Rachel Watts

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Freelance journalist

Rachel Watts is the former reviews editor for Rock Paper Shotgun, and in another life was a staff writer for Future publications like PC Gamer and Play magazine. She is now working as a freelance journalist, contributing features and reviews to GamesRadar+.

Latest articles by Rachel Watts

Samara and Amani stand in their Goddess food truck mech in Dosa Divas key art, cooking up a big meal for surrounding villagers, with the GamesRadar+ Big in 2026 branding

Dosa Divas is an RPG where you solve every problem with cooking: "Everything is themed around flavor profiles, including attacks and enemy weaknesses"

By Rachel Watts Published 12 January 26

Exclusive Big in 2026 | We pull up a chair with Outerloop's Chandana Ekanayake to chat about how the studio's upcoming cooking RPG is a fresh take on the genre.

Exclusive

Key art for Cairn showing a character clambering up the side of a cliff loaded with rope and gear, with a sunrise in the sky - framed by the GamesRadar+ Big in 2026 frame

"We wanted to explore that longing for absolute freedom": Cairn is a survival climbing game about human will, endurance, and sacrifice

By Rachel Watts Published 7 January 26

Exclusive Big in 2026 | We speak to The Game Bakers about sacrifice and survival in tactical climbing sim Cairn

Exclusive

Henry Halfhead screenshot with GamesRadar+ Best of 2025 branding on upper right

From creepy folklore to a human with half a head, the best hidden gems of 2025 are worth your attention

By Rachel Watts Published 6 January 26

Year in Review Year in Review 2025 | Discover the past year's overlooked indies for yourself

Year in Review

Despelote screenshot featuring a kid kicking a ball with GamesRadar+ Best of 2025 badge in upper right

From Despelote to Ooo, the best games under 2 hours of 2025 are truly timely

By Rachel Watts Published 11 December 25

Year in Review Year in Review 2025 | Strapped for time? You can play any of these in a single evening

Year in Review

Will sells many items at once in Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault, with a GamesRadar+ On the Radar frame

Moonlighter 2’s shop system solves the age-old RPG issue of your bag being filled with useless tat

By Rachel Watts Published 21 November 25

Opinion Opinion | Retail work can be hell, but there are plenty of games that teach us why the satisfying rhythms and repetitions of selling items can be heaven.

Opinion

Keyart for Demonschool showing Faye's face split into pieces for artistic effect

Demonschool review: "This Persona-inspired RPG is full of fun, flair, and ready to chomp away at your free time"

By Rachel Watts Published 18 November 25

Review

A man shaking a dog's paw while a child stands behind him in Pentiment, with an Xbox Series X Five Year Anniversary banner to the left

Pentiment's medieval setting remains the perfect backdrop for a detective tale focused on faith and truth

By Rachel Watts Published 10 November 25

Features Anniversary | Pentiment remains one of the best detective games of all time, and a major part of why is directly linked to its setting

Features

Riding across a massive metal chain high above the ground in Sword of the Sea

Sword of the Sea review: "Joyous, fluid hoverboarding connects together everything I loved about Journey and The Pathless"

By Rachel Watts Published 18 August 25

Review

Jan sadly presses a hand on a screen that says 'deceased' in The Alters

The Alters review: "More tactile and story-heavy than the Frostpunk dev's earlier games, but the fight for survival is just as fierce"

By Rachel Watts Published 12 June 25

Review

The girls stand in front of a raging fire in Lost Records: Bloom & Rage - Tape 2 while wearing masks

Lost Records: Bloom and Rage – Tape 2 review: "Don't Nod's new coming-of-age series ends with teen defiance and queer rage"

By Rachel Watts Published 22 April 25

Review

Swann, Autumn, Kat, and Nora jam out in the garage while filming themselves in Lost Records: Bloom and Rage

Lost Records: Bloom and Rage – Tape 1 review: "This Life is Strange successor is Stephen King, Blair Witch, and Yellowjackets all rolled into one – delicious"

By Rachel Watts Published 18 February 25

Review

“Atmosphere is more important than aesthetics”: Bionic Bay is a biomech platformer that’ll grip you from the get-go

By Rachel Watts Published 26 January 25

Big in 2025 Big in 2025 | Bionic Bay creator Juhana Myllys talks about their puzzle platforming philosophy and why atmosphere is vital to game design

Big in 2025

Lost Records: Bloom & Rage is bringing Don't Nod back to its Life is Strange roots, and nothing could excite me more

By Rachel Watts Published 21 January 25

Opinion Opinion | It's giving Stand By Me for the girlies

Opinion

A woman with glowing eyes standing in front of a candlelit table in Lorelai and the Laser Eyes

I'm proclaiming 2024 to be the year of outstanding indie puzzle games

By Rachel Watts Published 22 December 24

Year in Review Year in Review | Time to get those brain gears whirring

Year in Review

From Balatro to Animal Well, here's the best indie games of 2024

By Rachel Watts Published 15 December 24

Best List Year in Review | Here's the must-play indie games of the year that showed us all what's possible

Best List

Mouthwashing screenshot of the captain Curly covered in bandages

From Silent Hill 2 to Crow Country, the best horror games of 2024 brought the chills

By Rachel Watts Published 9 December 24

Best List Year in Review | Here's the must-play horror games of the year

Best List

Here are the 10 Steam Next Fest demos you need to play before they disappear

By Rachel Watts Published 18 October 24

List From bickering gods to giant space worms, 10 Steam Next Fest demos you have to play this October 2024

List

Fields of Mistria trailer screenshot showing an anime-style girl with long blonde hair and blue eyes, a grassy field and windmill behind her

As a long-time Stardew Valley fan, here's why I'm converting to Fields of Mistria

By Rachel Watts Published 3 October 24

Opinion Opinion | Fields of Mistria lifts the pressure found in intimidating farming sims by rejecting demand and excess

Opinion

Cruising around a strange planet in a beat-up van is my idea of the perfect sci-fi adventure in Caravan SandWitch

By Rachel Watts Published 18 September 24

Features Now Playing | I'm in love with my busted, rusted van

Features

Best demos of Steam Next Fest - Nirvana Noir

From horror gardening sims to RPG puzzlers, here's 15 Steam Next Fest demos you have to play this June

By Rachel Watts Published 12 June 24

List List | With a torrent of Steam Next Fest demos released this week, here’s a handy list of which ones you have to play

List

Lorelei and the Laser Eyes review: "Totally engrossing, effortlessly stylish, and one of the best puzzle games of 2024"

By Rachel Watts Published 15 May 24

Review

How one developer tapped the Internet's past to tell a timeless story of human connection

By Rachel Watts Published 6 April 24

Interview Interview | Edge magazine explores the making of Videoverse

Interview

Open Roads review: "A cozy, nostalgic road trip that can't quite get into gear"

By Rachel Watts Published 27 March 24

Review

I hope Hades 2 keeps its predecessor's greatest strength, making failure fun

By Rachel Watts Published 13 January 24

Preview Big In 2024 | Supergiant's satisfying looping is a clever solution for the frustration of failure

Preview

Thirsty Suitors review: "A witty, heartfelt adventure about going home"

By Rachel Watts Published 1 November 23

Review

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