Games I Played in August

Games
Screenshot from God of War, showing two men in an ornate canoe: a young man in armor and an older man rowing.
Kratos and his son Atreus search for Tÿr in God of War: Ragnarök. | screenshot by me

The story of God of War: Ragnarok (Santa Monica Studio) continues to evolve in stunning ways (I honestly may love it more than the 2018 game). One of the things I love in this game — and that I’m realizing I love in general — is the way the game uses perspective shifts (by playing as eight Kratos or Atreus on their own) to emphasize story beats and build connections between our two main characters and the friends they meet along the way. It’s such an effective shift, and I love exploring the slightly different fighting styles and seeing the ways the characters interact with the world.

Things are looking pretty bleak in the story right now, and I don’t know how our characters are going to get out of this (or even if they’re going to, since Fate doesn’t seem to be on their side). But I’m so excited to see what happens.

Games I Played in June and July 2026

Games
Screenshot from the game Tell Me Why, showing a young man in a hoody and sunglasses next to his stister, who's wearing a  beanie. Both are on a ferry looking out at the Alaskan mountains. A line of dialog from Alyson reads, "Trying to wrap my head around the fact that you're right here."
Tyler and Alyson in Tell Me Why | screenshot by me.

Tell Me Why (Dontnod Entertainment) is a narrative adventure game about two twins separated from each other after one of them kills their mother in self defense. Reunited as adults, they return to their family home to clean it out and try to understand why their mother suddenly attacked them. Using the Voice (the ability to share their thoughts), the twins are able to delve into the past, replaying their shares memories (which sometimes differ, depending on their individual perspective).

Games I Played in May 2026

Games
Game screenshot showing an illustrated style. A generic white man in a collared blue shirt stands with his back to us, facing a conference table with various superheroes, including a demon woman, a man with a bat head, and a giant rock creatures, among others. Dialog options include: "You set this program on fire", "You are all Phoenixes", and "You're all burnt sh*t".
Dispatch | source: AdHoc Studio

Dispatch (AdHoc Studio) feels like an interactive superhero sitcom. The player takes on the role of Robert Robertson, aka Mecha Man, who faces off against an enemy too clever for him, resulting in his mecha-suit being destroyed. Following his injuries, he’s approached to join the Superhero Dispatch Network as a dispatcher for a dysfunctional team comprised of former villains. The choices you make throughout the game — how you deal with conflict and who you support or romance — has an affect on how the story plays out.

In addition to the choice-based narrative, the game features some incredibly satisfying mini-games, like he dispatch system, in which you assign heroes to specific calls is a fun challenge, along with the hacking puzzles. In the end, I really loved my team of misfits, who often made me smile or laugh at their bickering and antics. It’s was a great time and one that I’d return to again sometime (maybe to explore some different narrative pathways).

Art, Dreamscapes, and Haunted Podcasts: Nine Games I Played at the Capital Creative Showcase

Games
A grid of five images, including the logo for the Capital Creative showcase 2026. Around it are images from the games, Wherever You Get Your Podcasts, HerSalon, Fugue Shot, Prickles, and Puzzle Spy International.

Capital Creative Showcase (CCS) is a one day event that brings together game developers and creatives from the local Sacramento area, Northern California, and beyond. Around 120 games were showcased at the event (both in person and via the online Steam event).

It was a fantastic showcase, with more games than I could have possibly played during my short time there in person. I especially liked having the opportunity to speak with devs (some of whom I know from online discussions) who could share insights into their work.

Continue reading on Once Upon the Weird…

Games I Played in April 2026

Games
Exploring the Orchard in 1000xRESIST | Source: Fellow Traveller

I knew nothing about 1000xRESIST (Sunset Visitor) going in, except that it has been highly praised for its narrative. The game immediately launches the player directly into a shocking scene, in which a prayer is interrupted by violence. There’s confusion in this moment. What is happening? Who are these people who call each other “sister” and then “mother”? What is this shiny scifi world?

The story then shifts backwards to explore the events that lead us here. Taking the role of Watcher, who is being inducted into new knowledge by being granted permission to explore the memories Iris (“Mother”), only to witness and report a betrayal from Fixer.