Lewis Burnell

Senior Comms for ICO Partners. Previously Head of PR for Vicarious PR. Freelancer for MMORPG.com Delivering award winning video game coverage. 

Portfolio

Here's a very brief range of my work over the last ten years, made up of video games I've particularly enjoyed working on.

Game Informer •

Haex Is A Co-Op Survival Shooter Set In A Nordic Wilderness Overtaken By Aliens

Dead Astronauts, a Sweden-based studio made up of former Epic Games and Massive Entertainment devs, has revealed its first game, Haex, and it's a co-op survival FPS set in the Nordic Wilderness. Besides surviving the harsh landscape, players will also need to fend off aliens and other mysterious creatures now calling these wilds home. The game is currently in development for PC, but there's no release date yet. Revealed during the Summer Game Fest 2026 showcase, you and up to three friends must...
PCGamesN •

"Triple-A is in crisis" and games "don't have staying power because they're bad," says ex Gears of War director and Painkiller creator

"Triple-A is in crisis," Astronauts and People Can Fly founder Adrian Chmielarz tells me. We're chatting Witchfire, and the gaming industry more generally, and how 2025 feels like the year where indie and double-A games owned the conversation more than ever. This year's GOTY pool was fairly evenly split between indie releases and big-budget blockbusters, and the same bears out over on Metacritic's highest-rated games of the year, where the likes of Hades 2, Expedition 33, and Blue Prince claim t...
PC Gamer •

Tavern Keeper is the management sim of my dreams, and the best thing I've played in early access in 2025

Nothing I have ever done has filled me with as much pride as The Half Pint, my hobbity pub serving patrons all across the idyllic Shire, which I built and manage from within early access sim Tavern Keeper.We serve a wide range of drinks and snacks, from reasonably priced wine and ale to skewers of ethically sourced meats (the source is an ogre and he seems very above board), host live music and any comedians who haven't been cancelled yet, and thanks to my business acumen we are absolutely rolli...
PC Gamer •

Dispatch's first season is a triumphant piece of interactive TV and I couldn't get enough

Dispatch is full of heart and jokes, and it's one of the best superhero TV shows around.
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As someone who still carries a torch for Telltale narrative adventures, I really wanted AdHoc Studio's Dispatch—a superhero workplace comedy full of HR violations—to be great, even as I had my doubts about the r...
PC Gamer •

Starfinder: Afterlight could become one of my favourite CRPGs—even if the studio's co-founders are 'more scared about huge success than a bit of failure' when it comes to their big Kickstarter debut

Starfinder: Afterlight launched its Kickstarter today—and let me tell you, I am actually extremely excited for this game. Sure, I'm now officially one of those annoying Pathfinder 2e guys who will tell you about how good the three-action system is (no but really, it's better), but Afterlight is actually shaping up really nicely so far.That's not to say I'm calling it here and now that it'll be perfect. It's developer Epictellers Entertainment's first ever game; CRPGs are hard to make; and it's s...
VICE •

‘Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream’ Blends Puzzle and Stealth Gameplay for an Incredibly Captivating Experience (Review)

When I received a code for Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream, I wasn’t sure if I could finish the game by the time the review embargo was up. After realizing that I had spent over six hours playing in one sitting, I then realized that making this happen would be much easier than I anticipated. But, how? The engaging stealth action, which seamlessly blends puzzles, cooperation, and teamwork, alongside an interesting and engaging narrative, had me engrossed in the world. I didn’t even realize that I had...
Dice Engine •

🪦 Below The Surface

What’s Inside: Prepare for exile and death with a grim collection of TTRPG’s and board games to awaken your morbid curiosity.Upcoming Page | Ancient power lurks as the rivers run sourDeveloped by Laura Lang at Endless Forms, Sewer Sanctuary is heading to Gamefound as a story-rich, standalone and rules-light tabletop roleplaying game. What caught my eye, besides the beautiful artwork and setting, is the quote “This dungeon crawler reminded me of Zelda-like temple adventures.” At that point, I was...
MMORPG.com •

Interview: Over A Decade Later, Guild Wars 2 Still Finds Its Voice | MMORPG.com

Lewis: How’s everyone doing?
Colin: Yeah, we're good. I think, you know, we talk about this a lot internally, of “how we are doing? How's the studio doing? I think this is probably the best place we've been in in a really long time these days, from a standpoint of how we're doing on delivering all the stuff that we want to do, on how people enjoy their work coming to work every day and where the studio is at overall. We went through some really tough times in the past. 2019 was a really, really...

Orcs Must Die! Deathtrap r/Games AMA

Hi everyone! 👋

We're Robot Entertainment! For the last 15 years we’ve developed the Orcs Must Die! series, and we’re set to release the latest instalment in the franchise in Q1 2025: Orcs Must Die! Deathtrap. 

Orcs Must Die! first released on Steam back in 2011! Since then, we’ve launched four other games in the series. Orcs Must Die! Deathtrap will be the very first to offer 4 player online co-op.

Check out the trailer here on YouTube

Today, we have Robot Entertainme...
Polygon •

The Operator is the deep state sim I’ve craved for so long

The Operator is an indie game where you take up the role of Evan Tanner, a fresh-faced recruit at the Federal Department of Intelligence (FDI). It’s the early ’90s, and an old buddy has hooked you up with this cushy government gig. All you have to do is master a set of high-tech tools and serve as the man in the chair for agents on the front lines.In The Operator, the action all takes place on Evan’s work computer. There are brief vignettes where Evan heads home to feed his cat, or moves into a...
Polygon •

Smite 2 is coming, won’t replace the original Smite

Hi Rez Studios and Titan Forge Games will release a sequel to Smite, the third-person MOBA that was first released in 2014 and has drawn 40 million players since, the companies announced Friday. Smite 2 will bring with it an Unreal Engine 5-powered upgrade, and promises full cross-play and cross-progression.

Smite 2’s developers say that the move from Smite’s Unreal Engine 3 to Epic Games’ newest game engine will give the sequel more “godlike impact” — meaning graphical upgrades and more dazzli
Larian Studios •

Baldur's Gate 3: An Unexpected Adventure (feat. Elijah Wood & Sean Astin)

Fresh off The Game Awards Swen met with some familiar faces to play some Baldur's Gate 3 👀

Elijah Wood and Sean Astin join Swen Vincke in a totally normal game session, where absolutely no evil powers were awakened and no squirrels were harmed.

Produced by Nightowl Creative Studios, LTD. www.NightowlStudiosLTD.com
Nikhil Potdar - Executive Producer
Cody Peck - Post Production Producer
Paul Melancon - Audio Mixing and Music Supervisor
Brian Ward - Director/Editor
Juan Mena - Assistant Editor
Irving Ong - Director of Photography
Joe Otanez - Assistant Camera
Drea Letamendi - Script Supervisor
Robert Sharman - Sound Mixer
Alex Corea - Technical Producer
Zach Shaner - Gaming Technician
Yaniv Fituci - Production Manager
Super Creative - Studio Facility
Cici Andersen - Hair & Make Up
Molly Stern - Hair & Make Up
Peter Sawyer - Production Assistant
Andrew Pawluk - Production Assistant
Adam Fisher - Payroll

Special Thanks:
ICO
William Morris Endeavor Agency
Walter Schupfer Management Corporation
Super Creative
Turtle Beach Corporation
Elijah Wood
Sean Astin

Winner of multiple Game Of The Year Awards, Baldur’s Gate 3 is out now on Xbox Series X|S, joining PlayStation 5 and PC players.
Get Baldur’s Gate 3 now: https://baldursgate3.game/

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Eurogamer.net •

Darkest Dungeon 2's Binding Blade DLC brings two new heroes in December

Developer Red Hook Studios has announced a first paid DLC pack for its acclaimed horror sequel Darkest Dungeon 2. It's called The Binding Blade and will introduce two new heroes - one who'll be familiar to fans of the first game - when it arrives in December.

Darkest Dungeon 2 left early access back in May this year, taking players on a grim Lovecraftian road trip that Eurogamer contributor Edwin Evans-Thirlwell called a "copious and often brilliant, if not quite unmissable reworking of a power
gamesradar •

Horror Soulslike Lies of P just dropped a demo and release date at Summer Game Fest

Lies of P publisher Neowiz Games surprised by dropping a creepy new demo for its upcoming Soulslike reimaging of Pinocchio, as well as a release date.

Announced in 2021 and slated to launch in August this year, Lies of P was a breakout hit at Gamescom 2022 . Its striking setting of steampunk-infused 19th century France was a major draw, as was its gruelling Soulslike combat to rival even the . The line to play it was one of the longest of the day at Gamescom, and less than a year later, the res
PC Gamer •

I'm completely hooked on this open world business sandbox sim, and I'm not alone

I'm a successful businessman in the financial capital of the world, New York City. You can tell just by looking at me, because I'm wearing a suit and a tie. Also, I'm running down the middle of the street pushing a hand cart stacked with 300 frozen hamburgers the day after I spent 48 hours sleeping on a park bench. That's what successful businessmen like Mark Cuban do, right?

Which is to say my entrance to the Manhattan retail management scene has been a bit of a scramble. In business sandbox s
Hooded Horse •

Fight For The Fate Of The Solar System In Terra Invicta - Out Now

September 26, 2022 - Hooded Horse and Pavonis Interactive - the creators of the popular Long War mods for XCOM 1 and 2 - are pleased to announce that their sci-fi grand strategy game has been released into Steam Early Access and GOG. What will you do when the aliens begin their invasion?

Available for $39.99/€39.99/£34.99/¥4980 in French, German, Spanish, Japanese, and Simplified/Traditional Chinese, Terra Invicta puts players in charge of one of seven different factions, each with their own pl
Hooded Horse •

Stormswept Roguelike City Builder Against the Storm Hits New Milestone With Major Update

September 8th, 2022 - When the world is destroyed by a devastating storm, how do you rebuild in the face of everlasting rain? From and comes , a fantasy roguelite city builder where destruction is inevitable. With the new , players are invited to rediscover the Cursed Royal Woodlands, which boasts new content and significant improvements - these blighted lands hold a fresh experience for Viceroys both new and seasoned.

The Cursed Royal Woodlands area receives a complete revamp, adding more subs
Siege Camp •

All Aboard For Foxhole’s 1.0 Launch

Toronto, Canada - September 7th, 2022 - Developer Siegecamp has revealed that its massively multiplayer war game, Foxhole, is set to launch into 1.0 on September 28th. Its Inferno update will add trains, an overhauled logistics game, and an arsenal of new weapons. Buildable transportation systems, infrastructure, and industrial facilities will redefine how logistics supports the thousands of players on the frontline.

Inferno’s train system offers players the opportunity to build and design larg
Stray Fawn Studios •

The Wandering Village Reveals Its Launch Date

Zurich, Switzerland - September 6, 2022 - Stray Fawn Studio has announced that is set to launch into Steam Early Access on September 14th ($24.99) for PC, Mac and Linux. Inspired by Hayao Miyazaki’s Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, The Wandering Village is a unique city-builder set atop the back of a giant roaming creature known as Onbu.

Combining city-building and resource management with rogue-like and survival elements, players will need to forge a close relationship with the giant creatu
Hooded Horse •

Manor Lords Opens Its Homestead

Dallas, 12 July, 2022 - Developer Slavic Magic and publisher Hooded Horse have released Manor Lords' . The sweeping post reveals huge changes to almost all areas of the game, ranging from region sizes and zoom levels, to art direction, character reworks, combat, trade and micromanagement. Most importantly, Manor Lords is officially opening its homestead to closed alpha testers!

The highly anticipated medieval city builder has been radio silent for over six months and with this community update,
Cellar Door Games •

Rogue Legacy 2 Launches Into 1.0

Toronto / April 28, 2022 - Famed rogue-LITE, , has officially launched into 1.0 after an incredible Early Access period. Officially releasing onto PC, Xbox One and X|S today, the sequel to the genre-defining Rogue Legacy marks the occasion with a brand new launch trailer.

Having launched into Early Access in August 2020 while enjoying more than 4,000 "Very Positive" reviews on Steam, Rogue Legacy 2 ​ has built upon on its predecessor in almost every way. With an all-new art style (3D characters
DeMeta •

Ultima Veterans Form All New Gaming Studio

April 12, 2022 - DeMeta, a newly created gaming studio started by Todd Porter, a founding producer of Dungeons & Dragons and the original Ultima series, and MMORPG heavyweight and creator of the beloved Ultima series, Richard “Lord British” Garriott, has begun development on an online title that will integrate blockchain technology.

Reunited and leveraging decades of their world-building experience across genre-defining titles such as Ultima, Ultima Online, Lineage, Tabula Rosa, and Shroud of t
IGN •

Farthest Frontier Announced from the Developers of Grim Dawn

Crate Entertainment, the developers behind 2016's excellent action-RPG Grim Dawn, has announced its next project: the city-builder Farthest Frontier. It'll be coming to PC, though no release date or window has been revealed yet. Get your first look in the announcement trailer above.

You'll hunt, harvest, fish, and farm as you craft items and strategize on the best ways to protect your village dwellers (and later town-goers and city residents as you build up your settlement) from both Mother Nat
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