October Roundtable: Ghosts

October Roundtable: Ghosts

October is the month for all ghouls, ghosts, and haunts of all kinds, so naturally we here at Sidequest wanted to talk about our favorite spiritual apparitions in-depth. Or perhaps, given the season, we want to talk about them in-death (cue echoing maniacal laughter from an unseen source). Join us in this paranormal conversation—share your favorite spirits and poltergeists in the comments! (more…)

Using Platformers to Cope with Trauma: An Easy Ten-Step Process

Using Platformers to Cope with Trauma: An Easy Ten-Step Process

Content note: This piece contains descriptions of depression.

It’s 2017, and you’ve just separated from your spouse and partner of eight years; you decide to download the remastered Crash Bandicoot in your newly much-emptier apartment. Or you’re in a hospital lobby, waiting for a surgeon to come tell you what you think you already know: that your father has lung cancer. Shovel Knight keeps you occupied in this clinical, quiet space. Or it’s the present day, and you were just told that you are not supposed to leave your apartment for the foreseeable future, and you are never going to see your students in person again, and all you have to keep you company is a copy of Celeste. In all of these clearly universal and not at all deeply personal situations, there is a commonality: grueling platformers providing grounding and a sense of purpose and achievement. Anyone can use this notoriously difficult, frustrating, and demanding genre to solve your problems, provided you follow this simple ten-step process.

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Climbing Mount Celeste Is Aiding My Own Mental Health Journey

Climbing Mount Celeste Is Aiding My Own Mental Health Journey

Content warning for mental health, medication side effects, eating disorders, and anxiety/depression. This article contains a few spoilers for Celeste. (more…)

Games We Loved in 2019… Even if They Didn’t Come Out This Year

Games We Loved in 2019… Even if They Didn’t Come Out This Year

We didn’t get a chance to play a lot of the games we hoped to this year, but that doesn’t mean we weren’t playing anything. Some of our favorites were games we revisited, games we discovered late, and/or games we’d been putting off since last year—and they deserve recognition, too! Join us as we take a look at the games we loved in 2019, even if they weren’t actually released this year. (more…)

GYGO: Persona 5 R, Steam’s 2018 Best Sellers, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate DLC

GYGO: Persona 5 R, Steam’s 2018 Best Sellers, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate DLC

Happy New Year! Get Your Game On is Sidequest’s weekly news round-up. Check back every Wednesday for more news, interesting links, and deals on games. What have you been playing this week? I’ve been playing Night in the Woods on Switch. It’s my first playthrough of the game, and I can’t wait to know what happens to Mae and Bea. I’m also playing GTA Online on PC because it’s free and doesn’t require a subscription service like it does on PS4.

Here’s some of the news we’ve been thinking about this week: (more…)