What Video Games Have You Been Playing? Five-and-Twenty: I Used to Play, But then I Took an Arrow to the Knee

[Quintillus]

Still playing Out of the Park, but now the 2026 version, as the Expos, starting in 1969 (technically 1968 start, play unemployed for a year, and take over the Expos so I can control the expansion draft choices, rather than starting with whoever the AI picks with the '69 start).

I'm in Year 6 now. Our record was essentially .430, .330, .400, .445, .480. Made some decent trades, had some draft picks be busts, and it's only this year that our first two bona fide draft successes - Jeff Burroughs and George Brett - have hit the bigs. We've got another guy named Ken Griffey in AAA, whom we traded for.

But we're about .430 this year, and our pitching staff seems to be aging out/having a bad year. Worst in the National League, after being near middle of the pack last year. The last two years, we've just missed out on picking two great starting pitchers by doing too well and having the team above us in the draft pick them. So now we have two or three promising bullpen prospects, but still not really any great starter prospects. Maybe one of them will develop beyond expectations, but when?

On the other hand, do we want to trade an offensive star for a starter? Our "Killer Bees" - Brett, Burroughts, and catcher Curt Blefary - haven't quite hit their full potential yet, but losing any of them would be a major setback. It was a bit of a coup to land Griffey, trading a mediocre starter and two prospects who weren't likely to land above a backup role, but opportunities have been few for replicating that with a starting pitcher. We've essentially hit that valley where we're good enough to not get truly elite draft prospects, but aren't good enough to have a winning record.

But, hey, a lot of the reason I picked the Expos was that the real-life comparison point wasn't anything too intimidating. And it's not like the Royals or Padres are doing any better, and the Seattle Pilots Milwaukee Brewers aren't making the postseason yet either.

 

[Clubber Lang]

The iconic SHINOBI returns August 29, 2025 in an all-new 2D action platformer with a unique hand-drawn look created by the team behind the hit brawler Streets of Rage 4.Play as the legendary Shinobi Joe Musashi, master of the ninja arts. After finding your village burned to the ground and your clan turned into stone, you must set off on a quest for vengeance, ready to face an unparalleled evil and avenge your clan. EXECUTE THE NINJA ARTS WITH PRECISION Wield your vast ninja arsenal including the great Katana Oborozuki, Kunai, Ninjutsu arts, and Ninpo to vanquish your foes. MASTER THE WAY OF THE SHINOBI Unleash limitless combos with unique combat moves, acquire Amulets for enhanced abilities, and discover Ningi tools to overcome obstacles and uncover new paths. JOURNEY THROUGH A STYLISTIC NEW WORLD Venture through more than a dozen unique and visually striking stages, from military bases to a scorching desert, challenging platforming puzzles, and hidden secrets.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJ0BHOANkzc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-Z9A_Tm9SM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Q_PUpHy5_4

 

[Broken_Erika]

 

[Clubber Lang]

From stealth to shootouts, 007 First Light delivers high-stakes spycraft, explosive combat, and the ultimate test of your skills. 007 First Light comes to PlayStation®5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC on March 27th, 2026.Pre-order now and get a free Deluxe Edition Upgrade.

007 First Light gameplay preview and interview - James Bond returns to gaming

The latest PlayStation State of Play has hosted almost 30 minutes of gameplay footage for 007 First Light, but we’ve already seen it and spoken to developer IO Interactive.

metro.co.uk

 

[Clubber Lang]

Some upcoming strategy titles :

The 25 Most Wishlisted Strategy Games Of 2025

This article dives into the top 25 most wishlisted strategy games on Steam, offering a glimpse into the most anticipated releases that are set to define the genre’s future, exploring what mak…

strategyandwargaming.com

Rome and Vikings City Builders both look good...EU5 and Broken Arrow are two heavy weights and Espiocracy got me interested, always wanted a new 'Balance of Power' (Amiga) type of game -

14 – Espiocracy​

Espiocracy already made quite into a number of my 2025 lists, and clearly, that was for good reason, as this highly anticipated grand strategy game will pull back the curtain on the clandestine world of Cold War intelligence, allowing players to lead the intelligence agency of one of 74 playable countries. Unlike traditional grand strategy titles, Espiocracy places players not at the head of a nation, but in service of it, and it’s going to focus on an often overlooked aspect, by putting espionage and subterfuge at its core, challenging players to rewrite history from the shadows. You’ll engage in a complex web of influence operations, staging coups, waging proxy wars, spreading propaganda, and even executing assassinations to further your nation’s interests. The game features a deep simulation of global geopolitics, where you’ll navigate nuclear brinkmanship, decolonization, and shifting alliances. I’m interested to see how well it’s going to play, and I would really love to have a good long look at it, but at the moment there’s not a whole lot of detail available.

------------------

Current titles best of list -

The 100 Best Strategy Games To Play In 2025 – 100 to 1

We’re finally here! The biggest list I have ever made is about the 100 Best Strategy Games to Play in 2025! Now we are going to cover the best of the best, la creme de la creme, the GOATs of …

strategyandwargaming.com

 

[Thorgalaeg]

Has anyone played Factorio? Any suggestions on games of that style?

 

[Arakhor]

Satisfactory is a first-person 3-D factory-building game, and Eden Crafters is a voxel-based terraforming game, which seems to be a cross between The Planet Crafter and Satisfactory.

 

[Akka]

Has anyone played Factorio? Any suggestions on games of that style?

Factorio is really in a league of its own, so not much can comes close save maybe Satisfactory.
That being said, in a roundabout tangent there is The Planet Crafter. The logistics are massively simpler and the game is much more tailored toward the survival, exploration and immersion aspects, but it could scratch some kind of "close enough" itch.

 

[Thorgalaeg]

Umm, didnt know factorio has fighting, i feel intrigued by The Planet Crafter. I am more a builder than a warmonger anyway.

EDIT: But it is 3D, as a survival game. I am a bit tired of 3D games. Prefer good old 2D up down for this kind of games.

 

[PhroX]

Has anyone played Factorio? Any suggestions on games of that style?

Yes, It's one of my all time favourite games and can easily devour a lot of your life. And when you get bored with vanilla, there's a very healthy modding community, including the insanity of pY.

If you want something similar, I recommend Shapez 2. It pretty much boils the automation game genre down to it's essentials (items go on belts, belts go to machines, new items get made), while making it more abstract (instead of making things like iron plates or sulphuric acid, you're making shapes and colours). It's quite a bit simpler than Factorio, but it's still a lot of fun and a good introduction to the genre if you've never played something like that. And you can still build some pretty ridiculous factories.

Regarding combat in Factorio, it's optional (you can disable it in the settings if you don't enjoy it), but past the early game, and the occasional time when you need to secure a big chunk of extra space for your base, it's mainly defensive - i.e. setting up turrets, and, most importantly, keeping them supplied with ammo atc. Keeping your base safe is first and foremost a production challenge, not a military one.

 

[Akka]

Oh, you haven't played Factorio ? I though you asked for similar games because you had played it and wanted something in the same style.

Factorio is really awesome, though it can be pretty draining in the planning department (bases can really become humongous, and the game and interconnectivity are really, really complete and complex). There is fighting, as the native life (some sort of Zerg-equivalent) becomes restless due to the noise and pollution that you create with your buildings.
Planet Crafter is much less ambitious, but it's also excellent (you'll need a strong case of suspension of disbelief when it comes to the numbers and some internal logic, but nothing you can't just pretend away). There is no fighting whatsoever - tension comes from managing air/water/food, accomplishment from seeing the effect of your work on your environment and finding resources.

 

[Arakhor]

The Planet Crafter is an excellent game, easily on par with the much-loved Subnautica.

 

[Thorgalaeg]

Subnautica is awesome, specially in VR.

So apparently i was missing something for not having played Factorio. I like complex games anyway. I have spent lots of hours in Rimworld after all, with the HSK model set which makes it way more complex. (That is my complexity limit probably, i have tried Dwarf Fortress but was never able to get it)

I have enough free time right now, and I'd like a complex game for when I get tired of generating AI images. Factorio seems like the perfect game for me!

 

[Akka]

I have enough free time right now, and I'd like a complex game for when I get tired of generating AI images. Factorio seems like the perfect game for me!

See you in 2030 then !

 

[Senethro]

Dyson Sphere program is good, but possibly too similar to factorio.

And I've not played Shapez myself but my friends into that kind of genre went nuts for it.

 

[Canadian Bluebeer]

Planet Crafter is a LOT of fun. Be prepared to lose track of time.
Valheim is the same. (closing in on 3k hrs in that)

Subnautica... so peaceful.... until something either blows up, farts at you, or just tries to eat you!
(seriously waiting for Subnautica2 with co-op)

 

[PhroX]

Dyson Sphere program is good, but possibly too similar to factorio.

And I've not played Shapez myself but my friends into that kind of genre went nuts for it.

I've not played DSP, but I've watched several videos of it. And every time, my reaction is "that made me want to play Factorio". Maybe I'll give it a go when I'm bored of the latter, but as I said in my earlier post, there's plenty of mods to keep me going for a long while yet.

 

[Thorgalaeg]

cant make the green and red things to reach all my labs simultaneously!

This game is pretty diabolical. Only to think the level of complexity in the late game...

 

[Quintillus]

My advice, if you haven't played Factorio, is to play Factorio. Especially if you like complex games and have plentiful free time.

Along with some Terraria, I've still been playing Out of the Park Baseball. Recently finished Season 12, 1980. It came down to the last game of the season, with the Philadelphia Phillies and Montreal Expos tied for first place, both with 107-54 records, and playing each other in a winner-takes-all game for the playoffs. The Phillies won the World Series in '76, '77, and '78, and lost in the NLCS in '79, and were thus seeking to re-establish themselves as the dominant dynasty. They had won two in a row from Montreal, but couldn't complete the sweep, and Montreal made the playoffs for the first time.

Montreal would go on to beat Atlanta in the NLCS, 3 games to 0, and Detroit to win the World Series, 4 games to 1. It was a youthful roster, with three pitchers making their first full season of starts in the majors, one of whom won Rookie of the Year, and well as a new starting second baseman named Berra who proclaimed that "it ain't over till it's over" and was proven correct. Something about that season went just right, everything was firing on all cylinders, and the Expos were scorching hot for most of September to catch the Phillies.

That was a lot of fun, I thought my team would be good, but didn't really expect them to catch the Phillies. But years of investment in a strong farm system finally paid off.

Now I'm playing Season 13, and we're six games back at the All-Star break, despite recently sweeping the Phillies. Maybe it's the pressure of trying to repeat, instead of the unbridled joy of being in the chase, but almost no one is playing as well as last year. I'm wishing I'd paid the big bucks to sign the aging Joe Morgan, who is having a career year as a Met. But the bigger issue is that too many guys can't seem to swing the bat anymore, and our insanely great bullpen from last year that had three of the top five guys in the National League is looking relatively human this year - still good, but no longer infallible.

If there's one guy who might save us, it's our 40-year-old All-Star catcher, Duke Sims. He got several key hits down the stretch and in the playoffs last year, and is one of the few guys who's doing about as well as he did last year. No one expects his good fortune to last forever, but for now, our rallying cry is the same: always bet on Duke.

 

[Clubber Lang]

Battlefield 6 review – operatic, ear-shattering all-encompassing warfare​

★★★★☆​

Electronic Arts; PC, PS5, Xbox
In contrast to the blast-em-ups this franchise drops players into a vast and vividly realised military offensive and the latest instalment is a brilliant return to form