Hey everyone!

I just wanted to take a moment to say a massive, genuine thank you to all of you who’ve been supporting me through my first full year of doing UX-focused game reviews + running my own playtests.

This little corner of game critique I’ve been building, diving deep into how interfaces feel, how mechanics communicate, where friction lives or where delight sneaks in, started as a passion project while I was figuring out my own thoughts on games. I’ve also loved writing about accessibility in games, those posts on colour-blind modes, subtitle clarity, controller remapping, and making experiences more inclusive have meant a lot to share.

Seeing so many of you read the longer pieces, reply with your own experiences, like + share the posts, and engage with the accessibility discussions, it’s genuinely kept me going. Whether you’ve been here from my first Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review, or just stumbled across a recent one, thank you. It means more than I can probably put into words.

This Christmas break turned into a longer pause than I planned. University exams hit hard, and between revision, deadlines, and just trying to keep my head above water, I basically had zero time for playing new games properly or writing the kind of in-depth reviews I enjoy doing. No playtests, no note-taking mid-session, no late-night editing. It’s been radio silence on here for a bit, and I didn’t want anyone to think I’d vanished or lost interest.

The truth is: I’m still very much in love with this niche. UX in games is such a fascinating lens, there’s always more to unpack, and I’m itching to get back to it once things settle. But uni isn’t letting up anytime soon, so I have to be realistic: reviews and updates are probably going to slow way down for the foreseeable future. Maybe shorter thoughts, quick impressions, or occasional playtest shout-outs instead of the big multi-part dives for a while. I’ll still be lurking, reading replies, and jumping into conversations when I can.

Just know that the support you’ve all shown this first year has made it feel worthwhile, even on the tough days. You’ve turned a solo hobby into something that feels like a real community, and I’m really grateful for every single one of you.

I’ll be back in the swing of things properly as soon as life gives me a bit more room to breathe. Until then, thank you, seriously. Keep playing, keep critiquing, keep sharing what you love (and what frustrates you) about games. It’s people like you that make this space special.

Talk soon, Max Kirby (Kirbylife) 💙