Tag: featured

Writing Brain Dump: August 2026

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Happy Friday, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here with another writing brain dump. I’m still going through a mountain of edits with my own work, and I’ll share more of that in the coming months. The “Ber” season draws near. The “Ber” season refers to all months ending in “ber.” These are the months I pour more work into my fiction, poetry, and essays. Yes! I love this time of year. Can’t wait. Until then, I’ll leave you with some musings on writing hooks. By my count, each novel has two hooks: an external hook and an internal hook. We’ll discuss these two hooks and why I believe romance may be the best genre to read for crafting an internal hook.

The Two Types of Writing Hooks

Like I said, there are two types of writing hooks: an external and an internal hook. While external hooks are the ones that get readers through the door, internal hooks keep readers going. Let’s use Dungeon Crawler Carl as an example. Dungeon Crawler Carl’s external hook is “A dude in his skivvies and magic toe ring traverses an intergalactic dungeon with his talking cat who hurls magic missiles.” Cool! I love this hook by Matt Dinniman. I reached for this book at the store because of its bonkers premise. External hooks can vary wildly. These are the hooks that need to stand out and grab your readers. But I finished Dungeon Crawler Carl because of its internal hook: I cared about Carl and his talking wizard cat Princess Donut. While external hooks vary, typically, internal hooks revolve around the reader caring for a story’s characters. We need to feel a connection.

While writers should read the genre they intend to write, I believe every writer can benefit from reading romance novels/stories. I don’t know when I cared about Carl and Princess Donut. I gave Dungeon Crawler Carl (and I do the same for stories with great external hooks) more leeway because the book had more to share than “do I care about the characters.” For me, I tend to side with vulnerable characters. Since this is the case, I connected with Carl early on. Princess Donut gaining the ability to talk made her instantly likeable as well, but I’m a cat person. I was going to side with the cat whether she talked or not, but I will say that Princess Donut shined more as a character toward the end. She showed that she cared for Carl. She says as much. I’m sold. But I give romance novels/stories less time, and that’s because of the kinds of romantic hooks.

Why Writers Should Read Romance

Often, a romance novel/story internal hook and external hook are the same. If they aren’t, a romance novel’s external hook doesn’t tend to be as thick as other genres. This makes pinpointing the moment you care about the characters easier to do. I might give Dungeon Crawler Carl a good twenty to thirty pages for its characters to grow on me. I’m not as generous with romance novels/stories. If the main thing is the relationship between two characters, I need to care for these characters as soon as possible. Because of this, I may never write romance. I’m too scared. Every writer swims. Romance writers swim with fewer garments. Eek!

But this makes romance novels/stories easier to read for the craft of writing. I should be able to see how and why a romance writer gets me to care about their characters. Or how and why they fail to do so. I don’t read a ton of romance. If you don’t intend to write romance, I don’t suggest reading a lot of romance either. But if you’re struggling with getting your readers to care about your characters, sprinkle in some romance to your to-be-read pile. Typically, every seventh or eighth book I read is a romance or has strong romantic elements. Reading romance novels can help writers find their internal hooks. These are the hooks that make your reader finish your novel. External hooks are only half the battle.

And I figured I’d mention romance novels and internal hooks this month because I’ve been meeting up with my various writing groups again. After all, Ber Season is right around the corner. Many of my fellow writers–at least the writers in my writing groups–look down at romance. Sure, romance has been a top three genre for most of the past fifty years. It’s a popular genre. Perhaps the most popular genre for about half a century, but that doesn’t mean one should discount popular books.

Perhaps it’s the fact that romance novels/stories put their internal hooks (make the reader care about the characters) near the surface that makes them popular. My internal hook theory is one possibility. There could be plenty more, like the promise of a happy ending. Writers delivering on a promise (with the readers) can be powerful. One shouldn’t deride romance because it’s popular. Since romance is so popular, one should study how and why it has popularity.

That’s my writing brain dump for this month. I should have more progress to report next month (Septem”ber”). Woot! Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

Whatcha Watching: August 2026

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Happy Wednesday, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here, and today, our writers share what they’ve been watching over the past month. Feel free to share what you’ve been watching over the past month because we’re all part of the Geekly Gang. I’ll get the post started with what I’ve been watching over the last month.

Kyra’s Movies

Netflix has some true crime documentaries that are wild, and then there’s Maternal Instinct. This may be the most bizarre true crime doc on the streaming giant. Maternal Instinct follows the actions of Taylor Parker. Before the events of this documentary and Parker’s crimes, Parker had two prior children. She wanted a third. Fun fact: Parker had a hysterectomy. She couldn’t get pregnant, but that didn’t stop her from catfishing her fiancé.

Yeah. Maternal Instinct gets strange. Throughout the documentary, I thought she must have had a mental illness. The doc briefly explained she has frontal lobe dysfunction, frontal lobe syndrome, which can cause cognitive, emotional, and behavioral symptoms. But like I said, Maternal Instinct glosses over this fact. Parker would get caught and go to trial. Her legal team didn’t use the not guilty by means of insanity plea. That makes sense. Most insanity pleas get denied. To date, only two people in the United States have ever received a not guilty verdict by means of insanity: one of them is Ed Gein. And in terms of how over-the-top it gets, Taylor Parker’s story sounds a lot like Gein’s.

So, Parker catfishes her fiancé, making him think she’s pregnant. She orders pregnant belly bumps from Amazon. She even springs for one that simulates a baby kicking. But at some point, she’s going to have to “produce” a baby. Months before she “became pregnant,” Parker served as a photographer at Reagan Simmons Hancock’s wedding. The two formed a bond and hung out every month or two after the wedding. Parker knew Hancock was pregnant soon after her wedding. Hancock’s pregnancy coincided with Parker’s fictitious due date. Well, Parker missed her “due date” by a couple of weeks. So, Parker YouTubed how to perform a C-section, drove to Hancock’s house, killed her, and took the baby still inside her womb.

Yikes! Parker’s case is bizarre. I don’t know if I’ve seen a more upsetting Netflix true crime documentary than Maternal Instinct. It’s up there with the most disturbing. But that makes me wonder. If Parker’s defense team chose to plead not guilty by means of insanity, would she have been the third person in United States history to do so? But Maternal Instinct glosses over Parker’s mental impairment. It didn’t factor into the trial. But I say that Parker’s case reminds me of Gein’s because she did things out in the open, in broad daylight. She pretended she “miscarried” the baby she cut from Hancock’s womb. She had to know a doctor would examine her. Her hysterectomy would be in her medical chart. Yikes! Just yikes.

I’m a sucker for small-market professional sports teams, so I follow the Portland Trail Blazers quite a bit. The “Jail Blazers” of the early 2000s were one of the most intriguing teams of that era. They came dangerously close to winning an NBA championship, challenging the Shaq and Kobe-led Lakers. I put the name “Jail Blazers” in quotes because the few members of the team who got in trouble with the law got caught with marijuana possession, which is now legal in Portland. “Jail Blazer” is a harsh term. Even at the time, I wondered if one of Bonzi Wells, Rasheed Wallace, or Damon Stoudemire had done anything worse than getting caught with weed. I did like how Untold: Jail Blazers showed the Dave Chappelle clip lampooning Wallace and Stoudemire getting pulled over by the cops. That clip is iconic.

Untold: Jail Blazers was eye-opening. I had no idea what happened to Damon Stoudemire after his encounter with the police that night. Afterwards, they raided Stoudemire’s house. Stoudemire is from the area, and still, Portland treated him like an outsider. Portland was unkind to the trio of players who brought excitement to the Pacific Northwest. They all but chased them out of town, not in small part because the young basketball stars had houses in predominantly white neighborhoods. Untold: Jail Blazers shows these young Trail Blazers as young. They made mistakes because they were young. Some of those “mistakes” of the early 2000s wouldn’t be mistakes today. And yet, the name “Jail Blazer” persists.

Before watching Untold: Jail Blazers, I used to refer to the early 2000s Portland Trail Blazers by that moniker: “Jail Blazers.” I did so out of affection. I never thought they were “Jail Blazers.” The term was a shorthand for remembering a stellar young team that had all the tools to win an NBA championship but fell just short. After watching Untold: Jail Blazers, I won’t refer to the early 2000’s Portland Trail Blazers by that moniker. Stoudemire, Wells, Wallace, and Zach Randolph deserve better. Fortunately, Portland has celebrated its early 2000s team. I don’t blame Rasheed Wallace for refusing an offer to return.

X-Men 97 Season 2 A Force to Be Reckoned With Jubilee

Kyra’s Show

I won’t go into too much detail with X-Men ’97. Season and I have been reviewing the series as it airs. I will say that X-Men ’97 is the definitive X-Men adaptation. While I liked the first season, X-Men ’97’s second season is stellar. Some of the best storytelling in animation. It’s a love letter to the original X-Men: Animated Series. Whenever Geekly does another Top 10 Animated Shows based on Comic Books List, X-Men ’97 will be near the top. I’m calling it now.

Those are the shows and movies I’ve seen this past month. Let’s see what Skye has been watching.

Skye’s Movies

Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure has been on my radar for a while. Recently, I inherited a hefty chunk of time to watch whatever I wanted, so I finally took initiative and watched Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure. Overall, I’d call Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure “lovably goofy.” It’s a nice combination of creative, wacky, sentimental, and mysterious that you don’t find in most other kid’s films. Only once the credits started rolling did I notice I had never stopped smiling, and that’s a sign the movie’s doing something right. While it’s not a film that’ll blow your mind, Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure is still a fun way to spend an hour and a half.

I’ve had my eye on the film adaptation of Stephen King’s The Long Walk. Put simply: every year, 50 young men from all 50 U.S. states are selected to participate in a challenge where they’re forced to walk or die. Setting aside the physical impossibility of being forced to walk nonstop for days on end, I found myself invested in the relationships that formed among the walkers onscreen. While some participants were more competitive, others tried forming bonds with their fellow man and make the most of the situation they were forced into. I’m still hung up on the technicalities of The Long Walk, but the film itself portrays brotherhood and companionship in a special way.

I’ve seen Labyrinth several times, but during my time in surgery recovery I was feeling nostalgic. Luckily, I had films like Labyrinth to scratch that itch. Specifically, an itch for something familiar, creative, and odd. It also helped that I ate peaches when I decided to watch it. If you’ve seen Labyrinth, you know what I mean. Even if many of the details about the film don’t add up, Labyrinth is still a movie that offers children an endless supply of food for their imaginations, classic Jim Henson puppetry, unique scenarios, and David Bowie. That last one is very important. If you haven’t seen Labyrinth in a while, pop it in again to relive those memories; and if you haven’t seen it at all, then you’ve got some homework for this weekend.

Hey, hey! Kyra Kyle here again. Those are the movies and shows our writers have been watching this past month. Let us know what you’ve been watching, Geekly Gang. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

Top 5 Superhero Theme Board Games

Top 5 Superhero Board Games

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Hey, hey, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here with another Top 5 list, and this one’s a little bit of an update. I shared a similar list over a decade ago. Yikes! It may be time for an updated list. Board games fall in and out of favor, and a decade is a long time for a board game. I’ll share a game’s previous rank in parentheses to show how far a game fell or rose over the past decade. Thousands of new board games are released each year and plenty of them have superheroes as their theme. Let’s see which games made our list of Top 5 Superhero Board Games.

Honorable Mention: DC Deck Building Game & Marvel Legendary (Previously #2)

During the deck builder boom, the superhero game genre saw a ton of deckbuilding games. Every board game theme saw a ton of deckbuilding games. Heck, I backed a Care Bears Deck Building Game last year. Eek! And of course, Marvel and DC Comics received the deckbuilding treatment. Both games have their strengths, weaknesses, and supporters, who will rough you up if you say the wrong thing about their game of choice. For me, I prefer Marvel Legendary’s flow. It held our second spot over a decade ago, but recently, I’ve played Marvel Legendary with 5-players, and never again. It’s borderline unplayable. The DC Deck Building Game offers more of a story. Players feel like they’re playing as a character, but the rules can get clunky.

Again, I prefer Marvel Legendary’s flow, but DC Deck Building Game presents a fun alternative with more of a story.

Honorable Mention: The Reckoners

The Reckoners didn’t quite make the list for one simple reason. I have yet to play it. I’ve watched demos and caught others playing this game, so I know it’s a good one. The Reckoners even has a great score on BoardGameGeek. I had to mention this simultaneous play, fast-action romp of a game. But I haven’t personally played The Reckoners. I could easily see this dice chucking game claim one of the top five spots in the coming years.

One last note before we get started. We’re not including games with a superhero theme if they’re part of a system that didn’t originate with superheroes as its theme. So, systems like Unmatched, which have plenty of superhero options, won’t make the list. And other games like a Marvel Monopoly or 5-Minute Marvel or even a Marvel Codenames, won’t make the list. Funnily enough, that would disqualify Marvel Legendary. The Legendary series of deckbuilding games began with horror franchises like Alien and Predator, which are fantastic by the way.

5: Sentinels of the Multiverse: Definitive Edition (Previously #1)

Honestly, Sentinels of the Multiverse may have been our number one over a decade ago, but if it wasn’t for a definitive edition, it may have dropped to an honorable mention. Don’t get me wrong, I still like the original, but the original Sentinels had a lot of glut. Sentinels of the Multiverse: Definitive Edition trims the fat and even fixes some rules issues. Sentinels still offers a unique gaming experience. It’ll always hold a special place for me. But if I’m playing Sentinels, I prefer the Definitive Edition.

The quality of life changes make all the difference. Reminder tokens are just the tip of the iceberg. If you have yet to purchase Sentinels and you’ve always wanted a copy, I’d buy the Definitive Edition. It accomplishes what its name suggests.

4: Batman: Gotham City Chronicles

Relive some of Batman’s most iconic stories with Batman: Gotham City Chronicles. This game’s asymmetric play (the villain player’s turn differs drastically from the hero players’ turns) is a joy. Hero players use dice to control their characters. I like a good dice chucker, and playing as a hero in Batman: Gotham City Chronicles is a fun dice chucker. But I love how the villains’ turn works. The player controlling the villains controls them with a villain deck and an ever-shifting river of villain tokens in the “River.” Activated villains during a turn move to the end of the river, and the further down a villain is from the front of the river, the more action points it costs to activate the villain. This takes careful playing by the villain player. While you could activate Joker on turn one (typically, he begins at the end of the river), it may serve the villain player best to activate a different villain. Maybe Harley Quinn.

Character models are ripped straight from comic book panels. Batman: Gotham City Chronicles even offers a website with uploaded content to take your game further. Is there a new Batman tale you’d like to relive? There may be a fan-created or even a Monolith-designed campaign for that story. Batman: Gotham City Chronicles is a blast to play, but it may be one of the more difficult games to acquire from this list.

3: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures: City Fall and Change is Constant

While I just praised Batman: Gotham City Chronicles for its asymmetric play, Gotham City Chronicles took a lot of inspiration from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shadows of the Past. The game began to show its age, so IDW updated Shadows of the Past with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures series. Both boxes are standalone games, but you can combine the two for double the heroes in a half shelf fun.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures edges out Gotham City Chronicles because it lowers the barrier of entry by just enough to make the game more accessible. TMNT Adventures is by no means a simple game. It offers almost as many story options as Gotham City Chronicles, and you can even customize your heroes, taking advantage of a map’s terrain. I’ve played the opening scenario for this game numerous times and love it. I’ve never progressed that far in the game’s story. I may need to rally my gaming group to finish a campaign.

2: Marvel Champions: The Card Game

Spoiler alert: Marvel takes the top two spots in this list. I can see people flipping the two games at the top of this list. Some will like Marvel Champions more than the next title, but I like the next title slightly more than Marvel Champions. Clearly, both opinions are valid. The two games top this list. I love Marvel Champions’ inclusion of alter ego play. I rarely see superhero-themed games include anything about alter egos. When you play Spider-Man in Marvel Champions, you’ll have to balance his exploits as Spidey and finish his homework as Peter Parker. Brilliant!

Since Marvel Champions is a living card game by Fantasy Flight Games, it offers plenty of story and deck customization. I’d advise players to become familiar with Marvel Champions’ base rules before fiddling with deck construction, but that is another option. If I didn’t go all in with Marvel United (our next entry), I may have done the same with Marvel Champions. My only concern is that I rarely feel like I’m doing what the card says. Usually, I’ll say to my teammate that I have X-amount of blue, and they’ll respond with I have a X-amount of green, and we’ll deal with threats based on color/number. Despite this, Marvel Champions is a lot of fun and deserving of the second or even top spot.

1: Marvel United/United Game System

I love Marvel United. It edges out Marvel Champions for me because it’s easier to onboard players and remember how to play the game. Few games on this list can boast that. I’ve played a lot of Sentinels of the Multiverse, but I’d have to refer to the rules a few times if I were to break out the game again. Marvel Champions has a ton of fiddly rules. I don’t need to do consult the rulebook with Marvel United. The graphic design is perfect. You could look at the symbols and guess what the game wants you to do. Other games on this list function like modern video game consoles in that one must log in, download software, and register products before playing a game, while Marvel United is plug-and-play.

And Marvel United happens to be our only game system on this list, but the system originated with the superhero theme. DC Super Heroes United releases later this year (hopefully), so we should get the chance for some awesome crossover battles between Marvel and DC Comics. Even though CMON Games has yet to announce another follow-up series, my guess would be Star Wars United. That’d be dope. Regardless of which direction the United Game System takes, the United System offers countless hours of play. The only issue I have with this game is that I never know who I want to play. I have so many characters. I placed everyone into a randomizer.

That’s Geekly’s list of the Top 5 superhero-themed board games. We’ll have to see what changes in the next ten years or so. Let us know your favorite superhero-theme board game in the comments. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

Geekly News: August 15, 2026

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Happy Sunday, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here with another week of Geek News.

Whisperwood is a bag-building game for 2-4 players of druids harnessing the power of the elements and the natural world to restore a forest. Each round players simultaneously summon magical energy in the form of tokens and plan the incantations they will perform. The players then perform their incantations in turn order, restoring air, water and earth, partnering with wildlife, inscribing runes and awakening the Guardian Golems to perform magical tasks. The land is strewn with corruption and the druids must absorb and purify this corruption to heal the forest – but take on too much corruption and your magical abilities will be compromised!

Thank you, Cardboard Alchemy, for the description. Whisperwood had me at bag building. The game’s production (above is a picture of Whisperwood’s prototype…just the prototype) has me sold. Publisher Cardboard Alchemy has a good track record (Flamecraft and Creature Comforts, anyone?). So, Whisperwood is definitely on my radar. At first, I thought Whisperwood was a cooperative game, but I may like it more as a competitive game. The tiles look amazing. Their irregular shape could yield some interesting maps (if Cardboard Alchemy intends to keep tiles in its final product). I’m a sucker for simultaneous action selection. It doesn’t have the hectic nature of real-time, but it still speeds up play. Whisperwood offers pledges between $99-$249. If you’re interested in Whisperwood, check out its KickStarter page.

The Altered: Anomaly Containment Archives Launches on KickStarter

In The Altered: Anomaly Containment Archives, players serve as Evaluation Commissioners within B.A.R. Playing solo or as a group, they open classified dossiers, examine physical evidence, compare conflicting testimonies, decode hidden information, and reconstruct the lives of individuals known as Signators, each connected to an anomalous event. No game master is required.

Across seven interconnected cases, players must issue binding rulings: who remains human, who has become Altered, and what must be contained. Branching choices and blind-bag token management carry the consequences of each ruling into later cases, while containment breaches are resolved through tactical card play. To win the campaign, the commissioners must resolve the linked investigations and contain the final threat shaped by their accumulated decisions.

Thank you, Tin Universe, for the description. I haven’t seen a deduction/mystery board game with as much hype as The Altered: Anomaly Containment Archives in decades. It’s been a while. Many of my favorite influencers have been promoting The Altered: Anomaly Containment Archives. Personally, I love the fusion of Sci-Fi and Mystery. Yes, please. Mrs. Geekly is a huge Clue (Cluedo) fan, so I may need to pick up a copy. The Altered: Anomaly Containment Archives offers pledges in the range of $56-$238. If you’re interested in Altered: Anomaly Containment Archives, check out its KickStarter page.

My Boardgame Logbook Launches on KickStarter

I love the idea of My Boardgame Logbook. I struggle to keep track of which boardgames I play, so My Boardgame Logbook is a nice addition to my boardgame library. Haven’t played a game in a long while? My Boardgame Logbook will show which games you’ve played the most and least over the past several years. I feel a purge coming. Can you feel it? But My Boardgame Logbook goes one step further. You can catalogue each play of your boardgames. With this book you can say without a doubt that one member of your gaming group wins a particular game more than anyone else. Look at the scoreboard.

While I like the idea of logging in game scores, I’m more interested in logging the games themselves. My Boardgame Logbook may be a good tool to determine which games should stay in rotation and which need to leave. My Boardgame Logbook offers multiple pledge levels $13 to $313. You’re sure to find the perfect logbook for your games. If you’re interested in My Boardgame Logbook, check out its KickStarter page.

Defender of the Crown: The Legend Returns Releases

The legendary medieval strategy adventure has returned – enhanced for a new generation of knights. Conquer provinces, raise armies, storm castles, and influence the balance of power through bold strategy and action moments.

The classic Defender of the Crown video game series returns. The series is known for being obtuse (difficult to learn controls and win conditions), and while Defender of the Crown: The Legend Returns addresses this issue, the game is still difficult to get into but offers a wealth of strategic goodness. Can you lead your knights to victory? Find out in Defender of the Crown: The Legend Returns, available on PC.

Rivage Releases

Rivage is an immersive sci-fi puzzle adventure set aboard the A.R.E.S. space station trapped in a space phenomenon. Wake up as Miranda, forced to explore, solve intricate puzzles to unravel the fate of your missing crew.

Ah! Rivage returns to the roots of a walking simulator. I don’t know if the publisher/developer would think that was a diss, but it so isn’t from me; I even shared a list of great dark walking simulators (I love this genre of game). Miranda is trapped on a space station and must solve intricate puzzles to find her missing crew. Yes, please. I immediately wishlisted Rivage on Steam. This looks like an indie hit Geekly covers. Let us know if you’d like a review. Rivage is available on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series S/X.

Duskfade Releases

Shatter the shackles of time as you jump, swing, and slash through a fantastic world in this love letter to classic 3D action platformers. Zirian, accompanied by his mechanical Cuckoo, must save his sister from a mysterious Clock Tower that has plunged the land into eternal night.

Platformer video games are not dead. Games like Duskfade prove this to be the case. I love the premise, the action portrayed in the images and videos I’ve seen, and the fact that Duskfade is a world in perpetual night. Duskfade is another game I immediately wishlisted on Steam. But you may not need to wait that long. Duskfade is offering a 20% discount for the next two weeks. Duskfade is available on PC, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, and Xbox Series S/X.

Servant of the Lake Releases

Begin your new job as a servant at the mysterious Vanderboom estate. Solve puzzles, serve the family and uncover their dark alchemical secrets in Servant of the Lake, a single-player point-and-click adventure in the Rusty Lake series.

Servant of the Lake is yet another puzzle-heavy video game, and I’m loving it. Servant of the Lake has received great reviews. I can see it. This is another great entry in the Rusty Lake series. Automatic wishlist. Servant of the Lake gives me mad King’s Quest vibes and I’m here for it. I love that indie games have taken over the video game landscape. I hope more game like Servant of the Lake can dominate sales. Servant of the Lake is available on PC.

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.

X-Men ’97 “Survival of the Fittest” Review

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Happy Saturday, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here with a review/reaction of X-Men ’97’s season two finale, “Survival of the Fittest.” If you want to read our view of last week’s episode “The Dead Man’s Hand,” check out this link. We’ll only discuss this week’s episode, “Survival of the Fittest.” I’ll kick off this review with my thoughts.

Kyra’s Take

“Survival of the Fittest” does a great job of tying up enough major story threads for X-Men ’97 season two and introducing new threads to explore next season–and next season looks to be another doozy. Obviously, we’ll have spoilers for “Survival of the Fittest.” You’ve been warned. If I’m being honest, I nodded along with the first half of “Survival of the Fittest.” The episode played out like a checklist of the story threads that needed to be concluded. “Survival of the Fittest” began like a workman episode. But X-Men ’97 season two’s finale hit its stride with its second half. Raising the stakes (Rogue striking a deal with the same Celestial that gave Apocalypse his power and willing to make the ultimate sacrifice) made all the difference.

Before I commit to jumping to “Survival of the Fittest’s” second half, let’s discuss the episode’s first half. I like the symmetry to X-Men -97’s second season. The season began with Apocalypse and the Celestial, and it ended with Apocalypse and the Celestial. Clean and tidy. X-Force and X-Factor joined forces and fought against the X-Men. This made sense. The two groups’ goals aligned, and underneath this partnership, one could see the American government distrust Charles Xavier and his X-Men–something that will rear its head during “Survival of the Fittest’s” mid-credit scene (more on that in a bit). The audience was even treated to a Gambit-X-Men reunion before Cable shoots Gambit, allowing Apocalypse to take over Remy. This felt inevitable.

Honestly, I could see this outcome a mile away, but that’s a good thing. “Survival of the Fittest” did a great job of setting up this ending. Once Gambit loses consciousness and Apocalypse assumes complete control, X-Men ’97 hints at The Huntsman storyline I mentioned a few weeks ago. Again, this was expected but in a good way. I’d wager most of the audience hasn’t read The Huntsman/Weapon XII. For those of us who have, X-Men ’97 did a good job adapting elements of this story to the second season’s finale. My favorite moments during “Survival of the Fittest’s” first half were the reveal of the Celestial ship, and Cable fighting his parents, uttering the line “Have you met my parents?” Priceless.

I didn’t know how X-Men ’97 season 2 could top Magneto’s death in the middle of this season. The middle of this season? Wow! Magento’s been out of commission for half a season. Nothing could beat the shock of Apocalypse disintegrating the Master of Magnetism. And “Survival of the Fittest” didn’t try to match that moment. Rogue and Gambit are star-crossed lovers. “Survival of the Fittest” set up a scenario where Rogue would have to sacrifice herself for Gambit. The story demanded it. It looked as if the episode delivered on this promise, but after Rogue saved Gambit, she didn’t die. X-Men ’97 had one more trick up its sleeve. Nightcrawler substituted himself for his sister. Brilliant and heartbreaking. I should’ve seen this coming, but that’s what makes X-Men ’97 such a good series. It takes risks, it lulls viewers into one reality, and subverts expectations.

Season won’t take this ending well; she’s a self-proclaimed Nightcrawler fangirl. But this move makes sense for Nightcrawler’s story arc and character. X-Men ’97 has been building Rogue and Nightcrawler’s sibling relationship over two seasons. Nightcrawler would sacrifice himself so his sister could have a chance at love. This sacrifice is what makes Nightcrawler who he is. This sacrifice is what makes someone like Season a Nightcrawler fangirl. He’s awesome. We all know it. And I didn’t prepare Season before she watched “Survival of the Fittest.” I just told her to have the tissues ready. After Magneto’s death, she was ready for anything. Anything except this. Again, I love how X-Men ’97 keeps viewers on their toes.

Season three looks to be another banger. The mid-credits scene shows Graydon Creed becoming President of the United States. Yes, the same Graydon Creed reintroduced during “Strange Land, Savage Heart.” Mystique’s other son, Graydon Creed. And we catch a glimpse of Mystique grabbing her file during this scene. I didn’t realize we hadn’t seen Mystique in an X-Men ’97 episode. Two seasons of the show, and this is the first time we meet her. This goes to show the X-Men ’97 cast’s depth. Season Two featured a fair amount of Summers’ family drama. I’m down for Season Three featuring Mystique-Rogue-Graydon Creed drama. After all, The X-Men’s greatest enemy may be humanity.

Those are my thoughts on X-Men ’97 “Survival of the Fittest.” Season hasn’t yet watched “Survival of the Fittest.” I’m sure she’ll have thoughts and may write down her take in a future post. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

Whatcha Reading, Geekly: August 2026

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Happy Wednesday, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here, and today, our writers share what they’ve been reading over the past month. Feel free to share what you’ve been reading over the past month, because we’re all part of the Geekly Gang. I’ll get things started by sharing what I’ve been reading this past month.

Dungeon Crawler Carl Book Cover

Kyra’s Fiction

I’ve been catching up with various novels I started but never finished. Dungeon Crawler Carl is one of those novels. Yep! I may need to lower the number of novels I begin at once. I should’ve read Dungeon Crawler Carl straight through. Like The House in the Cerulean Sea, I picked up Dungeon Crawler Carl’s sequel, Carl’s Doomsday Scenario. Dungeon Crawler Carl is dumb fun. I can see why it has a massive following. Sometimes, you just want to laugh. I love Princess Donut. She’s a talking Persian cat who can fire off Gandalf-level magic missiles. The dungeon’s bosses are puns in the best possible way. I belly laughed during Carl and Donut’s fight with The Juicer, a roided out lizard man. “I’m proud of you, bro,” he said. “You fought through the pain.”

Dungeon Crawler Carl reminded me that writing and reading can be fun. Does it have a larger message to share? Probably not. I’m sure some readers will find some meaning in the text, but that doesn’t matter. This is a fun book, and I hope, a fun series, because I intend to read the next novel in the series. It also doesn’t hurt that Princess Donut is a tortoise shell Persian. My cat, Cinder, was the exact same breed and coloring. And if Cinder had magical powers and could talk, she’d most likely sound like Princess Donut. Donut is my queen.

I Got Abducted by Aliens and Now I'm Trapped in a Rom-Com Book Cover

I said that this past month featured numerous finished novels that I started earlier, and I Got Abducted by Aliens and Now I’m Trapped in a Rom-Com continues that trend. This one didn’t stick the landing. I loved the earlier three-quarters of the novel, but quickly remembered why I put down the book: the sex scenes. I still marvel at how well Lemming writes sex scenes. I don’t know if I could pull off scenes like hers. And I had fun with these scenes during the earlier portions of I Got Abducted by Aliens and Now I’m Trapped in a Rom-Com, but the scenes came out of nowhere, detracting from the action Lemming had set up. The book didn’t have “too many” sex scenes. But I couldn’t suspend disbelief with a sex scene occurring during the middle of a dinosaur chase scene. What?

And of course, I Got Abducted by Aliens and Now I’m Trapped in a Rom-Com included a large sex scene after the events unfolded, but by this point, I grew tired of the scenes. Again, these scenes are well written. I just wanted to see what would happen next on the planet.

Speaking of a story not sticking the landing, I finally read Scott Snyder’s Batman: The Court of Owls Saga. Snyder is notorious for writing an amazing first three-quarters of a story, and then the story falls apart. I enjoyed most of Batman: The Court of Owls Saga. This graphic novel features a lot of interesting storytelling methods. At one point, artist Greg Capullo turns the panels ninety degrees, not once, not even twice. This simulated Batman’s disorientation. I won’t say any more than that and risk spoiling the story, but this was highly effective. And Snyder’s writing up to this point was solid.

And then an M Night Shyamalan twist occurs at the three-quarter point of Batman: The Court of Owls Saga. I groaned. Out loud. Ugh! The worst part was that I could see the twist coming. Still, I enjoyed most of this graphic novel. The Court of Owls is a great addition to Batman’s rogues’ gallery. So much was working at the beginning of the graphic novel. I loved the opening. The ending doesn’t ruin the entire graphic. I’d still recommend Batman: The Court of Owls Saga.

Batman: Gotham by Gaslight has an interesting premise. It sets Batman’s story in the turn-of-the-century United States. Weird. I wanted to like Batman: Gotham by Gaslight more than I did. The art is fantastic. Mike Mignola lends his Hellboy style to Batman. What’s not to love? But again, the stories (there are two short stories in this collection) left me wanting. The Jack the Ripper story was odd and clunky. The second story was slightly better. The Master of the Future is a bombastic take on Ra’s al Ghul. The two aren’t a perfect one-to-one, but they share enough similarities that I wondered if The Master of the Future was one of Ra’s’s children. He has more children than Talia. As far as I know, The Master of the Future doesn’t have a connection with Ra’s.

Despite the Jack the Ripper cringe of the first story and the goofy Ra’s wannabe in the second story, I can see why Batman: Gotham by Gaslight was a huge Elseworlds (alternate universe) hit. Batman: Gotham by Gaslight predates DC Comics’ concept of Elseworlds. This is one of the comics that started alternate reality versions of DC Comics characters. Without this graphic novel, we may not have the excellent line of Absolute DC Comics.

That’s what I’ve been reading over the past month. Season and Skye are taking this month off for watcha reading, so feel free to share what you’ve been reading over the past month. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

Geekly News: August 9, 2026; New Releases

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Happy Sunday, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here with another week of Geek News. We’re still taking a break from headlines, but we have plenty of new releases for board games and video games. Let’s get to the games.

Medici Traders Launches on KickStarter

Like the classic Medici Board Game, Traders is a tile game that takes you to 15th century Florence, Italy. Players acquire the most valuable goods and optimally pack them on their ships. They simultaneously draw goods tiles, adding up to 3 tiles to their tray, which they then move to the center of the table.

After all players have added their trays to the center, the first player selects one of the trays, adding florins (coins) to the tray, as they wish, to help solidify their claim to those goods. Future players may either take a tray from the center (again placing florins to the tray to help solidify their claim) OR surpassing the number of florins on a tray that another player has already claimed, and taking that tray. The original player gets their florins back. Play continues around the table in this way until all players have claimed a tray.

Florins used to claim trays are turned into the bank and players load the goods from their claimed tray onto their ship. Ships in Traders have multiple levels – one for each day (turn) and an upper deck that can hold special goods with upper deck railings.

The above steps are repeated until all players have filled all 7 spaces on the current day’s ship level.

At the end of each day, players score. First, players score based on who has the highest points of goods on the current day’s level of their ship. Then, players score for each type of good anywhere on their ship. Players with the most of each type of good score the most points for that good.

At the end of three days, the player with the most florins wins.

Thank you, APE Games, for the description. I played the heck out of the Medici app. Yes! Medici may be another game I prefer more as an app. And I’ll also throw in app board games because it saves on physical space. Regardless of how you play Medici, the game is excellent. The subject matter may not appeal to everyone. In Medici, you’re trying to manage your resources, selling them at their highest value. Medici Traders looks to streamline a lot of what Medici does and shrink down the game’s runtime. This was the biggest reason why I played Medici as an app. I didn’t think my game group had the patience for a multiple hour game about resource management. But Medici Traders plays in less than forty-five minutes. The upkeep from round to round appears minimal. I may have to pick up a physical copy of a game in the Medici line.

And since Medici Traders is part of the Medici line, designer Reiner Knizia returns. Knizia has a way of making a resource management game with auctions and trading fun. Medici Traders offers several pledge options, ranging from $34 to $139. If you’re interested in Medici Traders, check out its KickStarter page.

Mykerinos Releases on GameFound

1899. For more than a century, the European public has been fascinated by Egyptology and the discoveries of Denon, Champollion, Petrie and others. Seeking adventure and glory, teams of archaeologists search the sands of Egypt for hidden treasures.

Mykerinos. Embody archaeologists seeking relics from ancient Egypt for powerful benefactors. Will you be convincing at the museum’s final exhibition?

Thank you, Looping Games, for the description. Looping Games has been around for just over a decade, and they have reproduced some fantastic games. Mykerinos is the latest decades-old game to receive a facelift from Looping Games. The production value looks amazing. I like Mykerinos’s theme. The tagline goes hard. “Excavate the past. Control the present. Win the final exhibition.” Sounds simple enough, but like many Looping Games (publisher of the 1900 series), Mykerinos provides plenty of strategic depth. If you’re interested in Mykerinos, check out its GameFound page.

Marvel: TOKON Fighting Souls Releases

Assemble your team of legendary Marvel characters in the ultimate 4v4 tag team fighter.

If Marvel vs Capcom wasn’t enough, PlayStation is giving us a Marvel fighting game with a twenty-character roster in Marvel: TOKON Fighting Souls. I’m certain more Marvel characters will be released in the coming months. Twenty characters isn’t a huge roster for a 4v4 tag team fighting game. Each player will control four different characters, so forty percent of all the characters will be included in any one match. Yikes!

Marvel: TOKON Fighting Souls has plans for four future characters with its DLC. We’ll have to see if these characters will be free downloads. The graphics look amazing. Developer Arc System Works has a history with fighting games, so they have the talent and experience to translate Marvel characters into a fighting game. The relatively small roster also gives me hope that each character will play differently from the rest. I’ve got this one on my radar. Marvel: TOKON Fighting Souls is available on PC and PlayStation 5.

Big Walk Releases

Hang out and get lost with close friends in a big world. Big Walk is a cooperative online walker-talker from the creators of Untitled Goose Game.

I enjoyed playing Untitled Goose Game. I’m not good at it, but I had fun playing it. House House has done it again with Big Walk. Big Walk follows the footsteps of highly cooperative games like Meccha Chameleon, Among Us, and Peak. You and your three friends are the only living beings in the world of Big Walk. The four of you are on the titular “big walk” across this uninhabited planet. You must work together to solve puzzles and earn plenty of nubs. Big Walk is part of a growing category of video games that promote friendship. You and your pals must communicate well, and while the stakes aren’t as high as other games, Big Walk can be very rewarding. Big Walk is available on PC and Nintendo Switch 2. Honk, honk!

That’s all the new releases for board games and video games that we have for you this week. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

X-Men ’97 “The Dead Man’s Hand” Review

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Hey, hey, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle back again with another review/reaction of an X-Men ’97 episode. If you’re looking for last week’s episode “Strange Land, Savage Heart,” here’s a link to our review/reaction to that episode. Today, we’ll be discussing X-Men ’97 season two’s penultimate episode, “The Dead Man’s Hand.” Things begin to click into place as X-Men ’97 season two reaches its finale. I’ll kick off this post by sharing my thoughts on X-Men ’97 “The Dead Man’s Hand.”

Kyra’s Take

I’m torn with this week’s episode of X-Men ’97. “The Dead Man’s Hand” does everything you would want a penultimate episode for a season to do. It wraps up just enough threads to keep viewers interested. It brings the disparate groups of X-Men and other entities together for what should be a fantastic final confrontation. And it even manages to bring back a fan favorite. Not to mention that Nightcrawler gets to show off his moves in “The Dead Man’s Hand.” The scene where Nightcrawler got to work made me jump from my chair. Bamf! But I’m confused by the big bad’s motivation and scheme.

This review/reaction will have spoilers. Consider yourself warned. Apocalypse brought Gambit back to life and as a result, became a desiccated corpse. While it looks like Apocalypse wanted Gambit as his new personification of Death (one of his horsemen), the transformation backfired. I still hold out hope that X-Men ’97 plans to introduce The Huntsman or Weapon XII, but the events in “The Dead Man’s Hand” show Apocalypse behind this plot. Did he intend for Gambit to absorb his consciousness? Unclear. Apocalypse’s feud with Candra (External) fell a little flat. Sure, the seeds of this conflict go back to episode four from this season (“Rise of Apocalypse: Part II”), but I would’ve liked more lead up to this moment. Perhaps a quick nod to what happened earlier this season.

Despite what appears to be a half-baked plan by Apocalypse (for now), “The Dead Man’s Hand” has plenty of stand up and cheer moments. The Nightcrawler fight I mentioned before is one. Holy poop! Any scene where Rogue and Gambit try to reconnect manages to pull at the heartstrings. Cable playing his parents to get close to Gambit so he can kill Apocalypse inside Remy’s body was cold, on-brand for Cable, and twists the knife, reminding Cyclops that he wasn’t there for his son’s coming of age. The Summers family has a messed up history, and I’m here for it. I even liked the hinted at team up of X-Force and X-Factor. Half of X-Force defected to the X-Men (Jubilee and Sunspot), and the prospect of Cable, Psylocke, and Archangel working with X-Factor is juicy.

X-Men stories have always featured characters hopping from one faction to the next. This doesn’t bother me. In fact, I like it when X-Men stories present two compelling sides to the same argument. I don’t know where X-Men ’97 intends to take its season two finale. Typically, I’d say this was a good thing. But I’m less confident with Apocalypse’s goal, and Gambit’s return lacked a little something. I think that something was knowing what Apocalypse planned to do with Remy’s body. Did Apocalypse’s plan backfire? Does he intend to skinwalk in others’ skin for the rest of his existence? That would track with what we saw in “Days of Past Future” (the first episode of this season). A disembodied Apocalypse planned to insert himself within Cable.

“The Dead Man’s Hand” is one of those episodes that needs context. We’ll have to wait for next week’s episode to find that context. Those are my thoughts on X-Men ’97 “The Dead Man’s Hand.” Let’s check in with Season.

Season’s Take

I’m ecstatic that Gambit made his return, but the execution felt lackluster. I’m not sure what I was expecting outside of Apocalypse resurrecting Gambit to control him, but I didn’t think he would inhabit Gambit’s body. While that tracks for Apocalypse, I was hoping he wouldn’t be the big bad of season two. It would’ve been so cool if Marvel threw in a twist villain. External made an appearance, but I thought she would play more of a role. She basically went poof.

I loved the moments between Gambit and Rogue. They did an amazing job of portraying Rogue’s conflicted feelings. It was animated beautifully. I’m not sure what to expect, but I hope season two has an amazing ending.

Hey, hey! Kyra Kyle here again. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

SpiderManBrandNewDayReview

Spider-Man: Brand New Day Review

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Happy Saturday, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here with the first of two reviews/reactions today. Our writers watched Spider-Man: Brand New Day last weekend, and we have some thoughts to share. I’ll kick things off with my thoughts on Spider-Man: Brand New Day.

Kyra’s Take

I enjoyed Spider-Man: Brand New Day. The trailers promised a character-driven Spider-Man story, and Spider-Man: Brand New Day delivers on this promise. Peter’s story continues where Spider-Man: No Way Home concluded. He has yet to reach out to his friends, Ned and MJ, and his journey toward self-acceptance mirrors the storyline of Spider-Man: Brand New Day’s “villain.” Before we go any further, I must give a spoiler warning to anyone who hasn’t seen Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Consider yourself warned.

Jean Grey–yes, The X-Men’s Jean Grey–is Spider-Man: Brand New Day’s villain, sort of. Her mutant powers have awakened, and she’s on the look for her sister, Sarah. Jean’s mother abandoned her and her sister because of who they were; a stark contrast to Spider-Man’s Aunt May embracing her nephew/son after he gained his powers. This is relevant to the story. Trust me. After all, Jean’s a telepath.

During Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Spider-Man’s powers are growing and “mutating.” Again, Jean Grey’s powers awakening and amplifying echo Spider-Man’s changes. Narratively, this is a great choice. Peter Parker followed Tony Stark/Iron Man’s lead. At one point of his career, Peter submitted himself to government monitoring and regulation; this was the whole point of Captain America: Civil War and the Sokovia Accords. Peter continues to work with the government. Jean Grey fights against government regulation and monitoring as most X-Men would do. If the MCU were to include or introduce the X-Men in a Spider-Man film, the way Spider-Man: Brand New Day does it is near flawless. But I’m not a huge fan of a Spider-Man film introducing the X-Men.

There has never been a Spider-Man MCU film where Spider-Man was the only superhero in the film. Repeat: No Spider-Man MCU film has been a solo Spider-Man movie. Spider-Man: Homecoming had Iron Man as Spidey’s father figure (one extra superhero). Spider-Man: Far From Home featured an Iron Man cameo and Nick Fury working behind the scenes (two extra superheroes). Spider-Man: No Way Home had two other versions of Spider-Man and Doctor Strange (three extra superheroes). Spider-Man: Brand New Day has appearances from Jean Grey, The Punisher, The Hulk, and Black Widow (four extra superheroes). What’s next for Spider-Man 5? Five extra superheroes. It may as well be an Avengers film. Kind of like Captain America: Civil War.

Don’t get me wrong, most–if not all–of these guest-staring superheroes had a purpose in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Jean Grey begins as the antagonist, only to be vindicated as a scared young woman makes for a good volta (turn) with Damage Control becoming the “real villain.” This is great. It shatters Peter’s worldview that he’s held since he was introduced into the MCU (ten years ago). The Punisher works as comic relief and at the end, he reminds Peter that extreme measures aren’t always needed. The Punisher is also the man Peter fears he’ll become if he keeps himself closed. Great stuff. The Hulk shows a path Peter’s mutation could take; Peter even calls his continued mutation a “monster” like The Hulk. The Hulk is the monster Spider-Man doesn’t want to become. Bruce gives Peter the idea of inhibiting his mutation and this gives Peter the means to subdue Jean. And Black Widow is just fun. She doesn’t steal a lot of screen time. But that’s four extra superheroes. Four!

We’ll probably never get a Spider-Man solo film in the MCU. That isn’t the worst thing in the world. The MCU is an interconnected universe. Fortunately, viewers didn’t need to do any “homework” before Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Sure, you could watch the recent Punisher Special on Disney+, but it isn’t “required” viewing to understand this movie’s plot. As long as you vaguely know who Yelena (Black Widow) and Bruce (The Hulk) Banner are, you don’t need to watch or rewatch any of their previous movies or shows. All of this is great. The MCU has learned to eliminate–or at least reduce–audience “homework,” and the confluence of superheroes Spider-Man: Brand New Day used worked for the movie’s character-driven story. But I miss the days of the MCU’s solo superhero movies or even the Spider-Man films with fewer guest superheroes.

Off-topic, but I’ve heard some people describe Jean Grey’s actions in this film as “evil.” I don’t believe that is the case, but I may be too quick to forgive Jean’s actions. She does kill people for her family. At least two Damage Control goons passed away during Jean’s assault on the organization’s headquarters. She may have been responsible for more. In the comics, Jean Grey is a more morally gray–or grey–character than most might think. Sink’s performance is great for a young Jean Grey with a mean streak. But I can see why people would call Jean’s actions in Spider-Man: Brand New Day evil. I view her actions as destructive. I also served in the military during three wars. I have a much larger body count than Jean when it comes to killing for my family. So, I’m biased.

My final thought is on Damage Control itself, and Spider-Man: Brand New Day’s use of Bill Metzger. In the comics, William Metzger was an anti-mutant leader. His was an organization similar to the mutant hate-group Friends of Humanity. As soon as I heard the name Metzger, I knew he was a villain, and it all but confirmed Jean Grey, instead of any number of Spider-Man villains with mind control or possession (as Black Widow put it) powers as this film’s antagonist. Going into this film, I thought Mister Negative or Carrion would’ve been better served as the movie’s villain. Heck, Carrion’s abilities closely match what Jean does during the film (a pseudo-possession), and Mister Negative was the main villain in the comic story titled Spider-Man: Brand New Day. So, I guess I’m a little disappointed that we didn’t see another great Spidey villain take centerstage. Spider-Man has one of the greatest rogues galleries in comics.

Heck. Spider-Man has the second best rogues galleries in comics, second only to Batman. So, Spider-Man: Brand New Day plays like a Batman movie with none of Batman’s rogues present. Odd. It worked, but I don’t want this as a steady diet with Spider-Man movies.

Ultimately, Spider-Man: Brand New Day was a great popcorn flick. I’ll probably watch it once or twice after it lands on Disney+. If the MCU had to introduce the X-Men in a Spider-Man film, this is almost perfect. I just wished the MCU didn’t choose to introduce the X-Men in this film. Despite the X-Men’s inclusion, Spider-Man: Brand New Day kept its trailers’ promise of a Spider-Man character-driven film. It’s a fun movie. Those are my thoughts on Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Let’s see what Season thinks.

Season’s Take

I was a bit surprised to see Jean Grey as an anti-hero in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Sadie Sink did an amazing job as Jean Grey. The character was very believable. The plot of Spider-Man: Brand New Day was well-written and can work as a stand alone movie. There were enough flashbacks to the previous Spider-Man movies that the audience could understand what happened without having to watch the other installments. The flashbacks were a bit too overdone; they could have cut down the runtime without some of them.

Before I watched Spider-Man: Brand New Day, I didn’t know who William Metzger was. What made me suspicious of him initially was how he spoke to the Hand. He spoke Japanese (without subtitles), and didn’t use an ounce of polite speech while introducing Spider-Man as an ally of the Hand. He referred to the Hand as “omae (oh-ma-eh)” or “you all.” “Omae” is either a familiar way of speaking to someone, but is considered to be very rude. He also referred to himself as “ore (oh-ray)” or “I.” This is normally an arrogant way to refer to oneself. He also didn’t use “desu” or “masu” at the end of his sentences, which is also either rude or familiar. I’m not sure how many Japanese speakers watched Spider-Man: Brand New Day, but this instance stood out to me.

I wish we could have seen some underused members of Spider-Man’s rogues gallery, so I was a bit disappointed when that didn’t happen. It looks like we’ll be seeing Venom in the future fifth Spider-Man movie. Here’s hoping it’ll blow Spider-Man 3 out of the water.

Hey, hey! Kyra Kyle here again. I left the Metzger Japanese speech to Season; She spent a year and a half in Japan. I remember looking at Season when the scene occurred. I don’t speak Japanese, but I could tell something was off with Metzger’s speech. Anyway, thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

Game Design Brain Dump: August 7, 2026

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Hey, hey, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here with another board game design brain dump. This month’s game design dump will mostly be a status update with a tip of the hat to a new productivity tool: a dry-erase calendar. I know. I know. Dry-erase calendars are old news, old tech, but it worked wonders.

New Calendar

The calendar proved necessary because I had become trapped with the idea that everything for Geekly, this blog, was easier and faster than anything else I could do for my career (both board game design and writing). The calendar has spots for weekly items, and I do use these for quite a few things, like my weekly menu (I cook for my household) and other events that occur on specific days of the week (like game design meetups and write-ins, both great resources for game designers and writers).

But the “To Do” section has given me the most focus. I write down the six to seven most important tasks and mark the two quickest/easiest tasks to accomplish first. This keeps me on task. Geekly projects don’t always top the list for quickest or easiest tasks, and I find myself finishing most projects. I do have one item listed for a specific day because that day will be the best time to attempt the project. Overall, this new calendar has streamlined my creative process. I’ve mentioned this in various posts (specifically my Autism Representation Deep Dive series), but I’m neurodivergent. The calendar limits my number of choices. So often, I’ll become paralyzed and continue with what I was working on before, which, for a time, was nothing but Geekly content. This visual reminds me of other goals and gives me a handful of options.

I’ve gushed about my new calendar for long enough. Let’s get to the game updates for this month.

Monster Chef 01 Board Game Logo

Monster Chef works as a hand management game. I’ve playtested it numerous times over the past month. The new butcher knife ability works well. I noticed the decks running out of cards far quicker than before, and added back in one extra copy of the Groceries cards for each monster. I’ve seen multiple playthroughs where gamers complained that they didn’t see enough of the Grocery card abilities. This solves both potential issues.

Monster Chef also plays at a tight thirty minutes or so. I’m happy with that approximate play time. Now, all I need to do is playtest Monster Chef at various designer meetups and conventions. Nuke-Con (in Omaha, Nebraska) won’t occur until early October. I’ll definitely have a playtest or two or three of Monster Chef planned for that convention. I’ll keep you posted if I attend any other public events before Nuke-Con.

After codifying the game’s ruleset, one of the goals I have set for myself is finishing Monster Chef’s rulebook. Oh, yeah. I see some blind playtests in the near future.

I knew Rustbucket Riots would prove more difficult to complete. It is. But I’ve made plenty of progress. Rustbucket Riots works as a bag building game. Yay! Two major issues cropped up: minions added to player bags is brutal, and gamers felt weaker than they did when the game was strictly dice-rolling (with the lock a result mechanism). Both problems were easily fixed. I lowered the number of minions added by boss robots each turn. Done. That was easy. Making the players feel more powerful was a little difficult to pinpoint, but I’m tackling the issue in two ways. First, increase the number of tokens players grab from their bags each turn. This was easy enough. But drawing fewer tokens was only part of the problem.

When players could reroll dice (dice rolling mechanism), Rustbucket Riots players had more control over their results. Do you really need to roll a Jump result? Reroll any dice that don’t show Jump until you lock in every result. Pulling from a bag is a little trickier. The tokens you pull are the tokens you pull. So, I added a mechanism that allows players to trade in any two tokens for a token of their choice. You’ll need to pull more tokens from your bag, but as I mentioned, players will be pulling more tokens from their bags.

I’m excited by the direction Rustbucket Riots is taking. Now comes the long road of balancing the mechanisms so most games conclude with a tight outcome. Fingers crossed.

That’s all I have for this month’s game design brain dump. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.