CultureCombine - Pop Culture

The Berlin Apartment is Full of Heart but Impeded By Flaws

here I am getting bogged down in genre discussions when I should be talking about The Berlin Apartment specifically. You can see I’m avoiding it. I feel like I’m going to beat up a cute little puppy that really doesn’t deserve it. I won’t be that harsh, but there’s a part of me that really wants to be.

Everything We're Excited About from The Game Awards 2025

Another Game Awards has come and gone–and with it an amount of cringe and commercialization that wouldn’t fly with other award shows. But it's also the best place to see all of the cool upcoming games in one place. Here’s a list of games that were announced or featured at The Game Awards that we’re most excited about:

Death Howl is Hauntingly Beautiful, Yet Frustratingly Flawed

I’ve always appreciated the types of stories where you kill gods, or fight your way through hell–so Death Howl’s premise is something I definitely could get behind. Mix that with a folklore-steeped Scandinavian purgatory and you get a game that feels like a lost legend, one that balances the cosmic scale of defying the afterlife with the intimate, crushing weight of personal grief.

Cloudheim is Gorgeous, Needs Polish

My first impressions of Cloudheim when I saw it was: “Hot damn! What a cool looking game.” While it leans towards a more anime/gacha visual style (not really my thing) I can’t deny how gorgeous it looked in screenshots. It reminded me a bit of Genshin Impact x Legend of Zelda , with creature designs that could be something out of Studio Ghibli. However, games aren’t just as good as their visuals, and Cloudheim definitely has potential. But I can’t help but feel like Cloudhei

Tales from Chicago TARDIS: Carole Ann Ford and Katy Manning on the Changing Faces of the Doctor, Companions and Friendship

The pair first touched on the core of the show - the changing faces and pathos of the Doctor himself, with Carole adding that the companions have got ‘more and more beautiful over the years.’ Both actresses agreed that it’s a beautiful thing to see the Doctor change the way that they have, experiencing things through the eyes of those young and old, black and white, and everything in between.

BREAKING: Rob Reiner and Wife Michele Singer Found Dead in Los Angeles Home, Homicide Suspected

Reiner led with laughter and kindness that he wove into his work and "IRL" persona, and we can't help but feel a light go off in that little corner of our childhoods with him leaving so soon.

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The Berlin Apartment is Full of Heart but Impeded By Flaws

here I am getting bogged down in genre discussions when I should be talking about The Berlin Apartment specifically. You can see I’m avoiding it. I feel like I’m going to beat up a cute little puppy that really doesn’t deserve it. I won’t be that harsh, but there’s a part of me that really wants to be.

Everything We're Excited About from The Game Awards 2025

Another Game Awards has come and gone–and with it an amount of cringe and commercialization that wouldn’t fly with other award shows. But it's also the best place to see all of the cool upcoming games in one place. Here’s a list of games that were announced or featured at The Game Awards that we’re most excited about:

Death Howl is Hauntingly Beautiful, Yet Frustratingly Flawed

I’ve always appreciated the types of stories where you kill gods, or fight your way through hell–so Death Howl’s premise is something I definitely could get behind. Mix that with a folklore-steeped Scandinavian purgatory and you get a game that feels like a lost legend, one that balances the cosmic scale of defying the afterlife with the intimate, crushing weight of personal grief.

Cloudheim is Gorgeous, Needs Polish

My first impressions of Cloudheim when I saw it was: “Hot damn! What a cool looking game.” While it leans towards a more anime/gacha visual style (not really my thing) I can’t deny how gorgeous it looked in screenshots. It reminded me a bit of Genshin Impact x Legend of Zelda , with creature designs that could be something out of Studio Ghibli. However, games aren’t just as good as their visuals, and Cloudheim definitely has potential. But I can’t help but feel like Cloudhei

Tales from Chicago TARDIS: Jo Martin, Steph De Whalley, and Susan Twist Appreciate Doctor Who Beyond the Show

We've said this time and time again: Smaller cons hold a bit of special magic to them. They're perfect chance to spend sometime with like minded people in a non hectic, not overcrowded venue and discuss the smallest detail of the fandom. Such was the case during these two fantastic panels. First up was the trio of Jo Martin (the Fugitive Doctor), Steph De Whalley ( 15th Doctor companion Anita Benn), and Susan Twist (Susan Triad). Right off the bat, all three members of the pa

Julian Ramirez

Tales from Chicago TARDIS: Carole Ann Ford and Katy Manning on the Changing Faces of the Doctor, Companions and Friendship

The pair first touched on the core of the show - the changing faces and pathos of the Doctor himself, with Carole adding that the companions have got ‘more and more beautiful over the years.’ Both actresses agreed that it’s a beautiful thing to see the Doctor change the way that they have, experiencing things through the eyes of those young and old, black and white, and everything in between.

Scrabdackle Releases in Early Access Tomorrow!

Screenshot: Scrabdackle Act 1 What do you get when you put together a bit of metroidvania, a pinch of soulslike, a dash of Terry Pratchett, a few cups of Zelda and a whole bucket of charm? Apparently you get Scrabdackle , a hand drawn, top down adventure game developed by jakefriend. It looks like a game I would have come across in the corners of some early digital distribution storefront years ago, replete with hand drawn animation that looks like it was drawn in MS Paint.

Captain's Log ST-CHI: Sushi, Stunts and the Real Final Frontier with William Shatner

William Shatner at ST-CHI: Trek to Chicago 2025. Photo: Marielle Bokor I think this panel writeup might need a preface: William Shatner is legendary, especially to the Star Trek fandom, because he was Captain James T. Kirk. THE Captain Kirk. One of the most iconic characters in our modern culture. William Shatner himself is a treasure, and I just need to clarify that we’re never laughing at the man. Okay, maybe a little bit. But it’s from a place of love. And he’s certainly g

Captain's Log ST-CHI: A DS9 Love Fest with Chase Masterson, Nana Visitor and Cirroc Lofton

Chase Masterson, Cirroc Lofton and Nana Visitor at ST-CHI: Trek to Chicago 2025. Photo: Marielle Bokor One thing is always apparent when you go to Star Trek conventions: fans think Deep Space Nine is the best Star Trek show. Seriously. There are fans that love the other shows better, sure, but when Deep Space Nine is brought up it’s referred to as “the best Trek” more often than any other of the shows. And there has been a lot of Trek . And that must say something about the c