FEATURE – Spray painting at “The Rogue Prince of Persia” event was both fun and complicated
by Chris PenwellThe Prince looks amazing in graffiti art.
Read more
Category: Events
[PAX East 2026] Hands-On: “Grim Trials” is a Hades-like worth checking out
by Myles ObenzaDuring PAX East in Boston, I had the opportunity to play Grim Trials for about half an hour, but that wasn’t nearly enough time to really sink my teeth in. Not only because that isn’t really enough time to get a full impression, but also because what I played was genuinely fun, and I’m excited to eventually dive back in.
Read more
[PAX East 2026] Hands-On: Bylina is a clunky ARPG that’s more frustrating than fun
A dark, Slavic myth-themed dungeon-crawling action RPG sounds amazing on paper, and that’s what Bylina from developer Far Far Games sets out to be. This year at PAX East in Boston, I got to play roughly 20 minutes of what I can only assume is an early build of the game. Unfortunately, it was quite a buggy mess and largely unenjoyable, but the bones of a great game are here, especially if you’re a fan of other ARPGs of its ilk. I just think it needs a bit more time in the oven.
Read more
[PAX East 2026] Hands-On: We’re ready for “Mina the Hollower”
It was a few days before I was set to hop on a plane to travel across the country to Boston to attend my first PAX East. My schedule was set, and I was ecstatic to check out all the…
Read more
[PAX East 2026] Impressions + Discussion: “Aether & Iron” devs discuss crafting narrative excellence as a debut indie developer
by Michael FertittaAt PAX East, I was given an opportunity to meet with the team at Seismic Squirrel to preview their debut title Aether & Iron ahead of launch and talk to the studio leads about what went into the making of their narrative-driven tactical RPG.
Read more
[PAX East 2026] Hands-On: “Fractured Blooms” is the perfect mix of cozy and creepy
I was able to get about half an hour with Fractured Blooms, and came away quite impressed. I’m not typically the biggest farming sim gamer, but I am SmashPad’s resident horror guy, and the spooky vibes here were immaculate. From what I’ve played, the farming sim mechanics are as crucial to the game’s overall loop as the esoteric, psychological horror themes, and the blend of genres works well in a way I wasn’t expecting.
Read more
[PAX East 2026] Hands-On + Interview: “Rain98” holds mysteries we can’t wait to solve
While it was also available to play on the show floor, the only offsite demo appointment I had during PAX East this year was to play Rain98, and it was more than deserving of it. It was a good thing I had time to chat with the game’s director, because boy, did I have questions! Luckily, the director of C#4R4CT3R, the indie studio responsible for developing the game, was there on-hand to chat after I completed the demo.
Read more
[PAX East 2026] Hands-On: “Cat Secretary” Paws Its Way Into The Work Sim Genre
by Adriana RodriguezGood Story Guild returned to PAX East with a new demo for Cat Secretary, a game I’ve been highly anticipating since I first tried it last year. Cat Secretary is a cozy 3D job sim that has you working for a massive corporation, and it’s your duty to uncover the secrets work wouldn’t want the world to know while keeping everyone happy… but as a cat, of course.
Read more
[PAX East 2026] Hands-On: “Grave Seasons” has Cultivated a New and Fascinating Type of Farming Sim
During PAX East, I was given the opportunity to sit down and play through a demo of Grave Seasons and talk with Emmett Nahil, the game’s Narrative Director. While the demo was a bit shorter than I would have liked, I absolutely came away with positive impressions of this title ahead of its August release. Grave Seasons takes the tried and true relationship building and farming elements of the genre and adds a new layer of narrative-driven complexity to keep players invested in the world around them.
Read more
[PAX East 2026] Hands-On: “High Times” brings the vibes one donut at a time
At its core, High Times is a visual novel where all you really have to do is make donuts for your customers. It definitely has vibes similar to Coffee Talk, but the main difference is Coffee Talk is really all about you playing your role as a café barista while listening to everything your clientele has to tell you. In High Times, your customers expect you to make them feel better with the donuts you serve them.
Read more
[PAX East 2026] Hands-On: “GNAW” packs a prehistoric punch!
PAX East never ceases to impress me with the sheer amount of indie titles on the show floor, and one of those that caught my attention was a dinosaur-themed Metroidvania called GNAW from Redstart Interactive. I was fortunate enough to play the demo for a half hour and talk with the developers about what compelled them to create this prehistoric adventure, and in the process, I was quickly taught how rusty I am with the genre.
Read more
[PAX East 2026] Hands-On: “Backyard Baseball” has the stuff for an epic comeback
by Danreb Victorio
|
Nintendo Switch PAX East PC PlayStation 5 Previews Xbox Series X |
0 Comments
|
30 Mar 2026
Backyard Baseball was easily one of the standouts at the PAX East 2026 convention floor.
Read more© 2026 The SmashPad Team