John Walker - Industry Analcyst
@botherer.bsky.social
Co-creator of Rock Paper Shotgun, currently helping out at Kotaku, and still looking for a new long-term gig.
I write www.buried-treasure.org, unearthing excellent unknown indies. Please consider supporting!
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/buriedtreasure
I write www.buried-treasure.org, unearthing excellent unknown indies. Please consider supporting!
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/buriedtreasure
A story in four parts.
February 10, 2026 at 6:11 PM
A story in four parts.
I hope this Natural History Museum plushie is the first in a series of Pikachu fucking famous landmarks:
February 10, 2026 at 3:54 PM
I hope this Natural History Museum plushie is the first in a series of Pikachu fucking famous landmarks:
Top tip: if re-using an old post to save time, maybe give it a quick once-over before posting.
February 10, 2026 at 3:24 PM
Top tip: if re-using an old post to save time, maybe give it a quick once-over before posting.
200 years later, I think this still might be the best advert ever made:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_Jl...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_Jl...
Still Tango advert
YouTube video by VHS Video vault
www.youtube.com
February 9, 2026 at 8:33 PM
200 years later, I think this still might be the best advert ever made:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_Jl...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_Jl...
The gear shift from writing about Perfect Tides 2 and then Mewgenics has left me with whiplash.
February 9, 2026 at 5:45 PM
The gear shift from writing about Perfect Tides 2 and then Mewgenics has left me with whiplash.
If Books Could Kill is my favourite podcast, but I do struggle with them both commentating on the rich while never acknowledging that they're making at least *$3 million* a year from Patreon.
Like, bring it up? Say how it's impacted their own understanding of richness? It just sits wrong.
Like, bring it up? Say how it's impacted their own understanding of richness? It just sits wrong.
February 6, 2026 at 11:43 PM
If Books Could Kill is my favourite podcast, but I do struggle with them both commentating on the rich while never acknowledging that they're making at least *$3 million* a year from Patreon.
Like, bring it up? Say how it's impacted their own understanding of richness? It just sits wrong.
Like, bring it up? Say how it's impacted their own understanding of richness? It just sits wrong.
Reposted by John Walker - Industry Analcyst
"I am compelled to do everything I can to let this game be known" too. This is my piece [in italian]
www.ludicamag.com/perfect-tide...
www.ludicamag.com/perfect-tide...
Perfect Tides: Station to Station, trovare un posto nel mondo
Il seguito di uno dei migliori affreschi videoludici dell'adolescenza.
www.ludicamag.com
February 6, 2026 at 6:44 PM
"I am compelled to do everything I can to let this game be known" too. This is my piece [in italian]
www.ludicamag.com/perfect-tide...
www.ludicamag.com/perfect-tide...
Reposted by John Walker - Industry Analcyst
I've been looking forward to @botherer.bsky.social's impression of PT2, and it's as personal and delighted as I could've hoped.
OK, this is a big one. My review of @meredithgran.com's Perfect Tides: Station to Station.
This is one of the most important and beautiful games I've ever played.
buried-treasure.org/2026/02/perf...
Please help me dedicate this much time to these games: www.patreon.com/c/buriedtrea...
This is one of the most important and beautiful games I've ever played.
buried-treasure.org/2026/02/perf...
Please help me dedicate this much time to these games: www.patreon.com/c/buriedtrea...
February 6, 2026 at 2:50 PM
I've been looking forward to @botherer.bsky.social's impression of PT2, and it's as personal and delighted as I could've hoped.
Reposted by John Walker - Industry Analcyst
OK, this is a big one. My review of @meredithgran.com's Perfect Tides: Station to Station.
This is one of the most important and beautiful games I've ever played.
buried-treasure.org/2026/02/perf...
Please help me dedicate this much time to these games: www.patreon.com/c/buriedtrea...
This is one of the most important and beautiful games I've ever played.
buried-treasure.org/2026/02/perf...
Please help me dedicate this much time to these games: www.patreon.com/c/buriedtrea...
February 6, 2026 at 12:23 PM
OK, this is a big one. My review of @meredithgran.com's Perfect Tides: Station to Station.
This is one of the most important and beautiful games I've ever played.
buried-treasure.org/2026/02/perf...
Please help me dedicate this much time to these games: www.patreon.com/c/buriedtrea...
This is one of the most important and beautiful games I've ever played.
buried-treasure.org/2026/02/perf...
Please help me dedicate this much time to these games: www.patreon.com/c/buriedtrea...
OK, this is a big one. My review of @meredithgran.com's Perfect Tides: Station to Station.
This is one of the most important and beautiful games I've ever played.
buried-treasure.org/2026/02/perf...
Please help me dedicate this much time to these games: www.patreon.com/c/buriedtrea...
This is one of the most important and beautiful games I've ever played.
buried-treasure.org/2026/02/perf...
Please help me dedicate this much time to these games: www.patreon.com/c/buriedtrea...
February 6, 2026 at 12:23 PM
OK, this is a big one. My review of @meredithgran.com's Perfect Tides: Station to Station.
This is one of the most important and beautiful games I've ever played.
buried-treasure.org/2026/02/perf...
Please help me dedicate this much time to these games: www.patreon.com/c/buriedtrea...
This is one of the most important and beautiful games I've ever played.
buried-treasure.org/2026/02/perf...
Please help me dedicate this much time to these games: www.patreon.com/c/buriedtrea...
I wrote out this anecdote for an article, before realising that it just wasn't relevant enough to include, so figured I'd share it here.
February 6, 2026 at 11:10 AM
I wrote out this anecdote for an article, before realising that it just wasn't relevant enough to include, so figured I'd share it here.
So delighted to be supporting a site that is producing articles like this:
it's illegal to be queer in nigeria, but queer people still exist there (as they do everywhere). nigerian reporter ebenezer mowete spoke to queer local gamers about how they do and don't express their identities when they play --> www.mothership.blog/queer-nigeri...
We spoke to queer Nigerian gamers about the identities they hide online
Voice chat can mean teamwork, coordination, and banter, but for many of the queer Nigerian gamers we spoke to, the mic is a risk assessment tool.
www.mothership.blog
February 5, 2026 at 7:40 PM
So delighted to be supporting a site that is producing articles like this:
Reposted by John Walker - Industry Analcyst
I've written about Moltbook, and how ridiculous the reaction has been to a group of LLMs sending prompts back and forth.
"This is as interesting and threatening as a bunch of Speak & Spells in an echoey parking lot."
kotaku.com/moltbook-ai-...
"This is as interesting and threatening as a bunch of Speak & Spells in an echoey parking lot."
kotaku.com/moltbook-ai-...
The 'Reddit For AI' Site Is Not A Robot Uprising, It's Nothing At All
Moltbook is a bunch of mindless LLMs sending each prompts, and not the singularity
kotaku.com
February 2, 2026 at 1:35 PM
I've written about Moltbook, and how ridiculous the reaction has been to a group of LLMs sending prompts back and forth.
"This is as interesting and threatening as a bunch of Speak & Spells in an echoey parking lot."
kotaku.com/moltbook-ai-...
"This is as interesting and threatening as a bunch of Speak & Spells in an echoey parking lot."
kotaku.com/moltbook-ai-...
I've written about Moltbook, and how ridiculous the reaction has been to a group of LLMs sending prompts back and forth.
"This is as interesting and threatening as a bunch of Speak & Spells in an echoey parking lot."
kotaku.com/moltbook-ai-...
"This is as interesting and threatening as a bunch of Speak & Spells in an echoey parking lot."
kotaku.com/moltbook-ai-...
The 'Reddit For AI' Site Is Not A Robot Uprising, It's Nothing At All
Moltbook is a bunch of mindless LLMs sending each prompts, and not the singularity
kotaku.com
February 2, 2026 at 1:35 PM
I've written about Moltbook, and how ridiculous the reaction has been to a group of LLMs sending prompts back and forth.
"This is as interesting and threatening as a bunch of Speak & Spells in an echoey parking lot."
kotaku.com/moltbook-ai-...
"This is as interesting and threatening as a bunch of Speak & Spells in an echoey parking lot."
kotaku.com/moltbook-ai-...
Thank goodness for @mackeza.bsky.social on Radio 4 this morning. She was the calm and informed voice on kids and screens that is so often not heard during such discussions. It was much appreciated.
January 30, 2026 at 8:57 AM
Thank goodness for @mackeza.bsky.social on Radio 4 this morning. She was the calm and informed voice on kids and screens that is so often not heard during such discussions. It was much appreciated.
Reposted by John Walker - Industry Analcyst
Kansas just passed a monstrous bill enabling criminal penalties and vigilante lawsuits for trans people using the bathroom according to their gender identity and requires them to surrender their current drivers licenses and birth certificates if it does not match their sex assigned at birth.
January 28, 2026 at 11:44 PM
Kansas just passed a monstrous bill enabling criminal penalties and vigilante lawsuits for trans people using the bathroom according to their gender identity and requires them to surrender their current drivers licenses and birth certificates if it does not match their sex assigned at birth.
Could everyone stop being such a fucking idiot? I'm busy.
January 28, 2026 at 4:17 PM
Could everyone stop being such a fucking idiot? I'm busy.
Dunno if anyone here plays on Minecraft's DonutSMP, but this morning some complete shithead bastard scammed my 11yo out of his entire $125 million fortune he's worked so hard to earn over the last couple of months.
If you've got any spare pretend-money so we can refill his coffers, DM me!
If you've got any spare pretend-money so we can refill his coffers, DM me!
January 28, 2026 at 2:58 PM
Dunno if anyone here plays on Minecraft's DonutSMP, but this morning some complete shithead bastard scammed my 11yo out of his entire $125 million fortune he's worked so hard to earn over the last couple of months.
If you've got any spare pretend-money so we can refill his coffers, DM me!
If you've got any spare pretend-money so we can refill his coffers, DM me!
Look, you know me, I'm a modest man who doesn't like to make a fuss. But can we all just stop for a moment and notice my addition of lens flare to this beautiful main image?
kotaku.com/walmart-leak...
kotaku.com/walmart-leak...
Walmart's Maybe Leaked Two Switch Online GameCube Games
The retail giant has a couple of games in its promo image that haven't been mentioned before
kotaku.com
January 27, 2026 at 11:46 AM
Look, you know me, I'm a modest man who doesn't like to make a fuss. But can we all just stop for a moment and notice my addition of lens flare to this beautiful main image?
kotaku.com/walmart-leak...
kotaku.com/walmart-leak...
Reposted by John Walker - Industry Analcyst
Reposted by John Walker - Industry Analcyst
Funny you should ask! It’s not going great so far, admittedly.
January 26, 2026 at 5:03 PM
Funny you should ask! It’s not going great so far, admittedly.
Then what DID you have on your bingo card, lazy article introduction writer?
January 26, 2026 at 1:46 PM
Then what DID you have on your bingo card, lazy article introduction writer?
I will not stand for this, @nytimes.com.
January 23, 2026 at 8:47 PM
I will not stand for this, @nytimes.com.