Author Details
Leonardo Faierman is a games & film critic, comic creator, podcaster, and persistent freelancer in parts both known and unknown. He's one of the cofounders of Albany Poets, Inc., cocreator of the comic book Snow Daze with Marcus Kwame Anderson, and 1/4 of the long-running podcast #BlackComicsChat.
A recent comic, "Sámaras," was published in Power & Magic Press' Latin American Sci-Fi Anthology Mañana, with gorgeous art by Richard Zela, which has also been translated into Spanish.
Oh, and it's pronounced "Fireman."
Industry Focus
Leo has a longstanding penchant for independent video games, where the hardscrabble magic of interactive imagination thrives. There are two phases of contemporary independent gaming: before Super Meat Boy and after Super Meat Boy. Hotline Miami was the equivalent of the Sex Pistols' Lesser Free Trade Hall show.
As a cinephile and film critic, memorable moments include: getting drunk with two Star Wars prequel actors, crying alone at a screening of Notes From The Field, and discerning Lost Highway during a sleepless night. Ask me about it.
Favorite Media
Leo's list of his favorite games of all time must include: Shadow of the Colossus, Guardian Heroes, Towerclimb, The Beginner's Guide, Final Fantasy IV, River City Ransom, Star Control 2, Overwatch, The Binding of Isaac, Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number, Towerfall, Bloodborne, Fight'n'Rage, Nuclear Throne, and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
His favorite film of all time remains Mad Max: Fury Road.
"Things Often Go From Routine Rut To Restart In The Blink Of An Eye" - Endless Dungeon Review
Endless Dungeon offers a fun co-op tower-defense/twin-stick shooter challenge, but its roguelite framework begs for more chaos and gameplay mixups.
"Always Keeps Its 16-Bit Heart In The Right Place" - Pixel Ripped 1995 PSVR2 Review
Pixel Ripped 1995 hits the PSVR2, a nostalgic and brief all-ages adventure through classic gaming that leverages 3D interactivity in inventive ways.
"A Few Good Hours of Jokes, Meta Silliness, and Gore" - High on Life: High on Knife DLC Review
High on Life gets its first DLC with High on Knife, a brief but entertaining content chunk for the gross-out humor FPS that should satisfy its fans.
"Co-Op Fans Should Jump Into This One Early": Relic Hunters Legend Preview
Rogue Snail's online-only cartoon looter-shooter Relic Hunters Legend enters Early Access fully-formed and loaded with content.
"Elegantly Well-Balanced With A Considerable Skill Ceiling": Broken Edge Review
Broken Edge is a one-of-a-kind sword-dueling fighter which now has a home on the PSVR2, though it's arguably limited in its singleplayer offerings.
"A Fun But Underweight Action-Roguelite" - AK-xolotl Review
AK-xolotl presents a cute run'n'gun roguelite concept, but an overall simplicity and lack of post-credits gameplay leaves it ultimately underexplored.
"A Well-Tuned First-Person Fantasy Brawler For People Who Love The Grind" - MythForce Review
MythForce boasts some challenging first-person roguelite fundamentals and 80s animated charm, but more gameplay diversity would round it out.
"A Fine First Date, But Might Not Be Marriage Material": Eternights Review
Persona-inspired action-adventure Eternights wows with its confident concept, but some rote combat and romance mechanics bring it back down to earth.
"The Trekkie tips of the hat are in full display" - Star Trek: Infinite Preview
Star Trek: Infinite takes Stellaris and stirs in a whole of Star Trek, with some QOL changes to the base game and plenty of fan service.
Galactic Conquest, Combat, and Arranged Marriage - Warhammer 40K: Rogue Trader Preview
Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader is becoming an increasingly attractive prospect for fans of western RPGs, even those unfamiliar with the franchise.
"An Entirely Original and Rewardingly Rich Adventure": The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood Review
Deconstructeam's newest experimental adventure game gives new meaning to "deckbuilder," with an engrossingly personal story of magic and betrayal.
"Bucking Convention, Increasing Accessibility": Lords of the Fallen Preview
Hexworks' upcoming successor to 2014's Lords of the Fallen features familiar Soulslike gameplay around an innovative and detailed dual-world mechanic.
"A Kid-Friendly Candy-Colored Doom: Eternal With A Roguelite Twist" - Battle Shapers Preview
Metric Empire's Battle Shapers is shaping up to be a fun update of Mega Man's aesthetic into a remarkably agile and approachable roguelite FPS.
"A Good Jumping Off Point For A Visual Novel": Nonorelia PC Preview
Middle Edge Software's upcoming visual novel game Nonorelia combines nonograms with a fully voice-acted sci-fi story.
"Still A Refreshing, One-Of-A-Kind Puzzler Hybrid": Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes - DE Review
Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes - Definitive Edition is a new glow-up for the cult classic puzzler, but it lacks new features and mod cons.
"A Weird Western Platformer With A Great Hook": Gunbrella Preview
Gunbrella's creepy western vibe and platforming combat is an unusual blend, but tight controls and a beautifully dirty aesthetic help seal the deal.
Ed-0: Zombie Uprising Review: An Action-Roguelite Diamond in the Rough
Ed-0: Zombie Uprising is an unforgiving, rough-around-the-edges, one-of-a-kind action-roguelite, but it requires a certain appetite for janky physics.
BIG Festival Preview - Haunted House: A Spooky Stealth-Based Roguelite
Atari's Haunted House gets a modern-day facelift, an all-ages spooky stealth roguelite courtesy of Brazil's Orbit Studios.
BIG Festival Preview - Bloodless: The Swordless Samurai
Point'N'Sheep's retro-themed adventure game Bloodless features a highly unusual battle system, and took home top prize at this year's BIG Festival.
BIG Festival Preview: UDO: An Infectious Arcade Roguelite Descent
Blue Firefly Studios' UDO began as a humble game jam entry, but the arcade roguelite is seeing a full release on Steam and Nintendo Switch this fall.