Reconnect Recap - w/e 28th of June

Reviewing the week that's been over on Reconnect

G’day team and happy pride month! 🏳️‍🌈

It’s been a hectic week of Steam Next Fest, GTA’s Next Game, and Valves Next Box. Only two of which sparked debate about the cost of said items.

But do you know what doesn’t cost you a dime and is packed with value? The Reconnect Recap of course. This newsletter is a companion piece to my website Reconnect. The only website on the internet aggregating hundred of video game blogs across the entire internet, not just substack.

This week we’re talking Cozy, Sega, Game Dev, MMOs, Accessibility, and much much more!

Let’s dig in!

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• 🧠 Read my occasional thoughts on the industry, here.

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Great Write Ups

• Calling them cowards: Azhdarchid wants to discuss whether branching narratives with no real player agency are just a cop out.

• Cozy-Vania: Ellie Mac argues that Metroidvanias can be cozy, and has recommendations.

• Cozy-ride: Yes another cozy story, that’s because they are just so…. cozy. David Steinwachs explains how he finds Forza to be his cozy game.

• Accessibility with Ants: Patrick Klepek recently spoke to Mike Winzler of Grounded about how their plethora of accessibility options allowed gamers to cater the game to their own needs.

• So long, farewell, and thanks for all the fish: Jank walks us through the stages of grief as we say goodbye to the video game characters we fell in love with.

• Things are looking up: JM Mendez brings us some sunshine in these trying times and argues that things in the industry are going to get better soon, we’ve just got to hope.

• Buying the box: Cat's Controller Corner has decided that they are getting the Steam Machine, and wants to run you through their thought process and why the sticker shock is just the cost of doing business right now.

• Gaming in the big apple: Brian’s Substack runs us through all the initiatives supporting gaming in NYC and how having a gaming mayor will help.

• Hunting for MMOs: We’ve covered The Game Enjoyer ‘s quest to find a MMO a few times this year. This week they are taking a pause to review how the process has been going.

• 90s Success: Recognizing Patterns explains how 90s Chinese micro-dramas are having a big moment and a huge impact on games.

• 7 Deadly Sins: a16z speedrun runs you through the 7 mistakes to avoid when pitching your first game.

• Perks of a Game Dev: The latest Devblog from Mark Brown explains how they incorporated perks into their roguelike.

• Categorisation Madness: Chris Mumola dives into why games need genres, and also pokes holes in the practice.

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Fun Tidbits

• The Steam Machine should launch with around 30,000 playable games

• “Probably The Best Puzzle In The World” - When The Man Who Made Tetris Met The Creator Of The Rubik’s Cube

• Fans were so angry about a Command & Conquer mobile game that it changed EA

• The Making Of Tomb Raider 1997 - 2000 To Chart “Pivotal Period” In The Legendary Series

• Weekly Gaming Reports Recap: June 15 - June 19 (2026)

• “The Magazine About Atari, Made On An Atari” - Atari Legacy Launches This Month

• Godot Engine 4.7 is out bringing a new Asset Store, HDR support, Steam Frame support

• Battlefield Studios Join Godot Development Fund

• The Roost Radio: Animal Crossing Lofi

• Sega’s Rent-A-Hero Series Just Made A Comeback, And Somewhere, A Monkey Paw Curls

• The Ultimate Steam Next Fest Wrap-Up: The Algorithm Did Not Want You To See This

• Super ZSNES Just Got Even Better, With A New Update Adding Initial Super FX Support, Fixes, & Quality Of Life Features

• These are the most-played demos of Steam Next Fest June 2026

• Steam Next Fest’s winners, and why the event might matter less than you think

• Sega’s Yosuke Okunari Wants To Make Every One Of The Company’s Games Playable, But Admits He’ll “Probably Retire Before Then”

• Port of ‘Noiz2sa’ Submitted to SegaXtreme Saturn Showcase

• "It Was A Full-On Assault" - How Sega's "Disruptive" Marketing Led To A Starring Role In A Cult 2000s Comedy

• ArcStation: Installation & Demo

• How Small Spaces sold ~15x its Week 1 sales after a year (!)

• New (Old) 3D Golf: porting PC-9801 & Virtual Boy to Mega Drive