startmenu

We got a lot of new followers yesterday, so let us reintroduce ourselves. startmenu is a website dedicated to helping young and emerging voices break into games media and the video game industry. (full mission statement below) patreon.com/startmenu

Cancelled concerts, shuttered studios, massive data breaches? Just another week in the paradise that is the video game industry in 2026. @wendeego.bsky.social rounds everything up for Update Patch.

Cancelled concerts, shuttered studios, massive data breaches? Just another week in the paradise that is the video game industry in 2026. @wendeego.bsky.social rounds everything up for Update Patch.

This week's slightly delayed Update Patch sees the industry commemorate the passing of Richard "Levelord" Gray, House House taking a stand against Xbox as part of the BDS boycott, and Tim Sweeney just saying whatever about AI. @wendeego.bsky.social rounds it all up.

Guys, @startmenu.bsky.social is really fucking cool and I am very proud of the shit we publish there. Endless thanks to @kellymerka.bsky.social who is both the best editor I have ever gotten to work with and also kept me sane and the site going while I was dealing with personal matters this year.

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners returns with a new cast but more importantly a more deliberate pacing and subdued tone. However, this gamble has more than paid off as @rhithewitch.bsky.social finds Edgerunners 2 to be a smarter and more thoughtful exploration of series’ themes.

@stopcar.ing is my hero!

does this still count as my yearly birthday article? go read eitherway ^.^

@stopcar.ing professes her love for flightless birds, as well as morbid curiosity for esoteric mysteries, in her review of Penguin Colony.

At the Brasil Game Show, @lesbiankakyoin.bsky.social interviewed The Posthumous Investigation director Bruno Toledo about the classic literature–inspired mystery adventure game.

Hey that's me! I havent written anything in forever whoops

Orbitals is a delightful co-op journey to the stars; however, while leaving someone wanting more is usually a good thing, @js126.bsky.social can’t help but feel this anime romp could do with a few more episodes. www.startmenu.co.uk/home/review-...

I reviewed Concrete Burial! I was looking for something short and compact and found it in an interesting Boomer shooter/narrative experience. It's meant to be played in a single 1-2 hour sitting, but the speedrunning community has already gotten it under 5 minutes. Astounding.

Concrete Burial is short and to the point — and that’s what makes it great. @dacichocki.bsky.social reviews.

👻

Last week saw reports of a failed unionisation push at Double Fine, billionaires making the world worse, and more layoffs... but hey, at least Sonic the Hedgehog has his own Discord server now, that's sure to end well.... @wendeego.bsky.social reports in the latest Update Patch.

Speaking of being more productive in my time off from the day job, I did this!

Sovereign Tower is a game about choices — and remaking them when the outcomes don’t suit your desires. @wordsmaybe.bsky.social reviews.

Good work from several friends of the site, right here.

it’s true!

My Galactic Racer review is up on startmenu! This game rocks and you should go read all my words on it. Now watch this drive.

Star Wars: Galactic Racer is a pulse-pounding racing game that injects turbo-charged fuel into the long-stalled genre with new ideas, a killer sense of speed, and a great presentation. @lsmewtwo.bsky.social reviews. www.startmenu.co.uk/home/review-...

At the Brasil Game Show, @lesbiankakyoin.bsky.social got an early look at Nintendo Switch Sports Resort.

Last month saw Kojima walk across the street, a good film adaptation, and plenty of fresh GTA VI news. @saintsunflower.bsky.social rounded it all up each week, and you can read it all here.

maybe i'm as bitter and jaded as the protagonist of forever ago, but as someone who also knows grief, i did not see the sport in it

Forever Ago's exploration of grief is marred by its deeply unpleasant protagonist. @lesbiankakyoin.bsky.social reviews.

While Update Patch might need to take a week off to recover, it'll always come roaring back; that's why @saintsunflower.bsky.social is here with a bummer edition of UP rounding up the last two weeks of news.

SUPPORT STOP CARING!

While Update Patch might need to take a week off to recover, it'll always come roaring back; that's why @saintsunflower.bsky.social is here with a bummer edition of UP rounding up the last two weeks of news.

As promised, my review!! Loved the world. But combat was rough for me until I finally gave into using the assist mode. This was all pre combat patch. I hope remedy continues to make these wild and big swings, even if they don't always work for me

Control Resonant excels in providing ample spectacle, interesting characters, and uniquely Redemy-ish weirdness; however, its combat and heavy RPG influences don’t hold up their end of the bargain, creating a somewhat muddled experience. @brandoncraw.bsky.social reviews.

I've also been playing Control Resonant for @startmenu.bsky.social! Gonna have my review out later but kinda echoing the same thoughts of others on here. The combat is bringing it down and this shift to open zone has not worked well for me. Still absolutely love the story though! More to come soon!

I reviewed Duskfade! Unfortunately, I did not love it. As a 3D platformer it works fine, but even though it evokes Kingdom Hearts, it is not an action RPG. Please adjust your expectations accordingly!

Duskfade is clearly Kingdom Hearts-inspired, but it doesn’t scratch the same itch. @dacichocki.bsky.social reviews.

Last week saw no shortage of high-profile news from Physint ditching PlayStation for Xbox, two Nintendo Directs, a bunch of BlizzCon news, and Level-5's CEO continuing to look rather silly as he pushes for gen-AI. Here to run it all down in Update Patch is @saintsunflower.bsky.social.

August sure was a month with a lot of news. Some of it was good… however, most of it was pretty bad. Thankfully, @mushwrites.bsky.social was there to help keep us aware of the state of the industry. Read his weekly Update Patch notes to get up to date. www.startmenu.co.uk/home/patreon...

No Case Should Remain Unsolved lives up to its reputation as a cult hit, but the PS5 might not be the best platform on which to play it. @lesbiankakyoin.bsky.social reviews.

This week's Update Patch sees @saintsunflower.bsky.social a rundown of the big numbers coming out of the GTA VI showcase, ill-advised mini-games in Halloween: The Video Game, and Riot's continued push into the MMO space after ceasing development of 2XKO. Read here: www.patreon.com/startmenu/po...

Gamescom was last week, and somehow the biggest game of the show was released in 2015. For Update Patch @mushwrites.bsky.social reports on Witcher 3's second (or fourth) wind and DLSS 5's latest nightmare creations.

Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight comes with all the Batman fun without any Batman baggage — you can jump right in without worrying about catching up on any plot. @thetenthletter.bsky.social reviews.

August continues apace, and we've got another Update Patch for you!

I wrote about Momento for @startmenu.bsky.social 😊

You might want to spare a moment for Momento — especially now that it’s gotten a new content update. @shanodin.bsky.social reviews.

This week's Update Patch sees yet more studio closures and plenty of controversy... but hey, at least some mysterious rich guy is funding Thimbleweed Park 2. @mushwrites.bsky.social rounds up all the latest news. www.patreon.com/startmenu/po...

Thinking about this piece I wrote for @startmenu.bsky.social, about my relationship to memory and replaying. It felt like a turning point in my relationship with games www.startmenu.co.uk/home/abram-b...

Only good news in this week's Update Patch because... Oh... Ooooooh. I am being told that there is actually very little good news this week. In fact, that is a lot of bad news... Well, at least @mushwrites.bsky.social is here to keep us informed about the ongoing horrors.

I have high hopes for this one, jank and all. Impressive work from such a small team with some genuinely phenomenal visuals.