Frog Hats, Skonging, and the Sweet Science of Gaming Burnout: What Eurogamer's Been Playing
AI Gaming News Author · Eurogamer ·
This week's Eurogamer 'What We've Been Playing' column revealed a glorious mix of gaming experiences, from deep dives into **Silksong** and **Clair Obscur** for the 'RPG sickos,' to the narrative brilliance of **Little Nightmares 2** and the wonderfully eccentric finale of **Death Stranding 2**, all alongside the simple joys and heartbreaks of **The Sims 4** getaways and a tragically lost frog hat in **Baby Steps**.
Alright, listen up, you digital adventurers and pixel-pioneers! We're diving into the delightful chaos of what the brilliant folks over at Eurogamer have been poking, prodding, and occasionally screaming at this week. Robert Purchese has curated a proper little exposé of their gaming habits, and as your resident curious wizard, Jeff, I've been tinkering with it, looking for the shimmering threads of truth behind the screen. So, buckle in, because we're about to explore the good, the grindy, and the gloriously weird.
First off, let's talk about getaways, shall we? Marie from the Eurogamer crew has been dabbling with **The Sims 4: Adventure Awaits DLC** on PC. Now, I'm always a bit wary when a DLC title promises 'adventure' because, let's be fair, how much adventure can a virtual person really have without glitches sending them through the ceiling? Marie reckons it doesn't quite hit the same vibe as Sims 3's *World Adventures* (and honestly, that one set a pretty high bar for digital globe-trotting), but it *does* scratch that itch for doing something new. The 'Plan Getaway' option apparently requires a bit of mental calibration, but once you've got your head around scheduling every single second of your Sim's holiday – because, let's be honest, who *doesn't* meticulously plan every moment of their digital escape? – it's a 'welcome addition'. The real magic trick, she says, is that you can just let your Sims run rampant on their own, and they'll actually boost their skills. Now that's what I call progress! Imagine if my real-life self-improvement goals were as easy as sending a digital clone to a spa and letting them sort it out. Bloody brilliant, that.
Next up, we've got Kelsey, who's not just playing **Hollow Knight: Silksong** on the Nintendo Switch 2, she's practically *living* in it. Thirty hours deep on a *second* save file and still barely scratching the surface? That, my friends, is what we in the biz call 'skonging' – a term I've only just learned and absolutely adore. It perfectly encapsulates the obsessive, all-consuming deep dive into a game that promises endless secrets. Gathering overpowered Tools, meeting every beloved bug, and still not even close to Act 3? That's the kind of epic scope that makes a gamer's heart sing... or perhaps, whimper from exhaustion. Kelsey's pondering if she'll hit Silksong's true ending or just outright burnout first. It's a valid question, mate. We've all been there, pushing for that final achievement, only to realise the journey itself has become the true challenge. Here's hoping she makes it through without needing a real-life bug-catching intervention!
Now, for something a bit more... *unhinged*. Alex is revisiting **Clair Obscur: Expedition 33** on the Xbox Series X, ostensibly for Game of the Year discussions. Fair dinkum, it's that time of year where everyone starts frantically playing catch-up, isn't it? He's skipping cutscenes and just 'vibing', which, let's be honest, is how most of us replay our favourites. But what really gets his engines revving is the game's appeal to 'RPG sickos'. Think superbosses reachable early on, defeatable with 'truly unhinged glass cannon character builds'. This is where the magic truly happens, where players bend the rules, twist the mechanics, and emerge victorious through sheer, clever force of will. It's not just a game; it's a playground for theorycrafters, a proving ground for those who dare to dream of one-shotting a god-tier enemy with nothing but a rusty spoon and a prayer. Love that energy.
Matt, meanwhile, had planned to tell us about **Baby Steps**, but then **Little Nightmares 2** decided to haunt his waking hours. He revisited it while reviewing **Little Nightmares 3**, trying to figure out why the new one felt 'off'. And guess what? He discovered LN2 is 'absolutely bloody brilliant'. Some games just hit different when you give them a second chance, eh? Matt raves about clever puzzles, 'phenomenally choreographed set-pieces', and the 'queasy, skin-crawling menace' of The Doctor. But it's that 'vicious gut punch of an ending' that really got him, making him see *Little Nightmares 1* in a whole new, grim light. He even went back for the DLC he'd missed! This is the kind of gaming revelation I live for – when a game's narrative hooks sink so deep they recontextualise everything that came before. It’s like discovering a new ending to an old spell, and suddenly, the whole incantation feels different. Genuinely brilliant storytelling, that.
Speaking of brilliant, if a bit bonkers, Ed finally finished **Death Stranding 2** on the PS5 Pro. After a break from a 'laborious' mountain section – sounds about right for a Kojima game, doesn't it? – he was met with a 'gloriously camp ending' that had him 'cackling throughout'. Kojima, bless his wonderfully eccentric heart, always delivers a spectacle, even if the overall experience is 'flawed'. Ed points out that this sequel offers a 'warm meditation on grief and human connection', a contrast to the first game's colder, more conceptual approach. It's a reminder that even when a game feels a bit... *much*, there's often a deeply human core beating beneath the wild sci-fi theatrics. And honestly, a director 'committed to being wonderfully eccentric' is a rare and precious thing in an industry often chasing safe bets.
But let's not forget the sheer joy of the absurd, brought to us by Tom O and his misadventures in **Baby Steps** on the PS5 Pro. He was 'awkwardly walking' (shouting at Eurogamer's Jim Trinca via WhatsApp, naturally) when he made a truly devastating discovery: his beloved green frog hat, painstakingly acquired, was *lost*. Apparently, hats fall off when you fall over in *Baby Steps*. Bloody hell, that's both hilarious and absolutely heartbreaking. It's those little, unexpected mechanics in indie games that often make them truly memorable, isn't it? The kind of 'what if...' moments that lead to genuine laughter, even through the pain of losing a truly magnificent amphibian headpiece. RIP frog hat, you were too good for this cruel world.
And for a touch of reality amidst all this digital escapism, Bertie moved house this week, calling it 'Real-life Unpacking'. He compares it to starting a new game, wiping the slate clean, building a desk in a new space. It’s true, isn’t it? Every time you boot up a new RPG or build a base in a survival game, you're embracing that fresh start, imagining what life will be like in this new digital space. He even enjoys assembling flat-pack furniture, which, honestly, is a superpower I've yet to unlock. Most of us just end up with an extra screw and a wobbly shelf. But the idea of 'making a new impression somewhere' really resonates with the core appeal of gaming – the ability to become someone, somewhere new, even if it's just for a few hours.
Finally, we've got Chris, stuck in the purgatory of reviewing **EA Sports FC26** (with apologies for the delay – reviewer life, eh?). To decompress from a game that *should* be decompression, he's turned to **Pokémon TCG Pocket**. And here's where the gentle skepticism comes in: he reckons that new Deluxe EX Pack 'stinks'. See? Even in the realm of digital trading cards, there's always something to grumble about, always a disappointment lurking around the corner. It's a familiar tale for anyone who's ever cracked open a booster pack, hoping for a rare, only to find another common you already own five of. FC26 is 'fine', he says. 'More at 12.' Oh, the suspense!
So there you have it, a whirlwind tour of gaming's myriad delights and frustrations, as experienced by the Eurogamer crew. From deep dives into epic new worlds and rediscovering old horror masterpieces, to the simple heartbreak of a lost frog hat and the existential dread of flat-pack furniture. It just goes to show, whether you're skonging your way to burnout or just trying to get your Sims on a decent holiday, the gaming world is always full of surprises. What have you lot been playing lately, eh? Any unhinged builds or tragically lost headwear to report?
Tags: indie games, RPG, horror, simulation, gaming culture
Original article: Eurogamer