Freelance Writer for @Game_Revolution, @PSLifestyle, @Shacknews. Former EIC @ GR, Ninja Cat, Rhythm Game Wizard, Figure Skating Enthusiast, Critter
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Articles by Nick Tan
TRADE REVIEW: Pacific alumina faces pressure in Q4 as China exports offset supply risks
Metals & Mining, Non-Ferrous October 15, 2026 By Nick Tan and Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... HIGHLIGHTS FOB Australia alumina at quarterly highs in Q3 China flips to net alumina exporter in August 1.5 mil mt global alumina surplus forecast in 2026 This report is part of S&P Global Energy's Metals Trade Review series, where we dig through datasets and digest some of the key trends in iron ore, metallurgical coal, copper, alumina, cobalt, lithium, nickel and steel and scrap.
TRADE REVIEW: Pacific alumina demand to improve in Q3, but surplus risks remain
This report is part of the S&P Global Energy's Metals Trade Review series, where we dig through datasets and digest some of the key trends in iron ore, metallurgical coal, copper, alumina, cobalt, lithium, nickel and steel and scrap. We also explore what the next few months could bring, from supply and demand shifts to new arbitrages, and to quality spread fluctuations.
Absolum review: Punching above its weight
Showcasing the expertise of developer Guard Crush Games and publisher Dotemu in the beat-’em-up genre, Absolum is an impressive fantasy side-scrolling brawler with a roguelike twist. Both companies were a part of the team behind Streets of Rage 4, and Dotemu has been responsible for publishing other successful revivals like TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge and Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound.
Everbloom is a whimsical farming sim with adorable animal villagers
When life gets stressful, I like watching videos of cute animals and playing cozy casual games, like Animal Crossing, Stardew Valley, and Coral Island. That’s what drew me to Everbloom, an upcoming farming sim by developer Torbie where players can plant crops and mine ore as a cute animal person in a town full of more cute animal people.
Haste: Broken Worlds is an exhilarating mad dash through collapsing timelines
I must admit I was awful at Haste: Broken Worlds in the beginning. Before getting my hands on a demo of the game at the Day of the Devs event during GDC 2025, I watched the two players in line ahead of me fall over and over again into the same pit. They struggled to figure out how to get the main character, Zoe, over a gap in the opening tutorial level and became so frustrated with the controls that they quit.
Dreams of Another is a fascinatingly surreal mind trip
Already have an account? Login Now In this psychological exploration game, bullets don't destroy objects but are a means of creating them instead. March 25, 2025 12:30 PM Q-Games Conceptually, Dreams of Another is purposefully vague and incomprehensible as it aims to create a dreamlike environment where the rules of destruction are flipped.
Mindwave is like the brainchild of WarioWare, Rhythm Heaven, and Danganronpa
At its core, Mindwave is about completing microgames with hand-drawn, sketch-punk graphics, but it’s wrapped in a story that’s far more complex than I expected. The game’s chaotic art style and wildly energetic soundtrack make it stand out even in an indie gaming showcase like the Day of the Devs. After playing a demo for this frenzied collection of cerebral mini-games at the event, I believe developer HoloHammer has a potential hit on its hands.
TMNT: Tactical Takedown is an unexpectedly challenging TRPG
It’s important not to judge Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tactical Takedown too quickly. As much as I would like to see the turtles in another beat-’em-up like Shredder’s Revenge or an open-world game in the style of the Batman: Arkham series, there’s no hard and fast rule that a TMNT game needs to be action-based.
Cairn is a realistic survival-climber with breathtaking views
Sometimes a minimalist concept done well is all a game needs to work. Instead of inventing enemies and intricate gameplay rules, the objective in Cairn is simply to climb a picturesque yet dangerous mountain called Kami. Granted, no one has reached the summit of this mountain before, but that isn’t going to stop Aava (pronounced Ah-vah) and her trusty Climbot from trying.
Jay and Silent Bob: Chronic Blunt Punch is a nostalgic beat-'em-up
I had an unusual experience while trying the alpha demo of Jay and Silent Bob: Chronic Blunt Punch at the Day of the Devs during GDC 2025. During my 20-minute run, I saw many onlookers stop in their tracks and comment on how the game’s hand-drawn art style was fantastic and that they didn’t know that a Jay and Silent Bob game was coming out at all. Little did they know that this beat-’em-up passion project by Interabang Entertainment has been in the works for almost a decade.
Tunnels is an immersive, claustrophobia-inducing VR experience
Already have an account? Login Now This VR horror game traps players underground in an abandoned mine with shambling monsters. March 20, 2025 8:00 AM Mastiff I don’t consider myself a claustrophobic person, but Tunnels made me question that. Developed by Nomad Monkey and published by Mastiff, this virtual-reality horror game has players crawl through a cave system while terrifying monsters attempt to find and kill them.
Out of Sight is a 'second-person' horror game
Already have an account? Login Now A blind girl tries to escape a creepy house through the eyes of her teddy bear. March 20, 2025 7:00 AM The Gang The second-person perspective is extremely rare in games. In contrast to its first-person and third-person counterparts, this perspective has a character move from the viewpoint of another person or object.
To a T finds humor in having a disability
Sometimes you have to laugh to get through tough circumstances. Published by Annapurna Interactive, To a T (or more precisely “to a T”) is a coming-of-age story about a teenager who has arms that are locked straight out like the capital letter ‘T.’ It’s a ridiculous notion taken to an extreme in a way that only wacky Japanese games, like Katamari Damacy, can pull off.
The Knightling is a classic platformer with a lot of heart
Already have an account? Login Now When the hero goes missing, the sidekick needs to step up. March 19, 2025 7:00 AM Twirlbound The Knightling is what happens when the main hero disappears and the only person left to save the kingdom is the lowly squire.
Hero's Hand combines Balatro, Slay The Spire, and Puzzle Quest
Hero’s Hand, out of all the games I played at the Day of the Devs event during GDC 2025, was the most surprising. Created by Villain Games, this roguelike RPG based on seven-card stud poker brings together elements from many award-winning puzzle games, including Balatro, Slay the Spire, Inscryption, and Puzzle Quest. So long as you know the rules for poker, learning how Hero’s Hand works isn’t tough.
PGA Tour 2K25
PGA Tour 2K25 is a golf sports simulator belonging to the series that began in 2014 under the name The Golf Club, and was then renamed to PGA Tour after the rights were acquired by 2K Sports. The team behind the development of this production is HB Studios. Gameplay The pillar of gameplay in PGA Tour 2K25 is participating in golf matches, during which we embody one of the licensed professionals or a self-created character.
PGA Tour 2K25 review: Above par
PGA Tour 2K25 is the result of 2K taking its golf-sim rivalry with EA seriously. After the EA Sports PGA Tour series made a comeback in 2023 after being a decade away, HB Studios made the calculated move of taking two years to develop PGA Tour 2K25, as opposed to 2K’s other annualized releases like NBA 2K. While both EA and 2K have a license to develop PGA Tour games, EA snatched The Masters away while 2K signed a long-term, exclusive deal with Tiger Woods.
A 0.9‐V, 747‐nW Capacitively Biased Diode‐Based Single BJT Branch Bandgap Circuit
In this paper, a bandgap reference (BGR) circuit that combines the capacitively biased diode (CBD) structure and the proportional-to-absolute-temperature (PTAT) voltage-embedded amplifier has been proposed. In order to enhance compatibility with digital domain supply voltage and achieve low power consumption, the supply voltage of the circuit is set at , benefiting from the fact that both the CBD structure and the PTAT-embedded amplifier can operate at sub-1 V supply voltages.
Undisputed review: A fringe contender
Indie studio Steel City Interactive delivers a boxing game that attempts to punch above its weight class. October 7, 2024 6:00 AM Steel City Interactive Ever since Electronic Arts stepped away from its critically acclaimed Fight Night series after 2011, very few developers have dared to create a realistic boxing game in its place.
Akimbot review: A shaky platform
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Akimbot review: A shaky platform
Where some developers are shy about comparing their games to others, French indie studio Evil Raptor is not when it comes to Akimbot. Much like Pumpkin Jack, a spooky 3D platformer released in 2020 by the founder of the studio, Akimbot is meant to follow in the footsteps of the PS2 platformers Jak & Daxter and Ratchet & Clank. The game’s unflinchingly old-school design rides on the nostalgia for these two classics.
More holistic housing planning for youth
WHEN a youth is planning for his/her life, housing is one of the key aspects among others (such as transport, home Wi-Fi and phone internet data, health insurance, education or professional certification, starting a new family, retirement). Purchasing or renting a house is often debated.
Examining multidimensional poverty in Malaysia
ECONOMIC growth should be accompanied by economic justice for a more equitable society. Assistance to the low-income is not limited to cash aid or entrepreneurial opportunities, also includes education, healthcare, and living conditions, all of which influence the social mobility of the poor. Quality, affordable, and dignified healthcare, education, and living conditions for all citizens can create an inclusive society. Thus, there is a need to address the issues of multidimensional poverty.
Grit & Valor - 1949 is a WWII RTS roguelite with mechs
Welcome to NewsBreak, an open platform where diverse perspectives converge. Most of our content comes from established publications and journalists, as well as from our extensive network of tens of thousands of creators who contribute to our platform. We empower individuals to share insightful viewpoints through short posts and comments.
Grit & Valor - 1949 is a WWII RTS roguelite with mechs
As a casual WWII roguelite with mechs, Grit & Valor - 1949 fits a very specific box in the real-time strategy genre. It’s also a departure for UK developer Milky Tea Studios, which released the four-player arena combat game HyperBrawl Tournament in 2020 and the comedic scooter-racer Coffin Dodgers in 2015. By comparison, Grit & Valor is more sobering in tone and gameplay, landing somewhere in the vicinity of Into the Breach and BattleTech.
Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn review: Keep your powder dry
It’s difficult for a game inspired by Dark Souls to be original and separate itself from the pack, but Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn manages to find its own lane. This may not be too surprising, since this isn’t the first time A44 Games has developed a Souls-lite, with its critically-acclaimed Ashen released back in December 2019. But for this indie studio from New Zealand, Flintlock is a far riskier endeavor as an expansive action RPG that tries to hit above its weight class.
Rail governance matters
MALAYSIA has stepped up investment in rail infrastructure. Many projects are under way or in the planning stage. These projects include the Klang Valley Light Rapid Transit (LRT) 3 and Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) 3, Penang LRT, Johor and Sarawak Kuching Autonomous Rapid Transit, Gemas to Johor Baru Electrified Double-Tracking Rail, Johor Baru-Singapore Rapid Transit System, East Coast Railway Link, and High-Speed Rail.
Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn is a Soulslite with gunpowder fantasies
Welcome to NewsBreak, an open platform where diverse perspectives converge. Most of our content comes from established publications and journalists, as well as from our extensive network of tens of thousands of creators who contribute to our platform. We empower individuals to share insightful viewpoints through short posts and comments.
Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn is a Soulslite with gunpowder fantasies
Featuring a badass warrior and an adorable fox-like god, Flintlock combines Dark Souls with more traditional action-adventure games. June 10, 2024 7:00 AM A44 Games Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn has made significant progress since I last saw the game at GDC 2024. At the time, developer A44 Games, an indie studio based in New Zealand, showed off a one-hour hands-off demo that had protagonist Nor Vanek vanquishing monsters using her slick ax-and-pistol fighting style.
Pizza Bandit is a co-op shooter with extra cheese
Predictably, Pizza Bandit has an absurd premise. This cooperative third-person shooter developed by JOFSOFT, an indie studio based in Korea, has players step into the role of a mercenary who spends his life savings on a pizzeria. But since he knows nothing about how to run a restaurant properly, his venture is failing, and so he’s forced to return to his time-traveling bounty-hunting ways to rescue it.
Karma: The Dark World frightens us with Kafkaesque mindscapes
The psychological horror game Karma: The Dark World has gone through its own twists and turns. First revealed during Tokyo Game Show 2021, this first-person adventure developed by Pollard Studio and now published by Wired Productions used to go by the name The Dark World: Karma.
Dig VR puts the spotlight on the underappreciated digger
A few years ago I tried PowerWash Simulator on a whim, and it quickly became one of my guilty pleasures. I washed down every dirty car and building the game had to offer, which then led me to download similar titles like House Flipper and Unpacking. I found a sense of zen simply tidying things up or doing seemingly mundane tasks using tools I didn’t know much about.
TopSpin 2K25 review: Back to fundamentals
Much to my frustration, there has been a distinct lack of solid tennis simulations for more than a decade. TopSpin 4 and Virtua Tennis 4, the last main entries for their series, both released way back in 2011. Since then, I’ve tried other upstarts like AO Tennis, Matchpoint, and Tennis World Tour, but they all have weaknesses of their own.
Cataclismo brings innovative castle-building to the RTS genre
Cataclismo is an unusual gamble for indie developer Digital Sun, a studio known for action RPGs like Moonlighter and The Mageseeker: A League of Legends Story. A sequel to either of those games would have been a safe bet, but instead the developer has decided to tackle a different genre altogether while bringing something new to the table.
Drive Rally is an indie arcade-style racer with a slick art style
Rally racing is a niche game genre that has typically been dominated by the DiRT Rally and World Racing Championship series, but Drive Rally hopes to slip into the pack as a spiffy arcade-style offroader. Otherwise known as #Drive Rally, this single-player game by Pixel Perfect Dude drifts away from the technical simulation-based side of rally racing and leans into the more casual lane in a way that harkens back to the classic Sega Rally Championship.
Wild Bastards is a challenging roguelike Space Western
I died a lot in the Wild Bastards demo, and I wasn’t the only one. At the game’s Day of the Devs booth at GDC 2024, I watched the two players before me and another player after me have their parties wiped out in less than ten minutes.
Gourdlets is a lovable, stress-relieving city-builder
Sometimes all you need is a box of cute Lego bricks to have fun. Gourdlets, a city-builder developed by Preethi Vaidyanathan under the AuntyGames name, gives you the tools to create a town upon the ocean and populate it with Pikmin-like creatures that simply want to chill and be adorable. It’s a quaint, calming simulator that doesn’t ask you to complete objectives other than those you make yourself.
Spirit of the North 2 is an enchanting and relaxing fox adventure
The last five years have seen a minor renaissance of games where you play as an animal, and I’m all here for it. Stray, Untitled Goose Game, Lost Ember, and Spirit of the North are just a few examples that have taken advantage of this charming trend. Developed by Infuse Studio and published by Merge Games, Spirit of the North 2 looks to continue what made the first game released in 2020 a fantastic, atmospheric adventure about a fox roaming a world inspired by Nordic environments and folklore.
Animal Well is a puzzling platformer that delves deep into mystery
Animal Well doesn’t dwell on explanations. Trying to figure out why I was playing as a cute blob exploring a dark well full of what seems to be animal spirits is a riddle that may never be answered. It’s more important to concentrate on the puzzles spread throughout the game's adorably eerie world and checking every nook and cranny for possible paths less traveled. It’s taken seven long years for solo developer Billy Busso to complete the game, notably published by Dunkey's Bigmode label.
Bloodless is a 2D Sekiro with non-lethal, bare-fisted combat
Don’t mess with the old lady. The ronin Tomoe, once called The Slasher, has returned to her homeland of Bakugawa to confront her past and defeat the soldiers of Shogun Akechi as non-lethally as possible. This is the story of Bloodless, a 2D action-adventure game developed by Point N’ Sheep and published by 3D Realms.
MechWarrior 5: Clans is an action-packed, co-op mech shooter
It’s been almost three decades since MechWarrior fans have had a clan-based game in the series, namely MechWarrior 2: 31st Century Combat released way back in 1995 on DOS and Windows. Developer Piranha Games aims to change that with its upcoming MechWarrior 5: Clans, which is both a sidestep and a follow-up to MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries.
Combo Devils kicks Marvel vs. Capcom into Super Smash Bros.
One of the most surprising things I learned during GDC 2024 was that Combo Devils doesn’t have a publisher yet. Tucked away in the corner of the Day of the Devs event in San Francisco, this fighting game still drew a crowd who were amazed with the progress that it already showed. Its responsive and fluid combat, which takes the familiar system of Super Smash Bros. and adds the finesse of Marvel vs. Capcom, would be surprising to see from an established studio.
Dune: Awakening looks to spice up the world of survival MMOs
In a full presentation, Funcom revealed gameplay of the character creation, survival elements, sandworm, spice harvesting, base building, and much more. March 27, 2024 8:00 AM Funcom To say that Dune: Awakening faces an uphill battle would be an understatement. For at least the last two decades, Dune fans have been waiting for a serious video game that respects the franchise.
Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn aims to be a fast and fluid Dark Souls
A44 Games, a developer based in New Zealand that released Ashen in 2019, has been working on Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn for more than six years. Inspired by the flintlock fantasy genre (hence, the name), this single-player action RPG takes elements from Dark Souls and the God of War reboot while maintaining its own identity.
Roman Sands RE:Build makes Danganronpa look tame
Developer Arbitrary Metric, which released the horror adventure Paratopic in 2018, describes Roman Sands RE:Build on Steam as an “adventure gacha puzzle apocalypse visual novel simulation horror trip.” I couldn’t make heads or tails about what all of that meant before playing the game at the Day of the Devs in San Francisco during GDC 2024.
Tales of Kenzera: Zau is a Metroidvania inspired by Bantu mythology
Tales of Kenzera: Zau is a personal story for Abubakar Salim, one of the creative leads of Surgent Studios (and someone who you might recognize as the voice actor for Bayek in the Assassin’s Creed series). As I played through the short demo of the game at the Nintendo Switch Partners event at GDC 2024, he shared that the story mirrors his own experience with grief after his father passed. That’s just one aspect that makes this game special.
World of Goo 2 slips and slide with stunning liquid physics
For more than a decade, World of Goo was thought to be a one-hit wonder by developer 2D Boy. Released by Ron Carmel and Kyle Gabler back in 2008, it was one of a handful of titles that catapulted indie games into the mainstream and was both critically and commercially successful with the aid of digital distribution. At the time, this two-man team stated in interviews that there wasn’t going to be a sequel. But after an excruciatingly long hiatus, 2D Boy has finally reunited for another round.
Little Kitty, Big City is a purrfect slice of life
If you’re a cat lover, it’s hard not to become smitten with Little Kitty, Big City. Created by indie studio Double Dagger Studio, this tiny furball of a game started off as a way for one of the developers to teach his kids programming. This eventually turned into the little project that could, and based solely on its announcement trailer back in 2023, it’s one of the most anticipated titles coming out on Nintendo Switch.
South Park: Snow Day has you fart on Kyle in four-player co-op
This upcoming 3D multiplayer roguelike features Cartman, Stan, Kenny, and more in more than just a snowball fight. March 21, 2024 9:00 AM THQ Nordic A gigantic blizzard has hit South Park, and the adults have no idea what to do about it. Fortunately, the kids do. And with school closed, that means an epic roleplay battle in the snow where you, The New Kid, can fight alongside Cartman, Kenny, Kyle, and Stan.
What The Car? is a wonderfully absurd romp with adorable bears
Ridiculous and proud of it, What The Car? is the latest creation by developer Triband. Similar to its prior games, What The Golf? and What The Bat?, it’s a silly, humorous game that turns a familiar idea on its head. Technically, it’s about getting a car across the finish line at the end of the level without falling off the edge, but we’re talking about a car that can sprout legs, paraglide across gaps, and turn into an accordion.
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