Reconnect Recap - w/e 5th October

A weekly recap of some of the best video game articles to feature on Reconnect.

Oct 06, 2025

Kia Ora folks

What a week huh? The industry does not know how to slow down, from mammoth corporate buyouts, to another hotly anticipated game, and we also have another viral indie game bonking around the place.

Whilst it doesn’t make my job easier per se, it does make it more enjoyable, with so many awesome ideas and thoughts going around, it makes my weekly ritual an interesting one.

If you're new here, this is the Reconnect Recap, the companion newsletter for Reconnect, the games writing aggregator website that updates with new articles from hundreds of writers every day.

This week we’re discussing Vampire Survivors, Game Boys, pregnant teenage girls fighting for their life against the mafia, and faced buttons.

Let’s dig in!

Great Write Ups

Why PAX Aus is so important: Infinite Lives talks about why the upcoming Melbourne International Games Week is more than just giveaways and merch, its a pivotal part of Australia’s gaming community.
Next Deck: Rewinder shares their thoughts, and hopes on what they want to see in the Steam Deck 2.
In space no one can hear you scream: As a lover of space games, I really want to thank Thomas Cole Simmonds for bringing House of the Dying sun to my attention with their excellent review. I will be checking this out.
Everything is changing: 70% complete has a great essay on the changing landscape we are in, not just as the game-making industry changes, but how we, the voice of the industry, are having to change also. Really great piece if you are tuned into the industry voices.
It’s smashing time: Famous game dev YouTuber and guy-reallly-good-at-describing-things, Mark Brown, explains how games make things destructable.
Old Country feelings: In this months issues from Bullet Points, Ed Smith grapple with his feelings around Mafia, The Old Country, a game that sometimes struggles with tone and player agency, but also excels in uniqueness and story.
Advanced Memories: I skipped the Game Boy Advance, I went from OG to SP, this week The Saved Game walks us down their memory lane with the wide handheld and the games they played on it.
Alphabet Soup: TimeExtension explains why controllers don’t just have A B C D as the face buttons, given the contiguous-ness of those letters, apparently the answer comes from 1993.
History is a rich tapestry: With so must history behind us, and so much of it written down, Trip Harrison asks the question, why aren’t more games based on the past.
Surviving the rush: I found Vampire Survivors very relaxing, got me through some tough times because it was an easy game to turn my brain off to and kill time. Which is why I love the Pause Menu’s small essay on the lessons the game taught us.

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Thomas Cole Simmonds

Oct 6, 2025

Thanks for the inclusion Alex - always very much appreciated! :) I hope you enjoy House of the Dying Sun - do you have any space game recommendations?

6 replies by Alex Antra and others