Elio's Corner

Welcome to my corner of the internet! This will be the place for my personal reviews, think pieces, and maybe even highlight games that I'm particularly enjoying at the moment. If you're looking for news, head to the News\Articles section. This is my space to just be me and for you to be you. So if you want to just chill and hang out with me here in my corner, then welcome! Sit down, grab a cup, and relax.

About Me

Hey there! I'm Elio—writer, gamer, storyteller, and creator of Checkpoint Cafe. Growing up, games have always been a major part of my life. They've inspired me, helped me, and shaped who I am today.

When I'm not working on my next book or preparing an article, you'll probably find me fully immersed in a good game (or movie, or show, or book, but that's not the point of this site, so shh!).

I came up with the idea for Checkpoint Cafe years ago. So much of the gaming news sphere can be filled with toxicity, clickbait, and drama. So, after searching for a long time for a space that felt genuinely positive and welcoming, I finally thought: what if I made that place myself? And so, Checkpoint Cafe was born!

My goal is to make a space that feels welcoming to everyone, especially for fellow LGBTQ+ gamers and creators who deserve to see themselves represented and celebrated.

Some of my favorite games include Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy, The Elder Scrolls, Fallout, The Last of Us, Persona, Dark Cloud, Jak and Daxter, and so much more. You name a genre, and I probably have a favorite in it somewhere.

So grab your favorite drink, and stay a while. Let's celebrate the stories we love, together.

What I'm Currently Playing

Dragon Quest Builders 2

snaps from the Current Playthrough

Reviews

How Reviews Work Here at the Cafe

At Checkpoint Cafe, my heart ratings aren't meant to be rigid scores or rankings. Games are art, and art connects with everyone differently. The heart system simply represents how much I personally enjoyed the experience, how it made me feel, think, or smile. Think of it less as a review and more like a friend sharing something they love with you.

Grounded 2—Review

Before We Begin Just wanted to start off this review by saying that I played Grounded 2 when it first came out a few months ago, so yes, this is a late review, but since I just started the site, I figured it'd be a fun one to make. So, without further ado, the Grounded 2 Review! (hehe... kind of rhymed.) SLIGHT ARACHNOPHOBIA WARNING! (No images of spiders, but a couple of scorpions) Tiny Once Again! After getting hopelessly addicted to the first game earlier this year, I was

Elio Brewer

Oct 294 min read

Fear the Spotlight—Review

Classic Horror in a New Way Fear the Spotlight is truly a unique game from start to finish. It's 90s era visuals, haunting environments, to its touching and symbolic story, this game shines in more ways than one (pun intended). After just finishing the game, literally an hour ago, I must say that it has become one of my favorite indie horror games in a while. Great writing, clever puzzles, and a shorter but intriguing story really made it a fun experience the entire time I pl

Elio Brewer

Oct 273 min read

Sword of the Sea—Review

A Beautiful Adventure From the beginning of Sword of the Sea, I immediately knew that I was in for another gorgeous journey from Giant Squid. Abzu and The Pathless were amazing games in their own right, but something about Sword of the Sea stuck with me on a whole other level. The gameplay, cinematics, music, and visuals—all of it came together as a game I'm sure to come back to time and time again. So, before I go into the things I loved most about the game, I'll just say th

Elio Brewer

Oct 242 min read

Coming Soon!

This area is still under construction; no peeking! Soon, there will be a favorite games list, a playthrough gallery, and some fun community stuff. Stay tuned!