What games are you playing this weekend?

So many games already mentioned close to my heart......

Hades 2 - I was so hyped for this I spoiled it slightly for myself by racking up about 30-40 hours during the Beta. I've put it down long enough that I think I can tackle it properly now, I'd be interested in hearing how long the run time is on completing the main story line?

Slay The Spire - I'm trying to prepare myself for the sequel by getting to Asc 20 but .... I'm still stuck on 6 @aspalax - Is the boardgame max 2 players? I've been tempted for a while but only really pick up games that can be played by a room full of people.

In terms of my weekend, I've returned back to Valorant because I clearly don't value my own time or sanity. I'm also massively on the fence about picking up the new Football Manager. It's getting slated in Early Access but I haven't played it for a few years now and I can only feel the itch growing.

Hi everyone, it’s Jaimie here, Lecturer in Games Design at the University of Staffordshire. In our department, everyone loves to play different games, whether that be the latest AAA release, an indie darling, or something from the past.
2025 has been an absolutely stacked year for gaming, featuring titles such as the excellent Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Hollow Knight Silksong, Donkey Kong Bananza, Kingdom Come Deliverance II and a ton more.
As academics in Games, it’s important for us to play a variety of games – and if you’re a student looking to study Games as your subject area, understanding different genres can enhance your studies and future employment opportunities.
So, what game will I be playing this weekend? Like a lot of people, I’m currently deep into my time playing Pokemon Legends Z-A for the Nintendo Switch 2. I was a huge fan of the previous experimentation seen in Pokemon Legends Arceus, such as the ability to catch Pokemon before entering a battle, and a slightly different approach to the turn-based battle mechanics. I’m also ecstatic about the return of Mega Evolution, which is probably one of the coolest gimmicks that Game Freak introduced way back in 2013.
Here is a look into what some of our other staff members are playing this weekend:
Anthony Martin – Senior Lecturer/Course Leader, Concept Art
For a good portion of the mid 2010s, I was a degenerate Hearthstone player. The dopamine gleamed from the cards scoring super high damage to my opponent was irresistible. But one day the update for it on my phone glitched and I wasn’t able to play it on the go. Fast forward to 2024 and I find Balatro. I now struggle to think of anything other than perfect joker synergy and achieving a score that literally breaks the display. Please send help.
Daniel Webster – Senior Lecturer/ Award Leader, MA Games Art and MSc Computer Games Design
I am blasting a bunch of games at the moment. My regular daily is World of Warcraft, running Raids and M+ as a Demon Hunter Tank (my main) and second as a balance Druid, because bird man goes brrrrrrr. I love the art in WoW and it’s been the main driving force in my passion for Games art, especially with Legion Remix happening right now – I love this game! RIP visiting the outside world C.2007-2025.
Outside of that, I will be expertly demonstrating a lack of hand eye coordination with games like Hunt: Showdown, Arena Breakout and heavy sprinkling of the recent stress test for Arc Raiders. To round it off chopping trees down and building log huts in Sons of the Forrest and Northguard.
Davin Ward – Course Director, Games Programming
It is hard to imagine that Super Giant Games were able to top what they did with Hades in 2020, However, since it left early access a few weeks ago I cannot put down Hades 2 on the Switch 2. Melinoë is a perfect replacement character for Zagreus and plays in a new and interesting way that allows for some incredible builds as you journey through both the underworld and the overworld night after night in this Rogue-Lite Action Game!
Esther MacCallum-Stewart – Professor of Games Studies, Games Design
I’m not playing, I’m reviewing! Every Saturday morning, I sit down and write for Vector, the British Science Fiction Association’s journal. I’ve just looked at two books, one on teaching Games Design, and one on the Villains of Final Fantasy. Next up is a piece of fiction about a deadly game that threatens to take over people’s consciousness (yeah yeah...). In between writing I usually play a bit of Duolingo (我正在学中文!) and do a couple of dailies in Empires and Puzzles, which is an ancient but still fun match three game on my phone.
What are you playing this weekend? We want your recommendations 👇