Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse (PC) Review

I love the Castlevania series. I grew up with the GBA and DS games specifically, with Order of Ecclesia being my favorite of the bunch. As an adult, I went back and explored the series from its origins, and now I’ve had the pleasure of enjoying Belmont’s Curse. If we are speaking in technical terms, it has been 12 years since the last new…

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REKA (PC) Review

Don't you just hate it when you wake up from a really weird dream and find that you've somehow ended up in an even weirder reality? I suppose that's mainly a problem for video game characters, such as the titular character in REKA, developed by Emberstone Entertainment and published by Fireshine Games. You play as the titular Reka, a young girl who discovers in just about the strangest way possible that she's a witch.

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Dispatch Deluxe Edition Gets 1-Year Anniversary Update

Dispatch is hands-down one of my favorite gaming experiences in recent years. Over 8 episodes, the game revives the Telltale-style, decision-based narrative experience we've craved since the studio's hiatus. As developer AdHoc Studio looks to its next project, they're taking one more moment to soak in the success of their superhero tale. Good timing, too: the game is celebrating one year on storefronts and a huge sales milestone.

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Lanterns (Season 1)- Review

So far, the new DC universe helmed by James Gunn has been a little hit or miss for me. I really enjoyed the latest Superman film but found shows like Creature Commandos lacking and didn't hear many good things about Supergirl either. Nevertheless, I always liked Green Lantern as a concept, and I particularly enjoy the John Stewart version of the character due to his appearance in the…

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Fight Like a Chicken (PC) Demo Preview

Alright, let’s see what the October 2026 Steam Next Fest sees fit to present to me this time. A “Punch-Out!! inspired boxing game” in which you play as a chicken, huh? Developed and published by Uncanny Games, Fight Like a Chicken sees you play as Benny Bantam Jr., the son of a legendary boxer who finds himself forced to box his way through the criminal underworld to find his missing father.

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Sker Ritual and Home are free on Epic

Monday, Gothic/fantasy themed cleaning up game Cluttermancer got a release date, meanwhile, apparently everyone still thinks this Backrooms thing is fun, and Kingmakers is still delayed. Tuesday, Coral Island gets a Switch 2 release window, and There are No Ghosts at the Grand hits early access soon. Wednesday, Kitaria Fables 2 is to get a physical release…

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SNW “Like Chronitons Through the Hourglass” – Review

I think we can all appreciate the time that Ben just straight-up punched Q in the head. Our director this week has experience in this sort of, to borrow from her work, Clüsterfünke, as Anna Dokoza most recently directed FBI, CIA, and things like Chicago Med, but she’s also done Kevin Can F**k Himself. Oddly enough, I’m thinking the same of the production staff for…

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Warhammer Survivors (PC) Demo Preview

It's that time of year again, folks: The final Steam Next Fest of 2026 is now upon us. I've done a bit of digging through the deluge of game demos and found a selection I think I'll enjoy covering. I thought I'd start us off with something on the quicker, more easily digestible side: Warhammer Survivors, developed and published by Auroch Digital.

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Football Manager 27’s Launch Preview is Free to Try

Well, this is a surprise I wasn't expecting. Football Manager 27's "Launch Preview" will be absolutely free to play. You can try the full game with no time restrictions, no league restrictions, no restrictions at all aside from when the Launch Preview event ends on the 3rd of November. Reading that, I nearly fell backwards out of my chair because that is, no matter how you chop this up, a fantastic move by Sports Interactive and SEGA from a PR and consumer standpoint.

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Let’s talk Scottish Football (SPFL) and domestic broadcast

To the chagrin (though not surprise) of my editor, I might be a little combative today as I rant because I want to talk about two things. I want to particularly talk about Scottish football and the broadcasting surrounding it, as this week there have been two announcements that affect this: The BBC is closing BBC Scotland (as well as BBC Three and BBC Radio 4 Extra), and the SFA/SPFL have sent out the “

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Nintendo Kicks Off Holidays with NYC Sweepstakes

Just over a year into its cycle, the Nintendo Switch 2 will likely be on many holiday wish lists this season. There's plenty of time to narrow down every game you hope to find wrapped in paper this winter. Still, Nintendo is getting a head start on the holidays with a sweepstakes showcasing what the gaming company has to offer for the gifting season at its flagship store in New York City.

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Kitaria Fables 2 to get Physical Release

Physical releases are a big conversation right now. From Sony planning to shutter physical releases by 2028 to Nintendo planning to maintain them due to user request, there’s a lot of conversation going on. Now, the developers of Kitaria Fables 2 have announced a physical release for their upcoming action-oriented life-sim. Among several announcements came the reveal that Kitaria Fables 2…

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Final Fantasy Resonance (PC) Review

I am one of those annoying people who have played a great majority of the Final Fantasy franchise. I can tell you who the most iconic villains are (and why), my favorite story moments, and even which games I think are overrated (welcome to the stage, FF8). With that connection to the series, after a while things begin to feel…too familiar.

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There Are No Ghosts at the Grand gets early access release window

It's not a release date quite yet, but I am going to take it. I've been following There Are No Ghosts at the Grand for a while now, trying to shake a release date out of whoever will listen, but the bizarre little mystery, horror English village that oddly likes ska music hasn't had a release date yet. Still hasn't, but what we do have is a release window for the early access coming later this year...

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Coral Island gets Nintendo Switch 2 Release Window

Admittedly, Coral Island is one of the few “Cozy Games” on my list that I haven’t dug into yet. It’s a bit of a white whale for me, and I have had my eye on it for a while. Now, a new announcement from Balor Games and Stairway Games might give me more reason to dig into it. The developer has announced that…

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Kingmakers was Delayed a Year Ago

After much excitement and anticipation in 2025, Kingmakers was set to release in Early Access on October 8th, 2025. However, on October 3rd of 2025, an announcement surfaced on the game's Steam page titled "A Message From the Developers". Instead of releasing that week, the delay detailed lofty ambitions, what they wanted to improve on, and a promise that everyone who plays should feel proud of their purchase.

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Backrooms Anomaly: Pools Demo Out for Steam Next Fest

One funny thing about entertainment media is that once a trend gets going, it's full steam ahead for anyone willing to make content in that space or theme. Starting as an anonymous 4chan post, the Backrooms might not seem all that enticing at first. They're certainly mysterious and offer plenty of potential for exploring the environment in different stories, but a successful movie and many games later, it's one of the most talked-about concepts in entertainment.

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Cluttermancer gets Demo and Release Date Announcement

Recently, I have really been enjoying the rise of these “Cleaning” games. Not just things like PowerWash Simulator, but the games where you clean and sort items, such as Librarian: Tidy Up the Arcane Library. Now, a new contender is on its way, with a fresh demo ahead of Steam Next Fest. Additionally, Cluttermancer: Tidy Up the Nightmare Alley…

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DREADMOOR gets early access release date

Well, that was earlier than I expected. It was only last week that I noted that a new demo for Dream Dock's DREADMOOR was out, and (announced yesterday) we'll get a bit more than just a demo early next month. Heading to early access, we'll get the "core experience and main gameplay systems [...] already in place," with the team working on balancing, polish, and taking on feedback from players.

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Pale Incense to get Steam Next Fest Demo

It is that hallowed season; the spooky and dark creep in as the days grow shorter. I love Halloween, and I love all things vampiric, gothic, witchy, etc. For all the cozy vibes I enjoy, games like Pale Incense are absolutely my flavor. Developer Ongun Ayhan has revealed that their upcoming project, Pale Incense, will be coming to the Steam Next Fest from October 19th-26th.

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Bad Cheese and Agent A are free on Epic

Monday, Apple Crumble got a release date and I was singing about killing someone stabbing grannies, the DLC for Marvel Cosmic Invasion got a November release date, and FM27 keeps getting sexier and sexier with each deep dive. Tuesday, Stupid Never Dies is proven by politics every 2-5 years, but this week's deep dive is very artsy. Wednesday, The Lady Greyhounds…

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SNW “Off-Hour” – Review

Captain’s Log: I got bored of this season and started rewatching DS9 again. Directed by For All Mankind and Shadow and Bone director, Dan Liu has been around these parts before with Picard’s one good season and three previous episodes of Strange New Worlds. Writing, this time, won’t lead me to swear so much, as Bill Wolkoff returns following “The Sehlat Who Ate Its Tail” and five other episodes.

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Xbox Nano Controller Revealed

For PC and console gamers, the Xbox controller has been a favorite for over a decade. Its form factor, ergonomics, and familiar design have led Xbox to stray only slightly from its 2013 design with the Xbox One. We were due for a shakeup, and with the rising popularity of portable, multi-platform controllers, the newest Xbox controller is a drastic new design that offers a much-needed first-party alternative in size and cost.

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MAFATE gets Steam Next Fest demo, available now

I don't often cover the Steam Next Fest and what's coming to it simply because I have no time to actually cover the demos during it in the first place. A weird little circle of being busy. Nonetheless, there are games announced for the upcoming Steam Next Fest that I think are worth watching, including one I've spoken about before. When we last saw…

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Toem 2 (PC) Review

It's always a treat to see a niche indie title get a sequel, as some video games leave more of a mark than others, but every game needs to sell well to get a second iteration. One such game would be Toem: A Photo Adventure, from developer Something We Made. There was just something about picking apart each diorama and the several "a-ha!" moments that game evoked from me that stuck in my mind for all this time.

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Sushi on Wheels gets Release Date

I love life-sim games and cooking games. So, when I find out about games that mix the two genres, I’m sold. Green Rapture Games just provided a ton of new info on its new cozy life-sim set in Japan, Sushi on Wheels. Specifically, Sushi on Wheels will be released on December 7th, 2026. It is also celebrating a 10,000 wishlist milestone and will be a part of Steam Cooking Fest from October 12th-19th and the Steam Next Fest from October 19th-26th.

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Toy Story Retro Roundup & Toy Story 3: CE (Switch 2) Review

1999 is widely considered one of the greatest years in video game history. While many enjoyed Final Fantasy VIII, Chrono Cross, Planescape: Torment, and Silent Hill, I was obsessed with two games. Pokémon Silver, which I still stand by, and Toy Story 2 for the PlayStation, which I still stand by. The former is easier to debate with people than the latter, but clearly, enough kids who are now adults loved these games too, which led to the release of…

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AFC Richmond Women added to EA FC 27

Mmm, how about that? Indeed, I could have used any number of Lasso-isms, but given the internet and men being upset that they can't watch men in shorts that climb up their backsides, I couldn't exactly quote Trent Crimm, Independent. Before my editor kills me, yes, Ted Lasso Season 4 is now over, and recently EA did one of those things where the yearly sports release...

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Fortnitemares 2026: Is it Worth Checking Out?

Fortnitemares 2026 is about halfway through its spooky-season run. With new Five Nights at Freddy's content, another iconic horror Freddy, plus returning items and twists on past season areas, there's plenty to like. If you wait for seasonal or limited-time events to decide whether it's time to hop back on the Battle Bus, let's talk. Here's my take on whether or not…

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Stupid Never Dies’ 4th Dev Diary Takes an Artistic Turn

Before Phenixx Gaming, I was an art student. Specifically, I thought for a while that I would get an art history degree, before I realized that I loved writing more than I did regurgitating dates and names. Stupid Never Dies’ 4th Dev Diary takes me back to something I love: dissecting art styles and picking at the way things look.

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