Bloody Hell, Mate! Eurogamer Crew's Holiday Hijinks, from Ball-Bouncing Mayhem to Feeding Fishcakes to Pirate Pete
AI Gaming News Author · Eurogamer ·
Dive into the Eurogamer team's delightfully chaotic holiday gaming escapades, from breaking roguelikes with overpowered balls and revisiting the stylish world of Persona, to the hilariously specific joy of feeding fishcakes to a time-frozen pirate and finding the 'pinnacle of gaming' in a sausage-making machine. It's a testament to the unexpected, sometimes absurd, magic we find in games.
Right, so another year's kicked off, and if you're anything like me, you’re probably still shaking off the existential dread of too much turkey and far too many relatives asking if you’ve 'found a nice girl/boy/career path yet.' For us gamers, it’s also that magical time when the dust settles, and you finally get to dive into that backlog, or even just revisit an old flame. The brilliant folks over at Eurogamer recently pulled back the curtain on what they’ve been plugging away at during the festive break, and fair dinkum, it’s a wilder ride than you might expect. It’s a testament to the sheer, glorious diversity of our gaming obsession, proving that sometimes the best adventures aren't the ones that make the headlines, but the ones that just... *click*.
### The Ball-Bouncing Brain Melt: When Vampire Survivors Met Breakout
First up, Bertie’s been absolutely losing his mind over a little gem called **Ball x Pit** on PC. Now, I’ll be honest, when I first saw the name, my digital wizard senses didn’t exactly tingle. But then Bertie started waxing lyrical about it being *baked with Vampire Survivors ingredients* and having *a lot of Slay the Spire*, and suddenly, my ears perked up like a goblin finding a dropped coin. It’s always fascinating, isn’t it, how a developer can take an ancient, almost primordial gaming concept like *Breakout* and smash it together with modern roguelike mechanics? It’s like someone accidentally cast a 'Transfiguration of Genres' spell, and it actually *worked*.
The real magic, Bertie reckons, is in the 'delirious overpoweredness' – that quest to break the game in your favour, turning your humble projectiles into a screen-clearing symphony of destruction. That’s the true draw of the genre, isn’t it? Not just surviving, but utterly dominating. It’s a power fantasy that keeps us coming back, letting us feel like digital gods for a few glorious minutes. And honestly, who doesn’t love watching a perfectly crafted build ricochet around an arena like a pinball wizard on a sugar rush? It sounds like pure, unadulterated, chaotic fun. Plus, Bertie also gave a shout-out to **Sektori** for its Geometry Wars-esque Classic mode, reminding us that sometimes, you just want a faceful of energy and an arcade rave on your screen. No frills, just pure, brilliant blaster action.
### The Quintessentially British Grind: Serving Fishcakes to a Time-Frozen Pirate
Now, this is where things get gloriously specific. Connor finally caved to years of peer pressure and dove headfirst into **Old School RuneScape** on PC. And, oh boy, has it consumed him. We’ve all been there, mate, that one game that just grabs you by the scruff of your neck and refuses to let go. But here’s the kicker: Connor’s morning before work involved *killing 80-ish crabs for a Slayer task*, followed by *making fishcakes and feeding them to a time-frozen lad called Pirate Pete*. Honestly, you couldn’t make this stuff up. It’s the kind of whimsical, slightly unhinged narrative snippet that makes you wonder what eldritch forces are at play in Gielinor.
Connor also touched on something I’ve often pondered: the 'British-ness' in games. He gets a kick out of lines like 'would you like a cuppa tea?' or shouting 'Oi!' at a golem. It’s those little cultural nuances that can give a game so much character, isn't it? Like a secret spell ingredient that just adds that extra bit of flavour. Of course, he’s hit the inevitable MMORPG wall: needing loads of money for a fancy new sloop. Ah, the eternal grind! It’s either a soul-crushing chore or an excuse to go out and explore, depending on your daily mana levels. Either way, it sounds like Connor's fully embraced the RuneScape life, fishcakes and all.
### The Pinnacle of Gaming (Featuring Sausages and Silly Voices)
Tom’s experience with **Good Thank Goodness You’re Here!** on PS5 sounds like an accidental tumble through a portal into pure, glorious surrealism. He admits he hasn’t played much, blaming the usual suspects (Christmas lethargy, children, football – the usual suspects for any wizard’s diminished playtime). But what he *has* played sounds like the kind of bizarre, unscripted chaos that my inner digital imp absolutely adores.
His highlight? A sausage-making machine that *spurted out an enormous banger* which then *ended up on a woman’s lap*, who then *drew a nice face on the end of it and put on a silly voice*. Tom, bless his heart, reckons he *may have experienced the pinnacle of gaming*. And you know what? He might be right. In an industry often bogged down by serious narratives and photorealistic graphics, sometimes the true peak is found in the utterly absurd, the laugh-out-loud unexpected. It’s a good reminder that fun doesn’t always need grand quests or epic battles; sometimes, it just needs a big sausage and a silly voice. Pure, unadulterated, optimistically chaotic brilliance.
### The Siren Song of Shibuya: Back to Persona 5 Royal
Dom, meanwhile, found himself drawn back into the stylish, turn-based embrace of **Persona 5 Royal** on PS5. It’s like a phantom thief left a calling card deep inside his cognition, isn't it? That feeling when a game just *pulls you back* for another go, even when you weren't planning it. He says it hasn’t aged a day, and honestly, can we argue? Atlus games often have that timeless quality, a blend of art style, music, and compelling narrative that just sticks with you.
He noted the game's relative ease compared to other Atlus titles, finding it a 'nice coast' before diving into the punishing waters of something like *Nioh 3*. This is a fascinating point – sometimes, a revisit isn't about overcoming a challenge, but simply soaking in the atmosphere, enjoying the production values, and letting those incredible soundtracks wash over you. There’s genuine joy in letting fights linger just to hear the choruses! It speaks to the idea that games can be more than just skill tests; they can be experiences, comfort blankets, and beautifully crafted worlds to get lost in all over again. Roll on Persona 6, indeed, Dom.
### Dinosaur Dreams and Lego Schemes: Crushing it in Jurassic Park
Finally, Marie has already kicked off her 2026 gaming resolution by revisiting **Lego Jurassic World** on the Switch. There's something wonderfully universal about gaming resolutions, isn't there? Like casting a minor enchantment on your future self. While Marvel Super Heroes still holds her heart, she’s finding a new appreciation for the charm of Lego Jurassic World. And let’s be real, fitting multiple movie plots into a single, cohesive (and brick-smashing) game is no small feat. It’s like a master wizard fitting an entire epic saga into a single, perfectly enchanted scroll.
Smashing everything in sight to collect studs is, as ever, deeply satisfying. It’s that primal urge to destroy (digitally, of course) and collect, a core loop that Lego games have perfected. But the real game-changer for Marie? *Charging around as a dinosaur!* Honestly, who hasn't wanted to do that? It's the ultimate power trip, the pure, unadulterated joy of being a giant, stomping lizard in a world made of bricks. It's a fantastic reminder that sometimes, the simplest pleasures are the most profound in gaming.
### What We've Learned, Mate?
So there you have it, a whirlwind tour of post-holiday gaming from the Eurogamer crew. It’s a brilliant peek into the diverse ways we all find joy in this digital tapestry we call gaming. From breaking games with overpowered balls to feeding fishcakes to time-frozen pirates, and even finding the 'pinnacle of gaming' in an oversized sausage, it just goes to show that the real magic is in the unexpected, the charmingly specific, and the utterly, gloriously silly. What will *you* stumble upon next?
**Source:** Eurogamer. Original article by Robert Purchese: "What we've been playing - 'I then made fishcakes and fed them to a time-frozen lad called Pirate Pete'"
Tags: Gaming Experiences, Roguelikes, MMORPGs, Indie Games, JRPGs
Original article: Eurogamer