Video Games – Page 7

5 Video Games to Secretly Play at Work

Published on September 1, 2025May 30, 2026 by Kyra2 Comments

Happy Labor Day for those of you who celebrate and have the day off. For those of you who don’t celebrate Labor Day or have to work in an office environment, you can secretly play plenty of video games at work. Hey, hey! Kyra Kyle here. We will be a little naughty with today’s list in honor of Labor Day and share five great video games you can secretly play at work.

Never mind that the first board games I designed were solo-player games that fit inside school folders and could be played in the middle of class. I would never condone playing video games while at work. Wink, wink.

5: Desktop Tower Defense

We’re kicking this list off old school. The tower defense genre is crazy popular. One of the genre’s first breakout hits was the 2007 Flash game, Desktop Tower Defense. This browser game was my introduction to the tower defense video game genre. Even though I never played Desktop Tower Defense while at work (yeah, right), the game scores extra points for recreating the aesthetics of an office desktop. That’s the trick to games one can play while at work. They need to be easily concealed, like in a school folder.

Like the name implies, players must set up tower defenses to prevent enemies called “Creeps” from reaching portions of the playfield. Desktop Tower Defense further differentiates itself from competitors by using mazes as a game mechanism. Rather than players being at the mercy of the Creeps moving in a predetermined path, players created paths for the enemies to travel. So, while Desktop Tower Defense may have found an early audience by being easy to conceal at work, its unique maze mechanism made it more than just a “game you can play at work.” Desktop Tower Defense is a good game. It even earned a port for the Nintendo DS.

4: GeoGuessr

GeoGuessr uses Google Maps to make an interesting game. GeoGuessr is another browser game, which will be a trend because we’re trying not to get caught playing video games at work. When players load into GeoGuessr, they’ll receive a random street view. The player must use their surroundings to figure out where they are. It’s like Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?, only you’re Carmen Sandiego and you don’t know where you are.

Google is ubiquitous in workplaces, so it’s easy to load up a game of GeoGuessr without raising suspicions. The game can be played without time limits, which makes it a casual game, and players can play GeoGuessr in between other tasks. If you want to work, you can. GeoGuessr is also a great way to figure out where you want to take your next vacation or holiday. You’re being productive.

3: Arena XLSM

Arena XLSM may do a better job than Desktop Tower Defense at pretending to be work. In fact, Arena XLSM is a free RPG made in Microsoft Excel. It works in Excel’s 2007, 2010, and 2013 versions, but hasn’t yet been updated for later versions. Like all good RPGs, Arena XLSM is story-driven. The player has been captured after rebelling against an emperor. He’s imprisoned in the titular arena and must fight waves of enemies to survive. Arena XLSM features thousands of enemies and a story told through notes the player receives from their wife, leading to several possible endings.

I was tempted to put Arena XLSM higher on this list, but the game’s availability knocks it down a spot or two. If your company’s PC runs older versions of Windows and the Microsoft Office suite of products, you may be in luck.

2: Paperclips

Oh, ho ho! Paperclips is yet another video game masquerading as work. Except for one other game on this list (our top spot), Paperclips may be the best video game to disguise itself as work. Also known as Universal Paperclips, Paperclips is a clicker game that looks like a calculator program. Clicker games may not be my first choice, but they can have a lot of complexity. After clicking a button to create a paperclip, the player gains the ability to automate, and then they can focus on resource allocation. Resource allocation is what makes clicker games so addictive. Paperclips is a ton of fun and happens to look like something you may have on your computer screen while working. Those numbers aren’t going to click themselves.

1: Leadership

Leadership takes our top spot because it’s the sneakiest.If you couldn’t tell by now, I love it when video games one secretly plays at work are disguised. Leadership looks like a boring line graph, but look closely, and you’ll find a tiny spaceship between the lines. Leadership is a secret lunar lander clone from a group of Danish developers. Leadership must be fun because Danish people tend to be voted the happiest. Just saying. During Leadership, players must guide their spacecraft from point A to point B, and they have a set amount of fuel to reach their goal.

Like other games on this list, Leadership is a browser game, so it’s easy to conceal. But Leadership’s appeal runs deeper than its skin. It’s another fun game. There’s even a leaderboard. You can compete with fellow slackers, I mean, otherwise motivated people from around the world.

That’s our list. I would include more, but I had a lot of other “research” I needed to conduct. Pay no attention to the line graph on my computer. What video games do you like to “not play at work?” Let us know in the comments. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

Geekly News: August 31, 2025, MCU X-Men

Published on August 31, 2025August 30, 2025 by KyraLeave a comment

Happy Sunday, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here with another week of Geek News. We have several new releases for video games and board games, but before we get to those, the MCU made a somewhat major announcement: they’ve started work on their version of the X-Men. Okay. The MCU was going to begin work on the X-Men within the next year, so this may not be the biggest of headlines, but this could lead to future headlines.

The MCU Begins Work on X-Men

Thunderbolts* may not have done as well at the box office as the MCU had hoped, but it was a great recent entry for the MCU. The Thunderbolts*’s director, Jake Schreier, proved he could handle the quirky and dysfunctional family dynamics of the New Avengers. He even explored the team’s mutual trauma and had them bond. Marvel agrees with me. Early this year, Marvel Studios gave Jake Schreier the nod as the upcoming X-Men movie’s director, meaning Marvel’s mutants are in good hands. In a recent interview with Empire Magazine (via Deadline), X-Men director Jake Schreier confirmed he’s already working on X-Men.

Schreier doesn’t elaborate on his statement, so we don’t have much to glean from what he said. He literally said work on X-Men has begun. Okay. Looks like we may need to extrapolate. That’s right. Buckle up, because we’re flooring the gas pedal into MCU speculation territory.

Early this month, we mentioned an unnamed MCU movie scheduled between the two upcoming Avengers movies (Doomsday and Secret Wars). I stand by our reasons for the MCU films we thought could be released between Doomsday and Secret Wars: Deadpool 4, Black Panther 3, Blade, and Doctor Strange 3. Schreier mentioned X-Men would begin filming next year. Taking recent MCU production practices into advisement, this could add X-Men to the list of possible movies to fill the “unnamed MCU” film slot. But I’m reluctant to add X-Men.

The X-Men will need more build-up than a standard MCU film production. While I’m excited for an X-Men MCU film, my enthusiasm rises with the thought that X-Men will receive an additional year of filming, ensuring the film is the best it can be. X-Men will have too much going on for a quick year-and-a-half turnaround. That production schedule may work for Thunderbolts*, not X-Men. Asking the MCU to squeeze in an X-Men movie between Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars is a huge ask.

However, we should expect X-Men casting news to heat up in 2026. Until now, we’ve had mostly speculation. Geekly even did our own fan casting for the MCU’s X-Men. But that’s what most “X-Men Casting” has been to this point, fan casting. With Scheier’s announcement, X-Men will begin filming in 2026, and casting rumors will be more than speculation. I’ll be on the lookout for trusted industry insiders (like Daniel RPK, who has a great track record with MCU casting news) to report on potential X-Men cast members. In short, if we see someone consistently cast in a role for months by a trusted industry insider, there’s a great chance the actor has been cast for the role. This is the time for X-Men rumors to boil.

Stay tuned. 😉

Transecopia Emerges on GameFound

Transecopia adds hidden placement to the dice placement mechanism. Turns go quick with simultaneous play, and multiple win conditions keep the game fresh and exciting. I’m unsure of Transecopia’s theme, but I imagine it has to do with underwater exploration, based on the game’s artwork. Since I’m unsure exactly what you’re doing, I’ll be focusing on the gameplay, which looks fantastic. Transecopia has a relatively simple concept. Players simultaneously roll dice so everyone can see. Then, everyone places screens in front of their player boards and begins placing dice.

Player boards are resolved in areas, positioned top to bottom and left to right. Whoever has the highest value of dice located in each area, earns the resources from that area. Like I said, Transecopia has a simple concept, but you’ll need to outthink your opponents. Armed with the knowledge of what everyone rolled during the round, you can take educated guesses to where you think your opponents will place their dice. The big reveal is a blast and bound to yield audible responses.

Since Transecopia is releasing on GameFound, we have little information on how much pledges will be at this time. If you’re interested in Transecopia, check out its GameFound page.

The Gilded Realms Marches onto GameFound

Harness the unique strengths and skills of your people in the robust kingdom builder, The Gilded Realms. Armed with their own factions, players compete to defend and fortify the crucial region, The Pristine Mountains. The Gilded Realms offers a lot of customization to each game. Faction upgrades come in handy as you try to build the best empire.

The Gilded Realms offers a ton in its box. This second printing, offered on GameFound, features a new expansion for an extra wrinkle. The Gilded Realms has received great reviews. It offers an intriguing hybrid of simultaneous and turn-based gameplay. Again, The Gilded Realms is on GameFound, so we have little information on how much a pledge will cost. My guess would be in the triple figures, over a $100. You’d be getting a lot of game at that price. If you’re interested in The Gilded Realms, check out its GameFound page.

Airport Empire Lands on KickStarter

Who hasn’t wanted to run their own airport? Airport Empire puts you in charge of a small airstrip and tasks you with building it into an airport empire. Events occur to keep you on your toes. You can buy upgrades to expand your tiny airstrip to an airport. The airport pieces look great. But watch out. You must meet your needs to upkeep your growing business.

You score points in three categories: customer satisfaction, profits, and efficiencies. I love Airport Empire’s example of “an air traffic control tower is great to improve efficiency, but does little to improve your bottom line, where as maintenance hangars brings in revenue but go unnoticed by passengers.” I’m wondering if you don’t “need” these structures to run your airport. That’ll be fun. The player with the most points at the end of the game wins.

I like that Airport Empire keeps each version the same. Too many board game campaigns offer varied game experiences with deluxe versions of the same game. And Airport Empire offers plenty of pledge options, ranging from $49-95. That’s a good range for what appears to be a middle-weight game. If you’re interested in Airport Empire, you can check out its KickStarter page.

Kirby and the Forgotten Land – Star-Crossed World Expansion and Switch 2 Upgrade Released

Kirby and the Forgotten Land was–and still is–a great three-year-old platformer. Kirby gets his time for a Switch 2 upgrade, but this upgrade comes with an expansion, Star-Crossed World. The 12 new levels add some interesting twists to the fun formula. Hilarious Mouthful Mode transformations and the levels themselves make Star-Crossed World a worthy addition. I am a little worried by the Switch 2 upgrades. Switch 2 upgrades should be free if players already purchased the game for the Nintendo Switch, but this upgrade does come with an expansion. Upgrading Kirby and the Forgotten Land from Switch to Switch 2 does give you the Star-Crossed World expansion. This may be an adequate middle ground.

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.

Sweet Emoji: Video Games 02

Published on August 21, 2025May 2, 2025 by KyraLeave a comment

Sweet Emoji: Video Games 01

Published on August 14, 2025May 2, 2025 by KyraLeave a comment

Cozy Video Game Review: Kitaria Fables

Published on August 11, 2025May 11, 2025 by Kyra1 Comment

Kitaria Fables by Indonesian indie game studio Twin Hearts combines a farming sim like Stardew Valley with a mild adventure game. Players assume the role of a cat hero Nyanza (or Nyan for short), hence the name Kitaria, as Nyan upgrades his weapons and armor and learns new abilities to save the Empire.

Hey, hey! Kyra Kyle here. We’re covering a video game today that’s unlike most we’ve covered in the past. Kitaria Fables is a cozy game. Full disclosure: I’ve picked up this game on sale for multiple systems (Steam, Switch, and PlayStation 4), but I’ve played the most on PS4. Cozy games have taken off in the past few years, and I’m here for it. I love a good cozy game. But how does Kitaria Fables stack up against our review criteria?

Mechanisms: 7/10

Kitaria Fables has solid game mechanisms, but there’s a reason it’s often compared to Stardew Valley—I compared Kitaria Fables to Stardew Valley in the opening paragraph of this review. Kitaria Fables borrows many mechanisms, its graphic design, and some of its perspective from Stardew Valley. All of the mechanisms Kitaria Fables borrows are well done. But I can’t give it top marks.

Still, Kitaria Fables adds a few things to the Stardew Valley formula to make it stand out. Not the least of which is the adventure aspects. Gone are the procedurally generated mines. In their place are regions to explore and enemies to vanquish. Enemies will drop items to use for upgrade materials. So far, this sounds like a typical adventure game, but Kitaria Fables opts to go with ability upgrades instead of leveling.

Players can trade out Nyan’s magic abilities at any time. The only downside is that more powerful spells usually cost more magic gems. In the top left-hand corner, you’ll see Nyan’s health. Magic gems are displayed below Nyan’s health bar. Nyan can gain more magic gems by physically attacking enemies, so there’s a push-pull with varying Nyan’s combat style.

I’ve seen other games use custom move-sets similar to Kitaria Fables’ setup (like the Cat Quest series), but Kitaria Fables does just enough to separate itself from its competition. But not enough to escape a slightly above average score.

Gameplay Loop: 8/10

This score should come as no surprise. Kitaria Fables combines Stardew Valley and Cat Quest. I didn’t think of Cat Quest before writing this review (funny how both games have cat protagonists). With Stardew Valley and Cat Quest as inspiration, Kitaria Fables has a high gameplay loop score. All enemies (including bosses like the one pictured above) respawn at the beginning of each day, so it’s easy to grind Nyan to god-like powers.

Kitaria Fables has a couple of obtuse missions. I was stuck a handful of times and used trial and error to figure out what the game meant for me to do. But those moments were few and didn’t detract from the overall experience. And the NPCs rebooted their routine every in-game day in addition to the enemies respawning. If I couldn’t figure out something one day, I could try again the next. This is one of the reasons why Kitaria Fables is a cozy game. It induces little to no stress.

Narrative: 3/10

The Empire, the Calamity, Capital City, and other generic terms left me wanting. Kitaria Fables doesn’t have much of a story, and the story it has can get grown-inducing. I’m unsure if this lack of story comes from poor localization or if Kitaria Fables wanted generic names and storylines to make it easy for people from different backgrounds to follow. Either way, I’m unimpressed. Kitaria Fables has one big twist. I won’t spoil it here, even though that’s unnecessary. The big reveal is obvious.

Storytelling: 5/10

I can’t tell which score should be higher, narrative or storytelling. I’m giving storytelling an average score. That seems right. Kitaria Fables does a good job of executing its story, but it just has a forgettable story. Still, look at the adorable animal people. I love characters like Caramel, a brown furred mouse child who lives in Paw Village. Caramel will ask Nyan for a piece of candy. If you give him candy, you’ll unlock a mission. If you refuse to give him candy, you’ll unlock a different mission. This happens to be one of the obtuse story branches I mentioned in the gameplay loop section. You can unlock both missions. All you must do is interact with Caramel on two different occasions.

User Interface: 8/10

Kitaria Fables has an easy-to-use interface. During combat, Nyan will have items (to include healing items) and spells/moves assigned to hot keys. While not in combat, Nyan can pull up a menu (on the left-hand side of the screen) that will have clearly marked tabs. Players will receive different options depending on whether Nyan interacts with an NPC or an object (like a mirror to change Nyan’s appearance) or doesn’t interact with anything.

Players can pin items (if they find them in a store) to know how much of an item they need for an upgrade. This is standard stuff, but you’d be surprised how many games forget to include a pin object option. Kitaria Fables does a great job of incorporating good practices from other games with its user interface. The only reason I knock the game down a point is the Switch version. If you pick up Kitaria Fables on PlayStation 4 or Steam, go ahead and raise this score. The Switch version isn’t too difficult to navigate, but it’s lacking.

Graphics: 8/10

Kitaria Fables features charming graphics, but it doesn’t take top marks because Twin Hearts may have lowered the graphic quality to fit on the Switch. Honestly, if Kitaria Fables exclusively came out for the Switch 2 and PlayStation 5 (three or four years later), the graphics score could be even higher. Older systems may have held back the graphics, but that doesn’t mean that Kitaria Fables’ look is anything but enchanting.

I also love Kitaria Fables’ colorful world. Each zone feels unique: lush forests, dank swamps, and barren deserts. Kitaria Fables mixes up its enemies in quirky ways to match the various biomes. Despite some technical limitations, Kitaria Fables has gorgeous graphics.

Audio: 8/10

When I first booted Kitaria Fables, the music didn’t grab me. It was there and pleasant. But the more I played, the more Kitaria Fables’ soundtrack grew on me. Kitaria Fables’ soundtrack isn’t one of those wow you when you first hear it soundtracks. It’s one of those slow-burning soundtracks. I wasn’t surprised to see the Kitaria Fables’ soundtrack available on vinyl. It can be infectious.

Replay Factor: 6/10

I enjoyed my time with Kitaria Fables. Heck, I blew through the game in a few days and picked it up on multiple platforms. But I wouldn’t call Kitaria Fables a game with high replay value. I can hope that I’ll forget specifics about Kitaria Fables and return to the game in several years. While a solid game, Kitaria Fables’ linear story (with no alternative storylines) makes it a one-time play game. And that’s okay.

Aggregated Score: 6.6

Kitaria Fables delivers a well-constructed video game that combines elements of Stardew Valley and Cat Quest. I enjoyed a lot of the colorful characters and the gorgeous set pieces. And cats, who doesn’t love cat people? While I wouldn’t expect a game with a ton of replay value, Kitaria Fables is a great one-time play game, especially if it’s on sale.

Geekly News: August 10, 2025, Spider-Man: Brand New Day Update

Published on August 10, 2025August 9, 2025 by Kyra2 Comments

Happy Sunday, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here with another week of Geek News. A lot has been happening in the tabletop/board game industry this past week, but I may take another week to gather some thoughts. Something to look forward to for next week. XD Instead, we have a couple of MCU updates this past week, and of course, we’ll discuss this past week’s new releases. There were some good ones. But first, let’s discuss the rumors and leaks for Spider-Man: Brand New Day.

Several Spider-Man: Brand New Day Rumors and Leaks

We already received word from Michael Mando that he will return in Spider-Man: Brand New Day as Matt Gargan, Scorpion. Mando even teased that he will be sporting a comic book accurate Scorpion costume, he’ll be involved in the alien symbiote story teased during a post-credit scene for Spider-Man: No Way Home. While Tom Hardy may be done with the Venom character, the alien symbiote does exist in Earth-616 (the MCU). The alien symbiote that is Venom has bonded with more characters than Eddie Brock and Peter Parker in Marvel comics. One of those other characters is Matt Gargan, so Mando saying his character will be involved with the alien symbiote makes sense. And Peter bonding with the alien symbiote aligns with the original 1980s Secret Wars, which will be a future MCU movie.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day’s director, Destin Daniel Cretton, and his camp have already shared multiple leaks about the upcoming Spider-Man movie. They plan to bring two comic books to life: Amazing Spider-Man #134 and Amazing Spider-Man #345.

Amazing Spider-Man #134 has Tarantula on the cover, and Tarantula was confirmed to be in Spider-Man: Brand New Day months ago by Marvel’s merchandising firm. Scorpion was also featured in this comic book, and we’ve received word from Michael Mando, who plays Scorpion in the MCU, that he will be in the next Spider-Man movie, so the leak is accurate, but this brings us to the second comic book.

Amazing Spider-Man #345 has Boomerang on the cover, and he was also leaked in a similar fashion to Tarantula and Scorpion. But look at the top of this issue (pictured above). Venom returns. It looks as though Cretton intends to include Venom, or at least the alien symbiote, in Spider-Man: Brand New Day.

Spider-Man’s next cinematic outing looks like it’ll be packed with villains. Earlier this year, a savage Hulk was leaked to appear in the film, and Shang-Chi (the protagonist of director Cretton’s first MCU film) is also set to return. We’ll keep you posted if we find out any more about Spider-Man: Brand New Day.

Chris Hemsworth Clarifies Recent Thor Video

Chris Hemsworth will reprise his role as Thor for Avengers: Doomsday, and the actor recently shared a video titled “Thank You! The Legacy of Thor,” which ignited speculation that he might be preparing to hang up the hammer for good, after Avengers: Doomsday. Heck, I’ve seen speculation that Thor could be one of the MCU heroes Doctor Doom slays in the upcoming crossover movie.

But Chris Hemsworth clarified that he will return in Thor 5, which will most likely be set in Valhalla. Valhalla is the Asgardian version of heaven, so there’s a chance Thor could perish in Avengers: Doomsday and then star in a fifth Thor installment. Rumors suggest that Natalie Portman will also star in Thor 5, and since her character Jane Foster perished at the end of Thor: Love and Thunder, this furthers speculation that Thor 5 will take place in Valhalla. We’ll have to wait and see.

Gradius Releases on Multiple Platforms

Konami partnered up with M2 to deliver the perfect 40th Anniversary celebration for Gradius. Gradius Origins compiles most entries of the series into a single title. Gradius Origins chronicles Gradius from its arcade roots in the mid-80s all the way to the brand-new spin-off, Salamander 3. The game features over a dozen different game variations. It includes numerous quality of life additions and historical artwork.

Gradius Origins is available on PC, Xbox Series X, Nintendo Switch, and PlayStation 5.

Tiny Bookshop Releases on Steam

Tiny Bookshop looks like it’ll be right up my alley. I love books and cozy video games. I even like resource management games. Tiny Bookshop includes all three of those things. Leave everything behind and open a tiny bookshop by the sea. Stock your Tiny Bookshop with different books (some of them are real-world classics) and items. Take in scenic locations and run your cozy second-hand bookshop while getting to know the locals.

And what would a second-hand bookshop be without the occasional cat? Yes! Tiny Bookshop gives you the experience of running your own bookstore. If Tiny Bookshop sounds like something you’d be interested in, the game has a playable demo on Steam. Meow!

Prequel Game Mafia: The Old Country Releases

The upcoming Xbox Series X game, Mafia: The Old Country is a prequel to the original Mafia trilogy. It explores the origins of mob life in the United States, transporting players back to the birthplace of one particular crime family.

Set in 1900s Sicily and following one man’s ascent from an underling to a mafioso, Mafia: The Old Country offers a new angle to the Mafia formula. Narrative-driven, Mafia: The Old Country provides a singular Mafia experience. While not Grand Theft Auto 6 (which got pushed back to May 2026), Mafia: The Old Country scratches a similar itch. It’s available on PC, Xbox Series X, and PlayStation 5.

Care Bears: Unlock the Magic Deck Builder Game Launches on KickStarter

Care Bears receive the deck-building game treatment. Care Bears: Unlock the Magic Deck Builder Game has players spread caring and compassion while facing off against unpredictable weather, wild creatures, and the mischievous Bluster and his Bad Crowd. The game features multiple difficulty settings, perfect for younger players and gamers who want more of a challenge.

Like most deck builders, each player begins with a basic deck in Care Bears. You can purchase new cards with Wish (stars), and prevent Bluster and his Bad Crowd from spreading uncaring with Care (hearts). Care Bears hasn’t received a major tabletop game since the Eighties (there have been some reskinned games like Monopoly and an odd Chutes & Ladders-like game a couple of years ago), so Care Bears: Unlock the Magic Deck Builder Game is great for Care Bears fans who’ve been waiting for a deeper Care Bears board game experience.

Care Bears: Unlock the Magic Deck Builder Game has multiple pledge levels that range from $34 (for the base game, plus shipping) to the massive All-In Pledge of $400. But the best bang for your buck may be the popular Care-a-Lot Expansion Edition ($119) that includes all base Care Bears (to include Grumpy and Tenderheart Bear) and a neoprene playmat. If you’re interested in Care Bears: Unlock the Magic Deck Builder Game, check out its KickStarter page.

Vines and Flowers: Blooming Harmony Sprouts on KickStarter

Vines and Flowers: Blooming Harmony offers 3d tile placement. What? Players take turns taking tiles from the offering and then collectively building a pergola. Watch your vines and flowers climb and trigger effects, scoring you points, on your way to victory.

I love how Vines and Flowers: Blooming Harmony turns tile placement on its head by simply adding a vertical axis. The game has stunning table presence. Tell me you wouldn’t gravitate toward this game. You’d have to know what the players were doing.

Newcomer, Whales Entertainment, has done a great job with Vines and Flowers: Blooming Harmony’s production value. While you can enjoy Vines and Flowers with cardboard pieces ($35 pledge), this Kickstarter campaign includes an exclusive wooden pieces upgrade for a $45 pledge. I’m watching this campaign closely. If you’re interested in Vines and Flowers: Blooming Harmony, check out its KickStarter page.

The Voynich Puzzle Set to Launch on GameFound

Publisher Salt and Pepper has been releasing some fantastic games on GameFound this year. We covered The Battle of the Divas, and The Voynich Puzzle looks like it’ll be another amazing game with an interesting theme.

In The Voynich Puzzle, players reconstruct the mysterious Voynich Manuscript. All the art is inspired by this ancient text, and I love that The Voynich Puzzle includes actual puzzle pieces. We don’t know much about the game’s mechanisms yet (it’s set to launch on Monday or Tuesday), but the production value looks fantastic and thematic, and Salt and Pepper has been on a roll. They’re a well-respected board game publisher with titles like Resist! and Witchcraft! to their credit.

I may have to pick up a copy of The Voynich Puzzle for the artwork alone. We don’t yet know what pledge levels The Voynich Puzzle will have, but if you’re interested in this title, too, you can follow The Voynich Puzzle’s GameFound page.

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 Gang.

5 Famous Indigenous Video Game Characters

Published on August 9, 2025May 30, 2026 by KyraLeave a comment

Happy Indigenous Peoples’ Day! Geekly is marking the occasion by listing some of our favorite indigenous video game characters. Hey, hey! Kyra Kyle here. This list was a little more difficult to compile than one would first expect. There are plenty of indigenous people in video games. Unfortunately, many of them lean into cultural stereotypes. We’ll do our best to avoid stereotypical indigenous video game characters. With that disclaimer in place, let’s get to our list of 5 famous indigenous video game characters.

Honorable Mention: Poundmaker (Civilization 6)

Pîhtokahanapiwiyi, better known by the title of “Poundmaker,” doesn’t quite make our list because he was an actual Cree leader during the late 19th Century. Poundmaker advocated the rights of indigenous people at a time when the Canadian government was starving them and encroaching on their land. Though he didn’t hold his position for long, Poundmaker would be arrested for alleged treason. He was exonerated in 2019. Poundmaker earned the respect of the indigenous community. When Civilization 6 added the Cree as a playable civilization, they gave the honor of Cree leader to Poundmaker, a real-life Cree hero.

5) Connor (Assassin’s Creed Franchise)

Ubisoft didn’t play it safe when they moved the Assassin’s Creed story to the American Revolution. Instead of glorifying the colonists, Assassin’s Creed 3 shifted the focus toward how indigenous people were affected by a morally ambiguous war that had nothing to do with them. Ratonhnhaké:ton (aka Connor) is an assassin who worked tirelessly to defend his people from colonial oppression. Connor is divided between two worlds, which provides an interesting and unexplored perspective in video games for one of the most significant wars in American history.

4) Mina “Thunderbird” Sky (Rainbow Six Siege)

Video games don’t tend to feature indigenous characters. This trend goes double for indigenous women, so Rainbow Six Siege‘s introduction of Mina “Thunderbird” Sky was a boon. Mina Sky is a Canadian Air Force pilot originally from the Nakota tribe of Saskatchewan. She proudly wears traditional facial tattoos of her people. Her codename “Thunderbird” derives from an old legend about a powerful bird that often protected the Nakota people. Thunderbird is a fitting name for an operator who protects her Nakota and Rainbow Six families.

3) Nuna (Never Alone)

Upper One Games’ Never Alone takes inspiration from a famous Inuit legend. The hero seeks an end to perpetual winter. While traditionally the hero is portrayed as a man, Never Alone casts the role to a young girl. Nuna has to face harsh Arctic weather with only a white fox for company. She faces trials from puzzles to combat, but proves resilient. Rather than using skill points, Never Alone doles out progression through the telling of Inuit stories. This is fitting with the game’s theme of keeping cultural stories alive.

2) Thunderbird (Thunderbird Strike)

The Thunderbird is a mythological creature for various indigenous cultures. Often portrayed as an eagle-like creature, the thunderbird has immense power and serves as a guardian of the natural order. Game designer Elizabeth LaPensée takes this setup for her game Thunderbird Strike, where players control the legendary bird as it defends the land from the oil industry and restores life. Thunderbird Strike modernizes a famous legend and addresses real-life issues of industrial encroachment on indigenous land.

1) Tommy Towadi (Prey)

The original Prey (2006)–not Bethesda’s 2017 spiritual successor, also called Prey–had a story built around an odd mix of indigenous spiritual beliefs and science fiction. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that the game has an indigenous protagonist. “Tommy” Towaldi can spiritually reach places others can’t. He often uses this skill to evade death and outwit his alien captors. Interestingly, a game in 2006 featured an indigenous protagonist. Most games that included indigenous characters in 2006 would’ve put them in stereotypical clothes. Tommy wears a leather jacket and jeans. He happens to be indigenous, and Prey (2006) explores his culture well. Almost two decades later, and Tommy still resonates with gamers.

So, what do you think? Who are your favorite indigenous video game characters? Are there any games that feature indigenous characters we should try? Let us know in the comments. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

Whatcha Playing, Geekly? August 2025

Published on August 6, 2025May 29, 2026 by KyraLeave a comment

Happy Wednesday, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here. Since it’s Wednesday, we have another post from our Whatcha series. Today’s topic is games, both video games and board games. We’ll hear from Season and Skye soon, but I’ll kick things off this post with the games I’ve been playing over the past month.

Kyra’s Board Games

Bruno Cathala’s Kingdomino takes the simple mechanism of laying dominoes beside a starting castle (domino piece) and allows players to build their own scoring tableau. Each domino has two sides. Each side will belong to a terrain type, and players attempt to connect like terrain types, chaining as many crowns (which will be printed on some dominoes and determine how much each terrain scores) as they can to their largest collection of each terrain type. Kingdomino has restrictions on how far out from a player’s starting castle they can build, and this is where the game gets tricky.

I don’t know how many times I’ve ended up with dead corners (corners that I can’t legally add another domino), but it’s satisfying every time I can put down my full complement of dominoes. Kingdomino is a quick game. The 15-30 minutes printed on the box is accurate. I love Kingdomino’s selection system. Each player has two royal meeples. One will claim the current round’s domino, but the domino you select in the current round will affect when you can select a tile in the next round. Each tile’s backing has a number. Typically, the more valuable tiles have higher numbers, and if you pick a higher value tile, you’ll pick later in the following round. Brilliant!

While many board games grant an advantage to seasoned players, Uwe Rosenberg’s Spring Meadow almost requires players to have a similar experience. The person who taught me and a couple of other noobs how to play Spring Meadow skunked us. Spring Meadow has an intriguing mechanism of players choosing a polyomino from a communal display and then placing the polyomino on their player board filled with holes. You’re trying to fill each row or column (depending on your board’s orientation), scoring points for each filled row or column with some added bonus points.

There are tricks involved, a dash of luck, and not all of the polyominoes are created equal. But you won’t know the best plays during your first playthrough, and if you’re playing against a seasoned Spring Meadow player, they will easily beat you. Despite my utter failure of a first play, I enjoyed Spring Meadow. I’ve since rematched the person who taught me how to play, and I managed to eek out a victory during our third, two-player play. Spring Meadow is fantastic as a two-player game against players who know how best to place their polyominoes.

I’d include Lotus in the group of games where it’s best played when all players involved have similar experience. The same person who taught me Spring Meadow also taught me Lotus, and the result was similar. I have yet to replay them at Lotus, but I plan on it.

Players compete to complete flowers. Seriously, the image above is what most Lotus cards look like. Lotus is a stunning game. It’s quick to teach, but knowing when to add pedals or use an ability makes all the difference. Usually, new players will misuse their abilities, unlock the wrong ones first, or add too many pedals to make a flower easy to complete and leaving themselves open for another player to take advantage of an opening. Lotus is the definition of a game that’s easy to learn but difficult to master. It doesn’t have a lot of moving parts, but the parts that are there are chef’s kiss.

Kyra’s Video Games

I gave Bleach: Brave Souls a try this past month. Notice how I didn’t say I played Bleach: Brave Souls. Bleach: Brave Souls offers an autobattle function. I did more watching Bleach: Brave Souls play itself than playing the game. To be fair, Bleach: Brave Souls is a ten-year-old gacha game. During boss battles, players borrow the featured character from a random player (chosen from the tens, if not hundreds of thousands, of players). Typically, I’d borrow a character from a player who had maxed out their character five or six years ago. Most boss battles had a cutscene. I would skip the cutscene, and the borrowed character will have already beaten the boss. Did I really play Bleach: Brave Souls?

Bleach: Brave Souls was a nice trip down memory lane. I wish the game had tightened the story a little bit. Each scene from the manga received its own level, so there are hundreds, if not thousands, of story levels. I gave up on Bleach: Brave Souls after a few days, but I could see the game being fun years ago, when it first released. I like the chibi character designs.

Those are the game highlights for me this past month. Let’s see what Season and Skye have been playing.

Skye’s Board Games

The fabulous Kyra Kyle has done it again. While Dorf Romantik was not a game they created, they were the ones who introduced me to it. Props to them, because I thoroughly enjoyed it! Dorf Romantik takes concepts from games like Catan and Carcassonne, but manages to be a special kind of fun. With the help of your fellow players, y’all gotta build the best town you can. It’s Sim City without financial stress. What can I say?

The Night Cage is a game that’s right up my alley. As a big fan of cooperative games, horror, and eldritch themes, The Night Cage is perfect for a dark game night with your friends. In a Lovecraftian setting, you find yourselves in a place of eternal darkness. You’re trapped in the Night Cage, and you must escape. The corridors shift and change direction. You only have a candle, and monsters hunt you at every turn. Good luck.

Skye’s Video Games

Lately I’ve been into casual phone games. Tap Gallery is a simple game about tapping arrow blocks to reveal a hidden image underneath. That’s pretty much it. While not the most complex, what appeals to me about Tap Gallery is its premise. It’s satisfying to watch every block slowly disappear from the screen. Sometimes that’s all you need in a game, and Tap Gallery has me hooked.

Cryptogram, while still a casual phone game, requires its players to use their brains. As you can likely tell from the title, Cryptogram is all about decoding a hidden message by following the clues given to you. Cryptogram helps stretch your brain while not being too difficult. Many of Cryptogram’s hidden messages are famous quotes from historical figures. Wait, you can solve puzzles and learn history? Sign me up!

Season’s Video Games

I’m kicking things off with a classic platformer. Psychonauts was released back in 2005 and is one of the more unique platformers I’ve played. Each level takes place inside people’s minds, so the player learns about each character by playing through their level. The level itself represents the character’s cognition of the world, but there are collectibles called “memory vaults” within each level. These memory vaults allow the player to sneak a peek into each character’s past through pictorial storytelling.

Players also spend a fair amount of time roaming the campgrounds in the overworld. I spent several minutes chatting with my fellow campers, collecting arrowheads to upgrade my gear and scavenger hunt items. Most objects/creatures in Psychonauts allow players to interact with them in some form, so there’s never a shortage of things to discover. I used clairvoyance on everything. Everything.

Fallout 4 has been out for ten years, but this is my first time playing it. Dead serious. I’ve never been crazy about open-world RPGs. In the past, I’d try them for twenty minutes before wanting to play something else. I tried playing Fallout: New Vegas on Steam many years ago, and it crashed every few minutes. I got frustrated and gave up on it. That said, I’ve enjoyed Fallout 4 so far. I like to stop tracking quests periodically so I can explore the world. I’m a digital hoarder, so picking up everything and being over-encumbered is my way of life.

I have one question for you, Geekly Gang. Why do radscorpions burrow under toilets?

Hey, hey! Kyra Kyle here again. That’s all our writers have for what they’ve been playing this past month. Feel free to share what you’ve been playing, Geekly Gang. Thank you for reading, wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

3) Pißwasser (Grand Theft Auto Series)

Grand Theft Auto is one of those video game series with plenty of beer brands. Even Sprunk Cola has its own alcohol variant, which may venture into Nuka-Cola Dark territory. So, we decided to go with Pißwasser. I know. I promised tasty fictional beers. Pißwasser may not fit that bill.

Pißwasser (or Pisswasser) made its first appearance in Grand Theft Auto IV and has been a staple in the series ever since. The German import lager is advertised everywhere. You’ll hear about it on the in-game radio and see it on television or billboards (many of which have suggestive themes; I didn’t include one billboard that may show a woman recycling what she drank–ew). The name suggests that Pisswasser doesn’t taste great, but everyone in the GTA universe loves it. You can even purchase stocks of the brand and try to get rich.

You may be in for a good time. Whoops! I butchered the tagline. You’re in for a good time with Pisswasser. Yuck. Just make sure you don’t drink too much, or else you’ll stumble and lose your bearings and maybe worse.

2) Gamma Gulp Beer (Fallout Series)

While Gwinnett has an entire line of beers in Fallout 4, they don’t capture the imagination as much as Gamma Gulp Beer from Fallout 2 and Fallout Tactics. This beer hasn’t been seen much in the series since, but that could change. I would love to see an updated Gamma Gulp in Fallout 5 or even Fallout 76. Make it happen, Bethesda.

Just look at the happy ghoul in the picture above. How can you resist a sip of Gamma Gulp? Come to think of it, the Fallout universe must’ve started brewing Gamma Gulp after the bombs fell. That or they predicted ghouls. Interesting.

1) Poseidon Pilsner (BioShock Series)

Poseidon Pilsner had to take the top spot because it inspired a brewery in California of the same name. Poseidon Pilsner made its first appearance in BioShock. Most of Rapture’s bars sports the pils; there are even bars named after the beer.

I like how BioShock layered the above Poseidon poster over an advertisement for 123 Beer, which is another beer that could’ve made this list if we didn’t have our pesky one beer per franchise. Poseidon gets the nod because it’s the only beer on this list–so far–that has inspired a real-world brewery. I’m going to be honest. If a Pisswasser becomes a thing, I may have to try a sip.

That’s our list. Which video game fictional beers would you include on this list? Let us know in the comments. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

90s Video Game Timeline 02 Quiz

Published on July 29, 2025March 18, 2025 by KyraLeave a comment