14th March
Hello there, and welcome back to our usual slot, where we share a little about the games we’ve been getting stuck into. This week, it feels like nearly everyone has jumped into Pokémon Pokopia—except for Bertie and Connor. They might just be the staff members with the most polished taste, which is a point I’m making entirely free of any bias. Still, Connor has been leaning into a distinctly “villain” vibe, so I think I’d be smart to keep my distance.
So, what have you been playing this week?
One more question for you: do you remember what you were up to last week? You don’t have to—our What We’ve Been Playing archive has already got you covered.
Slay the Spire 2 and…
I kicked things off with some great co-op sessions in Vampire Survivors and Slay the Spire 2—brag brag. I’d forgotten how satisfying it is to nail down a proper Vampire Survivors build, and that feeling only got stronger after a string of failed attempts. Even better, though, was doing it with another player. They were using evolved garlic, while I ran with the evolved Bible (yes, what an unusual combo). Together, they helped form the backbone of our Gallo Tower win.
Slay the Spire 2 is just as enjoyable for the same reason, too: it’s a handy reminder that communication matters when you’re playing with someone else (a small but real life lesson). In strategy-focused games like this, there’s often a point where the invisible balancing act of power starts tipping toward you. It’s much like the rush you feel after pushing up a hill and finally hitting the top—then getting ready to coast back down the other side. That turnaround is genuinely thrilling.
I also dipped into the early access of Solasta 2. It was fun, even if I really wanted to use my favourite Dungeons & Dragons classes—give me the Barbarian and Bard any day (and I’m open to any other B-named classes too). Plus, I played Super Mario Party Jamboree at a friend’s place. It took me a moment to get into the swing of it, but you can’t deny the appeal of a game that can actually get four people laughing for real. Now I find myself wondering what other party games are worth trying—any recommendations?
-Bertie
Pokémon Pokopia, Switch 2
I tend to race through games so quickly that the sweet smell from the packaging facility still seems to hang around inside the case. It’s not that I lose interest right away—I’m often just bored—and honestly that isn’t the game’s doing. Eventually I start to understand what they’re aiming for, and then I find myself wanting to move on before the only choice left is to repeat the same thing. The best games keep offering fresh angles, whether that’s a new lane combination in Deadlock or standout Slay the Spire 2 runs that let you build a deck full of someone else’s cards.
Pokopia has turned into a deliberately patience-testing exercise for me—on purpose. I saw a TikTok creator suggest that we should’ve learned from playing Animal Crossing New Horizons, when people sped things up by tweaking their console clocks (ignoring the lesson from Adam Sandler’s Click!), especially since so many of us had so little going on at the time of its release.
So I’m taking that advice and just jumping in for an hour at a time. I’m meeting the Professor’s expectations, reaching the point where there are enough Pokémon swarming around construction sites—almost like Umarell (seriously, how is a Piplup doing masonry?). And I can’t push much further without waiting. Maybe I’ll pick up some new insight. Most likely, I won’t.
-Mat J
Pokémon Pokopia, Switch 2
Mat, I’m doing the exact opposite with Pokopia. I absorbed absolutely nothing from the time I spent in Animal Crossing: New Horizons. In just a few days (with a fair amount of time-jumping), I’ve rolled credits and can now finally start the real gameplay properly.
Don’t get me wrong—Pokopia’s story is genuinely sweet and moving, but most of all it’s really comforting. This isn’t my first time through, either; I already know the real fun is what comes after the credits: making a beautiful little paradise full of Pokémon you can hang out with. With a bunch of different tools and plenty of materials I collected along the way, I’m ready to dive into the part I enjoy most—building bigger, more ambitious habitats and lovely homes for all my ‘mons, including a huge mansion packed with gadgets made purely for Tinkaton.
-Kelsey
Pokémon Pokopia, Switch 2
Here we go—another entry for the Pokopia list! Yep, I’m adding to the tally. Even though I love Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Pokopia is quickly taking over as my favourite Switch game. After six years, New Horizons has finally been knocked off its pedestal.
I figured it would be enjoyable, but I never expected to fall for it this much. I can easily spend hours just watching Pokémon interact, seeing how their relationships develop, and debating whether I should keep them apart. The encounters are also absolutely meme-worthy, including a conversation between my Bellsprout and Oddish—where Oddish tells Bellsprout off for digging into dirt.
You can even tell which Pokémon I’m most into by the way my village is laid out. They have a lavish stretch of land packed with detailed items, along with a housing set-up designed to give them the best life possible. Everyone who doesn’t really capture my attention gets stuck with their small four-by-four plots, while I focus on terracing the rest of the island. Homes will come for them eventually.
Pokopia fits neatly between my growing Pokémon knowledge and my love of life-simulation games. Do I need sleep? No. Do I need Pokopia? Definitely.
-Marie
Marathon, PS5
Let’s pause the Pokopia talk for a moment and get into Marathon, a game I’ve basically been glued to between every single moment outside my nine-to-five. If you’ve played it, you’ll know where I’m at: I’m above rank 25 with every faction, and I completed all the priority contracts on my own. That final MIDA job was brutal. Strangely enough, I’ve noticed this game has an unsettling impact on me, and it makes me treat random online players with a lot of cold ruthlessness.
It’s a learned habit, I swear! I’ve shared my heart with people online only to be met with brutal outcomes. I’ve invited friendly players into Dire Marsh’s risky terrain, only for them to twist the knife once my back was turned. I’ve also watched people take me out while I was down inside the exfill beacon. The lesson has stuck: assuming others are trustworthy is a bad idea, and I’m not going to put myself through that again.
It’s also caused a few tense moments when strangers—maybe the same sort of people as me from back then—sound genuinely frustrated in voice chat after I’ve finished the job. Am I just feeding the cycle of aggression? Maybe. But Bungie keeps blasting electrifying audiovisual thrills into my head every time I play, and it feels so good that it’s hard to argue whether it’s truly a bad thing.
-Connor
Pokémon Pokopia, Switch 2
I have no idea how many of the contributors in this article will bring up Pokopia [Bertie edit: four!], so I’m sorry if you’re already worn out by it—but… I’m also playing Pokopia. Who would’ve thought that “structured creativity” could be this ridiculously engaging? Every evening this week, whenever I’ve had a quiet spare moment, I’ve picked up my Switch 2 from the side table and switched over to Great British Menu on the TV, building comfortable homes for my favourite Pokémon while the UK’s best chefs spark ideas for my weekend cooking. Absolute bliss! (Or, should I say, Blissey?)
-Dom