The Punished Backlog
HomepageThe Punished Backlog's Reviews
Your House is a competent mystery game that suffers from its own ambition. Its central reading mechanic adds flavor to the experience, and it offers a decent variety of puzzles to keep players engaged. However, the narrative lacks bite, and the difficulty will be a turn-off for some. If you don’t mind a “just okay” story and are open to some wonky solutions, Your House offers some unique puzzle thrills. But just don’t expect a revelatory experience.
Destino Indomable is good but has some notable flaws. With a slightly longer story and more weight to your decisions, this could have been a must-play visual novel. The telenovela concept is great, and I hope to see more in the future. But for now, this is one show you're likely not to pick up.
Part cozy game, part comedy, part poignant self-reflection, Wanderstop proves even the most well-trodden genre can bear creative fruit. Its gameplay errs on the side of simplicity, and elements of the story—particularly the side cast and the ending—left me hungrily wanting more. Still, the soul of Wanderstop shines through, resulting in a narrative experience that is one of a kind.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance II is best enjoyed as a kind of Renaissance Faire rather than a 15th-century simulator. The game is at its best when it gives players freedom to explore. Sadly, the main quest has too many pain points where player autonomy is stripped, in favor of a trope-heavy narrative that feels ripped from a 2004 comedy sketch. Its best moments are rare, but when they do land, Kingdom Come: Deliverance II rivals the feeling of playing Red Dead Redemption or Oblivion for the first time.
Playing inkle's games for the past 10 years makes me realize that I am a fan not just of their games, but of them as creators. When you engage with new content from a familiar artist, you start to sense their fingerprints. Knowing inkle’s style made me all the more delighted by change-ups and familiar methods. While Expelled! is slower and clunkier than Overboard!, it’s also richer and deeper. Now, I have to stop writing this review, because I'd really like to get back to playing it.
Split Fiction is another great addition to the Hazelight catalog—one that solidifies the studio as the paragon of co-op gameplay. If you thought It Takes Two was a fluke, think again. Split Fiction learns from its predecessor’s story missteps, doubles down on the great platforming, and deftly pays homage to gaming royalty. The result is Hazelight’s most creative game to date, and—in my humble opinion—its best.
In the '80s and '90s, Carmen Sandiego was interesting because there wasn't a ton of content about the world that was made for children. How else were we to learn about continents and cultures without accidentally stumbling upon the horrors of this planet and its peoples? However, with millions of hours of free, great kid-specific content on the internet these days, I'd be hard-pressed to know why anyone would spend money on this.
The team at Yellow Brick covered a lot of ground in this first game, both in scope and physically in game with the number of areas available to explore. They did a lot of good things within their budget but I would love for them to scale back, hone the rougher edges, and focus on making them great. If you’re a fan of experimenting in combat with a charming cast, I recommend Eternal Strands for you. The story won’t move you, and the combat, while at times challenging, isn’t anything new. But if you’re curious, you’ll find the magic that keeps you coming back.
Dead Letter Dept. definitely shows some cracks. Visuals can get muddy, some of the lighting choices don't work, and, in more intense moments, it can be very easy to get lost. But in looking past the small hiccups, you can find a simple but evocative game with a lot of variety. While we weren’t always certain what choices determined what endings, we ended our time excited to dive back in. This is a labor of love from someone willing to escape the doldrums of corporate number-punching.
Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector iterates on everything its predecessor accomplished, maintaining the same heart while adding new challenges. It will delight anyone who played the first, and also serves as an exciting entry point for anyone new to the interactive novel genre. While the “good” path here is more obvious than the original, I already look forward to playing it again and making different choices this time around. After all—the sky’s the limit.
Dreamcore captures the imagination and serves as a nice proof of concept for what liminal space horror could look like in modern game engines. Sadly, it currently doesn’t feel much more than a pitch, and worst yet, one that outlasts its welcome. Eternal Suburbia is the stronger of the two current maps available in Dreamcore, and the developers promise that three more will be released in the coming years. The game is thus only two-fifths complete. I look forward to visiting the spaces the team creates; I'd just like them to scare me beyond the idea of getting stuck in an endless loop.
Paper Perjury is a delightful, solid mystery game for fans of the genre and the Ace Attorney series. It’s an interactive novel with a good amount of investigating crime scenes and presenting evidence. While it doesn’t do anything ground-breaking, it’s a well-executed indie mystery.
50 games; 25 bucks. UFO 50 is the best value in gaming since The Orange Box, and though other games have it beat in terms of depth, far fewer can lay claim to its charms. If ‘80s gaming is your jam, this is a no-brainer. And if it’s not… give it a try anyway, if only to appreciate how far this wonderful pastime has come.
Sorry We’re Closed is a creative approach to a familiar genre, and the best horror game I’ve played this past month. This is not the kind of horror game that will leave you jumping out of your chair, but rather the kind of slow burn that you feel in your chest and sometimes just beneath your skin. À La Mode Games has created a horror world that I can’t wait to return to in future replays. I worked hard to get the worst ending the first time—one that took my breath away and didn’t need a Third Eye to rip my heart out. I want to earn the remaining endings and have the opportunity to fall in love with this gem again and again.
Kill Knight isn’t for the faint of heart. It’s brutal, unforgiving, and relentless—but it’s also one of the most satisfying action shooters I’ve played in recent memory. The tight, responsive controls, the variety of weapons, and the rewarding progression system all combine to create a game that’s hard to put down. Sure, the difficulty might turn some players away, but for those willing to push through the frustration, Kill Knight offers a rewarding and exhilarating experience. It’s a straightforward action game that doesn’t waste time with elaborate narratives. You’re here to fight, survive, and master the mechanics. And when everything clicks, it’s like dancing with death itself.
Despite some peaks and valleys, The Plucky Squire is a book worth getting lost in. I would certainly recommend the game, especially to families and those with little kids who might enjoy playing in the passenger seat. Even for those out there who are kids at heart, there’s plenty to enjoy—just be sure to stick it out until the end.
Hollowbody deserves a spot beside the best of the PlayStation 2-era Silent Hill games. In its gameplay, story, and aesthetics, Hollowbody pays homage to its inspiration while putting clever twists on the genre that Silent Hill pioneered. It may not be the most original, but it is undoubtedly one of the best survival horror games of 2024.
11 Bit Studios should be extremely proud of Frostpunk 2; it’s an intoxicatingly detailed and beautiful survival management game. For those who do want more Frostpunk, Frostpunk 2 delivers and then some. Fans of games like Crusader Kings 2 will rejoice, and these added social elements may delight fans of Sid Meier’s Civilization series. The array of laws and choices means Frostpunk 2 is hyper-replayable, for those interested in that sort of thing. Just a glance at the Steam Achievements list makes it clear that there’s a lot you can do and different approaches you can take. I’m already considering what I’ll do next time.
When it comes to point-and-click puzzle games, this is a nearly flawless example of how to tell an engaging story while giving players plenty to do and not holding their hand along the way. I find it hard to imagine a much better structure for the genre, and though some of the humor and characters weren't to my taste, those minor gripes are far outweighed by the positives. Whether you missed Sam & Max in the ‘90s and aughts, or you’re looking for an excuse to revisit the series, it’s hard to go wrong with The Devil’s Playhouse Remastered.
Bō: Path of the Teal Lotus is a beautifully crafted Metroidvania that captivates with its engaging gameplay, blending Japanese folklore with a heartwarming story. While there are moments where the game's pacing stumbles—particularly during some of the more punishing platforming sections—the overall experience is enriched by its charming characters, gorgeous art, and thoughtful themes.