Some people are bag people. Some are shoe people. I’m a hat person—I see a cute hat, I put it on my head, it joins the legions of hats hanging on hooks and seated on shelves around my house. I have a face built for hats, even if those hats are impractical. Hats are, actually, one of the only summer fashion items I love, because hats keep the horrible sun off of my head. (more…)
In 2011, FromSoftware released the action RPG Dark Souls for PlayStation 3. The game was met with overwhelming confusion and dismay. Its 2009 predecessor Demon’s Souls faced much the same reception. Like Demon’s Souls, Dark Souls is punishing, perplexing, and unapologetically morbid. It’s an understatement to say that these two titles do not welcome players. (more…)
Hi all, it’s Zainabb coming to you from Sewage Island with this month’s cosy gaming news. It’s difficult to feel much beyond grief, anxiety, and dread these days but one thing that’s felt important has been tending to the local squirrels, crows, magpies, and pigeons. (especially the young, tiny squirrels who don’t know what they’re doing yet!! They need to get big and strong!) When it’s too hot for the critters (or my cat) to be about, I turn to my virtual animal friends in The Sims 4 or Dreamlight Valley and keep thinking of ways I can create a supportive environment for the urban wildlife and pollinators I live with. Maybe you’re more interested in community gardening, improving access in your city, or learning to identify mushrooms—but, however you do it, finding ways to connect with your real-world surroundings and respect the life that lives alongside you is one way to help push back on the bleak feelings many of us are experiencing right now.
As always, resources for a free Palestine include The Palestine Academy, the Palestinian Feminist Collective’s amazing action toolkit and my own newsletter, Crips for Palestine. If you’re able, please donate to Medical Aid for Palestinians or Crips for eSims for Gaza. (more…)
Welcome back to Postgame, Sidequest’s monthly-ish podcast where the editors lay down hot takes on cold games. This month, Maddi and Melissa, the two least qualified people for this topic, discuss escapism in games. What is it? Can we do it successfully? What is a Nut Sort-like?
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It’s time for another Wednesday and another roundup of all the mobile gaming news! I was sick for two weeks, then went on vacation, and am now sick again, so my game time has been surprisingly limited. I did recently fire up Tropico 4 for reasons unknown last night, and would you believe it? Still fun! What a fantasy it is to have/be a benevolent leader who provides free healthcare, education, housing, and food for her people. (more…)
Oh, to be on the edge of a lake, a fishing pole in hand, a lazy summer breeze stirring my hair and a peanut butter sandwich waiting for lunch. As we move into the warmer months of the year up here in the northern hemisphere, we’re getting into fishing season—but the beauty of games is that any season is fishing season, if you’re a special kind of sicko (fishing game fan). (more…)
Final Fantasy VII is a game about saving the world. In the final act of the story, an archvillain summons a magical meteor to strike the planet and wipe out human life. The real threat to the planet is far more sinister, however. From the very beginning of the game, the player is led to understand that the true enemy is the Shinra Electric Power Company. The lack of concern that this corporation has for the environment is matched only by the disrespect it displays toward human life. The corporation is evil, and it must be stopped. A falling meteor is bad, but it’s not as bad as capitalism. (more…)
Listen, y’all. I’m writing this from the United States. There are certainly places in the world that have it worse, but the past few months have, for obvious reasons, set me more than a little on edge. We all deserve a little soothing in this mess of a world.
So this month, let’s talk about soothing games. What that means may be a little different for everybody—we invite you to share your thoughts in the comments!—but this May, we’re all about what brings us a little peace in moments of stress. Can we game our way out of anxiety? Let’s find out. (more…)
Hi pals, Zainabb here, doing my best to be cosy in a world filled with horrors. I don’t just mean the type of cosy where you light a candle, bundle up with sixty blankets and plushies, and play a game where you have the time and capacity to grow food and craft things. This sort of escapism is important sometimes, but I’m also finding cosiness in befriending our local crows and squirrels, in attempting to grow flowers (my chaotic squirrel friends keep digging up the seedlings), and in spending time with loved ones watching films like Sinners with casts of colour resisting white supremacy. Keep on resisting, feeling joy, and connecting—and playing your favourite games when you need to rest in between.
The Crips for eSims for Gaza Bundle is now live on itch.io! You can get over 200 games, zines, and more for $16 with all proceeds going directly to Crips for eSims for Gaza.
And as always, resources for a free Palestine include The Palestine Academy, the Palestinian Feminist Collective’s amazing action toolkit and my own newsletter, Crips for Palestine. If you’re able, please donate to Medical Aid for Palestinians or Crips for eSims for Gaza. (more…)
“The rent is due… and my landlord’s even tougher than the Hammers.”
There’s something interesting in the way period pieces project our own assumptions into the past. Play a game like Thief and you’ll be amused to find transplanted there the idea that there have always been cops as we know them. The assumption is false, but it’s not a complete loss: if you consider that the armed guards who protect the city’s nobles are identical to the cops on the street, you start to see what the police really do and who they really work for. (more…)
![A screenshot from the Cozy Grove press kit overlaid with "GET YOUR GAME ON" and "[COZY GAMES]".](https://sidequest.zone/wp-content/uploads/wordpress-popular-posts/107896-featured-200x0.jpg)
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