Today’s episode is another exciting edition of our Fantasy Gaming series, our version of Fantasy Football where we draft video games based on projected Metacritic scores and try to get the best overall team by the end of the year. In Episode 17, we go through all of the best (and worst) games of 2025 so far that we’ve drafted, discussing what worked and what didn’t. Later in the episode, we discuss how the latest scores affect our league standings.

– Amanda Tien, Editor

The Punished Podcast Episode 17

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MP3 Download | Spotify | Apple Podcasts

Note: It’s worth noting that we recorded this on March 30 and wow, it’s been a big first two weeks of April for gaming news. There was the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct (which made us feel a lot of things, especially after those three seconds of Hollow Knight: Silksong). Additionally, Microsoft’s South of Midnight and Raw Fury’s Blue Prince have received Metacritic scores. Stay tuned for a Fantasy Gaming piece from David this Friday, April 11, with updated standings.

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">David Silbert | Sam Martinelli | Amanda Tien | Gary Wilson | Allison McDaniel | Zack Gulinello</figcaption></figure>

Timestamps

• 0:00 – Introductions





• 5:53 – Discussing 2025’s Best Games So Far
  
  
  
  • 6:24 – Blade Chimera
  
  
  
  
  
  • 6:41 – Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist (read David’s preview)
  
  
  
  
  
  • 8:33 – Sid Meier’s Civilization VII
  
  
  
  
  
  • 10:08 – Avowed (read our impressions)
  
  
  
  
  
  • 15:36 – Lost Records: Bloom & Rage – Tape 1
  
  
  
  
  
  • 19:10 – Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii
  
  
  
  
  
  • 20:53 – Monster Hunter Wilds
  
  
  
  
  
  • 24:57 – Two Point Museum
  
  
  
  
  
  • 27:32 – Split Fiction (read David’s review)
  
  
  
  
  
  • 30:15 – 33 Immortals
  
  
  
  
  
  • 33:36 – Assassin’s Creed Shadows
  
  
  
  





• 35:44 – Big Picture Score Discussion, Citizen Sleeper 2 (read Amanda’s review), and New Releases





• 40:28 – League Rule Changes and Clarifications





• 48:30 – Team Scores and Discussions





• 1:07:22 – Outro: What We’ve Been Playing

Song Credits

• “Morning Training” composed by Joe Henson and Alexis Smith from Assassin’s Creed Shadows





• “Rey Dau Battle Theme” composed by Miwako Chinone from Monster Hunter Wilds





• “Avowed Main Theme” composed by Venus Theory from Avowed





• “5 O’Clock to Flottering” composed by Phil French and Tom Puttick from Two Point Museum





• “Hazel’s Story” composed by Olivier Derivière from South of Midnight

Fantasy Gaming Team Standings

Below is a list of our Fantasy Gaming standings as of the recording date in late March. (For the most up-to-date team scores, view our Friday, April 11 Fantasy Update!)

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