#NotAnAd #NotSpon

Since 2021 (and since the comedian Glenn Moore started tweeting about it), one of my more giddy annual goals has been to complete 100 video games in a year. I’ve not once come close, having  ranked 30 just the one time. 

I do enjoy giving it a go, though. I won’t talk about how I’m doing this year just yet (I’ll save that for another piece in a few days time), but the real enjoyment, for me, has come from discovering games for the first time that I’d never have given a go otherwise. I played Mars After Midnight On Playdate, for example, purely to boost my numbers. Loved it. Really cool little game.

An ocean of choice

The problem, however, is that games in 2025 are an overwhelming prospect. Thanks to online marketplaces, it feels like there are games being released on an hourly basis. Unless you’re really on top of things, your next favourite game might not even make it onto your radar.

So how do you make sure youre across everything that might be of interest to you? Veteran games journalist Andy Robertson might have the solution.

Ludocene appeared on my timeline a few days back, and jt feels like a stroke of genius, for me. Ludocene is planned to effectively be a dating app. Instead of being matched with people, however, you’re matched with games. You input what you like and don’t like, and it’ll take that information to create a stack of cards representing the games it believes you’ll enjoy the most.

A personal touch

There’s no generative AI used here, as best I can tell. The database is built on actual human research, so you’re being given recommendations based on the experience of real people.

Whats more, and what brought this to my attention to begin with, is its stable of experts that are offering their own suggestions, and allows you to effectively follow them and have their recommendations added to your list as well. The list is vast, and made up of a tonne of names you’ll likely recognise if you take in video games coverage in any capacity. On a personal note, I’ll following Simon Parkin, Matt Lees, Matthew Castle, and Chris Schilling.

They need you

Sounds great, right? There’s only one small catch: it doesn’t exist. Well, it doesn’t exist yet. Ludocene is currently being crowdfunded via Kickstarter and, at the time of writing, is around £20000 shy of its target goal.

The entire reason for me writing this is to do my bit to ensure it comes to pass. Since learning about it, I’ve become obsessed with the idea of it. Obviously I’ve pledged myself, but with only a couple of weeks to go, we need a bit of a push to make sure this thing gets what it needs to see the world. I urge you to check out their page, and, if you can, consider backing the project.
New game discovery is only going to become more difficult. Something like Ludocene could well be the answer to giving amazing titles the audience they deserve. I hope it happens.