Mediavania
Industry
How Should Choices Be Balanced with Good Storytelling Tools?
Jon Ingold has talked about choices in games for years, and I think he's got the right angle
Discover the best writing in gaming.
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Newest Writing
60 results
Game Development
Building a "make my game musical" button
Creating custom tools to get my game to pop and lock to the beat
Industry
The fall and rise of game journalism
In a world of AI slop, bot reviews, and misinformation, who's holding the line?
Reviews
Gears of War [X360]
Blast from the past. A look back at an earlier review from November 2006...
Industry
Be a poet for your game
Nothing matters more than understanding and honoring your game's genre
PC Gaming
China's Gacha Paradox
Why A Decade Of Extraction Made Chinese Players The Most Premium-Friendly Audience On Steam
Reviews
Review:Love is a Demon(PC) - Devilishly good adventure
Over the years we got many games covering dating topic. Some were serious and some had funny aproach. How is with Love is a Demon? Let's find out!
Nintendo
Quick Read: The Savage Raven by Skull & Co. Neo Grip
[Midweek Read/Mini Review] An ergonomic upgrade for the Switch 2.
Game Development
You Can’t Shadow Drop a Delay
Spawn Point Marketing by Jay Rooney-August 3, 2026
What Amazon's Tomb Raider Gaffe Can Teach Indies About How NOT to Announce a Delay
RPG
Sega: The Master System of Constant Reinvention?
Sega cancelled an $882 million future in the same year it turned nine birthdays into a business unit. That is not a coincidence. That is the plan.
Nintendo
This Game Might Go In My Top 10
[Modern Review] Delving back into the Switch library to discover Fire Emblem: Three Houses.
PlayStation
SuperJoost Office Hours: Roblox, Sony, Xbox earnings
What Wall Street got right, what it missed, and what's next
Industry
A business case for a "butt slider" in Final Fantasy XIV
Infinite Lives by Harrison Polites-July 30, 2026
Jokes aside, financial pressure at Square Enix means its golden goose has to refocus on keeping players rather than winning new ones.
Reviews
Review: Max Savage(PC) - Epic space adventure
Over years we got many games that tried to fill the lack after big games. It's the same with the game Max Savage trying to be next Wing Commander. It succeed? Or it's supernova? Let's find out!
Reviews
What It Was Like To Play Half-Life 9,381 Days Ago
Back in the Summer of 2000 I downloaded and played tons of PC game demos to try out.
RPG
Bypassing the lottery
Infinite Lives by Harrison Polites-July 28, 2026
What its like to attend Final Fantasy XIV Fan Fest. Two days, thousands of balloted fans, one new tank job and a great deal of queuing.
Game Development
Support or Sequel?
Spawn Point Marketing by Jay Rooney-July 27, 2026
Four Tests for Deciding Where Your Next Dev Month Goes
Industry
The video game executive playbook, part two
The weekly, monthly and quarterly rhythms to lead a game studio
Industry
Slop, Please: Your Prose Is NOT in Order
Game & Word by Jay Rooney-July 25, 2026
OR: Against Pangram scans, virtue signaling, moral cosplaying, moral panicking, witch hunts, and Substack deputizing the witch hunters.
RPG
Damn it. Everyone is right. Mina the Hollower is outstanding
Infinite Lives by Harrison Polites-July 23, 2026
REVIEW: A clever difficulty modifier and intuitive map design make this adventure game both engrossing and accessible for all.
Game Development
We Have Hit "Peak Roguelite"
Spawn Point Marketing by Jay Rooney-July 23, 2026
A field note on what "Roguelite Fatigue" says about genre saturation, product-market fit, and why a proven formula is not the same as a safe bet
Game Development
After Launch Day: What to Do When Things Go Right (And When They Don’t)
Spawn Point Marketing-July 20, 2026
[BONUS] Ready Check #13: The Launch Readiness Series
PC Gaming
The Roguelite Cull Hasn’t Happened Yet. The Data Already Decided It.
Slay the Spire 2, Megabonk, and 33 Immortals aren’t survivors of a graveyard that doesn’t exist yet. They’re proof the mechanism is already running. A structural read on what mid-2026 data already con
Industry
The video game executive playbook, part one
The journey from making a game to leading a game company
Reviews
Review: Desktop Explorer(PC) - Login to great spooky adventure
Over 100,000 wishlist on Steam... Are we having another hit? Or Desktop Explorer is overhyped? Let's find out!
RPG
From Hungry Knight to Hollow Knight: Lessons from the Game Jams behind Australia's greatest hits
Infinite Lives-July 16, 2026
As layoffs and AI rock the industry, Jams have become a vital, low-stakes proving ground for great local games.
Retro
Old Games Were Better
Corerunner by Felix Roth-July 15, 2026
This blog post describes why old video games are better than current ones. It also explains why it isn't just nostalgia.
Industry
Ubisoft and the technology trap
What a decade of VR, cloud, blockchain, and AI failed to deliver
Game Development
What I Wish Every Studio Knew Before Greenlight
Spawn Point Marketing-July 13, 2026
Ready Check #12: The Launch Readiness Series
AI & Gaming
Use AI to Build Your Game. Just Keep It Out of the Part Players Feel.
Iron Nest shipped with zero AI, Dragon Snacks put its AI in the build pipeline, and Valve’s own policy already explains why both of them won
PlayStation
From game owner to indefinite renter: Your rights will be challenged as Sony eyes a discless future
Infinite Lives by Harrison Polites-July 9, 2026
As the era of buying physical games draws to an end, consumer rights advocates have concerns.
Game Development
The Hard Reset
Spawn Point Marketing by Jay Rooney-July 9, 2026
Xbox's Brutal Layoffs Were the Entirely Predictable Endpoint of Microsoft's Many Strategic Missteps
Game Development
What's on the flipside of the game dev marketing rulebook?
Is there a secret map to success?
Industry
BONUS QUEST: The Gamer's Grimoire
Game & Word-July 8, 2026
A Tongue-in-Cheek Grimoire of Spells, Enchantments, and Potions for the Discerning Mystical Gamer
Reviews
A Bizarre Horror Staple For Dreamcast
[Casual Review/Anecdote] A look at the odd Dreamcast horror title: Blue Stinger.
Industry
Game studio due diligence
What a publisher, investor or buyer checks when they look at your studio
Game Development
What Does “Launch Ready” Actually Look Like?
Spawn Point Marketing-July 6, 2026
Ready Check #11: The Launch Readiness Series
