Dragon Quest Smash/Grow is a decent enough mobile game that will appeal to fans of the series who don’t mind gacha elements, though the story feels a bit generic when compared to other Dragon Quest games. - @spencer-legacy.bsky.social

monstervine.com/2026/04/drag...

LeBron James leads a balanced Lakers attack as they take a 1-0 lead in Round 1 of the NBA Playoffs presented by Google!

Luke Kennard: 27 PTS (9-13 FGM, 5-5 3PM)
Deandre Ayton: 19 PTS (8-10 FGM), 11 REB
Marcus Smart: 15 PTS, 8 AST, 2 BLK

Game 2: Tuesday, 10:30pm/et, NBC & Peacock

Thanks for the well wishes Kyle! 🙏 it's been a busy spring for sure

Chill With You: A Lo-Fi Story Interview – Nestopi on Building Satone and Balancing Work and Story Chill With You: A Lo-Fi Story takes a pretty simple idea, doing your work with a virtual companion, and turns it into something a lot more thoughtful than that pitch might suggest. In speaking with…

Chill With You: A Lo-Fi Story Interview – Nestopi on Building Satone and Balancing Work and Story

monstervine.com/2026/04/chil...

What You Need to Know About World of Tanks: Heat World of Tanks: Heat directly changes the series’ structure, moving it from a slower tank simulation to a faster, role-based multiplayer game built around agents, abilities, and constant engagement.…

What You Need to Know About World of Tanks: Heat

monstervine.com/2026/04/what...

MapleStory Classic World Feels Like a Real Return to Old-School MapleStory MapleStory Classic World brings the series back to its early identity with a defined purpose: to recreate what made the original work great while updating parts that no longer hold up and returning…

MapleStory Classic World Feels Like a Real Return to Old-School MapleStory

monstervine.com/2026/04/mapl...

Ground Zero Review – A Love Letter to Resident Evil That Stands on Its Own The evolution of survival horror, while varied, has ultimately always ended up at the same point. From the more action-focused spectacle to the first-person hide and seek. The genre is seemingly…

Ground Zero is a fantastic example of how to take the things that inspire you, make something great, while maintaining the core DNA, and add your own twist. - linko64.bsky.social @malformation.bsky.social

monstervine.com/2026/04/grou...

I had a bunch of embargoed content going out today and didn't realize there was another showcase happening. Today was a lot.

THYSIASTERY Interview: DIRGA Team Talks Roguelike Design, Difficulty Feedback, and Post-Launch Plans THYSIASTERY arrives with a clear point of view, combining traditional roguelike ideas with a striking low-palette presentation. In this interview, the DIRGA team explains how it came together.…

Our interview with MonsterVine about the launch of THYSIASTERY.
We shared more about the journey behind our debut game, its design, challenges and its future.

Read the full interview here: monstervine.com/2026/04/thys...

Thanks @monstervine.com for the interview!

Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss Review – Clever Yet Frustrating Detective Horror Step into the shoes of an occult investigator up against the growing corruption of Cthulhu, gather clues for careful analysis, and choose how to solve puzzles to either stave off the corruption or…

Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss is an interesting take on the Cthulhu Mythos, even if its overall narrative doesn't stand out. - @samlienhard.bsky.social

monstervine.com/2026/04/cthu...

Dungeon Masters Brings D&D to Life With an Accessible Actual Play Experience Over the last couple of years, Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) game shows like Critical Role and Dimension 20 have skyrocketed in popularity. This is for a handful of reasons, but at its core, it’s because…

Overall, Dungeon Masters is a lot of fun to watch. - imluisgutierrez.bsky.social

monstervine.com/2026/04/dung...

Best Xbox Game Pass Games April 2026 – Top Single-Player Picks With April in full swing, it’s time to look at what Xbox has to offer with its gaming subscription, Xbox Game Pass. This month, we’ve taken a look at what the service offers and curated a list that…

Best Xbox Game Pass Games April 2026 – Top Single-Player Picks

monstervine.com/2026/04/best...

Town of Zoz Review – A Charming Action RPG With Frustrating Fights Town of Zoz has a lot of great ideas and incredible presentation, but the overall stilted flow of combat stymies what could be a top-notch indie gem. Regardless, the positives are numerous here and…

Town of Zoz has a lot of great ideas and incredible presentation, but the overall stilted flow of combat stymies what could be a top-notch indie gem. - @spencer-legacy.bsky.social

monstervine.com/2026/04/town...

Mouse: P.I. For Hire Review: Rubber Hose Style Meets Fast-Paced Shooting Mouse: P.I. For Hire is a game I’ve been eagerly anticipating since its initial reveal, and can you blame me? You show me a noir shooter with a rubber hose style, and you’ve got my attention. Now was…

There’s a lot to love with Mouse: P.I. For Hire, from its frenetic gunfights to its endearing characters and wonderful rubber hose animation. - @diegoescala.bsky.social

monstervine.com/2026/04/mous...

It's telling you to get an undercut

Pragmata Review – A Brilliant Combat Loop Meets a Tender Sci-Fi Story Pragmata blends third-person shooting with live hacking mechanics, delivering tense combat and strong character moments.

I love Pragmata, the combat is tense and deep, and the moments between Diana and Hugh make this experience special monstervine.com/2026/04/prag...

I think Pragmata has the most engaging third-person shooting I've experienced in the last twenty years. - @jamesthecarr.bsky.social

Our review: monstervine.com/2026/04/prag...

I'm gonna be at Summer Games Fest this year, provided a satellite doesn't fall out of the sky and kill me or something!

Shoot @williamsaw.bsky.social and I your cool appointment pitch emails so the @monstervine.com team can play your crazy video games in L.A. while boiling in the harsh American sun

I will be attending SGF for @monstervine.com in June, send your pitches to will@monstervine.com so I can play your video games!

Xenonauts 2 Review – Punishing Strategy With Incredible Depth Saying the word ‘XCOM’ to people tends to summon images of the 2012 series. Those who are a little older are already muttering, ‘What about X-COM?!’ While the former has seemingly influenced a small…

A slow-burning, but extremely rewarding experience that doesn’t hold back. Xenonauts 2 knows exactly what it wants to be and does it well. - @linko64.bsky.social @hoodedhorse.bsky.social

monstervine.com/2026/04/xeno...

We’re honored Fractured Blooms was featured in Spencer Legacy’s PAX East 2026 coverage, where its slow-burn tension, dreary atmosphere, and emotional storytelling caught his eye and left him feeling unsettled.

Read more in his MonsterVine article:

monstervine.com/2026/03/frac...

KuloNiku: Bowl Up! Review – A Cozy Cooking Game With Surprising Depth KuloNiku: Bowl Up! is a fast-paced, cozy cooking game that blends a sharp anime aesthetic with pleasant writing to create a rather unique title. I ran into a little stuttering here and there, but the…

KuloNiku: Bowl Up! is a fast-paced, cozy cooking game that blends a sharp anime aesthetic with pleasant writing to create a rather unique title. - @spencer-legacy.bsky.social @kulonikugame.bsky.social @rawfury.bsky.social

monstervine.com/2026/04/kulo...

Happy birthday!

Super Meat Boy 3D Review – Tight Gameplay, Less Distinct Style Super Meat Boy 3D is an overall tight adaptation of the iconic Team Meat platformer into the squishier third dimension. The visual style loses some of its unique Flash edge in the transition to 3D,…

Super Meat Boy 3D is an overall tight adaptation of the iconic Team Meat platformer into the squishier third dimension. - @spencer-legacy.bsky.social @headup.bsky.social

monstervine.com/2026/04/supe...

Super Mario Bros. Wonder + Meetup in Bellabel Park Review – Koopalings Steal the Show Super Mario Bros. Wonder + Meetup in Bellabel Park is a top-notch upgrade to Super Mario Bros. Wonder, adding neat multiplayer distractions and fantastic boss fights alongside its new characters and…

Super Mario Bros. Wonder + Meetup in Bellabel Park is a grand upgrade to Super Mario Bros. Wonder, thanks to its noticeable visual improvements and an abundance of varied new content. - @spencer-legacy.bsky.social
monstervine.com/2026/04/supe...

Marathon Review – Bungie Nails the Extraction Shooter Loop Thirty two years. That’s how long it’s been since the release of the original Marathon, a series that, after two additional games, went into hibernation while Bungie developed the Halo series. Well,…

Marathon is simply fantastic, there’s no other way to describe it. - @diegoescala.bsky.social @marathonthegame.bungie.net

monstervine.com/2026/04/mara...

Morbid Metal Preview – Metal May Cry I love roguelikes; nothing else in gaming matches the feeling of wanting just one more run. That’s why I’ve been interested in Morbid Metal since it was first announced, showing off a highly polished…

Morbid Metal looks great and runs quite smoothly in its current build. - @jamesthecarr.bsky.social @screen-juice.com

monstervine.com/2026/04/morb...

Thanks so much (for the double well wishes) Casey! 🙏

Thanks so much Aaron! We are super stoked.

Here's five words we've been waiting to say:

MonsterVine Is Now On Metacritic www.metacritic.com/publication/...

We're thrilled to be added to the roster of top gaming critics and are excited to carry forward this momentum and energy in our work. Thanks for all your support.