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Playing This Week

Katya Ryabova

Video game essays and reporting putting the spotlight on the Canadian video game industry, by a journalist and a recovering marketer based in Toronto. A sucker for good RPGs, adventure, and cozy games (whatever that means).

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Substack
PricingOnly free issuesPublishesWeekly
Issues73Foundeda year agoLast Issue7 days ago
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Latest Issues

There are Bond games and Bond games; 007: First Light is the latter

The title is a slightly disingenuous riff, since 007: First Light is the only dinner jacket, I mean, Bond game, I have ever known. It was a Christmas gift. The only reason why it was even on my wishlist was that, well, it’s a triple-A title...

7 days ago
10
5

Five Canadian indie gems to look out for

As is tradition, XP Game Summit 2026 opened with the Indie Pitch Competition, which happens to be one of my favourite parts of all XP Gaming events.

Indie Pitch Competition is a fun showcase of select indie games currently in development....

15 days ago
14
4

Everything we know about The Witcher 3 new expansion so far

Source: CD Project Red

What was supposed to be a bombshell reveal on yesterday's REDstream celebrating the 10th anniversary of Blood and Wine DLC ended up taking my world by storm a day early.

On Wednesday, I woke up to the glorious news...

20 days ago
18
8

Toronto likes to game, baby!

The only official photo from XP Game Summit that has me in it

Two major video game industry events hit Toronto ~~like a brick~~ last week, right at the same time. That was by design—the Canadian Game Awards and XP Gaming, the organizer of...

23 days ago
14
4

This week: Phonopolis

I’m a big fan of the Czech indie gamedev collective Amanita Design.

Their trippy, charming Samorost 3 made me a gamer before I even realized it.

Their shorty Pilgrims is slapstick comedy gold, which I recommend to everyone from casual ga...

a month ago
17
8

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  • Katya Ryabova

    Freelance writer & journalist. Gaming, Canadian-made video games, hot takes and cold drinks. She/her

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