Hey, hey, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here. We’re taking a week off from Geek News today because I’m at Nuke-Con 2026. If you’re in the Omaha area, stop by and say hello. By the time you’re reading, this, I’m probably playtesting a convention attendee’s board game design. So, if you’re in the area AND you have a board game you’d like for me to try, I’ll be at the Mid-America Center until the early evening.
We should be back next week for some Geekly News Goodness. I may even include this week’s new releases in with next week’s news. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.
Hey, hey, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here, and today, we’re trying something a little different. If Batman were to have a super villain team like the Sinister Six, who would comprise the team? Spider-Man can’t have all the fun. JK. There are a lot of factors to consider when composing a Batman Sinister Six. We could’ve gone in multiple directions, and Batman has such a storied rogues gallery that any number of his villains could make the team. I also don’t think we need to go one for one with Spider-Man’s Sinister Six, meaning we don’t need a Batman villain version of each Sinister Six member, but I’ll explain which role a villain could serve. We’ll get to Batman’s Sinister Six soon enough, but there are two notable omissions that I would like to address.
Notable Omission #1: The Joker
Simply put, The Joker doesn’t work well in a team. If Batman were to receive a Sinister Six in the comics, there’s no way the creative team would leave off The Joker. He’s too important and marketable a villain. I’ll note who I’d exchange The Joker for on the hypothetical team I created, but The Joker does what The Joker wants to do. He’ll have plans he won’t divulge to the rest of the Sinister Six. Heck, he may even devise plans that would split apart the team. If The Joker was included in a Batman Sinister Six, he’d be my choice for the reason the team fails.
Notable Omission #2: Ra’s al Ghul
While Ra’s al Ghul would serve as a better “leader” for a potential Batman Sinister Six, he doesn’t suffer fools. The first time anyone disagrees with him, Ra’s will ask them to leave. If that person gets in his way, he’ll end them. Plus, there’s the fact that Ra’s al Ghul detests unlawfulness. At some point, he’ll grow tired of being surrounded by Batman’s other rogues. The underlying issues with Ra’s and The Joker may differ slightly, but the end result remains. Neither of them would work in a team setting.
Geekly’s Version of Batman’s Sinister Six
The Riddler
Oftentimes, The Riddler annoys me. Few writers get the character right, but when The Riddler is written well, he can be a menace and worthy of being Batman’s Sinister Six de facto leader. (Coincidentally, The Riddler is the character I would replace with The Joker or Ra’s al Ghul if someone wanted to go in that direction.)
Doctor Octopus represents Spider-Man’s intellectual equal. The Riddler is every bit Batman’s intellectual equal. Does that make The Riddler the best option to lead a Sinister Six? Probably not. Doctor Octopus does hold more sway within Spider-Man’s rogues than I believe The Riddler has in Batman’s rogues. But I’ll point you in the direction of “The War of Jokes and Riddles.” During Tim King’s Batman run, The Riddler instigates a group of Batman villains to terrorize Gotham City. Notice how I didn’t say “led” or “commanded.” The Riddler will need to use his powers of persuasion and present a common goal. Luckily, a Batman Sinister Six would be united in defeating Batman.
Poison Ivy
Electro is one of Spider-Man’s most powerful villains; he may be the most powerful of Spider-Man’s popular villains. The same can be said of Poison Ivy. It also doesn’t hurt that Poison Ivy is a force of nature. In short, Poison Ivy will create enough chaos in Gotham City to keep Batman busy, while the rest of the Sinister Six can focus on Batman himself. Poison Ivy and another member of this group (who we’ll discuss later) can also be the team’s turncoat. Unlike others on this list, Batman could reason with Poison Ivy. Most versions of Spider-Man’s Sinister Six include a member or two who could turn against the team. This serves as a means of giving the hero a chance to overcome insurmountable odds.
Bane
Bane slots in as Batman’s version of Kraven, but Bane has a lot more going for him than just brute strength. Bane is a leader of Gotham’s underworld. He could galvanize Gotham’s various mafia groups into a single banner through coercion. This would add another level of depth to the trouble Batman will face. A splintered mafia makes it easy for Batman to police Gotham’s criminal activity. If they’re all under Bane’s control, that causes some serious issues.
Scarecrow
Obviously, Scarecrow shares similarities with Mysterio in Spider-Man’s rogues, but he makes this list because he uses fear as a weapon, which is what Batman does as well. Scarecrow mirrors Batman. And just when you think you’re safe from plants overtaking the city and the underworld working as one to put an end to Batman, we cue the nightmare sequence. Scarecrow’s moments in the Batman Arkham video game series served as great changes of pace. Just as you’re getting comfortable with how the narrative unfolds. Bam! Scarecrow. I see Scarecrow working similarly in Batman’s Sinister Six.
Clayface
Batman’s Clayface, Spider-Man’s Sandman. There are parallels, but like so many of the previous parallels with Spider-Man’s Sinister Six, Clayface offers a little more. I don’t believe Sandman disguises himself. He certainly doesn’t do that as often as Clayface. Clayface’s position on this list is by design. After Scarecrow causes Batman to question his reality, Clayface can pour gasoline on Scarecrow’s effects by taking the form of Batman’s friends, extending the effects of the nightmare.
Mr. Freeze
We have no parallel in Spider-Man’s Sinister Six for Mr. Freeze. Question the Batman and Robin movie all you want, but it did get one element right. Mister Freeze plays well off of Poison Ivy. The visuals are stark contrasts. Their powers complement each other. Those two work well together as a hypothetical super villain team, and they’ll do so again in Batman’s Sinister Six. Funnily enough, Mister Freeze happens to be the other potential Sinister Six turncoat. He isn’t wholly evil. In fact, the Sinister Six would need to hook Mr. Freeze with some benefit to his research or hold his wife, Nora, for ransom. Mr. Freeze should be the most reluctant member of this team.
And that’s our list for Batman’s Sinister Six. Who would you add? Let us know in the comments. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.
Hey, hey, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here with another another review/reaction of this week’s episode of Lanterns, “The Jordan Boys Legacy.” If you want to see our thoughts on last week’s episode, “Bad Optics,” here’s a link to that review. “The Jordan Boys Legacy” had some great callbacks. That’s good, sometimes even great. And this week’s episode did some things to progress Lanterns season one’s plot, but I’m afraid it may not have done enough. The season finale has a ton of work. As the episode’s title implies, “The Jordan Boys Legacy” dives into Hal Jordan’s backstory. That may not sound like it’s a bad thing, but remember, Hal’s gone. Any longform story with Hal is backtracking when the finale is next week. And this episode builds up the idea of Hal unaliving himself. Can I use the S-word here? You know what, I will. This episode suggests Hal may have committed suicide, but I think this is a red herring.
Before we get any further, spoiler warnings are in effect. You’ve been warned. If Hal committed suicide, it’ll be because he was under the influence of the fear toxins John Stewart encountered in this week’s episode, and that fear toxin originates from Parallax and/or the Sinestro Corps. Lanterns hasn’t done enough to build up these threats. We’ve physically seen Sinestro himself in a couple of episodes, but he’s been imprisoned. I should take a moment and acknowledge that this week’s episode of Lanterns did answer one of the questions I had from last week. Hal Jordan must’ve “freed” Sinestro. More precisely, Hal relocated Sinestro from one prison to another. This answer leads to more questions:
How did Hal know which planet to imprison Sinestro? Antaan implanted John Stewart with the memories of his people, not Hal.
Was Hal involved with Antaan’s people getting massacred or did he clean up the mess? Maybe.
Was Sinestro somehow involved? Probably.
When did Hal imprison Sinestro? I’m guessing during 2016 because his ring must’ve been decommissioned after the events at Rushville, but Lanterns made it sound as if Hal “freed” Sinestro in the past few years. Someone with the ability to fly through the cosmos “freed” Sinestro. Hal couldn’t do that without a power ring. Could he?
Was Hal possessed by Parallax? Ah! That may be what Lanterns is building toward. I mentioned Parallax last week. It’s the embodiment of fear in the DC Comics Universe, and Parallax has a history in the comics of poisoning Hal Jordan. Heck, Parallax was first introduced in DC Comics with the being possessing Hal Jordan. Okay. Technically, Green Lantern writers wanted Hal to fall from grace; fan outcry led to the writers inventing Parallax (it wasn’t Hal; it was Parallax). The story was still a compelling one even if it got retconned. While a Parallax possession would explain Hal’s demeanor during Rushville, why he would mess with Sinestro, and even why he would commit suicide, I would’ve liked Lanterns to mention Parallax as a concept or by name before the season finale.
Sure, Lanterns season one has played around with the concept of fear. Fear was why John’s father wasn’t chosen as Earth’s Green Lantern. John must prove he has no fear. Antaan’s people massacred each other out of fear. During “The Jordan Boys Legacy” episode, John asks old Hal (the construct from the ring) to ask him if he’s afraid, and John has a fearful moment in the middle of the poisoned lake–more on that wonderful scene later–but Lanterns revealing Parallax as the big bad could backfire.
It’s a risky move. One that would be difficult to pull off without the twist sounding like a gotcha moment. One that only comic book readers would know. If Parallax is the big bad, it could read a lot like the CW’s Flash season two. Zoom was the big bad. Several characters were presented as compelling candidates for Zoom. Flash chose to stick to a comic book accurate Hunter Zolomon, who barely appeared in the season prior to his name drop. Geekly covered that series as it aired nine years ago. Has it really been nine years? Yikes! I face palmed when I heard the Hunter Zolomon name drop and pleaded for Zolomon not to be Zoom. He was the least interesting option as Zoom. I’m not quite there with Lanterns and Parallax, but it’s close. Like I said, it’s risky.
Hal as Parallax only adds more questions that need to be answered, and Lanterns has one hour to answer the above questions, the four or five remaining questions from last week, and these new questions. The Lanterns season finale has a mountain of work. If Hal is Parallax or possessed by Parallax, here are some additional questions:
Was Parallax in control of Hal the entire time or did it influence Hal? My guess is influencing Hal because I don’t think Hal could fall in love with Sheriff Kerry if Parallax took full control of him, and we return to the timing of Sinestro leaving space prison. Does Parallax float in and out of Hal’s consciousness? How does it work? Or is someone or something else behind Sinestro’s relocation?
If Hal (possessed by Parallax) broke Sinestro out of space prison in the last couple of years, did Parallax grant Hal the ability to fly to space prison? Maybe. But that would sound convenient.
Why would Parallax want Sinestro imprisoned on this other planet? Sinestro serves Parallax’s ends. Why keep him imprisoned?
Antaan wanted The Manhunter dead in 2016. Was The Manhunter in cahoots with Parallax? If so, how did that work?
Parallax can work as Lanterns season one’s big bad villain. It also functions a lot like The King in Yellow, who influenced the first season of True Detective. Lanterns‘ showrunners cite the first season of True Detective as an influence. I don’t mind this comparison. R. W. Chambers’ The King in Yellow is one of the most influential weird fiction creations. I highly recommend reading this collection of short stories.
While many creators focus on the first several stories in this collection (the play that bears The King in Yellow’s name drives people insane when they read the second act), fewer creators explore the second half of The King in Yellow. The characters presented in these stories (the romances) avoid the King in Yellow’s influence. In large part, they overcome the King in Yellow because they overcome their fears. That sounds a lot like Parallax. This is why I still have hope for Lanterns season one finale.
Lanterns has kept its focus on its core characters. I appreciate that. The scene with John Stewart facing his past on the poisoned lake works because we know his past. Old Hal helps John through this moment and after doing so, shares his past (his father committing suicide) with John. If Parallax took control of (or influenced) Hal, it makes sense if it did so through Hal’s fear of becoming his father. Even though “The Jordan Boys Legacy” didn’t progress the story as much as it could in preparation of Lanterns season finale, I’m still withholding final judgement until the finale.
I prefer if the show resolves most–if not all–of the questions it poses. This week’s episode left a lot of questions unanswered, presented new questions with the one it did, and the potential big bad may present even more questions. Parallax is a compelling villain if done well. Lanterns “The Jordan Boys Legacy” left a lot of work for the season’s final episode. Seriously, I double checked to see if there was a planned ninth episode. If the show sticks the landing (a tall order for sure), you know I’ll be rewatching this series more than once. Those are my thoughts on Lanterns “The Jordan Boys Legacy.” Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.
Hey, hey, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here, and we just barely got a fifth Wednesday this month. You know what that means: Personal Updates. Today, our writers share personal updates from the past few months. I’ll kick off this post with some of my personal updates.
Kyra’s Updates
Well, this is an awkward time for an update. Nuke-Con 2026 is a couple of days from now. Not only will I be at the board game convention, I’ll be a guest of honor. What? I’ve never been a guest at a convention before. I’m stoked. We’ll see what happens in a couple of days. October’s Game Design Brain Dump is already written and ready to post, so I may have to share some highlights in November’s Game Design Brain Dump. Nuke-Con 2026 should include a ton of playtesting. The Spielmasons (a local board game design group) and I have a dedicated table this year. We’re even putting on an event where convention attendees can take supplies (provided by The Gamecrafter) to design their own games. The Spielmasons and I will be playtesting your designs on Sunday. Woo hoo! If you’re in the Omaha area and you’d like to have me and The Spielmasons playtest a game you designed, stop on by.
I’m still in discussion with a publisher for Spill the Beans. My point of contact has been busy these past couple of months with a KickStarter campaign, which I covered in one of our Geekly News posts, and GenCon. Convention season is dying down. Ironically, Nuke-Con is one of the latest board game conventions of the season, so I should be able to meet with the publisher soon. Fingers crossed.
I haven’t heard back from any of the publishers where I submitted Whirligig Pets. I’m treating this process similar to submitting to literary agents. I’ll craft a follow-up email for Whirligig Pets in the coming days, wait another week or two, and then submit to another board game publisher before Halloween if I don’t hear from this wave of publishers. Board game publishers get busy. Case in point, the publisher with interest in Spill the Beans. I’d like to reengage with the publishers where I sent Whirligig Pets before closing out those submissions as “never responded.”
“Never responded” is a good segue for my writing update. October also marks the three month mark for this round of Crooked as a Dogwood submissions. Most literary agents choose silence. In the next few weeks, I’ll update my submissions to “never responded” and submit to another wave of literary agents. But I’m going to change up a few things. Notably, I’ll rebrand Crooked as a Dogwood as upmarket fiction. Upmarket fiction is a fusion between literary fiction and commercial fiction. If you ask four different publishers what upmarket fiction is, you’ll get four different answers. In short, upmarket fiction is book club fiction.
I always viewed Crooked as a Dogwood making at least one book club fiction, so it may qualify as upmarket fiction. Most writers don’t know that their books are upmarket fiction. I may be one of them. Oops! Upmarket fiction is one of the most sought after genres by literary agents. Before this next wave of literary agent submissions, I’ll give my synopsis a quick pass and spruce up my query letter. It’s always a good idea to revisit these items.
Ber Season has officially begun. With the exception of Nuke-Con most of my focus will be on writing this year’s novel and editing my previous novels. I’m well over 15,000 words, which is a good total for me by the end of September. I’ll ramp up production in the coming weeks and months and easily complete a novel-length work by the end of November. Novel Writing Month. Woo hoo!
Those are all the updates I have for this Fifth Wednesday. It’s a little light because I write Game Design and Writing Brain Dumps once a month. If you want to hear more about my exploits, check out those posts. Let’s see what Season has been doing.
Season’s Updates
As of this post, I’ll have been at my gardening job for a full year. Yay! I’m still loving it and learning a lot. I’ve been trying to cater the flower beds in my work environment to natural pest control. A.K.A. keep the spiders safe. We have a lot of cat-faced spiders and yellow garden spiders. They’re amazing little helpers. 🙂
I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned my car before. I have a black 1999 VW New Beetle named Horus. I’ve had Horus for two years now, and he’s been in and out of the shop at least twenty times since I bought him with more tows than I care to admit. He’s my first car, and I didn’t know anything about what to check for in a used car. I got his A/C fixed earlier this month after his most recent attack on my wallet. I’m hoping Horus will behave himself so I can save up for two big things I want to achieve within the next handful of years.
My sister and I are planning on moving in together next spring (hopefully). Recently, I got a pay raise at work and have gotten a lot of overtime, so I’ve been squirreling away an extra hundred bucks a paycheck on top of my usual twenty percent. I also want to buy a dark red Honda Accord within the next five years. I don’t know why, but it has to be red. I will not be swayed. And yes, I already have a name picked out. Let me know if you’d like me to share it, Geekly Gang.
Hey, hey! Kyra Kyle here again. Those are our writers’ personal updates from these past few months. What’ve you been up to, Geekly Gang? Let us know in the comments. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.
Hey, hey! Kyra Kyle here. Today, our classic three lists of three post returns. We haven’t done one of these in almost two years. The last one took a lot out of me, and I wanted to retire the format for a while. But it’s back. Three lists of three posts allow Geekly to explore a topic from multiple angles, maybe even some angles we would seldom cover in a solo post. Today’s topic is transgender representation in media.
Geekly started an ongoing series of transgender representation in media. Typically, that series follows television (occasionally) and movies, but let’s discuss other media. And some smaller transgender roles in television, while we’re at it. This is Geekly’s 3 Lists of 3 Trans Representation, Take One.
Trans Representation in Video Games
Video games have a longer history of transgender representation than one might think. More than one character has become a trans icon. Video games, as a medium, also allow players to embody the characters. This can be a great way to express a lived experience.
Tyler Ronan (Tell Me Why)
Dontnod Entertainment, the same Dontnod that created Life is Strange, had a follow-up, episodic adventure game named Tell Me Why. Armed with supernatural powers, twins Tyler and Alyson unravel the truth about their childhood. Tyler is a transgender man, and Dontnod worked with GLAAD and Tyler’s trans voice actor to ensure Tyler’s lived experience mirrored a trans man’s.
I love Dontnod Entertainment. Typically, their games include small moments that get at the heart of the character. We saw that with Chloe and Max. Tell Me Why includes moments where Tyler takes daily testosterone and uses a binder. Tell Me Why may include one of the best representations of a trans man’s experience, regardless of medium. If you liked Life is Strange, you should check out Tell Me Why.
Vivian (Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door)
We talked about Birdo—her chosen name is Birdie, by the way—in a previous post. She may be the trans video game icon others thought of in this section’s introduction, but another Mario character claims this spot as a better trans representation: Vivian. In the original Japanese version of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, Vivian was portrayed as a trans woman. Vivian’s sister would frequently misgender her. Gamers would take Vivian’s side.
Some American versions of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door cut references to Vivian’s transition, but the majority of Japanese and English translations clearly present Vivian’s transgender backstory. Her journey toward acceptance can inspire. We love Birdo, I mean, Birdie, at Geekly. But Vivian needs some love.
Claire Russell (Cyberpunk 2077)
Cyberpunk 2077 featured numerous gender identities and sexualities for players to explore. For that reason, it was groundbreaking. It should come as no surprise that Cyberpunk 2077 would have an entry on this list. But there’s a chance some players don’t even know Claire Russell, bartender at the Afterlife, is even trans. Uh oh. Cyberpunk 2077 chose subtlety.
Claire’s truck sports a transgender flag. If you know the flag, your trans-dar may have tingled. Eventually, after a race, Claire can mention her gender identity. Not every player will hear this dialogue. You’ll need to gain her trust. Claire doesn’t share her gender identity with just anyone. Not everyone needs to know. And Claire’s transness isn’t used as a tragic backstory. She’s just a trans girl navigating the world the best she can. This makes Claire relatable. She’s authentic.
Trans Representation in TV Shows
We have covered trans characters in television shows in previous trans representation posts. But characters like Hunter Schafer’s Jules in Euphoria are main characters. This segment allows us to cover characters who appear briefly in television shows, and they did a good job of capturing the trans experience.
Teri (Baby Reindeer)
Baby Reindeer is a fabulous Netflix series. We may cover Baby Reindeer in a future trans representation post. We’ll see. The series, based on a true story, follows a struggling comic named Donny Dunn. Donny becomes the target of a stalker named Martha. Martha sexually assaults and harasses Donny. Baby Reindeer shatters gender roles and concepts CisHet people take as givens. So, of course, Baby Reindeer includes trans actress Nava Mau as Teri, a trans woman.
As you can surmise, Donny Dunn’s life is chaotic. Teri calms the storm. She saves Donny from a path of destruction. Teri represents the first loving and respectful relationship Donny had ever had up to that point. Eventually, their relationship falters because Donny doesn’t know who he is. Teri knows who she is. Baby Reindeer makes it a point to show the audience she knows who she is. You can’t help but fall in love with Teri. She’s a real one.
Natalie (Big Mouth)
Big Mouth is known for its unflinching look at puberty. Hilarious, moving, and awkward, Big Mouth has always shown queer stories. A couple of the main cast are queer. It makes sense that Big Mouth would eventually introduce a transgender character. That happened in season four with the foul-mouthed eighth grader, Natalie, portrayed by trans actor Josie Totah. You’ve gotta love it. Big Mouth does a great job showing how some people react whenever they hear someone is trans. The boys want to know what’s in Natalie’s pants. To her credit, she tells them to f*** off. The girls go out of their way to befriend Natalie, but they can be as tone-deaf and insensitive as the boys. They’re just more subtle.
My favorite Big Mouth episode with Natalie is her second one. She enters into a brief situationship with Seth Goldberg, voiced by Seth Rogen. Several of these scenes play out like any others about young love. Natalie’s identity as a trans woman doesn’t factor into these scenes. Seth genuinely cares for Natalie. But then we see him hide the relationship and downright deny it. Seth doesn’t want to be seen as weird. The two part ways, but in the end, you can tell Seth regrets what he’s done. He acknowledges that Natalie was the bigger person.
Mae (Feel Good)
Wow! Netflix earns a clean sweep with this segment. Feel Good is the semi-autobiographical story of nonbinary actor and comic Mae Martin. Mae struggles with romance, substance abuse, and gender. I don’t know of many mainstream representations of a nonbinary character having steamy love scenes. Woo hoo!
Feel Good can be moving, obviously steamy, and funny. After all, Martin is a stand-up comedian. We catch a glimpse of a few of their stand-up routines in Feel Good. This may be another series we may need to revisit in long form.
Trans Representation in Anime
Anime has a longer history with trans representation than people may think. This segment could be as long as three dozen, but here are three anime trans representation standouts.
Asuka Yuu (Stars Align)
We’re going back-to-back nonbinary characters on this list. Stars Align follows the members of a middle school boys’ soft tennis club. The stories center around the challenges they face as a team, and we get a fair share of personal struggles. Asuka Yuu is the manager of the soft tennis club, and they happen to be nonbinary.
Most of the boys in the soft tennis club don’t understand what nonbinary means, and Asuka Yuu’s story revolves around their feelings of uneasiness and uncertainty with their identity. Stars Align centers on middle school-aged children. Yuu has just embarked on their journey to find out who they are. Stars Align may include one of the most respectful representations of the nonbinary experience.
Alluka Zoldyck (Hunter x Hunter)
Hunter x Hunter is a long-running anime. The manga has seen multiple anime adaptations by Nippon Animation and Madhouse. Chances are that most anime fans think of Alluka Zoldyck when they think of transgender anime characters. Alluka Zoldyck is the second youngest in the Zoldyck family of assassins. She’s the youngest sister of Killua Zoldyck (one of Hunter x Hunter’s main characters) and has lived as a woman for a long time. Despite this, everyone in her family—except for Killua—misgenders her. Is it any wonder why Alluka joins her brother’s journey?
Yamato (One Piece)
In terms of long-running animes, Hunter x Hunter has nothing on One Piece, and One Piece has its own trans representation: Yamato. Yamato is the son of Kaidou, an antagonist of the series, and wants to join the Straw Hat Pirates. Yamato doesn’t present as a typically masculine person, but he earns respect and is treated as his gender. And even though his father is an antagonist, Kaidou still respects his son’s Yamato’s pronouns.
One Piece is one of the most read mangas and watched animes. I love how people can get introduced to what it means to be transgender through Yamato. Gender identity and gender expression do not need to coincide. These are separate concepts. And I love how the “villain” still respects his son. That’s a great touch.
That concludes Geekly’s three list of three for transgender representation. Did any of your favorites make the list? Would you add anyone else? This is the first in a potential series. Let us know your favorite transgender characters in the comments. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.
Happy Sunday, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here with another week of Geek News. With the holidays around the corner we have plenty of new releases for board games and video games this week. Let’s get to the games.
Personal Demons Launches on KickStarter
A group therapy ritual where 1-4 players summon and seal away their own personal demons. This fast-paced, simultaneous-action drafting-style game has each player populating their own summoning circle in a tableau-style puzzler, aiming to form complete seals and conquer their demons. Hefty and colossal Demons of increasingly larger card sizes can be summoned and sealed once their requirements are met, and each one gives all players unique benefits that can change the way you play the game. Courage cards gained over the course of play grant player-specific abilities, sins are built up and spent as currency to take bonus actions, seals are cracked and replaced as the game progresses. Build an engine, choose your path to victory and score the most over three rounds to show your demons who’s boss.
Thank you, Tettix Games, for the description. Personal Demons combines some well-known and well-loved game mechanisms and looks to combine them in different ways. Note: I have yet to play Personal Demons; this is what I’ve gathered from descriptions, pics, and videos. I like most games that feature simultaneous-action selections. This one mechanism speeds up gameplay. You can have a heady board game that should take well over an hour to complete, add simultaneous-action selection, and that game suddenly takes thirty minutes to play. Tile placement is another of my favorite game mechanisms, and I can’t wait to see what makes Personal Demons a tableau-style puzzle game. Personal Demons offers pledge levels ranging from $44-$93. If you’re interested in Personal Demons, check out its KickStarter page.
Electrify Launches on KickStarter
It is the late 1800’s and scientists have unlocked the power of electricity! Take the role of an innovator and visionary working to supply an industrializing world with this new energy. Build up your industry across five different sectors, creating a revolving engine to produce, upgrade, and transmit energy cubes.
Each round, you will activate one sector of your business, represented by a tile, and take all the actions of that sector. Sector tiles can be upgraded with industry cards, adding more action icons to that sector. Cycling through your sector tiles is important because they become more powerful the longer you wait to use them. Cards with special arrows allow you to chain activations across multiple sectors, creating a dynamic engine that changes and improves with every turn. A combination of strategic engine building and tactical decision-making in response to your own shifting player area will bring you the most success.
Energy cubes transmitted to the grid are consumed to satisfy demand goal cards, earning you Energy Points. By meeting demand goals that require more and cleaner energy, you will earn greater rewards. Test your skills playing solo, or play competitively and claim your place at the forefront of the energy revolution!
Thank you, Alderac Entertainment Group (AEG), for the description. Electrify sounds electrifying. I had to. I’ve liked many of John D. Clair’s designs, AEG publishes some fun and accessible games, and Electrify looks like another great one. I like the idea of triggering every action within a sector of one’s business and each sector gaining power for each turn it hasn’t been used. This reminds me of stock market games like Racoon Tycoon (picking the right timing when to cash in on a resource) and a little bit of KeyForge (activate all members of a specific faction; the more of that faction you have, the stronger the action). I don’t know how Electrify plans to combine these elements, but I like both. Electrify offers pledges ranging between $39 and $69. If you’re interested in Electrify, check out its KickStarter page.
Bookwyrm Launches on KickStarter
In this cozy strategy game of beautiful bookshelves, you are a dragon who has hoarded too many books! Featuring 200 punny book cards, your goal is to organize your messy collection on the shelves of your bookcase board, scoring points for matching colors and genres, following trends, and alphabetizing.
However, tantalizing new books arrive at the bookshop every day, tempting you to enhance your shelves with new releases, knickknacks, and treats from the bookshop cafe. Will you build an efficient, glorious bookcase featuring books old and new, or succumb to the clutter?
Thank you, Sword & Rose Press, for the description. First off, I’ve always liked the term Bookwyrm, and I’m glad those book dragons have a game they can play. And I love the theme of organizing books on shelves. I’ve been eyeing A Place for All My Books and have yet to pull the trigger and pick up the title. Add dragons to that concept, and I’m there. I like the artwork. To be fair, it’s difficult to mess up books and dragons, but still, Bookwyrm looks great. Publisher Sword & Rose Press is a newer publisher. Prior to Bookwyrm, they published a couple of books. But hey, that makes them a perfect publisher for a game about putting books on shelves. Pledges range from $50 to $175. If you’re interested in Bookwyrm, check out its KickStarter page.
Pax Musica Launches on GameFound
Born from a passion for music, Pax Musica takes you on a journey through its vibrant history – from the roaring the 1960s to the 2020s. Step into the shoes of a music producer and build your own path to fame.
Hit the auditions and assemble your dream team of future legends. Then crank out bangers across five iconic genres: African-American, EDM, Jazz, Pop, and Rock until the charts don’t just notice you… they surrender.
Manage success and chaos. Play nice… or play very not nice. Your call. Show business is a wild ride: one day you’re a star, the next you’re forgotten. Hire pros to boost your band’s potential, shape trends and stir controlled hype . Crash the afterparties and recruit a delightfully chaotic crew: Paparazzi, Broadcasters, Groupies, Femme Fatales, Fixers, A&Rs, and Bodyguards. Build your empire, wreck your rivals, and look fabulous doing it.
Climb to the top. Play gigs, drop hits, and grow your fortune. Your band is your money machine, your ticket to power, fame, and immortality in the music world.
Thank you, Ion Game Designs, for the description. There’s a lot going on with the board above, but I’m down for it. I haven’t played any game from Ion Game Designs’ Pax series. Each of these games is steeped in history. I like Trekking Through History, how you can play through various eras, and hopefully learn a few things along the way. Pax Musica looks to do the same thing with music through the ages.
Not gonna lie, I am a bit concerned with Pax Musica’s heaviness. Part of what I like about Trekking Through History is that I can teach it to most people, even non-board gamers. I don’t think I’ll be able to do that with Pax Musica. And that’s okay. Only real music nerds need apply to Pax Musica. The production looks great. I like the bits (like the keyboard and jukebox printed on the main board). I can’t wait to dive headfirst into music history. If you’re interested in Pax Musica, check out its GameFound page.
Bilico Launches on GameFound
A game of strategy and dexterity where you have to park cars and build ever-higher buildings without collapsing. Even one breath can be enough to lose the game.
Plays for 2 to 4 players, lasting 20-30 minutes. Each turn, you place your car in one of the free parking spaces, then begin building a building of your choice. Each building has a construction rule: build 2 or 3 floors at a time, or multiples.
If there are no collapses, you earn points; otherwise, you lose them. If you build a building from the ground floor or create extensions, you receive different bonuses. Whoever scores the most points wins.
Bilico is clearly 3D printed, but that makes me wonder: If I back this project, will I receive the 3D model files to print off my own copy in any color? I wouldn’t mind printing off my own copy. We don’t usually cover 3D printed board games on Geekly, but Bilico looks interesting. Most of what we know about the game (so far) is what’s printed above. That’s not a lot of information to go on, but I also wonder if parking your car in a specific space affects where you place building floors or how you must place these floors. Bilico comes with several smaller objects (helicopters with helipads and satellite dishes) for players to place in the buildings. These small components could help balance each tower, allowing players to manipulate each building’s center of gravity. Cool! If you’re interested in Bilico, check out its GameFound page.
Graveyard Keeper 2 Releases
The most inaccurate medieval cemetery sim is back! Restore The Town, manage the graveyard, automate production, lead your undead army into battle and turn the zombie problem into a thriving business! Graveyard Keeper 2 is the grotesque sequel that’s deeper than six feet, and more unhinged than ever!
Thank you, Lazy Bear Games, for the description. I love how goofy Graveyard Keeper 2 sounds. It releases at the perfect time: Spooky Season. Graveyard Keeper 2 takes the core game tenants of farming sims like Stardew Valley and applies them to a graveyard sim. Interesting. The game has received solid reviews. And I have definitely added this game to my Steam wishlist. Graveyard Keeper 2 is available on PC, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, and Xbox Series S/X.
Dressmaker Releases
Become a dressmaker! Choose fabric, cut out patterns, and sew them all together to satisfy (or sabotage!) townsfolk in this cozy crafting game inspired by real dressmaking.
Thank you, Cozy Lives, for the description. And what a perfect name for a study that published Dressmaker. This cozy game reminds me of Tiny Bookshop. This is yet another game I wishlisted on Steam. Players can handpick their fabric, create their own unique designs, and tailor make dresses for customers. Can you make the perfect dress? I am so in. Dressmaker has received great reviews. I would expect nothing less from the developers of the Terra Nil expansion. Cozy Lives might just be an up and coming developer for cozy games.
Silent Hill: Townfall Releases
Returning to an island town to “put things right,” Simon Ordell descends into a world of tense evasion, explosive confrontations, and mind-bending puzzles that slowly surface the truth of St. Amelia.
Thank you, Konami, for the description. We’ll never get Kojima’s P.T.; Silent Hill: Townfall represents the first game in the Silent Hill series to be played from the first-person perspective. It’s received mixed reviews, and still, I’m interested in the change of perspective. Silent Hill: Townfall takes advantage of it, too. Protagonist Simon Ordell carries a CRTV (a portable television) around with him. This would look odd, if not impossible to see, in a game using third-person perspective. I like how the Silent Hill series has made a resurgence of late and how the series reinvents itself. Silent Hill: Townfall is available on PC and PlayStation 5.
Well Dweller Releases
Well Dweller is a dark fairy-tale metroidvania, full of charming characters living in a wretched kingdom. Play as Glimmer, a tiny bird armed with a matchstick, who must burn the wicked queen to save his family.
Thank you, Top Hat Studios, for the description. Developer/designer Kyle Thompson knows how to design metroidvania games. Islets received high praise. Crypt Custodian did as well and moved the gameplay to a top-down point of view. Well Dweller returns to the 2D side-scrolling perspective as Islets and has received universal claim for its world building and design. In short, Well Dweller looks amazing. It’s the latest metroidvania by one of the best designers crafting metroidvanias. If you’re at all interested in this style of game, you should at least wishlist Well Dweller. Well Dweller is available on PC, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, and XBox Series S/X.
Control Resonant Releases
Explore a warped Manhattan on the brink of paranatural annihilation in this thrilling action-adventure RPG. Unleash the extraordinary powers of Dylan Faden as he fights for his humanity and our survival against a reality-bending cosmic threat.
Thank you, Remedy Entertainment, for the description. Control Resonant takes place seven years after the events of the original video game Control, which was itself released seven years ago (2019). Has it been that long? Yikes! Control Resonant follows Dylan Faden, a paranaturally abled “parautilitarian” who first appeared as a supporting character in Control, as he battles an invasion of hostile entities while searching for his estranged sister. You’ve gotta love Control’s commitment to continuity. Control Resonant has received solid reviews, proving this is a worthy sequel to the original. This is another game I may need to play. My To Be Played Pile is suffering this week. Eek! Control Resonant is available on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series S/X.
Those are all the new releases we have for you this week. Which games sound the most interesting to you? Let us know in the comments. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.
Happy Saturday, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here with another Top 5 Villains List. Today’s post breaks down The Punisher’s best villains. Honestly, The Punisher has a thin number of unique villains. The Punisher borrows quite a few villains from other superheroes’ rogues’ galleries, so you may see some villains on this list that are typically connected with another superhero. This isn’t to say that The Punisher is devoid of great stories; we shared some great Punisher Starter Stories a year ago, but The Punisher lacks a compelling rogues’ gallery. Still, The Punisher special presentation releases soon (I’m writing this early, so we won’t know when The Punisher Special’s release will occur), so now may be the perfect time to discuss The Punisher’s Top 5 Villains.
Honorable Mention: Bushwacker
While we typically include at least one honorable mention, I debated mentioning Bushwacker. He has a machine gun for a hand, his goals change with the flip of a coin, and his origin, at best, is flimsy. Bushwacker looks ridiculous. Is he a hired gun or a mutant killing maniac? Who knows? What we do know is that The Punisher has few unique villains, so Bushwacker makes this list as an honorable mention by default.
5: Bullseye
We begin this list in earnest with Bullseye, who typically opposes Daredevil. I’ll prepare you now. The bottom portion of this list will be dominated by other superheroes’ villains. We’ll save the top two spots for Punisher-only villains. Regardless of his affiliation with the Man Without Fear, The Punisher has had plenty of battles against Bullseye. It makes sense. Both Bullseye and Punisher can serve as mercenaries. Both have similar abilities. In the comics, the two have almost polar-opposite personalities. The Punisher resembles Batman, while Bullseye leans toward The Joker, which leads to some interesting confrontations.
4: Daken
Daken may be Wolverine’s deranged son and spends a lot of his time terrorizing the X-Men, but he’s also the man who killed The Punisher. That’s right. Daken took down The Punisher. Like most comic book deaths, The Punisher rose from the dead in Franken-Castle, but the fact still stands. Daken and The Punisher have had some epic battles. Maybe not as many as Bullseye, but plenty of great ones. I also like the idea that Daken isn’t human. He’s a mutant. Too many of The Punisher’s villains fall under the just a human category.
3: Kingpin
Yep. Kingpin is yet another primarily Daredevil villain, but he’s also a significant Punisher villain. Heck. Kingpin is the MCU’s big bad for its street-level heroes like Daredevil, Jessica Jones, and Punisher. He had to make this list. And the Kingpin Punisher battles skews toward rated-R. I hope we see a straight-up blood-fest between Frank Castle and Wilson Fisk. We could see a lot more scenes like the one from Daredevil: Born Again, season one, where Fisk crushes a man’s skull. More please. And mind the splash zone.
2: Barracuda
Frank Castle and the man named Barracuda are products of war. As an ex-Green Beret, Barracuda went from the armed forces to the CIA to the mob, leaving behind a trail of bodies. Barracuda is just as vicious and unforgiving as The Punisher. He’s also well-connected to powerful, evil people and employs a team of hired killers to fight by his side. And Barracuda loves to kill. He doesn’t care if his victim deserves it or not. Barracuda is one of Punisher’s greatest challenges and foes. Too bad he doesn’t show up more often in the comics. We need to see more of the Marvel Universe’s most hardened and sickest killers.
1: Jigsaw
Jigsaw is Punisher’s arch-rival. He had to take the top spot on this list. If Billy Russo had a heart at all, it’d be rotten. His face reflects his soul. Is it any wonder Jigsaw thrives against the Marvel Universe’s worst vigilante? Jigsaw fits the Kingpin mold. He can rule from afar or get his hands dirty. And boy, does Jigsaw ever get his hands dirty. The top two villains on Punisher’s list could scar viewers for life. But Jigsaw gets top billing as Punisher’s arch nemesis, because he has systematically torn apart Frank Castle’s life. Jiggy has taken out everyone and everything that Castle holds dear and framed him for it. It’ll be interesting to see if or how the MCU will handle Jigsaw. This is not a villain for the faint of heart.
That’s our list of the Top 5 Punisher Villains. Did your favorite make the list? Let us know in the comments. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.
