Game Theorist (MatPat) — replace: Razbuten+

The Best Mechanics From "Bad" Games

Watch all my exclusive videos by joining Nebula: https://nebula.tv/razbuten There are so many aspects that make up a video game, and this means incredible ideas have the opportunity to exist alongside terrible ones, turning the game as a whole into something not all that remarkable despite containing aspects that are. This video is an examination and celebration of a few games that fall into this category. Sources: Report: Bionic Commando Developer GRIN Sees Major Layoffs: https://web.archive.org/web/20120512023012/http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=23787 Perfect Moments i

The Games That Got Me Through 2025

Watch all my exclusive videos by joining Nebula at https://nebula.tv/razbuten Another year, another reflection on the games that helped me get through it. Thumbnail by @hotcyder Audio Edited by @HeavyEyed Sources: Building a tower to reach heaven in a world that could be from a cult lost PS2 RPG: Interview with Ghrian Studio, the developer of BURGGEIST (Ranarif, 2025): https://darkrpgs.home.blog/2025/04/24/building-a-tower-to-reach-heaven-in-a-world-that-could-be-from-a-lost-ps2-rpg-interview-with-ghrian-studio-the-developer-of-burggeist/ Angeline Era recaptures the PS1 age by doing somet

The Mechanic That's Impossible to Balance

Get Displate's premium metal posters for up to 40% off with code RAZBUTEN at https://displate.com/l/razbuten Failure is a strange part of games as it brings shape and stakes to them, but is also something we generally want to avoid at all costs. This video examines that delicate push and pull and the ways in which it gets players to feel and act in certain ways. Audio edit by @HeavyEyed Thumbnail by @hotcyder   Additional Footage from @yakkocmn and @HeavyEyed Additional Music and Sound Effects by Epidemic Sound: http://epidemicsound.com/creator Games shown (in order of first appearance)

Pointless Mechanics That Make Games Better

Watch all my exclusive videos by joining Nebula at https://nebula.tv/razbuten Check out Masterful Mimicry, KingK's new series on Okami: https://nebula.tv/videos/kingk-okami-is-a-canvas-masterful-mimicry?ref=razbuten While game design as moved towards integrating systems as much as possible, there are some mechanics that fall outside of tightly designed gameplay loops, and I have found myself appreciating them more and more due to the fact that they are "pointless" to engage with from a progression standpoint. Whether it be the salute in Hades 2 or playing Gwent in The Witcher 3, mechanics lik

My Favorite Game Mechanic (that nobody likes)

👉 Grab a copy of Alan Wake: Design Works now at https://bit.ly/RazbutenLIC and use code RAZBUTENALANWAKE for 5% off site-wide Time limits are one of the most powerful mechanics in gaming, and as a lover of them, I thought it'd be fun to talk about some games that would be better with them, the ways in which they tend be utilized in the gaming space, and how despite being an interesting mechanic, people still hate them. Audio edit by @HeavyEyed Thumbnail by @hotcyder Additional Footage from @yakkocmn   Additional Music and Sound Effects by Epidemic Sound: http://epidemicsound.com/creator

Playing Games in Unfun Ways

Watch all my exclusive videos by joining Nebula at https://nebula.tv/razbuten Check out the companion video here: https://nebula.tv/videos/razbuten-every-game-ive-100ed Watch this video on Nebula: https://nebula.tv/videos/razbuten-playing-games-in-unfun-ways Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/razbuten Mark Brown's Video: https://youtu.be/7L8vAGGitr8?feature=shared Sometimes I fall into the trap of playing games in the least fun ways imaginable, and in this video I largely tackle one of the ways I tend to do this and examine the very important question of: can I stop? Audio edit by @HeavyEye

Even More Indie Games You Missed (if i had to guess...i can't be sure though)

For 5% off Design Works: Animal Well and everything else in Lost in Cult's store, use code RazbutenAW at https://bit.ly/RazbutenLIC The indie scene is filled with tons and tons of games, and, especially with lesser known ones, it can be hard to know which ones might be for you, so here is my attempt to expose a few games that you probably haven't heard of but would enjoy! Links To The Games: BURGGEIST: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2203210/BURGGEIST/ Basilisk 2000: https://akuma-kira.itch.io/basilisk-2000 Prodigal: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1393820/Prodigal/ Sheepo: https://st

The Best Games Are Kinda Bad

Watch a bunch of exclusive videos I've made over on Nebula: https://nebula.tv/razbuten Game design is a business of trade-offs, and in this video I spend some time discussing the broad scope of that. Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/razbuten Nebula: https://nebula.app/razbuten Discord: https://discord.gg/rfawkHa Twitter: https://twitter.com/theRazbuten Audio edit by @HeavyEyed Thumbnail by @hotcyder Sources: I couldn’t finish Tears of the Kingdom: https://youtu.be/HVYgXqUVDVA?si=CjNTKdTYvpsZFzD9 Tears of the Kingdom Isn’t Perfect: https://youtu.be/z5YNUl9wve0?si=LWJjPrkDlBv0W-eA Tears of

The Games That Got Me Through 2024

Pre-order Lost in Cult's latest two books about The Legacy of Kain by going here: https://bit.ly/LoKTTRPG Here is a playlist of every game I played last year: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-05ipQDA2Xdt8EN9f6mLXwc-wNAQEgdl&si=FoPxdgkcfV5tfM4u Second Channel: @razbutwo 2024 has been another year, and, as always, video games were a huge part of it for me. Beyond just being a form of entertainment, they helped me reflect a lot on who I am right now, and that opportunity has been invaluable. So, join me as I recount me year through the lens of the games that got me through it. Patreon:

Video Game Cities Are Weird

Check at the ModMic and other great stuff from Antlion Audio by going to this link: https://antlionaudio.com/?utm_source=YouTube&utm_medium=Raz&utm_campaign=NQ423 Cities in video games have come a long way over the years, and whether it be Novigrad in the Witcher 3 or Los Santos in Grand Theft Auto 5, some of them have been able to create a realistic vibe that makes the city feel alive. Of course, they aren’t and when examined even a tiny bit, the real world logic of them falls apart. However, while cities in games are reminiscent of cities in real life, they aren’t meant to be designed to be

Games That Feel Like Dark Souls (that aren't like Dark Souls)

Check out Lost in Cult's upcoming book Outer Wilds: Design Works, and get 5% off your order by using code RAZBUTEN: https://bit.ly/RazbutenOW Dark Souls left me feeling a certain type of way, and that feeling is one I have been chasing for a long time. The thing is, I only seem to get it from games that aren't all that much like Dark Souls, so, yeah, I wanna talk about games that feel like Dark Souls despite really not being like it at all. Check out the video I mentioned by @KaayLive: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3HTYmxGVG8 Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/razbuten Nebula: https://nebu

...Why Skyrim?

Receive 10% off anything on bellroy.com: https://bit.ly/4c4gQ9I Skyrim is one of the most consequential games ever made. It has stayed overwhelmingly popular since it's release, and I often find myself wondering...why? Skyrim has no shortage of flaws, yet it cemented a place as an all time great that people are still playing to this day. So, I've spent a good chunk of the last few months trying to find out what all has led Skyrim to become Skyrim. Second Channel: @razbutwo Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/razbuten Nebula: https://nebula.app/razbuten Discord: https://discord.gg/rfawkHa Twi

Rewards Are Weird

Receive 10% off anything on bellroy.com : https://bit.ly/3t6FnK7 Rewards are an interesting part of games. They are one of the biggest drivers of player behavior, for better and for worse, and I thought it'd be worthwhile to look into how they work in a lot of games, and examine the ups and downs of any given approach because like all things game design, there is no perfect way to do it, but there are some ways that are cooler than others. So, yeah, let's talk about how rewards are kinda weird. Second Channel: @razbutwo Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/razbuten Nebula: https://nebula.app/r

What Baldur's Gate 3 is Like For Someone Who Doesn't Really Play Games

Go to https://nordvpn.com/razbutenvpn to sign up for NordVPN with a huge discount for viewers of the channel! Baldur's Gate 3 is a game with an unprecedented amount of player choice. There are so many ways to interact with the world, and that made me wonder: what would it be like for someone who learning the ins and outs of video games? So, I had my wife play it to find out, and now you can watch to also find out. Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/razbuten Nebula: https://nebula.app/razbuten Discord: https://discord.gg/rfawkHa Twitter: https://twitter.com/theRazbuten Audio edit by @HeavyEyed

The Games That Got Me Through 2023

Receive 10% off anything on bellroy.com : https://bit.ly/3t6FnK7 2023 has been another year, and, as always, video games were a huge part of it for me. Beyond just being a form of entertainment, they helped me reflect a lot on who I am right now, and that opportunity has been invaluable. So, join me as I recount me year through the lens of the games that got me through it. Second Channel: @razbutwo Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/razbuten Nebula: https://nebula.app/razbuten Discord: https://discord.gg/rfawkHa Twitter: https://twitter.com/theRazbuten Audio edit by @HeavyEyed Thumbnail b