Caleb J. Ross

I have a fat cat. I've officially renamed him Chud Thunder. End of message.

New #bouldering Video!!! asked 30 climbers what a “good climber” is...then I tested myself youtu.be/Hx03tDqtghg

This is a highlight of the year! You now have fun plans for this weekend!

NEW VIDEO!!!! youtu.be/IXwm9RY-AH8 The #Climbing Gym Injury Nobody Warns You About

New #bouldering Video!!!! youtu.be/P_4o7OW4P4k I got rid of half my climbing gear (it didn't go well)

Hey, that's me.

Hey @polykillpodcast.bsky.social I #JustBeatIt Creepy Redneck Dinosaur Mansion 3. With this @strangescaffold.bsky.social may be one of my favorite devs. Not all their games are personal hits, but their willingness to lead with style and creativity is to be championed.

Hey @polykillpodcast.bsky.social , I #JustBeatIt Easy Delivery Co. I expected very little, honestly. And after a few minutes, I feared the worst. Resource management. Careful driving. Survival elements. Ugh. But this game hooked me. I'm not really sure how, but it did.

Hey @polykillpodcast.bsky.social , I #JustBeatIt Racheteer DX. I've been sick in bed for the last couple days. This is a perfect, simple, sick game. The world needs more short, top-down Zelda likes (but fewer sicknesses).

Hey @polykillpodcast.bsky.social I #JustBeatIt Minishoot Adventures. Wait... Wait just one damn minute. Do I love twin stick shooters? Or do I just love the adventure dressing of this particular twin stick shooter? I expected nothing, but I fell hard for this game.

Hey @polykillpodcast.bsky.social , I #JustBeatIt Haiku the Robot. This game is just straight up Metroid. From the genre, to the music, to the gadgets, to the confusing mess of a map that sometimes makes just enough sense for you to think "I got this," but then you don't got this. You never got this.

I'm in Florida right now. If #GTA6 #GTAVI doesn't contain this exact hookah, I will seriously question @rockstargames.com 's commitment to capturing the full spectrum of nonsense here.

The #bouldering gym owner was worried. I finally found a #boulder problem that allowed me to do a reverse mantel. I've always wanted to do this move, but I never thought it would be possible. youtube.com/shorts/aEbx1...

Heck yes!

Hey @polykillpodcast.bsky.social , I #JustBeatIt Leap Year, an amazing puzzle platformer that punishes you for doing the one thing you are allowed to do. This is peak game design. Right now on Steam there's a bundle with this, Ooo, and Linelith. Deal of the decade.

Hey @polykillpodcast.bsky.social (and @indiequestpod.com ), I #JustBeatIt Linelith. Never a faster beat from hearing about a game on IQ to purchasing to beating. I'm not someone who says up past their bedtime (of about 8:30), but this game wouldn't let up. Loved it.

Hey @polykillpodcast.bsky.social I #JustBeatIt The Corridor, a short first-person meta narrative game that feels super influenced by The Beginner's Guide (and who wouldn't be; that game is fantastic). Time well spent.

Hey @polykillpodcast.bsky.social I #JistBeatIt Mcpixel 3. Never has the swing from "I hate this game" to "I love this game" been so great. The intro tells you nothing. The HUD is confusing. But then, funny stuff starts happening and... Suddenly I get it!

Hey @polykillpodcast.bsky.social I #JustBeatIt Super Kiwi 64. About as basic a 3D platformer as you can get while still actually being pretty fun. The jank stays in the aesthetic lane, keeping the actual mechanics pretty solid. Recommended for fans of any bird species.

What if the fastest way to send your #bouldering project… is to try the worst beta first? open.substack.com/pub/sendhelp...

Hey @polykillpodcast.bsky.social I #JustBeatIt Viewfinder. Another stunner in the first person perspective puzzle genre populated by games like Superliminal, Maquette, Manifold Garden, and more. A must play for fans of the genre.

Hey @polykillpodcast.bsky.social I #JustBeatIt Wanderstop... Which is weird to post about considering the game's theme is relaxation and incomplete-ness. Overall, an enjoyable enough time, but the narrative shows its cards way too early and stretches the premise thin.

Hey @polykillpodcast.bsky.social I #JustBeatIt How Fish are Made. Following Mouthwashing, I checked into the dev's first game. It's probably too short to be a true game, but it did have a trypophobia warning, which I ignored and quickly regretted. 3 out of 5. Time of my life.

Hey @polykillpodcast.bsky.social I #JustBeatIt And Roger. This narrative empathy simulator translates the symptoms and feelings of dementia in such a helpful way. My mother has dementia, and this game has helped me sense what she might be going through. Thank you @kodansha.us and TearyHand.

Hey @polykillpodcast.bsky.social I #JustBeatIt Aperture Desk Job. More an interactive tutorial for the Steam Deck than a true game, but entertaining and witty nonetheless. Valve didn't have to put so much effort into this, but I'm glad they did. And hearing Nate Bargatze was a nice surprise.

I stopped asking what’s ‘correct’ #bouldering beta. This worked better. open.substack.com/pub/sendhelp...

Hey @polykillpodcast.bsky.social I #JustBeatIt Mouthwashing. I don't fully get it, but I do fully love it.

Hey @polykillpodcast.bsky.social I #JustBeatIt Öoo. This search action thinker absolutely blew me away. A new favorite. I played Elechead last year, and with Öoo it's confirmed that I'll follow Nama Takahashi anywhere.

Hey @polykillpodcast.bsky.social I #JustBeatIt Monument Valley 3. Overall, a wonderful blend of vibes and puzzles, but maybe less on the puzzle side than the previous games. Fine for me, but better gamers be warned.

If your #bouldering project feels impossible, there’s a decent chance it’s not your strength, your beta, or your mindset. Maybe it’s that you didn’t brush the damn holds. sendhelpclimbing.substack.com/p/brush-your...

Hey @polykillpodcast.bsky.social , I #JustBeatIt Shantae Advance: Risky Revolution. Another Shantae game completed. These games are always good, always surprisingly funny, always charming, and always packed with a great soundtrack. What can I say? Shantae is great.

Beta Break cards are back in stock!! Order today for arrival before Christmas. Order at betabreakgame.com

Just one deck available. First come, first served.

Hey @polykillpodcast.bsky.social I #JustBeatIt Ghost of Yotei. This series continues to be the best open world games in the business. See a thing, go towards that thing, get distracted by other things on the way to that first thing. I don't Platinum many games, but I did this one.

Does the idea of rock climbing intrigue you, but you don't feel like your body type is right? Check out this conversation between me and @suckatslab.bsky.social where we discuss why you, yes YOU, can enjoy rock climbing. www.youtube.com/watch?v=QsLB...

The coolest I will ever look while #bouldering or otherwise

Yep. Any fellow #bouldering people feel this?

Happening now! The 23-hour stream for charity featuring the coolest gamers around. Right now, @peteepuff.bsky.social streams a game with a...weird...name. After that, watch me lose miserably in a trivia contest. www.twitch.tv/polymedianet...

My card game #BetaBreakGame is featured in the Fall 2025 Climbing Business Journal catalog. I've been a long-time listener to the CBJ Podcast, so this is like being validated by royality. Check out Beta Break (and a bunch of other cool products) below! climbingbusinessjournal.com/28-new-climb...

Hey @polykillpodcast.bsky.social I #JustBeatIt Sword of the Sea. Best ice crunch sounds in the business.

Here's your friendly reminder to check for wall features when #bouldering. The climbing problem isn't aways as difficult as you think. sendhelpclimbing.substack.com/p/listen-to-...

🚨 It’s live! 🚨 Beta Break: Adventure Mode just launched on Kickstarter 🎉 Back it now and join the adventure 👉 www.kickstarter.com/projects/797... Tag your gym partner—you’re gonna need them for this one 👀 #bouldering #climbinggym #boardgames #kickstartergames #indoorclimbing

Almost a #bouldering collision Full video at youtu.be/FsuzsrCICJQ

NEW VIDEO!!! I haven't made a long-form #bouldering video in over a year. So, this one is especially exciting. It documents my journey from first attempt to successful send of a very, very hard problem. It took me 9 sessions! youtu.be/FsuzsrCICJQ

Not much time left!

Thrilled to be a part of @toddnotmitchell.com 's podcast to talk about the latest StoryBundle, game development, rock climbing, and getting old. youtu.be/Bb9ZkhJcbw8?...

A new #GameDev Breakdown just dropped with GameCube historian @projectdolphin.bsky.social. Lots of GameCube talk, video game retail, and more assorted nostalgia. Check it out on YouTube, Spotify, or anywhere you get podcasts! youtu.be/JnEzc5_bF_4?...

Hey @polykillpodcast.bsky.social I #JustBeatIt Death Stranding 2. An absolute masterpiece. I've never played a game that goes so hard into absurdity but ends up trying things together so wonderfully. The final boss fight is an all timer.

This huge bundle of books about video games includes the text-only ebook version of The Secret History of Mac Gaming as well as my experimental 'Football Manager, one day at a time' project, along with dozens of books I didn't write. storybundle.com/games

Happy to say my book Critical Path: How to Review Videogames for a Living is in the The Greatest Hits Game Bundle 2 at StoryBundle -- thanks to @davidlcraddock.bsky.social for the invite! Even if that isn't your career goal, I hope the advice I offer helps your writing. storybundle.com/games