Gaming

Gaming has been a significant part of my life for as long as I can remember. Whether it’s on a handheld, a PC or tabletop, I’ve always enjoyed getting lost in a well built world or blowing up some heads in counter strike. My multiplayer days are mostly over, but the hobby is not - which has given me time to work through (some) of the steam backlog that accumulated over the years.

Current Games

I’m currently dividing my time between:

• Civilization VII - Playing this both on my gaming PC and Steam Deck. The “one more turn” feel is still very much alive in this iteration - in fact it has grabbed me MUCH more than Civ VI, which I wasn’t sure would happen based on the initial reviews. Don’t get me wrong, the UI is as awful as they say, but literally every other change to the game has been for the better in my opinion, and has led to the absolute best version of Civ yet. I’m not looking forward to my end of year steam replay to know how much of my year has gone into this.

• Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty - Working through PL on my gaming PC and Steam Deck, the game is now honestly a dream to play. It runs very, very well on the Deck, and the DLC has improved the game so much that it is now probably one of the best games I’ve ever played - the writing and worldbuilding were already great in the base game, but now the gameplay has risen to match them making it an absolute must play.

• MTG Arena - My digital fix for card slinging when I’m not at the lgs.

• The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom - Sitting on my Switch shelf, looking at me with hate every time I walk past to pick up my Deck. I’ll get to it eventually, probably after the Switch 2 launches and I get bored of losing to japanese gods in MK9.

Gaming Setup

• PC: I have a pretty decent gaming PC for titles that need a bit more horsepower than the Deck can provide, but I really don’t enjoy sitting at the same desk I work at all day afterhours, so I try to keep my time on it at a minimum.
• Steam Deck: By far my most-used gaming device these days. The combination of power and portability hits a sweet spot that works perfectly with my lifestyle - not to mention the fact that I’ve always been an absolute sucker for handhelds, from my first Color back in the day to my current collection of them taking up an entire shelf above my desk.
• Nintendo Switch: The Deck before the Deck. I’ve had this since launch and upgraded to the OLED when that came out - and still love it dearly, but I find nowadays that most of the games I’m interested in tend to work better/be cheaper on the Deck. I’ll still get the Switch 2 on preorder, of course.
• Other Handhelds: I have a few other handhelds that I don’t use as much these days, but still enjoy playing from time to time. I’ve got a PSP 3000 and a Go, a Vita, and quite a few Nintendo handhelds, my most played nowadays being the launch day 3DS - turns out New Leaf was indeed better than New Horizons after all, and I do still play it from time to time.
• ThinkPad X220: Surprisingly capable for older titles. I enjoy playing classic CRPGs from GOG and games from the early 2000s like Morrowind and Thief. There’s something I like about playing these games on, well, “vintage” hardware - the X220’s form factor and “retro ultrabook” aesthetic complements the experience nicely.
• Other consoles: I have a PS4 (got used from a friend many years after it came out) and an Xbox One X (got at launch, upgraded from my Xbox One that I also got at launch). I almost never play either of these nowadays, but it’s honestly more effort than it’s worth to try and sell them off, so they sit under the tv collecting dust.

Game Collections

I tend to accumulate games across platforms, particularly on Steam and GOG during their infamous sales. My digital collections are VERY big at this point, and I’m sure I’ve got more than enough to last me for multiple lifetimes, but that doesn’t keep me from buying more GREAT DEALS FOR 4.99. Fucking gaben… Luckily my physical collection is much more curated, mostly consisting of Nintendo titles and PS4 exclusives that I usually get used from Gamestop or other online sellers.

This page was last updated in February 2025. You can see what I’m currently playing on my now page.