by Joan Zahra Dark | May 31, 2023 | Reviews, Video Games
As someone who has quite a soft spot for both the psychological horror of early Silent Hill games and the unique low-poly aesthetic of the 32-bit PlayStation/Sega Saturn era, The Tartarus Key immediately grabbed my attention when I saw it start to pop up online. Seeing a lot of big budget horror games largely rely on in-your-face jumpscares for their value threw me off the genre for quite some time, not wanting to partake in that kind of cheap substitute for genuinely unsettling stories. And it’s clear that indie studio Vertical Reach had this in mind as well when working on this game, with that sense of unease coming from every bit of the world presented. When the gruesome environment combines with building tension to where even the slightest shake or out-of-place noise leaves you questioning your surroundings, it’s a sure sign that you’re in quite an unforgettable horror experience. (more…)
Joan Zahra Dark is a writer, organizer, and interdisciplinary artist. They love talking about queer comics, stories that can only be told through interactive mediums, worker cooperatives and gay robots. They’re based in Queens, NYC.
by Madison Butler | May 22, 2023 | Reviews, Video Games
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…)
Madison Butler is Sidequest’s self-proclaimed jock editor. She co-founded the blog Critsumption and once got really into powerlifting via Fitness Boxing for the Nintendo Switch. She tweets at @_maddilo.
by Zainabb Hull | May 15, 2023 | Reviews, Video Games
Here at Sidequest, we love “cosy games” (and figuring out what their cousin, “wholesome” games, even are). For me, a disabled gamer, cosy games provide low-stakes escapism when I’m poorly—in particular, chill games with little missions to complete allow me to feel like I’m making progress on something when I can’t get out of bed. That was my experience with Mail Time, a self-described “cottagecore” game that I played during a recent mega-flare where my hands were trembling too badly to do anything beyond gripping my Steam Deck propped up by cushions. (more…)
Zainabb Hull is an editor at Sidequest, a freelance writer and videographer, and sort-of artist. They’re also a trans, queer, and disabled brown femme. They tweet into the void at @ZainabbHull.
by Angharad Redden | Feb 23, 2023 | Reviews, Video Games
A Space for the Unbound features themes such as depression, anxiety, domestic abuse, suicidal ideation, and animal death.
I find an old man huddled under a now-barren cherry tree as he racks his mind for the reason he’s there. As Atma, I approach him to see if I can help, but his memory is betraying him and he can’t remember. So I use my power of Spacedive to delve into his heart for answers and, in that reality, I find him as a boy. Together, we collect cherries from the now-flourishing tree. When we have enough, we split them, and it’s then that his brother appears—also a child. I realise that this is what the old man was forgetting—a childhood with his brother climbing the cherry trees. This is one of many stories that you find in A Space for the Unbound. (more…)
Angharad Redden is a freelance games journalist from Wales who focuses on representation in video games. When she’s not gaming or writing about games, she can be found by the nearest dog.
You can find them Tweeting over at @reddens_ where she will probably be screaming over the latest Bioshock news.
by Evelyn Grey | Feb 13, 2023 | Reviews
In Chasing Static, Chris Selwood is an everyman from northern Wales returning to his hometown of Hearth to attend his late father’s funeral. Dear old dad, in true horror game fashion, has left behind a single belonging for Chris: a cryptic and tattered journal filled with notes that seem like gibberish and missing pages. With his father buried and journal in-hand, Chris stops for late night coffee and directions at a diner when things predictably hit the fan and strand Chris in a Welsh forest. The journal left behind for Chris suddenly looks a lot less like gibberish and more like the notes of a scientist working for a secret government agency. In order to escape the rural forest at night and its secret government bunkers, Chris must re-live the traumatic relationship with his father that he has buried deep down and forgotten. Nothing heals family trauma like fungus from space.
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Evelyn Grey is a media critic, cryptid, and Forever DM. She writes at the intersection of queer experience, class, and games.
You can find them tweeting at a brick wall over at @Sidereal_Star. When not speaking to inanimate objects, she’s probably retweeting Pokémon fan art and game news.
by Zainabb Hull | Jan 10, 2023 | Mobile Games, Reviews, Video Games
Teacup is a young frog, and she really loves tea. In fact, Teacup, a chill narrative game from developer Smarto Club, opens with the titular frog preparing to host a tea party, only to discover she is fresh out of tea (and several other supplementary ingredients)! That’s where the player comes in, taking control of Teacup as she ventures out into the world to get what she needs for her party. (more…)
Zainabb Hull is an editor at Sidequest, a freelance writer and videographer, and sort-of artist. They’re also a trans, queer, and disabled brown femme. They tweet into the void at @ZainabbHull.
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