features: The big ones
The bread and butter
Now Playing: Reviews from the back alley
games we love, games we hate, everything in-between
Editorials: Columns and critiques
From our intrepid editors and erstwhile friends
Writers & Gamers Celebrated at American Writers Museum Exhibit
Nestled in the heart of downtown Chicago, the American Writers Museum stands as a celebration of American writers.
Level Up: Writers & Gamers, the museum’s latest exhibit, continues their commitment to celebrating writing in all its forms. In honor of the 50th anniversary of Dungeons & Dragons, the exhibit focuses on the individuals who turned their…
Dev Logs: Interviews and Developer notes
From developers of in-progress or completed indie projects
REMORA
Disclaimer: The game detailed in this article tackles topics of homophobia, child sexual abuse, overt violence, sex work, and suicide.
Swanchime Thien doesn’t try to hide behind clinical language or cold, disapproving distance. By their own admission, her games are all attempts to humanize the sociopath.
Toss Up Tower
One of the Super Indie City Konsole’s most beloved platformers is Toss Up Tower, lovingly restored by Harrison Kratz. Besides the code, the only portions of the package that Kratz was able to recover from SICK fan forums included concept art of a wizard, blurry scans of planning documents, some marketing materials, and the phrase…
SICK Racing
The SICK-MC, only known to the most dedicated SICK fans, is an unreleased portable add-on for the original SICK. Due to the konsole’s failure, it was scrapped.
Justin Herrick, a devoted historian and game developer, has unearthed all known information on the MC and has even restored and expanded one of its planned launch titles, SICK…
Rataton: Slimeval
Buzz has always surrounded Rataton: Slimeval, a never-released SICK game that, if rumors are to be believed, inspired Metal Slug (Nazca, SNK, 1996). SICK historians and fans alike have been trying to get in contact with the game’s developer, Will Steinhardt, for years. This April, they finally did.
Phasebound: A hero’s Journey
Open on GDC 2023, where four recent graduates met and realized they were in the same boat: looking for a job in an industry where layoffs are perhaps too common. Realizing they could set off together, they formed Struggled Seas Studios, added a few more team members, and the rest was history.