Noah's Card Shop

          For those of us in the chronically online video game industry discourse circles, a predominant story through all of 2025 has been the state of Xbox as a brand. I've seen so many stories all throughout the year about Microsoft feeling directionless in the face of disappointing Xbox Series sales and a shift away from a focus on hardware. After reviewing the list I keep of my favorite game releases of this year, I noticed that Xbox games continued to show up near the top of the list.      So what gives? Why do I find myself not disagreeing with the general idea that Xbox seems to be lost and searching for an identity while also defending them against the notion that they have had a disappointing year?      Let's take a look at Microsoft's 2025 and even compare it to Sony's, as I think there's a case to be made that Xbox actually had not only a better 2025 but are even potentially set up for a better 2026. Before we get t...

 The following is a list of the card games I enjoyed most this year. Not all came out this year, but all were games I found myself going back to over and over throughout the year. There is also no requirement that any of the included games be physical or digital or some may offer both. It's a safe bet that future articles about most of these will be popping up here. I'll provide links to each and some general quick thoughts/descriptions as well but this is far from a comprehensive review of any of these titles. That may come at a later date for at least a few of these though. Balatro  I first encountered Balatro during a demo a few months before its release and I remember enjoying it but I don't remember specifics about my first few hands in that demo state. However, once it was released in early 2024, I was pretty sure I was playing something very special. It would have been my pick for Game of the Year at this year's "The Game Awards" had Astro Bot not taken...

This site will largely just be serving as a place I can dump more collected thoughts on games and game design. Most posts will probably read as complete thoughts written in such a way that one might be able to interpret the conclusion I've drawn. Some may serve largely as a stream of consciousness though. Topics that are likely to come up: Specific video games through the lens of a player and of a designer Specific tabletop games through the lens of a player and of a designer All aspects of design related to card games Thoughts on the state of the gaming industry at large and observable trends throughout