Recognizing Patterns
Gaming industry pattern recognition from inside the conversations. How one game delay reshapes an entire calendar, why roguelikes are eating everything, and what studios are really doing right now.
| Platform |  | Pricing | Only free issues | Publishes | Weekly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Issues | 40 | Founded | 9 months ago | Last Issue | 8 days ago |
| Active | |||||
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recognizingpatterns.substack.comLatest Issues
China's Gacha Paradox
TL;DR:
- Gacha is a slot machine with better art direction. Premium currency buys a randomized shot at a rare character. A pity timer guarantees a hit after enough misses, which makes spending feel fair without making it smaller. ...
Sega: The Master System of Constant Reinvention?
TL;DR
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Sega’s 2026 is wall-to-wall anniversaries by design, not sentiment. Sonic, Puyo Puyo, and Persona run their own campaigns, while Sega Universe revives nine dormant properties.
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The same fiscal year, Sega cancelled its future:...
The Roguelite Cull Hasn’t Happened Yet. The Data Already Decided It.
TL;DR
Roguelite: short, repeatable runs where death resets your progress within that run, not what you’ve permanently unlocked. Think Hades, Slay the Spire.
Roguelite revenue on Steam hit $400 million in 2025, up 80% on...
Use AI to Build Your Game. Just Keep It Out of the Part Players Feel.
TL;DR
- Two people, $0 marketing, zero AI disclosure. Iron Nest: Heavy Turret Simulator finished #1 in wishlists gained and #2 in unique players at Steam Next Fest in June 2026, and it still closed the week at 99% Overwhelmingly Po...
Steam Next Fest June 2026: Communities Won It, AI Disclosure Lost It
TL;DR:
The field: 4,382 tracked demos against roughly 8,682 total entries, up 66 percent on June 2025. The largest edition ever run, against a player attention pool that barely grew.
The floor: the true median game earne...
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Authors
The writers behind this newsletter.
Award-winning producer of games and animation. 25 years shipping Video Games, Peabody-winning transmedia, and securing $17M+ for studios. Now shares the intelligence that stays in publisher meetings and conference bars at 11pm.
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