Citizen Sleeper: How to Escape Dystopia Matt Horton 2026-09-20 | Citizen Sleeper: How to Escape Dystopia
The 12 Best Games of 2024 Matt Horton 2024-12-31 | I couldn't decide which game was the best this year. So I didn't. There's a universe where every one of these is the game of the year.Thanks to @Cosmosis and AJ Fillari for being in this one!Thanks to @phloup_ for the cover of "I Will Protect You"Find the written version of this video at https://MattHorton.live Sudden Death on itch - dominoclub.itch.io/sudden-death0:00 - The best game of 20240:16 - Mystery game2:36 - Fishing game5:25 - Fantasy game9:16 - Spooky puzzle game11:22 - The remake (w/ AJ)11:30 - Tactics game14:47 - Gay romance game16:47 - Game from 202018:48 - Survival car game (w/ @Cosmosis )20:11 - Card game21:16 - Game about death23:09 - Narrative game
Citizen Sleeper 2 and the Queer Art of Failure Matt Horton 2024-12-06 | We crave failure, or at least the chance of it. Why?00:00 - You crave failure01:39 - Citizen Sleeper’s ideas of failure06:46 - We fear failure09:29 - The Paradox of Failure12:19 - The queer art of failure14:48 - CW: Homophobia17:22 - How Citizen Sleeper 2 uses failure22:15 - Who gets to fail?25:33 - The risk of making games30:29 - Failing the contract in Citizen Sleeper 234:18 - Why we crave failureFind links to everything I do online at MattHorton.liveSupport the channel at ko-fi.com/matthorton and get access to the full interview with Gareth Damian Martin!Wishlist Citizen Sleeper 2 - store.steampowered.com/app/2442460/Citizen_Sleeper_2_Starward_VectorSubscribe to the Jump Over the Age substack - jumpovertheage.substack.comResearch sources:The Art of Failure, Juul - https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262529952/the-art-of-failure/The Queer Art of Failure, Halberstam - https://www.dukeupress.edu/the-queer-art-of-failureQueer Games Studies, Ruberg and Shaw - https://www.upress.umn.edu/9781517900373/queer-game-studies/No Fun: The Queer Potential of Video Games that Annoy, Anger, Disappoint, Sadden, and Hurt, Ruberg - ourglasslake.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Ruberg-No-Fun-QED.pdfMusic:Signalchaser, Citizen Sleeper 2, Amos Roddy - youtu.be/M4BhsWWy4F0?si=D-djTl2B_-WJWk0PSuncatchers, Citizen Sleeper 2, Amos Roddy - youtu.be/YL5LWm5Nk84?si=0vEwUiNKMRWV5HDIMedia sources:Why do God of War's Characters Keep Spoiling Puzzles?, Game Maker's Toolkit - youtu.be/cZgjRcYGkY8?si=ynaXk8O8RP3eHzUbIn Defense of Dark Souls 2, hbomberguy - youtube.com/watch?v=SRTfcMeqhigInto the Aether's Pokémon Emerald Nuzlocke - youtube.com/watch?v=1bYvqnTvUCgAnimal Crossing (Gamecube) with Stephen - youtu.be/_8e7wd6x9Ow?si=nS0VrrMR8xmnkP4PJesper Juul - Who cares if it's a Game? The uses and misuses of a dangerous word - youtube.com/watch?v=N1RUiMY2MEsThe Cult of Microsoft by Ed Zitron - https://www.wheresyoured.at/the-cult-of-microsoft/I made the worst ever 1-1 remake in Mario Maker 2 by YTSunny - youtu.be/eb60pnjABGg?si=ijyLAhsOxSFHGpcxWhat is Super Mario Bros? by Into the Aether - youtu.be/ydoGs2Sflw4?si=cZPLJ3pXDw8rBOOcBo Ruberg: The Queer Games Avant-Garde - youtu.be/pc1az37mEvo?si=nUuxI9hQAmigJIE0Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – Balloon Battle Gameplay - youtu.be/4xZ3TnVk9bQ?si=2hWRrtZfyhLhW9rsMicrosoft Closes Studios Behind Redfall, Hi-Fi Rush, And More To Prioritize 'High-Impact' Games, Kotaku - kotaku.com/xbox-closing-arkane-austin-tango-gameworks-1851460685Ubisoft to Shut Down ‘XDefiant,’ Nearly 300 Employees Laid Off as San Francisco and Osaka Game Studios Close, Variety - variety.com/2024/gaming/news/xdefiant-canceled-ubisoft-layoffs-1236235023Aaron Greenberg's tweet praising how well Hi-Fi Rush did across their measurements - https://x.com/aarongreenberg/status/1649431572137779203
Persona has a problem Matt Horton 2024-10-21 | I'd love to recommend Persona 3 Reload to all of my friends.But I can't. Because Persona has a problem.Read more from Matt at https://matthorton.liveSupport Flow State at ko-fi.com/matthortonGameplay footage provided by @FazPersona “Is Persona Gay?” by @garfieldkermit - youtu.be/37LacI2erq8?si=rEMKHsbLvATmSGRkRead Brendon Bigley's review at Wavelengths and watch his videos @itswavelengths - https://wavelengths.online/posts/persona-3-reload-a-review"Katsura Hashino, directing Persona 5" by Archipel - youtu.be/jGb3BNgU7SE?si=O3V4WbM4nu7AchMu"You should play 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim" by me! - youtu.be/O7EhtgGg4pc?si=_ng5V8GvgBWX_Tcw0:00 - Persona has a problem0:50 - Love things and critique them2:05 - Persona 3 Reload is a masterpiece5:27 - What is Persona 3 Reload?7:46 - The best parts of Persona 3 Reload15:02 - Critiquing what I love24:45 - I want a Persona 6 without problems28:54 - I recommend Persona 3 Reload (with caveats)Listen to Flow State on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocket Casts, or wherever you get podcasts
Annapurna is cooked Matt Horton 2024-09-21 | This week, the entire staff of Annapurna Interactive left the company. Here's what I think that means for the publisher.0:00 - What is going on at Annapurna?1:38 - The IGN piece5:06 - What happens next?Support the channel at ko-fi.com/matthortonRead more writing at https://matthorton.live"Inside Annapurna Interactive's Mass Walkout: Internal Politics, the Surprise Remedy Deal, and Why It All Happened" by Rebekah Valentine for IGN - ign.com/articles/what-the-heck-has-been-going-on-at-annapurna-interactive-an-investigation"Control and Alan Wake TV and Movies on the Way Thanks to New Annapurna and Remedy Partnership" by Rebekah Valentine for IGN - ign.com/articles/control-and-alan-wake-tv-and-movies-on-the-way-thanks-to-new-annapurna-partnership
What Should You Leave Behind? - 1000xRESIST Review Matt Horton 2024-08-26 | Support my work at Ko-Fi.com/matthortonMy writing - MattHorton.liveMy podcast - cantletitgo.gayKim's video game podcast - dotzip.onlineKim's frod podcast - frogpod.online1000xRESIST by Sunset Visitor - sunsetvisitor.studioGameplay footage by @samussonic-playsCheck out the dotzip 1000xRESIST spoilercast at https://share.transistor.fm/s/9180106a1000xRESIST is not only a game about remembering. It is a game about we carry forward and what we must choose to forget. Holding onto every memory from every person on the entire planet is both impossible and dangerous. Some things just don't fit in the backpack.Chapters0:00 - Spoiler Warning0:29 - Sometimes you just don’t fit in the backpack3:07 - Making 1000xRESIST5:02 - Watcher8:03 - Iris19:35 - Youngest23:09 - The Occupants27:47 - Blue38:51 - Watcher42:31 - Iris & Clara48:20 - Principal52:39 - Secretary59:49 - What do we carry forward?
Apple can fix Mac gaming Matt Horton 2024-07-12 | Apple. Get out of your own way and you can make the Mac the best place to play video games. Just put them on Steam, already.Music by Boqeh - boqeh.bandcamp.comRead more of my writing at https://matthorton.live0:00 - Those iPhone ports flopped0:33 - Game Porting Toolkit1:07 - Apple and Ubisoft2:03 - The hardware is there2:16 - The major flaw with Mac gaming3:38 - The perception of Mac gaming5:00 - What we can do
Dont be stubborn. Use a guide. Matt Horton 2024-06-02 | It turns out that it's easier and more enjoyable to get things done when you're nicer to yourself.Text version at https://MattHorton.liveListen to our podcast, Can't Let It Go, at https://cantletitgo.gayThe IGN review of Animal Well - ign.com/articles/animal-well-reviewMy short blog about Animal Well - https://matthorton.live/2024/05/11/animal-well-isnt-tunic/0:00 - Something is wrong with me3:50 - Lorelei and the Laser Eyes7:55 - Tearing down the Wall of Awful8:31 - Animal Well14:45 - Making things easier15:45 - Elden Ring
This video game changed my life (for real) Matt Horton 2024-04-30 | Citizen Sleeper changed my life. Did it make it any better?Citizen Sleeper: How to Escape Dystopia - youtu.be/Eiyf-4FhdFs0:00 - Citizen Sleeper changed my life1:17 - Did it help?Get Balatro running on iOS - old.reddit.com/r/iosgaming/comments/1bnf0zy/tutorial_run_balatro_on_your_ios_device
Stop doing homework! Matt Horton 2024-03-30 | Read more at https://MattHorton.live0:00 - X-Men '97 rules (no spoilers)1:10 - It's not just X-MenI swear you don't need to watch all of X-Men the Animated Series to start X-Men '97. And you don't need to catch up. I swear.Stop doing homework just to have fun. Just enjoy things!
Im embarrassed I never played a Yakuza game Matt Horton 2024-02-19 | 0:00 - Yakuza: Like A Dragon is good1:06 - Why I played it1:33 - Why I enjoyed itMore writing at https://MattHorton.liveI'll spoil the point up front for you. Yakuza: Like A Dragon rules. It's a great game, and I regret not playing a game in this series until now.You know what I usually hate? Long, overly complex games, over the top, macho violence, and turn based combat. So why did I start Like A Dragon? Because Like A Dragon Infinite Wealth features a famous Hawaiian t-shirt shop that was also featured in the now defunct reality Netflix show Terrace House.That's truly it. Just imagining the vibe of watching Terrace House Aloha State and playing Infinite Wealth at the same time sounded so fun.
Midnight Suns Deserves a Sequel Matt Horton 2024-01-29 | This video and more writing at https://MattHorton.liveMy podcast https://cantletitgo.gay0:00 - Marvel's Midnight Suns4:12 - What is Midnight Suns?4:38 - Hero and Ability Management7:14 - Combat12:25 - Superhero Social Sim17:19 - Abbey Grounds Exploration18:37 - The Loop that keeps me playing20:17 - The Problems with Midnight Suns31:31 - This game deserves a sequelAt Gamescom 2021, Firaxis Games and 2K announced Marvel’s Midnight Suns with a trailer featuring a bunch of Marvel characters you know and a bunch that you might not. There was Doctor Strange, Iron Man, Wolverine, Captain America, Captain Marvel, and Blade, but there was also Magik, Robbie Reyes’ Ghost Rider, Nico Minoru, a brand new, unnamed player character, and her mother, Lilith, the mother of demons. The trailer was set to a cover of Enter Sandman by Alessia Cara & The Warning, and ended with all of the heroes in these black and gold costumes walking away from a giant ring filled with fire.If you talk to most people who have played Midnight Suns, they’ll tell you that the game is a card-based tactics game during the day and a superhero social sim at night. That assessment isn’t wrong, but I think it misses out on 2 other pretty critical aspects of what this game has going on.I think there are actually 4 main elements to this game:Hero Management and Upgrades CombatSuperhero Social SimExploration of the AbbeySo let's break each of those down.
Star Wars Jedi Survivor is a great game #starwars #calkestis #jedisurvivor Matt Horton 2023-12-24 | ...
Paranormasight is a great game #scarygaming #horrorstories #horrorgaming Matt Horton 2023-12-21 | ...
The Game Awards dont matter Matt Horton 2023-11-28 | 0:00 - The Game Awards1:25 - A sequel that outdid its predecessor3:26 - A beautiful, smart puzzler5:12 - The indie that surprised me6:33 - Rethinking an earlier video8:07 - A game DEMO?!More writing at https://MattHorton.live--I enjoy the Game Awards. It's often a great show. I enjoy what Geoff Keighley is trying to do for the games industry, and honestly, the orchestra is what keeps me coming back every year, ever since their rendition of the Animal Crossing New Horizons theme made me cry back in 2020. But I have to admit that the choices, both for nominees and for winners, often leave me scratching my head. Video games like any art form are subjective. You have your opinions, I have mine, and the people nominating things for the Game Awards clearly have theirs. For example, they seem to hold the opinion that the 12th biggest games publisher in the world can have a game nominated for best independent game. But precisely because art is subjective, and because the Game Awards makes strange decisions basically every year, I think to culturally cede the title of Game of the Year to Keighley's list of games that had big marketing budgets is weak of us. Our opinions are just as valid as those of the nominating committee and the people who voted for the Game Awards. And that goes for you too. Your opinions are just as valid as mine. I mean, you know, I don't really know enough about your opinion to say that, but the spirit of it is right. The only thing that can make a game the Game of the Year is whether or not you thought it was the best game you played that year. So here's my personal list of my favorite games from 2023.
Broken Games are Good, Actually Matt Horton 2023-10-29 | 0:00 - I love broken games0:41 - The game I can't quit playing3:00 - The game that taught me imbalance is good6:30 - Making games FEEL great9:32 - Balance feels badI have a thing for broken games, not the glitchy Cyberpunk kind, but the ones that let me go absolutely overpowered and tear through every challenge with a wild flair. In my view, "balance" often kills the fun. I'd rather see everything amped up than nerfed.Take Balatro, for example, a poker roguelike deckbuilder that's got me hooked. It lets you play with jokers that have insane abilities, leading to some crazy combos and high scores. Then there's Inscryption, a narrative-driven deckbuilder that actively encourages breaking its rules to progress. Sacrificial stones and death cards are just some of the ways it lets you shake things up.What makes these games truly exciting is their "juice" — the visual and auditory elements that make every move feel like a triumph. However, games like Marvel Snap tend to prioritize balance over fun, which, in my opinion, ruins the experience. I prefer games that let me break boundaries and feel like a gaming god, much like the baton pass in Persona 5.Multiplayer games, often too focused on balance, leave little room for the wild excitement I crave. Instead, I appreciate single-player games like Balatro and Inscryption, where the fun is about breaking limits and creating awe-inspiring moments. If you're looking for a taste of that, check out Balatro on Steam.
Pokémon Needs to Evolve: Cassette Beasts Review Matt Horton 2023-09-19 | 0:00 - Cassette Beasts really works for me1:04 - The vibe3:58 - Cassette Beasts is Pokémon for adults6:42 - It's not that deep10:40 - Great battles13:06 - Killer music14:14 - Well-written characters17:12 - Letting go🔗 All my links @ https://matthorton.liveKyle Labriola's Sea of Stars Review - cohost.org/kylelabriola/post/2762235-thoughts-on-sea-of-sThe Pre-Order Bonus podcast episode with Jay Baylis - buzzsprout.com/747596/12421340The Back Page podcast episode with Jay Baylis - shows.acast.com/the-back-page-a-video-games-podcast/episodes/episode-126-how-to-make-a-video-game-with-jay-baylisThere's a new game that has consumed my time and thoughts over the past few weeks. I just can't get it out of my head, because it's working for me. Like really, really working for me. But I couldn't figure out why. Cassette Beasts is a fresh indie take on the monster taming formula. Think Pokemon, but more complex, in a meaningful way. If you grew up on Pokemon but maybe felt that those games didn't grow with you, Cassette Beasts might make you feel like you did when you were a kid. This is a game clearly made by people who love Pokemon, but know what that series is lacking. They know the little things that grate on you, and they've played the other monster taming games and found all the best mechanics that Pokemon's never explored. They know what makes a monster design enjoyable, and they have their own unique twist on that formula. And most importantly, they know all the parts of a game that often get ignored, like writing, music, and visual juice, and they've elevated cassette beasts in ways that you might not expect. If you've been looking for a game like that, I think this one might be for you. It certainly is for me, and I think I finally know why that is.
Guardians of the Galaxy is a good game #gaming #guardiansofthegalaxy #marvelgames Matt Horton 2023-09-06 | ...
Why Great Games Fail Matt Horton 2023-08-15 | 0:00 - A great game1:50 - The expert2:59 - What games work on Steam4:21 - Where Season did well6:01 - Why talk about Steam?7:38 - Marketing doesn't mean success8:20 - DATA8:44 - A secret formula9:32 - What games don't work10:53 - What about Steam Deck?12:11 - A buzzy game you might know14:48 - Ways to make a game work15:36 - What about cozy games?17:16 - Sports games do bad on Steam18:22 - Pokémon-likes, on the other hand...19:38 - Something doesn't add up...22:11 - This is like software design23:24 - Twitter is not real life24:25 - NBZ helps me26:04 - What people read on a Steam page28:01 - The false door testAt the end of January, a game released that changed how I think of games completely. Season A Letter to the Future had been building hype through multiple trailers during PlayStation events. Season, at its simplest, is a game about riding a bike, taking pictures, and recording audio. Call it wholesome or cozy, but Season fits nicely into this extremely popular niche of games whose goals are not to best an opponent or kill an enemy. In Season, Estelle's goal is simply to document her world and its culture before that culture comes to an end. Season's first trailer drew a lot of interest. It looked beautiful and contemplative and like a game I was going to devour. It was rather big news when word came out that the game's director and Scavenger Studios co-founder Simon Darvaux had harassed staff working on the game and had a toxic management style. It was a little quieter news when an investigation found that Scavenger Studios had dealt with Darveau's toxicity appropriately and that he would return to the studio in a more isolated role working on a different game. But perhaps the most shocking news came months after Season's release in June, when Scavenger Studios laid off half of their staff due to the game's extremely poor performance. After a strong indie game hype cycle and being featured in multiple PlayStation events, Season only sold around 60,000 copies across PS5 and Steam. The game underperformed what was expected in sales, and very likely, I think, underperformed what was necessary to make up the costs of development. When this news came out, I put a link to the gamesindustry.biz story in a Discord server that I frequent. The series of responses that I got from today's guest are what completely changed how I think about games, or at least how those games are marketed. In this video, NBZ walks me through the ways that indie games are marketed and why some great games fail when others don't.MY LINKSFind MY Discord, Twitter, Instagram, and Twitch at https://matthorton.liveMB01XIRFX2S97ZD
Every game I played in June and July Matt Horton 2023-08-03 | These are all the games I played in June and July.0:00 - Card games2:22 - Steam sale pickups4:01 - Turn-based RPGs4:57 - Everything elseMY LINKSFind MY Discord, Twitter, Instagram, and Twitch at https://matthorton.liveMB01XIRFX2S97ZD
The Best (and Worst) Games Ive Played in 2023 Matt Horton 2023-05-30 | A little bit about every video game I've played in 2023. All of them.0:00 - All of the games0:23 - Fire Emblem Engage1:28 - Season: A Letter to the Future2:48 - Hi-Fi Rush3:35 - Terra Nil4:04 - The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog4:31 - Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle5:15 - Fire Emblem Awakening5:45 - Wildfrost6:20 - Dungeon Drafters7:19 - Avengers8:17 - Teamfight Tactics9:09 - Magic Spellslingers9:32 - Magic the Gathering Arena10:19 - Summon Quest10:39 - Genshin Impact11:05 - Scarlet Hollow11:46 - The Last Spell12:37 - Paranormasight: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo13:06 - Papers Please13:36 - Strange Horticulture13:57 - Disco Elysium14:57 - Across the Obelisk15:38 - Star Wars Jedi: Survivor16:05 - My Dream Setup16:25 - Demonschool DemoMY LINKSFind MY Discord, Twitter, Instagram, and Twitch at https://matthorton.liveMB01XIRFX2S97ZD
5 Indie Games I Cant Wait to Play Matt Horton 2023-04-25 | 2023 is full of upcoming releases I can't wait to play, but these 5 indie games (and a couple bonus games at the end) are very high on that list. There's unexpected sequels as well as fully original new ideas that sound like exactly my kind of game. These are the 5 indie games I can't wait to play.0:00 - Indie games rule0:34 - A sequel?!1:31 - Spooky tactics2:29 - A spooky sequel3:23 - Tony Hawk in hell3:51 - Eerie space story4:26 - Bonus games!MY LINKSFind MY Discord, Twitter, Instagram, and Twitch at https://matthorton.liveMB01XIRFX2S97ZD
Terra Nil is the perfect game for climate anxiety Matt Horton 2023-04-05 | 🔗 ALL of my links - https://MattHorton.live Welcome to Terra Nil, the unique city-builder game that challenges you to restore a barren planet rather than exploit it for resources. In this game, you're not the typical city-builder where you bulldoze forests, pollute rivers and strip-mine mountains to build your metropolis. Instead, you must work with nature to heal the planet and create a thriving ecosystem.And it's the first game this year to truly blow me away.0:00 - What is Terra Nil1:03 - This is Devolver game?1:24 - How Free Lives make games2:08 - How I found the game2:56 - Playing Terra Nil3:54 - It's a power fantasy4:47 - Recycling difficulty5:16 - The first game to grip me this year
