Roundtable: What Even Is a Wholesome Game?

Roundtable: What Even Is a Wholesome Game?

PAX West was, as always, a wild convention. Given the state of the pandemic and my busy schedule, I wasn’t sure I’d be going, and didn’t bother to look at the panel list with more than a cursory glance. I saw “A Case for Cozy: Why we (really) need wholesome games!” on the list but didn’t investigate further because, frankly, the conversation around wholesome games—what they’re worth, who they’re for—gets rapidly exhausting, and I felt that it was likely going to be a list of the same old recommendations without a whole lot of insight.

Naturally, that meant my friend dragged me along to get my hot takes. (more…)

March Roundtable: Crafting in Games

March Roundtable: Crafting in Games

In the midst of COVID-19 fears, the Sidequest team decided to focus our roundtable on something wholesome: crafting in games. We sat down (virtually, of course) and talked through in both tabletop and video games. Are you a fan of crafting in games? Sound off in the comments and let us know what does and doesn’t work for you! (more…)

Mashed Buttons: A Roundtable of Our Most Frustrating Gaming Moments

Video games are meant to be a challenge (usually)—that’s what makes them fun (usually). But sometimes, we come across sections of the game which push us too far. You know what I’m talking about—when you die so many times, the “Game Over” noise triggers a Pavlovian response in you for the rest of your life. Or when you can’t skip the cutscene before the battle, so you know all the dialogue to that scene by heart. (I’m looking at you, Kingdom Hearts.)

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What We’re Playing: Monsters, Manufactured Nostalgia, and Madness

From cooking sims to monster-tamers to Victorian romances, Sidequest writers have been hard at play this fall. Join us in a recap of the games we’ve been playing; you might find something new that tickles your fancy, a fresh perspective on your favorite game—or a reason not to start that game you’re on the fence about. Ready? Here we go.

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HUDs Up: Taking a Dive into Our Favorite HUDs and UIs

HUDs are a tricky thing—we tend not to notice them unless they’re bad, because, for the most part, they’re meant to provide us with necessary information and little more. But when games really go the distance, a good heads-up display can be as immersive and interesting as any other element of game design.

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