WhatsOnTheShelf
@whatsontheshelf.blog
Thoughtful writing about games, music, and the stories that stay with you.
Long-form first. Hype-resistant.
whatsontheshelf.blog
Long-form first. Hype-resistant.
whatsontheshelf.blog
Neon White is pure speedrun brain rot in the best way—tight levels, addictive movement, and “just one more run” energy wrapped around some truly wild writing choices. A messy masterpiece that still earns its wings.
#NeonWhite #GameReview #IndieGames #Speedrunning #WOTS
#NeonWhite #GameReview #IndieGames #Speedrunning #WOTS
Neon White – Heaven’s Fastest Headache (In a Good Way) | WOTS Review
Neon White is a contradiction in motion—an elegant, adrenaline-fueled speedrunning puzzle shooter wrapped in some of the most baffling dialogue this side of heaven. When it works, it absolutely sings.
whatsontheshelf.blog
February 10, 2026 at 3:30 PM
Neon White is pure speedrun brain rot in the best way—tight levels, addictive movement, and “just one more run” energy wrapped around some truly wild writing choices. A messy masterpiece that still earns its wings.
#NeonWhite #GameReview #IndieGames #Speedrunning #WOTS
#NeonWhite #GameReview #IndieGames #Speedrunning #WOTS
Jessie Murph’s Heroin is a soft, devastating look at emotional addiction — returning again and again to someone you know will break you. Vulnerable, haunting, and painfully honest. 💔
#Chillers #WOTSChillers #NowPlaying #SongOfTheDay #Pop #MusicThatHits
#Chillers #WOTSChillers #NowPlaying #SongOfTheDay #Pop #MusicThatHits
Chillers – Heroin (Jessie Murph)
Jessie Murph’s Heroin turns heartbreak into a haunting cycle of longing, relapse, and emotional addiction — a soft, chilling confession wrapped in raw vulnerability.
whatsontheshelf.blog
February 4, 2026 at 3:59 PM
Jessie Murph’s Heroin is a soft, devastating look at emotional addiction — returning again and again to someone you know will break you. Vulnerable, haunting, and painfully honest. 💔
#Chillers #WOTSChillers #NowPlaying #SongOfTheDay #Pop #MusicThatHits
#Chillers #WOTSChillers #NowPlaying #SongOfTheDay #Pop #MusicThatHits
Billions in revenue, thousands of layoffs. Gaming’s golden era for players hides a brutal one for developers. A closer look at Helldivers 2, Rebirth, DD2, DOOM, Donkey Kong & Monster Hunter.
#WOTS #GamingIndustry #Layoffs #Helldivers2 #FF7Rebirth #Capcom #Nintendo #DOOM
#WOTS #GamingIndustry #Layoffs #Helldivers2 #FF7Rebirth #Capcom #Nintendo #DOOM
A Golden Era for Gamers, a Brutal Era for Developers
A golden era for players is proving to be a brutal era for developers. Six of 2024–2025’s biggest hits generated billions in revenue, yet publishers like Sony, Square Enix, and Microsoft cut thousands of jobs. Here’s how corporate greed is reshaping the industry behind the games we love.
whatsontheshelf.blog
February 3, 2026 at 3:21 PM
Billions in revenue, thousands of layoffs. Gaming’s golden era for players hides a brutal one for developers. A closer look at Helldivers 2, Rebirth, DD2, DOOM, Donkey Kong & Monster Hunter.
#WOTS #GamingIndustry #Layoffs #Helldivers2 #FF7Rebirth #Capcom #Nintendo #DOOM
#WOTS #GamingIndustry #Layoffs #Helldivers2 #FF7Rebirth #Capcom #Nintendo #DOOM
A warm, sun-soaked love song from Peter Frampton, “Baby, I Love Your Way” blends gentle acoustic vibes with timeless devotion. A classic that still hits in 2026. ☀️❤️
#Chillers #NowPlaying #SongOfTheDay #MusicThatHits #WeeklyVibes #WOTSChillers #ClassicRock
#Chillers #NowPlaying #SongOfTheDay #MusicThatHits #WeeklyVibes #WOTSChillers #ClassicRock
Chillers – Baby, I Love Your Way (Peter Frampton)
A timeless acoustic love song from Peter Frampton, pairing gentle imagery with unwavering devotion. Warm, easygoing, and unforgettable.
whatsontheshelf.blog
January 28, 2026 at 3:30 PM
A warm, sun-soaked love song from Peter Frampton, “Baby, I Love Your Way” blends gentle acoustic vibes with timeless devotion. A classic that still hits in 2026. ☀️❤️
#Chillers #NowPlaying #SongOfTheDay #MusicThatHits #WeeklyVibes #WOTSChillers #ClassicRock
#Chillers #NowPlaying #SongOfTheDay #MusicThatHits #WeeklyVibes #WOTSChillers #ClassicRock
Hall of Fame ballot season is here: sacred ceremony + deeply broken popularity contest. Beltrán and Andruw Jones are in, so I dropped my own WOTS ballot — ten picks, zero restraint, and a personal vendetta against pitcher wins.
⚾️🏟️🧢🗳️
⚾️🏟️🧢🗳️
January 27, 2026 at 6:38 PM
Hall of Fame ballot season is here: sacred ceremony + deeply broken popularity contest. Beltrán and Andruw Jones are in, so I dropped my own WOTS ballot — ten picks, zero restraint, and a personal vendetta against pitcher wins.
⚾️🏟️🧢🗳️
⚾️🏟️🧢🗳️
🎧🎶 A love song from another time. 🎼
My Happiness, performed by John and Fiona Prine, carries the gentle sincerity of its mid-20th-century roots — a reminder of when earnestness alone was enough.
My Happiness, performed by John and Fiona Prine, carries the gentle sincerity of its mid-20th-century roots — a reminder of when earnestness alone was enough.
January 21, 2026 at 6:32 PM
🎧🎶 A love song from another time. 🎼
My Happiness, performed by John and Fiona Prine, carries the gentle sincerity of its mid-20th-century roots — a reminder of when earnestness alone was enough.
My Happiness, performed by John and Fiona Prine, carries the gentle sincerity of its mid-20th-century roots — a reminder of when earnestness alone was enough.
Punch-Out!! on NES gets the WOTS retrospective treatment: Little Mac, pattern-reading joy, and the messy stereotypes that didn’t age well.
January 20, 2026 at 3:11 PM
Punch-Out!! on NES gets the WOTS retrospective treatment: Little Mac, pattern-reading joy, and the messy stereotypes that didn’t age well.
Offering an iPhone 7 with Flappy Bird installed, looking for a Nobel Peace Prize
January 16, 2026 at 12:20 PM
Offering an iPhone 7 with Flappy Bird installed, looking for a Nobel Peace Prize
“You load sixteen tons, and what do you get?”
This week on Lyrics of Labor, we dig into Sixteen Tons — a song about debt, control, and work that still feels painfully current.
🎶⛏️
This week on Lyrics of Labor, we dig into Sixteen Tons — a song about debt, control, and work that still feels painfully current.
🎶⛏️
January 14, 2026 at 4:29 PM
“You load sixteen tons, and what do you get?”
This week on Lyrics of Labor, we dig into Sixteen Tons — a song about debt, control, and work that still feels painfully current.
🎶⛏️
This week on Lyrics of Labor, we dig into Sixteen Tons — a song about debt, control, and work that still feels painfully current.
🎶⛏️
We talk a lot about how games are played.
This week on WOTS, I’m asking whether some games should be played at all — and what ethical consumption looks like in an industry built on hype, crunch, and extraction.
🎮⚖️
This week on WOTS, I’m asking whether some games should be played at all — and what ethical consumption looks like in an industry built on hype, crunch, and extraction.
🎮⚖️
January 13, 2026 at 3:34 PM
We talk a lot about how games are played.
This week on WOTS, I’m asking whether some games should be played at all — and what ethical consumption looks like in an industry built on hype, crunch, and extraction.
🎮⚖️
This week on WOTS, I’m asking whether some games should be played at all — and what ethical consumption looks like in an industry built on hype, crunch, and extraction.
🎮⚖️
Race to Git Gud update:
slow progress, hard lessons, and a few deaths that were absolutely not my fault.
Still learning. Still stubborn. 🎮
slow progress, hard lessons, and a few deaths that were absolutely not my fault.
Still learning. Still stubborn. 🎮
January 9, 2026 at 3:27 PM
Race to Git Gud update:
slow progress, hard lessons, and a few deaths that were absolutely not my fault.
Still learning. Still stubborn. 🎮
slow progress, hard lessons, and a few deaths that were absolutely not my fault.
Still learning. Still stubborn. 🎮
“Vampire” isn’t about heartbreak so much as accounting.
Realizing how much of yourself you gave away — and when you finally noticed.
#NowPlaying #MusicSky
Realizing how much of yourself you gave away — and when you finally noticed.
#NowPlaying #MusicSky
January 7, 2026 at 6:11 PM
“Vampire” isn’t about heartbreak so much as accounting.
Realizing how much of yourself you gave away — and when you finally noticed.
#NowPlaying #MusicSky
Realizing how much of yourself you gave away — and when you finally noticed.
#NowPlaying #MusicSky
Monster Hunter Rise + Sunbreak doesn’t reinvent the wheel — it tightens every bolt.
Faster hunts, cleaner loop, ridiculous drip. 🎮
Faster hunts, cleaner loop, ridiculous drip. 🎮
January 6, 2026 at 3:18 PM
Monster Hunter Rise + Sunbreak doesn’t reinvent the wheel — it tightens every bolt.
Faster hunts, cleaner loop, ridiculous drip. 🎮
Faster hunts, cleaner loop, ridiculous drip. 🎮
Castle Grayl is a hallway simulator with armor statues that basically beg to be poked. Unfortunately, the Will-o-Wisps also beg to be poked—and they explode in chain reactions like it’s their hobby.
#RaceToGitGud #FromSoftware #RetroGaming #WOTS
#RaceToGitGud #FromSoftware #RetroGaming #WOTS
Race to Git Gud – Lost Kingdoms (Day 4): Castle Doctrine
Katia stomps through Castle Grayl’s armor-lined hallways, detonates one too many Will-o-Wisps, and duels a hooded runestone bearer with main-character energy.
whatsontheshelf.blog
January 2, 2026 at 3:30 PM
Castle Grayl is a hallway simulator with armor statues that basically beg to be poked. Unfortunately, the Will-o-Wisps also beg to be poked—and they explode in chain reactions like it’s their hobby.
#RaceToGitGud #FromSoftware #RetroGaming #WOTS
#RaceToGitGud #FromSoftware #RetroGaming #WOTS
If forever existed, we’d waste it. If We Were Vampires weighs love against time: Isbell’s quiet confession vs. Kahan & Schultz’s glowing duet. Which one gets your goosebumps?
#Chillers #CoverUp #JasonIsbell #The400Unit #NoahKahan #WesleySchultz #TheLumineers #IndieFolk #SongCovers #WOTSChillers
#Chillers #CoverUp #JasonIsbell #The400Unit #NoahKahan #WesleySchultz #TheLumineers #IndieFolk #SongCovers #WOTSChillers
Chillers – Cover Up
Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit turn mortality into urgency on If We Were Vampires — spare, tender, and quietly devastating. Noah Kahan and Wesley Schultz respond with a luminous, harmony-first duet. In this Cover Up, we compare confession vs. glow and pick a winner.
whatsontheshelf.blog
December 30, 2025 at 4:51 PM
If forever existed, we’d waste it. If We Were Vampires weighs love against time: Isbell’s quiet confession vs. Kahan & Schultz’s glowing duet. Which one gets your goosebumps?
#Chillers #CoverUp #JasonIsbell #The400Unit #NoahKahan #WesleySchultz #TheLumineers #IndieFolk #SongCovers #WOTSChillers
#Chillers #CoverUp #JasonIsbell #The400Unit #NoahKahan #WesleySchultz #TheLumineers #IndieFolk #SongCovers #WOTSChillers
whatsontheshelf.blog/2025/12/26/w...
In WOTS’ first year back, we’ve seen indie bangers, expanded our Chillers playlist, watched the industry chew up its workers, and stared at a never-ending sea of 8/10 review scores.
#WOTS #VideoGames #Retrospective #YearInReview #IndieGames #WOTSChillers
In WOTS’ first year back, we’ve seen indie bangers, expanded our Chillers playlist, watched the industry chew up its workers, and stared at a never-ending sea of 8/10 review scores.
#WOTS #VideoGames #Retrospective #YearInReview #IndieGames #WOTSChillers
The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly of 2025 – A WOTS Year in Review
In WOTS’ first year back, we’ve seen indie bangers, expanded our Chillers playlist, watched the industry chew up its workers, and stared at a never-ending sea of 8/10 review scores. Here’s the Good…
whatsontheshelf.blog
December 29, 2025 at 1:41 PM
whatsontheshelf.blog/2025/12/26/w...
In WOTS’ first year back, we’ve seen indie bangers, expanded our Chillers playlist, watched the industry chew up its workers, and stared at a never-ending sea of 8/10 review scores.
#WOTS #VideoGames #Retrospective #YearInReview #IndieGames #WOTSChillers
In WOTS’ first year back, we’ve seen indie bangers, expanded our Chillers playlist, watched the industry chew up its workers, and stared at a never-ending sea of 8/10 review scores.
#WOTS #VideoGames #Retrospective #YearInReview #IndieGames #WOTSChillers
Kicking off a new WOTS series: Lyrics of Labor.
First up is Woody Guthrie’s “1913 Massacre,” a brutal Christmas Eve in a union hall turned into one of the sharpest labor songs ever written.
#LyricsOfLabor #WoodyGuthrie #LaborHistory #WOTS
First up is Woody Guthrie’s “1913 Massacre,” a brutal Christmas Eve in a union hall turned into one of the sharpest labor songs ever written.
#LyricsOfLabor #WoodyGuthrie #LaborHistory #WOTS
Lyrics of Labor – 1913 Massacre by Woody Guthrie
The first entry in Lyrics of Labor digs into Woody Guthrie’s “1913 Massacre,” a stark retelling of the Italian Hall disaster in Calumet, Michigan. We walk through the lyrics, the strike behind the song, and how one Christmas Eve tragedy became a lasting indictment of corporate power.
whatsontheshelf.blog
December 25, 2025 at 3:00 PM
Kicking off a new WOTS series: Lyrics of Labor.
First up is Woody Guthrie’s “1913 Massacre,” a brutal Christmas Eve in a union hall turned into one of the sharpest labor songs ever written.
#LyricsOfLabor #WoodyGuthrie #LaborHistory #WOTS
First up is Woody Guthrie’s “1913 Massacre,” a brutal Christmas Eve in a union hall turned into one of the sharpest labor songs ever written.
#LyricsOfLabor #WoodyGuthrie #LaborHistory #WOTS
Billy Joel’s “Piano Man” is a sing-along classic hiding one of the most melancholy barroom stories ever written. A snapshot of shared misery, fading dreams, and the man playing everyone through another Saturday night.
#Chillers #NowPlaying #SongOfTheDay #WOTSChillers #ClassicRock
#Chillers #NowPlaying #SongOfTheDay #WOTSChillers #ClassicRock
Chillers – Piano Man (Billy Joel)
Billy Joel’s Piano Man blends shared misery, nostalgia, and barroom storytelling into a timeless portrait of lives stuck in place.
whatsontheshelf.blog
December 24, 2025 at 3:17 PM
Billy Joel’s “Piano Man” is a sing-along classic hiding one of the most melancholy barroom stories ever written. A snapshot of shared misery, fading dreams, and the man playing everyone through another Saturday night.
#Chillers #NowPlaying #SongOfTheDay #WOTSChillers #ClassicRock
#Chillers #NowPlaying #SongOfTheDay #WOTSChillers #ClassicRock
Just one more turn… became just one more week. A love letter to Civilization VI, the strategy game that had me hooked like no other.
#CivilizationVI #Civ6 #StrategyGames #WOTS #LoveLetter #Gaming
#CivilizationVI #Civ6 #StrategyGames #WOTS #LoveLetter #Gaming
A Love Letter to Civilization VI
Late to the Civilization party, I found myself falling hard for Civ VI — the game that made “just one more turn” a lifestyle. Even as Civ VII stumbles, my heart belongs to its predecessor.
whatsontheshelf.blog
December 23, 2025 at 4:14 PM
Just one more turn… became just one more week. A love letter to Civilization VI, the strategy game that had me hooked like no other.
#CivilizationVI #Civ6 #StrategyGames #WOTS #LoveLetter #Gaming
#CivilizationVI #Civ6 #StrategyGames #WOTS #LoveLetter #Gaming
Part 3 of Race to Git Gud: Lost Kingdoms is live. Sewer sludge, snowy peaks, rude Mind Flayers, and a princess doing fantasy DoorDash on the way to Castle Grayl. ❄️🧠💀
#RaceToGitGud #LostKingdoms #FromSoftware #RetroGaming #WOTS
#RaceToGitGud #LostKingdoms #FromSoftware #RetroGaming #WOTS
Race to Git Gud – Lost Kingdoms (Part 3): Sewer Sludge and Snowy Peaks
Katia trudges through one of FromSoftware’s most obnoxious sewers, hunts a not-that-Mind-Flayer, and then gets sent to play fantasy DoorDash in the snowy mountains of Rohbach—all in search of her missing father.
whatsontheshelf.blog
December 19, 2025 at 3:40 PM
Part 3 of Race to Git Gud: Lost Kingdoms is live. Sewer sludge, snowy peaks, rude Mind Flayers, and a princess doing fantasy DoorDash on the way to Castle Grayl. ❄️🧠💀
#RaceToGitGud #LostKingdoms #FromSoftware #RetroGaming #WOTS
#RaceToGitGud #LostKingdoms #FromSoftware #RetroGaming #WOTS
Chillers dives into “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down,” a haunting folk-rock classic that wrestles with memory, loss, and the complicated weight of history. A song as chilling as the story behind it.
#Chillers #SongOfTheDay #NowPlaying #MusicThatHits #WeeklyVibes #WOTSChillers #FolkRock
#Chillers #SongOfTheDay #NowPlaying #MusicThatHits #WeeklyVibes #WOTSChillers #FolkRock
Chillers – The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down (The Band)
A powerful yet complicated folk-rock classic, “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down” reflects on loss, pride, and the lingering weight of history in the waning days of the Civil War.
whatsontheshelf.blog
December 18, 2025 at 4:24 PM
Chillers dives into “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down,” a haunting folk-rock classic that wrestles with memory, loss, and the complicated weight of history. A song as chilling as the story behind it.
#Chillers #SongOfTheDay #NowPlaying #MusicThatHits #WeeklyVibes #WOTSChillers #FolkRock
#Chillers #SongOfTheDay #NowPlaying #MusicThatHits #WeeklyVibes #WOTSChillers #FolkRock
A genre-blending burst of warmth and smooth jazz joy, “Feels So Good” hits straight in the soul. Chuck Mangione’s flugelhorn is pure sunshine.
#Chillers #NowPlaying #SongOfTheDay #MusicThatHits #WeeklyVibes #WOTSChillers #JazzMusic
#Chillers #NowPlaying #SongOfTheDay #MusicThatHits #WeeklyVibes #WOTSChillers #JazzMusic
Chillers – Feels So Good (Chuck Mangione)
Chuck Mangione’s “Feels So Good” is a warm blend of jazz fusion, Latin rhythm, and pure musical joy. A soaring flugelhorn leads a track that’s impossible not to sway to, earning its place as a timeless feel-good classic.
whatsontheshelf.blog
December 17, 2025 at 4:04 PM
A genre-blending burst of warmth and smooth jazz joy, “Feels So Good” hits straight in the soul. Chuck Mangione’s flugelhorn is pure sunshine.
#Chillers #NowPlaying #SongOfTheDay #MusicThatHits #WeeklyVibes #WOTSChillers #JazzMusic
#Chillers #NowPlaying #SongOfTheDay #MusicThatHits #WeeklyVibes #WOTSChillers #JazzMusic
Bowie wrote a fever dream. Nirvana made it haunt you. The Man Who Sold the World walks the line between ghost story and confession. Which version chills you more?
#Chillers #CoverUp #DavidBowie #Nirvana #MTVUnplugged #Grunge #SongCovers #WOTSChillers
#Chillers #CoverUp #DavidBowie #Nirvana #MTVUnplugged #Grunge #SongCovers #WOTSChillers
Chillers – Cover Up
Bowie’s original is a glam-tinged ghost story; Nirvana’s MTV Unplugged cover turns it into an intimate haunting. In this Cover Up, we weigh mirror vs. apparition—and why Nirvana’s raw restraint ultimately wins.
whatsontheshelf.blog
December 9, 2025 at 4:02 PM
Bowie wrote a fever dream. Nirvana made it haunt you. The Man Who Sold the World walks the line between ghost story and confession. Which version chills you more?
#Chillers #CoverUp #DavidBowie #Nirvana #MTVUnplugged #Grunge #SongCovers #WOTSChillers
#Chillers #CoverUp #DavidBowie #Nirvana #MTVUnplugged #Grunge #SongCovers #WOTSChillers
Jumped into the Marvel Token: Fighting Souls beta as a Ms. Marvel main, got zoned to hell, fell in love with jump throws anyway. ArcSys chaos, Marvel flair, and a surprising amount of fun.
#MarvelToken #FightingSouls #FGC #FightingGames #ArcSys #WOTS
#MarvelToken #FightingSouls #FGC #FightingGames #ArcSys #WOTS
Marvel Token: Fighting Souls Beta – Ms. Marvel, Autocombos, and the Future of Marvel Fighters | WOTS Reviews
Hands-on with the Marvel Token: Fighting Souls beta as a Ms. Marvel main. I get zoned out, abuse jump throws, poke at assists and autocombos, and dig into what this ArcSys-built Marvel fighter might mean for the future of Marvel fighting games.
whatsontheshelf.blog
December 8, 2025 at 3:55 PM
Jumped into the Marvel Token: Fighting Souls beta as a Ms. Marvel main, got zoned to hell, fell in love with jump throws anyway. ArcSys chaos, Marvel flair, and a surprising amount of fun.
#MarvelToken #FightingSouls #FGC #FightingGames #ArcSys #WOTS
#MarvelToken #FightingSouls #FGC #FightingGames #ArcSys #WOTS
Kicking off a new arc in Race to Git Gud with one of FromSoft’s deepest cuts: Lost Kingdoms on GameCube. Decks, dragons, black fog, and bad decisions. New post up on WOTS. 🐉🃏
#RaceToGitGud #LostKingdoms #FromSoftware #GameCube #RetroGaming #WOTS
#RaceToGitGud #LostKingdoms #FromSoftware #GameCube #RetroGaming #WOTS
Race to Git Gud – Lost Kingdoms (Part 1): Decks, Dragons, and Depressing Fog
Kicking off a new Race to Git Gud series with one of FromSoftware’s forgotten GameCube oddities, Lost Kingdoms—part card game, part action RPG, and all black fog, skeletons, and questionable random encounters.
whatsontheshelf.blog
December 5, 2025 at 3:35 PM
Kicking off a new arc in Race to Git Gud with one of FromSoft’s deepest cuts: Lost Kingdoms on GameCube. Decks, dragons, black fog, and bad decisions. New post up on WOTS. 🐉🃏
#RaceToGitGud #LostKingdoms #FromSoftware #GameCube #RetroGaming #WOTS
#RaceToGitGud #LostKingdoms #FromSoftware #GameCube #RetroGaming #WOTS