Are you a writer, editor, or journalist who loves the gaming industry? Want to help make video game coverage more diverse, equitable, and inclusive? Join our team!
The Punished Backlog is seeking new staff writers. Founded in 2017, we’ve grown exponentially over the years, and currently welcome 70,000+ readers a month.
Please note: This is a volunteer position.
Who We’re Looking For
- Curious individuals who are passionate about writing, self-editing, and connecting with others about shared interests.
- People who have a pulse on gaming news and trends. Upcoming indies, industry crunch, AAA consolidation, DEIB representation… where the industry goes, we want you to follow.
- Bonus points if you have SEO, graphic design, podcasting, or web development skills.
- All people are welcome to apply, but we especially encourage femme, PoC, queer, and neurodiverse writers.
Why Write for Us?
Here’s the list of perks:
- Free games! Write for us, and get video games to review ahead of release.
- Flexibility. No weekly quotas; you choose what to write, and when to write it.
- Visibility. Any reviews you write will be featured on OpenCritic. Additionally, everything you produce for us includes a byline, so you can link to your work on a blog, portfolio, or resume.
- Editorial support. All of our pieces go through at least two rounds of review by our editors. We help writers find their voice, structure their pieces, and try new things.
- Community. Contributing writers are invited to join our Discord channel where we share gaming hot takes, partake in team-wide backlog challenges and group gaming sessions, and, of course, cover the latest releases. At its heart, The Punished Backlog is an inclusive team of writers who enjoy talking about games.
What To Pitch The Punished Backlog
Need inspiration about what to write for us? Get weird. Take your most creative pitch, add some seasoning, bake at 400 degrees, and serve it to us scathing hot.
In past submissions, our writers ranked all the NPCs in Breath of the Wild and made a guide to get your mom into video games. They explored the crossover between Booktok and Baldur’s Gate 3, lamented the lack of gender diversity in modern games, and drew comparisons between Attack on Titan and the genocide in Gaza.
Other trends and topics we love:
- AAA game development: Why are current development cycles so expensive? Are we in a bubble, and if so, when will it pop?
- Layoffs and studio closures: What does the future of Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo look like? Will video game consolidation cool off, or continue? What silver linings do you see in an increasingly sustainable industry?
- Upcoming indies: Who are the rising stars in independent game development? What voices in this industry deserve a microphone, and why?
- Diversity and representation: What does the future of representation in games look like? What are some inclusive video games that are currently doing representation right?
Anything is on the table when you pitch us. We want your best ideas; nothing more, nothing less. Our editorial team will work closely with you to turn those ideas into articles that awe and inspire.
What Is It Like To Write for Us?
I was so frustrated about Cyberpunk 2077 that I had to write about it. On a whim, I asked my IRL friend Sam if he thought it could have a home on the gaming site he contributed to. For the past few years, writing for The Punished Backlog has given me the opportunity to hone my writing skills, review games both large and small, and make new friends with kind, funny, and passionate gamers. Even though I still haven’t given Cyberpunk a second chance, I’ll always be grateful it brought me here!
Amanda Tien, Editor at The Punished Backlog
How Do I Apply or Pitch a Guest Post?
If interested, please complete this Google Form. Please note that as part of the application process, you will be required to provide a writing sample. If you do not have an existing sample, please write up a piece of your own and share! A member of our staff will reach out within one to two weeks if we think you’d be a good fit. For any and all questions, please feel free to shoot an email over to david [dot] silbert [at] punishedbacklog [dot] com.
Important: Use of artificial intelligence is strictly prohibited and will result in immediate disqualfication. We run all drafts through AI detection and expect work that is inherently human. Don’t be that person; let your words speak for themselves!
Best of luck, and we look forward to hearing from you!