About GameShockers
A small editorial team covering word puzzles, casual games, and the daily-puzzle landscape. We play the games, then we tell you what we think.
What we do
GameShockers is a gaming editorial site focused on the slice of the industry most outlets ignore: word puzzles, daily brain games, and casual titles that quietly become daily rituals for millions of people. We write reviews, strategy guides, news, and curated lists for players who care about their morning Connections session more than the next AAA shooter.
We started GameShockers because the gaming press — which we love — has a blind spot for this category. The puzzle that 5 million people play every morning gets less coverage than a mid-tier console exclusive. We thought that was worth fixing.
How we work
Every review is based on extended play time, usually one to four weeks per game. We don't review games we haven't played. We don't aggregate other people's review scores and call it analysis. When we write a guide, the strategies in it are ones we've personally tested.
For deeper detail on our standards, see our editorial policy.
Who we are
Maya Chen — Senior Editor
Maya covers daily puzzles, NYT Games, and the broader word-puzzle landscape. She's the person at GameShockers most likely to have a 200-day streak going on something. She edits most of our guides and reviews.
Tarun Sayal — Senior Reviewer
Tarun handles long-form reviews and tests new puzzle launches. He's responsible for our slowest, deepest review cycles — the ones where a game gets four weeks of play before a verdict.
Chris Shapiro — Reviews Editor
Chris focuses on data-driven coverage: testing strategies across hundreds of simulated games, tracking puzzle quality over time, and writing the analytical pieces that need actual numbers behind them.
What we don't do
We don't take payment for reviews, list placements, or coverage. We don't run sponsored articles dressed up as editorial. We don't review games sent to us with the expectation of a positive verdict, and we say so when something underwhelms us.
This isn't a moral flex — it's the only way the rest of what we do has any value. A gaming site that takes payment for reviews can't be trusted on the reviews it didn't take payment for. The whole stack falls down.
Get in touch
If you've got a tip, a correction, a game we should review, or you just want to argue about whether SLATE is really better than CRANE, our contact page has the details. We read everything; we reply when we can.
For questions about how we handle your data when you visit the site, see our privacy policy. For the legal basics of using the site, see our terms of use.