Carter Dotson

I'm Carter Dotson! I'm a freelance writer from Chicago, IL, by way of San Antonio, TX. I'm still not used to that whole 'winter' thing. I've had a lifelong passion for gaming, especially on-the-go gaming of all forms, and a special place in my heart for games by small developers. I care way too much about baseball, too.

Upcoming
July 29, 2014
Could Phantom Rift Scratch Your Battle Network Itch?
By Carter Dotson
Foursaken Media, best known for games like Bug Heroes 2 and Block Fortress: War, have announced their next big project. It’s called Phantom Rift, and it’s coming this Fall. Described as an adventure-RPG, players will control a wizard that they …
Reviews
July 29, 2014
Order of Souls Review: Free-to-Play RPG Done Right
By Carter Dotson
I hope that every single free-to-play RPG designer takes a look at Order of Souls from here on out, because it shows how to make a simplified RPG without dumbing it down. The problem with many free-to-play RPGs is that …
Upcoming
July 25, 2014
Kingdoms: A Gorgeous Minimalist Board Game Coming to iOS
By Carter Dotson
Are the France-based developers at Space Bears crafting the next big minimalist hit in Kingdoms? Quite possibly. Featuring a simple, abstract style, players place tiles, trying to capture as much of the board as possible, while also trying to block off …
Reviews
July 24, 2014
Modern Combat 5: Blackout Review – War Never Changes
By Carter Dotson
Modern Combat 5: Blackout shows that Gameloft knows exactly what they’re doing with this series. They know how to make a military-themed FPS, and they know how to make an impressive-looking game. But turning said game into a memorable and unique …
Reviews
July 23, 2014
Swords & Poker Adventures Review: A Winning Hand
By Carter Dotson
Konami has resurrected Sword & Poker. Now known as Swords & Poker Adventures, this is a free-to-play reimagining of Gaia Co.’s poker-meets-RPG original. And looking at its new Candy-Crush-ified level layout, replete with energy system and two-tiered currency, it can be easy to …
Upcoming
July 23, 2014
Amazon Fire Phone Getting Two Exclusive Games at Launch
By Carter Dotson
Amazon’s Fire Phone is coming out this week in North America on AT&T, and with it, are two exclusive games that take advantage of the device’s unique features. To-Fu Fury is the third installment in the mobile game series, a …
Walkthroughs
July 23, 2014
Swords & Poker Adventures: Tips, Cheats, and Strategies
By Carter Dotson
For a game that is ostensibly just about poker hands, Swords and Poker Adventures actually is rather complex. Here are some tips to help you get the upper hand. The Three Tenets to Success These are the three rules you …
Game Development
July 23, 2014
Gamasutra: It’s Rough to be an Indie Developer
By Carter Dotson
Gamasutra, the game industry website run by UBM Tech (who are also responsible for GDC), have released their annual Game Developer Salary Survey. With over 4000 responses from developers worldwide, the results show that while it’s still possible to make a healthy …

Carter Dotson

Could Phantom Rift Scratch Your Battle Network Itch?

Order of Souls Review: Free-to-Play RPG Done Right

Kingdoms: A Gorgeous Minimalist Board Game Coming to iOS

Modern Combat 5: Blackout Review – War Never Changes

Swords & Poker Adventures Review: A Winning Hand

Amazon Fire Phone Getting Two Exclusive Games at Launch

Swords & Poker Adventures: Tips, Cheats, and Strategies

Gamasutra: It’s Rough to be an Indie Developer

New Genre-defining Action-Healer, 3 Healers Fables The History of Three Influential Figureheads Without Combat

Use Colours to Solve Platforming Puzzles in Colorbound, Coming to Multiple Platforms Soon

Cosy Puzzle Sim with Houseplants Urban Jungle Launches on Nintendo Switch

Embroidered Dark Medieval Title Scarlet Deer Inn Announces Its PC Release Date