Wallace
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exalclaw.bsky.social
Wallace
@exalclaw.bsky.social
770 followers 530 following 1.2K posts
A writer & video creator with a weakness against soft cookies | Rambles without oversight at exalclaw.com | Words also at AV Club Games, Unwinnable, Stop Caring, etc.

📬: [email protected]
Latest: https://linktr.ee/Exalclaw
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exalclaw.bsky.social
Thanksgiving is for opening your childhood closet and being hit with the reminder that you were *really* into Pandora Hearts for a period of time
Sixteen volumes of the manga Pandora Hearts
November 26, 2025 at 11:29 PM
exalclaw.bsky.social
Whammy of these quotes being next to each other aside, can’t help but think developers will once again be the ones to bear the negative consequences for this kind of act in the long run
A screenshot of an IGN article titled “Amid Backlash, Creator of Viral GTA 6 Gameplay 'Leak' Video Insists It Was an 'Experiment' Designed to Show 'How Easy It Has Become to Blur the Line Between Reality and AI-Generated Content'” that reads as the following: ZapActu said they did not make any money from the posts, nor was there a financial motive behind “this experiment.” ZapActu is now in the process of deleting posts and closing accounts. “My intention was never to harm anyone,” they continued. “I simply wanted to create something intriguing that could bring people together and spark discussion within the GTA 6 community. I genuinely never expected a single video to generate such massive engagement and reach.” And, in a direct message to IGN, they concluded: “It was a huge joke actually, I did it just to entertain the community. Sorry for the false hope lol.”
November 26, 2025 at 9:25 PM
exalclaw.bsky.social
My ugly mess has been a valuable lesson all things considered
In simpler words, building New Ballbylon has been a pain in the ass. I don’t like the way it looks. I dread rearranging it even though it’s relatively easy to do so. As is, it’s not what I want. But, despite all my complaints about the process, I’m very proud of New Ballbylon. The subtle but incredible thing about this patchwork city is that it’s not about what I want – it’s about the needs of the community forming there.
November 24, 2025 at 3:42 PM
exalclaw.bsky.social
I love her
A screenshot of Demonschool where Mercy says "That's what you et. Be nice to dogs or else" while pouring out a cup of coffee
November 22, 2025 at 2:17 PM
exalclaw.bsky.social
Gareth has a way with words outside of their games too
Gareth Martin expressed immense gratitude for the recognition. Over email, they said that Citizen Sleeper “has always been a project about human rights, where sleepers provide a way of exploring who gets to be considered human, and whose rights are respected by our societies. In our current moment, when hostility and divisive politics are being encouraged to the benefit of the powerful, when trans people are being undermined and demonised, when basic human rights, to protest, to resist, to exist, are under question, I think it is important that video [games] form part of the resistance to rolling back and undermining human rights and the rights to bodily autonomy.”
November 21, 2025 at 2:17 PM
exalclaw.bsky.social
I owe mobile games an apology
Spooky Express has been enough fun that I actually dropped the coin to purchase the full game. It wasn’t breaking my bank at only $6, but I cannot overstate how monumental this felt considering I haven’t spent money on a mobile game in years. However, even with this out-of-character choice, I sense that I’m not enjoying it as much as I could be. And the game is solid to a point that I realize it’s not Spooky Express’ fault—in this case, it’s mine. The last couple of days spent building train tracks in haunted forests is forcing me to reckon with a slightly uncomfortable truth: it’s not really mobile games’ fault that I write them off so often. In my heart, I already knew this, but was admittedly willing to dismiss it because there was no incentive to address these feelings. But alas, I’d like to enjoy putting vampires into coffins while hearing train sounds more than I previously did, so the time has come.
November 20, 2025 at 11:15 PM
exalclaw.bsky.social
When you get tricked into your breathing exercises
However, it’s clear that developer Oases.Quest is not only comfortable in the space, but also knows how to gently bring people into it. While, at first, skepticism kept my eyes open as a soft voice set the scene, bird whistles and the entrance of a second, more bard-like voice quickly began lowering my guard. Soon after, the soft voice returned with instructions on how to help Linda relax with deep inhales and exhales, and I suddenly found myself following the same breathing pattern. As someone who actually does use breathing to regulate himself when under duress, I was pleasantly surprised by the calmness welling up inside me. With this refreshing wave washing over me, I decided to trust what the soft voice had kindly said earlier and close my eyes.
November 20, 2025 at 8:19 PM
exalclaw.bsky.social
ICYMI:’ new interview is out where Wander Stars developer Paper Castle shared how the game came together, as well as what it’s like reflecting on a bygone era of anime!

A nice excerpt re: Wander Stars’ influences:
Deciding what to take and what to leave behind from our inspirations was actually pretty easy. We embarked on a rewatch journey for all our biggest influences, and even though we approached this with the utmost appreciation and respect, it was pretty immediate to notice certain differences in values that have become more apparent with the passage of time. Most of these value dissonances center around fanservice and the objectification of women, which is something we actively set out to counter.
November 19, 2025 at 8:22 PM
exalclaw.bsky.social
Sublime
Screenshot of the song Typhoons from Battle Suit Aces, by insaneintherainmusic, on Bandcamp
November 19, 2025 at 4:54 PM
exalclaw.bsky.social
We have a winner
Cropped photo of Battle Suit Aces on Bandcamp
November 19, 2025 at 12:06 PM
exalclaw.bsky.social
Especially enjoy this answer about Dragon Ball’s impact on the game and team’s lives
Paper Castle: We grew up in 90s Latin America, where anime was usually more accessible than other foreign cartoons because it was broadcast on national television due to the fact that it was somehow cheaper to distribute and dub into Spanish than, say, American cartoons. It’s no exaggeration to say that Dragon Ball Z shaped an entire generation of Latin American kids from the mid to late 90s. The original Dragon Ball, which is actually from the 80s, was also just as influential for us because older anime shows were also rerun regularly at the time. Other notable influences are Sailor Moon, Evangelion and Cowboy Bebop. Growing up with these shows pretty much changed our brain chemistry, and started a life-long appreciation for anime and Japanese culture in general. There was a strange resonance and depth in the quality of these stories that called out to us even as young kids. In the case of Dragon Ball, there was something that felt very real about the stakes, the graphic violence, and the relief of having someone like Goku to rely on to save the day when things are at their most dire. In spite of this, or perhaps because of this, Dragon Ball also served as a lesson in standing up to oppression and fighting for your friends. A lesson on tolerance, on learning how to work with people who are different from you – even from another planet – for the greater good. Needless to say, it was a very formative experience.
November 18, 2025 at 3:42 PM
exalclaw.bsky.social
Type of game that’s making me question kindness with no strings attached, very in my lane!
My time with Duskpunk’s demo was depressing — not because it wasn’t fun, but instead for its interpretation of a city stricken by war times. The city of Dredgeport is a place stewing with death, paranoia, and opportunists of all types that you can befriend or antagonize. It is a place to survive first, thrive in if you’re lucky later. Even the friendly service given to Dread by the priest Brother Rejchek, who found Dread crawling in the alleyway he slept in, must be questioned. Kindness feels more like a mask than a face in these parts, to the point where it was easier to trust the beggar who stole 3 groats, Dredgeport’s currency, from Dread than it was the priest who gave me shelter and urgent medical attention.
November 13, 2025 at 8:21 PM
exalclaw.bsky.social
ICYMI: 🥚-> 🐣 (me and the game fr)
an egg hatch: full of breaking. While I wouldn’t call Egg a hard game, especially if you’re well-versed in platformers generally, it is one that requires a lot of trial and error. There’s some learning involved with any game, but the process feels especially intimate here when every tool at your disposal is in your hands from the get-go and it’s more a matter of becoming familiar with them. Growing that familiarity with one spilled yolk after another felt like breaking out of a shell in its own right, one that funnily enough ended with my egg’s shell intact and nestled into a comfortable home.
November 7, 2025 at 4:01 PM
exalclaw.bsky.social
Fairly happy with any piece that gets away with the use of “thug-hospitalizing fun”
This is a fundamental tension between superheroes and many of the games they headline: Peter Parker, Bruce Wayne, or any other vigilante isn’t really the one behind the suit, the player is. It is ultimately the player’s desire that wins, and most players desire canon-blasting, web-slinging, thug-hospitalizing fun that doesn’t give much real regard to the NPCs being saved. When a game is marketed as “feel like [x hero],” what that often translates to is “make use of [x hero]’s stamina, relationships, and weapons to indulge your superhero fantasy.”
November 3, 2025 at 6:51 PM
exalclaw.bsky.social
Perfect line of dialogue
A screenshot of Buster Jam where a dude wearing a propeller hat says “I’m 32. My mom is dead. Back off.”
October 25, 2025 at 4:57 PM
exalclaw.bsky.social
Just saw this recent comment from my interview with @okumuramusicgroup.bsky.social earlier this year, wow can ppl be really nice!
Screenshot of a YouTube comment on the video “How Okumura Made Rap Music For Boss Fights In Sorry We’re Closed” that reads “Just finished this game and Okumura’s boss battle music was an absolute highlight, very few times has a game made me feel as seen or heard as Sorry, We’re Closed has, and Okumura’s music was the soundtrack to this game piercing my heart. Thanks Okumura for the music, and thanks Exalclaw for the awesome interview <3”
October 24, 2025 at 9:01 PM
exalclaw.bsky.social
I hate the Duck Knight. It has been a while since a singular enemy has enraged me in such a short amount of time, but the Duck Knight found a way. I want to cave its beak in. I want to wear its armor in front of the royal flock. I want a new fairy tale full of caution and awe to be born from what I do to the Duck Knight.
October 23, 2025 at 6:55 PM
exalclaw.bsky.social
New hell sound dropped
My imagination of what Hell could sound like has changed a lot throughout the years. I’ve imagined it as nothing but agonized screams preceded by flesh-carving slices. I’ve imagined it as the cadence of a river or creek, where lava, blood, acid, or any other liquid cruelty flows instead of water. I’ve even imagined it as raucous laughter — the annoying kind that preludes disaster and misery for everyone excluded from the joke. But for the last few days, I’ve imagined Hell sounds like a bloodthirsty army of monsters, chanting in dreadful unison, thanks to Ball x Pit.
October 21, 2025 at 2:06 PM
exalclaw.bsky.social
Also like the golden bull but mostly bc it’s propped up funny. Benny is whipping that thing
Screenshot of Ball x Pit where a golden bull is steering a cart next to the treasure hunter
October 16, 2025 at 10:49 PM
exalclaw.bsky.social
Been a while since I’ve seen smth in a game that causes the cave in my brain to echo “TATTOO!!” but yeah I like the mosquito king design quite a bit
Screenshot of the Mosquito King ball in Ball x Pit. Text on screen reads “Mosquito King - Level 1: Spaqns a mosquito each time it hits an enemy. Mosquitos attack a random enemy, dealing 80-120 damage each. If a mosquito kills an enemy, they steal 1 health.” Button on screen says “Whoa”
October 16, 2025 at 10:46 PM
exalclaw.bsky.social
Love it when a power fantasy interrupts itself with some dead bodies and silence
The whole affair is presented in such a way where I felt like they heard me, but didn’t have the will to respond anymore. It all came together to paint a sharp and clear picture of what you’re actually doing: you are not at war for glory or fame or any other trite and fleeting concept — you are fighting to survive, to exist. Factor in the soldiers and commanders that can die during a skirmish and you quickly realize there is very little to celebrate on the battlefield.
October 16, 2025 at 2:31 PM
exalclaw.bsky.social
Nice thing about playing the Ball x Pit demo ahead of time was it let me beat the first level on the first try now, which let me expand my base immediately, which brings me one step closer to my ultimate goal: making my base pretty.

Anyway, wheat field is going wellx Forest going in the back
A Ball x Pit screenshot showing a developing wheat field to the bottom right, the sherrif’s house to the bottom left, and a developing forest to the top left in a base
October 15, 2025 at 10:28 PM
exalclaw.bsky.social
Mood enhancing donuts is lowkey a perfect ice breaker for a sudden reunion. How those reunions unfold over a full VN is what Im most interested in
These desserts will be especially handy for the onslaught of exes that will “Omg, is that you?!” you in High Times. The customizable protagonist certainly can’t be accused of having a type: from the rock musician MJ who “forgot” their share of rent and is looking to move back in, to the college cheerleader Emmette you dated during their high school occult phase, to the childhood friend Lucy who can’t stop talking about furry porn, to Mr. Perfect Harry from your university days at the FoodTech Club, you really are dealing with a Scott Pilgrim’s worth of exes as you run the Hotbox.
October 13, 2025 at 2:43 PM
exalclaw.bsky.social
ICYMI Don’t Stop, Girlypop! demo is cool
Have you ever wondered what it’d look like if Studio Trigger made a videogame right after watching the entirety of Totally Spies? Maybe while pounding pack after pack of energy drinks during development? Because that’s what it felt like playing the Don’t Stop, Girlypop! demo.
October 10, 2025 at 12:44 PM
exalclaw.bsky.social
Might mess around and play Cult of the Lamb’s upcoming DLC in Spanish tbh, just to finish business
Right now, I’m back in one of my consistent phases and want to keep it going. This has meant looking for ways to diversify my learning experience, which finally brought me to trying to play a game in Spanish. I’ve thought about it before, and even briefly tried it one night while slaying gods in Cult of the Lamb, but ultimately never gave it a real shot. I don’t know why now — maybe I had a quiet confidence in my skill level gain since the last attempt, maybe Celeste’s whole “You can do this!” ethos clicked earlier than I realized — but something flipped a switch in my brain that made me play in Spanish. A screenshot of Celeste and Theo taking a breather on a snowy part of Mount Celeste, backdropped by a starry night sky
October 7, 2025 at 8:57 PM