With A Terrible Fate

A case study of how the storytelling of a linear game can open its world.

Only through the lens of a philosopher at war with himself can we understand a game at war with itself.

Kafka's "Before the Law" offers a new lens for meditating on the relationships between avatars, bosses, developers, and players in gaming.

The Outer Gods of Elden Ring aren't just extra lore: they're also the cipher to understanding the player's place in the Lands Between.

Have you ever played a game where a single moment changes your feelings about it from hate to love? A meditation on the first Dark Souls.

In Karen Travers, Scarlet Nexus tells the tragic story of how a character can become a villain by being cut off from the player's agency.

Where some JRPGs represent philosophical views, Final Fantasy IX tricks its player into actually doing philosophy without even realizing it.

What's the difference between a psychological story and a story about psychology?

The flavor text of EarthBound tells a story you may have missed.

Ni No Kuni quietly tricks its adult player into curing both herself and the White Witch of cynicism.

A case study of how the storytelling of a linear game can open its world.

Announcing a new With a Terrible Fate series playing and analyzing the stories of Bandai Namco's Tales series of JRPGs.

Join the authors of the Leibnizian, Platonic, and Wittgensteinian readings of Xenoblade Chronicles in a panel on the series' storytelling!

Only through the lens of a philosopher at war with himself can we understand a game at war with itself.

Kafka's "Before the Law" offers a new lens for meditating on the relationships between avatars, bosses, developers, and players in gaming.

This Labor Day weekend, join the analysts of With a Terrible Fate for a live and streamed study of Final Fantasy VII at PAX West!

Join With a Terrible Fate at PAX East 2022 on Thursday, April 21st, for a panel exploring the storytelling of Elden Ring!

The Outer Gods of Elden Ring aren't just extra lore: they're also the cipher to understanding the player's place in the Lands Between.

Have you ever played a game where a single moment changes your feelings about it from hate to love? A meditation on the first Dark Souls.

In Karen Travers, Scarlet Nexus tells the tragic story of how a character can become a villain by being cut off from the player's agency.

A reflection on the role that the Pokémon anime had in cultivating a generation of gamers, on the occasion of Ash's final episode.

Dissecting the subtle ways in which Mewtwo set the Pokémon postgame standard for over 20 years.

How Pokémon's rivalry mechanics have empowered players and trainers through the years.

A study of Pokémon's party-building mechanics.

Announcing a new audio series studying the artistic and nostalgic value of the Pokémon series from Red and Blue through Scarlet and Violet.

Listen to an extended discussion about Dan Hughes' analysis of "the Gwyn Moment," how Dark Souls changed his experience of video-game stories.

Listen to an extended discussion about Aaron Suduiko's analysis of the player's role as an Outer God in Elden Ring.

Listen to an extended discussion about Aaron Suduiko's analysis of Final Fantasy IX's theatrical and philosophical content.

Listen to a brief update concerning the future trajectory of our audio content about the analysis of video-game storytelling.

This week on the podcast: analyzing Dark Souls and Silent Hill through the lens of a hypothetical mashup, plus PAX West 2021 reflections.