Marcus Vasquez
Senior Critic & Analyst
Marcus Vasquez spent four years as a game economy analyst before switching to criticism full-time. With 11 years covering indie and mid-tier titles, he brings a data-first lens to reviews — tracking playtime distributions, upgrade path efficiency, and value-per-hour benchmarks that most critics overlook. Based in Austin, Marcus specialises in roguelikes, strategy, and simulation games. His reviews are known for precise numerical claims, dry wit, and an unflinching willingness to say exactly when a game's numbers don't add up.
- 11 years games criticism
- Former game economy analyst
- Roguelike and strategy specialist
194 articles by Marcus Vasquez
Tainted Grail Crit Build: Perception and Bleed 2026
Tainted Grail crit build uses perception, bleed coatings, and alchemy buffs. How to stack critical chance from gear and skills for high-damage runs.
· 9 min read
33 Immortals Builds Guide: Weapon Themes and Perk Trees
33 Immortals builds guide: all 8 weapons explained, perk ranks I-V, Paragon costs at IV-V, and which weapons scale best into Paradiso with 11 players.
· 9 min read
Tainted Grail Boss Guide: Key Fights and Strategies
Tainted Grail boss guide: Wyrdstalker timing, Berserker's damage reflection, Perceval's tower, and the Caradoc vs Arthur final-boss choice explained.
· 11 min read
Shapez 2 Review: Why You Can't Delete Your Factory
Shapez 2 review: Overwhelmingly Positive from 14,810 reviews at 1.0. Manufacture Mode's permanent chains change what building a factory here actually means.
· 10 min read
Rift Wizard 3 Review: 500+ Spells, Zero Classes (2026)
Rift Wizard 3 review: 500+ spells, 8 schools, crafting that creates cross-school effects no spell produces alone. 35 hours of Early Access testing.
· 11 min read
Tainted Grail Alchemy Guide: Recipes and Stations 2026
Tainted Grail alchemy guide: all recipe book locations by act, crafting station map, weapon coatings, and the best potions most players never craft.
· 8 min read
Tainted Grail New Game Plus Guide: What Carries Over
Tainted Grail New Game Plus: keep level and gear, lose recipes and King's Powers. How the armor penalty stacks and why NG+ loot improves by 10 levels.
· 9 min read
Paralives Town Life Guide: How the Open World Works
Paralives town life: how the open world, social card conversations, Town Hall mastery board, and community calendar work outside your home lot.
· 9 min read
Prime Monster Advanced Deck Guide: 4 Combos That Win
Prime Monster advanced deck strategies: Drumming Unity chain, Retort loop, No-MP build, and All Pledges Elder Statesmonster. Exact setups, not generalities.
· 11 min read
Beastro Deck Building Guide: Best Cards and Combos 2026
Beastro deck building guide: how the mise en place grid shapes your cards, which ingredients create the best effects, and mono vs. mixed flavor deck theory.
· 10 min read
Tabletop Tavern Review: Roguelike RTS Gets It Right
Tabletop Tavern review: Very Positive on Steam, 94% of 500+ ratings. Solo dev TJ delivers Total War-style battles in a tight roguelite loop at $14.99.
· 9 min read
Dark Scrolls Review: 9 Heroes, One Sharp Roguelite
Dark Scrolls review: doinksoft's co-op roguelite delivers 9 distinct heroes, a Shoppe system with real synergy depth, and Devolver polish on every screen.
· 9 min read