We emerge from the gaming mines into the Nevada desert. It’s over. We’ve finished 999. As we depart in our Zero Escape promotional SUV, we reflect on our experience playing and replaying the game, now able to see it in totality. Did the mystery payoff? Is Zero morally justified? Did Nathalie get any predictions right? Next time we meet the snow will have fallen, our hair will have grown, and we will have have shed our tattered socks. But know this, listener: I will never forget you.
Read MoreJoel Jordon (they/them) is the solo game developer of Time Bandit (2022), a real-time anti-capitalist work sim about how our subjective experience of time is shaped by our relationship to labor and historical forces. With Time Bandit’s first part releasing soon, Joel took some time to join me in talking through the game’s themes, how effective games can be as political instruments, and the hazy ethics of games-as-work.
Read MoreDave Gilbert (he/him) is the founder and head of Wadjet Eye Games, creators of numerous modern adventure game classics including Unavowed and the Blackwell Saga. Dave stopped in to discuss the studio’s history, moving into publishing, and the emotionally intense experience of closing out Rosa Blackwell and Joey’s story with The Blackwell Epiphany.
Read MoreKaile Hultner (they/them) joins me on this episode to dive into their philosophy of how to write about games as cultural objects, the need for games journalists to adopt ethics standards, and how good it is that you can pet the eagle in The Pathless (Giant Squid, 2020).
Read MoreSkeleton (they/them) of DEEP HEEL DOT COM joins me to discuss the site’s identity, our frustrations with the state of games writing (go away Kotaku), and the importance of building alternative media that is not embedded with advertising and a callous middle-class aesthetic.
Read MoreOma Keeling (they/them) is an experimental game designer and critic. Their work explores queer history, poetry, and punk art in ways that are messy, inspiring, and often hard to explain. Oma joined me to discuss their early games work at art school, the complicated relationship games have to history, and how they seem to keep making games about falling in love with vehicles.
Read MoreI've been intrigued by the project since playing the opening track, Copy Machine, and was so glad to have the opportunity to speak with its dev team trio: YenTing Lo (she/her) whose music forms the basis of each game, Vanja Mrgan (he/him) who produces art and contributes to design, Ferran Bertomeu Castells (he/him) who handles programming along with design.
Read MoreMaria Mison (she/they) makes games exploring identity, trauma, self-expression, and doing difficult things, as well as the form games can take and our relationship to cultural symbols. They join me to talk about their prolific first year as a game designer, the way games help inform their theater and dance practice, and the importance of taking care of your players, before enthusiastically closing out on our shared love of shōnen manga boys.
Read MoreI sat down with GMG’s communications director, Isra Shabir (she/her), to learn how the camp began, what the process was like shifting to online, and what they have planned moving forward with more online events.
Read MoreMatthew Pusti (he/him) makes synth-driven electronic music as Makeup and Vanity Set. He joined me to discuss how he began in music, the move to working in games and podcasts, and the inspiration for his latest album.
Read MoreNicolas O’Brien (he/him) is a researcher and experimental artist who recently released The Last Survey (2020), a “visual novel essay” which explores the myth of equitable capitalism and modern technocracies. He joined me to talk about the inspiration for the game, the challenge of making anti-capitalist art within established models, and the stress of our own culpability.
Read MoreHannah Nicklin (she/her) discusses how she went from being a playwright to a games author, how Mutazione approaches domesticity and time, and how she is building a more diverse team for Die Gute Fabrik’s next project.
Read MoreMelos Han-Tani (he/him) is a game designer, musician, and half of Analgesic Productions. On episode 22 of Kritiqal Care he joined me to talk making games that recognize the humans behind them, why he likes writing music for games, and some of the musicians he looks (listens?) toward for inspiration.
Read MoreSomething new on this week’s Kritiqal Care, I’m joined by experimental software developer Nathalie Lawhead (they/them) to talk about the weird side of the internet. Nathalie specializes in small art tools with 90s sensibilities and lots and lots of potatoes, and recently released Electric Zine Maker for anyone looking to become an amateur publicist.
Read MoreVery excited to have gotten the chance to this week to chat with Andrew (he/him), creator and curator of Indiepocalypse, a monthly zine featuring games, comics, and an assortment of other curiosities.
Read MoreThis week on Kritiqal Care, I was so excited to talk to the core dev team of ValiDate (upcoming), a dating sim about the weird complexities of dating as a twenty-something that features an all people of color cast, queer characters, different body types, and challenging personalities.
Read MoreThis week’s episode is a little different, featuring Quinn K. (she/her, they/them) and Kyra (she/her) to discuss collaboration, the daily uncertainty of work during Covid, and old internet lore I somehow missed.
Read MoreOn episode 14 of Kritiqal Care I talk with artist and curator Eva Khoury (they/them) about their approach to different mediums and how they define themselves as an artist. Then we go way to deep on refrigerators.
Read MoreThis week I had the absolute joy of talking to the developer of one of my all time favorite games, Wandersong, Greg Lobanov (he/him). Greg is an indie game developer known best for the musical adventure game Wandersong, and is currently working on the upcoming dog-with-a-paintbrush game Chicory.
Read MoreEpisode 12 of Kritiqal Care switches things up by having two guests! Kiki & Alicia (she/her) of the Youtube channel Transparency join me to discuss how they approach video production, the differences in their writing styles, and how The Last Jedi is objectively the best Star Wars.
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