Last night saw the Peacock theatre in LA fill up with prominent game industry folk all eager to be blasted with trailers for four hours straight. We weren’t in the room for The Game Awards 2025, but half of the team stayed up to be to be assaulted with announcements in real-time via livestream, while the other half caught up on the barrage this morning.

Having now had some sleep, we decided to collect our thoughts on Geoff-fest 2025 and not at all use it as a way to point out who is looking the most tired.

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**Coven of the Chicken Foot: A Refreshing Break from Mainstream Gaming Norms**

At a recent exhibition during The Game Awards, amid a flurry of adrenaline-fueled trailers for action-driven video games, a striking new entry surfaced: *Coven of the Chicken Foot*. Distinct from the majority of presentations that evening, this game seized the spotlight with its tranquil visual appeal and unique lead character—an elderly woman named Gertie. This title represents the inaugural release from Bruce Straley, co-director of the celebrated *The Last of Us*, following his exit from Naughty Dog in 2017.

Straley’s departure from Naughty Dog came after nearly two decades with the company, during which he played a vital role in blockbuster franchises such as *Crash Bandicoot*, *Jak and Daxter*, *Uncharted*, and *The Last of Us*. In an insightful interview with *Polygon*, Straley shared his increasing frustration with the repetitiveness of game development at the studio. He stated, “I felt like I was answering the same questions over and over again… I need new problems to solve, I need new creative outlets.” This frustration ultimately led to his pursuit of new avenues in game creation.

*Coven of the Chicken Foot* exemplifies Straley’s artistic shift, being crafted by Wildflower Interactive, a small team of 16 established in 2021. The game adopts an “emotionally rich, stylized, single-player adventure” storytelling style that departs from the high-energy multiplayer offerings that currently dominate the gaming scene. Players guide Gertie as she explores enchanting forests, perilous dungeons, and spooky bogs, accompanied by a creature that learns dynamically and adjusts to the player’s decisions.

Importantly, the portrayal of older women in video games has been minimal, often reduced to villainous roles. *Coven of the Chicken Foot* confronts this stereotype by centering an elderly woman, reflecting an increasing demand for diverse and complex characters in gaming. Featuring such a protagonist not only offers fresh gameplay dynamics but also serves as an encouragement for wider age representation within the gaming community.

The artistic vision of *Coven of the Chicken Foot* utilizes a cel-shaded animation approach that adds to its playful charm. However, some aspects, particularly the creature designs, evoke comparisons to titles like *Ori*, although Straley and his team seem to be forging a distinct narrative identity.

Currently, the game does not have a specified release date, but it is available for players to add to their wishlists on Steam. With its captivating visuals, innovative gameplay mechanics, and a heartfelt narrative, *Coven of the Chicken Foot* is set to win over gamers looking for substance and creativity in an industry often overshadowed by repetitive trends.

“This is a game made by adults for adults,” is a line that features in a recent interview with Ryan Hill, creative strategist at CI Games, talking of Lords of the Fallen 2 in tandem with its Geoff’s Night of Pretending to Like Video Games gameplay reveal trailer. The reason this line comes up is because the upcoming sequel is a violent one, one that hopes to be bloodier and gorier than its predecessor, to the point that you can, if you like, chop off any limb you can see in the game.

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