Articles
Chopping Block: September 1st 2026
Chopping Block: September 1st 2026
Alien: Rogue Incursion, Monsters Are Coming, ROUTINE
1 September 2026
Chopping BlockNews Update: August 2026
Chopping Block - August 3rd 2026
Chopping Block - August 3rd 2026
Insurmountable, Somerville, While the Iron's Hot
26 August 2026
Chopping BlockDelve Game Design Document
Delve Game Design Document
Operate a large cave exploration machine, lowering your self into rock crevices and fissures using an internal winch hooked to the surface. Manipulate several powered limbs to control your descent while sinking pinions into the terrain to mark your progress. Keep a close watch on your line as over stress can lead to disaster. Unlock several different variants of the delving machine to vary gameplay and add new challenges.
16 August 2026
DelveCairn - Backpack
Cairn - Backpack
Cairn is a masterful climbing game that makes mountaineering its entire identity, with clever physics-based systems, immersive sound design, and a surprisingly emotional story. Its unique inventory system and demanding difficulty make it a fascinating game to dissect.
16 August 2026
Games.designChopping Block: August 12th 2026
Chopping Block: August 12th 2026
Guild of Dungeoneering, Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria, South of Midnight
11 August 2026
Chopping BlockMad Max - Torque
Mad Max - Torque
Mad Max delivers satisfying vehicle combat, weighty melee, and one of gaming's most convincing post-apocalyptic wastelands. Despite its overlooked status the pacing issues, repetitive endgame content, and unrealized ideas prevent this open-world adventure from reaching the heights of the films that inspired it
7 August 2026
Games.designA Plague Tale: Innocense - System Save Achivement
A Plague Tale: Innocense - System Save Achivement
A Plague Tale: Innocence delivers an exceptional blend of stealth, storytelling, and atmospheric world-building. Its memorable characters, haunting presentation, and inventive use of light and LOD'ing make it one of the genre's standout narrative adventures.
2 August 2026
Games.designNews Update: July 2026
Adrift Game Design Document
Adrift Game Design Document
The player has to bring an ailing spacecraft back to life in a point click style puzzle game. Build up power reserves to unlock new areas of the ship and new subsystems to control. At certain intervals disasters and environmental hazards may occur that risk setting the player back and put more stress on the player.Build up power clicker mini-games then redirect power via circuit bypasses, fuse puzzles, and activating systems in sequence. Open new areas by routing life-support, activating fire suppressors, or lifting locked doors. All testing the players knowledge of the ship and its operations.
28 July 2026
AdriftSubnautica 2 - Early Access Launch
Subnautica 2 - Early Access Launch
Subnautica entered Easly Access several weeks ago and so far things have been going great. Combat, co-op, tone, and exploration, many of Subnautica 2's early shortcomings are typical of an Early Access release. Unknown Worlds has time to refine these systems, and the game's strong sales suggest players remain optimistic about its future.
27 July 2026
Pond-eringsAlan Wake 2 - Shared Universe-itus
Alan Wake 2 - Shared Universe-itus
Alan Wake II delivers exceptional atmosphere, strong performances, and ambitious new mechanics, but its technical shortcomings and departure from the original game's design ultimately undermine what should have been a definitive sequel. Despite its strengths.
24 July 2026
Games.designFactorio - Trees
Factorio - Trees
Factorio stands as one of the finest automation games ever created, combining elegant design, staggering technical optimization, and near limitless replayability. This review explores the mechanics, philosophy, and engineering decisions that transformed a modest factory builder into a modern PC masterpiece.
19 July 2026
Games.designChopping Block: July 13th 2026
Game Industry Pricing Changes
Game Industry Pricing Changes
Video game prices have remained surprisingly stable for decades, but the economics behind them have been changing. From inflation and rising development costs to free-to-play games, digital distribution, and evolving monetization strategies, the industry has fundamentally reshaped how games are designed, sold, and valued.
7 July 2026
Pond-eringsNews Update: June 2026
Arrival: Speaking in Circles
Arrival: Speaking in Circles
Arrival is celebrated for its striking visuals and thought-provoking themes, but beneath its elegant presentation lies a story built on questionable linguistics and shaky causality. This review examines where the film's ambitious ideas succeed, and where its internal logic quietly falls apart.
25 June 2026
Whole PlotsHardspace Shipbreaker - Sequel
Hardspace Shipbreaker - Sequel
An in-depth look at Hardspace: Shipbreaker, examining its innovative zero-gravity salvage mechanics, grounded sci-fi storytelling, immersive presentation, and technical achievements. This article explores where a potential sequel could expand on its physics-driven gameplay, ship variety, and management systems.
19 June 2026
Games.designStar Trek (2009)
Star Trek (2009)
Star Trek (2009) successfully relaunched the franchise with spectacular visuals, a charismatic cast, and plenty of action. Beneath the excitement, however, lies a script filled with scientific inconsistencies, questionable worldbuilding, and narrative choices that don't always stand up to the scrutiny of classic Star Trek's mindful fans.
13 June 2026
Whole PlotsMiddle-earth Shadow of War - Nemesis Lite
Middle-earth Shadow of War - Nemesis Lite
Middle-earth: Shadow of War builds confidently on Shadow of Mordor by expanding its world, refining the excellent Nemesis System, and introducing large-scale fortress warfare. While weighed down by uneven pacing and a notorious late-game grind, it remains one of Monolith's most technically ambitious and memorable games.