Author: Kyra

Kyle Kyra (they/them) writes fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. They live in a sleepy Nebraska town. Yes, corn lives outside their back door. They hold a BFA in creative writing from the University of Nebraska at Omaha, and their work has appeared in Menacing Hedge, Spank the Carp, Danse Macabre, The Door is a Jar, The Collidescope, and other journals and anthologies.

Geekly News: September 20, 2026; New Releases

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Happy Sunday, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here with another week of Geek News. We have a ton of great games that released this week. Let’s talk about some games. Yes!

Onryō: First Seal Launches on KickStarter

Onryō: First Seal is a fast-paced, standalone cooperative tactical game steeped in Japanese folklore. Serving as the prequel to Onryō: Seeking Solace, the story unfolds centuries before the ancient chains are shattered.

From the dark fissures of the underworld, the Onryō has awakened—a terrifying spirit born from ultimate betrayal and driven by absolute vengeance. Sweeping across the land, her wrath stirs ancient Yōkai spirits. If she recruits eight spirits, she will become an unstoppable force of destruction.

As elite ninjas from three distinct clans, players represent the land’s final line of defense. Stepping into the shadows armed only with stealth and pure cooperation, you must enter the corrupted grid, coordinate team movements, and trap the vengeful spirit before time runs out. For an even greater challenge, enter Tatari Mode, where every recruited monster makes the Onryō stronger and triggers unpredictable disruptions to your plans.

Thank you, Lemery Games, for the description. Onryō: First Seal looks great. I like Yōkai as a theme, and Onryō: First Seal pulls off the theme well–from what’ I’ve seen; I have yet to play the game. Onryō: First Seal has a super fast set-up (less than one minute) and low rules overhead (takes about three minutes to learn the basic rules). It’s one of those easy games to learn but difficult to master. Games last thirty minutes or less. Thirty minutes or less. Yikes! Onryō: First Seal sounds like a game I could play multiple times in succession. It’s also a cooperative game. I’m down with those. And from what I’ve seen, Onryō: First Seal plays really well as a solo game experience. I like how the board game community has shifted to offering solo gaming experiences.

Onryō: First Seal is set to retail at $21, but Lemery Games is trying something a little different with this game. You can pick your pledge amount (suggested ranges are from $1-$40) for a deluxe copy of Onryō: First Seal. We’ll have to see if this tactic will work. So far, it looks as if Onryō: First Seal has more than met its goal. If you’re interested in Onryō: First Seal, check out its KickStarter page.

Perennial Launches on KickStarter

Perennial uses polyominos in a new way! On a turn, players draft tiles from the board in one shape (based on the polyomino shape depicted on the card they select for their supply). These square tiles are then disaggregated when placed in the play area. In the placement phase, any of the player’s collected tiles may be reassembled and placed in their garden by using a card in their collection. Assemble your own polyominos into the right configurations to place your wildflowers, wildlife, and garden features to score the most points!

Thank you, Flatout Games, for the description. The creators behind Cascadia, Calico, and Verdant are also behind Perennial. Sign me up. All three are fantastic board games; Perennial looks like it continues that trend. The rules seem easy to learn, but another one of those games that are difficult to master. Yes! Unlike some of the three games I mentioned earlier, Perennial has a short playtime, less than forty-five minutes. I’m also a huge fan of Beth Sobel’s artwork. Sure, she specializes in nature-themed designs, but I love her art. I see her name on the box, and I’m interested in the game. Perennial offers numerous pledge levels. It even includes a $399 pledge level that will get every game publisher Flatout Games has ever done. And Flatout Games has an impressive library of games. If you’re interested in Perennial, check out its KickStarter page.

Yokozuna Launches on KickStarter

Sumo is the national sport of Japan, and Yokozuna is the highest rank a Rikishi can achieve during their career as a Sumo wrestler. During a Sumo match, two Rikishi compete against each other in a fierce display of strength and discipline. Easy to learn, lightning fast to set up and designed to be easy to be brought at social events, yet carefully designed to reflect Sumo culture in a fun and respectful manner. Refined artstyle and graphic design with each card inspired by a modern take on Showa era poster art, with clear and accessible pips and indications to make each card’s use and effects clear and unequivocal.

Thank you, Metamorph Games, for the description. Oh my ghost! Yokozuna looks so cute. We are three for three with games that don’t take long to set up, learn to play, and complete. Games of Yokozuna can take as little as five minutes. What? And I love those Sumo wrestling minis. If we ever get to play Yokozuna, I’ll have to ask Season what she thinks about the game paying homage to the Sumo wrestling tradition. She’ll know more about than me, but I appreciate that Yokozuna has attempted to honor the Sumo culture. Yokozuna‘s remaining pledge levels range from $29-$45. If you’re interested in Yokozuna, check out its KickStarter page.

Primacy Launches on KickStarter

Primacy is a sci-fi strategy game for 2-4 players, set in a city where the line between reality and cyberspace is blurred. Players represent factions vying for control of the city after a mysterious mind-control program turns off, creating a power vacuum. Seek power through battle, intrigue, public relations, and propaganda.

Conquer 3 types of sector throughout the city for different benefits, including income, soldier recruitment, and access to terminals to spread propaganda. Controlling terminals will score victory points, but won’t help you improve your power or position. Balance is key to achieving victory.

Battles are resolved by secretly committing weapon cards to 3 different objectives, and simultaneously revealing. Choose wisely between PR to boost your propaganda, loot for resources, and rep for victory points, and win 2 out of 3 to control new territory.

Each game contains 132 soldiers and cars, 60 control markers, 29 modular hex tiles, 4 3-layer player boards with variable inserts, 8 double-sided faction tiles, a public console board, and tons of cards and credit tokens, all with beautiful illustrations by Calder Moore. The game can be played with symmetrical player boards for an easier teach, or with various combinations of asymmetrical boards and faction powers for additional variability and richness.

Thank you, Spielcraft Games, for the description. I played Primacy in a very early stage of development; the game didn’t even have a theme at the time. In fact, I think the game had the codename Primate City at the time. I always thought the battle box was a good touch. Primacy kept that feature. During battle (if there is a battle), players will secretly select where they want to place their forces. Every battle offers bonuses, so even if you’re overpowered during a combat, there’s a chance you’ll gain a bonus. I like that. Each battle in Primacy plays out differently.

Designer Alex Wolf makes quality games. We’ve covered Spielcraft Games’ last title, Cretaceous Rails more than once. The same care has been given to Primacy. And on a personal note, I like that Alex Wolf has published a game with a rondel. Rondels are his favorite game mechanism. Primacy offers pledge levels that range between $60-$150. If you’re interested in Primacy, check out its KickStarter page.

Kart! Launches on KickStarter

Kart is a downhill racing game of epic proportions. You’re tweens in a neighborhood during summer break, racing the most horrible carts this world has ever seen. Each cart is a glorious combination of whatever you could find in your garage and in the dumpster next door. Who will navigate the pitfalls of the neighborhood best?

Lightly asymmetric, and playable in about an hour.

Thank you, Leder Games, for the description. I’m glad about the “lightly asymmetric” designator above. Leder Games is known for Root, perhaps the most popular asymmetric power board game of the past couple of decades. The publisher has a knack with asymmetric powers, and Kart looks to continue this trend. I should’ve guessed Kart was a a Leder Games title. The company has affinity for four-letter game titles: Root, Fort, Arcs, Ahoy, Oath, and Vast. Kart fits right in on more than one front. Kart offers two pledge levels: $40 and $70. If you’re interested in Kart, check out its KickStarter page.

Bake or Break Launches on KickStarter

A cafe where a team of clumsy staff work together at the various stations of the cafe to prepare the ingredients, decorate the cakes, and fulfill the orders.

At the start of each round discuss your strategy together but cannot elude to the cards you’re playing.
Then simultaneous reveal your chosen action cards but as with any kitchen you need to work together and do the tasks in order.
Take → Prepare → Decorate → Serve.

Thank you, Game Storybook, for the description. Bake or Break is unique in that it’s was created by a cafe; the game’s mechanisms are meant to simulate the hectic nature of a cafe/bakery. I like this angle. Bake or Break also happens to originate from Japan. The 2026 Tokyo Game Show just took place, so Bake or Break launched just in time for the convention. Bake or Break is yet another easy-to-learn game that doesn’t take too long play. Perfect. I like the artwork and not enough games use the cooking theme. If you’re interested in Bake or Break, check out its KickStarter page.

Marvel’s Wolverine Releases

Marvel’s Wolverine is an action-packed adventure from Insomniac Games, the acclaimed studio behind Marvel’s Spider-Man series. Created in collaboration with Marvel Games, it delivers an all-new original story based on the legendary comic book character.

Thank you, Sony, for the description. Marvel’s Wolverine finally released this week. Yes! I’ve enjoyed every entry of Insomniac Games’ Marvel’s Spider-Man series. I have not yet played Marvel’s Wolverine. From what I’ve seen, Marvel’s Wolverine’s reviews are all over the place. Despite a lukewarm reception, I’m still interested in Marvel’s Wolverine. It’s going to be one of those titles I hope are under the Christmas tree in a few months. Fingers crossed. Marvel’s Wolverine is available on PlayStation 5.

That’s all the Geek News we have for this week. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

Top 5 Tabletop Games From 2003

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Hey, hey, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here with another Top 5 Tabletop Games throughout the years. Today’s list features the best games from 2003. Unfortunately, 2003 gets sandwiched between two of the better years for board games, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have a handful of standouts this year. Almost every year has at least one or two stellar games. We’ll talk about 2003’s board game list soon, but let’s review the ground rules for which games make these lists before we begin.

1: Cultural relevance plays as much of a factor as overall quality. A game might make a list that doesn’t hold up to others of its type, but you must admit the game is everywhere.

2: Only one game from a franchise makes the list. This will become more of an issue the closer we get to games with expansions.

3: Longevity plays a role, too. A game doesn’t have to fly off the shelves today, but it had to have some widespread appeal for a decent time.

5: Reiner Knizia’s Amazing Flea Circus (2003)

Amazing Flea Circus is by no means one of Reiner Knizia’s best small card games. I much prefer Don’t L.L.A.M.A., but Amazing Flea Circus still deserves an honorable mention, because few games from this year have seen as many printings and editions. It’s a simple but fun game. Sometimes, that’s all you need. Spoiler Alert: Amazing Flea Circus won’t be the last we hear from Reiner Knizia on this list.

4: Coloretto (2003)

In Coloretto, players collect colorful chameleons. The rules are simple. Either add a card to a row or collect all the cards in a row. A row can only contain three cards, so eventually, players will be forced to claim rows. Players gain points for up to three colors. Each color beyond the first three costs players points. Wild (or Joker) Chameleons count as any color and +2 cards always help.

Coloretto proves you don’t need a complicated rule set for an engaging game. One can see its influence in games like River Valley Glassworks, where one only scores points up to a certain number of colors. Coloretto’s main game mechanisms center around set collection, but set collection works. I wouldn’t be surprised if Coloretto’s success as a set collection didn’t spawn other games that use a similar mechanism. Ticket to Ride (released the next year) also uses a similar system.

3: Yinsh (2003)

We’ve mentioned the GIPF Project series of abstract games on more than one of these past best of year lists. Yinsh is the highest-rated of these games. In fact, Yinsh is still a Top 5-rated abstract game on BoardGameGeek. The board game resembles the cover art (above). Like Othello, discs are dual-colored. Players try to make a chain of five discs in their color by jumping over discs with their rings, flipping over the disc. As soon as a player gains a chain of five discs, they discard one of their discs. The first player to discard three of their rings wins.

Yinsh has a clever, built-in balancing mechanism. Getting rid of a ring means a player gets closer to victory. But you’re making yourself weaker, because you have fewer rings. Brilliant! There’s a reason the GIPF Project is the highest regarded abstract game series. And Yinsh earns its place among the best.

2: Amun-Re (2003)

The top two 2003 games could be flipped. I went back and forth with these two titles. Both are great, but in the end, I chose the 2003 Spiel des Jahres winner as number one. Amun-Re was up for the Spiel as well. I’m telling you, it was close. Amun-Re is yet another Reiner Knizia board game to make one of these lists. It’s like Knizia makes a heap of great board games. In Amun-Re, each pharaoh wants to build the most pyramids. To accomplish this, they must first acquire a province where they can trade and farm. With their profits, they can buy new provinces and building-stones to erect pyramids. For all their actions, players must make clever use of their power cards and always offer appropriate sacrifices to Amun-Re.

Love the theme. Evidently, Reiner Knizia loves an Egyptian-themed game, because Ra also made one of these lists. I believe Amun-Re may be the only pyramid game Knizia ever designed. To be fair, I’ve lost track of every Knizia game. The man has forgotten more about board games than I’ll ever know. But Amun-Re holds another distinction; it’s one of Knizia’s more complex games. The two games on this list may be the polar opposites of what Knizia can do as a designer. Amazing Flea Circus is one of Knizia’s least-complicated games. Amun-Re is one of his most complicated. Both can be a lot of fun. And both came out the same year. Crazy!

1: Alhambra (2003)

In Alhambra, players are acquiring buildings to be placed within their Alhambra complex.

The money in Alhambra comes in four different currencies (of different suits) and is available in the open money market. The 54 buildings of six types become available for purchase in the building market four at a time; one building is available in each of the four different currencies. On a player’s turn, a player may 1) take money from the open money market, 2) purchase a building from the building market and either place it in his Alhambra or reserve, or 3) engage in construction and re-construction projects with buildings that have been placed in the player’s Alhambra or reserve. The game rewards efficiency, as when a player purchases a building from the market for the exact amount of money, the player may take another turn.

I don’t always agree with the Spiel, but I like Alhambra’s combination of set collection (yay, another set collection game), tile laying, and area majority. Alhambra marks the second time Dirk Henn made one of these lists. Wallenstein made the 2002 list. While I like Wallenstein more (in large part because of the cube tower), Alhambra does enough to take the top spot in a weaker year for tabletop games. That may sound harsh, but you haven’t seen 2004’s list. It’s a doozy. Still, I enjoy the heck out of Amen-Re and Alhambra. I struggled with which one to place at number one.

That’s our list of the Top 5 Tabletop Games of 2003. Let us know which game you like best. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

Writing Brain Dump: September 18, 2026

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Hey, hey, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here with another writing brain dump. We’ve entered the “Ber” Season, months ending with the letters BER, so I’m doubling down on my writing. But I had trouble getting into gear, finding a flow state, discovering my voice, and all that fun stuff. Thankfully, one method got me on track: The Literary Triptych.

Literary triptychs work like art triptychs. Triptychs are the sets of three art pieces that build off one another. The artist tells a story with their set of three paintings. A literary triptych–as I define it–can do a similar thing. Literary triptychs take the same short work (or story) and sends it through different lenses. This could include different points of view characters, but doesn’t need to be. I’ve warped a story through first, second, and third person. Tense can also shake up the status quo. But I will be honest, changing character points of view works extremely well, and it does the most to get a writer unstuck.

At least for me. I got to test drive three different narrators through three hundred word retellings of the same small occurrence. Maintaining a point of view character’s voice through a novel-length work can get daunting. Test driving three different narrators was a godsend. Whichever one sparked my interest the most won the narrator duties. After this brief exercise, I was off to the races.

But literary triptychs have a secondary benefit. I explored my story’s world, got to know all three characters a little better than I did at the start, and found details (about the characters and world) I could weave into a novel-length work. And it didn’t take long for me to finish the triptych. If I get stuck while writing the novel (working title is Gods and Dolls), I may deploy the triptych and see if it will help.

Getting back to my progress on Gods and Dolls, I started at two hundred to two hundred and fifty words per day (the first three days) and upped my production to seven hundred to eight hundred daily words. I want a production level that I can sustain for days, weeks, and even months. If I maintain this level of production, I should complete Gods and Dolls well before Christmas. I did begin this process in the mid-August, so I had a head start.

I also won’t stop myself if I catch fire. If I can reach over a thousand words a day, I’ll ride that wave as long as I can. Who knows? I may complete my first draft before Thanksgiving. That should give me plenty of time to edit my previous novel, and Crooked as a Dogwood has been out to agents for almost two months. One more month, and I’ll submit to another round of agents. Hopefully, I’ll be finished with my second novel as I send Crooked as a Dogwood out to small publishers. And of course, I’ll have the third novel completed before sending out the second novel. Yay!

That’s all I have for this month’s Writing Brain Dump. Let me know how you’re doing with your writing journey. And if you try the literary triptych method to get yourself unstuck in story, leave a message in the comments. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

Lanterns “Lights Out” Review

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Hey, hey, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here with another review/reaction of this week’s episode of Lanterns, “Lights Out.” If you want to see our thoughts on last week’s episode, “The Weenie,” here’s a link to that review. I was pleasantly surprised when Lanterns ended its 2016 storyline this week. It ends about as well as one might imagine (not well at all), but before we get into my thoughts on “Lights Out,” let’s get the spoiler warning out of the way. There’s little chance of me discussing this episode without spoiling the story. You’ve been warned. Without further ado, let’s talk about Lanterns “Lights Out.”

To say everything came to a head in Lanterns’s 2016 storyline would be an understatement. Hal Jordan gets disgraced, John Stewart doesn’t keep the ring, the Manhunter gets killed, and half of Rushville gets blown up. Yikes! There’s a lot going on in this episode, but the fact that this happens during Lantern’s fifth episode with three more remaining this season, gets me excited. Like I said, I was pleasantly surprised by Lanterns ending its 2016 storyline this week. This should mean that most of the remaining episodes will fill in the gaps between 2016 and 2026, and more importantly, move the story along. Hal Jordan died at the end of the pilot episode. That was a promise that Lanterns season one won’t end in 2016 and will explore the events following Hal’s death (and who has the ring); the final three episodes should make good on that promise.

I’ll be upfront and say that I was wrong about John Stewart taking the ring from Hal Jordan. Technically, he does. I didn’t think that he would take the ring and not claim it as his own. The events of “Lights Out” lead to Hal Jordan losing the ring (maybe, the Guardians have it right now, so who knows?) and John Stewart losing his desire for the ring. Lanterns attempted to make the reason why John wouldn’t want the ring because he had to kill the Manhunter, and he’s in love with the Manhunter. This felt rushed and forced. Sure, it’s physically there, but I never quite bought John’s relationship with the Manhunter. I could buy John not wanting the ring because the Guardians wouldn’t give him the ring; he had to take it from Hal. Again, this is in the show’s dialogue and plays a factor, but Lanterns offers both options and doesn’t commit to either one. That may be why I didn’t buy John and the Manhunter’s relationship.

For a show that does a great job with characterization, I was disappointed with Lanterns‘ choose your own reason why John doesn’t want the ring. Regardless of the reason, John returns the ring to the Guardians. Will we see Guy Gardner in the sixth episode of the season? Lanterns keeps using Fillion’s Guy Gardner as its thumbnail. It’s been at least three weeks. It would make sense if the ring passes from Hal to Guy Gardner. The show would also earn its name of Lanterns. We aren’t talking about one or even two of Earth’s Green Lanterns. Here’s a third. And I’d like to see the Sinestro Corps. play a role in the upcoming episodes. With Hal incapacitated, Sinestro could wreck some havoc. Ending the main story thread (what happened in Rushville in 2016) with three episodes remaining means Lanterns will need another great threat. The Sinestro Corps. could fill that role well.

But some of that is conjecture, let’s return to the Rushville story. With the exception of John giving back the ring, the story played out like I thought it would. And that’s a great thing. Lanterns introduced concepts in the first four episodes and did a fantastic job with callbacks in “Lights Out.” The odd anti-Green Lantern smoke returns. The kamikaze aliens. The bizarre red lasers that explode folks. John’s artwork. The Manhunter’s crystal heart. And the reverse white laser that can heal (explaining how no one in Rushville gets sick). It all works. It’s chef’s kiss good. But there are three episodes remaining. The final episodes concern me, to some extent. Lanterns did such a great job of setting up all of these threads, and for the most part, it tied up those lose ends during “Lights Out’s” runtime. There isn’t a lot of time remaining to set up another entire story arc.

Switching from one major threat in a single season to another reminds me of what happened in the first season of Netflix’s Luke Cage. The first half (or just over first half) of that show was excellent, and then the show lost momentum changing gears to another big threat. That’s the other reason why I think Lanterns will turn to Sinestro and the Sinestro Corps.. The show has already introduced Sinestro. It hasn’t set up any other villain, except for maybe Parallax. Sinestro and the Sinestro Corps. use yellow power rings, charged by fear. Parallax is the living embodiment of fear in the DC Universe. The fact that the Green Lantern Corps.’s most persistent enemy uses Fear Rings is why Lanterns included the idea of the green power ring asking if humans were afraid when choosing a human to be Green Lantern. You can’t have fear (the main enemy’s strength) when wielding a Green Lantern power ring.

Earlier in this series, I mentioned how Lanterns did little with Green Lantern’s powers, and the audience seldom say Green Lantern’s uniform. That still happens in the show, but I like that we’ve seen more of Green Lantern’s powers as the season’s progressed. Rushville’s story made me forget about the reduction of costumes and powers. Now that Rushville’s story has concluded, I’m going to want to see some awesome Green Lantern constructs and more of the costume. Guy Gardner doesn’t mind wearing the costume. We’ll see if there’s a massive row between Green Lantern and Sinestro or Green Lantern and Parallax.

Lanterns has managed to ground Green Lantern, introduced intriguing characters, and deliver on several promises posed at the beginning of the season. After the season airs, I may binge the entire season. Knowing the sheriff’s past may heighten some of those earlier scenes. This is a show that drops plenty of bread crumbs as well as Easter eggs. Those are my thoughts on this week’s episode of Lanterns (“Lights Out”). Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

Whatcha Watching, Geekly? September 2026

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Happy Wednesday, Geekly Gang! Today, our writers share what they’ve been watching over the past month. Feel free to share what you’ve been watching this past month, because we’re all part of the Geekly Gang. I’ll get things started with what I’ve been watching this past month.

Kyra’s Shows

I’ve been rewatching Black Mirror episodes this past month. I’ve bounced from one episode I remember enjoying to the next. Even though Black Mirror’s quality has waxed and waned over the years, mostly waned, the classics are classics for a reason. “Playtest,” “White Christmas,” “The Entire History of You,” “San Junipero,” and “Be Right Back” still hit hard, and newer episodes like “Joan Is Awful” are a ton of sick fun. Geekly may need to rank each Black Mirror episode. Eek! That’s sounds like a tough task. Let us know if you’d be interested in that post.

Inside No 9 may out Black Mirror Black Mirror. While Black Mirror must fall in line with stories of technology, Inside No 9 has more leeway. Inside No 9 is a series of bottle episodes. Think episodes like Breaking Bad’s “Fly” or Friends‘ “The One Where No One Is Ready.” Inside No 9 has a brilliant premise. Bottle episodes tend to be an audience’s favorite episodes. Why not make an entire series out of those type of episodes? Inside No 9 has incredible range. “A Quiet Night In” is a hilarious crime comedy while “The 12 Days of Christine” will have you reaching for the tissues. Some of the show’s twists take a while to develop. “The 12 Days of Christine” has a heart wrenching twist that reveals itself at the end, while “Tom and Gerri” features multiple twists, deepening both characters. Geekly may have two shows to rank.

And I’ve rediscovered these two shows through YouTuber PolterGibbst. His channel reviews shows with tasty twists. He walks viewers through each episode, spotting minor details one may miss on an initial watch. PolterGibbst does cover a lot of classic The Twilight Zone episodes. I may have to rewatch some of those as well. I like PolterGibbst’s detailed analysis of each of these episodes. His enthusiasm about these shows inspired me to rewatch Black Mirror and Inside No 9.

Of course I’ve been watching Lanterns on HBO Max. I won’t discuss my views on that show too much in this post. I’ve been sharing my thoughts on each Lanterns‘ episode as they air. I’m writing this segment way early–because I like to stay far ahead on Geekly’s production schedule–but I thoroughly enjoyed the Lanterns pilot episode. It does everything a pilot needs to do: introduce the character, generate intrigue, and hint at characters’ pasts. I wish the pilot (I’m writing this after watching the pilot) featured more of Green Lantern’s powers and costume. But Lanterns is off to a great start. I can see why it’s highly rated.

Kyra’s Movies

Yep. I watched another Netflix documentary. I like putting these on in the background as I work (board game design), so I’m bound to have at least one documentary per month, and oh my, A Toxic Love Story has plenty of twists. Black Mirror and Inside No 9 would be jealous of how many turns this documentary takes. I expected at least one. The documentary did a great job of showing how the perpetrators wanted authorities to view the victim. A Toxic Love Story had one more twist up its sleeve, but my favorite part of this documentary is that Netflix spotlighted the victim and showed how she overcame this relationship. I like it when documentaries do this. Let’s place more emphasis on the people who suffered and how they reclaimed their lives.

That’s all I’ve been watching this past month. Looks like Season and Skye don’t have anything for Whatcha Watching, so what have you been watching, Geekly Gang? Let us know in the comments. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

5 Comic Book Villains Who Could Be The Main Character

5 Comic Book Villains Who Can Be the Main Character

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Happy Monday, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here with another list of five. Today’s Top 5 list centers around comic book villains who could be the main character in a television series or movie. The DCU and DCEU have been better showcasing their villains. Penguin, Black Adam, Joker, Clayface, and even Harley Quinn have all had television shows or movies featuring them as the main characters. Marvel has been less prolific. This may be a Marvel-heavy list of five, but I’ll try to sprinkle in some DC Comics characters who haven’t yet seen the limelight. Let’s get started with our list of Comic Book Villains who can be the main character in a movie or television series.

Honorable Mentions

We have multiple characters who could claim an honorable mention spot, so we’ll run through a few here. Darkseid can and should get the Thanos (in Avengers: Infinity War) treatment, and Kingpin could have his own series akin to HBO Max’s Penguin. None of them make this list because this is more of an inevitability. While we won’t shy away from obvious choices (more on that with our top spots), we don’t want to include characters who are all but assured a movie or show. With that said, we’ll give a shout-out to anti-hero and sometimes villain Lobo. I’m writing this post early and haven’t yet watched Supergirl, but if Lobo captures fans’ hearts, he could easily get his own movie or show. Consider this the Penguin effect. Fans loved Colin Farrell’s portrayal of the character and demanded a show.

5: Vermin

Vermin is a strange choice, especially when he’s the only Spider-Man villain who made this list, but his inclusion makes some sense. I’d love to see a Marvel show, film, or special presentation of the Spider-Man story, “The Child Within.” Vermin is the main character in that story. Geekly has mentioned “The Child Within” in the past, but we’ll give you a quick breakdown. Vermin encounters a nine or ten-year-old child in the sewer. The child asks Vermin to help take him home. Vermin reluctantly agrees. He leads the child to a mansion (his home), but the boy is too scared to enter. We learn the child is Vermin’s inner child. This mansion is his family’s home.

“The Child Within” tells Vermin’s backstory. Vermin is one of Marvel’s most tragic villains, so what this show portrays may not be for everyone. But “The Child Within” explores identity and the power of acceptance. Both of these topics have a strong pull in today’s climate. This story is long overdue for a live-action telling. Make it happen, Marvel.

4: Poison Ivy and Bane

My head tells me Bane should take this spot. My heart insists Poison Ivy claims the fourth spot. I went with both. Let’s begin with Bane.

Bane seldom gets a fair shake on the big screen. Ironically, he was little more than Poison Ivy’s mindless pawn in Batman and Robin, and he served as an underboss in The Dark Knight Rises. Neither one of these versions does Bane justice. Heck. Bane often gets sidelined in his own stories. “Knightfall,” the storyline where Bane builds a Gotham empire, breaks Batman’s back, and arguably Bane’s most well-known story, pushes Bane aside to focus on Azrael (the replacement Batman), midway through its arc. Not everyone likes Tom King’s run on Batman, but I thought it did a great job showing Bane at his conniving best. “City of Bane” could showcase this underrated villain like no other big screen project has.

Simply put, Poison Ivy is a fan favorite. She co-stars in the Harley Quinn Animated Series, but has rarely seen the limelight on the big screen. Poison Ivy is more of a sure thing. I could easily see her featured in a future movie or show.

3: Atrocitus

Wonder Woman and Superman villains don’t lend themselves to solo movies too well. I can’t really see Lex Luthor outside the context of a Superman movie. I’d love to see that, but I question if it could work. I also didn’t want to include multiple Batman villains on this list, and Flash hasn’t landed as a big-screen superhero…yet. That leaves Green Lantern villains. Several could’ve made this list. Star Sapphire is more of a hero at this point. Nekron and Black Hand could certainly headline a film, but we may need to wait several years for the DCU to set up those characters. Sinestro is Green Lantern’s longest-running foe, but Atrocitus serves a specific purpose in Green Lantern lore. The Guardians of the Universe (the ones behind the Green Lanterns) make mistakes and can commit atrocities.

Hey! Atrocitus sounds close to atrocities. Coincidence? I think not. The Guardians destroyed Atrocitus’s home world and murdered his people. He gains the red power ring, fueled by rage (part of the emotional spectrum, with green meaning will and yellow fear), and goes on a revenge tour. Atrocitus has a clear goal. Fans could even root for him to succeed. This can make Atrocitus as compelling a villain as Thanos for a solo movie. Sure, Sinestro recruits his army of yellow lanterns, but his goals reek of selfishness. Atrocitus believes in a righteous cause. And I like the idea of the Guardians owning a checkered past.

2: Apocalypse

Ever since his first appearance forty years ago (1986), Apocalypse has been one of the X-Men’s most consistent villains. As the oldest known mutant, Apocalypse’s origin stretches back to Ancient Egypt. He has a simple philosophy: Survival of the Fittest. Apocalypse embodies this philosophy. And it’s this philosophy that makes Apocalypse a great villain with which to focus a movie or show. Funny how having clear goals makes a villain a good candidate as a main character. While I could see several Apocalypse storylines translated to the big screen, “Age of Apocalypse” may be the most fun.

“Age of Apocalypse” asks what would happen if Apocalypse got his way, where only the strong survive. This storyline contains some of the bleakest storylines in X-Men lore. There are too many to count, but believe me, they can tug at one’s heartstrings. And “Age of Apocalypse” hasn’t graced the big screen in earnest. I’d love to see A Pair of Lips, I mean, Apocalypse headline a Marvel movie or show.

1: Doctor Doom and Magneto

Doctor Doom and Magneto had to top this list. They’re the obvious ones. They’re two of the most recognizable villains in comic book history. They have compelling backstories, and I don’t believe Marvel has plans to give either one their own movie or show–at this time. Sure, Avengers: Doomsday includes Doctor Doom’s name in its title, but this team-up movie will include so many characters I can’t imagine Doctor Doom will get significant screen time. We need a Doctor Doom and Magneto story like Avengers: Infinity War had with Thanos. These are two of the most complicated villains in comic books. Both could single-handedly carry a movie.

That’s our list of comic book villains who could be a movie or show’s main character. Which comic book villain would you like see get their own movie or show? Let us know in the comments. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

Geekly News: September 13, 2026; New Releases

Published on by KyraLeave a comment

Hey, hey, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here with another week of Geek News. The Kansas City Renaissance Fair was fantastic. I had a blast. We have plenty of new releases in board games and video games. We even have some tabletop RPG new releases. What? That’s right. GameFound’s RPG Party returns. I’m so glad they’re making this an annual event. Woot! Without any further ado, let’s talk about some games.

Everdell Journeys Launches on KickStarter

Set out from the hustle and bustle of the big city and see the cozy world of Everdell on your own two paws in Everdell Journeys.

In this card-drafting adventure, you’ll lay down a path of cards featuring the breathtaking landmarks, riveting cities, and new friends you’ll find on the road. Send your traveler along the path of cards to activate them, scoring points and gaining resources. Chart your course wisely and score powerful combos based on the cards in your path, filling your journal with memories to share by the hearth at your journey’s end!

Thank you, Tycoon Games, for the description. My spouse and I love the Everdell series. We have almost everything from the base game and adore Everdell Duo. Tycoon Games has done a good job with its Everdell spin-off games so far. That’s a good sign for Everdell Journeys. While Everdell Duo offered a campaign and co-op variants of the original game, Everdell Journeys uses card-drafting. Yes! According to the publisher, Everdell Journeys takes between thirty minutes to an hour to play. That tracks for a card-drafting game. I like those games’ ability to speed up gameplay. The picture above has me a little concerned about the game’s icons. There’s a lot going on with the symbols at the bottom of “Honeypaw.” Still, Everdell hasn’t missed yet with one of its spin-offs. Everdell Journeys deserves attention.

And we get more than one Everdell spin-off game with this campaign. Each pledge comes with a free copy of Everdell Gather, which is a card game variant of Everdell. I like it when longer games, like Everdell, condense its concepts into a card game that’s easier to get to the table. Games of Everdell Gather take around twenty minutes. Yes, please. And we get two Everdell spin-offs for the price of one. Yes, yes, y’all! Everdell Journeys offers pledges that range between $49 and $699. $50 for two games isn’t bad. If you’re interested in Everdell Journeys, check out its KickStarter page.

Catvale Launches on KickStarter

Each player shapes their cat’s path: will you be the aggressor, stealing prestige and robbing opponents of their dignity? Or perhaps you’ll focus on foraging and construction, fancying up your backyard with luxurious structures? Live off adventure by completing quests, fulfilling ambitions, and dueling for glory, or dominate the market through cunning auctions and hiring the best workers? With multiple paths to victory and high replayability, Catvale offers a delightful mix of strategy, luck, and creativity, where the future of the land rests in the paws of the most cunning and ambitious cat.

Thank you, FU Dice, for the description. I haven’t heard much about Catvale before this week. This game sounds like a winner with my family. My oldest daughter loves cats. Catvale has RPG elements, dice rolling, worker placement, and tile placement. If combined properly, these are some of my favorite board game mechanisms and Catvale could be a killer game. I love the artwork. The components look like good to great quality. FU Dice is a new company. While there’s always a risk with newer board game companies, the people behind FU Dice have a history in the board game design/production space with Glass Cannon Unplugged, who made the Apex Legends, Don’t Starve, and Dying Light board games. The company may be new, but the designer (Lukasz Burdowski) and the people running FU Dice have plenty of experience.

Catvale offers multiple pledge levels, ranging $79 – $499. The highest level offers premium wooden pieces. If you’re interested in Catvale, check out its KickStarter page.

Dice Commandos Infestation Launches on GameFound

The sequel to Dice Commandos, Infestation is a tactical dice puzzle game where you control a team of elite commandos facing an evolving alien threat.

Battle rogue androids, powerful company men and the brooding alien queen. Complete objectives, and fight to survive using dice, weapons, and deadly abilities.

Choose 1 of 6 missions and an enemy faction type to battle against. Each round you will use your commandos to perform 3 actions; move/fight, train, deploy, load-outs and completing objectives. Your commandos are dice that have special abilities and move according to their pip values. You will move your commandos around the map strategically fighting enemies and setting up the conditions to complete your mission objectives.

You must complete you mission objectives before time runs out or before your commando team is defeated by the alien threat!

Thank you, Solo Game of the Month, for the description. And, yes! We have another board game from Solo Game of the Month. I love this company. It offers a lot of game for not a lot of money and still manages to make quality games. As the name implies, Solo Game of the Month produces a lot of great solo games, a growing trend in modern board gaming. Don’t have a dedicated gaming group? Play solo games. We missed the original Dice Commandos when it originally released, but we caught its sequel, Dice Commandos Infestation. The original game paid homage to Predator, and Infestation looks to do the same with Starship Troopers. Oh, yeah! This’ll be fun.

If you’re interested in Dice Commandos Infestation, check out its GameFound page.

Tres Tesoros Launches on GameFound

Tres Tesoros is a fast-paced card game for 2 to 8 players that combines strategy, luck, and treasure hunting.

Players roll a custom D12 dice at the start of their turn to determine how many cards they draw and how many actions they can take. Throughout the game they collect Gem cards, protect them with Shields or Mirrors, and use special action cards to disrupt their opponents and gain an advantage.

The goal is to complete a winning collection of Gems before anyone else. Easy to learn and quick to play, Tres Tesoros offers constant interaction and unexpected twists where a single roll can change the course of the game.

Thank you, Dreamkeepers Games, for the description. Tres Tesoros has a simple premise, and sometimes, that’s all you need. It looks like an easy game to learn and claims to scale well, supporting up to eight players. I haven’t yet played Tres Tesoros, so I don’t have an opinion there. The game flow is roll the die (a twelve-sided die), follow the directions of the die face you rolled by playing gems (cards for points) or attacking your opponents (cards to rid your opponents of points?). Like I said, simple and quick. While I can’t imagine Tres Tesoros’s pledges costing too much, it is on GameFound, so we don’t have an exact dollar amount. If you’re interested in Tres Tesoros, check out its GameFound page.

Sub-Zero Launches on GameFound

As a faction of Arctic animals take over territories and stockpile food to survive the winter. Fight the cold, avoid humans, and escape the polar bears!

In Sub-Zero, you lead a faction of arctic animals chosen from Walrus, Goose, Musk Ox, Bald Eagle, Arctic Fox, and Lemming.

The first player of the turn rolls a set of dice indicating the actions available for that turn, the players in clockwise order choose which dice to use and remove it from the pool available to the others. From the season’s black or white dice set, you can then place your animals on the board, collect food from a territory and lower its value, use your faction’s special action (each faction is different from the others), or spend points to choose a specific action of the dice

From the blue die of the season, reduce the value of a territory by lowering, place a human scientific expedition on a territory, collect food, or send a Polar Bear against the animals of the other factions. The game takes place in 15 rounds divided into 3 seasons: spring, summer, and autumn. At the end of the 3 seasons, the player with the most points (in food) wins!

Thank you, Dawn Town Games, for the description. Pictured above is a screenshot from Board Game Simulator, not the final game components. That being said, Sub-Zero looks good from a production standpoint. Dawn Town Games has a few games under their belt and have a good track-record. Sub-Zero features more dice rolling and worker placement (like some other games this week), but adds a twist of area control/manipulation. That makes sense for a game where you’re trying to survive the elements. Sub-Zero introduces some interesting concepts. I like how players take on the roles of animals and must avoid humans. Nice touch! If you’re interested in Sub-Zero, check out its GameFound page.

Steam & Cheese Launches on GameFound

In a world similar to the one we know, mice became the dominant species. They built houses, roads, and cities, and increasingly developed a taste for fine foods — their appetite for cheese grew immeasurably. The better the cheese, the more valuable it became. So they began importing spices from the Far East by zeppelin. These spices are used to make the cheese even more delicious. But cheese production is no simple undertaking. A large machine factory was built, where the resourceful mice constantly sought to install ever-better machines to increase productivity. Sales representatives from all over flocked to the factory operators to purchase cheese. The merchants’ demands are high, but great wealth is granted to those who satisfy these desires.

In this expert level euro game players place dice in various action boards to choose which action with which strength they want to perform. They get resources depending on the dice color and determine the strength with the dice values. Milk is placed on the player board and needs to be transformed to cheese with different machines (actions). They try to fulfill orders and move on various bonus tracks. The player with the most victory points wins.

Thank you, Skellig Games, for the description. Oh my ghost! Steam & Cheese looks adorable. Steampunk mice making cheese is a fantastic theme mashup. I included the entire description for Steam & Cheese because it’s so good. Skellig Games has produces some phenomenal games, too: Darwin’s Journey, On Mars, Anachrony, Voidfall, and Age of Steam. This is a company with an excellent track record. I don’t know what makes Steam & Cheese an “expert level” euro game, but it does look complicated. Whenever I think of an expert level euro game, I think of a game I can lose on turn one. I hope that isn’t the case with Steam & Cheese. But I don’t yet have a game in my collection like that. I could stand to have a least one.

Steam & Cheese looks so good. I may throw caution to the wind and pick up a copy. If you’re interested in Steam & Cheese, check out its GameFound page.

Vault Zero Launches on GameFound

Vault Zero is a combination deck-builder, engine-builder, and action programming game set in a techno-dystopian future. Players take the role of rebel hackers who are all working to build machines that can hack into Vault Zero, the digital fortress that contains the government’s darkest secrets, and expose those secrets to the public and cause a mass uprising.

Players begin each turn with only one actin available to them, but cards they collect can add action economy in three different ways depending on their color. With a full board players will be triggering effects that trigger effects that trigger effects. Find effects that generate Key cards and get 5 of them in your hand at once to steal a secret from the Vault! Steal your 5th secret, and you’ve won the game!

Thank you, Horse Thief Games, for the description. Oh my ghost! I know I already said that once in this week’s write-up, but look at the games in this week’s stable of board games. They all look so good. Vault Zero adds several other elements I love in games. I don’t have too many deck-builders anymore (culled a handful of months ago), and I love it when an engine gets going. Vault Zero also happens to have a great theme, and look at the table presence the titular vault (pictured above) provides. Vault Zero will be one of those games people will stop to look at during a convention. If you’re interested in Vault Zero, check out its GameFound page.

RPG Party Launches on GameFound

Typically, we don’t cover tabletop RPGs on Geekly because there are so many releases each week, but this week is special. GameFound launched its second annual RPG Party. Woo hoo! 23 TTRPGs get featured on the site for the week, and let me tell you, some of the games sound amazing:

Budapest 1899 by Dragonmount Press (delves in to the occult and folklore of Hungary as it prepares to enter the 20th century)

Lights, Dice, Action! by Regular Wizard Co (a game about creating a TV series or blockbuster movie)

The Long Watch by StudioSquidink (an “uncanny solo RPG” that sees the player join a mysterious and underfunded organisation)

Heroes After Dark by Adam Krafter (where you play as Vespers – heroes who mysteriously trasform into monsters every night to fight evil with evil)

Murder of Crows by Michael Endo Weil (crows investigate the murder of other crows)

Hope Dies Last by Infinite Citadel & Mike Underwood (A triptych of Daggerheart-compatible campaign frames where defiant heroes fight against overwhelming odds)

Haunted by Jeremy Kerr (a tabletop RPG of supernatural noir investigation)

Trashumanism by Le Destroy (A biopunk TTRPG set in the Trashumanism Universe)

Twisted Lands by 9thPersona (players become Gidim – hunters, scholars, envoys, and problem-solvers navigating a living world of strange ecologies, ancient technology, powerful cities, and choices that leave lasting consequences)

Kraldum by tooth & shore (Go down to the shore below the city. Collect what you can. Survive what lurks there and beat the rising waters to make it home.)

Tales & Twists by by Jack of all Tracks (Dive into a menagerie of brand new worlds filled with whimsy, adventure and horror with new rules for resistance, dungeon crawling, and the tug of war between resilience and corruption)

GridShock by Paul Vermeren | VX2 (You are a new breed of heroes, fighting to restore hope to a warped world in the grip of villainy)

Myco//Drift by Crimson Adder (players take on the role of genetically altered pilots bonded to skyscraper-sized fungal bio-mechs known as Myco Suits)

Ivory Tower by RiftKid Games (Save your flying city, witness the end of the world, and rule the remaining rubble in this TTRPG about a scheming council of archmages)

The Wine Dark Sea by Abyssal Raven Games (Play as lost star farers trapped in a place of dreaded legend outside the known universe)

Heroes of a Thousand Tales by Adventure_Horizon (Every rule is designed to make you play, feel, and fight like you’re the hero of your own anime series)

Unbounded by Roger “Moishe” Main (Level up through the Ability Trees and learn to harness your Atzmah to create any character concept you can imagine)

Witches of Winter by Violet Blitz (A modern fantasy TTRPG about witchcraft, community, and climate collapse)

Everdoom by Tremor Pings (A shared-authority narrative game for four players who discover the destiny of a legendary hero by telling their fable together)

Winter Bones: An RPG for Doomed Mice by We Be Dangerous Publishing (Become mice. Tiny, fragile creatures battling for survival against the horrors born of the Deep Still. Monsters lurk beneath the frost. Do you have what it takes to evade their clutches?)

Road Warriors: A Stand Up Comedy Odyssey by DGB Games (Road Warriors is a game about playing fledgling stand up comedians on your first tour. The gigs are rough, the audiences are worse and your hit points are based in self esteem. Good Luck!)

What a great round-up of TTRPGs. Which one of the above titles sounds the most interesting to you? Have you playtested any of them? Let us know in the comments. I’m glad GameFound has made RPG Party an annual event. Good luck to all the games listed above. You guys rock!

Halloween: The Game Releases

On Halloween night, 1978, no one is safe from Michael Myers. Become the Boogeyman or fight back against the face of evil itself in Halloween.

Halloween: The Game releases just in time for Spooky Season. I see what you did there. The game has received solid reviews. That’s great to see. Games based on horror franchises can be hit or miss at times. Halloween: The Game can be played as a solo experience or with multiple players. Think a Michael Myers specific Dead by Deadlight, where one player is the killer and the rest attempt to survive their attacks. Halloween: The Game is available on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series S/X.

That’s all the geek news we have for this week. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.