Capitalist Overlord Raccoon

16 Mar

The site is moving to Bear Blog for the foreseeable future and the Ghost blog will no longer be accessible from April. All existing posts will gradually become available on the new blog, which is still at makebad.games.

makebad.gamesPac-Man FucksA short comedic essay on why Pac-Man endures.

I wrote a short comedic essay on why Pac-Man endures and how games no longer have universal appeal. makebad.games/pac-man-fucks/

Strong 'put that on a poster' review for this one from @vitageorge.bsky.social: 'I could not stop laughing.'

makebad.gamesWith Valve's Steam Frame headset and Armada, things look bright for SteamOS on Android gaming handheldsAndroid is still better for dual-screen multitasking right now, but things will only get better.

I wrote about Armada, the SteamOS fork that makes PC games on Android gaming handhelds like the AYN Thor a pleasant reality. "It's basically witchcraft." makebad.games/with-valves-...

Today I have been playing a (to my knowledge entirely coded by human beings) Linux port of Diddy Kong Racing in Armada and it's the latest thing to confirm to me that the AYN Thor is the best game console I own at present. Every few weeks there's some bonkers new development. Incredible.

makebad.gamesA Retraction or Two (September 2026)It’s September 21st as I write this sentence and I’ve written naff all. I’m over seeing Margaret and enjoying life. Boston has cool museums and restaurants a...

The September 2026 issue (and final one on the monthly schedule) of the Capitalist Overlord Raccoons newsletter is up! A Lego Racers remake, a Mario Kart World reappraisal, and a condemnation of the conditions that have given rise to the independent newsletter culture! makebad.games/a-retraction...

we're not done: future issues on an irregular schedule will likely go back to being long-form writing about single titles, there are still things we want to cover this year but if i can get out of the temptation to write / pretend to care about any tentpole event then that's good

makebad.gamesThe worst August imaginable [Big Walk, Shatter, Elder Scrolls: Oblivion, “Cozy” as a droopy marketing tool]This month has not had a lot of video games in it for me. We were going to talk at length about some hot-button topics that we’ve since lost interest in. H...

31 Aug

The August issue of Capitalist Overlord Raccoons is up! Our impressions of Big Walk, Margaret on cozy as a marketing tool, plus a joint review of Finch, which asks 'what if Pokémon was self care', and more! makebad.games/the-worst-au...

31 Aug

the real game was trying to post this to bluesky. i hate that this droopy marketing tool is held together by glue and string.

makebad.gamesSave scumming [football video games, rebooting BACKLOG YEAR, Maneater, Vampirium: 1997 chat] (July 2026)Question: What do video games and the maternal figure in your life have in common? Answer: They’re both smooth at sixty. Question: What do video games ...

31 July

The July issue of Capitalist Overlord Raccoons is now up! Getting excited about @bithellgames.bsky.social’s Vampirium: 1997, and its marketing! Reviewing Maneater twice! Offbeat Football games like Nutmeg! A blind item game for Dr. Margaret Downs PhD.’s birthday! More! makebad.games/save-scummin...

31 July

banger issue imo that i enjoyed writing very much

store.steampowered.comVampirium: 1997 on Steam1997. Dracula is King of England. At his command, master your dark gifts to assassinate his enemies and secure his vampiric empire. Infiltrate locked-down locations, adapt and survive in living enviro...

31 July

all the best games writing is unhinged let's be honest

Capitalist Overlord Raccoon reposted

Mike Bithell

@mikebithell.bsky.social

13 July

One more push on these before I head to Brighton… the nice round number is in sight people, wishlists and retweets appreciated.

Mike Bithell@mikebithell.bsky.social

Proud to announce the next game Vampirium: 1997 Dracula is king of the United British Empire. Kill his enemies and find your own path through a minimalist immersive sim sandbox. Wishlists and retweets massively appreciated (and, you know, massively helpful) store.steampowered.com/app/4035190/...

makebad.gamesBACKLOG YEAR continues apace. BACKLOG YEAR is a state of mind. (June 2026)This month, some bang up to date video games that Margaret and I have been playing, and ones that don’t exist yet but that look interesting. Beyond being ...

30 June

The June issue of Capitalist Overlord Raccoons is now up! 007 First Light! Dr. Margaret Downs PhD. reviews Pokopia! Steam Controller 2! Summer Game Fest thoughts! Fable New One! Margaret and I on NYC's @scrappleland.bsky.social! More! makebad.games/backlog-year...

29 June

Capitalist Overlord Raccoons is now listed in the @warppoint.games webring alongside other cool independent games outlets! Thank you for the listing.

makebad.gamesThe right kind of busywork in video games (May 2026)If you're not getting VIDEO GAME ENTHUSIASM delivered to your inbox every month, what are you doing? {{ email_signup }} This month in BACKLOG YEAR, it...

19 May

The May 2026 issue is out! @fontes.bsky.social’ Buck Up and Drive! @cyansorcery.com’ Blobun! @meanderforth.bsky.social’ WordScoop! Margaret on Standing Cat’s Nekomancer of Nowhere! Star Wars: Episode 1 Racer! Assassin’s Creed II, Prince of Persia: Sands of Time! More! makebad.games/the-right-ki...

makebad.gamesWe went to PAX East and had a great time (April 2026)Also other games what we have played and that and material on the AYN Thor downgrade. Also the Wii for some reason, oop, (the reason is that it’s the best co...

The April 2026 PAX EAST SPECIAL is out! Margaret on @openthegatesgaming.bsky.social’ Access Gaming Lounge! Me on @wraith.games’ Collapsus! Us on Fishbowl! The AYN Thor gets Linux! Wii emulation! A new arcade-exclusive game! Microgame compilations! Skin Deep! So much! makebad.games/we-went-to-p...

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This issue contains: event coverage, us talking to developers like proper journalists do, and is packed full of hands-on accessibility chat, it feels like a step up and I'm very proud of it 'don't call yourself an 'aspiring' X', so we're journalists now

biancasstuff.itch.ioTRADE SCHOOL PARTY! by BiancasStuff, JustAMeguminProve yourself and become the JACK OF ALL TRADES!

biancasstuff.itch.io/trade-school... Also play Trade School Party so that you can say you did before it was cool

Our best issue yet, but if you don't read it you should still play Collapsus, alright cheers

makebad.gamesAYN Thor hemiplegia review (March 2026)By the time you read this, I’ll have had the AYN Thor Max for just less than a month. I’m enamored with it, and it might be the last handheld I buy for a lon...

24 Mar

The March 2026 issue of the newsletter is up now: a review of the AYN Thor, an Android gaming handheld, as someone with a disability involving their hands. It's a long one, but I loved writing it! Also includes Margaret and I reviewing WarioWare together, and more! makebad.games/ayn-thor-hem...

makebad.gamesPower fantasy games; becoming a role-playing game personReviews of Infamous, Disco Elysium, Torn, Batman: Arkham Knight, Fable (new one), plus Dr. Margaret Downs PhD reviews Tiny Bookshop and I review the Playstation 4 variant of the Evil Controller.

28 Feb

The February 2026 edition of Capitalist Overlord Raccoons is out now! I talk power fantasy games, learning to love role-playing games, and my experience of the accessibility-minded Evil Controller, while Margaret reviews Tiny Bookshop from the cozy corner. makebad.games/power-fantas...

makebad.gamesSkill Issue, TheState of the Newsletter address I'm playing at being a games journalist, but I'm currently actively loathing video games. They're still cool, and this is still the enthusiasm newsletter, but fuck me ...

31 Jan

The January 2026 issue of Capitalist Overlord Raccoons is out now! I cover playing low-dexterity games as a hemiplegic person, and Dr. Margaret Downs PhD writes about not being a video game person, and then becoming one. Plus: Loddlenaut! The Spirit and the Mouse! More! makebad.games/skill-issue-...

makebad.gamesWhat works for usIt's the personal essay issue! Co-op games that ruin everyone's lives but mine and Margaret's! Margaret on Super Mario Galaxy! Me on the 8BitDo Pro 3, and too many Legion Go products!

31 Dec 2025

The December 2025 issue of Capitalist Overlord Raccoons is now available, featuring Margaret and I raving about our favorite co-op games, handhelds we’ve bought, or received as gifts, and me serving up two hardware-y accessibility corners. makebad.games/what-works-f...

31 Dec 2025

Thanks @sleepyhart.bsky.social for tips about sorting out Linux on the Lenovo Legion Go. It might be my new favourite handheld.

11 Dec 2025

Information request: how do android gaming handhelds (Retroid Pockets, the AYN Thor) handle external controller input? Do they disable the internal controls?

makebad.gamesTake what you want, leave what you don'tRare Replay! Going tonto for Ape Out! Super Mario Odyssey! Struggling with dungeon crawlers as a disabled person! A review written co-operatively! More!

28 Nov 2025

The November issue of the newsletter is out now, themed around playing games for as long as they're fun!. Reviews include select Rare Replay titles, me going absolutely bonkers for Ape Out, a review co-written by Margaret Downs, PhD., and more! makebad.games/take-what-yo...

Capitalist Overlord Raccoon reposted

Dan Marshall

@danthat.bsky.social

28 Sept 2025

EARTH MUST DIE Featuring a load of my favourite comedians - too many even to fit on the trailer! Joel Fry! Martha Howe-Douglas! @alexhorne.bsky.social! Tamsin Grieg! @5teviem.bsky.social @mrholness.bsky.social! @misterabk.bsky.social! @rosieisaholt.bsky.social! MORE Please RETWEET and WISHLIST

makebad.gamesWhy There'll Never Be A (Capitalist Overlord Raccoons Halloween Special)Plus: why Earth Must Die is set to be the funniest game of the year, how Dead Rising (2006) and Spider-Man (2000) give me disabling anxiety, and how God Mode feature in the Hades games keeps me playin...

17 Oct 2025

The October issue of Capitalist Overlord Raccoons is up now; featuring spooky games, feeling anxiety in not-spooky games, and a review of the demo for Earth Must Die; set to be the funniest game of the year. makebad.games/why-therell-...

Capitalist Overlord Raccoon reposted

Nicole Clark

@nicoleclark.bsky.social

19 Sept 2025

it feels so good to write again, to play games again, after the worst year of my life. i picked a ridiculous game (that i love!) to relearn controller skills with, but taking my time makes it possible aftermath.site/silksong-hol...

aftermath.siteA Condition Took Away The Use Of My Hands. Silksong Helped Me Rehab Them - AftermathLast year I woke up with the hands of an alien. Every item I grasped fell to the floor like so many grains of sand; every doorknob became a lock I couldn’t open. It didn’t hurt, but hundreds of dollar...

Capitalist Overlord Raccoon reposted

Stuart Gipp

@stuartgipp.bsky.social

24 Sept 2025

Huey, Dewey and Cthuluey Is that anything

makebad.gamesDisney closed Toontown Online twelve years ago this September, and I have mixed feelings about thatIt's twelve years since Disney shut down its best MMORPG, and I am depressed.

24 Sept 2025

New post: commemorating the loss of Disney's Toontown Online and talking about growing up with it, plus replacing it with private server @corporateclash.net during the pandemic. makebad.games/disney-close...

Capitalist Overlord Raccoon reposted

✨Royalty Free-For-All✨

@royaltyfree4all.bsky.social

11 Sept 2025

Did we really make Oliver Twist into an olive twist because his name is Oliver Twist...? Yes. Yes we did. #indiegame #fightinggame #olivertwist