Adam Millard - The Architect of Games
RPGs Were Never About Roleplaying
updated
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Tears of the Kingdom is a compulsively playable game, with many people losing hundreds of hours to its impossible-to-resist charms - but what distinguishes Link's latest outing from the many many games stuck languishing in our backlogs that we intended to keep playing, but could never quite find the enthusiasm to go back to?
After diving into the depths and ascending to the skies, The Architect has gotten a few ideas - maybe the secret to a game that keeps us playing, and stops us from burning out is one that doesn't just distract us, but makes us care about what's going on? And just maybe, could it be that the secret to creating a sense of investment lies not in the work of developers, but our own minds?
You Saw:
Redfall - 2023
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom - 2023
Gone Home
Fallout 4
Divinity Original Sin 2
From Dust
Super Mario 3D World
Hades
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - 2017
Resident Evil 4 Remake - 2023
The Stanley Parable Ultra Deluxe - 2022
Vampire Survivors - 2021
Persona 5 Royale - 2019
Star Wars Jedi Survivor - 2023
Psychonauts 2 - 2021
The Legend of Zelda - Twilight Princess - 2006
Forza Horizon 5 - 2021
Final Fantasy 7 Remake - 2020
Cassette Beasts - 2023
Fortnite - 2017
Marvel Snap - 2022
Dark Souls 3 - 2016
Far Cry 5 - 2018
Metroid Prime - 2002
Metroid Prime 2: Echoes - 2004
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night - 1997
Xenoblade Chronicles - 2020
Dredge - 2023
Journey - 2012
Yume Nikki - 2004
Doom Eternal - 2020
Terra Invicta - EARLY ACCESS
Sid Meir's Civilization 6 - 2016
Wildfrost - 2023
Elden Ring - 2022
Lonely Mountain Downhill - 2019
Nier Automata - 2017
The Pathless - 2020
Half Life Alyx - 2020
DOOM - 2016
Fallout New Vegas - 2010
The Witness - 2016
Dishonored - 2012
Super Mario Odyssey - 2017
Terra Nil - 2023
Celeste - 2018
Deus Ex: Mankind Divided - 2016
Mass Effect 3 - 2012
Minecraft - 2011
Metal Gear Rising: Revengance - 2013
Hi-Fi Rush - 2023
Undertale - 2015
Chrono Trigger - 1995
The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask - 2000
It Takes Two - 2021
Death Stranding - 2019
Mario Kart 8 - 2014
Kirby and the Forgotten Land - 2022
Genshin Impact - 2020
God of War: Ragnarok - 2022
Xenoblade Chronicles 2 - 2017
Atomic Heart - 2023
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Terra Nil is a weird videogame, it claims to be a citybuilder with a reversed environmental theme, and yet, when it comes to delivering the fun you'd expect out of a citybuilder... Terra Nil just can't deliver - what gives? Is Terra Nil just a bad game coasting on false advertising, or is there something more going on here?
After clawing their way out from the ruins of their fallen civilization, and pouring over so many ancient tomes that they started to lose their charm, The Architect has gotten a few ideas about what's really happening with Terra Nil - it's a game that is specifically designed not to reverse the citybuilder, but to invert it, and that's a pretty big difference.
You Saw:
Terra Nil - 2023
Sim City 4 - 2003
Cities Skylines - 2015
City of Heroes - 2004
Civilization 6 - 2016
Anno 1800 - 2019
Satisfactory - Early Access
Factorio - 2016
Against The Storm - Early Access
Uncharted 4 - Uncharted 4
Final Fantasy 6 - 1994
Dragon Quest 11 - 2017
Xenoblade Chronicles 3 - 2022
Player Unknown's Battlegrounds - 2017
The Darwin Project - 2020
Minecraft - 2011
Infiniminer - 2009
DOOM - 1993
ULTRAKILL - Early Access
Metal Gear Solid 5 - 2015
Metal Gear Rising Revengance - 2013
Apex Legends - 2019
Counter Strike: Global Offensive - 2012
Resident Evil 2 Remake - 2019
Kirby and the Forgotten Land - 2022
Deathloop - 2021
Bioshock - 2007
The Stanley Parable Ultra Deluxe - 2022
Getting Over It - 2017
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword - 2011
The Legend Of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - 2017
DOOM 2016 - hmm
Final Fantasy 7 Remake - 2020
Assassin's Creed Syndicate - 2015
Assassin's Creed Origins - 2017
Assassin's Creed Odyssey - 2018
Assassin's Creed 1 - 2007
Assassin's Creed Black Flag - 2013
Senua's Sacrifice - 2017
Mario And Luigi SuperStar Saga - 2003
Mario Odyssey - 2017
Sonic Mania - 2017
Rise of the Tomb Raider - 2015
Mirror's Edge - 2009
Dishonored 2 - 2016
Shadow Tactics Blades of the Shogun - 2016
Teamfight Manager - 2021
Resident Evil 4 Remake - 2023
Metroid Prime - 2002
Batman Arkham Asylum - 2009
Ark: Survival Evolved - 2015
Gears of War 5 - 2019
Quantum Conundrum - 2012
Forza Horizon 5 - 2021
Tchia - 2023
Xenoblade Chronicles - 2010
Scorn - 2022
Dead Space - 2008
Signalis - 2022
The Evil Within - 2014
Hollow Knight - 2017
Stardew Valley - 2016
Portal - 2007
Shovel Knight - 2014
Elden Ring - 2022
Resident Evil 8 - 2021
Runescape - 2001
Journey - 2012
World of Warcraft - 2004
Psychonauts 2 - 2021
Dark Souls - 2012
Prey - 2017
Borderlands 2 - 2012
Dark and Darker - Early Access?
Wandersong - 2018
Undertale - 2015
Grand Theft Auto 5 - 2013
Chrono Trigger - 1995
Psychonauts - 2005
Monkey Island 2 - 1991
Metal Gear Solid 2 - 2001
Dredge - 2023
Antichamber - 2013
What the Golf - 2019
Carrion - 2020
I Wanna Be The Guy - 2007
Jump King - 2019
Super Mario 3D World - 2013
Dark Souls 3 - 2016
Darkest Dungeon - 2016
Barbie Horse Adventures: Riding Camp - 2008
Marvel's Midnight Suns - 2022
Persona 5 royal - 2019
Hunt: Showdown - 2018
The Cycle: Frontier - 2022
Fortnite - 2017
Yume Nikki - 2004
LISA: THe Painful - 2014
Doki Doki Literature Club - 2017
Atomic Heart - 2022
Envirobear 2000 - 2009
Oxygen Not Included - 2017
Frostpunk - 2018
Surviving Mars - 2018
Rimworld - 2018
Immortality - 2022
Baldur's Gate 3 - Early Access
Dawn of War 3 - 2017
Sable - 2021
Pokemon Scarlet - 2022
There is no game: Wrong Dimension - 2020
Duty Calls - 2011
Wildfrost - 2023
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Atomic Heart and Bioshock are two games that are inexorably linked across time, one established many genre conventions we still use to this day and defined an entire era of gaming, the other feels compelled to replicate and improve upon as much of Bioshock's success as possible, but somehow misses what made it's inspiration so cherished - what gives? How could Atomic Heart, a game with such clear reverence for Bioshock, not understand what made Bioshock great? Well, the answer lies in the ever-tricky to understand Metagame.
The Architect has had to plunder multiple dystopias, command vast armies and even scrabble through a few fourth walls in order to truly understand what makes Metagames so special and also what makes them so tricky to get right. Maybe, the success of a metagame lies not in how complex it is, or even how balanced it is, but in how it makes us think, and how fun it is to figure out?
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You Saw:
Atomic Heart- 2023
Resident Evil 8 -2021
Bioshock - 2007
Bioshock 2 - 2010
DOOM Eternal - 2020
Psychonauts 2 - 2021
Warhammer Total War 3 - 2022
Neon White - 2022
Xenoblade 3 - 2022
Counter Strike: Global Offensive - 2012
Baldur's Gate 3 - Early Access
Monster Hunter: World - 2018
Slay the Spire - 2019
Minecraft - 2011
Teardown - 2022
Persona 5 Royal - 2019
Genshin Impact - 2020
Dwarf Fortress - 2023
Half Life Alyx - 2020
Pikmin 3- 2013
The Stanley Parable Ultra Deluxe- 2022
Gears Tactics - 2020
Pokemon Fire Red - 2004
Dark Souls 3 - 2016
Elden Ring - 2022
Dishonored 2 - 2016
Portal 2 - 2011
Dune: Spice Wars - Early Access
Rounds - 2021
Starcraft 2 - 2012
Super Smash Brothers Ultimate - 2018
Dota 2 - 2013
Rivals of Aether - 2017
The Elder Scrolls V Skyrim - 2011
Deus Ex - 2000
Deathloop - 2021
XCOM 2 - 2014
Across The Obelisk - 2022
Monster Train - 2021
Magic The Gathering: Arena - 2018
Potionomics - 2022
Rimworld - 2018
The Long Dark - 2014
Subnautica: Below Zero - 2021
Don't Starve - 2013
Transistor - 2014
ARK: Survival Evolve - 2015
Escape From Tarkov - Early Access
Destiny 2 - 2017
Fallout 4 - 2015
Pokemon Emerald - 2004
Phantom Brigade - 2023
Prey - 2017
Surviving Mars - 2018
Cities Skylines - 2015
Oxygen Not Included - 2017
Path of Exile - 2013
Enter The Gungeon - 2016
Hades - 2020
Against The Storm - Early Access
Hitman 3 - 2021
Evolve - 2015
Hand of Fate 2 - 2017
Hi-Fi Rush - 2023
Terra Nil - 2023
Follow me on twitter!: twitter.com/Thefearalcarrot
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As tough as its reputation may be, Dark Souls tries its best to give brand new players a helping hand as they find their barings in its hardcore world - unfortunately, the manner Dark Souls does this... accidentally tricks people into playing in a cowardly, risk averse way - meaning they have less fun, and are less willing to try and master the game's intricacies.
Entry Level Strategies are a powerful and crucial tool that allow videogames to ease in beginner players, but sometimes, they're too helpful for their own good, and end up ruining otherwise great games - how do they do this? and how did Elden Ring finally fix From Soft's most persistent design problem? One thing's for sure, in order to solve this particular conundrum, the Architect is going to need more than that 100% block shield they've been carrying around since the start of the game.
You Saw:
Dark Souls 2 - 2014
Dark Souls - 2012
Dark Souls 3 - 2016
Overwatch 1 - 2019
Super Smash Bros Ultimate - 2018
Xenoblade Chronicles 3 - 2021
Dota 2 - 2013
Final Fantasy 7 Remake - 2020
XCOM 2 - 2016
Counter Strike: Global Offensive
Hitman: World Of Assasination - 2023
Bioshock - 2007
Pokemon: Fire Red - 2004
Hi Fi Rush - 2023
Elden Ring - 2022
Street Fighter 4 - 2008
Metal Gear Rising - 2012
Celeste - 2018
Monster Hunter: World - 2018
Resident Evil 8 - 2021
DOOM - 2016
Wonderful 101 Remastered - 2020
Apex Legends - 2019
Batman Arkham Asylum - 2009
XCOM: EU - 2012
Half Life Alyx - 2020
Halo: Master Chef Collection - 2014
Dead Space - 2008
Titanfall 2 - 2016
Factorio - 2016
Satisfactory - Early Access
Street Fighter 5 - 2016
Magic: The Gathering Arena - 2018
Sonic Mania - 2017
Dark and Darker - Early Access
Super Mario 3D world - 2013
Mario Kart 8 - 2014
Burnout Paradise Remastered - 2018
Descenders - 2018
F Zero GX - 2003
Spelunky 2 - 2020
Hades - 2020
THe Binding of Isaac: Rebirth - 2014
Duck Game - 2015
Bayonetta 2 - 2014
Rollerdrome - 2022
Pizza Tower - 2023
Darkest Dungeon - 2016
Marvel's Midnight Suns - 2022
DOOM Eternal - 2020
Hollow Knight - 2017
Persona 5 Royal - 2019
The Witness - 2016
Neon White - 2022
Getting Over It with Bennet Foddy - 2017
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice - 2019
Bloodborne - 2015
Stardew Valley - 2016
Atomic Heart - 2023
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You are terrible at maths. Sorry, someone had to say it. However, it's not all bad news - so is every other human being ever to live! You're ALL awful when it comes to numbers! Whilst you don't always realize it, humans have an incredibly flawed understanding of everything from size to statistics, changing the way we perceive and think about numbers, particularly in videogames - but does this make them better or worse?
After clearing out a few suspiciously similar milk factories and plumbing the darkest depths of the human psyche, The Architect has determined that although the brain might be flawed, it's these flaws that can lead to some very fun game design, and no game knows this better than Vampire Survivors.
You Saw:
Vampire Survivors - 2022
God of War: Ragnarok - 2022
Pentiment - 2022
Magic Survival
Power Wash Sim - 2022
Undertale - 2015
Persona 5: Royale - 2019
The Stanley Parable Ultra Deluxe - 2022
Signalis - 2022
Super Mario Bros Movie - Not Out Yet
Super Mario Bros. - 1993
Psychonauts
Minecraft
Super Mario 3D World
Pinball FX 3
Pokémon Pinball: Ruby & Sapphire
Wonderputt Forever
Hitman: World of Assasination - 2023
Disgaea - 2003
Borderlands 2 - 2012
Disgaea 5: Alliance of Vengeance - 2015
Xenoblade 3 - 2022
Diablo 3 - 2012
Clicker Heroes - 2015
Final Fantasy 14: A Realm Reborn - 2014
World of Warcraft - 2022
New Super Mario Bros Wii U - 2012
Superliminal - 2019
Portal 2 - 2011
THe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - 20017
Marvel's Midnight Suns - 2013
Pikmin - 2004
Super Metroid - 1994
Pizza Tower - 2023
Counter Strike: Global Offensive - 2012
Sonic Generations - 2011
Space Warlord Organ Trading Simulator - 2021
Descenders - 2018
Satisfactory - Early Access
Resident Evil 2 Remake - 2019
Resident Evil 4 - 2005
Adventure Capitalist - 2014
Frog Fractions 3 - 2020
Destiny 2 - 2017
The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim - 2011
Fallout: New Vegas - 2013
Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door - 2004
Bug Fables - 2019
Bioshock Infinite - 2013
Slice and Dice - 2021
Family Fortunes Wii U - 2013
Monster Hunter World - 2018
Pokemon Scarlet - 2023
Pokemon Black 2 - 2012
Baldur's Gate 3- Early Access
XCOM: Enemy Unknown - 2012
XCOM 2 - 2016
Spelunky 2 - 2020
Super Smash Bros Ultimate - 2018
Sid Meirs Civilization 6 - 2016
Dota 2 - 2013
Genshin Impact - 2020
Konami's Castlevania: Grimoire Of Souls - 2021
Runescape - 2004
Ni no Kuni: Cross Worlds - 2022
Diablo Immortal - 2021
Terraria - 2011
Super Smash Bros Brawl - 2008
The Last of Us 2 - 2020
Luck Be A Landlord - 2023
Deus Ex Mankind Divided - 2016
Passpatout: The Starving Artist - 2017
Lootbox Simulator - 2018
Hi-Fi Rush - 2023
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As 2022 comes to a close, it's time to look back and reflect on a jam-packed year in videogaming - so many great games got released in the last twelve months from fast paced action thrillrides to thought provoking genre-busters that it's no wonder that a bunch of great videogames didn't get the time in the spotlight that they rightly deserve.
Luckily for you, after combing through the archives, and playing quite frankly too many games over the last year, The Architect has emerged from their post-holiday meditation chamber with a list of the twenty games from the last year that most deserve your attention - and that you probably haven't already heard of.
You Saw:
Xenoblade 3 (2022)
Kirby and the forgotten land (2022)
Cult of the Lamb (2022)
Horizon: Forbidden West (2022)
Stray (2022)
Elden Ring (2022)
Vampire Survivors (2022)
Overwatch 1 (2016)
Sifu (2022)
Scorn (2022)
You Suck At Parking (2022)
Iron Lung (2022)
Super Mario Bros 2 (1988)
Weird West (2022)
Strange Horticulture (2022)
Grapple Dog (2022)
God Of War: Ragnarok (2022)
Grounded (2022)
Trombone Champ (2022)
Symphony Of War: The Nephelim Saga (2022)
Tunic (2022)
Immortality (2022)
Potionomics (2022)
Power Wash Simulator (2022)
Golden Light (2022)
How Fish Is Made (2022)
Rollerdrome (2022)
Hardspace Shipbreaker (2022)
Pentiment (2022)
Hyperbolica (2022)
The Looker (2022)
Foxhole (2022)
CTRL ALT EGO (2022)
Signalis (2022)
Not For Broadcast (2022)
Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare (2014)
Teardown (2022)
Neon White (2022)
Citizen Sleeper (2022)
wow crazy they almost all came out in 2022 what a weird coincidence
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Where would we be without companions: The sidekicks, allies and general hangers-on that accompany us through all the best videogames? Honestly, we'd probably be a lot happier, because most of them are annoying as hell - but why is that? Why are so many characters literally designed to be our friends and to help us so often irritating, pushy and generally useless, and what makes those few companions worth investing time into work so well?
The Architect is glad you asked - they've been flying through trans-dimensional abbeys, alternate versions of japan and a fair few dystopias in search of the ultimate companion, and what they found was that the ultimate videogame sidekick has less to do with how nice they are, and more about the person behind the keyboard. Yeah, you!
You Saw:
Marvel's Midnight suns - 2022
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword - 2011
God of War Ragnarok - 2022
Grand Theft Auto IV - 2008
Resident Evil 4 - 2005
The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion - 2006
Bioshock: Infinite - 2013
Persona 5 Royal - 2019
Pokemon Sword and Shield - 2019
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time - 1998
Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel - 2014
Fallout 4 - 2015
Undertale - 2015
Dark Souls - 2012
Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic 2 - 2004
Dr Strange in the Multiverse of Madness - 2022
Half Life 2 - 2004
Halo: Infinite - 2021
Crosscode - 2015
Portal 2 - 2011
Ico - 2001
Final Fantasy 7 Remake - 2020
Hitman - 2016
Fire Emblem Awakening - 2012
Jedi: Fallen Order - 2019
Portal - 2007
Mass Effect 2 - 2010
Puella Magi Madoka Magica - 2011
The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim - 2011
The Witcher 3 - 2016
OneShot - 2016
The Outer Worlds - 2019
Pokemon Fire Red - 2004
The Last of Us 2 - 2020
Half Life 2 Episode 1 - 2006
Psychonauts 2 - 2021
God of War - 2018
Pokemon Scarlet - 2022
Monster Hunter World - 2018
Mario and Luigi Dream Team - 2013
Shadow of the Tomb Raider - 2018
Ace Attorney Investigations 2 - 2011
High On Life - 2022
Xenoblade Chronicles 3 - 2022
Symphony of War: The Nephelim Saga - 2022
Fire Emblem 3 Houses - 2019
The Banner Saga 3 - 2018
Titanfall 2 - 2016
Dragon Age Origins - 2009
Nier Automata - 2017
Genshin Impact - 2020
Earthbound - 1994
Final Fantasy 7 Demake - 1990
Left 4 Dead 2 - 2009
Grand Theft Auto V - 2013
Yoshi's Island - 1995
Spyro Reignited Trilogy - 2018
Stardew Valley - 2016
Mass Effect 3 - 2014
Disco Elysium - 2019
Dream Daddy - 2016
Potionomics - 2022
Half Life Alyx - 2020
Borderlands 3 - 2019
Watch Dogs 2 - 2016
Fallout 3 - 2008
Half Life 2 Episode 2 - 2007
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess - 2006
Kirby and the Forgotten Land - 2022
Deltarune - NOT OUT YET
Stray - 2022
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There's something... off about videogame economics. Regardless of when the game was made, who by and what it's about - it's remarkably easy to crack a game's systems open and use them to find the optimal means of making money, even when that means doing things that aren't actually fun. Why is this? Why can't game designers simply make economies just as fair, balanced and well thought out as the real life economy?
Well, that's a mystery The Architect has been studying for some time and it's, predictably, lead to even more questions. Between realms of the mind, post apocalypses and cities far beyond the stars, there's something strange going on with videogame economics, and the answer may just lie in our relationship with reality...
You Saw:
Yakuza 0 - 2015
Moonlighter - 2018
Final Fantasy 14
Doom Eternal - 2020
Persona 5 royal - 2019
Witcher 3 - 2015
Horizon Zero Dawn - 2017
pokemon scarlet and violet - 2022
Runescape - 2001
Dragon Quest 11 - 2017
Valheim - 2021
Forager - 2019
Minecraft - 2011
Diablo 2 - 2000
Starcraft 2 - 2010
Monster hunter world - 2018
Potionomics - 2022
The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim - 2011
Enter The Gungeon - 2016
Civilization 6 - 2016
Borderlands 3 - 2016
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice - 2019
Offworld Trading Company - 2016
Space Warlord Organ Trading Simulator - 2021
Mario Galaxy 2 - 2010
EVE: Online - 2003
Destiny 2 - 2017
Destiny - 2014
Death and Taxes - 2020
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - 2017
The Long Dark - 2017
Resident Evil 4 - 2005
Fallout New Vegas - 2010
Perfect Heist 2 - 2021
Deus Ex: Human Revolution - 2011
Untitled Goose Game - 2019
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of time 3D - 2011
The Binding of Issaac Rebirth - 2014
Super Mario World - 1990
Hunt: Showdown - 2018
Resident Evil 2 Remake - 2019
Deus Ex - 2000
Dishonored - 2012
Dishonored 2 - 2016
Bioshock - 2007
Signalis - 2022
Age of Empires 4 - 2021
Command and Conquer 3
Dune Spice Wars - Early Access
Tooth and Tail - 2017
Steamworld Dig 2 - 2017
Yakuza 7 - 2020
Fallout 4 - 2015
Elden Ring - 2022
Wario Land: Shake It!- 2008
Deep Rock Galactic - 2020
Subnautica - 2017
Don't Starve - 2013
Rogue Legacy - 2013
Hades - 2020
Pokemon sword and shield - 2018
Recettear - 2007
Frostpunk - 2017
World of Warcraft - 2004
New World - 2021
Super Paper Mario - 2007
Watchdogs Legion - 2020
Diaries of a Spaceport Janitor - 2016
Citizen Sleeper - 2022
Hardspace Shipbreaker - 2022
Fifa 2023
There Is No Game: Wrong Dimension - 2020
Genshin Impact - 2020
Teardown - 2022
Rollerdrome - 2022
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Whether we want to admit it or not - sometimes, we lose at videogames, it's an inevitable part of doing something challenging and naturally, gamers everywhere want to avoid this happening as much as possible. Why? Because failure and defeat aren't much fun... or are they?
Contrary to popular belief, The Architect is genuinely awful at videogames and has seen their fair share of ruined colonies, terrifying monsters and doomed dungeon runs, but despite it all, some great games manage to make this experience entertaining and enriching without compromising their challenge - how can they pull this off? Well, it's all to do with rethinking the consequences of our failure and coming to terms with the fact that WE might be the reason why failure sometimes isn't fun.
You Saw:
Space engineers - 2013
Shadow of Mordor - 2014
Marvel's Avengers - 2020
Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time - 2020
Mario Odyssey - 2017
Marvel SNAP - 2022
Mario Kart 8 - 2014
Persona 5 Royal - 2019
Dishonored - 2012
Tunic - 2022
Hardpsace Shipbreaker - 2022
Fall Guys - 2020
Deathloop - 2021
Cruelty Squad - 2021
Potionomics- 2022
XCOM 2 - 2016
Super Mario 3D World - 2013
Darkest Dungeon 2 - Early Access
Rimworld - 2018
Dark Souls - 2012
Bayonetta - 2014
Strange Horticulture - 2022
Sifu - 2022
Apex Legends - 2019
Shovel Knight - 2014
Duck Tales - 1989
Mega Man X - 1993
Castlevania Symphony of the Night - 1997
Super Mario Bros - 1983
Minecraft - 2011
Day Z - 2013
Player Unknown's Battlegrounds - 2016
Call of Duty Warzone - 2020
Resident Evil 8 - 2021
Resident Evil 2 Remake - 2019
Signalis - 2022
Dead Space - 2008
Sonic The Hedgehog 2 - 1992
DOOM: Eternal - 2020
Uncharted 4 - 2016
Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 Remastered
Borderlands 3 - 2020
Titanfall 2 - 2016
Darkest Dungeon - 2016
XCOM: Enemy Unknown - 2012
Symphony of War: The Nephilim Saga - 2022
Dwarf Fortress - 2006
Unsighted - 2021
Pathologic 2 - 2019
Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice - 2017
Death Stranding - 2019
Dead Cells - 2018
Spelunky 2 - 2021
Caves of Qud - 2015
Rogue Legacy - 2013
Hades - 2020
Monster Train - 2020
Prey: Mooncrash - 2018
Slay The Spire - 2019
Dark Souls 2 - 2014
Dark Souls 3 - 2016
Kings Field 3
Bloodborne - 2015
Elden Ring - 2022
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice - 2019
Monster Hunter World - 2018
Phantom Abyss - Early Access
Baldur's Gate 3 - Early Access
The Elder Scrimbles 5: Skyrim - 2011
Super Smash Brothers Ultimate - 2018
Hitman 3 - 2021
Binding of Isaac rebirth - 2014
Totally Reliable Delivery Service - 2019
Kerbal Space Program - 2011
Accounting+ - 2017
Half Life Alyx - 2020
Trombone Champ - 2022
Batman Arkham Asylum - 2009
Fez - 2013
Celeste - 2018
Portal - 2007
The Witness - 2016
BABA IS YOU - 2019
Sable - 2021
Pac Man - 1980
Doom - 1993
Galaxians - 1979
Hunt: Showdown - 2018
Golf Gang - 2022
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Dungeons and Dragons has been around for years, and in its many years of influence, D&D has inspired a countless number of videogames. Experience points, a bunch of classic monsters, dungeons, and yes, even dragons as videogame staples can ultimately be traced back to the venerable king of roleplaying games - but there's one idea D&D popularized that doesn't get anywhere near enough credit. And that, is classes.
Yep, everything from warlocks to warriors ultimately draw influence from a couple of very clever ideas the creators of D&D had way back in the 1970s - but why are classes so influential? In an attempt to find out why, The Architect has donned a sword, staff, bow and a whole host of other cliche articles of classy clothing in an effort to find out once and for all why both developers and players love classes as a mechanic so damn much.
You Saw:
Baldur's Gate 3 - EARLY ACCESS
Stranger Things - 2016
Wizardry 1 SNES - 1980
XCOM 2 - 2016
Final Fantasy 3 - 1990
Darkest Dungeon - 2016
Overwatch - 2016 (yes I am refusing to note overwatch 2 as a seperate game out of spite thank you for asking)
Among Us - 2018
Paper Mario 2 The Thousand Year Door - 2004
Super Paper Mario - 2007
Moonbreaker - 2022
Warcraft 3 - 2002
World of Warcraft - 2004
Guild Wars 2 - 2012
Lost Ark - 2019
New World - 2021
Final Fantasy 14 - 2010
Runescape - 2001
Perfect Heist 2 - 2021
Final Fantasy 7 Remake - 2020
Xenoblade 3 - 2022
Dark Souls - 2012
Elden Ring - 2022
Skyrim - 2011
Path of Exile - 2013
Fire Emblem: Three Houses - 2019
Dota 2 - 2013
Dome Keeper - 2022
Gears Tactics - 2020
Space Engineers - 2013
Deep Rock Galactic - 2020
Invisible Inc - 2015
Into The Breach - 2018
Foxhole - 2022
Battle Brothers - 2015
Symphony of War: The Nephilim Saga - 2022
XCOM: Enemy Unknown - 2012
The Binding of Isaac - 2014
Risk of Rain 2 - 2019
Gunfire Reborn - 2020
Grim Dawn - 2016
Titan Quest - 2006
Dragon Age Origins - 2009
Before Your Eyes - 2021
Fallout New Vegas - 2010
Terraria - 2011
Magic The Gathering Arena - 2018
Sid Meir's Civilization 6 - 2016
Cybperpunk 2077 - 2021
Prodeus - 2022
Follow me on twitter!: twitter.com/Thefearalcarrot
Check out Pixel A Day: youtube.com/c/pixeladay
No matter which genre of game you play, no matter which era of the medium is your favorite, one thing is inescapable - inevitable, and that is... fishing minigames. From RPGs to Rogelikes to MMOs, fishing minigames are in just about everything, and as much as we enjoy them, no-one really seems to know... why?
Well, that's where The Architect comes in. After conspiring with outer gods, raising a clutch of horrible monster creatures and seducing the entirety of an isolated farming town, they've figured out why fishing seems to be everywhere and why we love it so much: Fishing is just one part of an invisible gaming safety net that helps preserve the fun of our favorite games for longer - the question is how they manage to pull it off?
You Saw:
Stardew Valley - 2016
Red Dead Redemption 2 - 2018
Final Fantasy 15 - 2016
The Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess - 2006
Resident Evil 4 - 2005
Wii Play - 2006
Xenoblade Chronicles 2 - 2017
Warframe -2013
Nier Automata - 2017
Sonic Adventure 1 - 1998
Spiritfarer - 2020
Animal Crossing New Horizons - 2020
Ultimate Fishing Simulator - 2018
A Short Hike - 2019
Sea of Theives - 2018
Yakuza Kiwami - 2016
The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild - 2016
Cult of the Lamb - 2022
Minecraft - 2011
Devil May Cry - 2001
The Witness - 2016
Elden Ring - 2022
Crypt of the Necrodancer - 2015
DOOM 2016 - hmm
DOOM Eternal - 2020
Paradise Killer - 2020
DOTA 2 - 2013
Infinifactory - 2013
Final Fantasy 14 - 2010
Sonic Adventure 2 - 2001
Deep Rock Galactic - 2018
Psychonauts 2 - 2021
Final Fantasy 7 - 1997
Final Fantasy 10 - 2001
Final Fantasy 7 Remake - 2020
Yakuza Like A Dragon - 2020
Dark Souls 3 - 2016
Hollow Knight - 2017
Across the Obilisk - 2020
Halo Infinite - 2021
The Elder Scrolls V Skyrim - 2011
Fallout 4 - 2015
Runescape - 2001
It Takes Two - 2021
Xcom: Chimera Squad - 2020
XCOM - 2012
XCOM 2 - 2016
Cyberpunk 2077 - 2020
A Hat In Time - 2016
Metal Gear Solid 5 - 2015
Left 4 Dead - 2008
Xenoblade 3 - 2022
God of War - 2018
Deathloop - 2021
Bioshock - 2007
Borderlands 3 - 2019
Hades - 2018
Returnal - 2021
Gloomwood - EARLY ACCESS
HuniePop 2 - 2021
There Is No Game: Wrong Dimension - 2020
Lake Facade - 2022
Tower of Fantasy - 2021
Genshin Impact - 2020
Fallout Shelter -2015
Crosscode - 2015
Valheim - 2021
Sleeping Dogs - 2012
Fallout 3 - 2008
The Legend of Zelda Link's Awakening Remake - 2019
Perfect Heist 2 - 2021
Follow me on twitter!: twitter.com/Thefearalcarrot
Check out Buried Treasure: buried-treasure.org
There are few better feelings in games than being able to immerse ourselves in unfamiliar and hostile videogaming worlds, but quite often - they fail to deliver on their promise of presenting us with environments that challenge and surprise us at every turn... why?
Well, it's hard to feel like a videogame environment is indifferent to your presence and filled with unknown mysteries when we already recognize the patterns and tropes used to construct them - so how can we get around this problem? The architect has braved multiple apocalypses, lands shrouded in spoiler warnings, and even vast subterranean cities to figure out this problem once and for all... and why the solution seems to involve cats?
You Saw:
Deathloop (2021)
Bioshock (2007)
Deus Ex Mankind Divided (2016)
Prey (2017)
Elden Ring (2022)
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (2011)
Fez (2012)
Dark Souls (2012)
Metroid: Dread (2021)
Hollow Knight (2017)
Bloodstained: Ritual of the night (2019)
Subnautica (2014)
Minecraft (2012)
Journey To The Savage Planet (2020)
Control (2019)
Rain World (2017)
Super Mario Sunshine (2004)
LSD Dream Emulator (1998)
Xenoblade Chronicles 3 (2022)
Monster Hunter World (2018)
DOOM (2016)
Resident Evil 8 (2021)
Half Life 2 (2004)
Spooky's Jump Scare mansion (2014)
Xenoblade Chronicles 2 (2017)
Dark Souls 3 (2016)
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (2017)
World of Warcraft (2004)
Grounded (Early Access)
Outer Wilds (2019)
Five Nights At Freddy's: Security Breach (2021)
Amnesia: The Dark Descent (2010)
Mass Effect Legendary Edition (2021)
Grand Theft Auto 5 (2013)
Far Cry 6 (2021)
EXO ONE (2021)
Rise of the Tomb Raider (2015)
Mirror's Edge (2010)
Getting Over it (2017)
Lorne's Lure (Early Access)
Hyperbolica (2022)
Call of Cuthulu (2018)
Apex Legends (2019)
Hunt: Showdown
Escape From Tarkov (EARLY ACCESS)
The Cycle: Frontier (2022)
Descenders (2018)
Deltarune part 1 (2018)
Psychonatuts 2 (2021)
Psychonauts 1 (2005)
Black Mesa (2015)
Half Life Alyx (2020)
Call of Duty 4 (2007)
The Looker (2022)
The Witness (2016)
Xenoblade Chronicles DE (2020)
Resident Evil 2 Remake (2019)
Death Stranding (2019)
Batman: Arkham Knight (2015)
The Eternal Cylinder (2021)
Power Washer Simulator (2022)
Follow me on twitter!: twitter.com/Thefearalcarrot
Check out classics of game! youtube.com/user/ClassicsOfGame
Balance in videogames is a tricky thing, no-one can ever seem to get it quite right. From AAA studios to tiny indie games, you'll always find someone complaining about a game's balance, and in particular, about how something is probably overpowered. It's a tale as old as time! But are overpowered strategies really as bad as we've been led to believe?
The Architect doesn't think so - sure, something being overpowered can suck, but by fiddling with the power levels of various ingame options, developers can also spice up their games in several really interesting ways that we don't tend to talk about, all it's going to take to prove it is braving some of gaming's most overpowered obstacles ever.
You Saw:
Anno 1800 - 2019
AM2R - 2016
Cyberpunk 2077 - 2020
Diablo Immortal - 2021
Dota 2 - 2013
Starcraft 2 - 2010
Hearthstone - 2014
Team Fortress 2 - 2007
Pico Park - 2021
Halo Infinite - 2021
Left 4 Dead 2 - 2009
ULTRAKILL - Early Access
Metal Gear Rising: Revengance - 2012
Apex Legends - 2019
Devil May Cry - 2001
Final Fantasy 14 - 2010 technically
Final Fantasy 7 Remake - 2020
Final Fantasy 10 - 2001
Final Fantasy 7 1997
Bayonetta 2 - 2014
Devil May Cry 5 - 2019
Titanfall 2 - 2016
Divinity Original Sin 2 - 2017
Deep Rock Galactic - 2020
Fling To The Finish - 2021
The Cycle: Frontier - 2022
Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door - 2004
DOOM Eternal - 2020
Fire Emblem: 3 Houses - 2019
Satisfactory - Early Access
Magic Duels - 2015
Magic Arena - 2018
League of Legends - 2009
Arcane - 2021
Project Winter - 2019
Gary's Mod - 2006
Evolve - 2015
It Takes 2 - 2021
Dead By Daylight - 2016
Spy Party - 2018
Crawl - 2014
Half Life 2 - 2004
Guild Wars 2 - 2012
World of Warcraft - 2004
Call of Duty WW2 - 2017
Street Fighter 4 - 2008
Street fighter 5 - 2016
Bioshock Infinite - 2013
Elechead - 2021
Follow me on twitter!: twitter.com/Thefearalcarrot
Check out SokPop! sokpop.co
Sim City is one of the most important videogames ever made, but Will Wright's magnum opus isn't revolutionary because it made architecture fun, but in how it created an entirely new kind of videogame: the problem solver. Problem Solving videogames are a unique collection of titles that rely not on the developer to author specific obstacles, but on the player to interact with a set of meticulously-balanced variables and rules and in the process create a series of challenges that are totally unique.
The Architect has been trying their hand at alchemy, logistics, speed running and even... whatever that word is for planning out what buildings look like in an effort to figure out the root of this particular problem - and they've come to a startling conclusion. Some of the best problems in videogaming are, in fact, designed to be unsolvable.
You Saw:
Streets of Rage - 1991
Super Mario Bros - 1985
Surviving Mars - 2018
Game Dev Tycoon - 2015
Sim City - 1989
Civilization 6 - 2016
Starcraft 2 - 2010
Sim City 3000 - 1999
Sim City (2013) - :/
Sim City 2000 - 1993
Utopia - 1982
Sim City 4 - 2003
Anno 1800 - 2019
They Are Billions - 2017
Teardown - 2022
Hardspace Shipbreaker - 2022
Factorio - 2020
The Stanley Parable Ultra Deluxe - 2022
Super Mario Odyssey - 2017
World of Goo - 2008
Rimworld - 2018
Evil Genius 2 - 2021
Satisfactory - Early Access
Neon White - 2022
Dorfromantik - 2021
Spacechem - 2011
Infinifactory - 2015
Exapunks - 2018
Opus Magnum - 2017
Human Resouce Machine - 2015
Cities Skylines - 2015
Two Point Hospital - 2018
Frostpunk - 2018
Northgard - 2017
Mini Motorways - 2019
Death Stranding - 2019
Wilmott's Warehouse - 2019
Tetris 99 - 2019
Fallout New Vegas - 2010
Super Mario 64 - 1996
The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim - 2011
Quake - 1996
Elden Ring - 2022
Divinity Original Sin 2 - 2017
Terra Nil - Early Access
Baba is You - 2019
The Greatest Movie Of All Time (2007)
Fall Guys - 2020
Follow me on twitter!: twitter.com/Thefearalcarrot
Check out iamerror!: youtube.com/c/iamerror
Videogames are unique for a lot of reasons, but what makes them stand out amongst every other form of media is the simple fact that they can end in a variety of ways. From choosing who lives and who dies, the fate of the world, to simply what colour a big pretty ending explosion is - alternate endings are one of the great videogaming ideas...
So why are they so often kind of rubbish?
The Architect has scouted multiple timelines, delved into the farthest reaches of the universe and poked around in the still-smoking craters left by controversial videogames to figure out the answer - games with multiple endings are great, but not for the reasons we think... and it's this misconception that's dragging down a whole load of otherwise great games.
You Saw:
The legend of zelda breath of the wild - 2017
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King - 2003
Titanic - 1997
Waiting for Godot - 1952
Dishonored 2 - 2016
Papers Please - 2013
Monster Prom 2: Monster Camp - 2020
Clue - 1986
Disco Elysium - 2019
Storyteller - Early Access
Resident Evil 7 - 2017
Undertale - 2015
Until Dawn - 2015
Far Cry 5 - 2018
Detroit: Become Human - 2018
Fallout 4 - 2015
Mass Effect Legendary Edition - 2021
The Stanley Parable Ultra Deluxe -2022
Citizen Sleeper - 2022
Reventure - 2019
Pikmin - 2001
Telltale's Batman - 2016
Not For Broadcast - 2022
Nier Automata - 2017
Shadow The Hedgehog - 2005
Chrono Trigger - 1995
Fire Emblem 3 Houses - 2019
Catherine - 2011
Red Dead Redemption 2 - 2018
Sonic Mania - 2017
Bioshock - 2007
Silicon Dreams - 2021
Dawn of War 2: Chaos Rising - 2010
Metro Exodus - 2019
Paradise Killer - 2020
Life Is Strange - 2015
Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door - 2004
Deus Ex: Human Revolution - 2011
Bastion - 2011
Ghost of Tsushima - 2020
Grand Theft Auto 5 - 2013
Infamous - 2009
Pikmin 2 - 2004
Dark Souls - 2012
Furi - 2016
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice - 2019
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night - 1997
The Talos Principle - 2014
Super Mario 64 - 1996
Hollow Knight - 2017
Bloodborne - 2015
How Fish is Made - 2022
Fallout New Vegas - 2010
Final Fantasy 14 - 2010
Sonic Generations - 2011
Follow me on twitter!: twitter.com/Thefearalcarrot
Everyone loves engaging in a bit of nostalgia - it's a way to enjoy the things we love from an entirely new perspective, adding some extra layers to our existing cherished childhood memories - from Mario to Pokemon to Dark Souls, everyone has something they're nostalgic about... but is that a good thing?
After a lot of soul searching, and a few trips into alternate pasts and futures - The Architect has discovered an unsettling truth - that nostalgia might not be the universal good we often think it is, and in fact, our obsession over our own flawed memories might be ruining our present day fun...
Go check out Yames! pantagruel.itch.io
You Saw:
jedi fallen order (2019)
rocket league (2015)
Bloodstained: ritual of the night (2019)
Super Smash Bros Ultimate (2018)
FF7 Remake (2020)
Spider Man: No Way Home (2022)
Super Mario Odyssey (2017)
Super Mario 64 (1996)
Dark Souls 3 (2016)
Dark Souls (2012)
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of time (1998)
The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker (2002)
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (2011)
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (2006)
Halo 1 (2001)
Final Fantasy 6 (1994)
Cuphead (2017)
Dishonored 2 (2016)
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (1997)
Animal Crossing New Horizons (2020)
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (2017)
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice (2019)
Tem Tem (EARLY ACCESS)
Coromon (2022)
Nexomon: Extinction (2020)
Monster Crown (2020)
Pokemon Emerald (2004)
Pokemon Showdown (2011)
The Legend of Zelda: A Link To the past (1991)
Far Cry Primal (2016)
Metal Gear Rising: Revengance (2012)
The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim (2011)
Pokemon Sword (2019)
Fortnite (2017)
Realm Royale (2018)
Portal 1 (2007)
Quantum Conundrum (2012)
Q.U.B.E 2 (2018)
Superliminal(2019)
Portal 2 (2011)
Narbacular Drop (2005)
Tag: The Power of Paint (2008)
Unturned (2014)
Minecraft (2011)
Terraria (2011)
Starbound (2016)
Tales of Maj'eyl (2012)
Rogue (1980)
Yooka Laylee (2017)
Banjo Kazooie (1998)
Banjo Tooie (2000)
Project Warlock (2018)
Ion Fury (2018)
Hellbound (2020)
DOOM: Eternal (2020)
Nightmare Reaper (2022)
Dusk (2018)
Quake 2 (1997)
ULTRAKILL (EARLY ACCESS)
Sonic Mania (2017)
Sonic The Hedgehog (1991)
Super Mario Bros Advance (2001)
Super Smash Bros Brawl (2008)
Resident Evil 2 Remake (2019)
Resident Evil 2 (1998)
Pokemon White 2 (2012)
Pokemon Shining Pearl (2022)
Final Fantasy 15 (2016)
Watchdogs (2014)
Sea of theives (2018)
Hollow Knight (2017)
Super Metroid (1994)
Metroid Dread (2021)
Guacamelee 2 (2018)
Ori and the Blind forest (2015)
Supraland (2018)
Toki Tori 2 (2013)
Unsighted (2021)
Elden Ring (2022)
Tenchu: Stealth Assasins (1998)
The Stanley Parable Ultra Deluxe (2022)
Metroid Fusion (2002)
Metroid (1986)
A Hat in Time (2017)
Shovel Knight (2014)
Mega Man 2 (1988)
Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow (2005)
Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia (2008)
Hypnospace Outlaw (2019)
DOOM (2016)
Ready Player 1 (2018)
Pokemon Heart Gold (2009)
Dead Estate (2021)
Follow me on twitter!: twitter.com/Thefearalcarrot
Over the last decade, videogames have gotten much better at communication. After so many years, we've finally got comprehensive tutorials, clear user interfaces and well-paced difficulty curves that never leave you overwhelmed or confused - but have videogames lost something in this transition to easy-to-play accessibility? The Architect thinks so.
After stumbling their way through forests, caverns and ancient ruins, The Architect has uncovered scraps of an ancient manual, containing a hidden secret within: Sometimes, hiding information from the player, and making learning itself part of a game's challenge, can make eventual mastery all that more satisfying. Luckily for us, Tunic is here to show us how this nearly-forgotten technique is done.
Check Out Skyehoppers!:youtube.com/c/Skyehoppers
You Saw:
Tunic - 2022
Pokemon Let's Go Pikachu - 2018
Gears Tactics - 2020
Shadow of War - 2017
Metroid Dread - 2021
Deathloop - 2021
Heaven's Vault - 2019
Psychonauts - 2005
Death Stranding - 2019
Street Fighter 5 - 2016
Xenoblade Chronicles 2 - 2017
Metroid Prime - 2002
Hollow Knight - 2017
Steamworld Dig 2
Elden Ring - 2022
Golden Light - 2022
Bug Fables - 2019
Monster Hunter Rise - 2018
Monster Hunter World - 2021
Fez - 2012
XCOM: Enemy Unknown - 2012
BABA is YOU - 2019
The Witness - 2016
Antichamber - 2013
Super Metroid - 1994
Super Mario Bros - 1985
XCOM 2 - 2016
Portal 2 - 2011
Far Cry 4 - 2014
Half Life Alyx - 2020
Knightfall - 2022
Dark Souls - 2012
Journey - 2017
Minecraft - 2011
Satisfactory - Early Access
Follow me on twitter!: twitter.com/Thefearalcarrot
Check out Codex Entry: youtube.com/channel/UCseUB-78sF7MGcbl4mHhEng
Open World games have been in a bit of a rut for years now, ever since Far Cry 3 set the tone for the genre more than a decade ago, every single open world game has been held prisoner by a single feature: Towers. The bane of exploration-lovers everywhere. Or are they?
The Architect has seen a fair share of towers, and they're starting to doubt whether towers really are at fault for bad open worlds after all - hell, even Elden Ring has them, and that game has a great world! After saddling up and exploring the worlds of Hyrule, The Mojave and now the Lands Between, finally the secret of good world design is within grasp... It's just inside this innocent looking chest, I swear...
You Saw:
Halo Infinite - 2021
Batman Arkham Knight -2015
Horizon: Zero Dawn - 2017
Far Cry 5 - 2018
Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim - 2011
Breath of the Wild - 2017
Cybperpunk 2077 - 2020
Assasins Creed Valhalla - 2020
Assasins Creed Odyssey - 2018
Spiderman PS4 - 2018
Shadow of War - 2017
Infamous: Second Son -- 2014
Genshin Impact - 2020
Deus Ex: Human Revolution - 2011
Elden Ring - 2022
Metro Exodus - 2019
Fallout 4 - 2015
Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion - 2006
Fallout 3 - 2008
Sea of Thieves - 2018
Far Cry 3 - 2012
Hyperbolica - 2022
Tunic - 2022
Batman Arkham City - 2011
Sable - 2021
Fallout: New Vegas - 2010
World of Warcraft - 2004
Far Cry 6 - 2021
Follow me on twitter!: twitter.com/Thefearalcarrot
Power fantasies are almost ubiquitous in games, from the absolute most casual experiences out there to the hardest of the hardcore - videogames LOVE making us feel strong and powerful, and why wouldn't they? Feeling powerful is loads of fun!
However, a feeling of strength and control isn't all games have to offer, and in our obsession with power fantasies, some equally good kinds of games can sometimes get swept under the rug. After a lifetime's worth of training in the martial, bureaucratic and logistical arts The Architect is ready to tell you how being weak is just as fun as being strong - even if it's in an unconventional way.
Links to charities:
mightycause.com/story/M1wzpf
https://vuf-td.space/
https://voices.org.ua/en/
Check out Graythorn!: youtube.com/channel/UCDFghROk9t0fdXLppfn0gRw
You Saw (a lot of stuff, jeebus):
Elden Ring - 2022
Dying Light 2 - 2022
The Sandbox - lmao
Fortnite: Battle Royale - 2017
Dishonored - 2012
Carrion 2020
Bayonetta 2 2014
Warhammer 40k Space Marine - 2011
Mirror's Edge - 2008
Mario Odyssey - 2017
Crumble 2020
Neon White - Early access
Metal Gear Rising Revengence - 2013
Dark Souls - 2012
Untitled Goose Game -2019
Bloodborne - 2015
Dark Souls 3 - 2016
Control - 2019
Ultrakill - Early Access
Pikmin 2 - 2004
Disco Elysium - 2019
Silt - Early Access
Death Stranding - 2019
Sifu - 2022
Apex Legends - 2019
Spellbreak -2020
Battle Brothers - 2015
Kenshi - 2015
Resident Evil 2 Remake - 2019
The Stanley Parable - 2013
Fallout 3 - 2008
Bioshock - 2007
Fable - 2004
Infamous: Second Son - 2014
Spoodermon No Way Back For The Franchise - 2022
Saints Row 4 - 2013
Infamous 1 - 2009
Mass Effect Legendary Edition - 2021
Far Cry 5 - 2018
Spec Ops: The Line - 2012
This War of Mine - 2014
Undertale - 2015
Papers Please - 2013
Not For Broadcast - 2022
Death and Taxes - 2020
Strange Horticulture - 2022
Not Tonight 2 - 2022
Mind Scanners - 2021
Silicon Dreams - 2021
Blade Runner - 1982
Frostpunk - 2018
Fable 2 - 2008
LISA:The Painful - 2014
Twilight Princess - 2006
Uncharted 3 - 2011
Metal Gear Solid 4 - 2008
Doom: Eternal - 2020
Doom - 2016
Monster Hunter World - 2018
Viscera Cleanup Detail - 2015
Batman Arkham City - 2011
Sherlock Holmes: Crime and Punishment - 2014
Return of the Obra Dinn - 2018
Hypnospace Outlaw - 2019
Wilmot's Warehouse - 2019
EVE Online - 2003
Animal Crossing New Horizons - 2020
Microsoft Flight Simulator -2020
Ace Combat 7 - 2019
Assemble With Care - 2019
Asura's Wrath - 2012
Crosscode - 2015
Follow me on twitter!: twitter.com/Thefearalcarrot
Check out ShayMay youtube.com/user/heyshaymay
Disco Elysium is a weird game - that much is obvious. It's got high minded philosophical commentary sharing space with childish jokes, it mocks just about every political worldview ruthlessly, and it veers drunkenly between bleak musings on the state of post-capitalist reality and joyous moments of pure fun.
It's no wonder that many people, The Architect included, have tried and failed over and over again to figure out what, if anything, Disco Elysium is actually about. Until now. Against the advice of the many voices in their head, The Architect has ventured into the wild pale yonder of Elysium and lived to tell the tale, specifically, a tale about how failure... is just the beginning.
You Saw:
Disco Elysium - 2019
Outer Wilds - 2019
Manifold Garden - 2019
Never Gonna Give You Up - 1987
Follow me on twitter!: twitter.com/Thefearalcarrot
Whoops! Genesis Noir is available on gamepass!
It's the end of another year in videogaming and oh what a year it's been - regardless of how well your 2021 has gone, there's one thing we can agree on, that there's been a bunch of great videogames in the last 12 months. Unfortunately, that also means that some otherwise great games have been overshadowed by bigger titles.
Luckily, The Architect has spent the last 365 days rummaging through every last videogame released this year and has come up with a definitive list not of the best games of the year, but of the games you should've played... but probably didn't - as well as where best to buy them during the holiday sales. Buckle up! There's some real gems in here.
Also, sorry for some audio glitches here and there - I couldn't upload a fixed version but they're only noticeable if you're insane like I am!
You Saw:
Dyson Sphere Program (Early Access)
New Pokemon Snap (2021)
Hitman 3 (2021)
Resident Evil 8 (2021)
Outer Wilds (2019)
It Takes Two (2021)
Everhood (2021)
Chicory - A Colorful Tale (2021)
- Of The Killer series (2021)
Slipways (2021)
Silicon Dreams (2021)
Blade Runner
Mundaun (2021)
The Forgotten City (2021)
Genesis Noir (2021)
Loop Hero (2021)
Spookware (2021)
Unpacking (2021)
Unsighted (2021)
Webbed (2021)
Nerts (2021)
Escape Simulator (2021)
Cruelty Squad (2021)
Sable (2021)
GTA Trilogy Remastered (2021)
Balan Wonderworld (2021)
Ball in a Cup Game (Early Access)
Before Your Eyes (2021)
Wildermyth (2021)
Inscryption (2021)
Follow me on twitter!: twitter.com/Thefearalcarrot
Check out FD Signifier! youtube.com/c/FDSignifire
You probably already know this, but video games are LONG - we pour hour after hour into not just our favorite videogames, but also ones we don't even like that much - and there is no better example of the sheer compulsive, time-sucking power of games than Roguelikes. Ever since their inception at the dawn of interactive entertainment, rogue and its spawn have demanded millions of hours of our collective time... but how?
The Architect has plundered basements, raided ancient castles and delved into realms of anime as yet undreamed of to fiind out what it is about roguelikes, and by extension all videogames that is so damn compelling... that is unless they get distracted with another Isaac run.
You Saw:
Breath of the Wild (2017)
Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (2003)
Shadow of War (2017)
Monster Hunter: World (2018)
Persona 5 (2016)
Portal (2007)
It Takes 2 (2021)
Fortnite (2017)
Troll 2 (1990)
Tales of Maj'eyal (2012)
Spelunky 2 (2020)
The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth (2014)
FTL: Faster than Light (2012)
Genshin Impact (2020)
World of Warcraft (2004)
Runescape (2001)
Final Fantasy 14 (2010)
Super Mario Odyssey (2017)
Dota 2 (2013)
Dishonored 2 (2016)
Minecraft (2011)
Descenders (2019)
Dead Cells (2018)
Halo Infinite (2021)
Sea of Theives (2018)
Potioncraft (Not out yet)
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity
Xenoblade Chronicles 2 (2017)
Xenoblade Chronicles: DE (2020)
Animal Crossing: New Horizons (2020)
Inside (2016)
Undertale (2015)
A Short Hike (2019)
The Longing (2020)
Dark Souls 2 (2014)
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice (2019)
The Colonists (2020)
Satisfactory (Early Access)
Factorio (2020)
Spelunky Classic (2008)
Caves of Qud (early Access)
Hades (2020)
Going Under (2020)
Enter the Gungeon (2017)
Monster Train (2020)
Dungeon Crawl: Stone Soup (2006)
Inscryption (2021)
Slay The Spire (2017)
Gunfire Reborn (2021)
Rogue Legacy (2013)
Immortal Redneck (2016)
Spelunky (2012)
Psychonauts 2 (2021)
Destiny 2 (2017)
Hearthstone (2014)
Splitgate (2019)
Support the channel on Patreon!: patreon.com/ArchitectofGames
Follow me on twitter!: twitter.com/Thefearalcarrot
How does Mario remain so infamously creative, without ever having to tell you how its new ideas work? Why do platinum games make your dodge move so powerful? And how does Halo create interesting strategic decisions by taking your guns away? the answer is a little-known and abstract concept called Toolsets.
A videogame's toolset is the culmination of all of your abilities and all of your strategic options, and the way each component fits together can have a huge yet invisible impact on the way you play - and there is no better example of the power of a good toolset than Halo. By restricting players to just two weapons at a time, Halo didn't just use a toolset to shape the way you play, but to put players in charge and let them decide their own strategies, a decision that inadvertently changed the course of videogame history...
You Saw:
Halo: Combat Evolved - 2001
Doom - 1994
Quake 2 - 1997
Half Life - 1998
Halo Infinite - 2021
DOOM: Eternal - 2020
Blood - 1997
Halo 2 - 2004
Grand Theft Auto 5 - 2013
Titanfall 2 - 2016
Counter Strike: Source - 2000
Halo 3 - 2007
Psychonauts 2 - 2021
Eastern Front: 1941 - 1981
Asteroids - 1979
Human Resource Machine - 2015
Super Mario Odyssey - 2017
Hades - 2020
Wonderful 101: Remastered - 2020
Nier: Automata - 2017
Bayonetta 2 - 2014
Metal Gear Rising: Revengance - 2013
DUSK - 2017
Halo: Reach - 2010
Prey - 2017
Super Metroid - 1994
Metroid Prime Trilogy - 2009
Ori and the Blind Forest - 2015
Ori and the Will of the Wisps - 2020
Stardew Valley - 2016
The Eternal Cylinder - 2021
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - 2017
King's Quest V - 1990
Dota 2 - 2013
Shovel Knight - 2014
Sonic Adventure - 1998
World of Warcraft - 2004
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D - 2011
Castlevania: Symphony of the night - 1997
Super 3D Noah's Ark - 1994
Witch It - 2017
Support the channel on Patreon!: patreon.com/ArchitectofGames
Follow me on twitter!: twitter.com/Thefearalcarrot
Sacrifice as a concept has been a part of human culture since the very beginning - and as the concept has evolved and changed, it's taken on a variety of forms: Personal, emotional, financial... as well as a few rather more grizzly varieties. But through our culture's long relationship with sacrifice, they've always been seen as emotional, dramatic and memorable moments that define a story... so why can't the same be said for videogames?
Despite getting a lot of mileage out of the aesthetic of sacrifice, very few videogames have managed to create ones as satisfying as the literary and cinematic greats. Videogame sacrifices almost always end up as unsatisfying, arbitrary distractions that feel bad to engage with - but why? The Architect is going to find out, even if it means venturing into spooky woodland cabins, more than one type of dystopic future and the worst, most poorly thought out bowels of the Fallout universe.
You Saw:
Fallout 3 - 2008
Left 4 Dead 2 -2009
XCOM: UFO Defence - 1997
Xenoblade 2 - 2017
Teardown - Early Access
The Iron Giant - 1999
Romeo And Juliet - 2013
Star Wars: Return of the Jedi -1983
Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker - 2019
Dark Devotion - 2018
The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim - seemingly every year lmao
Far Cry 3 - 2012
Fable 2 - 2008
Magic Arena - 2018
Warhammer Total War 2 - 2017
Fire Emblem Warriors - 2017
Fire Emblem Fates - 2015
Fire Emblem Radiant Dawn - 2007
Fire Emblem 3 Houses - 2020
Halo: Reach - 2010
Inscryption - 2021
Resident Evil 4 - 2005
Dark Souls 3 - 2016
The Binding of Issac: Rebirth - 2014
Darkest Dungeon - 2016
Unrailed - 2020
Outer Wilds - 2019
Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice - 2017
Pathologic 2 - 2019
LISA: The Painful - 2014
Unsighted - 2021
Mass Effect 2 - 2012
Mass Effect Remastered - 2021
The Hex - 2018
Xenoblade Chronicles DE - 2020
Nier Automata - 2017
Pokemon Emerald -- 2004
Rolled Out - Early Access
Support the channel on Patreon!: patreon.com/ArchitectofGames
Follow me on twitter!: twitter.com/Thefearalcarrot
Is there anything better in videogames than that feeling of total freedom? Where you can go wherever you like, do whatever you want and become whoever you want to be - probably not. However, as much as the gaming community loves to feel like they're finding their own fun, the reality is a little more complicated.
See, when playing a game, we're never truly making our own decisions, and game designers must strike a constant balance between letting the player off the leash and making sure that their freedom actually means something. After a long trek through the desert and across the world, The Architect has managed to discover how the best, most liberating games of all manage to pull this trick off, and surprisingly, it's often by restricting players that the most empowering games work so well.
You Saw:
Outer Wilds - 2019
Final Fantasy 14 - 2010
Animal Crossing New Horizons - 2020
The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild - 2017
Starcraft 2 - 2010
The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim - 2011
The Legend of Zelda - 1986
Planescape Torment - 1999
Divinity: Original Sin 2 - 2017
Passpartout: The Starving Artist - 2017
Monster Hunter: World - 2018
Minecraft - 2011
Half Life: Alyx - 2020
Genshin Impact - 2020
Prey - 2017
Far Cry 5 - 2018
Grand Theft Auto 5 - 2013
Destiny 2 - 2017
Borderlands 3 - 2019
Cyberpunk 2077 - 2077 am i rite??? (it was 2020 in case you forgot)
The Stanley Parable - 2013
Deltarune Chapter 1 - 2018
Mass Effect 3 - 2012
Psychonauts 2 - 2021
Deathloop - 2021
Undertale - 2015
Sable - 2021
TOEM - 2021
Before Your Eyes - 2021
Accounting Plus - 2018
Art Sqool - 2019
Umurangi Generation - 2020
No Man's Sky - 2016
Gears Tactics - 2020
X-COM: UFO Defence - 1994
XCOM - 2012
XCOM 2 - 2016
Offworld Trading Company - 2016
Dota 2 - 2013
Magic Arena - 2018
Yu Gi Oh: Legacy of The Duelists - 2020
Teardown - Not Out Yet
Deus Ex: Mankind Divided - 2016
Dishonored - 2012
Hitman 3 - 2021
Dishonored 2 - 2017
Disco Elysium - 2019
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice - 2019
Dark Souls 3 - 2016
Telltale Game of thrones - 2014
Mario Maker - 2015
Pokemon Ultra Moon - 2017
Warcraft 3 Remastered - 2020
Legion TD 2 - 2021
Follow me on twitter!: twitter.com/Thefearalcarrot
Check out Transparency: youtube.com/channel/UCwOConcPgxt3lIKIfBSNrTg
The history of Psychonauts is an interesting one, it went from promising project, to embarrassing failure, to fan-fave cult classic before having a glorious return fifteen years later. What caused Psychonauts to fail, and why did people fall in love with it anyway?
The answer, as The Architect has just found out, is a little technique called Environmental Storytelling, a way to communicating complete narratives, not through mere words, but through nothing but level design. How is it possible to do that? Well, as it turns out, things are a little more complicated than putting some graffiti on the wall and calling it a day...
You Saw:
Psychonauts (2005)
Psychonauts 2 (2021)
Disco Elysium (2019)
Bioshock (2007)
The Stanley Parable (2013)
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice (2019)
Deltarune (IDK it's weird)
Journey (2012)
Bloodborne (2015)
Half Life: Alyx (2020)
Horizon: Zero Dawn (2017)
Deathloop (2021)
Psychonauts and the rombus of Ruin (2017)
A Hat In Time (2017)
Wolfenstein: The New Colossus (2017)
Half Life 2 (2004)
Wolfenstein: The New Order (2014)
Dark Souls 3 (2016)
Bioshock Infinite (2013)
Overwatch (2016)
The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim (2011)
Fallout 4 (2015)
The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion (2006)
Deus Ex: Mankind Divided (2016)
Far Cry 3 (2012)
Hitman 3 (2021)
Mass Effect Legendary Edition (2021)
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (2017)
Red Dead Redemption 2 (2018)
Metal Gear Rising: Revengance (2013)
Batman Arkham City (2011)
Follow me on twitter!: twitter.com/Thefearalcarrot
Darkfry: youtube.com/channel/UCXUPDybKG7nqIxEeKS8fi5w
Snoman Archive: youtube.com/channel/UCeP1Enud_t8FBRrDroYPJvQ
You Saw:
Humankind (2021)
Valheim (Early Access)
Satisfactory (Early Access)
Animal Crossing New Horizons (2021)
Final Fantasy 14 (2013)
Spiritfarer (2020)
Fallout 4 (2015)
Resident Evil 8 (2021)
Ooblets (Early Access)
Horizon: Zero Dawn (2017)
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (2017)
Runescape (2001)
Stardew Valley (2016)
Minecraft (2011)
Atelier Sophie: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Book (2015)
Battle Chef Brigade (2017)
Terraria (2011)
Subnautica: Below Zero (2021)
Prey (2017)
Project Winter (2019)
THe Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim (2011)
Death Stranding (2019)
Potion Craft (Early Access)
Factorio (2020)
Deep Rock Galactic (2020)
The Last of Us 2 (2020)
Red Dead Redemption 2 (2018)
Far Cry 3 (2012)
Monster Hunter World (2018)
Monster Hunter: Rise (2021)
God of War (2018)
Dead Space 3 (2013)
Mass Effect: Andromeda (2017)
Dragon Age: Inquisition (2014)
Ghost of: Tsushima (2020)
Psychonauts (2005)
Crafting systems are one of the most popular mechanics in all of videogaming, appearing in everything from open world games to shooters to MMOs, and if there's one thing that most crafting systems have in common it's the fact that they... sort of suck.Whether they're boring or time consuming or overly simplistic, there are a lot of potential problems that can plague crafting systems, and to make matters worse - a lot of the bad ones look just like the good ones.
So, what’s the solution?
Well, after some tinkering, salvaging and refining, The Architect has come up with a three-step formula to fixing every crafting system, focusing not on their mechanics, or their balance, but the way they affect their parent games - it makes sense in context, trust me.
Follow me on twitter!: twitter.com/Thefearalcarrot
The short n' ugly bundle: itch.io/b/988/the-shorter-games-with-worse-graphics-bundle-round-2
What does it mean for something to be ugly? Is it when something is repulsive, when it offends your senses, or is it when something is just plain bad? Beyond that, is there any situation where ugly games can actually be good?
The Architect thinks so. They've torn and screamed their way through the fleshpunk dystopia and come out the other side with profane visions relating to the truth of ugly games. They aren't good - but they *are* interesting, and by playing them, we can learn more about the games we love and see videogames as a whole in a new, uglier, light - it's a good thing I promise.#
You Saw:
Cruelty Squad - 2021
Death Stranding - 2019
Bird Museum - 2020
Art Squool - 2020
Nier Automata - 2017
Mario 64 - 1996
Bennet Foddy's Getting over it - 2017
Super Mario Bros - 1985
Super Mario World 3D - 2013
New Super Mario Bros. U - 2012
Super Mario Galaxy 2 - 2012
A Hat In Time - 2017
The Hex - 2017
Super Mario Odyssey - 2017
The Binding Of Isaac: Rebirth - 2014
Resident Evil - 1996
Resident Evil 2 Remake - 2019
Resident Evil 6 - 2012
Jazzpunk - 2014
The Stanley Parable - 2013
Furi - 2016
Jedi: Fallen Order - 2019
Final Fantasy 14: A Realm Reborn - 2013
I Wanna Be The Guy - 2007
Sonic The Hedgehog (2006) - hmm i wonder
XCOM 2 - 2016
Dark Souls 3 - 2016
Demon Souls Remake - 2020
Dark Souls - 2012
Bloodborne - 2015
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice - 2019
Dark Souls 2 - 2014
Knock-Knock - 2013
Pathologic 2 - 2019
The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim - 2011
Goat Simulator - 2014
Surgeon Sim - 2013
Octodad: Dadliest Catch - 2014
Street Fighter 2: Turbo - 1992
Street Fighter 5 - 2016
Lego Builder's Journey - 2019
Journey - 2012
Horizon: Zero Dawn - 2017
Mario Tennis Aces - 2018
God of War - 2018
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D - 2011
Deadly Premonition - 2010
It Takes 2 - 2021
Earth Defence Force 4.1 - 2016
Minecraft - 2011
Gorbino's Quest - 0000000000000
Support the channel on Patreon!: patreon.com/ArchitectofGames
Follow me on twitter!: twitter.com/Thefearalcarrot
Videogames are a storytelling medium, everyone knows that - but unlike their contemporaries, they allow us to write our own stories too - by interacting with the systems and mechanics of games, we can tell gripping stories of survival against the odds, create epic rivalries between us and NPCs, and epic quests starring heroes of our own creation.
So... how can games do this?
Well, one of the best ways is through a particular game design ethos called permanence - where games remember your actions and allow you to build on them, not just over the course of a single level, but an entire playthrough - and there's no better example of it than a little game called Wildermyth. As a result, the Architect has spent the last few weeks making friends with orcs, delving into old addictions and apologizing to dragons for that big misunderstanding, all in an effort to understand how games can create stories not by writing them - but by giving us space to write them ourselves...
You Saw:
Wildermyth - 2021
Shadow of War - 2017
Spelunky 2 - 2020
DOOM Eternal - 2020
Prodeus - Early Access
Super Mario 3d World - 2013
Super Mario Galaxy - 2007
Humankind - Early Access
Slipways - 2021
Dark Souls 2 - 2014
Resident Evil 2 Remake - 2019
Pokemon Fire Red - 2004
Pokemon Sword - 2019
Sid Meir's Civilization 6 - 2016
Sid Meir's Civilization - 1991
Donkey Kong - 1981
Dragon's lair - 1983
Galaxians - 1979
paperboy - 1984
Defender - 1981
Metal Slug 3 - 2000
Gauntlet - 1985
Hades - 2020
Dark Souls - 2012
The Matrix - 2000
Tales of Maj'Eyal - 2012
Skul the hero slayer - 2021
FTL - 2012
Dicey Dungeons - 2019
Nowhere Prophet - 2019
The Long Dark - 2014
Hunt: Showdown - 2018
XCOM: UFO Defence - 1994
XCOM 2 - 2016
Star Renegades - 2020
Assasins' Creed Odyssey - 2018
Shadow of Mordor - 2014
The Fermi Paradox - Early Access
Death Stranding - 2019
No Man's Sky - 2016
Among Us - 2018
Fallout New Vegas - 2010
It Takes Two - 2021
The solution? We need to embrace the shorter, more imperfect endings that video games have to offer, and after blinking their way through time and across the boundary of mortality, The Architect has some wisdom to share about how some of the best games of the year so far can create satisfying conclusions that mean much more because they aren't complete.
Check out Shadowatnoon!: youtube.com/channel/UCfm4bBx0sW4NGAFzfGkLCMg
Support the channel on Patreon!: patreon.com/ArchitectofGames
Follow me on twitter!: twitter.com/Thefearalcarrot
You Saw:
Before Your Eyes (2021)
Fire Emblem 3 Houses (2019)
Deus Ex: Mankind Divided (2016)
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (2006)
Pokemon Fire Red (2004)
Portal (2007)
Monster Hunter Rise (2021)
The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (2003)
Fallout 4 (2015)
Fortnite (2017)
Genshin Impact (2020)
Final Fantasy 7 Remake (2020)
Hearthstone (2014)
Pikmin 3 (2013)
A Short Hike (2019)
Kirby Star Allies (2018)
The Stanley Parable (2013)
Sonic Unleashed (2008)
Pikmin (2001)
Gorogoa (2017)
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (2017)
There Is No Game: Wrong Dimension (2020)
BABA IS YOU (2019)
Minit Racer (2021)
Farcry 5 (2018)
Grow Up (2016)
Pyre (2017)
What Remains of Edith Finch (2017)
Hypnospace Outlaw (2019)
Gunpoint (2013)
Inside (2016)
QWOP (2010)
Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons (2013)
Doom Eternal (2020)
SNKRX (2021)
Metal Gear Rising: Revengance (2013)
Wonderful 101 Remastered (2021)
Nier Automata (2017)
Bayonetta 2 (2014)
Astral Chain (2019)
Mass Effect Trology (2021)
80 Days (2014)
Overboard (2021)
Hades (2020)
Dead Cells
Rimworld (2018)
Slipways (2021)
Despot's Game - Not Out Yet
Monster Hunter World (2018)
The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim (2011)
Life Is Strange (2015)
Hitman 3 (2021)
New Pokemon Snap (2021)
Batman Arkham Knight (2015)
Apex Legends (2019)
Assasin's Creed Valhalla (2021)
Battlefront 2 (2017)
Disco Elysium (2019)
Raid Shadow Legends (lol who cares)
Knockout City (2021)
Follow me on twitter!: twitter.com/Thefearalcarrot
Check Out No More Jockeys: youtube.com/channel/UCS8aP7SiA_eTfvT_Gruxzsw
Resident Evil is a hell of a game, it's got great world design, terrifying zombies and some... *extensive* characterization - but that's not all. Resident Evil is also the master of tension. Tension is the secret ingredient that turns mere excitement into exhilaration and simple fear into outright horror, but how do the best of the best use this subtle game design element to their advantage?
Whether it's Half Life Alyx's Jeff, Resident Evil's Lady Dimitrescu and Subnautica's Reapers - the greatest moments of videogaming tension rely not on outright scares, but on taking control away from the player - and after a much-needed change of clothes, the Architect is ready to tell you how they do it.
You Saw:
Dark Souls 3 - 2016
Subnautica - 2018
Resident Evil 8 - 2021
Resident Evil 4 - 2005
Half Life Alyx - 2020
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice - 2019
Subnautia: Below Zero - 2021
Dead Space - 2008
Alien Isolation - 2014
Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes - 2015
Mass Effect 2 - 2010
Quantum League - 2021
Pikmin - 2001
Unrailed! - 2020
Satisfactory - Not out yet
Resident Evil 2 Remake - 2019
The Stanley Parable - 2011
Don't Starve - 2013
Amnesia: The Dark Descent - 2010
Monster Hunter: World - 2018
Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice - 2017
The Long Dark - 2014
Resident Evil 7 - 2017
Resident Evil 1 Remake - 2002
Dark Souls - 2012
Wolfenstein 2 - 2017
Metroid Prime - 2002
Super Metroid - 1994
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - 2017
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword - 2011
Trials Rising -2019
Slipways - Not out yet
Follow me on twitter!: twitter.com/Thefearalcarrot
Check out Laura's channel! youtube.com/channel/UCgBcTeH9MIsQteTNufpiuxA
Tanks, Supports and Damage Dealers are a staple of... too many games to count - and no matter where you look this holy trinity seems to be growing more and more popular over time, but why?
A veteran of MMOs, Hero Shooters and all sorts of tactics games, The Architect has squeezed into an ill-fitting helm of domination and waded out onto the battlefield to work out why the holy trinity is so common, and what effect it has on our favorite games.
You Saw:
Overwatch- 2016
World of warcraft - 2004
Gears Tactics - 2020
Rocket league - 2015
Teamfight Manager - 2021
Guild Wars 2 - 2012
Final Fantasy 14 - 2013
Outriders - 2021
Divinity Original Sin 2 - 2017
Darkest Dungeon - 2016
Starcraft 2 - 2010
Apex Legends - 2019
Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition - 2020
For The King - 2017
The Hex - 2018
Super Smash Bros Ultimate - 2018
Runescape - 2001
Fire Emblem 3 Houses - 2019
Total War Warhammer 2 - 2017
Star Renegades - 2020
Deep Rock Galactic -2020
Chrono Trigger - 1995
Spellbreak - 2020
Humankind - Not out yet
Dota 2 - 2013
Fortnite - 2017
Tabletop Simulator - 2015
Super Mario 3D world - 2013
New Super Mario Bros Wii U - 2012
Telltale's The Walking Dead - 2012
Follow me on Twitter!: twitter.com/Thefearalcarrot
Why are puzzles so popular? They're less exciting than action games, less compelling than narrative ones, and less challenging than the peak of strategy games, but in spite of all that - they're endearingly popular. Why?
The Architect has delved into both ancient records and cutting-edge games to try and figure this out, and after some initial confusion, they've happened upon a eureka! moment all of their own, holding the secrets not just of puzzle design, but of why we create them in the first place.
Check out Writing On Games: youtube.com/channel/UCPlWv88ZRMxCcK3BGjrX7ew
You Saw:
The Witness - 2016
Fez - 2012
Ultrakill - Not Released yet
Disco Elysium - 2019
5D Chess with multiverse time travel - 2020
Mini Metro - 2014
Doom Eternal - 2020
Picross Touch - 2016
World of Goo - 2008
The Talos Principle - 2014
Supraland- 2018
Samsara Room - 2020
Maquette - 2021
Antichamber - 2013
Braid - 2008
Professor Layton: The Curious Village - 2007
Monument Valley 2 - 2017
Portal - 2007
Portal 2 - 2011
Superliminal - 2019
Size Matters - 2021
BABA IS YOU - 2019
MO:Astray - 2019
The Swapper - 2013
Thimbleweed Park - 2017
Genesis Noir - 2021
Dorfromantik - 2021
Follow me on Twitter!: twitter.com/Thefearalcarrot
Swords have been a mainstay of human culture since before you fleshy sacs of mostly water knew how to write - all across the world, nearly every culture has its version of the sword, and a whole host of stories and heroes to accompany it.
Tales of swordfighting are all about high adventure, epic battles, and legendary duels between masters of the blade - but how can we adapt them to videogame form? Well, The Architect has been training with wise senseis, duking it out with cybernetic goons and facing down mighty warriors for weeks just to be able to answer that question, and the answer may surprise you - a great swordfight isn't about realism, but about creating both a sense of lethality, but also a sense of vulnerability.
Check out GlitchxCity: youtube.com/channel/UC-lmdv0OTb4uQQSzwbzhLsg
And the Videogame Mod Museum: youtube.com/user/videogamemodmuseum
You Saw:
For Honor- 2016
Runescape- 2001
Undertale - 2015
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity - 2020
Total War Warhammer 2 - 2017
Ryse: Son of Rome - 2013
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - 2016
Jedi: Fallen Order - 2019
Xenoblade: Definitive Edition - 2020
Fire Emblem: Three Houses - 2019
Dark Souls - 2012
Sekiro - 2019
World of Warcraft - 2004
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD - 2016
Ninja Gaiden - 1988
Link: The Faces of Evil - 1993
Dark Souls 2 - 2014
Metal Gear Rising: Revegance - 2013
Ghostrunner - 2020
The Witcher 1 - 2007
Lords of the Fallen - 2014
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - 2011
Nidhogg - 2014
The Princess Bride - 1987
Dark Souls 3 - 2016
Nier Automata - 2017
Bayonetta 2 - 2014
Bushido Blade - 1997
Furi - 2016
Dynasty Warriors 9 - 2018
Katana Zero - 2019
Excalibur - 1981
SMITE - 2014
Mordhau - 2019
Deep Rock Galactic - 2020
Follow me on Twitter!: twitter.com/Thefearalcarrot
Hitman is a hell of a franchise. It's been around for just over two decades and it's been rebooted and overhauled more times than anyone can count (3), and over its many iterations, the team behind it have learned some very interesting lessons about how to get people to play a certain way, and about what kind of game they were actually making.
With Hitman 3 marking the end of Agent 47's career for the time being, The Architect - a fellow master of disguise - has taken it upon themselves to look back at Hitman's history and run through how the game earned its by now legendary reputation, as well as how the developers created it.
Hitmaps: hitmaps.com
Dungeons and Daddies: dungeonsanddaddies.com
You Saw:
Hitman: Codename 47: 2000
Hitman: Blood Money: 2006
HITMAN: 2016
HITMAN 2: 2018
HITMAN 3: 2021
Factorio: 2020
Polybridge: 2015
Opus Magnum: 2017
Dishonored 2: 2016
Deus Ex: Human Revolution: 2011
Metal Gear Solid 5: 2015
THE GAME OF WHICH WE DO NOT SPEAK (Hitman: Absolution): 2012
Fling To The Finish: Not Out Yet
Follow me on Twitter!: twitter.com/Thefearalcarrot
For decades video game discourse has been dominated by a single word, one with no clear meaning but a whole lot of promises to deliver: Immersion. As much as we love to use the word immersion to describe gripping experiences that draw us into fantasy worlds - it's becoming harder and harder to define what, if anything, immersion actually means.
So, what is the deal with immersion? That's something The Architect has been pondering for Eons and it's about time we got some answers. It took diving to the deepest oceans and getting stuck into far-flung worlds, but The Architect has got a few ideas about what immersion actually means to us gamers, and how understanding it can improve the way we talk about our favorite games.
Check out the Snoman Archive: youtube.com/channel/UCeP1Enud_t8FBRrDroYPJvQ
You Saw:
Abzu - 2016
Cyberpunk 2077 - 2077
The Last of Us 2 - 2020
Red Dead Redemption 2- 2018
Bioshock - 2007
Bubsy 3D - 1996
Far cry 5 - 2018
Jumanji - 1995
Resident Evil 8 - Not Released Yet
Assassin's Creed Odyssey - 2018
Death Stranding - 2019
The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim - 2011
Papers Please - 2013
Metroid Prime - 2002
Dishonored 2 - 2016
In Other Waters - 2020
No Man's Sky - pffffffff
Deep Rock Galactic
Hitman 3 - 2021
Shadow of Mordor - 2014
Shadow of War - 2017
Prey - 2017
Superliminal - 2019
Breath of the Wild - 2017
What Remains of Edith Finch - 2017
Deus Ex: Human Revolution - 2011
Deus Ex - 2000
Dishonored - 2012
System Shock 2 - 1999
Deus Ex: Mankind Divided - 2016
Antichamber - 2013
Monster Hunter World - 2017
Hades - 2020
Divinity: Original Sin 2 - 2018
Rimworld - 2016
Animal Crossing: New Horizons - 2020
Paradise Killer - 2020
Heaven's Vault - 2019
Disco Elysium - 2019
Yoshi's Island - 1995
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess - 2006
Resident Evil 4 - 2005
Mass Effect 3 - 2012
God of War -2018
The Last of Us - 2013
Fallout: New Vegas
Dead Space - 2008
Metro 2033 - 2010
F-Zero GX - 2003
Apex Legends - 2019
Descenders - 2019
DOOM Eternal - 2020
Crusader Kings 3 - 2020
Rise of Industry - 2018
Sid Meir's Civilization 6 - 2016
Factorio - 2020
Satisfactory - Early Access
Subanutica - 2018
Her Story - 2015
Hypnospace Outlaw - 2019
New Super Mario Bros U - 2012
NERTS - 2021
Follow me on Twitter!: twitter.com/Thefearalcarrot
2020 has been a hell of a year for a variety of reasons, there's been social movements, disasters, political upheaval... and also some fantastic videogames. However, with all the big-name blockbusters taking up everyone's attention, some smaller games that are just as good haven't gotten the praise they deserve.
It falls, once again, to The Architect, to swim the darkest depths of 2020, fight a variety of weird and wacky monsters and take a train back to give you a haul of great games that you should have played from this year.
You Saw:
Doom Eternal (2020)
Plague Inc (2020... apparently)
Animal Crossing: New Horizons (2020)
Fortnite (2017)
Cyberpunk 2077 (2020)
Among Us (2018)
The Last of Us 2 (2020)
Final Fantasy 7 Remake (2020)
Superliminal (2020)
Hades (2020)
Crumble (2020)
Coffee Talk (2020)
Unrailed (2020)
The Pathless (2020)
ABZU (2016)
Terra Nil (2020)
Water Womb World (2020)
In Other Waters (2020)
There Is No Game: Wrong Dimension (2020)
Ghostrunner (2020)
One Step From Eden (2020)
Noita (2020)
Phogs (2020)
Spelunky 2 (2020)
Kill It With Fire (2020)
Lair of The Clockwork God (2020)
Tenderfoot Tactics (2020)
Paradise Killer (2020)
The Matrix: Path of Neo (2005!?)
Monster Train (2020)
The Longing (2020)
Deep Rock Galactic (2020)
Follow me on Twitter!: twitter.com/Thefearalcarrot
Explosive barrels have been a trope for as long as video games have existed, appearing in everything from shooters to strategy games, but why? What possible advantage could there be to all videogames copying eachother?
Well, as it turns out, the reason goes much deeper than just red cylinders filled with explosives. Barrels are a symbol, they communicate hidden details and they're not alone! Games use light, shapes, and even the elements to communicate to us constantly - and once The Architect reconstitutes after that last explosion, they'll tell you how.
Check Out Eurothug4000: youtube.com/c/eurothug4000
You Saw:
Half Life 2 (2004)
Doom 2016 (Guess, genius)
Hitman (2016)
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (2017)
Red Alert 3 (2008)
Donkey Kong (1981)
DOOM (1993)
Wolfenstein 2 (2017)
Far Cry 5 (2018)
Resident Evil 4 (2005)
Borderlands 3 (2019)
Runescape (2001)
Metal Slug (1996)
Doom Eternal (2020)
Divinity Original Sin 2 (2018)
Outer Worlds (2019)
Noita (2020)
Battlefield Bad Company 2 (2010)
Heaven's Vault (2019)
Uncharted 3 (2011)
Megaman 11 (2018)
Wonderful 101: Remastered (2020)
Sonic Mania (2017)
Cave Story+ (2011)
Donkey Kong: Tropical Freeze (2014)
Celeste (2018)
Superliminal (2020)
Super Mario 3D Land (2011)
DOOM 2 (1994)
The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker (2002)
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (2006)
HUE (2016)
Galaga (1981)
Teardown (early access)
Minecraft (2009)
World Of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth (2018)
Pokemon Red (1996)
Pokemon Sword (2020)
Ori and the Will of the Wisps (2020)
The Witness (2016)
Dark Souls 3 (2016)
Mario 64 (1996)
Ring of Pain (2020)
Darkest Dungeon (2016)
Dota 2 (2013)
Starcraft 2 (2010)
Lightmatter (2020)
Ghostrunner (2020)
Dark Souls (2012)
Journey (2012)
Uncharted 2 (2009)
Legend of Korra (2014)
Magicka (2011)
Deep Rock Galactic (2020)
Ori and the Blind Forest (2015)
Spelunky 2 (2020)
MTGA 2018
Team Fortress 2 (2007)
Heroes of the Storm (2015)
Super Mario Sunshine (2002)
From Dust (2011)
Genshin Impact (2020)
Spellbreak (2020)
Pokemon Ultra Moon (2016)
Super Mario Galaxy (2007)
New Super Mario Bros U (2012)
Super Mario Galaxy 2 (2010)
Shovel Knight (2014)
Metal Gear Rising: Revengance (2013)
Gears of War 5 (2020)
Gears of War 4 (2016)
Mass Effect 2 (2012)
Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice (2017)
Sniper Elite 4 (2017)
Deadpool (2013)
.... phew!
Follow me on twitter!: twitter.com/Thefearalcarrot
"It gets good... Eventually" it's an observation that you've no doubt heard before about the latest TV show, book, game or whatever. By this point, it's all but expected that any game over a particular length won't actually be fun for several play sessions until you've got it all figured out. But does this need to be the case? The Architect doesn't think so.
By re-examining the job of introductions in games, we can fix this problem of boring tutorials AND make them more effective in the long run. How? Well The Architect is on their way back from their third trip to Alrest so just hold on a second, things will get more interesting in a bit....
Check out the Jingle Jam: jinglejam.co.uk
You Saw:
The Witcher 2 (2011)
Metal Gear Solid 5 (2015)
Dota 2 (2013)
The Legend fo Zelda: Twilight Princess (2006)
Undertale (2015)
No Man's Sky (2016)
Xenoblade Chronicles 2 (2017)
Doom Eternal (2020)
Far Cry 5 (2018)
Minecraft (2009)
Sunless Skies (2019)
The Pathless (2020)
Horizon Zero Dawn (2017)
Hollow Knight (2017)
Bugsnax (2020)
Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition (2020)
Megamax X (1993)
THe Stanley Parable (2011)
Dark Souls (2012)
Bayonetta 2 (2014)
Sid Meir's Civilisation 6 (2016)
Heaven's Vault (2019)
Bioshock (2007)
XCOM: Enemy Unknown (2012)
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (2017)
Warframe (2013)
Dark Souls 3 (2016)
Citizen Kane (1942)
Fire Emblem 3 Houses (2019)
Dark Souls 2 (2014)
Lord of The Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
The Mandalorian (2019)
Ring of Pain (2020)
Final Fantasy 7 (1997)
Metroid Prime (2002)
A Hat In Time (2017)
DOOM (2016)
Wandersong (2018)
There is No Game: Wrong Dimension (2020)
Mass Effect 2:(2012)
Mirror's Edge (2008)
Hearthstone (2014)
Super Mario Bros (1985)
For The King (2017)
Transistor (2014)
Sunless Seas (2015)
Follow me on twitter!: twitter.com/Thefearalcarrot
Spelunky 2 is a hell of a game, what else could you expect out of the mastermind that is Derek Yu? It's also really, really hard - to the point that whoever is reading this is probably never going to completely beat the game. Is this a good thing?
Err... Yes.
As weird as it sounds, whilst Spelunky 2 is obscenely hard, it's also got one of the best approaches to difficulty The Architect has ever seen - and it's at the forefront of a bunch of recent games that cater to expert players and newbies using a cool new technique called Granular Difficulty.
Check Out King K!: youtube.com/channel/UC18YhnNvyrU2kTwCyj9p5ag
You Saw:
Spelunky 2 (2020)
Spelunky (2008)
Hades (2020)
Celeste (2018)
DOOM (2016)
Into The Breach (2018)
Dark Souls 2 (2014)
Paper Mario And The Thousand Year Door (2002)
Shovel Knight (2014)
Ori and the Will of the Wisps (2020)
Doom Eternal (2020)
Bayonetta 2 (2014)
Breath of the Wild (2017)
Xenoblade 2 (2017)
Yooka Laylee and The Impossible Lair (2019)
Metal Gear Rising Revengance (2013)
Ultimate Chicken Horse (2016)
Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition (2020)
Rayman Legends (2013)
Sonic Generations (2011)
Mario Odyssey (2017)
Super Mario 3D world (2013)
Wolfenstein: The New Order (2014)
Halo Reach (2010)
The Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess (2007)
Mass Effect 3 (2012)
Risk of Rain 2 (2020)
Dark Souls 3 (2016)
Follow me on twitter!: twitter.com/Thefearalcarrot
Among Us is the hot new game right now - and who can blame it? It's tense, innovative and from a long tradition of games about lying to your friends, it's great. But what caused Among Us to become popular now? And what does any of that have in common with an old Russian psychology experiment from the 80s?
Fresh from another killing spree, The Architect is determined to find out why, and that's going to mean delving into murder mysteries, our modern-day political landscape, and the truth behind why we enjoy hidden role games to find out the truth behind Among Us' surprising rise to fame.
Credit to this site for some of the assets used to make my avatar for this video: picrew.me/image_maker/479995
Check out VGST!: youtube.com/channel/UCLWh30LMdJZam_4SKWuq0dA
You Saw:
Fall Guys (2020)
Among Us (2018)
Enemy On Board (Early Access)
Town of Salem (2014)
Gary's Mod (2004)
Throne of Lies (2017)
Spy Party (Early Access)
Jackbox Party Pack 6 (2019)
Project Winter (2019)
Secret Hitler (2016)
Clue (1985)
Knives Out (2019)
Star Wars (1977)
Mafia (1987)
Plague Inc (2012)
Chrono Trigger (1999)
Genshin Impact (2020)
Follow me on twitter!: twitter.com/Thefearalcarrot
RPGs are a classic genre - so much so that they've been around since before the dawn of videogames. However, despite their years of evolution and tradition, RPGs have a problem - namely, that no-one can ever finish the damn things, why?
The Architect thinks it's got something to do with how they handle combat - something that's core to the RPG identity, yet is also one of their weakest elements. How can this be? What can be done about it? Watch the video and find out, dummy.
Check out Noah!: youtube.com/channel/UC5CYeHPLer3lbEhgonvbbAA
You Saw:
Final Fantasy 15 - 2016
Fallout: New Vegas - 2010
Pokemon Fire Red - 2014
Chrono Trigger - 1995
Dragon Quest 11 - 2017
Darkest Dungeon - 2016
Final Fantasy 7 - 1997
Xcom: Chimera Squad - 2020
Dark Souls - 2012
Wandersong - 2018
Wizardry 1 - 1981
For The King - 2017
Skyrim - 2011
Final Fantasy 6 - 1994
Divinity Original Sin 2 - 2017
Monster Hunter World - 2018
Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door - 2004
Star Renegades - 2020
Borderlands 3 - 2019
Disgaea 4 complete - 2019
Mario and Luigi Superstar Saga and Bowser's Minions - 2017
YIIK: The Postmodern RPG - 2019
Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition - 2020
Indivisible - 2019
The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds - 2013
The Outer Worlds- 2019
Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light - 1990
Fire Emblem: 2 Houses and Golden Deer - 2019
Fire Emblem: Blazing Sword - 2003
Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance - 2005
Pokemon Ultra Moon- 2017
Pokemon Platinum- 2008
Path of Exile- 2013
Knights of the old Republic 2 - 2004
The Hex - 2018
Mass Effect 2 - 2012
Fallout 3- 2008
Persona 5 - 2017
Final Fantasy 7 Remake - 2020
Saints Row 4 - 2013
Barlkley's Shut up and Jam: Gaiden - 2008
Shadowrun: Dragonfall - 2014
South Park: The Stick of Truth - 2014
Nier Automata - 2017
Disco Elysum - 2020
West of Loathing - 2017
Dragon Quest 1 - 1986
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - 2015
Fire Emblem Fates - 2015
TerraNil - 2020
Onwards and upwards to - err - 500 I guess?
Check out First Five! :youtube.com/c/FirstFive/videos
Support the channel on Patreon: patreon.com/ArchitectofGames
Play Frog Fractions: http://twinbeard.com/frog-fractions
Frog Fractions, developed by Twinbeard Studios is the canonical fractions-based video game of all time, the best there is. In this video, The Architect unpacks exactly what makes Frog Fractions the best fraction-sim of all time and how it came to be the father of the fractionlike genre.
Yep. That's it.
You Saw:
Frog Fractions (2012)
Undertale (2015)
There Is No Game: Wrong Dimension (2020)
Oneshot (2016)
Deadpool (2013)
Valorant (2020)
What Remains of Edith Finch (2017)
New Super Luigi U (2013)
The Stanley Parable (2011)
Nier Automata (2017)
Blazing Saddles (1974)
Funny Games (1997)
Spaceballs (1987)
The Wonderful 101 Remastered (2020)
Monkey Island 2 Special Edition (2010)
Paper Mario The Thousand Year Door (2004)
Tales From The Borderlands (2014)
Banjo Kazooie (1996)
World Of Warcraft (2004)
Batman Arkham Knight (2015)
Pony Island (2016)
From Dust (2011)
Metal Gear Solid (1998)
Doki Doki Literature Club (2017)
Batman Arkham Asylum (2009)
Super Mario Bros (1985)
Legend of Zelda Breath of The Wild (2017)
Call of Duty Blops Cold War (not out yet lol)
Bubsy 3D (1996)
The Princess Bride (1987)
80 Days (2014)
Event 0 (2016)
Metal Gear Rising (2013)
Doom Eternal (2020)
Gris (2018)
Dr Langescov, The Tiger, and the TERRIBLY cursed Emerald i got the name wrong (2015)
Bioshock (2007)
Moon (1997)
Frog Fractions 2 (2016)
Frog Fractions 3 (2020)
Apex Legends (2019)
Support the channel on Patreon: patreon.com/ArchitectofGames
Time's a funny thing, isn't it? We've got so much of it and yet it never feels like enough. So many games are about time, and they've all got different ways of using it to motivate and manipulate players - but what's the underlying truth behind the way video games use chronology?
To find out, The Architect is going to have to go deep, deep underground to play with a little game called The Longing which, as the name may imply, is very very long indeed.
Check out Grace Lee! youtube.com/c/WhatsSoGreatAboutThat/featured
You Saw:
The Longing (2020)
A Hat In Time (2017)
Overwatch (2015)
Starcraft 2 (2012)
Super Mario Bros (1985)
Undertale (2015)
Super Mario Galaxy 2 (2010)
Wonderful 101 (2013)
Super Metroid (1994)
Time Limit (1983)
Rayman Legends (2013)
Pikmin (2001)
Mass Effect 2 (2010)
Portal (2007)
Mirror's Edge (2009)
Verlet Swing (2018)
Spelunky (2008)
Sonic Mania (2017)
Outer Wilds (2019)
Monster Train (2020)
Minit (2018)
Sexy Brutale (2017)
Megaman 11 (2018)
Braid (2008)
Quantum League (2020)
Hitman 2 (2018)
Team Fortress 2 (2007)
Animal Crossing New Horizons (2020)
Time Clickers (2015)
Adventure Capitalist (2014)
Cookie Clicker (2013)
Forager (2019)
Universal Paperclips (2017)
Factorio (2020)
Satisfacotry (Early Access)
Super Mario 64 (1996)
The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim (2011)
Slay The Spire (2019)
Horizon Zero Dawn (2017)
TitanFall 2 (2016)
Fall Guys (2020)
Runescape (2004)
Breath Of The Wild (2017)
Vanquish (2010)
Return of the Obra Dinn (2018)
Final Fantasy 14 (2010)
RAID: Shadow Legends (NO NO I REFUSE TO LOOK AT THIS GAME ANY MORE THAN I HAVE DONE)
Control (2019)
Support the channel on Patreon: patreon.com/ArchitectofGames
If you've played any online game ever, chances are you've run into some form of toxicity. From BM, to name calling to the old classic teabagging, meanness and vitriol in games comes in a variety of forms. For years game developers have tried to fix this problem to... mixed results - what gives?
It turns out, video game toxicity is less of a systems problem and more of a communication problem - by removing barriers to effective communication, and rewarding people for not being dicks, we can go some way to fixing this eternal gaming problem.
The Architect is going to need to drop into the outlands, take a stroll around Azeroth and journey to the top of one of gaming's best mountains - all to learn the best ways to be nice... or something.
That Core-A Video: youtube.com/watch?v=PElmAFZFoqQ
This Game Changed My Life: bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0874xc6/episodes/downloads
You Saw:
Hearthstone (2014)
Unrailed! (Early Access)
Rocket League (2015)
Halo Master Chief Collection (2019)
Dark Nights with Poe and Monroe (2020)
Eternal Card Game (2016)
World Of Warcraft (2004)
Breath of the Wild (2017)
Disco Elysium (2019)
Apex Legends (2019)
Dark Souls 3 (2016)
Dark Souls 2 (2014)
Runescape (2004)
Dota 2 (2013)
Dark Souls 1 (2012)
Minecraft (2009)
Cities Skylines (2015)
Deep Rock Galactic (2020)
Magicka (2011)
Street Fighter 5 (2016)
Valorant (2020)
Starcraft 2 (2012)
Tribes Ascend (2012)
Total War Warhammer 2 (2017)
The Cycle (2019)
Magic The Gathering Arena (2018)
Hypnospace Outlaw (2019)
Final Fantasy 14 (2013)
Bayonetta 2 (2014)
Gwent (2016)
Fortnite (Early Access???? Techically????)
Journey (2012)
Last of Us 2 (2020)
Undertale (2015)
Verlet Swing (2018)
Support the channel on Patreon: patreon.com/ArchitectofGames
Deckbuilders are the future - from humble beginnings as ugly but promising rougelikes, they've grown to encompass every genre in a million different ways with no sign of stopping. From classic hits like Slay The Spire, to brand new kids on the scene like One Step From Eden and Monster Train, deckbuilders are going from strength to strength, and The Architect has been playing a LOT of them.
But what make a good deckbuilder? What separates one that's fun enough to give you hundreds of hours of experimentation from one that bores you after your first few runs - particularly when they all use the same mechanics? Well, the answer is pretty simple, and it comes in the form of the trifecta that is Identity, Synergy, and Strategy. What does that mean? Watch to find out.
Here's Tom's Youtube Channel: youtube.com/channel/UC5rUMdCFWPXYs9e8PBLzq5g
You Saw:
Dream Quest -2014
Spelunky- 2008
Magic The Gathering: Arena- 2018
Dominion- 2008
Star Realms- 2013
Slay The Spire- 2017
Monster Train- 2020
One Step From Eden- 2020
Gwent: Thronebreaker- 2018
Ratropolis- 2019
Steamworld Quest- 2019
Signs of the Sojourner- 2020
Griftlands- Early Access
Overdungeon- 2019
Nowhere Prophet- 2019
Hearthstone Battlegrounds - Early Access
Dicey Dungeons- 2019
Ascension Deckbuilder: 2010
Journey: 2012
Follow me on Twitter: twitter.com/Thefearalcarrot
Support the channel on Patreon: patreon.com/ArchitectofGames
Work is boring - at least, that's what we've been told. Satisfactory, Factorio, and other logistics games have got other ideas. Far from being boring, these factory or city building games turn regular chores and busywork into compelling, highly enjoyable gameplay, all without falling back on the sketchier tricks AAA developers sometimes employ. How?
The Architect has a few ideas.
With hard hat equipped, and a pot of builder's brew on the go, the Architect is ready to sketch out a production line that takes boring mechanics, and turns them into fun - and it all starts with our need to optimise things.
You Saw:
Factorio (Early Access)
Satisfactory (Early Access)
Anno 1404 (2009)
Cities Skylines (2016)
Rise of Industry (2018)
DOOM Eternal (2020)
Her Story (2015)
Into The Breach (2018)
Anno 1800 (2020)
Borderlands 3 (2019)
Apex Legends (2019)
Minecraft (2019)
Anno 2070 (2011)
Slime Rancher (2016)
DOOM (2016)
Offworld Trading Company (2016)
Opus Magnum (2017)
The Last of Us (2013)
A Short Hike (2019)
Follow me on Twitter: twitter.com/Thefearalcarrot
Support the channel on Patreon: patreon.com/ArchitectofGames
Villains are a crucial part of fiction. From Star Wars to Shakespeare we often fall in love with the antagonists of a story far more easily than we do the good guys, why? And what seperates a truly iconic villain from a run of the mill evildoer?
Luckily for us, the Architect has been looting and shooting their way around Pandora recently, and they've got a few thoughts as to what makes a video game villain, and how we can improve our existing crop.
You Saw:
Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII- 2007
Far Cry 3- 2010
Bioshock- 2007
Portal 2- 2011
Undertale- 2015
Rouge 1- 2016
Silence of the lambs- 1991
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - 2004
Castlevania: Symphony of the night- 1997
System Shock 2- 1999
Wonderful 101- 2013
Mass Effect 2- 2012
Animal Crossing New Horizons- 2020
Final Fantasy 7- 1997
The Last of Us- 2013
Batman: Arkham Asylum- 2009
Borderlands 3- 2019
Borderlands 2- 2012
Empire Strikes Back- 1980
Nier Automata- 2018
Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice- 2018
Titanfall 2- 2016
The Hex- 2018
Super Mario 64- 1996
Mario Bros- 1985
Ocarina of Time- 1998
Knights of the Old Republic 2: 2004
Sonic Mania- 2017
DOOM: Eternal- 2020
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild- 2016
Heaven's Vault- 2019
Hollow Knight- 2017
Pokemon: Fire Red- 2004
Pokemon Platinum- 2008
Pokemon Ultra Moon- 2017
Prince Of Persia- 1989
Batman Arkham City- 2012
Dark Souls 2- 2014
Dark Souls- 2012
Dark Souls 3- 2016
Metal Gear Rising: Revengance- 2013
Disco Elysium- 2019
Wolfenstein: The New Order- 2014
Portal 1: 2007
Ori and the Will of the Wisps- 2020
Shadow of Mordor- 2014
Civilization 6- 2016
XCOM 2- 2016
Dream Quest- 2014
New Super Luigi Bros- 2013
Overwatch- 2015
What Remains of Edith Finch- 2017
Borderlands: The Pre Sequel- 2014
Monster Train- 2020
Phew, big list huh?