Video Game Deep Cuts: The Mario Steamroller Monster Train 2

Maneater (PC, PS4, Xbox One) is an open-world RPG lite action game where yes, you’re a bloodthirsty shark. It’s a bit silly. 

Extending the block-y franchise, Minecraft Dungeons (Xbox One, PC) is a “more approachable entry for the hack and slash genre”. 

Monster Train (PC, pictured), from my buddies at Shiny Shoe Games, is a super well-crafted deckbuilder which “might be the best.. since Slay The Spire”. 

Crucible (PC) is Amazon’s newest foray into game creation, and “a MOBA-shooter for the Twitch generation”, - Steam reviews currently mixed. 

Also new this week, If Found… (PC, iOS) is an indie-vibe visual novel with an intriguing eraser game mechanic. 

In a genre that's all about staying hidden, what should designers do in stealth games when the player is found? 

It’s the 30th anniversary of Microsoft Solitaire: did you know the game originally had a fake Excel spreadsheet ‘boss mode’ that was removed before release? 

An ever so slight upside of COVID-19: brand-new gamers are being created. 

How a dedicated team and a series of miracles led to My Little Pony-inspired (excellent) 2D fighting game Them's Fightin' Herds (pictured). 

What’s still faring well in a quarantined world - and now more accessible for those with disabilities? Pokemon Go, surprisingly enough. 

Amazing longform piece on “when SimCity got serious: the story of Maxis Business Simulations and SimRefinery.” 

You may have spotted the 40th anniversary of Pac-Man (pictured) this week - here’s a great overview of the phenom that also chats to its creator. 

A look at the Creative 3DO Blaster, a hyper-rare PC add-in card that let you play 3DO games on your personal computer. 

Was super impressed by this oral history of Rare’s Perfect Dark, 20 years after it launched - a LOT of honesty about a great game with a troubled dev cycle. 

How niche documentaries are helping to preserve video game history through in-depth interviews & reportage. 

Bored of your Zoom calls? You could always try doing company meetings in Red Dead Redemption 2. 

A detailed look at the (nearly insane) amount of graphical rework put into Saint’s Row The Third to remaster it for new platforms. 

A surprising take on the FMV game: Out For Delivery (pictured) is a “slice-of-life experience following a food delivery courier in Beijing on January 23, 2020.” 

How people find your game on the Nintendo Switch, & some modest suggestions to improve discoverability (I wrote this!) 

Here’s some cultural commentary on a new indie game that’s also Nintendo history-related - “you are a bootleg cartridge [at a Dutch airport]… and Mario is desperately trying to destroy you”.