The Critical Distance Awards 2017

For the past few years, at the end of the year we’ve awarded the “Blogger of the Year” title to a writer who has inspired and impressed us. This year, we decided to do things a little differently. Instead of nestling the award…

February 19th

This week, critics find different ways to talk about paranoia, fear, and comfort in relation to videogames. Imagine with me now I want to start with a little link to the roundup of Emilie Reed’s special event that wrapped up this week…

Abstract image evoking bird silhouette

February 12th

Is ignorance bliss? What kind of things can we learn when we admit to truly knowing nothing at all? Games critics this week have been considering the problems of celebrating ignorance as well as the benefits of eschewing expertise. Getting lost First,…

February 6th

A lot of games critics worry, understandably, that their work can’t address the problems that people face in the real world. Others have already started the work of politically-engaged games criticism long ago. This week there are lots of examples of the…

January 29th

Do you feel like garbage right now? Well then I have a treat for you. Games critics this week have gone searching through the detritus of the city for hidden treasure, and created archives of material for others to enjoy. Along the way,…

Cartoon strip cell showing a child at a riverside, with text "I remember when I was that small, when textures and smells were so much stronger"

January 22nd

I love it when critics find ways to get a point across without words. Images can be just as valuable a critical tool as writing; they offer a different set of techniques for demonstrating what a game is doing or what it…

January 15th

We all participate in constructing social structures, though in the real world most people don’t have a whole lot of institutional power. As many look at 2017 as a year that will demand strong resistance, some writers consider how games teach us to…

December 18th

What strategies and techniques do people use to navigate the systems of industry, politics, and computers? This week has brought us some fantastic articles about power structures, business, and justice, all in connection with games and play. “It was just business” Some great…

Final day of campaign

There’s just one more day left to take advantage of our seasonal Patreon rewards, and get free support with your writing from the folks at Haywire Magazine. Don’t forget, if you already support us at $5/month, you can upgrade to the seasonal…