Zara Chen
Critical Theorist & Features Writer
Zara Chen approaches games with the comparative rigour of a film critic: every mechanic has a lineage, every genre convention has a history worth interrogating. With a background in film criticism and a decade covering games for print and digital outlets, she specialises in metroidvanias, RPGs, and design-history deep-dives. Zara's writing is dense, argumentative, and structurally precise — she challenges obvious interpretations, argues both sides before picking one, and delivers single-sentence verdicts after paragraphs of careful setup.
- Background in film criticism
- 10 years games coverage
- Genre theory and design history specialist
119 articles by Zara Chen
Tainted Grail Achievements: All 65 Unlocks Explained
Tainted Grail achievements guide: all 65 confirmed via Steam, grouped by leveling, crafting, and Sanctuary of Sarras story unlocks explained honestly.
· 10 min read
Combolands Roguelike Citybuilder Launches August 24
Combolands Roguelike Citybuilder launches August 24 on Steam, built by Terra Nil's designer. How the guild combo system and 120+ buildings work.
· 7 min read
Mortal Shell II Review: Great Combat, Rough Second Half
Mortal Shell II review: combat this good deserved a stronger back half. What actually broke, what held up, and who should still buy it at launch.
· 9 min read
RIFTSTORM Roadmap: All 4 Early Access Contingencies
RIFTSTORM roadmap runs through 2028 across four named Contingencies. What's confirmed for each phase, and why the studio's week one patches back it up.
· 10 min read
Dave the Diver Insectagram Guide: All 37 Species (2026)
Dave the Diver Insectagram guide: 37 confirmed species, not the 30 most guides cite. The Bug Net, beetle battle types, and the August jelly patch covered.
· 15 min read
Brigador Killers Early Access Arrives at $24.99 (2026)
Brigador Killers Early Access is live at $24.99, sequel to 2016 cult classic Brigador. Confirmed mechanics, bundles, and the EA roadmap detail so far.
· 10 min read
Masters of Albion Review: The God Game, Mixed 4 Months In
Masters of Albion review: Steam sits at Mixed four months into Early Access. What the God Hand gets right, what night raids get wrong, and what comes next.
· 12 min read
Palworld Fishing Rod Guide: All 6 Tiers Explained (2026)
Palworld fishing rod guide: 6 tiers exist, and 2 skip the tech tree entirely. Exact unlock levels, materials, and bait for every rod, sourced from the wiki.
· 13 min read
Scrap Mechanic Beginner Guide: What 1.0 Actually Changed
Scrap Mechanic beginner guide: 1.0 rewrote survival with a voiced story, doubled bots, and a Claygun. Verified against patch 1.0.5, not the old wiki pages.
· 15 min read
Mina the Hollower Secret Ending: What Actually Unlocks It
Mina the Hollower secret ending needs zero blame at Radiant Manor. Yacht Club's own conditions, sorted by location, plus what accepting the offer skips.
· 13 min read
Rift Wizard 3 Crafting Guide: All 16 Equipment Sets (2026)
Rift Wizard 3 crafting guide: components track by letter code, not tier. Covers 16 confirmed Equipment Sets and dozens of patch-verified artifacts and gear.
· 23 min read
Sons of the Forest Complete Guide: Bosses, Weapons, Building
Sons of the forest complete guide hub: all 3 bosses, all 21 weapons, the 78-prefab building system, and why the game's been quiet since January 2025.
· 9 min read