Jacob Linden

Browt: Pokémon Winds & Waves Grass Starter

Shit, gonna have to buy a Switch 2 for Browt.

Seeing Noah Wyle Time Travel as I Double Fist 'The Pitt' & 'ER' - Area of Effect Noah Wyle is a medical drama legend, and I've been seeing a lot of him as I switch between 'ER' and new episodes of 'The Pitt'

Merry Pittsmas! Blogged about my deranged double medical drama ritual and what it's like seeing Noah Wyle play similar characters at very different points in life in ER and The Pitt.

areaofeffect.blog/2026/02/26/n...

Seeing Noah Wyle Time Travel as I Double Fist 'The Pitt' & 'ER' - Area of Effect Noah Wyle is a medical drama legend, and I've been seeing a lot of him as I switch between 'ER' and new episodes of 'The Pitt'

Merry Pittsmas! Blogged about my deranged double medical drama ritual and what it's like seeing Noah Wyle play similar characters at very different points in life in ER and The Pitt.

areaofeffect.blog/2026/02/26/n...

I'm Still Yearning for an 'Authority' Adaptation - Area of Effect Jeff VanderMeer's novel 'Annihilation' got a great adaptation in 2018, but the sequel 'Authority' would be equally amazing on screen.

My ultimate sci-fi pipe dream is to see a screen adaptation of Authority, @jeffvandermeer.bsky.social's amazing follow-up to Annihilation that takes us into the dysfunctional offices of the Southern Reach. It could rival Severance in the Bleak Workplaces Olympics.

areaofeffect.blog/2026/02/09/a...

Yapping About ‘YAPYAP’ The game YAPYAP is a new entry in the burgeoning genre of co-op multiplayer games that often employ proximity voice chat. While it’s clearly aiming for slapstick moments and endless chaos, I also appreciate the hints towards deeper systems you can discover during runs to the arch mage’s tower. Here are some of my initial impressions on the game. I have a regular co-op gaming crew, and we’ve tried a bunch of these games.

YAPYAPYAPYAP!! This game was fun.

Yeah the pacing was pretty great! Also loved the different puzzles. It’s no blue prince but I appreciate that they didn’t just grind one puzzle idea into the ground.

Finished this for a review and really liked it, then saw The Darkness 2 on sale for $3! Been having a great time in Edgy Horror Shooter Land.

'Crisol: Theater of Idols' is a Gritty & Confident Debut Game - Area of Effect Area of Effect's review of Crisol: Theater of Idols, developed by Vermila Studios and published by Blumhouse Games.

Here's my review of Crisol: Theater of Idols! I enjoyed dismantling weird automatons with an arsenal of blood guns, the game's atmosphere, and the variety of puzzles, but didn't love its take on a Nemesis enemy.

Fans of Bioshock should absolutely check this out!

areaofeffect.blog/2026/02/10/c...

'Crisol: Theater of Idols' is a Gritty & Confident Debut Game - Area of Effect Area of Effect's review of Crisol: Theater of Idols, developed by Vermila Studios and published by Blumhouse Games.

Here's my review of Crisol: Theater of Idols! I enjoyed dismantling weird automatons with an arsenal of blood guns, the game's atmosphere, and the variety of puzzles, but didn't love its take on a Nemesis enemy.

Fans of Bioshock should absolutely check this out!

areaofeffect.blog/2026/02/10/c...

Yeah, I could see it really working as a cool miniseries! Enjoy Authority man. Wish I could read it for the first time again.

I'm Still Yearning for an 'Authority' Adaptation - Area of Effect Jeff VanderMeer's novel 'Annihilation' got a great adaptation in 2018, but the sequel 'Authority' would be equally amazing on screen.

My ultimate sci-fi pipe dream is to see a screen adaptation of Authority, @jeffvandermeer.bsky.social's amazing follow-up to Annihilation that takes us into the dysfunctional offices of the Southern Reach. It could rival Severance in the Bleak Workplaces Olympics.

areaofeffect.blog/2026/02/09/a...

Saying Farewell to 'Dark Souls' Again (...and Again) - Area of Effect After playing 'Dark Souls 3' for the first time last year, I had some thoughts about the swan song of FromSoftwares classic trilogy.

I also got my obligatory Souls blog out early and wrote about finishing Dark Souls 3 last year!

areaofeffect.blog/2026/02/09/s...

AoE Exclusive: King Bob-omb Breaks His Silence - Area of Effect The elusive celebrity, King Bob-omb, sat down for an interview about competing with other 'Super Mario Bros' baddies and the horrors of war.

I got a Royal Scoop for the site's launch, an Exclusive interview with King-Bob-omb, the ultimate Authority on AoE.

areaofeffect.blog/2026/02/09/k...

Hey, I started a blog! It's called Area of Effect, and it's going to be a space where I can unleash silly ideas, channel my nerdiness, and warm up my dusty essayist muscles.

I've got a few blogs up now and more on the way. I'm really excited about it and hope you check it out.

areaofeffect.blog

If you’re willing to go back to an early one, you should start with Pearl Islands. You could also watch David vs. Goliath if you want to see Mike White’s run.

Screenshot from Another Crab's Treasure of the Moon Snail Shell Checkpoint with text: Moon Snail Shell Found.

Soulslike bonfires are undefeated, but I loved Another Crab's Treasures' take on them with the Moon Snail Shells! The sound effect when you unlock them is so satisfying.

My preview is live! Crisol: Theater of Idols is a first person survival shooter, and the debut of Spanish Studio Vermila. It’s a gnarly, blood soaked experience and I’m excited to try out the full game.

We can just give every critic a 7 and be done with it!

Blumhouse’s Horror Shooter ‘Crisol: Theater of Idols’ Evokes ‘BioShock’ Soaked In Blood A preview event gave us the opportunity to check out this spooky good time.

Jacob Linden (@jacornonthecob.bsky.social) checked out "Crisol: Theater of Idols" for us, and it definitely sold me on the game! videogame.town/2026/01/27/h...

Thanks to @blumhousegames.com and fortyseven communications for the chance to check it out. Keep an eye out for my full impressions of the game when it launches on Feb 10!

My preview is live! Crisol: Theater of Idols is a first person survival shooter, and the debut of Spanish Studio Vermila. It’s a gnarly, blood soaked experience and I’m excited to try out the full game.

Rotten Breath - Dragon Communion Incantation - Channels dragon to spew scarlet rot breath. Ew, stinky.

Rotten Breath Linden, you put that down right now!!

Damn I just saw Angels egg at a rep screening guess I gotta watch this!

Monster Hunter: Wilds finally has hard hunts!

Japanese Tales of Mystery and Imagination (9784805311936) Premier Publisher Of Asian Inspired Books, Gifts, Craft Kits

Read and enjoyed this last year! Mostly leans toward horror, but there are some solid crime/mystery stories in here, too.

tuttlepublishing.com/books-by-cou...

Man contains multitudes! Pretty sure he was a killer clown on American Horror Story at some point too lmfao.

My partner and I say "You've gotta have a breakfast, Margie," almost every morning.

Finch — Jeff VanderMeer

The Southern Reach books are all stone-cold classics, but I finished Jeff VanderMeer's Ambergris trilogy in 2025 with Finch, and it left a rotted, fungus-infested hole in my heart. You NEED to read these books.

www.jeffvandermeer.com/book/finch

Philly gun smugglers helped the Irish Republican Army during the Troubles. A new book uncovers their operation. 'The Next One Is For You' by Berks County native Ali Watkins traces a conspiracy to send weapons to paramilitaries in Ireland.

I mostly read fantasy this year, but one incredible nonfiction book I devoured was The Next One Is For You by Ali Watkins. If you're interested in the Troubles or want to know some fascinating Philly history, pick this up!

www.phillyvoice.com/ira-gun-ring...

The StoryGraph Wrap-up 2025 @JacornReads. I read 20 books last year including the Witcher series, the Magicians Trilogy, Ivanhoe, some nonfiction and history books, and more.

Read 20 books in 2025 and going to try and double those numbers this year. I didn’t keep up with new releases as much as I wanted to, but I’m super happy I made an effort to get off my stupid phone and open up a book way more last year!