Unwinnable

It's the scariest month of the year and Unwinnable's murder of writers are here with blood-curdling cultural commentary to turn your hair white while filling your brain with new ideas. Backrooms! Werewolves! Babysitters in peril! Don't miss it! Buy: buff.ly/krs7Gl9 Subscribe: buff.ly/QW6Mdeu

ICYMI: It's the scariest month of the year and Unwinnable's murder of writers are here with blood-curdling cultural commentary to turn your hair white while filling your brain with new ideas. Backrooms! Werewolves! Babysitters in peril! Buy: buff.ly/krs7Gl9 Subscribe: buff.ly/QW6Mdeu

i'm technically in this issue twice, once talking about what makes romance work and not work and once gently pushing back on the recent framing around "women in games." you know, scary halloween things!

I wrote about the history and mysteries of "babysitter in peril" novels for @unwinnable.com's Halloween issue.

this is a wonderful issue. i was fortunate enough to be one of ten queried by @emilyprice.bsky.social for a feature on the past, present and future of non-men in games media. it's an incredible piece, and worth subscribing for on its own. but, you know. subscribe for all of unwinnable too 💜

I wrote about how Instagram manufactures coziness out of strange-ass failures like Practical Magic.

I wrote about polar horror. I have a god damn book recommendation for you people.

Also, a gentle reminder to subscribe so that Unwinnable Monthly, Exploits, and Unwinnable Web can continue to support their regular contributors and take more chances on new voices — insightful critique is needed now more than ever and there are fewer and fewer avenues to nurture it.

I want to express my appreciation for @unwinnable.com & @rubeck.bsky.social giving me the opportunity to write about games and film for the past year. I'm incredibly grateful to share digital space with some of the most incisive and compelling critics working at the margins of games and culture.

My first published essay, from one year ago today:

ICYMI: “To the penguins, these stupid humans come here to die. The land rejects them. They aren’t from here.” @alyssawejebe.bsky.social speaks with @veselekov.bsky.social about Penguin Colony: buff.ly/G48ZYxv

“To the penguins, these stupid humans come here to die. The land rejects them. They aren’t from here.” @alyssawejebe.bsky.social speaks with @veselekov.bsky.social about Penguin Colony: buff.ly/G48ZYxv

ICYMI: "Sometimes, we need to remember that we’re the ones holding the controller. We get to decide how we engage with the games we choose to play." @robsteinone.bsky.social on just doing what you want to do: buff.ly/wj8b3of

"Sometimes, we need to remember that we’re the ones holding the controller. We get to decide how we engage with the games we choose to play." @robsteinone.bsky.social on just doing what you want to do: buff.ly/wj8b3of

ICYMI: "Taylor, over a hundred and twenty years ago, set the tone, led the race. Many still ride his wind." @aguaspoints.bsky.social reviews Frederick Noland's Major Taylor: The World’s Fastest Man: buff.ly/SZkrRqe

ICYMI: "In order to understand why Thieves’ Landing seems so convincing, it helps to picture the city that it so closely resembles." Justin Reeve compares Red Dead Redemption's Thieves' Landing to New Orleans: buff.ly/1Ur8fkR

Always a pleasure to write for Unwinnable. My latest is a review of a pretty neat graphic novel about the great cyclist Major Taylor published by @dandq.bsky.social.

oh there's a punchline to this one which is that anthropeum added ads for ai like two days after I submitted this

"Taylor, over a hundred and twenty years ago, set the tone, led the race. Many still ride his wind." @aguaspoints.bsky.social reviews Frederick Noland's Major Taylor: The World’s Fastest Man: buff.ly/SZkrRqe

"In order to understand why Thieves’ Landing seems so convincing, it helps to picture the city that it so closely resembles." Justin Reeve compares Red Dead Redemption's Thieves' Landing to New Orleans: buff.ly/1Ur8fkR

ICYMI: "Big Walk and Fortnite and the like aren’t substitutes for social spaces, but supplements against the tyranny of distance, and in a way that builds upon the humble phone call." @rubeck.bsky.social makes noise, flashes lights, shoots flares: buff.ly/AUEqpxT

"Big Walk and Fortnite and the like aren’t substitutes for social spaces, but supplements against the tyranny of distance, and in a way that builds upon the humble phone call." @rubeck.bsky.social makes noise, flashes lights, shoots flares: buff.ly/AUEqpxT

ICYMI: "I’ve worked a number of miserable jobs, and I’ve seen people resign themselves to the banality of thoughtless, unengaging labor for its own sake." @jhensliterature.bsky.social on working to live vs. living to work: buff.ly/0ZE5Gzl

ICYMI: "I put the blame for this at Duolingo’s door, an app that is designed primarily to make you pay to make the number increase one daily whether or not you actually log in, much less whether or not you actually learn anything." @jaymcastello.bsky.social on needless streaks: buff.ly/vTqLOtT

"I’ve worked a number of miserable jobs, and I’ve seen people resign themselves to the banality of thoughtless, unengaging labor for its own sake." @jhensliterature.bsky.social on working to live vs. living to work: buff.ly/0ZE5Gzl

I love how everything about Big Walk inspires us to explore in a playful, non-extractive fashion. Its environments aren’t solely in service to a narrative nor is it a repository of useful items. Even the keys you unlock from puzzles are merely oddities that facilitate further exploration.

Still hanging strong as my personal GotY

I wrote this about Worming from Home. @zachnorthrop.bsky.social

"I put the blame for this at Duolingo’s door, an app that is designed primarily to make you pay to make the number increase one daily whether or not you actually log in, much less whether or not you actually learn anything." @jaymcastello.bsky.social on needless streak mechanics: buff.ly/vTqLOtT

ICYMI: "I want to believe that even my half-finished steps or my begging-to-be-painted walls or my outdated kitchen is not quite rundown enough to pass for an addict’s refuge." @mattmarrone.bsky.social takes comfort in his house *not* being scouted for Dick Wolf's FBI: buff.ly/X6vHR0q

"I want to believe that even my half-finished steps or my begging-to-be-painted walls or my outdated kitchen is not quite rundown enough to pass for an addict’s refuge." @mattmarrone.bsky.social takes comfort in his house *not* being scouted for Dick Wolf's FBI: buff.ly/X6vHR0q

ICYMI: "You have three main goals: make as much money as possible, get promoted, and not be outed as a worm." @hotsliceofjesus.bsky.social goes to work as an undercover worm: buff.ly/6A8pKig

ICYMI: "The charm of Big Walk is how it instills a collective sense of awe, curiosity and admiration similar to what you might experience going on hike with friends IRL." @phoenixwritesdown.bsky.social explores the biophilic design of House House's latest endeavor: buff.ly/qzV6NKy

I wrote another piece for @unwinnable.com check it out unwinnable.com/2026/10/05/w...

"You have three main goals: make as much money as possible, get promoted, and not be outed as a worm." @hotsliceofjesus.bsky.social goes to work as an undercover worm: buff.ly/6A8pKig

"The charm of Big Walk is how it instills a collective sense of awe, curiosity and admiration similar to what you might experience going on hike with friends IRL." @phoenixwritesdown.bsky.social explores the biophilic design of House House's latest endeavor: buff.ly/qzV6NKy

Check it out! I wrote a review of the 2020 film "Over the Moon" in this issue of Exploits by @unwinnable.com ! If you're looking for a movie to watch with your family to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival, give it a read! #moviereview #overthemoon #moonfestival #midautumnfestival #中秋节

Spent most of Saturday listening to old episodes of Casey Kasem's American Top 40, complete with deep cut nostalgia, contextual trivia and heart breaking dedications.

ICYMI: "Typically, our fiction explores godhood either as tyrannical or ineffectual, so it’s fascinating to see a game throw the job at the player and declare 'Okay, let’s see how good you do!'" @unabridgedgamer.bsky.social on playing god in Technotopia: buff.ly/82Xqh3X

Technotopia is by far, one of the most incredibly fascinating games I've ever played, and makes brilliant use of a tight budget to convey complex ideas better than some major releases. It also goes on sale for like $1 USD. Pick it up when you can.

"Typically, our fiction explores godhood either as tyrannical or ineffectual, so it’s fascinating to see a game throw the job at the player and declare 'Okay, let’s see how good you do!'" @unabridgedgamer.bsky.social on playing god in Technotopia: buff.ly/82Xqh3X

A month since this thing came out and my store still has not sold a single copy 🙏

The lovely people at @unwinnable.com let me write an article about why we should treat Friendslop games like digital TTRPGs. Go check it out!

Hi! I am a femme who primarily works behind the scenes as an editor, but am proud of the critical work I have published about games and film. Most recently, I wrote the cover story for @unwinnable.com's September issue, an excerpt of which is currently available online: