The Wrapp - Outlandish hunting, laid back fish, and blocky strategy

Hello! And welcome back to the Wrapp, our weekly series where we chat about our gaming plans for the next couple of days. This time, we have a rare appearance from Dave, who has returned to his long-standing favourite. Meanwhile, Shaun has a newfound love, which means he'll play it a lot for two months, then suddenly stop when something shinier distracts him. He is a gaming magpie. 

Will Quick

Freelance Writer

As we head into the second-third month of spring, there's a lot in the air. Among those things is the pollination of the green menace, which is targeting my sinuses to bring endless suffering. It's forcing me to seek refuge within the confines of my home and leave me to my own devices. Thankfully, I have access to multiple devices, and one in particular is challenging me to conquer the world of Battle Fate.

This solo-dev game is a strategic affair, and I'm all about that tact (sometimes). I'll be playing with the different factions, armies, and units to see which one is the best or at least the best for me.

Dave Bradley

General Manager of Steel Media

I’m back into The Battle of Polytopia this weekend, a game I’ve loved on and off since it first came out. I’ve drifted away a little at times (mostly thanks to too much Clash Royale and Marvel Snap…), but I’ve been getting properly hooked again. Its turn-based, civilisation-lite format is fantastic, and I especially enjoy playing custom maps in Creative mode – on Crazy difficulty, naturally.

It took me ages, probably more than a year, to really get used to the enhanced ships and sailing system; and additions like Cloaks, which let you sneak into enemy territory and disrupt cities, have made it feel like a very different game from the one I first fell for. I put it down last year, but I’ve just picked it back up, and it’s got its little blocky claws into me all over again. (If I can drag myself away from my phone for five minutes, I might try to make some progress on Horizon: Forbidden West on my PlayStation, too.)

Catherine Dellosa

Reviews Editor

Once again, the heat has messed with my brain enough that I am now willing to give Chillquarium’s early access a go despite my fear of sea creatures. Promises of water and chill have been made, and perhaps it’s the best way to escape the heat. I’ve got a doctor’s appointment this Saturday, after all, so I’ll need a good time-waster to while away the hours in the waiting room.

Outside of that, I’ve only recently gotten on board with the washi tape craze, and despite being late to the party, I’m determined to make up for it by sticking them onto any stickable surface imaginable. If there’s an empty spot on anything that’s got an awkwardly placed tape stuck on it, that’s likely my doing. Weekend well-spent!

Dann Sullivan

Editor in Chief

For all of my plans last weekend, it wasn’t the great narratives of Hundred Days, Suzerain or Six Ages that held my attention during my flights, but instead Dicey Dungeon. I’ll be putting more and more time into that as this weekend passes - although I will also be out for the Pokémon Go, Shadow Entei day on Saturday.

Shaun Walton

Staff Writer

I have been lucky enough to secure a spot in the second Monster Hunter Outlanders beta, and I may have stayed up until 1 am last night playing it. It is much more action-oriented than usual Monster Hunters, with quicker bouts, to allow for mobile's pick up and play nature, which takes a bit to get used to. But overall, I am quite enjoying myself. Still a lot more of Aesoland to explore, though, so that's my plan for the weekend.

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I’m at Gamescom LatAm 2026! And while this is obviously a very exciting trip, it’s one that’s been jam-packed with stuff to do and things to cover. Not always helped by the internet access in the press room being spotty at best. But that just means you’ll have plenty to read once we get it uploaded! There are a bunch of amazing mobile games I’ve been able to try from Brazilian devs to talk about, as well as a few hidden gems that I spotted just on a walkabout. Viva Brazil! And be sure to check out my interview with Faith developer Airdorf for some exciting news about its planned release for Android and (maybe) iOS!

Stephen Gregson-Wood

Deputy Editor

As always, the allure of a shiny new expansion in Pokémon TCG Pocket means that's what I'll be playing this weekend. Specifically, I want to try out Mega Sceptile ex. I love status effects chipping away at my opponent's Pokémon. And that's after potentially dealing 130 damage. It's a tantalising prospect, but whether I'll have much success with it remains to be seen. That big old fluffball Alataria still rules the proverbial roost right now.