James Margaris
@markymarg2.bsky.social
A perfectly harmless box. Game dev, half of Dark Roast Entertainment. Games criticism at http://jmargaris.substack.com
Pinned
James Margaris
@markymarg2.bsky.social
· Dec 18
Monster Hunter Wilds was a Huge Miss and Other 2025 Thoughts
Rough times for AAA games and games media, a breakout year for indie, Youtube is warping player feedback, and The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy as a map game
open.substack.com
open.substack.com/pub/jmargari...
(I swear I only used this as the lead image because I could only fit a few images in this post and this was the only one at all readable in terms of shape / color etc without context)
(I swear I only used this as the lead image because I could only fit a few images in this post and this was the only one at all readable in terms of shape / color etc without context)
When I wrote this (August '24) I had never played 2XKO - this was based entirely on the advertised features (mostly the control scheme) and who the team had hired.
This is, I dare say, dead-on, especially the part about top players fixating on peculiar features.
This is, I dare say, dead-on, especially the part about top players fixating on peculiar features.
February 17, 2026 at 12:42 AM
When I wrote this (August '24) I had never played 2XKO - this was based entirely on the advertised features (mostly the control scheme) and who the team had hired.
This is, I dare say, dead-on, especially the part about top players fixating on peculiar features.
This is, I dare say, dead-on, especially the part about top players fixating on peculiar features.
In X-Men vs Street Fighter Dhalsim's Yoga Flame takes up the entire screen because one guy just thought that would be cool and did it, then his boss was like "you're right that is cool!"
Rather than 3 layers of gameplay designers and balance guys carefully analyzing the ramifications.
Rather than 3 layers of gameplay designers and balance guys carefully analyzing the ramifications.
I find this happens *a lot* in mature genres and games made by fans of that genre - they index too heavily into the "best" rules (often only theoretically the best, not in practice) at the expense of "fun factor", thematics, etc.
February 16, 2026 at 5:13 AM
In X-Men vs Street Fighter Dhalsim's Yoga Flame takes up the entire screen because one guy just thought that would be cool and did it, then his boss was like "you're right that is cool!"
Rather than 3 layers of gameplay designers and balance guys carefully analyzing the ramifications.
Rather than 3 layers of gameplay designers and balance guys carefully analyzing the ramifications.
1. People will compare fighting games to any other game with multiplayer but I think there's very limited utility there.
2. The people who say "MOBAs are harder to learn than fighting games" learned to play fighting games 25 years ago lol.
2. The people who say "MOBAs are harder to learn than fighting games" learned to play fighting games 25 years ago lol.
The replies to this have multiple people coming up with multiple different explanations as to why MOBAS are more popular than fighting games. Worth a read.
9 months have passed, it is once again time to have the fighting game difficulty discourse.
By the way Sajam is right but fighting games will forever have the permanent debuff.
By the way Sajam is right but fighting games will forever have the permanent debuff.
February 16, 2026 at 4:44 AM
1. People will compare fighting games to any other game with multiplayer but I think there's very limited utility there.
2. The people who say "MOBAs are harder to learn than fighting games" learned to play fighting games 25 years ago lol.
2. The people who say "MOBAs are harder to learn than fighting games" learned to play fighting games 25 years ago lol.
www.reddit.com/r/gaming/com...
Civ 7 strikes me as a great example of "they fundamentally just made the wrong game."
Swapping Civilizations (while keeping rulers, who apparently live for 3000 years) is just so strange - entirely antithetical to the core conceit!
Civ 7 strikes me as a great example of "they fundamentally just made the wrong game."
Swapping Civilizations (while keeping rulers, who apparently live for 3000 years) is just so strange - entirely antithetical to the core conceit!
From the gaming community on Reddit: Civilization 7’s ‘Test of Time’ Update Lets You Stick With One Civ—and Fans Are Excited
Explore this post and more from the gaming community
www.reddit.com
February 16, 2026 at 2:07 AM
www.reddit.com/r/gaming/com...
Civ 7 strikes me as a great example of "they fundamentally just made the wrong game."
Swapping Civilizations (while keeping rulers, who apparently live for 3000 years) is just so strange - entirely antithetical to the core conceit!
Civ 7 strikes me as a great example of "they fundamentally just made the wrong game."
Swapping Civilizations (while keeping rulers, who apparently live for 3000 years) is just so strange - entirely antithetical to the core conceit!
A team of 300 Ubisoft employees should split into 100 teams of 3 and each release a game - that would definitely fix things!
I know it's meant in good faith but "if we just made smaller scope games and charged 20-40 dollars for them it would fix the industry" is very funny to me. indies release like 20 of those a week on steam. are you buying them? is the industry fixed? no? hm. sounds like you need a different solution
February 16, 2026 at 1:55 AM
A team of 300 Ubisoft employees should split into 100 teams of 3 and each release a game - that would definitely fix things!
This is what they took from us.
Palm Beach (Sega Water Ski, Arcade, Sega AM1, 1997)
February 15, 2026 at 2:25 AM
This is what they took from us.
Brigandine is pretty cool it's like a Dragon Force style pseudo-board game with a Risk-like map, where you can choose from a bunch of different starting kingdoms with different characters, locations, etc.
Like a Romance of the Three Kingdoms with a fantasy bent.
Cool art on this steam version.
Like a Romance of the Three Kingdoms with a fantasy bent.
Cool art on this steam version.
I just noticed the previous Brigandine is 80% off on Steam, if you want to get a cheap feel for what the series is about.
store.steampowered.com/app/1843940/...
store.steampowered.com/app/1843940/...
Brigandine: Abyss released a new trailer this week, confirming the game will arrive on both PC and all three major consoles in 2026. #BrigandineAbyss
February 15, 2026 at 2:20 AM
Brigandine is pretty cool it's like a Dragon Force style pseudo-board game with a Risk-like map, where you can choose from a bunch of different starting kingdoms with different characters, locations, etc.
Like a Romance of the Three Kingdoms with a fantasy bent.
Cool art on this steam version.
Like a Romance of the Three Kingdoms with a fantasy bent.
Cool art on this steam version.
This isn't wrong but I would be wary of flattening all these flop stories.
I'm a Fighting Game Guy and I've followed the development of 2XKO. (I also met the guys behind it at an MIT arcade in like 1998...)
I don't think they expected big numbers, I think they expected a solid foundation.
I'm a Fighting Game Guy and I've followed the development of 2XKO. (I also met the guys behind it at an MIT arcade in like 1998...)
I don't think they expected big numbers, I think they expected a solid foundation.
There are probably a number of reasons why Highguard ""flopped"" but I think this and 2KXO show that studios desperately need to reset player count and engagement expectations of certain genres. FPS isn't a shoe-in for massive success. FIghting games have never been.
February 14, 2026 at 2:24 AM
This isn't wrong but I would be wary of flattening all these flop stories.
I'm a Fighting Game Guy and I've followed the development of 2XKO. (I also met the guys behind it at an MIT arcade in like 1998...)
I don't think they expected big numbers, I think they expected a solid foundation.
I'm a Fighting Game Guy and I've followed the development of 2XKO. (I also met the guys behind it at an MIT arcade in like 1998...)
I don't think they expected big numbers, I think they expected a solid foundation.
Reposted by James Margaris
TC Carson and Jeff Goldblum are the same genre of human
February 12, 2026 at 11:12 PM
TC Carson and Jeff Goldblum are the same genre of human
I once rented (or maybe borrowed) this game and I've never been able to figure out what it was. I even looked through a list of all NES games and didn't find it. (I'm dumb who knows)
I thought maybe I just imagined it. But this is it.
MY LIFE'S GREATEST MYSTERY HAS BEEN SOLVED!
I thought maybe I just imagined it. But this is it.
MY LIFE'S GREATEST MYSTERY HAS BEEN SOLVED!
Dungeon Magic: Sword of the Elements (1989) is an RPG for the NES by Natsume. The evil Darces seeks to destroy the land and only by uniting the five elements can a hero hope to stop him in this first-person, grid-based dungeon crawler with button mashing monster bashing. (an often dying thread)
February 13, 2026 at 1:09 AM
I once rented (or maybe borrowed) this game and I've never been able to figure out what it was. I even looked through a list of all NES games and didn't find it. (I'm dumb who knows)
I thought maybe I just imagined it. But this is it.
MY LIFE'S GREATEST MYSTERY HAS BEEN SOLVED!
I thought maybe I just imagined it. But this is it.
MY LIFE'S GREATEST MYSTERY HAS BEEN SOLVED!
Ironically this is the sort of poorly-informed gamer take that this guy claims isn't significant.
Highguard does not include "edgy" characters - that's just not a thing. If anything the opposite, the characters have a bunch of "wholesome" corny dialog.
He's outsourcing his opinion to youtubers.
Highguard does not include "edgy" characters - that's just not a thing. If anything the opposite, the characters have a bunch of "wholesome" corny dialog.
He's outsourcing his opinion to youtubers.
February 12, 2026 at 10:37 PM
Ironically this is the sort of poorly-informed gamer take that this guy claims isn't significant.
Highguard does not include "edgy" characters - that's just not a thing. If anything the opposite, the characters have a bunch of "wholesome" corny dialog.
He's outsourcing his opinion to youtubers.
Highguard does not include "edgy" characters - that's just not a thing. If anything the opposite, the characters have a bunch of "wholesome" corny dialog.
He's outsourcing his opinion to youtubers.
I keep saying this: publishers are looking for games that are 90% done, have well-established communities, and are clear hits, but the developer runs into medical issues and needs bridge funding. Then the pub will give them that bridge funding while offering no marketing or console porting.
This is the problem I have with publishers right now. Every one I've spoken with lately has basically gone "your game needs to be finished and you need to be a guaranteed success before it even gets to us."
They want you to spend millions, and they want 40-50% minimum to barely market your game.
They want you to spend millions, and they want 40-50% minimum to barely market your game.
"we shouldn't have to work for free on a game until it's nearly-done enough to get funding" and "it's the only thing you can really do so you should do it if you want to make games" are both true imo and it's shit but what else is there really to do that isn't just give up
February 12, 2026 at 2:02 AM
I keep saying this: publishers are looking for games that are 90% done, have well-established communities, and are clear hits, but the developer runs into medical issues and needs bridge funding. Then the pub will give them that bridge funding while offering no marketing or console porting.
I've posted and deleted so many tweets over the years to the tune of "it's so fucking pathetic that Valve employees act performatively woke but do nothing about this incredibly predictable shit that happens with every game featuring women or minorities."
(I might leave this one up for a while)
(I might leave this one up for a while)
Hey y'all.
A South African dev released a blackity black game during BHM and it's currently getting the usual suspects in the reviews.
Imma grab this up myself anyway, but can we all be some chums and help push the racists out of the reviews? 🙂
A South African dev released a blackity black game during BHM and it's currently getting the usual suspects in the reviews.
Imma grab this up myself anyway, but can we all be some chums and help push the racists out of the reviews? 🙂
“Please enjoy the museum”:
Relooted is OUT NOW!
Please share!
Relooted is OUT NOW!
Please share!
February 11, 2026 at 3:23 AM
I've posted and deleted so many tweets over the years to the tune of "it's so fucking pathetic that Valve employees act performatively woke but do nothing about this incredibly predictable shit that happens with every game featuring women or minorities."
(I might leave this one up for a while)
(I might leave this one up for a while)
I think A Realm Reborn was probably a bad thing for the industry in that people still point to it and say "maybe we can pull a Real Reborn." But A Realm Reborn happened because they replaced the lead on the game, and the new lead brutally identified the existing problems and pledged to fix them.
I think a big issue with modern game development is the disconnect between responsibility and accountability. The people in charge are theoretically responsible for the overall state of the game, but when a game does poorly a texture artist who did a great job is laid off.
February 10, 2026 at 7:30 AM
I think A Realm Reborn was probably a bad thing for the industry in that people still point to it and say "maybe we can pull a Real Reborn." But A Realm Reborn happened because they replaced the lead on the game, and the new lead brutally identified the existing problems and pledged to fix them.
Most of the problems with the game stem from high-level decision-making. The people who should be laid off are the people writing the layoff emails. No offense to those people (I've met some personally, they're nice guys!) but they made some fundamentally misguided decisions.
Riot Games lays off roughly 80 employees from 2XKO team
Riot Games lays off roughly 80 employees from 2XKO team
'Overall momentum hasn’t reached the level needed to support a team of this size long term.'
www.gamedeveloper.com
February 10, 2026 at 1:32 AM
Most of the problems with the game stem from high-level decision-making. The people who should be laid off are the people writing the layoff emails. No offense to those people (I've met some personally, they're nice guys!) but they made some fundamentally misguided decisions.
Psyduck is the best because it looks like his head is about to do a Scanner's style explosion, or maybe he's about to inflict that on someone else who knows.
Psyduck is my favorite if anyone even cares.
honestly respect for the ad that’s just like “pokemon are cool.” they are cool
February 9, 2026 at 2:20 AM
Psyduck is the best because it looks like his head is about to do a Scanner's style explosion, or maybe he's about to inflict that on someone else who knows.
It seems like all of this is the result of one guy at Valve waking up on the wrong side of the bed one morning and deciding that this game needed to be singled out while dozens of more offensive games floated by.
Our time on this topic was limited, but it seems news of the Steam ban triggered an Epic review of the rating, which is usually produced via a self-reported submission to an ratings coalition
"their answers were just different than.. some of the moderators’ were after they played through the game"
"their answers were just different than.. some of the moderators’ were after they played through the game"
February 8, 2026 at 5:40 AM
It seems like all of this is the result of one guy at Valve waking up on the wrong side of the bed one morning and deciding that this game needed to be singled out while dozens of more offensive games floated by.
Interesting - sort of like how in the contemporary US we have Darren Aronofsky, who is (presumably) both blind and deaf.
In many cultures the arts are traditionally associated with disabled people. For instance, both Egypt and Ireland have traditions of blind harpists like Turlough O'Carolan (right).
February 8, 2026 at 3:50 AM
Interesting - sort of like how in the contemporary US we have Darren Aronofsky, who is (presumably) both blind and deaf.
This looks suspiciously like Cham Cham
(Also I assume this is a hentai visual novel like 98% of PC-98 games...)
(Also I assume this is a hentai visual novel like 98% of PC-98 games...)
Goto-P no CG Shuu Vol. 4 - Apefuchi // Mizuki-chan Club // PC-98
February 8, 2026 at 2:21 AM
This looks suspiciously like Cham Cham
(Also I assume this is a hentai visual novel like 98% of PC-98 games...)
(Also I assume this is a hentai visual novel like 98% of PC-98 games...)
To all the other countries: please continue to boo our athletes.
To our athletes: feels bad but we gotta take the L here - try not to take it too personally.
To our athletes: feels bad but we gotta take the L here - try not to take it too personally.
February 7, 2026 at 2:53 AM
To all the other countries: please continue to boo our athletes.
To our athletes: feels bad but we gotta take the L here - try not to take it too personally.
To our athletes: feels bad but we gotta take the L here - try not to take it too personally.
Something odd about this new Horizon game's art style is that it makes the creatures not look particularly mechanical.
February 6, 2026 at 2:53 AM
Something odd about this new Horizon game's art style is that it makes the creatures not look particularly mechanical.
Broadly speaking the people who want to quit their white collar consulting jobs to be farmers or who want to become trad farmer influencer types are the people with the least exposure to actual farming - their entire knowledge of farming is Stardew Valley screenshots.
Ok, another history lesson. Milk in its raw form was actually fairly rarely consumed prior to the modern era. A lot of it that was consumed was actually goat milk.
Have people just never been around cows, particularly dairy cows before? They are organic machines that turn alfalfa into smelly smelly shit. Everywhere. Drive through Dalhart, Texas sometime.
February 4, 2026 at 3:51 AM
Broadly speaking the people who want to quit their white collar consulting jobs to be farmers or who want to become trad farmer influencer types are the people with the least exposure to actual farming - their entire knowledge of farming is Stardew Valley screenshots.
I would say "I could fix her" but she doesn't need fixing.
February 4, 2026 at 12:15 AM
I would say "I could fix her" but she doesn't need fixing.
This is why you should document variables when you create them
February 3, 2026 at 2:00 AM
This is why you should document variables when you create them
People got mad at that "why don't games work more like Hollywood?" series of tweets but it's weird that, when describing a video game producer, you have to say "it's different at each studio." It really doesn't need to be different!
You'll get different definitions at different studios but here's mine: a person who helps individual contributors (ICs) and leads work with each other to make workflows better/easier/[Radiohead voice] more productive. They should be like oil: reducing friction and energy required to get things done.
what exactly is a producer's job as someone vaguely and cautiously interested in game development as a job? I honestly assumed it was just another word for director
February 3, 2026 at 1:28 AM
People got mad at that "why don't games work more like Hollywood?" series of tweets but it's weird that, when describing a video game producer, you have to say "it's different at each studio." It really doesn't need to be different!