Articles
Chopping Block: February 13, 2026
Chopping Block: February 13, 2026
Boxes: Lost Fragments, Factorio: Krastorio 2 Mod, and The Plane Effect
13 February 2026
Chopping BlockLittle Nightmares - Terror
Little Nightmares - Terror
Dripping with dread and wrapped in the groaning steel hull of The Maw, Little Nightmares is a masterclass in atmospheric horror. Through distorted soundscapes, unsettling environmental storytelling, and the tiny silhouette of Six against monstrous adults, Tarsier Studios crafts a nightmare that lingers long after the credits roll. This isnt horror built on gore or jump scares, but tension, scale, and the suffocating feeling that something is always waiting just out of sight.
6 February 2026
Games.designJurassic World Rebirth
Jurassic World Rebirth
Jurassic World Rebirth had all the right ingredientsdinosaurs, intrigue, a high-stakes missionbut somewhere along the way, it lost the plot. Beneath the spectacle is a story that almost works, if only it were given room to breathe. So instead of just tearing it down, I took a different approach: rebuild it. This is a ground-up rewrite, keeping what works, cutting what doesnt, and shaping the film into something that mightve lived up to its potential.
3 February 2026
Pond-eringsNews Update: January 2026
Chopping Block: January 26th 2026
Chopping Block: January 26th 2026
Dread Dawn, Magic Archer, and The Strange City
26 January 2026
Chopping BlockPathfinding to Novelty
Pathfinding to Novelty
Designing enemy AI is usually about refinementbut this time, I may have wandered into something entirely different. What started as a simple experiment for Golem Mancer has turned into a deeper exploration of adaptive systems that learn, shift, and counter the player over time. Its equal parts promising and uncertain. This is a look at that processwhere pathfinding becomes strategy, and the line between obstacle and opponent starts to blur.
20 January 2026
Golem MancerElder Scrolls 5 Skyrim: ES6
Elder Scrolls 5 Skyrim: ES6
Few games have the staying power of Skyrimand fewer still get as many second chances to prove it. Beneath the endless re-releases lies a sprawling, systems-driven RPG that still captivates and still cracks under pressure. This is a look at what holds up, what doesnt, and where Bethesda needs to aim next. Because if Skyrim is the foundation, then Elder Scrolls 6 has a lot to live up toand even more to fix.
14 January 2026
Games.designAliens: In Space, No One Can Hear Your Plot Holes
Aliens: In Space, No One Can Hear Your Plot Holes
Aliens is revisited as both a standout sci-fi action film and a story filled with notable inconsistencies. The analysis highlights issues with the LV-426 colony timeline, Weyland-Yutanis questionable decisions, and the Colonial Marines tactical missteps, alongside smaller technical nitpicks. Despite these flaws, the films strong pacing, tight cinematography, and memorable characters reinforce its status as one of the most enduring and beloved sequesl and action films of the 1980s.
11 January 2026
Pond-eringsChopping Block: January 8th 2026
Jurassic World
Jurassic World
Jurassic World roared into theaters as a triumphant revivalbut beneath the spectacle, the seams start to show. From baffling safety oversights to questionable science and inconsistent character logic, the film leans hard on nostalgia while quietly unraveling under scrutiny. This isnt just nitpickingits a closer look at where the illusion breaks, and how a blockbuster built on precision chaos sometimes forgets the precision part entirely.
3 January 2026
Whole PlotsNews Update: December 2025
7 Games That Are Ready to Resurge
7 Games That Are Ready to Resurge
Some games dont failthey just arrive too early, too late, or too quietly. This is a look back at a handful of titles that never got their due, despite bold ideas, cult followings, or the bones of something much bigger. From experimental mechanics to undercooked franchises, these are the games that deserved a second shot. Because sometimes the most interesting stories in gaming arent the hitstheyre the ones that never got the chance to become one.
26 December 2025
Pond-eringsJusant: Climbing
Jusant: Climbing
Jusant may have slipped past the spotlight, but it stands as one of the most thoughtful climbing experiences in recent years. Beneath its quiet presentation lies a masterclass in vertical design one that reflects how far climbing mechanics have come. From tightly scripted sequences to fully systemic freedom, climbing has reshaped how we move through virtual worlds. Using Jusant as a lens, I explore the evolution, philosophy, and enduring appeal of climbing in games.
20 December 2025
Games.designSporite Game Design Document
Sporite Game Design Document
Progress through a series of planets of various compositions with a terraforming spore. Land on barren worlds and actively evolve to make use of the resources present. Develop new kinds of cells to metabolize native soil and minerals to grow in scale until you can build a new spore launcher. The focus is to create new cells that generate chemical power and expand to new territory. Each time the spore's mothership orbits into range the player can use energy to develop new biologicalchemical cell types ranging from more mobile types, sensory types, powerful metabolic cells, and utility types that complement larger strategies.
16 December 2025
SporiteChopping Block: December 5th 2025
Chopping Block: December 5th 2025
Blue Prince, LiDar Exploration Program, and Portal: Revolution
5 December 2025
Chopping BlockPayload Specialist Game Design Document
Payload Specialist Game Design Document
Construct space launch vehicles across several eras of the space age.
30 November 2025
Payload SpecialistChopping Block: November 30th 2025
Chopping Block: November 30th 2025
delta-V: Rings of Saturn, Creeper World I.X.E, and Anvil Saga
30 November 2025
Chopping BlockSlime Cosmic Game Design Document
Slime Cosmic Game Design Document
After an alien organism lands on Earth, the player utilizes anything organic it can find to grow and evolve. Is comprised of a body and a nucleus. The player can move the nucleus freely within the overall body of the organism in order to cover more of individual maps and envelop trees, animals, buildings, humans. Over the course of the game, levels grow in scale, the human will offer up resistance, so the player will have to evolve offensive and defensive abilities to countermand this. On top of it this. There is a mechanism revolving around enveloping larger structures like buildings in a mini-game.
30 November 2025
Slime CosmicArmageddon: The Movie That Drilled Through Science
Armageddon: The Movie That Drilled Through Science
Armageddon (1998) is an entertaining but notoriously science-defying blockbuster. Its premise, physics, and engineering stretch credibility past the breaking pointfrom the unrealistic drillers as astronauts setup to inaccurate asteroid behavior, impossible shuttle maneuvers, and the nonsensical nuclear-detonation plan. While I acknowledge its charm, so many technical details ignores real-world logic.
30 November 2025
Whole PlotsNews Update: November 2025