
Timestamps
- 0:00 – Introductions
- 5:53 – Discussing 2025’s Best Games So Far
- 6:24 – Blade Chimera
- 6:41 – Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist (read David’s preview)
- 8:33 – Sid Meier’s Civilization VII
- 10:08 – Avowed (read our impressions)
- 15:36 – Lost Records: Bloom & Rage – Tape 1
- 19:10 – Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii
- 20:53 – Monster Hunter Wilds
- 24:57 – Two Point Museum
- 27:32 – Split Fiction (read David’s review)
- 30:15 – 33 Immortals
- 33:36 – Assassin’s Creed Shadows
- 35:44 – Big Picture Score Discussion, Citizen Sleeper 2 (read Amanda’s review), and New Releases
- 40:28 – League Rule Changes and Clarifications
- 48:30 – Team Scores and Discussions
- 1:07:22 – Outro: What We’ve Been Playing
Song Credits
- “Morning Training” composed by Joe Henson and Alexis Smith from Assassin’s Creed Shadows
- “Rey Dau Battle Theme” composed by Miwako Chinone from Monster Hunter Wilds
- “Avowed Main Theme” composed by Venus Theory from Avowed
- “5 O’Clock to Flottering” composed by Phil French and Tom Puttick from Two Point Museum
- “Hazel’s Story” composed by Olivier Derivière from South of Midnight
Fantasy Gaming Team Standings
Below is a list of our Fantasy Gaming standings as of the recording date in late March. (For the most up-to-date team scores, view our Friday, April 11 Fantasy Update!)
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Zack has been hooked on games ever since his older brother taught him where to find the secret warp whistles in Mario Bros. 3. He has never felt more joy than when Yoshi congratulated him on getting 120 stars in Mario 64 or more sadness than when he played Kingdom Hearts 3 after waiting 14 years for it. Zack mails a letter to Nintendo every day asking them to bring back Chibi Robo and will gladly tell you all about why it’s one of the greatest games of all time. He was hoping that writing for the site would help him get through his backlog, but it actually just made it worse now that he’s hearing about so many more great hidden gems. Oops…
Sam has been playing video games since his earliest years and has been writing about them since 2016. He’s a big fan of Nintendo games and complaining about The Last of Us Part II. You either agree wholeheartedly with his opinions or despise them. There is no in between. A lifelong New Yorker, Sam views gaming as far more than a silly little pastime, and hopes though critical analysis and in-depth reviews to better understand the medium's artistic merit. Twitter: @sam_martinelli.
Allison has been playing all sorts of games since the late ‘90s. She particularly enjoys life sims, casual games, tactical RPGs, and anything Mario. Her dream jobs are to be a Stardew Valley speed runner and a Mary Tyler Moore historian. As a recent MBA graduate, Allison hopes to use her extra time tackling her backlog and the never-ending list of 2023 releases.
David is the founder of The Punished Backlog. He has a problem finishing games he starts. Just beat: Nine Sols, UFO 50. Working on: Metaphor: ReFantazio. Can't wait for: Hollow Knight: Silksong. Follow David on Twitter at @David_Silbert to keep up to date with all things The Punished Backlog.
Amanda Tien (she/her or they) loves video games where she can pet dogs, punch bad guys, make friends, and have a good cry. She started writing for the site in 2020, and became an editor in 2022. She enjoys writing about mystery games, indies, and strong femme protagonists. Her work has also been published in Unwinnable Monthly (click here to read her cover feature on Nancy Drew games), Salt Hill Journal, Poets.org, Litro Magazine, Public Books, and more. She was the Co-Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Columbia University's Culinarian Magazine, and served for two years as the Managing Editor of Aster(ix) Literary Journal. She recently graduated with a MFA (Master of Fine Arts) in Creative Writing from the University of Pittsburgh. Her writing, art, graphic design, and marketing work can be viewed at www.amandatien.com. She does not post a lot on social, but you can find her on X and on Instagram.
Gary is a jack-of-all-trades video game enthusiast based in Boston, MA. A semi-professional fighting game player, even less professional Apex Legends player, and even less professional adult, he spends most of his time poking at strange indie gems and reading about the need for more diverse voices in gaming criticism. He invites anyone to recommend anything he's missed in the gaming world via Twitter or BlueSky, where he can found under the username @grtnpwrfl. When he isn't spending his time playing games, Gary is an avid New England Patriots fan and frequent hiker.
