Video Games

Geekly News: October 11, 2026; D&D and Magic Designers Unionize

Published on October 11, 2026October 10, 2026 by KyraLeave a comment

Happy Sunday, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here with another week of Geek News. We have another impressive crop of new releases for board games and video games, but before we get to those, we actually have a headline for the first time in several months. Usually, most geek news headlines tend to be on the negative side. Geekly had a month and a half of bad news for Sony and PlayStation. Yikes! It can get tiring, so we took a break from headlines. I’ve been following the continuing saga for Hasbro, Wizards of the Coast, and the creatives behind Dungeons & Dragons and Magic: The Gathering. Our headline this week centers on those creatives forming a union.

The other issue we’ve had with geek news headlines is that readers have few (if any) courses of action, but this one’s different. You can sign the petition in support of Dungeons & Dragons and Magic: The Gathering unionizing. If you want to get involved, here’s a link to the petition. In short, D&D, D&D Beyond, Magic: The Gathering, and Studio X workers have petitioned to unionize.

Dungeons & Dragons and Magic: The Gathering Designers Apply for a Union

Hasbro has had about as good of a year as Sony and PlayStation. Woof! We’ve seen new scandals from Hasbro week after week. The following is an abbreviated list of what Hasbro has done in about 18 months:

Resend the Open Gaming License (OGL), making third party D&D 5.5 content illegal to sell
Begin prosecuting gamers who use third party D&D content
Sunset D&D Sigil, firing thousands of employees in the process
Fire another tens of thousands of workers during the summer
A third set of layoffs just before Christmas last year
Yet another round of firings set for this Christmas (Merry Christmas, everyone; now pack your s#!t)
Insist on using AI…for everything
Dub D&D books as “collectibles” which is code for making them more expensive
While making a subscription model the norm, which is code for charging even more money for not owning anything
Hasbro let go of Wizard of the Coast’s CEO and has yet to replace him

That last one makes me think of Hasbro as The Reapers in Mass Effect: “Assuming Complete Control.” Seriously, Hasbro may be tabletop gaming’s closest thing to a supervillain. I’ve looked at some of the terms and conditions for working at Hasbro for D&D and Magic, and it’s bleak:

Mandatory (and usually unpaid) overtime, which leads to employees sleeping at their desks
Hasbro owns anything and everything you work on, which means any other creative product you produce as their employee becomes their property

No thanks, Hasbro. You already know I have other games and novels in the works. I don’t need you to own all of my projects. You can’t have my soul.

Your mileage with unions may vary, but Hasbro is the chief force behind most–if not all–of the negative cloud hanging over Dungeons & Dragons and Magic: The Gathering. The designers of these games have made mistakes in the past, and they will make mistakes in the future, but they deserve to make the games they want to create. Without AI. Without fear of being fired for apparently no reason. Hasbro hemorrhages money. Toys don’t make as much money as they use to make. But D&D and Magic: The Gathering are massive money makers. They’re the ones keeping Hasbro afloat, and the games’ designers are still in danger of being laid off. These designers forming a union may combat some of these bad practices.

Designers of both these games detest AI. That’s a start. Hasbro may get its wish of over-monetizing D&D and Magic: The Gathering (like rising prices for D&D books and a subscription service and the Universes Beyond series), but the designers of these games want to push back again these developments. Forming a union can help. Without a union, Hasbro will 100% implement all of the changes D&D players don’t want to see. With a union, that percentage drops. Even if it’s a reduction of 10%, that’s something. Even if its ridding Magic and D&D of AI slop, that’s something, too. Heck, I’d settle for better working conditions or in some Hasbro employees’ cases, human rights.

You can help the direction of D&D and Magic: The Gathering. Please, consider signing D&D and Magic: The Gathering designers’ petition to apply as a union. Here’s that link again.

I wanted to end on a call to action, which isn’t always something available for these headline news pieces, and on a positive note. Now, let’s talk about the fun stuff. Here are these week’s roundup of new board games and video games.

Heirloom Launches on KickStarter

Heirloom is a hex-tile laying strategy game where players cultivate beautiful heirloom tomato gardens by carefully expanding and optimizing a community garden of tomatoes, and harvesting them with their baskets.

Over the course of the game, players draft and place hexagonal farming tiles to grow contiguous fields and create high-value tomato varieties. The twist is that you can overlap (“overgrow”) tiles, which segments the boards in unique ways.

It’s also an “order fulfilment” game where we are trying to bring fresh tomatoes to the get-together to make a specific dish. Getting your tomatoes there first will earn you more VP.

Featuring vibrant botanical artwork and a clean, approachable ruleset, Heirloom offers a relaxing yet thinky tile-laying experience focused on growth, planning, and the quiet satisfaction of a perfectly cultivated garden.

Thank you, Aerobellum Games, for the description. I like Heirloom’s tile stacking element; this reminds me of Flamecraft Duel but takes the mechanism in a different direction. Allowing players to collect tomatoes and cook recipes with them is another great twist. Heirloom uses a lot of element from recent games and give them a nice spin. The artwork reminds me of Fromage and Formaggio, which is interesting because we will be seeing more from the publisher of those games this week. Heirloom looks amazing. I have seldom met a board game with cooking mechanisms that I didn’t like, so I’m interested in Heirloom. Pledges range from $39 to $299. If you’re interested in Heirloom, check out its KickStarter page.

Don’t Go Back There Launches on KickStarter

Don’t Go Back There is a standalone expansion for Don’t Go In There. It can be played on its own or combined with the base game. Though you were warned to never return, curiosity got the best of you and now you’ve accidentally awoken the Vampires!

Decide how risky to play as you venture deep into Dracula’s castle. Do you take first choice of the items and risk attracting Vampires, or play it safe? Collect the right items and to dispel Curses and ward off the Vampires.

On your turn, choose a part of the haunted house to explore by placing a token in one of the 3 rooms. Each room has a line of 4 spaces. The deeper you go into a room, the more likely you are to get the Cursed item you desire, but be careful! The further you go, the more Vampires will stalk you.

When 3 tokens have been placed into a room, the Vampire dice are rolled and players gain Vampire tokens, but may negate Vampires if they stay toward the back of the line. Next, players will take cards from the room in order of how far each player ventured into the room.

At the end of the game. The player with the most Vampire tokens is possessed and gains extra Curses. The player with the fewest Curses wins!

Don’t Go Back There features all new Cursed items, all new Rooms, and new Vampire dice and tokens. Mix these together with the base game to see if you can escape both the Vampires AND the Ghosts!

Thank you, Road To Infamy Games (R2i Games), for the description. Between all JK Geekly’s writers, we own at least 75% of R2i’s games. I didn’t know that until I started researching Don’t Go Back There. Ironically, none of use own Don’t Go In There, the previous game in this series. We may need to change that. I love a good, quick game with strong push your luck components. Don’t Go Back There looks to fill the niche. This is a departure for a lot of R2i games, at least with the push your luck component. Fromage, Formaggio, and Canvas all run short but there’s little–if any–push your luck. I’d like to see what R2i does with this mechanism, because I do like push your luck games. Don’t Go Back There offers pledges between $24 and $68. Not a bad mix of options. If you’re interested in Don’t Go Back There, check out its KickStarter page.

Excursions Launches on KickStarter

Hi there, and welcome to an exciting new chapter of Galactic Cruise. While the scientists, engineers, and architects are hard at work on Earth, you and your fellow cruise directors will be stationed here on the new, state-of-the-art Galactic Cruise space station. This will be your base of operations, where you’ll be carefully crafting specialized trips, upgrading your fleet, and making sure that our esteemed guests have the time of their lives! I have it on good authority that the cruise director who impresses the board of directors the most will receive the coveted Cruise Director of the Year bonus!

When you are the active player, you choose one of the seven actions around the outside of the space station. These actions include building developments, advertising to guests, adding new excursions to your itineraries, upgrading your ships and player board, and sending guests on the vacations of their dreams! All players will take this action simultaneously, but as the active player you will also gain a bonus, the potency of which fluctuates as the space station rotates.

Once a player reaches the requisite number of victory points, the game comes to an end and final scoring commences. The player with the most points is crowned cruise director extraordinaire and will receive the Cruise Director of the Year bonus (and the victory!).

Thank you, Kinson Key Games, for the description. I saw Excursions and knew it had to make this list. Then, I saw Excursions was part of the Galactic Cruise line of games. I have never played Galactic Cruise. The theme appeals to me: holding cargo of sightseers, you’re sailing a starship through space. Awesome! My only reservation with Galactic Cruise is its complexity. I find more complex games difficult to get to the table. You must be in the right headspace to play an involved game. Fortunately, Excursions dials down Galactic Cruise’s complexity. With pledges ranging from $39 to $349, I have plenty of options to give Excursions a try. Excursions packs a lot of game into a small box. If you’re interested in Excursions, check out its KickStarter page.

Sky Bloom: The Rooftop Gardening Game Launches on KickStarter

Sky Bloom is a strategic game of resource management, set collection, and thoughtful planning. Over the course of a summer season, players gather Seeds, fill Planters with blooming flowers, attract Pollinators for valuable end-game points, and draft Cultivator Cards that enhance their growing strategy.

The flowers, pollinators, and seasonal rhythms in Sky Bloom are inspired by real plants and ecosystems, grounding the game’s garden-building in the natural relationships that allow gardens to thrive.

With personal objectives, shifting weather Forecasts, and limited rooftop space, every decision matters as players compete to grow the most flourishing garden before the season slips away and the first frost claims the final bloom.

Designed to be easy to learn yet rewarding to master, Sky Bloom offers multiple paths to victory and simple turns with surprising strategic depth.

Thank you, Merchants of Play, for the description. I told you gardening board games are popular, and I love the concept of Sky Bloom: gardening on rooftops. Of course the game looks amazing. The bits look high quality. I like the idea changing weather patterns. Gardening on rooftops should come at a cost. And it looks as if Sky Bloom has gained some traction in the community. That’s great to see. Merchants of Play is a newer publisher, but they have some cool upcoming games they have scheduled. Sky Bloom pledges range from $29 to $78. If you’re interested in Sky Bloom, check out its KickStarter page.

Silver Pines Releases

Silver Pines is a survival horror metroidvania set in small town America. Fight nightmarish terrors and solve puzzles, while carefully managing your scarce resources as you uncover the mysteries that could hold the key to redemption.

Thank you, Team 17, for the description. Silver Pines releases at the perfect time: spooky season. I haven’t seen too many metroidvanias mixed with exploration and survival horror games. Silver Pines has an interesting combination of genres and story beats, and the graphics looks great. Just look at that noir aesthetic above. Team 17 is a well-respected game publisher (The Escapists, Overcooked, and War Dogs series), and Silver Pines has received good reviews. This looks like another game Skye may need to explore. Silver Pines is available on PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series S/X.

Order of the Sinking Star Releases

From director Jonathan Blow (Braid, The Witness), Order of the Sinking Star is a massive puzzle adventure set in a realm of magic and enigma. Solve over 1000 interconnected, hand-crafted puzzles, discover unique playable heroes, master evolving gameplay mechanics, and decipher a grand mystery.

Thank you, Thekla Inc, for the description. Order of the Sinking Star sounds like it’s right up my alley. I loved Braid. The fact that Order of the Sinking Star is by the same director has me hooked. That and the fact that Order of the Sinking Star offers numerous puzzles. What? I love puzzle games. Mrs. Geekly loves puzzle games. Couple that with the excellent graphics, and Order of the Sinking Star becomes a must-play. This game looks amazing. I see myself losing countless hours in this game, and it’s received stellar reviews. I would expect nothing less from Jonathan Blow. Order of the Sinking Star is available on PC and Nintendo Switch 2.

Paperhead Releases

In the cute cardboard world, something went horribly wrong… Use the magical pencil, a good old shotgun, and various other weapons as well as the strength of your mighty boots, to uncover the dark truth and find out WHY WOULD CARDBOARD… BLEED?

Thank you, HypeTrain Digital, for the description. We end this week’s new releases with another spooky game…of sorts. Paperhead looks equal parts adorable and unsettling. Is it supposed to be a cardboard cutout version of Doom? Wow! I love the concept of a magical pencil. Yes, please. Forget the various other weapons I could wield. The pencil is mightier than the gatling gun. LOL Paperhead features an interesting art style. It’s received good reviews, so it must be doing something right. Like many other games on this list, Paperhead was an instant wishlist game. Paperhead is available on PC and Xbox Series S/X.

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

5: Alma (Fear)

Yes. The spooky girl trope is overplayed in horror. And yes. Alma from Fear looks a lot like Samara from The Ring. I’ll try not to spoil anything, because you should play Fear and its sequel. Trust me when I say Alma rises above the creepy child horror trope. She has a compelling backstory, and even though what she does in the first Fear can send shivers down your spine, Alma outdoes herself in the sequel. Fear 2 is unhinged. The sequel reaches maximum Alma, and it’s all the better for it.

4: Andrew Ryan (Bioshock)

Would you kindly add Andrew Ryan to the top five horror video game villains? Yes, Andrew, we would. Seriously, all I had to say was “would you kindly?” and some of you shivered. That’s the mark of a great horror video game villain and one hell of a line. The buildup makes Andrew Ryan work so well. Again, I’ll try not to spoil anything here, but it’s tough to do in these lists. Gamers grow accustomed to the line “would you kindly” that when the volta (the turn) happens, it’ll make your jaw drop the first time you hear it. It’s so good. Andrew Ryan could’ve easily moved up this list if it weren’t for a heap of blueblood horror video game villains.

Including Andrew Ryan disqualifies Shodan from System Shock, Bioshock’s spiritual prequel. We felt we needed to mention Shodan here, lest she lead the AI revolution and wipe out humanity. If AI decides to be our benevolent overlords, we love you, Shodan. Yas queen.

3: Scissorman (Clock Tower)

I struggled with where to place Scissorman on this list, so we’re going with the rule of three. If in doubt, place the character at the three spot. JK

Scissorman is one of the most bizarre horror video game villains. When the creators of Clock Tower decided which weapon to give their main antagonist, they went with a pair of giant scissors, because death by scissors would be a slow, painful demise. Yep. Clock Tower wanted maximum levels of torture and chose to give their villain a giant pair of scissors. That’s one way to go. I can’t imagine getting decapitated by a comically large pair of scissors. Clock Tower dominated the early days of the PlayStation 1, and Scissorman was one of the biggest reasons.

2: Pyramid Head (Silent Hill 2)

Face it. You read the title of this Top 5 and figured Silent Hill and Resident Evil would dominate this list. If it weren’t for our “one character per franchise rule,” those two games would saturate this list. So, we went with the big guns. Pyramid Head is iconic. He’s the first monster you think of when discussing the Silent Hill franchise. Well, it’s him or those headless nurses. Yikes!

First off, Pyramid Head doesn’t have a pyramid on top of his head. His head is a pyramid. Second, Pyramid Head doesn’t follow the typical role of a stalking villain. Sure, he stalks you, but Pyramid Head suddenly makes an appearance, and what he does to other horrific creatures makes you dread facing him. Pyramid Head pours gasoline on the Andrew Ryan idea of building up the game’s main villain. This guy is one of the most recognizable horror video game villains in history. I wouldn’t be surprised to see someone dressed as Pyramid Head at my local Comic-Con.

1: Albert Wesker (Resident Evil)

Albert Wesker defies conventional horror video game villain logic. He’s not a one-off villain. He lurks in the shadows, plotting the player’s demise. Originally killed off in the first Resident Evil, Wesker injects himself with the T-Virus, turning him into a superhuman who will stop at nothing to take out the heroes. Evil to his core, Albert Wesker refuses to go down without a fight. Players’ familiarity with the character breeds animosity. And the feeling is more than mutual.

Like Pyramid Head and most of the characters on this list, Albert Wesker is the first villain one thinks of when discussing Resident Evil. But Resident Evil isn’t just another horror video game. It began the survival horror video game genre. Albert Wesker is the granddaddy of all survival horror video game villains. Wesker even trumps this post’s featured image villain, Nemesis from Resident Evil 2. Ah! Nemesis was such a menace. Love him.

That’s our list of the Top 5 Horror Video Game Villains. Who would you add to this list? Let us know in the comments. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

Color Palette: Horror Video Games 01

Published on October 8, 2026April 5, 2026 by KyraLeave a comment

Whatcha Playing, Geekly: October 2026

Published on October 7, 2026October 7, 2026 by KyraLeave a comment

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

Kyra’s Video Games

I’ve been playing a lot of games for next year’s indie video game reviews, so many of the games I mention this month will most likely get a review in the not-so-distant future. Feed the Scorchpot officially released a couple of months ago. I played the heck out of the free demo (which is still available on Steam if you want to try out the game). Feed the Scorchpot’s full release suffers from a common problem of roguelike games: too much variability.

Variability may be the most overrated thing in gaming (for board games and video games). Note: variability and replay value are not the same thing. Feed the Scorchpot can offer so many possibilities with each run, that you can end up with an unplayable combination of recipes, board set up, possible buildings, and dice offerings. I prefer the demo to the full release, but the full release is growing on me. The one element that brings me back for more is the dragons themselves. Each dragon has its own set of rules and behavior (the way they punish the player). I know. I know. That’s another level of variability. But the dragons may be the best form of variability that Feed the Scorchpot offers.

I’m not saying games should have “no variability.” Far from it. But pick and choose the best forms of variability. If the game reduced the number of specialty dice, buildings, board layouts, recipes, and perhaps one less ingredient type, while keeping the number of unique dragons, Feed the Scorchpot would easily be a top three candidate for indie game of the year. It still may be a strong candidate for indie game of the year. Catan meets Balatro. What’s not to love?

I’ve also played Balatro a lot this past month. Everything I said about Feed the Scorchpot can be said for Balatro. You can end up with a combination that just doesn’t work. Balatro doesn’t have nearly as many variables as Feed the Scorchpot, nor does it include as much luck. Players need to roll dice in Feed the Scorchpot. Who knows if you’ll get the right die face? Balatro allows players to optimize their decks. Several of my Balatro plays had me drawing into the Joker that makes all red cards and black cards the same suit (clubs = spades and hearts = diamonds and vice versa). I bought that Joker and every copy of Jupiter, loading up my Flush score.

While this strategy was effective, it made the game boring. I wonder which Poker hand I intend to play. Flush again. Wow! (Was that sarcastic enough?) And most of the time, Balatro threw a curveball at me toward the end of the run, and I still lost. Argh!

This month is sponsored by roguelikes. Roguelikes: Do you like random number generators? Drop Duchy differs from the previous two games on this list, because I have more control. Or at least, I have the perception of control in Drop Duchy. As the game banner above suggests, Drop Duchy is a take on Tetris. Players are given so many Tetrominoes per round. Depending on the direction you take on your journey (Slay the Spire-style), each region you play has a different distribution of tile types you’ll find. Travel to the forest, and you’ll find more woods. Go to the swamp, and you’ll find marsh. The devious part of Drop Duchy’s design is that you play for yourself and your enemy.

In addition to terrain tiles, you’ll find building (as in structures like castle and barricade) tiles for you and your opponent. Winning the game means placing your tiles in advantageous locations, while minimizing your opponent’s tiles placement. That’s right. If you lose, you gave your opponent what they needed to win. And remember, Drop Duchy is a roguelike. While you can bank one tile to place later (typically, I chose an opponent structure), you may draw into countless enemy buildings before finding one of your own. Yowza!

I love the gameplay of all three of these games, but some runs, it feels like I’m a glutton for torture.

Finally, a game that isn’t a roguelike. I’ve mentioned Apex Legends in the past, so I won’t talk about it too much here. The Geekly Writers have been hopping online in a three stack. It’s a good bonding experience. The gun play holds up years later. Apex Legends was designed from the superb Titanfall video game series (I hope Respawn eventually releases a Titanfall 3). And like the other games on this list, we should have an Apex Legends review sometime early 2027.

Kyra’s Board Games

I haven’t talked about River Valley Glassworks since Scroogecon (in February 2026). Oof! I may need to write a review on this game, too. River Valley Glassworks shows that you don’t need too much variability to have replay value. The components seldom change, but there are plenty of possibilities.

In River Valley Glassworks, players collect river glass by placing glass they have in their pans to the river. Placing a piece of glass by matching the glass shape a river tile requires allows players to take all the glass from an adjacent river tile. The river tile that had its glass removed, shifts to the beginning of the river, and the rest of the river shifts forward. This simulates a river flowing. So clever!

Players place the glass they collected from a river tile on their boards. Each board has seven columns and five rows. Only one color of glass can occupy a column, and since there are eight glass colors, you’ll need to be careful which glass you collect. If you can’t place a glass piece on your board, it counts as negative points. When a player (any player) collects 17 pieces of glass, the game ends, and players score their boards. Filled rows and the two tallest columns score.

River Valley Glassworks plays in a flash. I played a ton of two-player games and most ended in less than twenty minutes. This game also scales extremely well. Even a full compliment of five players takes just over half an hour. The artwork is adorable, the river mechanism is amazing, and the acrylic glass pieces add a lot of toy factor. River Valley Glassworks is easily one of my most played board games of 2026. And it received a sequel: River Valley Jewelcraft. Yay!

I’ve been writing a lot this past month; trying to finish a novel-length manuscript by the end of November. So, I’ve played a lot of games I know by heart. Sixes is another game that often hits the table. Players receive a category, and you’re either trying to match other players’ answers or come up with unique answers. Sixes plays similar to Jinx-O, which I mentioned last month. I like Jinx-O’s ridiculous categories (like name an animal that looks like it’s drunk), but you’re always trying to match other players’ answers. I like how Sixes switches what you’re trying to do each round. Simple, but fun.

Those are the games I’ve been playing this past month. Let’s see what Season and Skye have been playing.

Season’s Board Game

Hey, Geekly Gang! I haven’t been on the game scene much lately. I spend way too much time daydreaming. However, I played Dandelions for the first time during Nuke-Con this past weekend. It’s so cute I want my own copy.

In Dandelions, you play as a floating dandelion trying to spread your seeds. There are five tiles set up in a circle that you drift around based off dice rolls. If you land on an opponent, you float off them and move double your die roll. These spaces ain’t big enough for two dandelions. Even though Dandelions is a competitive game it’s super cozy. I was happy floating from tile to tile. I definitely felt like a dandelion. Dandelions only plays 2-3 players, so I’d recommend it for a rainy day or date night over some dandelion wine. Tee hee!

Skye’s Video Games

Before I start, you’ll probably notice a “certain theme” with my entries. To put it mildly, I’ve fallen down a Resident Evil rabbit hole for the past month that has been legitimately difficult to escape. I suspect I won’t manage to find my way out until after I’ve beaten (and platinum’e’d) every canonical title in the franchise. At least that’s what my doctor tells me. I hope you enjoy this descent into my latest special interest.

After previously beating both Resident Evil 2 Remake and Resident Evil 3: Nemesis, the next logical step I thought I should take was the game that canonically came next in the timeline: Resident Evil CODE: Veronica. While I enjoyed my time with CODE: Veronica (which isn’t over since I haven’t gotten the Platinum trophy yet), I’ll admit that I underestimated this game. Since I had already beaten two Resident Evil games prior, I thought to myself “I’m starting to get the hang of this; I know what I’m doing.” This would prove to be a big mistake.

I quickly discovered that CODE: Veronica was much more technical and complicated than the games that came before, essentially being Capcom’s idea of a challenge for fans of the franchise. Many of the puzzles I was starting to grow accustomed to were more convoluted, the enemies became stronger, and the resources to defeat them became sporadic. The boss battle formula got turned on its head towards the end, resulting in my repeated agonizing death. Overall, I’m glad I played CODE: Veronica, but it was certainly a humbling experience for me. Side note: Steve can go get burned for all I care.

I debated whether I’d even play Resident Evil 3 Remake given what I had heard from RE fans about how insulting it was to the original Resident Evil 3: Nemesis. The most important thing I’ve learned since becoming an RE fan is “Never listen to RE fans,” so I went for it. My verdict: the detractors certainly have a point, but RE 3 Remake is enjoyable as a standalone game.

It stung not seeing things such as the classic black and white decision-making sequences, iconic locations like the Saint Michael’s Clock Tower/Raccoon Park/Dead Factory, and dynamic Nemesis enemy programming. I believe Capcom’s core value in creating this remake was creating a sense of consistency and continuity between this game and the previous: RE 2 Remake. That and if the original RE 3: Nemesis never existed, I’m sure RE 3 Remake would’ve been seen as a weaker yet serviceable follow-up to RE 2 Remake. And when I think about it that way, I can’t be too angry at RE 3 Remake. I can be very angry at it for its bullcrap Stage 3 Nemesis fight on Inferno difficulty followed up by that janky final shot on Nicholai I failed 4 times in a row, but otherwise I can’t be mad at Resident Evil 3 Remake for having a different design philosophy than the original.

I’m not referring to the Resident Evil HD Remake; I mean the original 1996 classic that started it all. Y’all might think it’s strange how I’d play the first Resident Evil after playing four other Resident Evil games. When I first dipped my toes into Resident Evil, I decided to skip the first game for two reasons. First, I was looking for something that was scary and knew the original Resident Evil was less horror and more of a playable B-movie. Second, I was excited to learn more about the lore of the series and understood that the second game expanded more on the story as the outbreak spread to the rest of Raccoon City

I always knew I would eventually play the original one day. Was it corny? Certainly. Am I going to be quoting my favorite stupid line deliveries from it until I die? Without a doubt. Did I have fun? Of course. Did the twist get me? No, it’s so iconic that I already knew it over a decade ago, but it was still fun to see it play out. Resident Evil is rough around the edges, but the original survival horror experience still got a lot of enjoyment out of me 30 years later.

Hey, hey! Kyra Kyle here again. Those are all the games our writers have been playing over the past month. What’ve you been playing? Let us know in the comments. Thank for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

3 Lists of 3 Trans Representation: Take 01

Published on September 28, 2026September 30, 2026 by KyraLeave a comment

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.

Geekly News: September 27, 2026; New Releases

Published on September 27, 2026September 26, 2026 by KyraLeave a comment

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.

Color Palette: Pokémon 01

Published on September 24, 2026February 28, 2026 by KyraLeave a comment

Geekly News: September 20, 2026; New Releases

Published on September 20, 2026September 18, 2026 by KyraLeave a comment

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

Onryō: First Seal Launches on KickStarter

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

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

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

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

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

Perennial Launches on KickStarter

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

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

Yokozuna Launches on KickStarter

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

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

Primacy Launches on KickStarter

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

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

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

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

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

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

Kart! Launches on KickStarter

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

Lightly asymmetric, and playable in about an hour.

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

Bake or Break Launches on KickStarter

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

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

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

Marvel’s Wolverine Releases

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

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

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

Geekly News: September 13, 2026; New Releases

Published on September 13, 2026September 13, 2026 by KyraLeave a comment

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

Everdell Journeys Launches on KickStarter

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

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

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

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

Catvale Launches on KickStarter

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

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

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

Dice Commandos Infestation Launches on GameFound

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tres Tesoros Launches on GameFound

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

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

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

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

Sub-Zero Launches on GameFound

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

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

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

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

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

Steam & Cheese Launches on GameFound

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

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

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

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

Vault Zero Launches on GameFound

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

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

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

RPG Party Launches on GameFound

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Halloween: The Game Releases

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

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

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

1980 Video Games

Published on September 11, 2026August 7, 2026 by KyraLeave a comment