May 21st
byWorried about the future? Pull up a chair! This week features writing on fear and the economy in games such as Night in the Woods and Prey. The thrill of reaching an audience The Personal-Essay Boom Is Over – The New Yorker…
narrativity
May 7th
byOn your own in an unfamiliar place, where nothing is real, and powerful structures overshadow everything? Games critics this week venture out alone. Technical limitations Narrative-focused games are encouraging increasingly nuanced analyses of inaction, peace, and pacing. Gamasutra: M. Joshua Cauller’s Blog –…
April 30th
byThis week saw some social media drama in the games criticism sphere, as Georgia Tech Professor Ian Bogost invoked the pantomime conflict that is Ludology vs. Narratology. Beyond that discussion, it’s been a busy week for quality writing, with a lot of…
April 23rd
byShining a light on media can help reveal the dark truths lurking beneath the surface. This week in videogame blogging, critics discuss power fantasies, prisons, and psychoses. Persona 5 We start with some writing on the problems with the latest game in…
March 13th
byWe spend time in caves, bedrooms, and bathrooms this week as games critics discuss how to make games cute, politically relevant, and intimate. This week’s roundup comes a little late, but it’s a good one! Back to the cave We start with…
February 26
byThis week’s roundup asks where violence fits in political discourse and how to care for yourself in a troubled environment. Interesting Times (Content Warning:discussions of violence and racism) Joking Matters YouTube’s Edgy Jokes Are Part Of A Bigger Debate In The Comedy…
January 22nd
byI 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…
December 18th
byWhat 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…
December 11th
byIs there a lot of nihilism in the subcultures that have grown around videogames? Many of the writers featured in this week’s roundup are considering interactive media in relation to their own feelings of disempowerment and alienation. How do we use this medium…
November 13th
byI don’t want to callously overstate the importance of games at a time like this. There’s so much to be done to change the conditions that have led to Brexit, Trump, and right-wing gains in other Euro-American countries, and speaking personally, I…