A Masterclass in Dread There are very few franchises in gaming history that command the same level of hushed reverence as Fatal Frame. When the original Crimson Butterfly launched on the PlayStation 2, it wasn’t just a scary game; it was a deeply emotional exploration…

The Graveyard Shift from Hell I have sifted through my fair share of indie horror games that promise a terrifying “night shift” experience, only to deliver a generic haunted-house experience with a flashlight that dies every 12 seconds. It takes a lot to stand out…

The “Goldilocks” of Extraction Shooters Let’s address the elephant in the room: when Bungie first announced they were resurrecting their beloved 1990s boomer-shooter IP, Marathon, as a modern PvPvE extraction shooter, the internet was highly skeptical. After years of watching the genre become saturated with…

A Bear in a Onesie Steps Outside If you have ever looked at the intense, grid-based combat of traditional tactical RPGs and thought, “This is great, but it needs significantly more amphibians and a bear wearing a onesie,” then your hyperspecific prayers have been answered.…

Doing My Part Touching back down in California after a grueling week walking the floor at GDC, my brain felt like absolute mush. Between the endless networking, the developer panels, and staring at engine presentations for six days straight, I needed something to completely fry…

Growing Up on a Changing Planet When Planet of Lana launched in 2023, it captured the hearts of puzzle-platformer fans with its stunning Studio Ghibli-esque visuals, sweeping orchestral score, and the undeniable charm of its core duo: a young girl named Lana and her cat-monkey-alien…

Clocking In to the Abyss There is a universal, inherent creepiness to working the graveyard shift. When the rest of the world is asleep, the environments we usually consider safe—office buildings, gas stations, and empty parking lots—transform into liminal, hostile spaces. Developer Arzolath® understands this…

The Co-Op Shooter Rides Again The four-player cooperative zombie shooter is a genre that has been chasing ghosts for nearly two decades. Ever since Valve captured lightning in a bottle with Left 4 Dead, developers have been desperately trying to recreate that magic. Some have…

Congratulations, You Are Expendable In the crowded landscape of indie gaming, finding a truly addictive gameplay loop is like striking a vein of pure gold. In 2022, Dome Keeper perfected a very specific, high-stress formula: dig down for resources, rush back to the surface, and…

The Return to Raccoon City Since the controversial pivot of Resident Evil 6, Capcom has spent the last decade meticulously rebuilding the trust of its fanbase. Resident Evil 7: Biohazard returned the series to its claustrophobic, first-person roots. The RE2 and RE4 remakes redefined how…