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Zara Chen

Zara Chen

Genre & Design History Desk

Zara Chen is GameBrief's byline for comparisons and genre analysis: metroidvanias, RPGs and the design lineage behind them. The desk puts each mechanic next to the games it descends from, challenges the obvious reading, and ends on a one-line verdict. Claims about earlier games come from sourced release and design records. Dates, numbers and quotes are traced to a source before anything publishes.

  • Metroidvanias and RPGs
  • Comparisons and design history
  • Sources listed per article
metroidvaniarpgdesign-historygenre-theoryfeatures
170 posts5 categoriesLatest: Oct 18, 2026

170 articles by Zara Chen

Preview: SimplePlanes 2 Early Access Opens April 28: What's Changed (General)

NewsSimpleplanes 2

SimplePlanes 2 Early Access Opens April 28: What's Changed

SimplePlanes 2 Early Access launches April 28 with a 787 km² world, 10-player multiplayer, and backwards compatibility for over 1 million community crafts.

By Zara Chen3 min read

Preview: Skull Horde Review: Fast Dungeon Auto-Battler Worth Buying (General)

ReviewSkull Horde

Skull Horde Review: Fast Dungeon Auto-Battler Worth Buying

Skull Horde review: 8BitSkull's pixel roguelike hands you skeleton armies in procedural dungeons. Very Positive on Steam at $12.99; grind divides players.

By Zara Chen7 min read