Cary’s Best Games of 2026 SO FAR Awards Show!
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Posted on July 17th, 2026 by
Around this time of year, I like to make a list of my best games SO FAR, because usually the AAA titles are released later in the year during the holiday season, and the titles that came out earlier tend to be forgotten. So here’s when those games get their due. Keep in mind that this is my list only and no other outside opinions contributed. And if a game isn’t on this list, it either just didn’t appeal to me as much or I haven’t had a chance to play it yet. Ok with that out of the way, let’s begin!
The Pizza Pixel Podcast Episode 28: 30 Year Game Reviewing Anniversary
Posted on July 10th, 2026 by
Hey folks! Got a very special podcast for you today! 30 years ago this summer, I started writing game reviews for a major newspaper, and I’ve written game reviews for other newspapers and websites ever since! When I did this for my 20 year anniversary, I just wrote a blog, so I figured I’d be different this time and do a podcast. So come join me as I share my favorite memories and experiences writing game reviews for 30 years!
Donkey Kong Bananza Alarmo
Posted on July 3rd, 2026 by
Nintendo’s very expensive alarm clock just got a new skin, and this time it’s of the Switch 2 near launch title Donkey Kong Bananza. So let’s check it out!
We Adore the PS4 Part 2: Biggies and Indies
Posted on June 26th, 2026 by
In the last part of my PS4 tribute blog, we looked at the games I enjoyed on the PS4 that were classic collections or remakes. And on this one, we’ll look at the more AAA titles (well as AAA as I get anyway), as well as the indie titles on the opposite end of the spectrum. Like I said before, most of these games you can enjoy on other platforms, I just played them on PS4.
We Adore the PS4 Part 1: Classics and Collections
Posted on June 24th, 2026 by
When a game console is considered “dead,” I like to write a tribute blog about that console and its games. While most people would probably consider the PS4 ‘dead’ for a while now, I’m still reviewing games for it. I guess a game console is really only considered ‘dead’ once you stop playing it. But since recently I wasn’t able to get simple games like LEGO Batman and Mega Man Star Force Legacy Collection on the PS4, I figured it was about time. I’ll probably do a similar blog with the original Switch later towards the end of this year. Most of the games on this list you can play on other consoles as well, I mostly used the PS4 as a third party machine if I couldn’t play or review it on the Switch, or if I’d rather play it on the PS4. Anyway, there are so many games I’m going to split this up into two parts. And the first part is going to be all about classic game collections, and remakes of classics and styled games.
Cozy Stickerville, the most chillax of boardgames?
Posted on June 13th, 2026 by
Some boardgames are tense affairs where victory or defeat rests on the knife edge of a card draw or roll of the dice. Cozy Stickerville is not that game. As the name implies, Cozy Stickerville has players cooperating to create a story about starting up a little town. Cards are flipped up and players make choices on how to respond or what to do, and then look up the results in a book of stories. The most common result has the player(s) take a sticker from the sticker book (with over 800 stickers in it) and add it to the main game board, representing something new added to their town. It could be as simple as a bird nest or tree, or perhaps its a new building like a barn or house. There are no truly epic decisions to be had. Do you go fishing today? Perhaps read up more about the mysterious town founder? Or maybe you’ll build a house for that new couple who came to the country to get out of the city. You can’t really win or lose, but there are choices to be made and stickers put on the town will eventually reflect those choices. There’s just something visceral about peeling a sticker out of a book and then slapping it down on your own little town – I just made this! After ten 30-minute or so sessions, each representing a year of game time, the game is complete and players will be able read up on one of five final endings based on their choices within the game. Cozy Stickerville is like going through a choose-your-own adventure game with friends but when you’re done, you’ve stickered yourself a cute little town to show for it.
Cozy Stickerville
Designer: Corey Konieczka
Publisher: Unexpected Games
Players: 1-6 (best with just a few)
Ages: 8+
Time: 30 min (at a time)
(review copy furnished by publisher)
Unplugged: In a World
Posted on June 12th, 2026 by
In a World is a card game with gameplay similar to something like Apples to Apples or Cards Against Humanity. The theme of this one is you have cards that present you with wacky worlds, and you must pick cards with things you would want in that world.
LEGO Animal Crossing: Tom Nook With Balloon Present
Posted on June 5th, 2026 by
Animal Crossing is one of my favorite video game series of all time (second only to Pac-Man), so I love the LEGO sets they have for it. We’ve talked about them here at GamerDad.com in the past, with a few of the smaller sets and mini-packs. They’re the only ones I can afford as LEGO sets are very expensive. Plus with my vision disability, it’s hard for me to put them together myself. Luckily there’s another mini pack that just came out that I’ll show you all today: Tom Nook with a balloon present!
Capcom amiibo
Posted on May 15th, 2026 by
I got some more amiibo figures recently. This time they are from new Capcom games. We’ve got three from Monster Hunter Stories 3, and one from Pragmata. So let’s take a look at them!
Unplugged: Faraway
Posted on May 9th, 2026 by
Releasing in 2023, the drafting card game Faraway has been gathering up award nominations and winning many of those awards. In some respects, it is a pretty simple game. The theme of the game is that players are taking a journey across a foreign land, with cards played representing places they visit and the number on the card representing how long they chose to stay. In a turn, players choose a card from their hand to play, all played cards are simultaneously revealed, and then players take turns drafting a new card to add to their hand. The lowest played card gets to pick first. Cards often display one or more symbols and/or are a specific color. Each card also presents a way to score points at the end of the game. After playing a set number of cards, the game ends. Scoring is somewhat unique. Players go through their cards and score them from last to first, so the last card they play is scored first – all by itself. The first card that was played in a player’s tableau will look at every card played after that to calculate its score. It’s a fast, fun game that is simply a deck (well, technically two decks) of cards. While scoring things can be a little tricky, it’s still simple enough to cement down after playing a single game.
Faraway (and expansion Faraway: Under Starry Skies)
Designer: Johannes Goupy, Corentin Lebrat
Publisher: Pandasaurus Games
Players: 2-6
Ages: 10+
Time: 15-30 min
(expansion review copy furnished by publisher)
