Joshua Cain

I tweet about stuff I think is funny, video games and kids. I think everything I post is fun and entertaining, but I've been told I have about a 30% hit rate

[Joshua Cain @hortesque]

My favorite part about AI is that it allows me to visualize the puns that I come up with when I visit the aquarium

[Joshua Cain @hortesque]

10. Doom: The Dark Ages - While it lacks the originality of Doom 2016, I was taken by the heavy-metal-album-made-manifest vibe and consistently excellent action. The shield is also an excellent addition and the ability to parry does a great job of making you feel like a badass.

[Joshua Cain @hortesque]

9. Ball x Pit - Brick Breaker but a roguelike? SOLD! This is a pure dopamine-rush, destroy-the-things, make-the-numbers-go-up type of game, and I’m all about it. While initially a challenge, you can pretty quickly break the power curve and then it becomes simple, mindless fun.

[Joshua Cain @hortesque]

8. The Drifter - I have a soft spot for point and click adventure games. I’ve fallen off the genre, but something about this story of a time-traveling hobo really got me, though, and I couldn’t stop playing. The combination of humor, horror, and personal tragedy really resonated

[Joshua Cain @hortesque]

7. Split Fiction - One of the best co-op experiences I’ve played. I had a blast playing through this with a friend, but even more fun watching my son and daughter play together. There was shouting and some fighting, but mostly they cooperated with each other and had a great time

[Joshua Cain @hortesque]

6. Hades 2 - Hades 2 is essentially more Hades, which is one of the greatest games I’ve ever played. I liked a lot of the new characters and the combat was refined, but I couldn’t shake the feeling of having done this all before while I played.

[Joshua Cain @hortesque]

5. Donkey Kong Bananza - It’s REALLY fun to break stuff, it turns out. I had a blast smashing my way through DK’s levels, collecting every little collectible I could find. It’s one of the few games my son played to completion this year, so it’s a strong recommend for parents.

[Joshua Cain @hortesque]

4. Shinobi: Art of Vengeance - You know what’s cool? Ninjas. And Joe Musashi is the coolest of the bunch. He slices people in half AND surfs! Shinobi may have the best 2D combat of any game I’ve ever played. It feels so good to string combos together and look rad as hell doing it

[Joshua Cain @hortesque]

3. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 - This was almost my Game of the Year and deserves all the accolades it has received. Fantastic writing, beautiful music, and a really engaging combat system makes this one of the best RPGs I’ve played.

[Joshua Cain @hortesque]

2. Hollow Knight: Silksong - I initially thought this was “more Hollow Knight” and to a degree it is, but Silksong steps things up in every way. A true masterclass in the metroidvania genre.

[Joshua Cain @hortesque]

1. Blue Prince - A roguelike escape room shouldn’t work, and yet it delivered my favorite gaming experience of the year. Despite the low key atmosphere, the run where I got into the final room was one of the most exciting gaming moments I’ve had in the past five years.

[Joshua Cain @hortesque]

For some reason this meme lives rent free in my brain…

[Classical Studies Memes @CSMFHT]

It's time to curse the world with this one again

[Joshua Cain @hortesque]

I told my daughter to stop asking me to give her more Krave cereal, so she stomped off and then handed me this a few minutes later

[Joshua Cain @hortesque]

1000xResist - Almost a visual novel, 1000xResist is easily the best story in games I’ve played this year (although “best writing” goes to Tactical Breach Wizards). Despite the minimal gameplay, I was hooked from the start and the narrative ultimately delivers.

[Joshua Cain @hortesque]

It’s time for Josh’s prestigious “Game of the Year” list!

1. Metaphor: Refantazio
2. Astrobot
3. Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown
4. Lorelei and the Laser Eyes
5. Hell Divers 2
6. Balatro
7. Steamworld heist 2
8. Nine Sols
9. Minishoot’ Adventures
10. 1000xResist

[Joshua Cain @hortesque]

Minishoot’ Adventures - The combination of top-down Zelda and a twin stick shooter doesn’t necessarily sound like it would work on paper, but Minishoot’ nailed it. I loved scooting around with my little ship, blasting enemies, and solving puzzles.