2025 went and didn't even say hello
Looking Back at
That year was gone in a blink, or that's at least how it felt like. In the beginning of the year we prepared for moving to Finland, and then we moved. It was tougher than all our previous moves; a lot went wrong, we had to move separately to get all the animals over*, and our daughter's passport was a last minute business (thanks German bureaucracy).
It drained us. Right when arriving in April, I started my new job while we were still looking for our kid's daycare, and half the year was already gone!
Thankfully the second half of the year went much better — I went head's deep into my new job at Remedy, a dream come true, working on CONTROL Resonant; learning every day, pushing myself, occupying all my head-space.
My past Goals
With the new job, new country, and learning every day, I managed two of my set goals for . Having fun* and starting my new job, making it successful through probation.
I did not blog once, sadly. I started a lot of good articles, worked more on the Lua series, but I was not able to finish and publish anything. Same for working on Alsafi or my 3D work, nothing happened.
As much as it saddens me, there is no reason to push me harder, just for the sake of it. I was happy focusing on my work, and I will even more now in with the upcoming release of CONTROL Resonant.
What I Played this Year
I love video games, though was not able to play as much as I wanted to in . Nevertheless I'm doing a list of the new ones I played and liked as every year. This is no ranking, and they also did not all release in , I just played them that year.
Time Flies
What a lovely little game that brought much joy for roughly one afternoon. I think I lived the life of 42 flies, very fitting. Brilliant game, 10/10, no further comments.
Citizen Sleeper 2
I absolutely loved the first game and its characters; but it does not compare, besides the gameplay, to the second one. An amazing sequel that improves on so many areas. This time the game was much better balanced to the endgame, being tense all the way to the finale, if not even more with its glitch mechanic. And the writing, superb. The people in my crew I had the chance to get to know proper stuck with me long after the credits rolled.
Death Stranding 2
Long anticipated since its announcement, I had high hopes for the second part of a game I really liked and replayed multiple times. Sadly, not met. On paper, it should have been amazing, though multiple things just didn't spark all the same flames for me.
The story was rather clunky and nothing really new. All the mystery was in the first one, the second one only elaborated more on it without adding much substance. Besides that, it felt the whole story was only told when visiting the mobile base of operations, with the protagonist grunting through most of it*. Story beats got repeated, and some moments felt fully out of place. The "musical" at the end had "I saw this in Alan Wake 2 and wanted to have the same" vibes.
Even the gameplay, a version of the endgame of the first part, didn't add much. More shooting, more stealth, more Metal Gear. I was able to avoid almost all BT encounters, a non-trivial part of the first experience, that back then made me feel inferior in this new and dark world; sadly not this time.
All in all, it had its good moments, some even great, I enjoyed it and even will play it again one day, but the first Death Stranding could have been a single game with a finite story and I would have been just as happy.
Blue Prince
I'm usually not much into puzzle games, or rogue-likes, but Blue Prince is different*. Intriguing puzzles, the iceberg of mysteries, paired with the ever-daily reset of the house — redrawing. I'm not sure when the last time was I had to take out a notebook to keep track of the shenanigans that are going one, I loved it.
Outer Worlds 2
Loved the first game, it was all I wanted from Obsidian, thinking back about the glorious days of Fallout: New Vegas. Naturally, I had to play the second one. And … I think I liked it? Not initially, and not all of it — some parts are improvements over the first game. The flaws are more intriguing especially on a replay, the planets and landscapes are great and memorable, and the choices for the story felt solid, player driven.
But then, the story itself, the factions, the companions: all not as memorable or intriguing as the first Outer Worlds. The crew first and foremost; I almost did not care at all about my crew or their stories. Where the first game had some of the best written companions in video games, the second had just … a feature that needed to be there because the first had it. Regardless, I will play it again as I want to delve deeper into the flaws and choices.
Books I've read
I did read more books in than games I played, with one book series now being one of my new favourite. And looking at my bookshelf I assume I will read even more in 2026, with some great banger I cannot wait to start*.
I Am Legend
I picked it up at random when waiting for my connection flight in London Heathrow*. I've heard the tone and end of the book differs from the movie, a movie I didn't really like, so I gave the book a shot. And yeah, the tone is different, as well as many story elements, the main protagonist, and whole premise; making the book that much more enjoyable for me compared to the movie.
It is a short and tense book with a questionable protagonist and a nicely twisted end — I can recommend giving it a read.
Game Engine Architecture
A non-fiction book is usually not on a list like this; especially such a beast — I love it. So much valuable (and timeless) knowledge, references, comparisons, ideas, help; for about nearly everything one can imagine when working on a game engine or a game.
Of course it does not try to cover all, how could it, it rather gives valuable insights and direction to then further deepen knowledge by continuing with alternative material. Nevertheless, it is rather thick and heavy, so reading it at bedtime is not the most comfortable.
Roadside Picnic
The inspiration for the Stalker video games took me a while to actually get into, but then hooked me so much I finished the whole book in two sessions. Sadly the pocketbook version I had had fallen apart after, but this gives me a good excuse to buy a good hard-cover.
2001: A Space Odyssey
Even though the book and the movie were created as one, with Kubrick and Clarke hiding in a hotel room to bring it all together, the book is, as often with books, superior. To be honest, I did put reading the book off for quite some time as I already love the movie and thought the book can’t do much more for me. I was wrong.
The book gave me a different perspective on HAL, the pacing is great, the end is more elaborate and extended — all in all this worked much better for me. I’ll continue reading the other books, with the second part having also a movie I very much like.
Neuromancer
The defining book of early Cyberpunk, regardless how critics discuss its role. There is not much to say about it really: great book, banger opening line, solid story. I’ll read it again one day, a true classic.
Book of the New Sun (All 4)
My wife gifted me the whole "Book of the new Sun" series, as four books packed in two books — somewhat confusing packaged. Regardless, what a journey to the extreme distant future of earth with its dying sun, and the hope of a new coming.
Never sure to root for or against the protagonist, a torturer; in a decaying, half mystical, half technological advanced world; with extreme contrasts, fantastical things roaming the wilds, and vast implications of a desperate society.
After reading the books I had to pause for a while to process the whole. Since then, themes and characters stuck with me, and I feel already some influence in my own works of fiction. Truly mind shaping and a set of books I will surely read again.
Onwards to
No year goes by without me settings some new goals for myself. And instead of being more realistic looking at last year, I stay optimistic and ambitious.
1. Having Fun
This has to be on the list, always. It is easy to forget what life is about, too much "numbers go up", too little fun and love. So as always, I want to have fun, in what I'm doing, with my family, take the good to get through the mud of times.
2. Write more Again
I published only one article last year. One! I want to change that, I will. I'll focus on finishing the ones I already started and get going with some of my ideas and drafts*.
I have yet to find the right mix. When I pushed myself to one article every month I was not happy with the quality of many and revisited often later to get them at least somewhat polished. But saying "I publish when an article is done" gets me into perfectionist hell, and I publish nothing. Therefore, I hope I can get a better balance this year; fingers crossed.
3. Ship a Game
Nothing crazy, just CONTROL Resonant I'm working on with my amazing UI team at Remedy Entertainment (what the heck, crazy feeling, I cannot believe this is actually happening). If you did not already, watch the official trailer.
4. Deep into 3D
I have a private little game project with a couple of friends where I will have the chance to really boost my 3D skills. I’m absolutely looking forward to working on this in , even though it will be quite some time until I can show anything.
Wrap It up, Please!
Wush, a year gone again. So far Finland is great, a bit more bureaucratic compared to Sweden, but nothing compared to the German government.
This year especially felt insanely fast gone, so much happened, hard things, terrible things looking at the world, and yet; so much great and exciting and hard and good-looking at my life together with my wife and kid.
Anyway, up into a 2026.
Until then 👋🏻