iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Anthony Shelton @iamashelton.bsky.social · 25/07/2026

At 10:00 AM Pacific, I could play the Marvel Tokon open beta just fine on PC. By 1:00 PM the game was taken down for maintenance. By 4:00 PM the game won't even boot, getting stuck at the Sony Entertainment screen. Open beta; heard. But I can't recall an open beta getting worse.

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Anthony Shelton @iamashelton.bsky.social · 04/07/2026

Cold Sweat is a PvE extraction shooter in the vein of a Roblox game, but that could be advantage this day and age. www.replayvalue.net/publish/post...

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Anthony Shelton @iamashelton.bsky.social · 03/07/2026

Code Rapid's movement is the highlight, but there's little reason to make use of it. www.replayvalue.net/publish/post...

Title: Code Rapid feels good, but it's shallow. Website: replay value dot net.

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Anthony Shelton @iamashelton.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

A Fighter's Nova: Mindara from @badrezgames.bsky.social looks like it's going to kick butt. Can't wait to see it later in development. www.replayvalue.net/publish/post...

Title: A Fighter's Nova: Mindara hits hard. Website: replay value dot net.

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Anthony Shelton @iamashelton.bsky.social · 01/07/2026

Slayblade should be way better but it's weighed down with unnecessary, and poor, design. open.substack.com/pub/replayva...

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Anthony Shelton @iamashelton.bsky.social · 30/06/2026

Ithaca is clearly in early development, and there could be something to it, but its demo needs to show more strength. open.substack.com/pub/replayva...

Title: Ithaca should reconsider its approach. Website: Replay Value dot net.

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Anthony Shelton @iamashelton.bsky.social · 29/06/2026

Sony says the next-generation hardware won't sell at a 'significant loss', but the fear is of a absurd price is based around a PS6 that launches during the component crisis. Hang on to your PS5.

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Anthony Shelton @iamashelton.bsky.social · 29/06/2026

I understand why people might like it, but Decks of Dexterity could be so much better if cared about balancing the bullet hell instead of letting the cards do everything. www.replayvalue.net/publish/post...

Title: Decks of Dexterity doesn't get balance. Website: replay value dot net.

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Anthony Shelton @iamashelton.bsky.social · 28/06/2026

@furyball.bsky.social is a lot of fun to play. The violent pinball action is well done. Looking forward to this one. open.substack.com/pub/replayva...

Title: Furyball: Rogue Revenge needs no premise. Website: replay value dot net.

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Anthony Shelton @iamashelton.bsky.social · 27/06/2026

Wind Runners is trying to reinvent the wheel and it suffers for it. www.replayvalue.net/publish/post...

Title: Wind Runners is plan frustrating. Website: replay value dot net.

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Anthony Shelton @iamashelton.bsky.social · 26/06/2026

Go North needs a lot of polish before launch. I wish the devs luck. www.replayvalue.net/publish/post...

Title: Go North tells more than shows. Website: replay value dot net.

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Anthony Shelton @iamashelton.bsky.social · 25/06/2026

Tim has an interest in developers pubishing with Epic Games Store. He has an interest in devs using AI in Unreal 6. It's bad business to talk poorly about AI if he wanted to. It's not our fault we don't like AI. Don't use AI. It's simple. www.videogameschronicle.com/news/epic-ga...

videogameschronicle.com

Epic Games CEO says it’s ‘really irresponsible’ of Steam to make studios disclose AI use | VGC

Tim Sweeney claims it’s a “Scarlet Letter” which makes players “try to kill the game”…

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Anthony Shelton @iamashelton.bsky.social · 25/06/2026

I've always thought Bungie was a bad buy for Sony. Bungie couldn't figure out how to adequately monetize Destiny, yet Sony made them the premiere dev of a live-service strategy they eventually (and smartly) backed out of. This sucks for the devs.

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Anthony Shelton @iamashelton.bsky.social · 25/06/2026

It's ridiculous that a boxed game is coming with just a code (Nintendo's included here, too). At least make people feel a little better about it. Make the box art super cool, and worth showing off on collector's shelves. Do something interesting.

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Anthony Shelton @iamashelton.bsky.social · 25/06/2026

Thank You For Your Application accurately reflects the dystopian nature of working for corporations and the society that works with them, but it's almost too good at doing that, based on the demo. www.replayvalue.net/publish/post...

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Anthony Shelton @iamashelton.bsky.social · 24/06/2026

Anomaly President has a lot more to say about running for president, and has a good time while doing it, too. open.substack.com/pub/replayva...

Title: Anomaly President isn't subtle. Website: replay value dot substack dot com.

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Anthony Shelton @iamashelton.bsky.social · 23/06/2026

Mexican Ninja is relentless with its crude humor to the point it loses its strength, but the overall package is solid based on the demo. replayvalue.substack.com/publish/post...

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Anthony Shelton @iamashelton.bsky.social · 22/06/2026

Moss: The Forgotten Relic looks charming but its stuck with its old VR design that feels odd at times. open.substack.com/pub/replayva...

Title: Moss: The Forgotten Reilc is a memorial to VR. Website: replay value dot substack dot com.

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Anthony Shelton @iamashelton.bsky.social · 21/06/2026

The demo for Granblue Fantasy: Relink, that includes Endless Ragnarok content, isn't a great demonstration of what's possible, or it's exactly showing what's possible. If so, it's not very exciting. replayvalue.substack.com/publish/post...

Title: Granblue Fantasy: Relink - Endless Ragnarok isn't splashy enough. Website: replay value dot substack dot com.

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Reposted by Anthony Shelton

Rami Ismail (رامي) @ramiismail.com · 20/06/2026

60% drop in reviews if people even smell AI on your game - full supports the investors, developers, and publishers that took a hard "no gen-AI" stance, despite grifters' proclamations that they were "going to be left behind".

3148561973

Anthony Shelton @iamashelton.bsky.social · 20/06/2026

I'm glad Toem 2 is a game. I was satisfied with the first, but I'll certainly take more. It's such a relaxing world with interesting personalities to enjoy. Looking forward to it. replayvalue.substack.com/publish/post...

Title: Toem 2 is picturesque. Website: replay value dot substack dot com.

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Anthony Shelton @iamashelton.bsky.social · 19/06/2026

Just Shoot is just another Survivors-type game, but you aim and shoot. This game helped me realize why aiming and shooting in this format is useless now. replayvalue.substack.com/publish/post...

Title: Just Shoot is Survivors junk food. Website: replay value dot substack dot com.

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Anthony Shelton @iamashelton.bsky.social · 18/06/2026

Trine 6: Together in Time is more Trine. A tricky puzzle-platforming game that looks great. Looking forward to checking out the co-op features in the future. replayvalue.substack.com/publish/post...

Title: Trine 6 faithfully continues its legacy. Website: replay value dot substack dot com.

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Anthony Shelton @iamashelton.bsky.social · 17/06/2026

Should Microsoft spin off Xbox? open.substack.com/pub/replayva...

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Anthony Shelton @iamashelton.bsky.social · 17/06/2026

New newsletter. Layoffs continue. It's awful. I wanted to know: is there light at the end of the tunnel? I reached out to developers, and they gave invaluable insight. It requires a free registration to access. I hope you can make time to read it. gamingtrend.com/the-bitter-r...

gamingtrend.com

The bitter reality of games industry layoffs in 2026, explained by developers

by humans, for humans

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Anthony Shelton @iamashelton.bsky.social · 17/06/2026

It's easy to lose yourself in @slowroads.io. Beautiful scenery, relaxing sounds. I could watch and listen to this for hours. replayvalue.substack.com/publish/post...

Title: Slow Roads is lovely driving ASMR. Website: replay value dot substack dot com.

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Anthony Shelton @iamashelton.bsky.social · 16/06/2026

@polyfightergame.bsky.social has a strong base. It's clunky, but it has interesting ideas for a roguelike fighter. There's a ton of potential. open.substack.com/pub/replayva...

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Anthony Shelton @iamashelton.bsky.social · 15/06/2026

Rogue Eclipse is chaotic and doesn't know how turn it off. open.substack.com/pub/replayva...

Title: Rogue Eclipse is relentlessly unfun. Website: Replay Value dot substack dot com.

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Anthony Shelton @iamashelton.bsky.social · 14/06/2026

The more I played @calderainteractive.bsky.social's The Rabbit Haul, the more I settled in to its cozy tower-defense mechanics. It just warms up to you. open.substack.com/pub/replayva...

Title: The Rabbit Haul is sneakily irresistible. Website: replay value dot substack dot com.

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Anthony Shelton @iamashelton.bsky.social · 13/06/2026

With some improvements to storytelling (and punctuation usage), Duppy Detective Tashia has the potential to be an ongoing cozy murder-mystery franchise. open.substack.com/pub/replayva...

Title: Duppy Detective Tashia stumbles but is charming. Website: replay value dot substack dot com.

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Anthony Shelton @iamashelton.bsky.social · 12/06/2026

@messhof.bsky.social's Blood Dungeon is an exceptionally well-made platforming Survivor-like. And it's absolutely ridiculous. I just hope it holds up longer than a demo. open.substack.com/pub/replayva...

Title: The Daily Demo: Blood Dungeon masterfully applies platforming to the Survivors formula. Website: Replay Value dot substack dot com.

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Anthony Shelton @iamashelton.bsky.social · 11/06/2026

I was looking forward to Screenbound, but I'm having second thoughts after playing the demo. There are some platforming fundamentals it ignores and it's a big turnoff. open.substack.com/pub/replayva...

Title: The Daily Demo: Screenbound is a cool concept that's more frustrating than fun. Website: Replay Value dot substack dot com.

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Anthony Shelton @iamashelton.bsky.social · 10/06/2026

1666 Amsterdam Prologue focuses on plot rather than action, making it a teaser instead of a classic demo. What's more bothersome is how it clumsily weaves through its past/present moments, and the DLSS is the worst I've ever seen. Thank God it's a demo. open.substack.com/pub/replayva...

Title: The Daily Demo: 1666 Amsterdam Prologue has an intriguing plot, little gameplay, and very distracting DLSS. Website: replay value dot substack dot com.

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Anthony Shelton @iamashelton.bsky.social · 09/06/2026

13Z: The Zodiac Trials @13z-game.bsky.social demo shows a fast and beautiful game with an interesting take on the roguelite concept, but it may be too easy. Could be an old build too, so I'm still optimistic for this. It's worth checking out. open.substack.com/pub/replayva...

Title: The Daily Demo: 13Z: The Zodiac Trials might need a difficulty spike before launch. Website: Replay Value dot substack dot com.

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Anthony Shelton @iamashelton.bsky.social · 08/06/2026

It took a few rounds for @beatdown.city Survivor's demo to grow on me, but the whole package seriously improves the Survivors formula. It's going to be a strong game. replayvalue.substack.com/publish/post...

Title: The Daily Demo: Beatdown City Survivor significantly improves the Survivors formula, but it could use tuning. Website: replay value dot substack dot com.

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Anthony Shelton @iamashelton.bsky.social · 07/06/2026

@human.computer's Ballgame is a really cool take on golf. It should be one of the better indies this year. But there's stuff in it that feels like it's there just cause other games do it, and it's a little concerning. replayvalue.substack.com/publish/post...

Title: The Daily Demo: Ballgame looks very good, but there are some meta-like game development concerns

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Anthony Shelton @iamashelton.bsky.social · 06/06/2026

I didn't expect @limbicgames.bsky.social's Corsair Cove demo to be as gorgeous and engaging as it is. Definitely a city builder worth keeping an eye out for. open.substack.com/pub/replayva...

Title: The Daily Demo: Corsair Cove brings pirates and city builders together perfectly. Website: replay value dot substack dot com.

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Anthony Shelton @iamashelton.bsky.social · 05/06/2026

Entropy is a poor first impression from a seasoned developer. replayvalue.substack.com/publish/post...

Title: Demo: Entropy regrettably leans on goodwill for its first impression. Website: replay value dot substack dot com.

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Anthony Shelton @iamashelton.bsky.social · 04/06/2026

Orc Incremental is an auto-battler that should actually be a pure idler. It doesn't give enough of either genre in its current state. open.substack.com/pub/replayva...

Title: Orc Incremental seems like it wants to be something else other than an auto-battler. Website: Replay Value dot Substack dot com.

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Anthony Shelton @iamashelton.bsky.social · 03/06/2026

I didn't want to stop playing Sensory Overload. It's a really fascinating and simple game. Arcades would have loved this. open.substack.com/pub/replayva...

Title: Sensory Overload is hypnotic and will likely be one of the great indie games of 2026. Replay Value dot Substack dot com.

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Anthony Shelton @iamashelton.bsky.social · 02/06/2026

I'm 50% on Warhammer video games so far. Boltgun 2's demo is really off-putting. open.substack.com/pub/replayva...

Title: Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun 2 is a thrown together mess. Website: Replay Value. Replay Value dot Substack dot com.

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Anthony Shelton @iamashelton.bsky.social · 01/06/2026

Torr by @tohomoko.bsky.social looks like a well thought out homage to classic RPGs, based on the demo. Parts of it need work based on the demo, but there's something there, for sure. open.substack.com/pub/replayva...

Title: Torr relies on classic RPG gameplay to tell its story. Website: Replay Value. Replay Value dot substack dot com.

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Anthony Shelton @iamashelton.bsky.social · 31/05/2026

The idea for a roguelike Breakout game is cool, but Rogue Breaker has some insufferable design flaws that make it sickening to play. replayvalue.substack.com/publish/post...

Title: Rogue Breaker is a cool concept with intolerable design. Website: Replay Value. Replay Value dot substack dot com.

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Anthony Shelton @iamashelton.bsky.social · 30/05/2026

Koko's Cafe needs a lot of work done before it's grand opening. At least label the ingredients before I use them. open.substack.com/pub/replayva...

Title: Koko's Cafe could use a shot of something. Website: Replay Value. Replay Value dot substack dot com.

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Anthony Shelton @iamashelton.bsky.social · 29/05/2026

Sometimes it's immediately noticeable when a game has an *it* factor. The Adventures of Elliot has that. Whether it can sustain that for however long the game is, I don't know. But the demo is really good. replayvalue.substack.com/publish/post...

Title: The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales looks like it will be a magical journey. Website: Replay Value. Replay Value dot substack dot com.

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Anthony Shelton @iamashelton.bsky.social · 26/05/2026

As I delve more into indie games, I can almost predict which games use AI before I've scrolled down to see the disclaimer. They don't necessarily have anything in common, they just have something about them that makes me think "I'm sure they used AI." Sure enough...

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Anthony Shelton @iamashelton.bsky.social · 25/05/2026

Just for the health of video games and for the next generation of creators, we need to be more critical of games that release too early. It's negatively influencing less experienced creators. open.substack.com/pub/replayva...

open.substack.com

Corporate Climb is another example of indie demos gone wrong

Trying out making The Daily Demo free for a limited time.

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Anthony Shelton @iamashelton.bsky.social · 22/05/2026

I would have never guessed The Division franchise would outlast Destiny.

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Anthony Shelton @iamashelton.bsky.social · 20/05/2026

Wildblue Skies is the Star Fox game people wanted? Almost a mirror image? Let's get an original, actual modern take, please. open.substack.com/pub/replayva...

Title: Wildblue Skies needs wild new originality.
Website: Replay Value
Replay Value dot Substack dot com.

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