Allyson Cochran

Saddened to announce I was affected by the recent Polygon layoffs. Though my time there was short, it was an incredible experience with a truly lovely bunch of people.

If you’re looking for a games/entertainment nerd for writing, presenting, PR, or any other opps, hit me up!

It’s SO good! I need to see it for a second time as well.

how is there even competition

A screenshot of the most recent Pokemon Presents that features two Pikachu in holiday clothing.

Can't wait for the next season of White Lotad

So excited about the two new romance options in Stardew so I can carefully weigh my choices and then marry Sebastian for the 47th time.

Life is Strange: Reunion Might Just Be The Perfect Antidote To Double Exposure Max Caulfield and Chloe Price return in this long-awaited supernatural sequel.

I’m still conflicted about whether Life is Strange: Reunion bringing Chloe Price and Max Caulfield back together is the right choice or simply an attempt to capitalise on the nostalgia of a classic sapphic story.

My full preview:

www.thegamer.com/life-is-stra...

Demon Tides Is Exactly How You Do A Sequel Demon Tides is a phenomenal sequel that not only builds on everything Turf nailed, but also greatly expands its scope and quality.

Demon Tides is one of my favourite platformers in recent memory, and one with some surprisingly grand ambitions that it absolutely lives up to - roll on Bubsy 4D! www.thegamer.com/demon-tides-...

Hi there! We're Booster Pack, a new site dedicated exclusively to trading card games that is officially launching today!

boosterpack.site/booster-pack...

Jury’s still out if I photoshopped the Highguard press badge

Now that embargos have lifted, I can talk about how busy January was for me. I basically soft-launched a California residency, survived on hotel coffee, and got to chat with some rad humans about cool things.

This is such a nice and honestly refreshing take. Agreed, a good read!

High On Life 2 Review: Satire That Hits More Often Than Its Guns High On Life 2 builds a more ambitious and visually rich sequel, even as its satire outpaces its mechanics.

I reviewed High on Life 2!

It’s surprisingly sharp on Big Pharma, still deeply unhinged, and occasionally more interested in yelling a joke than landing it, but I mostly had a good time.

My full review ₊✩‧₊˚

www.thegamer.com/high-on-life...

Firewatch Helped Pioneer A Genre That Burned Brightly But Briefly The "walking simulator" genre was focused on quiet reflection and narrative focus, but it's getting more and more rare.

For the first time since 2022, I’m over at @gamespot.com, discussing the 10th anniversary of Firewatch and hypothesizing about why games like this just don’t seem to break through anymore in the 2020s.

www.gamespot.com/articles/fir...

I love this Andrew! I want so many more games like Firewatch - those games def need a renaissance again

my cat as jetpack cat (thanks to @hallafyre.bsky.social)

Romeo Is A Dead Man Review: A Gore-Soaked, Chaotic Romp Through Time Messy, bloody, and wonderfully bizarre.

Romeo is a Dead Man reviews are all over the place, and that absolutely tracks.

It's filled to the brim with odd moments and decisions. It's fun enough, but its frenetic and bewildering narrative choices made it hard to parse and difficult to score.

More from me: www.thegamer.com/romeo-is-a-d...

"We Wanted To Go Big": The Hearthstone Team On How Cataclysm Reimagines Warcraft Lore In A Dark New Timeline I sat down with Blizzard’s Hearthstone team to explore Cataclysm, from art and mechanics to reimagining Warcraft’s most consequential moment.

I had the chance to sit down with Blizzard’s Hearthstone team to see how they reimagined Warcraft’s end-of-the-world storyline for the card game. The devs apparently love making us feel the end of the world.

My interview ✧˚ · .

www.thegamer.com/hearthstone-...

I've Played Overwatch's Five New Heroes, And They're A Bold Leap Forward For The Hero Shooter I went hands-on with Overwatch’s new heroes, and here’s why Season One might be the game’s boldest update yet.

I went hands-on with Overwatch Season One at Blizzard HQ and played all five new heroes. Yes, Jetpack Cat is real. Yes, she rules.

Here are my thoughts! ˚⟡˖ ࣪

www.thegamer.com/overwatch-se...

Donate to Support Laid-off Vox Media Workers, organized by Victoria Song On Friday, January 16, 2026, the Vox Media Union received news from management about … Victoria Song needs your support for Support Laid-off Vox Media Workers

We're officially fundraising for laid-off Vox workers. Please share and donate if you can!

www.gofundme.com/f/support-la...

hahaha exactlyy

Haha oh wow, I almost don’t even recognize it

This is well-written and completely fair criticism. I agree with so many of the points you made

Bird and all.

This is my formal request for this to be a Fortnite skin.

Ryan, I liked this 21 seconds after you posted this apparently. I’m too chronically on this app.

So surprising too! I know she was 71, but I expected her to be around for many more years.

Write it! I want to read it!

I’ll say one thing, then I’m holstering the Highguard discourse: I love that it dares to do something distinctive in a genre that can be shoulder-to-shoulder with sameness. I’m having fun with it.

What I don’t love is the internet’s reflexive pessimism, or its eagerness to point and laugh.

this isn't a defense of highguard but i'm not sure why people STILL post screenshots of a new steam game being Overwhelmingly Negative as if it's a self-explanatory red flag anymore when steam users will mass-reviewbomb games if a woman is wearing pants in them

Remember Highguard, That New Shooter Announced At The Game Awards? It Actually Rules Highguard might’ve drawn backlash at The Game Awards, but my hands-on preview shows it’s a unique, fun PvP Raid Shooter you won’t want to miss.

I traveled to LA last week for a hands-on preview of Highguard.

What I expected: another free-to-play shooter in a crowded genre.

What I played: a uniquely fun PvP raid shooter, and one I couldn’t stop thinking about after.

My full impressions ↓ ⋆·˚ ༘ *

www.thegamer.com/highguard-sh...