Would You Kindly

I thought his eyes were blue. But he reminded me they were the color of shit. Sitting at the corner of my bed, I watched him dress. It was December, and we had argued again. It’s an argument that I

/ 79 Comments

Would You Kindly

I thought his eyes were blue. But he reminded me they were the color of shit. Sitting at the corner of my bed, I watched him dress. It was December, and we had argued again. It’s an argument that I

/ 79 Comments

The wonderful accessibility of Dear Esther

It’s the final year of college, and I’m writing a book on videogames. It’s one of the loneliest projects of my life. I don’t just mean the regular cycle of locking myself in my room to play a game and

/ 13 Comments

The wonderful accessibility of Dear Esther

It’s the final year of college, and I’m writing a book on videogames. It’s one of the loneliest projects of my life. I don’t just mean the regular cycle of locking myself in my room to play a game and

/ 13 Comments

How Portal portrays science

Portal presents a world that indulges in the idea of science. The facility of Aperture is a place of endless testing and research, where every placement and movement is calculated and pre-determined. It’s walls are endlessly white, it’s environments are

/ 10 Comments

How Portal portrays science

Portal presents a world that indulges in the idea of science. The facility of Aperture is a place of endless testing and research, where every placement and movement is calculated and pre-determined. It’s walls are endlessly white, it’s environments are

/ 10 Comments

Rinoa and death

Rinoa is mind controlled. Rinoa does something bad. Rinoa floats through space. Rinoa dies. You should watch the scene here (turn off the sound, the LPer running the game is a total asshole who ruins it.) For those who don’t

/ 6 Comments

Rinoa and death

Rinoa is mind controlled. Rinoa does something bad. Rinoa floats through space. Rinoa dies. You should watch the scene here (turn off the sound, the LPer running the game is a total asshole who ruins it.) For those who don’t

/ 6 Comments

The Negative Influence of Games: An Autobiographical Essay

I spent 803 days unemployed after I left college. Each day I would start by writing to companies to explain how I am just the right person for their position. I would then set about organizing and cleaning an ever-increasingly

/ 33 Comments

The Negative Influence of Games: An Autobiographical Essay

I spent 803 days unemployed after I left college. Each day I would start by writing to companies to explain how I am just the right person for their position. I would then set about organizing and cleaning an ever-increasingly

/ 33 Comments

Characters that Count

  Note: This article contains story spoilers for Shadow of the Colossus. There are many memorable characters in games, but what makes a truly great character, and how are they a more integral part of storytelling than a simple avatar?

/ 11 Comments

Characters that Count

  Note: This article contains story spoilers for Shadow of the Colossus. There are many memorable characters in games, but what makes a truly great character, and how are they a more integral part of storytelling than a simple avatar?

/ 11 Comments

Pursuing My True Self

“Call me Mattie.” It was the first time I had ever said that. I remember being at an old hookah bar when I did, Java D’lights. I was waiting on a glass of wine and my good friend hovered near

/ 8 Comments

Pursuing My True Self

“Call me Mattie.” It was the first time I had ever said that. I remember being at an old hookah bar when I did, Java D’lights. I was waiting on a glass of wine and my good friend hovered near

/ 8 Comments

Dungeons & Dragons, and Grimrock with friends

Minotaurs! Yes! Upon starting up Legend of Grimrock for the first time, all it took for me to get excited about the game was the possibility to have an adventuring party composed entirely of minotaurs. Instead of recycling the same generic

/ 8 Comments

Dungeons & Dragons, and Grimrock with friends

Minotaurs! Yes! Upon starting up Legend of Grimrock for the first time, all it took for me to get excited about the game was the possibility to have an adventuring party composed entirely of minotaurs. Instead of recycling the same generic

/ 8 Comments

Are strategy games and horror compatible?

There’s a moment in the first tutorial of XCOM: Enemy Unknown that felt like a revelation. Skip past the languid tutorial pacing, the stilted voice actor telling you what to do, and instead focus on the structure of the mission.

/ 10 Comments

Are strategy games and horror compatible?

There’s a moment in the first tutorial of XCOM: Enemy Unknown that felt like a revelation. Skip past the languid tutorial pacing, the stilted voice actor telling you what to do, and instead focus on the structure of the mission.

/ 10 Comments

What Annoys Me About A Link To The Past

Despite recognizing it as a Genre Great game, I remember I didn’t quite like my first Zelda game much. It was A Link to the Past (aLttP). A Link to the Past is the quintessential Genre Great game. Don’t confuse that with just “Great”. If Genre Great is the top student from the class, the Great is the Nobel Prize winner.

/ 35 Comments

What Annoys Me About A Link To The Past

Despite recognizing it as a Genre Great game, I remember I didn’t quite like my first Zelda game much. It was A Link to the Past (aLttP). A Link to the Past is the quintessential Genre Great game. Don’t confuse that with just “Great”. If Genre Great is the top student from the class, the Great is the Nobel Prize winner.

/ 35 Comments