A blog about games in all their forms, stories in all their shapes, and tools to enrich our lives.
I recently bought a Retroid in order to play some Steam games. Most people, it seems, buy these devices as piracy machines. I have no interest in that. But there are a handul of games that I would play if they were on Switch, but would struggle to play at my computer. It’s a Wrap , for one. It was difficult for me to tell if this device would meet my needs. Most of the comments I can find online…
I’d like to start by saying that under normal circumstances I would not publish what follows under my own name. Wouldn’t do it! But, I’ve been awarded an honorable mention for this piece by Adam Mastroianni of Experimental History , and that’s a lot like getting a single point on the board. On the balance between a single fake internet point and my own shame and self-respect, well. You’re reading…
If you read this blog and somehow aren’t aware, I’m currently running a Kickstarter campaign for Cyberrats in Space. We’re funded, but we’re heading towards a stretch goal where, among other things, we add a mehc that’s also a Napoleonic sailing ship. I’m really proud of this game, and would appreciate any help in spreading it around!
Symmetry is a spectrum. In game design, it refers to how much one player’s turn mirrors another. Specifically, it refers to the levers they can pull. Imagine a straight line. On the far left, we have perfectly symmetric games. On the far right we have asymmetric games. Let’s move along it from left to right. Full Symmetry On the far left of the line are perfectly symmetric games. Every player has…
Good news for ocean waste removal , though some want to leave the Pacific garbage patch because some species have adopted to thrive there. I don’t think that’s a good enough reason! Adam Mastroianni on positive incentives and learning from your environment. Calvin and Hobbes and the Price of Integrity How a mysterious ghost ship brought cosmic disco to Cape Verde A handful of teeth may rewrite the…
Sonic the Hedgehog (Paramount, 2020) starts in medias res with Sonic running through Downtown [city]. Then we get a flashback of Sonic explaining to us a montage of his life growing up. He knows we can watch it, he says things like “That’s longclaw”. His mother figure get shot, and, fearing for his power, she opens a portal to Earth to save him from attackers. In under 4 minutes, we get to 10…
A handful of thoughts about a handful of films. Sheep Detective : I laughed, I cried, I loved the mystery. Full of heart, and worth your time. Conclave : What a gorgeous movie, and one of Ralph Fiennes’ best roles. I want to watch it again just for the umbrella scene! Juror #2 : This will be Clint Eastwood’s final film, and it’s not a bad note to go out on. Still, If you’re going to make a…
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Below are things I’ve learned or found interesting in the past month: Not good ! Bing style experience points (via Design Explorers) This roundup of Area 51 history The state of Idaho was named after a made-up word that was falsely claimed to be a Native American word meaning “Gem of the mountains”. ancient amazonian village found by LIdar (2024)…
The purpose of language is to communicate an idea. All words are made up / all are equally valid. Some are more made up than others, sure, but if communication happens, it’s just as valid as any other. Aside: there are technically two competing schools of thought on this, prescriptivism (language *must* work this way) and descriptivism (*this is how people seem to be using this word*).…
There’s a particular brand of horseshittery that involves taking away user control. I’ve posted before about web patterns I wish would stop existing, but now I’ve got a new one to add to the list: disabling copy/paste. Bluesky is particularly egregious about it. In DMs, you can click a little button to copy the entire text of a message, but they disable the ability to click and drag to copy part…
Below is the list of the last 30 movies I’ve seen, very roughly sorted by how much I enjoyed them (least favorite at the top, favorite at the bottom). Failed State (2026) The Lobster Bob Wanna Kill Rain Was Not In The Forecast Young Indiana Jones and the Mystery of the Blues Bugonia 1941 Stand By Me News Without a Newsroom [\French] Being 17 Master and Commander Batman: Gotham by Gaslight Black…
One sound could rouse that dog from the deepest sleep anywhere in her home. The spinning of the popcorn maker, the slightest shifting of the kernels. She would spring awake, leap to attention three feet away from anywhere in the house. Her attention rapt, a small pool of drool growing as she watched and waited, knowing that there would be a small portion set aside for her. Unseasoned A kernel at a…
Last week I went to my first film festival, the Julien Dubuque International Film Festival (JDIFF). Most of the movies I saw there can’t be seen by normal people in normal places. Several of them aren’t on LetterBoxd or IMDB! Most of what I watched was forgettable, and yet I’d gladly go again. Because some of it absolutely ruled, and I feel like I got a sneak peak at what’s coming. The best case…
I spoke to René-Pier Deshaies about Breathless ( currently on Kickstarter! ), what it means to be "Rules-bright", staying inspired, and building tools that give back to the community. The below is edited from a conversation on April 9, 2026. Alex : You wear a lot of hats in the RPG world. Can you tell me a little bit about the various roles that you play in this space? RP: I run Fari RPGs,…