SmashPad - Twitch This is the official Twitch account for SmashPad.com. We will occasionally stream ourselves playing games for or with the community while also taking questions and talking with you.

We're back to check out one of the most interesting indie games of last week in Gecko Gods. Join us!

www.twitch.tv/smashpad

Day 0 Update #575 – A Distant Relative Or Something In this episode of the Day 0 Update: We talk about the "huge" change to Alex's story in SF6, what Xbox needs to do about Game Pass, and a bad sign of what's to come in the games industry. All this and more, up next! Intro What Are We Playing? C: Gecko Gods, Pragmata, The Survivalists B: Mouse PI For Hire, Splatoon 3, Death Stranding 2…

Day 0 Update #575 - A Distant Relative Or Something

Let’s Weekend #512 – Congrats Hungary In this episode of Let’s Weekend: We talk about the great news out of Hungary, the mess of the Iran War, and Trump's fight with the Pope. Intro What Are We Up To? C: Karate Kid Legend, Mission Impossible The Final Reckoning, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, The Handmaid’s Tale, Temtem Swarm B: Mouse PI For Hire, Splatoon 3, books, Fruit Flies 2 Irritating Boogaloo…

Let's Weekend #512 - Congrats Hungary

[GDC 2026] Hands-On: “Screenbound” takes the 2D/3D games outside the box and into 5D GDC was an eventual five whole days of nothing but video games and sometimes it feels like I’m still recovering. As we were gearing up for the week a special surprise hit our inboxes and Xbox was kind enough to invite us to their own preview event in San Francisco to play several "ID@Xbox" demos. One of those games I got to play was Screenbound, a neat platformer that had me multitasking like I never had before.

We're a little late, but one of the more interesting games we played during GDC, Screenbound, was at the Xbox Play Anywhere Showcase.

Check out our preview of this title that lets you explore both in 3D and 2D at the same time.

REVIEW – “Dosa Divas” is proof that just because something tastes good, you don’t need to eat it all right away The item you get here is awesome, and it should've happened earlier. They say that food is a universal love language, and that's a statement taken in different directions in Dosa Divas, the latest game to come out of Outerloop Games of Thirsty Suitors fame. Much like Thirsty Suitors before it, Dosa Divas is a quick romp with nods to other great games, but the story in this game is a more personal one connected to food.

While Dosa Divas has a lot of cool things going for it, namely in its story, especially as someone who truly appreciates the role food has in the lives of people in the ANHPI community, as well as a funky soundtrack and colorful visuals, there wasn't enough here to completely envelop me.

Our review

REVIEW – “Vampire Crawlers” sees poncle nail a new genre in a way only they can Damn, poncle's done it again. Vampire Crawlers is a wickedly-crafted, addicting, original game with enough potential depth to rival the Mariana Trench.

All that to say, damn, poncle's done it again. Vampire Crawlers is a wickedly crafted, addicting, original game with enough potential depth to rival the Mariana Trench. If, or hopefully when, DLC is added to this game, it's only going to expand the possibilities even more.

Our review:

Impressions + Discussion: WonderCon’s Video Game Presence Works Best When It Feels Human WonderCon does not need video games to become the biggest thing at the convention. It just has an opportunity to make them a more fully realized part of what the weekend offers.

WonderCon’s video game presence already works when it is centered on community, conversation, and creative access. The question is not whether games belong here. They clearly do. The real question is how much further WonderCon could go if it trusted that its greatest strength is not spectacle, but t

REVIEW: “The Day I Became a Bird” is a Cute children’s book in game form The Day I Became a Bird is a short, yet adorable storybook inspired adventure. Don't expect in-depth gameplay though.

REVIEW: “The Day I Became a Bird” is a Cute children’s book in game form

The Day I Became a Bird is a short, yet adorable storybook inspired adventure. Don't expect in-depth gameplay though.

SmashPad - Twitch The Survivalists' New DLC! Frostbite Fortress!

We're back for a new stream as we check out the new DLC for The Survivalists to see this weird little survival game. Join us!

www.twitch.tv/smashpad

REVIEW – “Marathon” is Bungie at its most intriguing in years Marathon is a game I did not expect to get its hooks into me. On the surface, Bungie’s new PvPvE extraction shooter looked like the kind of game I had already drifted away from. I know Bungie’s work well. I put more than 1,500 hours into Destiny 2 and hundreds more into the first Destiny, enough to understand the studio’s strengths almost instinctively. Bungie knows how to make shooting feel good, how to build mystery into a world, and how to take a familiar idea and push it just far enough in a strange direction to make it feel fresh.

Marathon is not an easy sell, but it is a bold one. It is stylish, mechanically sharp, and much more interesting than its surface-level pitch suggests.

Our review of Marathon

[PAX East 2026] Hands-On: Modern day gaming is ready for “Bubsy 4D”, whether it likes it or not I’m not sure what rock I’ve been living under all this time, but clearly it’s been missing Bubsy, and in several dimensions.  Bubsy 4D is the comeback game of a series that dates back to the early 90’s on the Super Nintendo. This was around the time when Mega Man was still pumping out sequels, as well as the beginning of the…

I have never played Bubsy or even heard of the series before attending PAX East, but Danreb insisted I try it out as someone with new eyes on the next installment of this long-lasting and (so it seems) beloved character.  

Check out our preview from PAX East!

REVIEW – As an old-school style video game paying tribute to the golden age of animation, “MOUSE: P.I. For Hire” succeeds Animation is quite possibly the most laborious art form on the planet, and hand-drawn animation even more so. You have to have a real dedication to your craft in order to draw hundreds upon hundreds of images of the same character in the hopes that they'll move. It's the reason titles like Cuphead took so long to develop; it took over seven years to produce that game, and an enormous chunk of it was spent on the individual animation cells needed to make the magic happen.

I'm definitely recommending this game. I love noir, I love the golden age of animation, I love old shooters, and I love games that can surprise me with their depth. This one has all three. A lot of love went into this title, and you should savor every bit of it.

Our review:

REVIEW: Turtle Beach’s “Atlas 200 Headset” fits my big head nicely Comfortable but impractical to wear outside.

REVIEW: Turtle Beach’s “Atlas 200 Headset” fits my big head nicely

Comfortable but impractical to wear outside.

[PAX East 2026] Hands-On: Whispers of the Eyeless is Worthy of a “Cult Following” Every year at PAX East, the Games From Poland booth always impresses me with the sheer variety of games coming from Poland. There were at least a dozen unique titles populating the booth, but one that caught my eye was Whispers of the Eyeless, a dark fantasy roguelike from Bad Gingerbread Studio. Originally I checked it out for the unique art style and turn-based combat, but I ended up staying for the fascinating dark fantasy atmosphere and cult-forming gameplay.

Whispers of the Eyeless could be another Polish gem. Check out our preview from PAX East!

[PAX East 2026] Hands-On: “Jigrift” is a ‘puzzling’ take on 3D platformers The PAX Rising showcase at PAX East always has a handful of titles that draw me in. It's thanks to this booth that I have seen all sorts of great ideas put into practice. One of those games that stood out for this very reason was Jigrift, a 3D Puzzle Platformer by the solo developer at Empty Castle Games where the world is comprised of jigsaw pieces! As someone who enjoys jigsaw puzzles, puzzle games, and 3D platformers, I knew I had to give this game a try.

Jigrift definitely piqued our interest at GDC and PAX East. Here's our preview!

Day 0 Update #574 – TeamSmashPad In this episode of the Day 0 Update: We talk about the death of an industry legend, Rockstar Games getting hacked again, and some of the cool stuff from the Triple-I Initiative showcase. All this and more, up next! Intro What Are We Playing? C: Temtem: Swarm, PowerWash Simulator 2 Adventure Time, The Survivalists B: Death Stranding 2, Splatoon 3, Neverway demo, secret game…

Day 0 Update #574 - TeamSmashPad

Let’s Weekend #511 – Splashdown In this episode of Let’s Weekend: We talk about the wild week of Trump's threats against Iran, some good news about WGA getting a new deal, and the journey that Artemis II went on until landing in ocean as we started recording. Intro What Are We Up To? C: The Dinosaurs, Maul, The Fifth Element, Mean Girls, Temtem: Swarm B: Death Stranding 2, Neverway demo, books, It’s getting hotter…

Let's Weekend #511 - Splashdown

PowerWash Simulator 2's Adventure Time Pack - SmashPad Plays YouTube video by SmashPad

PowerWash Simulator 2's Adventure Time Pack - SmashPad Plays

youtu.be/Lt1cm7mwElQ?...

Hands-On: The “Invincible VS” open beta shows ass-kicking potential for button mashers and combo labbers alike I've spent a considerable amount of time with the Invincible VS open beta this last weekend. At the end of it all, it looks like it's going to be a polarizing game for most and honestly, I'm thankful for that.

You can put us at the end of the spectrum that thinks Invincible VS is going to be good. Possibly even great.

Temtem: Swarm - SmashPad Plays YouTube video by SmashPad

Temtem: Swarm - SmashPad Plays

youtu.be/uFFYmLYZs-E?...

REVIEW – “PRAGMATA” is a dream of a game that represents the best design, action, and characters capable in the medium In every subjectively measurable way, this game is turbo-charged, immensely enjoyable, and such a profoundly well-executed experience that it's already shortlisted for the top of my game of the year list.

I think Pragmata is the crowning jewel of all their amassed talent and good decisions, ideas, and creativity so far in the 2020s. It's really that good.

Our review:

REVIEW – “Cleaning Up!” makes cleaning more fun than it really is Ryan Gosling drives, I clean. He has a scorpion jacket. I have headphones. He navigates the streets well. I navigate dogs in the way well enough. So naturally, I’m well suited to discuss Cleaning Up!, a game all about… that. 

Cleaning Up! is a solid casual game that owns the vibes it brings to the table. The visuals are cute, the sounds are punchy, and controlling your little worker gives off all the Animal Crossing and Stardew Valley vibes. It can be a good way to unwind from your actual cleaning.

Our review:

SmashPad - Twitch Adventure Time Pack for PowerWash Simulator 2!

We're back for a new stream where we need to return to PowerWash Simulator 2 because the Adventure Time DLC pack is out now and beckons us to clean some new messes. Join us!

www.twitch.tv/smashpad

FEATURE – Spray painting at “The Rogue Prince of Persia” event was both fun and complicated The Prince looks amazing in graffiti art.

"In a random East London community called Hoxton on a Tuesday afternoon, I shook hands with a few excited influencers from IG and Twitch, welcomed by a glorious spray-painted depiction of the game's protagonist, The Prince."

Chris Penwall talks about his Prince of Persia street art experience.

MINOS is a valued toolbox of devious joy and wracking despair that's pretty easy to look at, play with, and understand even as it gets more complicated and complex.

Our review of MINOS

[PAX East 2026] Hands-On: “Grim Trials” is a Hades-like worth checking out During PAX East in Boston, I had the opportunity to play Grim Trials for about half an hour, but that wasn't nearly enough time to really sink my teeth in. Not only because that isn't really enough time to get a full impression, but also because what I played was genuinely fun, and I'm excited to eventually dive back in.

If you've had the pleasure of playing either of Supergiant Games' incredible Hades titles, you'll be right at home with Grim Trials, a new action-roguelike from Indonesian developer Glory Jam.

This, however, isn't just a Hades clone.

Check out our preview from PAX East.

REVIEW – “Samson” is bland, buggy, and brutal to play It's somewhat strange that there aren't many indie games taking inspiration from Grand Theft Auto. Driving around a city while taking on crime jobs is a great loop, so when Samson was announced, I was excited to play it. That excitement turned to annoyance in very short order, though, as the game is just plain bad in most ways, from its awful driving and terrible combat to its poor balance and meaningless game focus. The incredibly bland characterization certainly doesn't help matters either, all combining to make for a subpar experience across the board.

Samson is an awful game packed with poor gameplay at every avenue. There is almost no fun to be had here unless you just want to gawk at how miserable everything is.

Our review:

REVIEW – “The House of Hikmah” is a beautiful but bug-riddled cultural experience When it comes to puzzle games in a 3D realm, atmosphere is what consistently keeps me hooked into the world whose mysteries I'm unraveling. Games like The Witness and The Talos Principle did so in a way that had me reflect on existentialism, and as such, remained very impactful in my experience. When I first looked at The House of Hikmah, I had a feeling this would be another special experience to immerse myself in, this time in the realm of Middle Eastern inspiration.

The House of Hikmah is an enjoyable window into Islamic history with a coming-of-age story about grief and not letting loss completely weigh you down. Unfortunately, it also struggles with mechanical issues that hinder the gameplay experience.

Our review:

[PAX East 2026] Hands-On: Bylina is a clunky ARPG that’s more frustrating than fun A dark, Slavic myth-themed dungeon-crawling action RPG sounds amazing on paper, and that's what Bylina from developer Far Far Games sets out to be. This year at PAX East in Boston, I got to play roughly 20 minutes of what I can only assume is an early build of the game. Unfortunately, it was quite a buggy mess and largely unenjoyable, but the bones of a great game are here, especially if you're a fan of other ARPGs of its ilk. I just think it needs a bit more time in the oven.

It really is tough to judge Bylina's quality because of how poorly it ran for my demo, but what I played at PAX East was not its best showing. I do, however, have a strong feeling this will be a quality action RPG that fans of the genre will be able to sink dozens of hours into.

Our Bylina preview

SmashPad - Twitch This is the official Twitch account for SmashPad.com. We will occasionally stream ourselves playing games for or with the community while also taking questions and talking with you.

We're back to stream as we check out the new Vampire Survivors-style spinoff of Temtem called Temtem: Swarm. Join us!

www.twitch.tv/smashpad