Think Gaming Blog: posts tagged Playthroughs

20 Strong: Tainted Grail • Full Playthrough & First Impressions

Thu, 09 Apr 2026 17:12:38 +0100

In this video, I take a look at 20 Strong: Tainted Grail, a new game in the 20 Strong system by Chip Theory Games, set in the world of Awaken Realms’ Tainted Grail. I play through a full run, explaining the core mechanics and my thought process behind each decision along the way, and then share my first impressions. Hopefully it gives you a good sense of how the game plays and whether it might be something you’d enjoy

Silent Discard Build • Ascension 13 Full Run (4 Acts) • Slay the Spire: The Board Game

Mon, 06 Apr 2026 14:00:04 +0100

In this video, I play a full 4-act run of Slay the Spire: The Board Game with The Silent on the highest Ascension 13. As always with Slay the Spire, you don’t really “choose” a build, you adapt to what the game gives you, and in this run, I end up leaning into some discard shenanigans.

The run goes all the way through all four acts, including The Heart, and is packed with strategy discussion, decision-making, and real-time thought process throughout. I talk through pathing, card picks, relic choices, and more. If you enjoy full playthroughs with detailed commentary and practical reasoning behind each decision, I hope this one is both useful and enjoyable to watch.

Dragonknight in Valenwood • Full Solo Campaign Playthrough (Expert+++) • The Elder Scrolls: BotSE

Mon, 30 Mar 2026 14:04:20 +0100

In this video, I play a full true solo campaign in The Elder Scrolls: Betrayal of the Second Era, set in Valenwood. To spice things up, this playthrough is played on Expert+++, using 9 official difficulty modifiers from Arvan’s Adventurous Achievements, which significantly increase the challenge and change how the game feels. Throughout the playthrough, I talk through my decisions, explain key moments, and share how I approach the game under these conditions. If you’re curious how a full campaign looks at higher difficulty, I hope you enjoy this one!

Rogue in Skyrim • Full Solo Campaign Playthrough • The Elder Scrolls: BotSE

Mon, 19 Jan 2026 16:29:45 +0100

In this video, I play a full solo campaign of The Elder Scrolls: Betrayal of the Second Era on Expert difficulty, using a Rogue with Assassination build in the Skyrim region. For an extra challenge, I selected both my class and race randomly, and started the campaign with a non-damage-dealing skill line. The full run is packed with commentary, decisions, and on-the-fly strategy as I make my way through the harsh terrain of Skyrim.

Rainboom vs Sunshine • Neon Reign

Thu, 04 Dec 2025 14:11:43 +0100

Here is the 8th solo playthrough in the Neon Reign hero spotlight series, this time featuring Rainboom vs Sunshine on Hard Mode. Sunshine turned out to be a serious challenge in this match, not sure if Rainboom was ready for it!

Witchhunter in Morrowind • Full Solo Campaign Playthrough • The Elder Scrolls: BotSE

Mon, 17 Nov 2025 08:41:36 +0100

In this video, I record my first-ever full campaign playthrough on camera, playing The Elder Scrolls: Betrayal of the Second Era solo on Expert difficulty as a Witchhunter. The build uses Soul Magic and Vampire, along with some of the upcoming Heroes of Tamriel content that Chip Theory Games kindly allowed me to showcase early. I was pretty nervous filming this one and definitely made a few mistakes along the way, so I added on-screen corrections wherever I could. Still, it turned into a really fun run through Morrowind, and I hope you enjoy watching the full journey. Any feedback on pacing, explanations, or editing is always welcome.

Pynk vs Blaquesmith • Neon Reign

Thu, 02 Oct 2025 20:00:00 +0100

Part of my first impressions series covering all 12 Neon Reign heroes in solo mode – this time it’s Pynk vs Blaquesmith in a tricky back-and-forth battle on Hard difficulty.

Neon vs Jynn • Neon Reign

Thu, 25 Sep 2025 12:59:28 +0100

In this solo match, I played Neon against Jynn on hard mode, and it turned into a brutal back-and-forth fight. Neon’s passive gave me a few extra cards through counters, and Glow was great for unblockable damage, but Jynn’s constant shields and his devastating star ability, Posture, made him pretty hard to crack!

Jynn vs Fae • Neon Reign

Thu, 10 Jul 2025 15:26:23 +0100

In this playthrough, I’m taking Jynn against Fae on hard mode. Jynn is easily the most defensive character in Neon Reign, starting the game with extra shield tokens and gaining even more whenever you play a left joystick. It sounds like a strong counter to aggressive opponents – but there’s a catch. Fae’s star ability, Elusive Maneuver, deals unblockable damage, completely bypassing my shields.

This was a pretty rewarding match!

Ghost vs Rainboom • Neon Reign

Wed, 02 Jul 2025 18:00:00 +0100

In this match, I’m playing Ghost against Rainboom on hard mode. Ghost’s passive ability lets red buttons become unblockable, which is fantastic for consistent damage. His star ability, Whisper, not only deals solid unblockable damage but also grants a shield token, providing both offence and defence.

This playthrough turned out to be pretty tense and down-to-the-wire!

Flower vs Pynk • Neon Reign

Wed, 25 Jun 2025 10:00:00 +0100

In this solo match, I’m playing Flower against Pynk on hard mode. It’s worth mentioning there’s a misprint on the Pynk hero card, making her significantly tougher as a CPU opponent, essentially putting her at boss-level difficulty. So, honestly, it wasn’t too surprising that the game spiralled out of control the way it did. Despite some decent attempts at countering her star abilities and controlling the flow, Pynk’s escalating pressure ultimately overwhelmed me. It’s a clear example of just how punishing Neon Reign can be, especially on hard mode against an unintentionally supercharged opponent.

Fae vs Reylen • Neon Reign

Wed, 18 Jun 2025 10:00:00 +0100

In this match, I played Fae against Reylen on hard mode. Fae has a cool passive that makes up joysticks a bit safer to play, and her star ability, Elusive Manoeuvre, gives you both damage and a block, which feels very rewarding to trigger. Reylen, on the other hand, hits hard with strike-based combos and can quickly chip away at your health if you’re not careful. This game was all about trying to manage tempo and find windows to stabilise before things got out of control.

There were a few moments where things looked promising, like getting decent combos early and blocking big attacks with a throw or combo breaker. But as the match went on, it became a lot harder to stay ahead. Reylen kept stacking stars and pressure, and there were turns where I had no defence left to play. I was constantly forced to make tough choices between going for damage or holding back to survive. It ended up being one of those tight matches that really shows how punishing hard mode can be when the CPU gets the upper hand.

Blaquesmith vs Tobo • Neon Reign

Wed, 11 Jun 2025 10:00:00 +0100

In this solo playthrough, I’m playing Blaquesmith against Tobo on hard mode. I’ve been really enjoying the variety in Neon Reign, and this time I wanted to try a more combo-heavy build that leans into chip placement and star abilities. Blaquesmith has a really interesting balance of support and direct pressure, while Tobo is one of the more unpredictable CPU opponents, which made this match-up feel anything but routine.

The fight turned out to be surprisingly tight. There were a few key rounds where I had to make some risky calls, and I definitely had to rely on timing my star abilities just right. It wasn’t a perfect run, but that made it more fun to play – and hopefully more fun to watch too. If you’re curious about how Blaquesmith handles solo against one of the tougher CPU decks, this one’s a good showcase.