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James Cunningham

@jamesac68.bsky.social
163 followers 40 following 2.1K posts

I've been writing for Hardcore Gamer since its first issue in 2005, which may be a long time to do anything but it hasn't gotten boring yet. james (at) hardcoregamer (dot) com

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James Cunningham @jamesac68.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
So uhhh... I guess everyone else liked Minecraft Dungeons II more than I did? I get that it's aiming at a younger crowd, but I didn't feel much of anything while playing. An adequate ARPG with thin coat of Minecraft paint, and that's it. hardcoregamer.com/review-minec...
hardcoregamer.com
Review: Minecraft Dungeons II
Minecraft Dungeons II is an action-RPG that's basically a Diablo-lite, rather than the Dragon Quest Builders type of game one might expect.
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James Cunningham @jamesac68.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Did a game about sorting items hit it big recently and I just missed it? I'm seeing a ton of sorting games lately, where you go into a chaotic room or series of rooms and organize everything.
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James Cunningham @jamesac68.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Also at Funspot arcade, star Wars and, much much rarer, Star Trek sot-down cabinets. Star Wars is scarce but I haven’t seen Star Trek since the 80s. I’d forgotten what a great-looking cabinet it has.
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James Cunningham @jamesac68.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Found the Beetlejuice pinball at a visit to the Funspot classic arcade last night. It’s the first table from Spooky Pinball I’ve seen and I’ve got to say, I’m impressed! Really fun, creative layout with a great use of theme.
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James Cunningham @jamesac68.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Need an opinion because a thought just entered my head- Is the Ghostbusters theme song the most 80s song in existence?
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James Cunningham @jamesac68.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Reinventing the wheel is all very nice but not that necessary when nailing every single part of a genre. @kylethompsondev.bsky.social's Well Dweller is a dark but innocent fairy tale metroidvania, nicely challenging and perfectly paced. hardcoregamer.com/review-well-...
hardcoregamer.com
Review: Well Dweller
Well Dweller is a fantastic traditional metroidvania, with incredibly well-designed challenges supplemented by a perky and upbeat dark fairytale.
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Reposted by James Cunningham
Smooth Dunk @smoothdunk2.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
when ai leaves u behind
7 panel comic.

Panel 1:
A Red Guy with AI across his chest looks like he’s about to run away. A Yellow Guy stands next to him. Red Guy says “I’m the future, buddy. You comin’?”
Yellow Guy replies “Nah”

Panel 2: 
Red Guy is almost out of the panel. He leans in and says “Enjoy getting left behind, pal”
Yellow Guy replies “ok”

Panel 3:
Yellow Guy stands alone.

Panel 4: 
Close up on Yellow Guy, there is a quiet “huff-huff-huff” noise coming from behind him

Panel 5:
Yellow Guy turns to look behind him

Panel 6: 
Close up on Yellow Guy’s face as if from the point of view of an attacker.
Yellow Guy yells “Jesus Christ”

Panel 7:
AI Red Guy is now chasing the Yellow Guy. 
Red Guy: “Use me”
Yellow Guy “No”
Red Guy “USE ME”
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James Cunningham @jamesac68.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
I don't want to complain in response to a developer's post but it's bugging the hell out of me, so I'll just put this here out of direct context- Hey, that looks great! Let me head over to Steam to check i... "...created with the assistance of generative AI tools" Never mind.
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James Cunningham @jamesac68.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Well that turned out even better than expected, and my expectations were already high. @raingames.bsky.social's Knuckle Jet is one of the best 2D(ish) action platformers I've played in years. hardcoregamer.com/review-knuck...
hardcoregamer.com
Review: Knuckle Jet
With five worlds of over a dozen levels apiece, Knuckle Jet brings with it a great amount of platforming action, always fast paced and responsive.
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James Cunningham @jamesac68.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
While I don't normally do tower defense, those are some deeply satisfying enemy bug-waves to annihilate in @beltfedgame.com's Beltfed. Build the factory, supply the defensive lines with ammo, wreak havoc on thousands of bugs in a go. hardcoregamer.com/all-aboard-t...
hardcoregamer.com
All Aboard the Bug Burning Train in Run-Based Automation Roguelite Beltfed Trailer
Unlike most automation games, Beltfed is a run-based roguelite that's technically possible to beat in a single sitting.
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James Cunningham @jamesac68.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Probably worth pointing out to @bulkhead.com that crunch is the price paid by workers for bad management. And that this is a shit attitude made by leads who view harming people as a price they're happy to pay to get what they want.
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James Cunningham @jamesac68.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Is it bad that, despite hearing nothing but good things and it being a genre I enjoy, I've never played or want to play Lies of P because the name just bugs the living hell out of me?
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James Cunningham @jamesac68.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Backed the Real Hero Shit v.2 Kickstarter, got my copy last week, but it had been forever since I'd read v.1 so I put it on the back burner for a couple days. I just re-read v.1 in a single sitting and v.2 is no longer on the back burner. I'd forgotten how much I'd absolutely loved the first one.
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James Cunningham @jamesac68.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
I think I’m good on the pine cone supply for a while.
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James Cunningham @jamesac68.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
"It is time for you to embark on the greatest adventure of your life!" and dude, she's 12! Are you really telling a kid that her life is all downhill after this? That's just a dick move right there. www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXTy...
youtube.com
Ondeh Ondeh Kaya’s Tasty Tale | Announcement Trailer
YouTube video by Bandai Namco Entertainment America
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James Cunningham @jamesac68.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
When I started my new save for @valheimgame.bsky.social's Valheim review, my last-played date was 7/11/21. It's been a long journey to get here but finally Valheim 1.0 is out, with a bigger, deeper world to craft and fight through. hardcoregamer.com/review-valhe...
hardcoregamer.com
Review: Valheim
Valheim is an absolutely massive survival adventure, spanning a large randomized world containing danger and beauty in equal measure.
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James Cunningham @jamesac68.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
I did manage to sneak in a piece for @tobsprgames.bsky.social's Puzzlez spin-off of the Shapez series yesterday. You don't see a lot of the "fit it all in any way you can" style of automation gaming, so it's nice to see a new one is on the way. hardcoregamer.com/taking-autom...
hardcoregamer.com
Taking Automation Back To its Thinky Aspect, Puzzlez: A Shapez Game Announced
Puzzlez takes the massive factories you'd need to build in Shapez 2 and shrinks them down to size, taking the focus away from high-speed throughput.
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James Cunningham @jamesac68.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Yep, definitely in the "I would have liked to have covered this but..." time of the year, with "but..." being defined by already having my time booked solid. Alchemy Factory is 1.0 today, out of Early Access, Yay! Honeycomb: The World Beyond looks awfully pretty.
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James Cunningham @jamesac68.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
Ooh! Gonna need a couple dozen more of these at minimum, but this is excellent!
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James Cunningham @jamesac68.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
Lovely little demo went up today for @oneiricworlds.bsky.social's Yashi: Desert Driver. Hop in your van and explore the desert to find the components needed to upgrade your ride to reach the next area, with your coyote along for the ride. hardcoregamer.com/a-little-des...
hardcoregamer.com
A Little Desert Jaunt in Yashi: Sand Driver Demo
Yashi: Sand Driver is a chill driving game set in a sunny desert wasteland, just you and your coyote heading out into the world.
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James Cunningham @jamesac68.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
Desk sentinel!
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James Cunningham @jamesac68.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
Yep, that was in fact a lot of fun. Saw Coyote vs. Acme tonight and it was exactly what I hoped it would be- a really fun movie that was properly faithful to the Warner Bros. animated history and characters, entertaining from start to finish, and not watered-down for the youngest common denominator.
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James Cunningham @jamesac68.bsky.social · 29/08/2026
Good new for me! I definitely want to review it but the scheduling wasn't working out, so this helps immensely.
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James Cunningham @jamesac68.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
Best I could do with a crappy phone camera. The eclipse is really pretty when in focus.
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James Cunningham @jamesac68.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
Anything in the GTA VI special that you couldn't figure out just from it being a new GTA? I'd watch it, but tonight is for recharging my brain rather than half-hour ads for a game I'm only mildly curious about.
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James Cunningham @jamesac68.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
And it's out, @tinyroargames.bsky.social's Lou's Lagoon is a a platformer and crafting adventure that I really want to like more than I do, and the thing that holds it back (incredibly limited inventory for a crafting game) is easily fixable. hardcoregamer.com/review-lous-...
hardcoregamer.com
Review: Lou's Lagoon
Lou's Lagoon is a crafting platformer adventure set in a colorful archipelago that's just starting to recover from a tempest caused by bickering gods.
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James Cunningham @jamesac68.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
Really enjoying the book series Azarinth Healer right now, in no small part because my wife is reading it too. And oh look, there’s a couple chapters up on Webtoon! I wonder how it looks! Oh. Ok. It looks like they were afraid it would be too awesome so they worked their hardest to avoid that. Ugh.
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James Cunningham @jamesac68.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
What a coincidence, I really hope to be able to play this game in the future!
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James Cunningham @jamesac68.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
I've been looking forward to @messhof.bsky.social's Blood Dungeon since the last Steam Next Fest, and today it's finally out. Weirdo shooter-platformer roguelike action with a Survivors twist and gameplay that refuses to let one run be enough. hardcoregamer.com/total-weirdo...
hardcoregamer.com
Total Weirdo Action Roguelike Blood Dungeon Hacks Its Way to Release
Blood Dungeon is a side-view action roguelike where the plot is ???, with no justification for its dungeons beyond "Have weapons, need enemies!"
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James Cunningham @jamesac68.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
I should feel bad about this but I kind of don't.
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James Cunningham @jamesac68.bsky.social · 22/08/2026
Done, project saved! Can't wait to see where this goes.
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James Cunningham @jamesac68.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
Been looking forward to Michel Gagne's Saga of Rex for just about forever, and oh look, first full trailer! www.youtube.com/watch?v=clVY...
youtube.com
I Spent 14 Years Hand-Animating a Feature Film — THE SAGA OF REX | Official Trailer
YouTube video by Michel Gagne
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James Cunningham @jamesac68.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
I am very tired of games that would look incredibly cool if they weren't completely joyless in every aspect of the art/world/character/enemy design.
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James Cunningham @jamesac68.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
Well that was too many hours this evening playing @lantto.bsky.social's Sandustry. It released into Early Access today and is a very different take on automation, building from the falling-sand genre to refine materials using environmental reactions. hardcoregamer.com/digging-into...
hardcoregamer.com
Digging Into a Brand New Planet in Sandustry Launch Trailer
Sandustry released into Early Access today and takes a pass on most of the automation genre tropes to wander off in its own unique direction.
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James Cunningham @jamesac68.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
Well crap, my second monitor just died. Lines are running across the monitor menu, and appear even with the video cable unplugged.
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James Cunningham @jamesac68.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
I was running around a fair amount yesterday so I didn't get to read the screenshot when it hit, but I did see it was being poorly received. Now that I have a moment, wow, this is so much worse than I'd imagined! How does anyone generate that much bad will in four paragraphs?
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James Cunningham @jamesac68.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
Well that was fun. Just found out my @hardcoregamer.com email has been down the last couple days due to a forwarding issue (on my end) so anything anyone sent to me, I didn't get. Yay.
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James Cunningham @jamesac68.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
Somebody took a nibble out of the sun.
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James Cunningham @jamesac68.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
Epic @pixeljamgames.bsky.social Dino-Run 2 shirt has arrived!
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James Cunningham @jamesac68.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
Had a great time at Spider-Man: Brand New Day tonight, which was an incredibly fun reminder of why Marvel movies were popular. And then there was the Avengers: Doomsday trailer preceding it, feeling weirdly joyless, suffering the bland touch of the No Fun Police. It has to be better than it looks.
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James Cunningham @jamesac68.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
Rerun picture from last year but I went back to this swimming hole today and finally managed to get over whatever that fear of jumping from heights was, that was killing my fun last year.
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James Cunningham @jamesac68.bsky.social · 08/08/2026
I can't say I do a lot of farming games but Doloc Town slipped past all defenses and is an absolute favorite. The farming and life-sim aspects are supplemented with platforming and even a bit of bullet hell action, but it also oozes pure cozy, peaceful vibes. hardcoregamer.com/review-doloc...
hardcoregamer.com
Doloc Town Review: A Chill, Highly Unique Farming Sim
Doloc Town is a trashpunk farming and crafting life sim set in a postapocalyptic world that's got a decent start on the way to healing.
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James Cunningham @jamesac68.bsky.social · 08/08/2026
Technical difficulties so a bit late, but- Really couldn't be happier to see Truxton Extreme carry on a series I had no expectations would ever get a new game. Even better, it's every bit as good as the series name would make you expect, a fantastic arcade shooter. hardcoregamer.com/review-truxt...
hardcoregamer.com
Truxton Extreme Review: The Return of the Shmup Classic
Truxton Extreme is a vertical shooter in the classic mode, in that you've got a powerful ship, three lives, lots of enemies, and endless ways to die.
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James Cunningham @jamesac68.bsky.social · 08/08/2026
I've been wanting to cover the open-world automation of FluxWerks for a while, and now it's finally much closer to its final (Early Access) form. Really nice voxel procgen world, and the heat, maintenance, and fluid management help set it apart. hardcoregamer.com/a-whole-new-...
hardcoregamer.com
A Whole New World to Automate in FluxWerks Updated Demo
The FluxWerks demo features a procedurally-generated world for you to automate and reorganize to your heart's content, and that includes volcanoes.
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James Cunningham @jamesac68.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
But I'll participate in this (wishlisted) society. Curious!
Short description of Young Suns from the Steam capsule, ending with "Help the citizens of Jupiter make society better!"
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James Cunningham @jamesac68.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
Ok fine, wishlisted! I totally needed something else to look forward to in the back half of this year's gaming schedule.
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James Cunningham @jamesac68.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
Me- Trying to work Brain- Here's the theme song to obscure 90s cartoon Mike, Lou, and Ogg, which I can say with absolute confidence you wanted in your head
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James Cunningham @jamesac68.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
There’s a lot of good reasons to not have a Ring camera, but somehow this is the most persuasive one I’ve run across. (Creepy-crawly image warning)
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James Cunningham @jamesac68.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
Old sci-fi trope regarding AI- People treat their robots terribly, to the point when they go full murder-bot it's hard to be on humanity's side. New sci-fi trope regarding AI- Murder-bots don't need to kill anyone, they're just subservient and reaffirming as people accidentally off themselves.
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James Cunningham @jamesac68.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
Too rainy outside to adventure today so Max is assisting me while I work.
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