Failbetter Games’s Mask of the Rose is the kind of game where I can turn my laptop toward my friend, show her a picture of a giant being with no visible face except for two glowing red eyes (?), and say, “Hey, do you think I’m gonna hook up with this thing?” and within minutes, be actively hooking up with that thing.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
In my time going through runs of 30XX, I kept feeling like I was supposed to have some more information than I already did. Like if I started another attempt and kept playing, I’d learn more about some quirks of the game’s story, layouts, and mechanics that would be better explained as I got more familiar with the game. And while I have enjoyed 30XX and gotten more comfortable every time I’ve gone back in, I’m still left with a lot of questions where I feel I wasn’t meant to. (more…)
There’s a degree of classism in requiring technology to hold a job and get an education. I first noticed this years back when my classmates got their classwork highly praised in grade school for having high definition (for 2004) pictures taken from the internet, and it only got worse as I lost about two years of university due to not having regular access to an internet connection, or a laptop in a world weathering a global pandemic. (more…)
August in the Northern Hemisphere means we’re both in the hottest part of the year (in a year that’s already been scorching) and in the wind-down of summer. Speaking only for myself, I’m both longing for cooler, rainier days and already mourning the departure of the long days. What does any of this have to do with gaming? Well, I feel compelled to make each of my days count—meaning I need time management.
This month, we’re talking about time management mechanics in games. Do they make us feel rushed and stressed? Purposeful and focused? Let’s find out. (more…)
Another week, another Wednesday! I’ve been holed up in my room recovering from a mild brush with covid that has led to me playing 17 entire hours of Age of Mythology: Extended Edition. I used to love this game growing up, and was surprised to learn that I actually suck at it. I’m struggling on moderate difficulty. Now that I think about it, I spent a lot of time spamming cheats for armies of Canadian laser bears and flying rainbow hippos (if you know, you know), which is probably why I was always successful.
Anyway, let’s talk about the news! (more…)
Video games occupy a liminal space, a threshold between digital and physical worlds. Our choices and actions in one directly influence the other. Video games conform to their own sets of rules, which may or may not mimic the laws of physics, morality, etc. In this sense, they share quite a bit in common with prose poems. (more…)
Soul Void is a dark fantasy Game-Boy-style adventure game that takes about three hours to finish. Its story of a young woman navigating the perils of the underworld is intriguing and cathartic, and its art design makes incredible use of the eeriness of its retro pixel graphics. For anyone who enjoyed the characters and worldbuilding of Undertale, Soul Void offers a similarly offbeat odyssey of mystery and friendship illustrated with disturbing but brilliantly creative horror art. (more…)
Welcome to another Wednesday! I have been preoccupied with other tasks and haven’t had time to play games recently, other than terrible phone games. I’m deep into season three of Love Island The Game 2, which is… I mean… it’s like… I guess it’s okay, but it lacks season two’s awful dramatics and entirely lacks the charm of Love Island The Game. I’ve also just learned that there’s a Too Hot to Handle game, which so far is pretty dull. Why are all these people so respectable? This is not what reality TV is for!
Anyway, here’s what’s been going on in the news lately.
Game Enjambment is a reoccurring poetry series on games and gaming. (more…)
Recent Comments