June Roundtable: The Definitive Ranking of Bad Dads of Games, Part I

June Roundtable: The Definitive Ranking of Bad Dads of Games, Part I

We may be past the height of the daddification of games discourse, but bad dads are eternal. This month, in celebration (?) of Father’s Day, we’re returning to our series of listicles in which we nominate our favorite (?) bad dads and our Patrons vote on which bad dad reigns supreme. (more…)

Review: Coffee Talk Episode 2: Hibiscus & Butterfly Serves Up a Worthy Sequel

Review: Coffee Talk Episode 2: Hibiscus & Butterfly Serves Up a Worthy Sequel

When I picture the perfect coffee shop, I don’t think of the minimalist, industrial design that became popular throughout the late 2010s and endured in present times. I think of the dark green walls and warm wooden counters of Saint’s. It was narrow, or perhaps it just felt that way because it was crammed with things: the pastry case filled with tantalizing scones, an ancient floral couch, rickety chairs, and maybe a dozen tiny tables—always full—that were barely big enough for two laptops. I remember it as warmly and dimly lit despite the wide windows that overlooked Beaver Avenue. A seat at the window, should you be lucky enough to snag one, afforded interesting people watching. (more…)

February Roundtable: Wario and Waluigi

February Roundtable: Wario and Waluigi

This month, the month of love, we’re going to let you take a little peek behind the Sidequest curtain. For whatever reason, we rank quite highly for the search term “wario and waluigi,” which is not something we expected when we wrote “Wario and Waluigi: Who Are They, Anyway?” all those years ago. But because the Brothers Wario (if they are, in fact, brothers) keep driving traffic to our site, and because our other highest-ranked keyword is porn related, this month’s editorial meeting went A Certain Direction and Zora made us aware of this Wario and Waluigi body pillow (link NSFW). So what better way to honor the Brothers’ service to Sidequest than to make them this month’s icons to celebrate Valentine’s Day? (more…)

Coffee Talk Brews Up Coziness with a Splash of Discomfort

Coffee Talk Brews Up Coziness with a Splash of Discomfort

Content note: this piece discusses racism and police brutality.

Now that I’ve started commuting to the office, most of my mornings are rigidly structured. I wake up at 6:00 a.m. and get up by 6:20, at which point I make my pourover. Depending on how motivated and quick I’m feeling on a given morning, this takes anywhere from 10 to 20 minutes. I frequently joke that it takes me longer to make coffee than it does for me to put on my makeup and get dressed, which causes my husband to grimace and apologize. Over the last year or so, he has made brewing a good cup of coffee into a hobby, a hobby that I have since inherited. (more…)

December Roundtable: The Games of 2022

December Roundtable: The Games of 2022

Games really do just keep on coming out, which is why we’re devoting this month’s roundtable to the year’s games. Not the best games. Not the worst games. Just the year’s games, which include the games that we played, the games we didn’t play, and more. The end of the year is a great time for reflection, which, for me at least, means a lot of looking back at all the things I didn’t do. (more…)