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Ben Maxwell

@iamthemanta.bsky.social
284 followers 527 following 119 posts

Freelance writer and consultant. Formerly Network N Media, Edge magazine. Erstwhile Mt., ctrlaltdelete, and Motivesounds bod. Unwilling social media participant.

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Ben Maxwell @iamthemanta.bsky.social · 14/10/2026
" @aurochdigital.bsky.social has crafted one of the best FPS games in recent memory, one that calls back to the genre’s heyday without getting bogged down in the past." report.wand.com/reviews/warh...
report.wand.com
Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun 2 Review - The Wand Report
Auroch Digital pushes every slider up to max in a sequel which finally does justice to the team’s vision.
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Ben Maxwell @iamthemanta.bsky.social · 14/10/2026
" @funselektor.bsky.social has translated Art of Rally’s satisfyingly weighty Tonka-toy handling to the realm of off-roading and created a joyfully tactile driving game with rewardingly chunky physics." report.wand.com/reviews/over...
report.wand.com
Over the Hill Review - The Wand Report
Art of Rally developer Funselektor takes its love of classic cars off-road, delivering a cosy exploration game that avoids getting bogged down.
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Ben Maxwell @iamthemanta.bsky.social · 14/10/2026
Probably the nicest thing anyone has ever said about me 😭
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Ben Maxwell @iamthemanta.bsky.social · 12/10/2026
Feeling blessed.
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Ben Maxwell @iamthemanta.bsky.social · 11/10/2026
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Ben Maxwell @iamthemanta.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
report.wand.com
Clive Barker's Hellraiser: Revival Review - The Wand Report
Saber meshes the series’ dark themes with a roll call of gaming’s greatest hits.
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Ben Maxwell @iamthemanta.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
report.wand.com
Demons' Night Fever is a strategy RPG that wants you to kill your own units  - The Wand Report
The latest game from the creator of Disgaea challenges you to go against everything you’ve learnt.
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Ben Maxwell @iamthemanta.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
"You probably haven’t heard of Call of Duty. The plucky, little-known FPS series has been chipping away at growing an audience since 2003. This one is set in the Korean Peninsula and adds new multiplayer mode, Collateral. Hopefully this is the game that sees COD break through to the mainstream."
report.wand.com
New PC games to look out for launching in October - The Wand Report
BDSM, Burnout in space, and a bevy of retro brilliance - Autumn gets into full swing with a revitalised release schedule.
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Ben Maxwell @iamthemanta.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
As a slightly-under-ripe-banana fan, this is my dream. www.theguardian.com/science/2026...
theguardian.com
Gene-edited bananas that don’t go brown could hit UK supermarkets
Scientific breakthrough could reduce food waste and make it easier to add the fruit to prepackaged food
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Ben Maxwell @iamthemanta.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
"This is a reverent compilation, stuffed with fan service and archival history. But the Alien Breed series’ often sociopathic disregard for difficulty curves, pacing, or balance has not aged well. It’s fun to learn about these exhibits, certainly, but to experience them again? I’m less convinced."
report.wand.com
Alien Breed 35th Anniversary Collection Review - The Wand Report
Antstream gathers every Amiga-era entry in Team17’s defining shooter series into a brilliantly curated collection of games.
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Ben Maxwell @iamthemanta.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
"@brave-new-wonders.bsky.social makes you feel like a genius, and the satisfaction of authoring a routine that automates a complex process is unlike anything the genre (or, for that matter, videogaming) has offered before."
report.wand.com
Brave New Wonders Review - The Wand Report
City From Naught makes AI a core part of the game, rather than its production.
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Ben Maxwell @iamthemanta.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Does anyone have any hacks for removing egg shell from the mixture?
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Ben Maxwell @iamthemanta.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
My Solarpunk compound is better than your Solarpunk compound.
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Ben Maxwell @iamthemanta.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
"Road to Jukai plays on your irrational paranoia, casting you as a taxi driver in an unnerving liminal gloom, listening to passengers' stories and beset with visions of things that really shouldn’t be there. Hazy Taxi, if you will."
report.wand.com
Road to Jukai provides the spooky goth foil to Crazy Taxi’s Sega-blue skies - The Wand Report
Endflame explores the existential horror of picking up strangers after dark.
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Ben Maxwell @iamthemanta.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
"Flat-bottomed taco shells seem like a brilliant idea on paper. In reality, they shatter as soon as you take a bite. A roguelike spin on Serious Sam also seems like a brilliant idea on paper - all the elements are there. But the moment you try to enjoy this ostensible feast, cracks start to appear."
report.wand.com
Serious Sam: Shatterverse Review - The Wand Report
Behaviour Interactive catapults Serious Sam into the multiverse, but spreads him too thinly in the process.
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Ben Maxwell @iamthemanta.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
"...Sunset Summit's characters wouldn’t look out of place in an episode of Last of the Summer Wine. While I’m not sure if Nora Batty could fart her way past difficult sections after eating a tin of beans, the likelihood is that the narrative requirement for showing that happening never came up."
report.wand.com
Sunset Summit Review - The Wand Report
Brothers Fender demonstrate that old age doesn’t have to mean you’re past your peak.
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Ben Maxwell @iamthemanta.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
Dorothy House helped my partner and her dad when his life was cut short a few years ago. If you have a moment to read this, or even a spare quid, it would be greatly appreciated 🫶 dorothyhouse.enthuse.com/pf/mary-jo-c...
dorothyhouse.enthuse.com
In memory of Steve
I am joining Team Dorothy House and taking on Hike to the Lights to raise money for this amazing hospice. In 2018, my dad was taken into the RUH, little did we all know he wouldn't go home again. He w
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Ben Maxwell @iamthemanta.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
Made tamago sando with Cass - we're on an egg-mayo odyssey, and this might be the current favourite...
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Ben Maxwell @iamthemanta.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
"The Dungeons series is the babychino to Diablo’s quadruple espresso, providing an excellent gateway drug for parents like me – I spent many hours playing the first game with my son, and I plan to get him hopelessly addicted to coffee at the earliest opportunity..."
report.wand.com
The PC games we’re most excited about in September - The Wand Report
Scottish horror, cyberpunk noodles, and some dude with long white hair and a scar over his eye. Here are our picks of the games coming out this month.
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Ben Maxwell @iamthemanta.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
Vicarious Gamescom fun from my UK desk.
report.wand.com
Every new PC game and major update from Gamescom Opening Night Live 2026 - The Wand Report
Two hours of trailers and over 50 announcements all condensed into a pithy 4,500 word article.
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Ben Maxwell @iamthemanta.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
Elche has put in the research work to establish the exact threshold beyond which it is no longer possible to see more fireworks than the ones you've already launched. And then they just keep on researching.
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Ben Maxwell @iamthemanta.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
"In the end, it’s difficult to say who The Legend Returns is for. Anyone who played DotC the first time around already understands its limitations, and I’m not sure newer players raised on a rich diet of exceptional roguelikes will find enough to get their teeth into here."
report.wand.com
Defender of the Crown: The Legend Returns Review - The Wand Report
Can this refurbished classic Defender of the Crown still hold its own 40 years after it was released?
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Ben Maxwell @iamthemanta.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
Right then...
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Ben Maxwell @iamthemanta.bsky.social · 09/08/2026
Spent a very pleasant hour or so chatting with Paralives Studio comms manager Gab Boyer-Antoni about Paralives' explosive early success and industrious player base. Full interview here:
report.wand.com
“It’s crazy because we haven’t made the features yet!” - Paralives Studio on its community’s astonishing creativity - The Wand Report
Life (sims) will find a way - how Paralives is already defying its creators’ expectations.
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Ben Maxwell @iamthemanta.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
"Sure, Luke Sanderson’s rage-inducing physics-based climbing game isn’t a turnip simulator per se, but just like real root vegetables, the brassica protagonist at its centre exhibits a total disinterest in your mental wellbeing. In that respect, Turnip Mountain is exactly like real life."
report.wand.com
Turnip Mountain Review - The Wand Report
Turnip Mountain is richly imaginative physics climber that almost reaches the heights of Super Meat Boy and Celeste.
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Ben Maxwell @iamthemanta.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
"Few games make getting separated feel so genuinely scary... It’s clever, terrifying stuff – corrupted characters seem to emulate playstyles to some extent, and savvy players will quickly develop a policy on executing any member of the party that doesn’t respond to questions quickly. "
report.wand.com
The Mound: Omen of Cthulhu Review - The Wand Report
ACE Team dares to innovate but delivers an uneven co-op experience that will make you question your sanity.
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Ben Maxwell @iamthemanta.bsky.social · 11/07/2026
Just watched Disclosure Day - enjoyable but hugely unrealistic; there is no airline capable of providing usable wi-fi.
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Ben Maxwell @iamthemanta.bsky.social · 06/07/2026
I have mixed feelings about this.
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Ben Maxwell @iamthemanta.bsky.social · 05/07/2026
Good luck trying to be as cool as I am.
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Ben Maxwell @iamthemanta.bsky.social · 04/07/2026
The suspense is killing me.
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Ben Maxwell @iamthemanta.bsky.social · 03/07/2026
Absolute beaut.
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Ben Maxwell @iamthemanta.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
Had the pleasure of spending a little time with Snapshot Games' Hristo Petkov and Julian Gollop to catch up on all things Frosthaven.
report.wand.com
“It’s scarier to go into a project without Early Access - you have one shot.” - Frosthaven devs on the importance of listening to, and occasionally politely ignoring, players - The Wand Report
Snapshot Games’ Hristo Petkov and Julian Gollop discuss the daunting challenge of translating the rules of a beloved board game already interpreted by thousands.
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Ben Maxwell @iamthemanta.bsky.social · 30/06/2026
Quick light snack before dinner on the way back from school.
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Ben Maxwell @iamthemanta.bsky.social · 29/06/2026
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Ben Maxwell @iamthemanta.bsky.social · 28/06/2026
Definitely knot Cthulhu.
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Ben Maxwell @iamthemanta.bsky.social · 28/06/2026
Just my luck. The one time I stumble on an area where this is legal and I've left my sword at home.
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Ben Maxwell @iamthemanta.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
I had the great pleasure of chatting to @wvo.bsky.social about Voxile and Hardhats, surviving Early Access, electing to build proprietary tech, and the "freight train" that is AI. Read the full interview here:
report.wand.com
“For most people, this path would be a very dumb decision.” - the creator of Voxile on the game’s turbulent and atypical genesis - The Wand Report
Game industry legend Wouter van Oortmerssen on surviving in Early Access and the difficult task of standing apart from Minecraft.
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Ben Maxwell @iamthemanta.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
"These action RPG and cosy life-sim threads are separate experiences. You can elect to ignore one or the other and just focus on the bits you enjoy most (you could even ignore both halves if you wanted, but that would make it tricky to justify your purchase)."
report.wand.com
Monster Fantasy is a mashup of Animal Crossing’s cosy slow-living idyll with Monster Hunter’s extreme violence - The Wand Report
Time for Tom Nook to get what’s coming to him. Check the Monster Fantasy preview.
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Ben Maxwell @iamthemanta.bsky.social · 18/06/2026
"The voidlings exude an appealing, wide-eyed naivety while at the same time sporting innumerable bulbous protuberances – anatomical anomalies that are probably best to avoid during a petting session, just in case you send the wrong message."
report.wand.com
Voidling Bound Review - The Wand Report
Former Borderlands and Skylanders devs bring monster tamers in from the sidelines.
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Ben Maxwell @iamthemanta.bsky.social · 16/06/2026
You can now add The Wand Report as a preferred source on Google, should you be inclined. If you enjoy what we're doing, this would be a super way to support those efforts. Just click the button at the top of any article and then make sure the checkbox is, well, checked. Thanks! <3
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Ben Maxwell @iamthemanta.bsky.social · 12/06/2026
"Last Variable will expand on the original’s questionable HR policies with a story focused on Jan Scientist (all the other Jans have left) and his self-assembled team of science selves. Fingers crossed there aren’t any workplace romances to deal with."
report.wand.com
The most exciting new games launching this summer - The Wand Report
The ultimate walking simulator, retro PS1 weirdness, Star Wars XCOM, and more. Our picks of the new releases you should be keeping an eye on over the next couple of months.
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Ben Maxwell @iamthemanta.bsky.social · 09/06/2026
"Feels as much like Tetris as it does Into The Breach, requiring you to carefully plan how to fit attack shapes into the available space against a backdrop of simmering chaos, which feels like it could spin out of control at any moment."
report.wand.com
Don’t Kill Them All - Into The Breach meets Tetris in this chaotic game about keeping your temper along with your loot - The Wand Report
Don’t Kill Them All chucks out health bars in favour of rage meters and finds an intriguing new angle for turn-based tactics.
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Ben Maxwell @iamthemanta.bsky.social · 24/05/2026
Clever settings hack to make Forza Horizon 6 significantly more bearable. (No sliders for 'loading duration' or 'number of times you have to see a G Wagon during a session', though unfortunately.)
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Ben Maxwell @iamthemanta.bsky.social · 17/05/2026
Title of your sex tape.
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Ben Maxwell @iamthemanta.bsky.social · 15/05/2026
"Cavalier has reinterpreted the standard roguelike and deckbuilder formulas in a manner that feels uniquely smart, allowing you to come back from the brink of disaster and ensuring every encounter feels meaningful and fraught."
report.wand.com
Prime Monster Review - The Wand Report
The team behind The Sexy Brutale turns its attention to reinventing the card battler.
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Ben Maxwell @iamthemanta.bsky.social · 15/05/2026
Absolutely stonking The Wand Report redesign is now live. It's a sexy (spon-con and ad-free) proposition.
report.wand.com
The Wand Report
The latest PC game reviews, previews, interviews and articles from our team of gaming experts.
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Ben Maxwell @iamthemanta.bsky.social · 13/05/2026
"Please can we take this moment to acknowledge that representing dream sequences with hovering pathways that snake their way through a void of floating objects is the game-design equivalent of truffle oil – overused, and far less impactful than it used to be."
report.wand.com
Call of the Elder Gods Review - The Wand Report
Out of the Blue builds on every aspect of Call of the Sea, but the seams are starting to show.
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Ben Maxwell @iamthemanta.bsky.social · 30/04/2026
"This grand social experiment is arriving with impeccable timing. Much has been made of Arc Raiders players’ atypical propensity to be kind to each other, and the design decisions that have catalysed that behaviour... System Era is being more overt in its facilitation of player bonding."
report.wand.com
Starseeker: Astroneer Expeditions wants to get a whole galaxy’s worth of players working together - The Wand Report
System Era Softworks is profoundly expanding its Astroneer vision with a grand social experiment.
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Ben Maxwell @iamthemanta.bsky.social · 28/04/2026
Finally found a house I can afford.
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Ben Maxwell @iamthemanta.bsky.social · 24/04/2026
Commissioned a pigeon to paint this picture of a sloth witnessing the death of a star on my car. Really pleased with it.
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