Hello, dear reader. Please, call me Candid.
It’s been a long time coming, but I’m pleased to announce that I’m returning back to blogging and growing the site! Many of the core aspects of my blogging process are coming back to me, and I have already begun publishing posts for the recently released Rhythm Heaven Groove, to help ease me back into my previous flow. (Topical reference not intended!)
That being said, while it’s good to be back, I’ll be honest enough to say that I’m not happy with the current state of the blog. I know I’ve taken a hiatus from the site (for good reason), but as it stand now, I know the site needs an overhaul.
Over the coming weeks, you’ll likely notice a few changes being made to the site’s identity, navigation, and content structures. No, the site isn’t changing ownership, but I do feel like I haven’t fully presented myself or the site well. I’ve already started making changes to the site’s about page, and more changes are being rolled out as soon as they can.
We’ll start this update by taking the time to reflect on some progress and new developments I’ve made in growing the site.
New Developments
As I had mentioned in this year’s May I? post, I’ve been battling limiting beliefs that kept me from feeling like I can fully be myself, in all aspects of life. It’s part of why my site has languished with sporadic (and seemingly random) posts.
Thankfully, by recognizing how much I’ve internalized rejection, and how I let it falsely define who I am, I’ve come back more confident and self-assured than ever. (You can read more about this in my Self Reflection [and Acceptance] series.) The resistance I had to working on the site is GONE, ideas are flowing, and I now feel more grounded and open in talking about myself or my opinions.
Unexpectedly, this also led to me taking the plunge and coming up with a unique, preliminary review system for games!
I’m still working out the kinks on it, but I’ve landed on blending in my personal memories/expectations of the release in an intro, leading with a synopsis, introducing the core features of the game, discussing its gameplay, and giving a final score based on values more closely aligned with my brand, such as Memorability, Overall Enjoyment, and Value, amongst other categories.
For the time-constricted, there will also be a condensed “At a Glance” section, with pros, cons, and things to consider to make your own opinions. Our Rhythm Heaven Groove review is live, and an example of our review structure.
You may also notice, from time to time, that I include affiliate links in my posts. Don’t panic though: I will continue to prioritize making thoughtful, high-quality, and helpful content, and every post won’t be a sales-driven listicle. Running a site isn’t free (or cheap), and I’m opting to add affiliate links when relevant to help make sure I can afford to keep the site running.
You’ll notice a disclosure like this at the top of relevant pages, for example’s sake:
Rest assured, though, this post itself doesn’t include any affiliate links as a matter of principle. I am serious about retaining the quality you’ve come to know and love!
Next, we’ll take a look at what’s changing — and what isn’t — on the site.
What’s Changing
Content Strategy – As some of you may know, I’ve been blogging for years. And while I’m thankful that a handful of guides have been keeping traffic flowing to the site, there’s been an inconsistency in post topics, and some posts have faded into obscurity, partially due to a lack of accessibility and discovery. (More on that in the Navigation section below).
While I’ve always had the idea of covering games in as much depth as possible, well… life (and insecurities) happened. I do plan to return to each of the games I’ve written about prior, adding more content to make sure everyone can make the best of their experiences with the games. Some more unique and playful ideas may come up as posts, too!
Navigation – I will be the first to admit that my site navigation (for the past several years) has been hot garbage. I will not defend it or deny it. Some things I liked, other things I didn’t like, and overall, there wasn’t enough centralization (if any), to help people find posts that weren’t on the main homepage feed. And if you can’t find it, you won’t know that it exists, will you? One of my favorite posts, The History of the Nintendo Switch, feels like a hidden gem in my own site.
I knew I needed to fix the navigation ages ago, but not having enough content to make pages to organize things better made me not make the pages in the first place, which really didn’t help things.
Looking back, I attributed it to a mix of perfectionism and a desire to maintain professionalism, but then I remembered that search engines penalize what they consider to be thin content, and I can’t really make a solid resource page if I only have a few, individual resources per page… Still, I’ll be rolling out main pages for each distinct topic/game I’ve covered, with more on the way.
These pages will all be clearly accessible from the site’s primary navigation menu, with relevant sub-pages to help you drill down further into your topic of interest. This particular blog post, for example, will be added to a Blog Updates page, found under a primary navigation header titled “Candid’s Corner” or something similar.
Please be patient while both the navigation menus and the interstitial pages are updated and created! It takes time to create new content and resources, and the page organization and formatting may be subject to change from time to time.
Update: as of July 25th, 2026, the improved site navigation is live! I welcome you to take a look through the navigation menu at the top of this page and my homepage, right now. (Yes, right now!) The page contents are still being added to, but the pages are all fully serviceable for now.
Site Vision and Philosophy – I’m actually embarassed to admit that my (as of now) philosophy of the site has deviated dramatically from its original vision. Though maybe it was a form of protection.
I always intended to monetize the site, and felt like it had an “it” factor, but that “it” factor was getting lost between the focus on writing gaming guides, and my now mockingly ironic tagline of “Honest Game Reviews – No Fluff!”
Don’t get me wrong, while I do appreciate making resources that get to the point, and the types of content that doesn’t spend several minutes/paragraphs of padding just dancing around “how much you’ll appreciate the sheer majesty of inevitably, perpetually, possibly getting your answer, in about three more paragraphs (maybe), as long as the word count is inflated enough” (you know what I’m talking about), that directness was a component, and not the final focus of my site.
When I launched TheCandidGamer, it was intended to be a place where I could share my personal memories, gaming experiences, and how those games affected me. The goal was to write about things like this with passionate reverence and storytelling, like my deeply personal “What Smash Means to Me“ post. It was to show off that games could become so much more than just games, and even become memories in their own right. In turn, I could intersperse that perspective into the reviews I made.
That’s why I’m changing the tagline from “Honest Game Reviews – No Fluff”, to “Never Just a Game”. Both taglines are still aligned with the site’s purpose, but I find the newer tagline to best represent my brand and philosophy.
What’s Staying the Same
Existing Content – barring posts that simply do not get traffic (looking at you, Fall Guys event posts!) I plan on keeping all the existing posts you know and love on the site. Some posts may undergo content rewrites and audits to make them simpler, easier to follow, and ensure they’re accurate and up to par, but the core knowledge should remain the same.
My Unique Voice and Humor – I’ve spent nearly all of my life to date trying to conform into what I feel others would want, and I’m not doing it anymore. At all. My eccentricities and quirks aren’t blemishes to be hidden, and they’re not character defects. They’re part of what makes me unique, and everybody else is already being everybody else. So why not just be myself?
While some posts may be clean-cut and direct, the more opinionated or thematic posts are where you’ll see good ol’ Candid 1.0.0 in full display.
Content by a human, for humans – I’ll be honest, with the rise of generative A.I. practically everywhere, I felt like there wasn’t much point in blogging. It’s another reason why I stopped blogging.
But I’ve come to learn that A.I. isn’t perfect. It makes mistakes. It can be fed inaccurate information, and while it might mimic certain artistic styles, it can’t copy the essence of the person who wrote it. People aren’t fixed patterns, they’re dynamic and constantly changing. A.I. also can’t really create things: it just pulls from others’ words and expertise. That last part is crucial.
With that reassurance, I take pride in the fact that I do not use AI in any of my writing. At all. I strive to maintain accuracy in everything. Besides that, I’ve always loved writing, and I like to think I’m an effective (and sometimes entertaining) communicator! Why would I ever let someone, or something take away that simple joy in self-expression?
I understand some people may lack confidence in their spelling or organization, and I’m happy if they feel more empowered using A.I. to do it, but I delight in weaving my own expression and articulating myself in my own unique style.
Site Ownership – Even if I suck at it from time to time, I enjoy being Candid. It feels more like me than my own name at times, and that alone pushes me to keep going, despite the anxieties or doubts.
Being Candid truly just feels like an extension of who I am. The well-spoken, self-assured, playful, and sometimes passionate part of myself that I don’t get to express around my origin family. I can’t see myself giving that up and returning to the daily humdrum of survival.
A commitment to excellence – Lastly, what isn’t changing, is my commitment to making content that remains accurate, informational, in-depth, and when possible, entertaining.
I don’t want you to feel like you’ve left my site feeling like you have more questions than answers. Or even just an unanswered question. It’s one thing if I don’t have a post up for a topic, but I consider it a personal failing if you find a specific post you were looking for, and you still can’t find the answer in that post or any of its related posts.
Above all, I make the types of content I like to see; I like details, well-organized guides, and even seeing creativity or personality sprinkled throughout a post. Life’s dull enough most of the time, why not add some fun and play into the mix?
Final Thoughts
I know the site has needed some TLC for a while now, and I’m happy to share with you all that I do have plans to make the site bigger and better than before, and make things even easier to find than ever. Please be patient as I clean things up a bit!
As for the future, while I see great things on the horizon, I’d be lying if I were to say I still don’t get in my head about things at times. Sometimes I feel it’s the cost of admission for being a creator, but with my newfound direction and sense of self, I’m in it for the long haul.
Thanks as always,
– The Candid Gamer