by Kathryn Hemmann | Sep 25, 2023 | Essays, Video Games
I experienced a strange moment of déjà vu when I first set foot on the Altus Plateau in Elden Ring, the breakaway hit game of 2022. There was something about the way the golden leaves of the trees swayed in the breeze that stirred my memory. I had definitely seen this place before. I had walked through these abandoned ruins. I had gotten lost on these plains, and I had died under these golden leaves. In fact, I had died kind of a lot.
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Kathryn is a writer and comic artist who lurks at the center of a digital labyrinth in Philadelphia. They tweet about books, plants, and video game villains as @kathrynthehuman.
by Melissa Brinks | Sep 17, 2023 | Reviews, Video Games
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.
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Melissa Brinks is Sidequest’s editor in chief, co-creator of the Fake Geek Girls podcast, author of The Compendium of Magical Beasts, and an aspiring beekeeper. She once won an argument on the internet, and tweets at @MelissaBrinks.
by Melissa Brinks | Sep 14, 2023 | Postgame, Tabletop Games, Video Games
Welcome back to Postgame, Sidequest’s monthly, formerly Patreon-exclusive podcast, where the editors lay down hot takes on cold games. This month, Melissa, Zora, Maddi, and Naseem are talking about what we’ve been playing (or were, in late 2022), organ trading, mobile game ads, and more. (more…)
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Melissa Brinks is Sidequest’s editor in chief, co-creator of the Fake Geek Girls podcast, author of The Compendium of Magical Beasts, and an aspiring beekeeper. She once won an argument on the internet, and tweets at @MelissaBrinks.
by Joan Zahra Dark | Sep 11, 2023 | Reviews, Video Games
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…)
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 Michelle Caldeira | Sep 5, 2023 | Reviews, Video Games
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…)
“Michelle Caldeira is a professional translator with a focus on inclusive language and experience in the video game industry as Quality Assurance. Probably better known academically as “the one who keeps insisting on studying the gender neutral” and to her friends as “the one who pulls out her childhood Gameboy Color from her backpack to avoid awkward silences while thinking about Bionicle lore”. When not reading master thesis for fun or finishing up her 200+ thousand word Pokémon fanfic epic she can usually be found sharing way too many memes on Twitter at @Mcportugalem”
by Melissa Brinks | Aug 31, 2023 | Roundtables, Video Games
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…)
Melissa Brinks is Sidequest’s editor in chief, co-creator of the Fake Geek Girls podcast, author of The Compendium of Magical Beasts, and an aspiring beekeeper. She once won an argument on the internet, and tweets at @MelissaBrinks.
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