Neilie Johnson Freelance Writer
Recent Critical Work
November 15, 2018
Colorful multiplayer arena offers frenetic team fun.
November 14, 2018
Shallow faux ghost-tracker has ads, creative community.
November 12, 2018
Violent action game has hefty dose of waiting, repetition, more than a few decapitated heads.
November 06, 2018
Role-playing/card game hybrid has strong female characters.
October 29, 2018
Strategy game marred by faulty interface, connection issues.
October 29, 2018
Clever adventure game shows the consequences of media bias.
October 14, 2018
Occult WWII game has limited tactics, big difficulty spikes.
October 08, 2018
Sloppy tutoring service has more questions than answers.
October 07, 2018
Collectible card action appeals to beginners and veterans alike.
September 16, 2018
Complicated strategy game worth the high learning curve.
September 16, 2018
Stingy card game adaptation has high learning curve.
September 09, 2018
Fun book-tracker focuses on influence but suffers from flawed functionality.
September 04, 2018
Well-made expansion has disturbing images, rich exploration.
August 24, 2018
Nordic fantasy role-playing game presents tough moral and tactical choices.
August 07, 2018
Fun retro action game mixes pixels, politics, and fast play.
July 29, 2018
Boring shooter has stingy pay-to-play, poorly used tech.
July 27, 2018
Risk-filled community focuses on appearances, sex talk.
July 23, 2018
Mature alien tale has gory visuals in alternate dimension.
June 18, 2018
Elf-themed fantasy game poses timely moral questions.
June 08, 2018
Risky, location-based app has inconsistent functionality.
June 08, 2018
Ad-filled, location-sharing hookup platform not for kids.
June 01, 2018
Wacky knockoff zombie game mixes strategy, cartoon blood.
June 01, 2018
Sloppy strategy game full of sex, violence, vulgarity.
May 19, 2018
Fun action game held back by glitches, sloppy vs. battles.
May 08, 2018
Vibrant positivity encourages girls' creativity, activism.
April 30, 2018
Play cupid in amusing socially inclusive relationship sim.
April 12, 2018
Confusing tale with mild combat plays itself, isn't fun.
April 10, 2018
Wizarding adventure makes money magically disappear.
April 06, 2018
Cartoon combat-focused action limited by energy, resources.
April 06, 2018
Safe, free cartoon racer does have ads, mild violence.
February 23, 2018
Creepy adventure, puzzles engaging, but not for young kids.
February 16, 2018
Video tool has cool effects, allows creativity for teens.
February 16, 2018
Generic adventure heavily pushes in-game purchases.
February 12, 2018
Fast-paced trivia game awards players real cash via PayPal.
January 26, 2018
Poetic platformer fun for all ages, has delightful play.
January 19, 2018
Fun selfie feature and treasure trove of information.
December 26, 2017
Pointless avatar app excludes users with fewer followers.
December 21, 2017
Stylish fan app makes social networking a game, pushes ads.
December 15, 2017
Slick video maker makes teens karaoke stars for real money.
December 15, 2017
Simple video maker entertains but has iffy content.
December 12, 2017
Themed tower builder easy to play, lightly pushes ads.
December 12, 2017
Fun mobile sim promotes friendship, materialism.
December 01, 2017
Shallow board game add-on makes for boring adventure.
December 01, 2017
Thin map expansion not very large, runs slightly off rails.
November 18, 2017
Blood-soaked mature expansion turns players into gods.
November 18, 2017
Generic streaming fantasy role-playing game plays itself.
November 14, 2017
Timer-happy survival game tests player's patience, wallet.
October 25, 2017
Snapchat-dependent poll maker lets users ask the "important" questions.
October 17, 2017
Difficult digital card game ruined by troublesome bugs.
September 15, 2017
Real-time voice messenger app requires internet connection.
September 12, 2017
Captivating collectible card game favors paying players.
September 10, 2017
Lighter tale in Layton series charms, but story disappoints.
September 06, 2017
Teen "friend" finder mimics dating app, isn't safe.
August 17, 2017
Review: Gwent
Clever card game spin-off will test strategy, tactics.
August 16, 2017
Prequel strategy has more moral choice, little new content.
August 11, 2017
Muddled adventure addresses mature political themes.
August 11, 2017
What's this item about? What makes it interesting? Write a catchy description to grab your audience's attention...
August 11, 2017
Drawn-out play timers ruin the flow of real-time strategy game.
July 13, 2017
Update aimed at experienced players leaves newbies wishing for more.
July 11, 2017
Bloody, tough expansion goes deeper into brutal dungeons.
July 11, 2017
Ugly, dull strategy betrays Final Fantasy franchise.
July 07, 2017
Teen "friend" finder mimics dating app, isn't safe.
July 04, 2017
Bloody free-to-play RPG gets medieval on your wallet.
June 29, 2017
Turn plain texts into mini music videos your friends will never get out of their heads.
June 26, 2017
Fun, wacky adventure gets greedy for player cash over time.
June 18, 2017
Great story, but Red Thread Games forgot to make it a game.
May 21, 2017
If it's good enough for Edward Snowden, it's good enough for you.
May 21, 2017
Join Cap'n Jack in becoming a menace to Caribbean society.
April 30, 2017
Alas, poor Syberia - I knew ye well. And ye deserved a better sequel than this.
April 11, 2017
Review: The Crow's Eye
Dark adventure has disturbing themes, corny dialogue.
April 05, 2017
Review: Introvert Quest
Crude adventure has crass attitude toward mental illness.
April 05, 2017
Review: Gumballs & Dungeons
Takes forever to get started, has clumsy presentation, but lots of fun once things get ahem...rolling.
March 31, 2017
Review: Armello
Fun single player. Painful multiplayer.
March 28, 2017
Review: Into the Badlands Blade Battle
Frenetic, violent action game pushes in-game shop, TV show.
March 21, 2017
Review: Torment - Tides of Numenera
Complex role-playing adventure asks mature moral questions.
March 10, 2017
Review: The Walking Dead - No Man's Land
If you're not into high-pay free-to-play, you're in for progression that's as slow as a one-legged zombie.
March 10, 2017
Review: The Walking Dead - Road to Survival
Well worth downloading if you're over 17, and its hair-raising, strategic combat and complex moral dilemmas make it more than just another zombie-killing gore-fest.
March 09, 2017
Review: Fire Emblem Heroes
The 2D anime-style characters are stunning (though some of the female heroes wear revealing costumes and say flirty things), and collecting them all quickly becomes a compulsion.
March 07, 2017
Review: Guild of Dungeioneering - Ice Cream Headaches
This snow-themed expansion has all the strategy, loot, and unexpected twists of the best games in the genre, plus something most of them don't have—a sense of humor.
March 06, 2017
Review: Sword Art Online: Memory Defrag
Its melodramatic teen-romance storyline makes the built-in repetition of combat fun. Well, mostly fun.
February 14, 2017
Preview: Path of Exile Expansion - The Fall of Oriath
At last, players get to come back to the center of Templar power and give those corrupt scumbags a taste of Exile justice.
January 01, 2020
Review: Paragon
This fast-paced game merges hard-hitting action with a multiplayer online battle arena with explosive results.
January 29, 2017
Preview: Dark and Light
Many a venerable RPG-er hankers for a more dangerous role-play experience, and Snail Games' upcoming survival MMO Dark and Light plans to give it to them.
January 31, 2017
Review: Final Fantasy Brave Exvius
If slightly updated, repetition-filled old-school role-playing is what you're in the mood for, this one might work for you.
January 26, 2017
Review: Crowntakers
Challenging strategy role-playing game tests gamer's skills.
December 16, 2016
Fun magical adventure marred by demands for Muggle money.
December 14, 2016
Journalists get their armored asses handed to them by Ubisoft's new competitive hack-n-slash.
December 13, 2016
Slick, searchable guide to local events; watch privacy.
December 07, 2016
Hollywood, California hosts the first ever Vainglory World Championship at the legendary Chinese Theater.
October 10, 2016
Bloody end-game expansion for hardcore players only.
October 03, 2016
Follow the yellow brick road in stylish role-playing game.
September 29, 2016
Faithful but unstable digital version of original card game.
September 13, 2016
Captivating legal adventure full of sly humor.
August 05, 2016
Short yet spooky adventure in dark psychological landscape.
July 26, 2016
Social networking for Pokemon fans best for teens.
June 22, 2016
Cute recipe-gathering role-playing game has a little edge.
June 13, 2016
High-quality shooter rewards players for racking up kills.