September Staff Picks: Mid-Travel Pitstop (opens in new tab)
Discord’s September Staff Picks highlights employees’ favorite recent releases and reliable travel games. Their choices range from major titles like *Astro Bot*, *Space Marine 2*, and *Black Myth: Wukong* to portable strategy, puzzle, cozy, and indie games. Across the interviews, the Nintendo Switch and Steam Deck emerge as ideal companions for long journeys. ## Recent Games Getting Attention - **Astro Bot** impressed Armando with its creative level design, joyful presentation, and resemblance to the best moments of *Super Mario Galaxy*. - He completed the platinum trophy in one weekend and considers it a strong Game of the Year contender. - **Into the Breach** offers tense, turn-based strategy that feels like a combination of mini-chess and a roguelite. - Its portable format makes it especially well suited to the Nintendo Switch. - **Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2** has been a favorite for Tracie, who enjoys battling Tyranids with friends in the campaign and Operation Missions. - Character customization lets her represent the Blood Angels Space Marine Chapter. - Matt has been playing a wide range of new releases, including: - *Black Myth: Wukong* - *Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2* - *Satisfactory 1.0* - *Astro Bot* - *Inscryption* - *Inscryption* stands out as another staff favorite, combining card-game mechanics with a distinctive and absorbing presentation. ## Reliable Games for Travel - Armando frequently travels with his Switch and returns to games that remain enjoyable after many hours: - *The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild* - *Dead Cells* - *Balatro* - He also recommends mobile puzzle games, especially *2048*, which is available on some airplane seat-back screens. - Tracie prefers comforting games during stressful travel, particularly: - *Stardew Valley* - *Pokémon Scarlet/Violet* - She notes that *Stardew Valley*’s 1.6 update was announced for consoles in November. - Matt plans to use his Steam Deck during a flight to Japan, with a large backlog including: - *Inscryption* - *Dome Keeper* - *Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor* - *Final Fantasy VI* - *Dead Cells* - *Nine Sols* - *ANIMAL WELL* - *Melatonin* - *Fallout 4* The staff’s recommendations suggest that the best travel games are portable, replayable, and easy to enjoy in short sessions. A Switch or Steam Deck stocked with a mix of cozy games, roguelites, strategy titles, and puzzle games can make long flights and other journeys much more enjoyable.