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Featured

All Articles

How Elden Ring Turns Its Player into an Outer God

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.

By Aaron Suduiko, 3 months ago April 14, 2022
Dark Souls

The Gwyn Moment

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.

By Dan Hughes, 3 months ago April 14, 2022
All Articles

Scarlet Nexus: The Pathos of Karen Travers

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.

By Aaron Suduiko, 8 months ago November 8, 2021
All Articles

Critical Review: The Path to Necron as Elenchus in Final Fantasy IX

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

By Aaron Suduiko, 10 months ago September 5, 2021
All Articles

Game as Mind: A Psychoanalytic Explanation of Returnal

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

By Aaron Suduiko, 12 months ago July 19, 2021
A Comprehensive Theory of EarthBound

Why EarthBound’s Flavor Text Tastes So Good

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

By Max Gorynski, 12 months ago July 7, 2021
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The Missing Soulmate in Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch

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

By Aaron Suduiko, 1 year ago February 4, 2021
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The Second Impact of NieR: Automata’s Ending E

NieR: Automata's Ending E is a case study in how to completely erase the distinction between gameplay and story.

By Caymus Ducharme, 1 year ago January 16, 2021
All Articles

The Outset Island Effect

The Wind Waker's music shows us how a century-old literary phenomenon blends the lived experiences of player and avatar into something more.

By Lauren Spohn, 2 years ago September 8, 2020
All Articles

How Final Fantasy VII Remake’s Whispers Changed Fate—and Storytelling

The ending of Final Fantasy VII Remake has turned the storytelling formula of challenging fate on its head—and all it took was a Whisper.

By Aaron Suduiko, 2 years ago May 7, 2020

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