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Before the Law and Before Gaming: Kafka, Players, and Avatars
Kafka's "Before the Law" offers a new lens for meditating on the relationships between avatars, bosses, developers, and players in gaming.
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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.
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.
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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.
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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.
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Game as Mind: A Psychoanalytic Explanation of Returnal
What's the difference between a psychological story and a story about psychology?
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.