"Where is all the good writing about games?"
This week, critical writers in games were moved by the final moments of Demon’s Souls, disturbed by the empty lives of non-player characters, and concerned by xenophobic portrayals of history. We round up the most original writing of the week in the…
Who has been forging new paths in criticism, highlighting untold stories, and sharing the most interesting lenses on games? It’s time to announce this year’s Critical Distance Awards. This is the second year that we have run our Awards separately to our…
What kind of people do we want to be? What kinds of people do we become when we play games? And how are our gameplay experiences shaped by who we already are? This week, critics, journalists, and video essayists discussed morality, identity,…
Does it matter what console you play a game on? This week a number of writers look at the significance of platforms and ports, and how games deal with their cultural context. This roundup starts with reports on the conditions in which…
How can interactive systems subvert the way we normally think things are supposed to be done? This week’s roundup features a number of articles on designing games for different ways of being, as well as examinations of how visual design can make…
The month of chocolates and stuffed bears is upon us! But the celebration of such things doesn’t come out of nowhere. This month at BoRT we’re interested in where things come from, how circumstances align to make something happen, how stories of the…
New years’ month is always a little unsettling in how quickly it seems to go. The cold weather is overstaying its welcome, but the days seem to slip away without much regard for productivity. Surprisingly brief, then, is the second theme to…
In this week’s roundup of the latest critical writing on games, critics delve into fantasy worlds and explore unrealities, bringing back insights into how fiction and truth intersect. Brains First, two critics use ideas from psychology to look at how games affect…
This week, critics discussed topics such as trans representation and the politics of the undead in horror and strategy games. This week’s roundup starts, however, with writers bearing witness to excellent visual artists. Image The passing of a celebrated artist prompts some…
This week, a number of games critics looked at the agencies and capacities of female characters, and examined stories that center women. We’ve also got some discussions of cops and hackers, and puppets! Resurrection Reforms to a character’s abilities and the launch…