Consent is not a new topic for games. Every game, to a greater or lesser degree, engages in negotiation with its player. Agency, that most vaunted of concepts, usually implies a situation where the player is given space to play the games in a way that suits them, to exist within the gameworld on their…
Dice Vice: Mission: Red Planet
Did you read or see The Martian and think to yourself, “I could do that”? I did not because I don’t think that I could “science the shit” out of that many things, but I do like the idea of space travel. So, if you like space and are looking for a game that is…
Into: Now Our Lives are Stranger
Welcome to An Adventure in Small Games, a monthly series focused on games that cost less than $20, ideally less than $10. In this series, Eve Golden Woods will focus on the indie game and what it has to offer the world of gaming. There will be spoilers. This month Eve takes a look at Into or I Turned…
Pregnancy Phone Games: What are They Good For?
There was a time of, if not happiness, then at least contented ignorance before I became aware of birthing and pregnancy games. Then I saw this tweet: Can someone please explain pregnant-women-giving-birth & bathing games to @bennorskov + me? Looking for a friend. pic.twitter.com/G2rau9Lzgy — Compost the Rich (@freyadutta) February 28, 2016 Obviously I had…
The Longest Night: Stargazing at the End of the World
Welcome to An Adventure in Small Games, a monthly series focused on games that cost less than $20, ideally less than $10. In this series, Eve Golden Woods will focus on the indie game and what it has to offer the world of gaming. There will be spoilers. This month Eve takes a look at The Longest…
Dice Vice: Imma Take ALLLLL the Camels with Jaipur
This month’s game is a great little two-player game called Jaipur. The game’s introduction states that the aim is to try and become the “Maharaja’s personal trader by being richer than your opponent at the end of each week.” You spend three weeks, or rounds, collecting and selling goods like diamonds, gold, silver, cloth, spices,…
Laser Kittens: An Interview with Cheyenne Wall-Grimes
Although I had met Cheyenne Wall-Grimes a time or two before, it was really my experience with her at Metatopia, a gaming convention for designers, that told me the kind of person she was. It was my first time attending, and I was really not sure about this whole designer business. I was probably trying…
Games to Play at Your Galentine Gatherings
Whether you’re spending this “holiday” weekend with lovers or family, Jules has some gaming suggestions for you!
Blood of the Covenant: 3 of Gaming’s Best Found Families
The found or chosen family is among my favorite tropes. I’m a firm believer in family being what you make it, and I find a special resonance with stories about people who cobble together their own familial units regardless of blood relation. Sometimes our blood families aren’t as caring or supportive as we need them…
Undertale, GameFAQs, and Sore Losers
Undertale’s victory in the GameFAQs “Best Game Ever” poll is one of those minor internet events that, though only mildly amusing itself, reflects interestingly on the culture around it. Probably most people in the games community are already aware of what happened, but allow me to provide a quick recap. Beginning on the fifth of…
Dice Vice: A Board Game Cafe Triple Threat
An interesting thing happened on the way to my monthly Dice Vice gaming: a wild Board Game Cafe appeared! If you’ve never been to a board game cafe you should definitely see if there is one in your area and plan a visit. Basically, it’s a cafe—the one in my town serves coffee, sandwiches, and…
Read Only Memories: Colourful, Cyberpunk Mystery
Welcome to An Adventure in Small Games, a monthly series focused on games that cost less than $20, ideally less than $10. In this series, Eve Golden Woods will focus on indie games and what they have to offer the world of gaming. This month’s focus is Read Only Memories from MidBoss.