david.reviews

david.reviewsMy Favorite Media of 2025The 10th annual celebration of the best things I played, watched, and read in 2025.

13 Jan

Each January, I write about my favorite games, movies, shows, and books that were new to me from the past year. This is my 10th annual (!!) post and it's an extra special one. 🙂 🧵/1 david.reviews/articles/fav...

store.steampowered.comOutcast Tales on SteamA challenging post-apocalyptic roguelite turn-based RPG about the psychological stresses of adventuring with complete idiots. Lead a crew of flawed heroes against the consequences of their own terribl...

I didn't have time for a full review, but I wanted to talk about OUTCAST TALES, releasing today (for free!)! It's a well-written roguelike strategy game w/ heart. Plays like a combat-heavy D&D. Tons to unlock and a huge amount of writing make it a total blast store.steampowered.com/app/2551970/...

All told, it plays sort of like a D&D game w/ friends. The dialogue options you get are heavily personality driven and based on choices you as the player made. The combat is layered and strategic. The game is fairly forgiving overall, but still kept me engaged during my short time with it.

Also, improbably, it's free! No microtransactions or anything. Just free to enjoy for all. I'll have more to say when I sit down and play through it all, but it gets an early (underscored) recommendation from me. Give OUTCAST TALES a try and thank me later! store.steampowered.com/app/2551970/...

...but they're mostly used for all the story that happens between battles. There are skill checks, puzzles, and a ton of emergent storytelling. For instance, on one run my brute was religious and got pouty if we engaged with a monster fighting ring at all. This could be annoying, but it worked!

The meta-progression is very good, too. There are side quests, new characters, new abilities, new storylines, and more! Between that and the game's many endings, there's always a reason to go back for one more run.

The turn based battles are its bread and butter. Characters can act in any order, so there are a lot of levers to pull. There's also a gear system, so you can _really_ tailor the strengths of your 3 heroes. With more than 100 abilities in 3 groups, there's a ton of combinations to try!

But the really unique part is what happens between the battles: each character has a personality, opinion of the other party members, and civil stats (like Stealth & Athletics). Some of these have combat implications (e.g. party members who dislike you hurt your crit chance while they're alive)...

david.reviewsdavid.reviews: The Prestige★★★★: Tightly written, not a moment is spared. Tea Gives you all the twists, even if they aren't obvious on the first watch. There are a _lot_ of time jumps, maybe too many. I imagine it's hard to fol...

20h

📽️ New movie review! I just watched THE PRESTIGE (for the 2nd time).

thinkygames.comThinkyCon 2026 · Thinky GamesPuzzle design, art, development, production — learn about every aspect of crafting thinky games.

These talks are great if you're at all interested in game / puzzle design! And it's free!

Thinky Games@thinkygames.com

ThinkyCon is tomorrow!! Check out the exciting 2-day lineup here!

david.reviewsdavid.reviews: Liar Liar★★★☆: A fun premise bolstered by a truly unhinged Jim Carrey performance. The physicality, the facial expressions, the frenetic babbling. No one else can have such an impassioned conversation with a b...

📽️ New movie review! I just watched LIAR LIAR (for the 1st time).

david.reviewsdavid.reviews: Happy Death Day 2U★★★★: Killer sequel to a movie I generally enjoyed. It's less of a halloween mystery and more of a time loop rom com thriller (but with murder). Enjoyed it all the same though! It took itself a little...

📽️ New movie review! I just watched HAPPY DEATH DAY 2U (for the 1st time).

david.reviewsdavid.reviews: They Will Kill You★★★☆: I enjoyed the heavily stylized action scenes and the plentiful practical effects. The overall concept was a little thin and the non-action parts had weak dialogue, but it was a fun ride overall.

📽️ New movie review! I just watched THEY WILL KILL YOU (for the 1st time).

david.reviewsdavid.reviews: The Rental★★☆☆: Builds lot of tension without much resolution. Like, it has a sort of unsatisfying ending and then the credits roll, but there's never any explanation or closure. It just sort of stops.

📽️ New movie review! I just watched THE RENTAL (for the 1st time).

david.reviewsdavid.reviews: Ready or Not: Here I Come★★★★: It's one thing to make a great, high-concept thriller. But to do it again? With an identical premise?? Amazing. Sets itself apart from the original while keeping close to what worked. I liked ...

📽️ New movie review! I just watched READY OR NOT: HERE I COME (for the 1st time).

david.reviewsdavid.reviews: Get Out★★★★: Holds up better than I thought it would. Manages to be consistently unsettling without having many traditional "horror" elements until pretty late in the film. Resolution is a little fast, but e...

📽️ New movie review! I just watched GET OUT (for the 3rd time).

david.reviewsdavid.reviews: Over Your Dead Body★★★☆: Loved the premise, enjoyed the execution. Fight scenes felt long and too beholden to the rhythm of attack-rebuttal-etc. But it moved along nicely and certainly kept the audience on their toes. F...

📽️ New movie review! I just watched OVER YOUR DEAD BODY (for the 1st time).

david.reviews"Burn With Me" is spooky deckbuilding funIt's like Slay the Spire, but smaller and more focused.

My latest: BURN WITH ME, by @nozomugames.com, is a delight! david.reviews/articles/bur...

david.reviewsdavid.reviews: The Cabin in the Woods★★★★: One of my favorites. Walks the fine line between parody and example perfectly, catering to both crowds. Funny, scary, well thought out, and a breath of fresh air. I really liked their adherence ...

📽️ New movie review! I just watched THE CABIN IN THE WOODS (for the 6th time).

david.reviews"Echo Weaver" supplies the tools, but you discover how to use themA new top-tier metroidbrainia has arrived!

My latest: ECHO WEAVER by @moonlightkids.bsky.social & @akuparagames.bsky.social. It's a time-loop puzzle platformer reminiscent of Outer Wilds and Animal Well. I had a blast! david.reviews/articles/ech...

david.reviewsdavid.reviews: Strange Antiquities★★★★: I liked the jump in complexity as compared to its predecessor. The story offered meaningful choices and engaging puzzle gameplay. There was the occasional dud where we had to guess, but most of ...

🕹️🎮 New videogame review! I just finished playing STRANGE ANTIQUITIES.

david.reviewsdavid.reviews: Everyone in This Bank Is a Thief★★★★: A delightful continuation of a series that's quickly become a favorite. I appreciate his commitment to fair-play mysteries even if I basically never solve much myself. The clues are there if you...

💙📚 New book review! I just finished reading EVERYONE IN THIS BANK IS A THIEF.

david.reviewsdavid.reviews: Free Guy★★☆☆: A fun premise that actually seemed like it was written by someone who had played a videogame. Loved the idea of sentient NPCs. Lots of cute visual references and nods to existing games. But the ...

📽️ New movie review! I just watched FREE GUY (for the 1st time).

david.reviewsdavid.reviews: Divinity: Original Sin II★★★★: An impressive, overwhelming experience. The world is huge and absolutely stuffed with quests, characters, battles, and secrets. Its open-endedness is pretty staggering- there's a bunch of ways t...

🕹️🎮 New videogame review! I just finished playing DIVINITY: ORIGINAL SIN II.

david.reviews reposted

Chris Perry

@perridot.bsky.social

24 Aug

Oh!Ware, a roguelike Mancala deckbuilder, RELEASES SEPTEMBER 24th 2026. The gods are watching. 👀 🟠 Place marbles 🔄 Chain their movement 🙏 Make your offerings ⚔️ Challenge the gods WISHLIST NOW ON STEAM store.steampowered.com/app/4121430/...

david.reviewsdavid.reviews: 20 More, Somehow Even Smaller, Mazes★★★★: Another delightful outing from FLEB. Pint sized, clever, and beautifully put together as always. Can't beat the price either! (free) Has great Steam Controller support, too!

20 Sept

I will play every single thing @flebpuzzles.bsky.social puts out. And lucky me, he's making 2 more games in 2027!!

david.reviews@david.reviews

🕹️🎮 New videogame review! I just finished playing 20 MORE, SOMEHOW EVEN SMALLER, MAZES.

david.reviewsdavid.reviews: Stamptown★★★★: Extraordinary in its chaos. Zucker is the perfect (sort of) straight man amongst the other acts. Though I didn't love every one of them, everything moved so quickly that there wasn't time to dwe...

20 Sept

📽️ New movie review! I just watched STAMPTOWN (for the 1st time).

20 Sept

🕹️🎮 New videogame review! I just finished playing 20 MORE, SOMEHOW EVEN SMALLER, MAZES.

david.reviewsdavid.reviews: Split Fiction★★★★: An absolute delight. Much like previous Hazelight titles, the gameplay is varied, co-operative, and inventive. I liked the asymmetry of it all- each player has their own overlapping puzzles and ...

18 Sept

🕹️🎮 New videogame review! I just finished playing SPLIT FICTION.

david.reviews reposted

FLEB

@flebpuzzles.bsky.social

17 Sept

Okay, it's out! store.steampowered.com/app/4428890/...

store.steampowered.com20 More, Somehow Even Smaller, Mazes on SteamA puzzle game with twenty small mazes.

david.reviewsdavid.reviews: Hadestown: The Musical★★★★: Raises the bar for musical proshots. Has a great mix of close and wide shots, letting you see both the face acting that would be hard to spot from the audience and the grandeur of the motion on ...

8 Sept

📽️ New movie review! I just watched HADESTOWN: THE MUSICAL (for the 1st time).

david.reviews"He Who Watches" disrespects gravityIt's both easier and harder than it looks.

2 Sept

New review! It's HE WHO WATCHES from @danga.games and @draknek.bsky.social. It rocks. david.reviews/articles/he-...

david.reviewsdavid.reviews: Practical Magic★★☆☆: A funny mishmash of genres. Bothered me less than movies like A Simple Favor, but it also made the film feel disjoint. There are a lot of moving pieces that acknowledge each other rather than bu...

23 Aug

📽️ New movie review! I just watched PRACTICAL MAGIC (for the 1st time).

david.reviewsdavid.reviews: Hackers★★★★: On its surface, it's sort of a doofy movie. The typing scenes are overwrought and there's an undercurrent of casual misogyny that probably fit right into 90 hacker culture. I didn't really get i...

11 Aug

📽️ New movie review! I just watched HACKERS (for the 4th time).

david.reviewsdavid.reviews: The Dungeon Anarchist's Cookbook★★★★: Does a good job smoothing out the detail while focusing on the big picture. I love the media / "the revolution will be televised" angle and the intergalactic worldbuilding. Growing the ensembl...

8 Aug

💙📚 New book review! I just finished reading THE DUNGEON ANARCHIST'S COOKBOOK.

david.reviewsdavid.reviews: 1000xResist★★★☆: Tells an ambitious story that I mostly enjoyed. Its non-linear narrative works well to keep everything mysterious while still being engaging. Its high concept world works well as a setting and t...

8 Aug

🕹️🎮 New videogame review! I just finished playing 1000XRESIST.

david.reviewsdavid.reviews: Ender's Shadow★★★★: Provides a perfect foil to the original novel. I liked Bean as a character explaining so much of his inner monologue and the political machinations around him. Some of the plotlines get wrapped ...

7 Aug

💙📚 New book review! I just finished reading ENDER'S SHADOW.

david.reviewsdavid.reviews: Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana★★★★: An excellent action RPG. Loved the breezy island setting and the exploration aspect. Finding castaways to grow your base who also act as shopkeepers is brilliant design- it helps your exploratio...

2 Aug

🕹️🎮 New videogame review! I just finished playing YS VIII: LACRIMOSA OF DANA.

david.reviewsdavid.reviews: Thunderball★★★★: I think it's got the worst treatment of its female characters of the Bonds so far, but everything else kind of rocks. The underwater scenes are cool and the plot felt like it had real stakes whi...

29 July

📽️ New movie review! I just watched THUNDERBALL (for the 1st time).

david.reviewsdavid.reviews: Spider-Man: No Way Home★★★★: Manages to stand on its own as a touching action movie, but also cash in on nearly 20 years of Spider-Men in film. It's just such a delight. A crushing, emotional delight.

26 July

📽️ New movie review! I just watched SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME (for the 3rd time).

david.reviewsdavid.reviews: Echo Isle★★★☆: A compact, classic-Zelda inspired adventure game. I like that it followed the classic formula well: 4 little dungeons, each with an upgrade and a boss. True to its word, there's no fluff. A sin...

21 July

🕹️🎮 New videogame review! I just finished playing ECHO ISLE.

david.reviewsdavid.reviews: Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides★★☆☆: As an unapologetic lover of the Pirates movies, this one is always a bit of a letdown. It's got its moments and a top tier cast (as usual) but it's a little too cheeky. It treads on winks to the...

20 July

📽️ New movie review! I just watched PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: ON STRANGER TIDES (for the 4th time).

david.reviewsdavid.reviews: The Parent Trap★★★★: Perfectly paced. Great performances all around. Lots of cute moments. Some truly dangerous pranks. Where are the adults at the camp??

19 July

📽️ New movie review! I just watched THE PARENT TRAP (for the 2nd time).

david.reviewsdavid.reviews: Goldfinger★★★★: Still a little goofy in that way 60s movies were, but has a pretty straightforward plot and some fun action. Good humor too, he's cheeky. The series is really starting to come together!

18 July

📽️ New movie review! I just watched GOLDFINGER (for the 2nd time).

david.reviewsdavid.reviews: Enola Holmes 3★★★★: Returned to the frenetic pace of the first one, which I like. It dipped a bit, especially with so many flashback clips. But the story was good and it was a light, exciting watch.

16 July

📽️ New movie review! I just watched ENOLA HOLMES 3 (for the 1st time).

david.reviewsdavid.reviews: Fail Fail Succeed★★★☆: Cute little puzzle platformer where dying with an ability alters leaves something behind to help you solve puzzles. Neat concept, but (despite the cute dog) not really something I'd spend a ton ...

15 July

🕹️🎮 New videogame review! I just finished playing FAIL FAIL SUCCEED.

david.reviewsdavid.reviews: Jurassic Park★★★★: RIP Sam Neill. Great movie though, per usual. So many fun details. And wild how it just established what a T-Rex sounds like. Everyone just agrees now.

14 July

📽️ New movie review! I just watched JURASSIC PARK (for the 4th time).