Democratic Socialism Simulator is a Soothing Balm for My Political Pessimism

Democratic Socialism Simulator is a Soothing Balm for My Political Pessimism

All games are political. But then there are games from Molleindustria, an indie developer whose explicitly political work has fascinated me since I stumbled upon McDonald’s Video Game back in high school. In this game, you manage McDonald’s from the supply chain down to an individual restaurant. No matter how much I tried to behave ethically, I couldn’t win—I didn’t get the message as clearly as I do now, but it left an enormous impression on me. I’ve been following Molleindustria’s work ever since. (more…)

GYGO: Hideo Kojima Falsely Accused of Murder

GYGO: Hideo Kojima Falsely Accused of Murder

Content note: mention of death.

Welcome back to Get Your Game On! My name is Zainabb and I’m your host for this week. Recently I’ve been navigating a difficult and extended flare so I haven’t been gaming as much as I’d like. I did finally start Stardew Valley but immediately became overwhelmed and I was also put off by its (extremely limited and ableist!) disability representation so I, uh, have not returned to it yet. Instead, I’m back on my The Sims bullshit and rebuilt my main family’s house for the third time this year!

You know what’s less fun than building virtual magical cottages? This week’s gaming news. Let’s take a look, shall we? (more…)

GYGO: Hideo Kojima Falsely Accused of Murder

GYGO: Coronavirus, Stardew Valley Followups, and More Politics in Games

Hello, and welcome to GYGO! I’m Kael, your local gaming bard, and I’ve been playing more D&D than anything else. In fact, I’m not sure I’ve touched a video game console in weeks, though I did learn a few Final Fantasy songs on kalimba for role-playing purposes (and Sadness and Sorrow from Naruto). When not practicing my scales I’ve also been scouring the net for some of that hot, fresh, sweet, and surprisingly squishy gaming news. (more…)

GYGO: Hideo Kojima Falsely Accused of Murder

GYGO: The Death of Flash, A Real-World Charisma Save, and GDC Honors Amy Hennig

Howdy, gaming lovelies! For those that celebrate, we’re less than one week out from Christmas! Remember to sneak in a little self-care with some gaming and some fancy hot cocoa. On to the news, ho ho ho! (more…)

September Roundtable: Politics and Games

September Roundtable: Politics and Games

We talk a lot about politics in games. We’re not of the opinion that anything can be truly apolitical; people create games, and people have beliefs and ideologies that inform what they create. This often causes friction, as sometimes a game we enjoy may rub up uncomfortably against our own beliefs, or a game may attempt itself to brand itself as apolitical when it’s clearly anything but.

But some games embrace politics, leaning hard into exploring a tricky idea, a creator’s identity, or other elements that encourage the player to think more deeply about whatever issue the game is tackling. The Sidequest crew sat down to talk about what these games are doing well, and how games that play with politics can be both interesting and fun. (more…)