Category: Videogames
Big Walk, or, I Command You To Relax
First impressions of the game Big Walk, which is often wonderful, often frustrating, and dead set on slowing down and going the long way
The Roottrees are Dead, or, 5 Easy Pieces
The engaging deduction game is a mash-up of The Return of the Obra Dinn and Ancestry.com
“Overpriced” Notebooks, “Hipster GameBoys,” and Your Abrasive Brand Ambassador
A repentent Gen X-er balances his sincere love of small businesses with a need to be cynical and suspicious of everything
Paying for Quiet
Amortizing the cost of the Steam Machine across decades of having to put up with consumer-hostile nonsense
I Wish People Got Fairly Compensated
The media is telling a fairy tale about scrappy young indies hitting it big, even though the happier ending isn’t even all that fantastic.
Buy-Curious, or, Being a Good Video Game Consumer in the Age of Influencers
Mix industry news with entertainment/enthusiast news, let simmer for a few decades, and you’ll end up with the state of media in 2026
My Favorite Games: Riddle of the Sphinx
The niche classic from 1982 was one of the only Atari 2600 games that were as evocative as the pictures on the box
Thoughts of a Childless Middle-Aged Man While Watching The Super Mario Galaxy Movie
The one positive thing I can say about the new Mario movie is that it made me even more appreciative of the wonderful games
Game Narratives Are About Antici…
Expanding on an essay where I talk about front-loading stories to be more present with the player from moment to moment
The Only Way To Win
A more opinionated take on the question of why there haven’t been any standout AI games
My Favorite Games: Sam & Max Hit the Road
A game that was so obviously one of my favorites and most formative that even I forgot to include it
The Vibes of SimCity
Thoughts after replaying a couple of the SimCity games, and how a single, straightforward decision can change the entire feel of a game
