The Vertical Ray of the Sun
015 — Apr 15, 2025Does cheating start at the action or the intent? Could a thought be an action all the same?
Goodbye, Dragon Inn
014 — Apr 8, 2025The movie theater acts as a shelter, shielding people from the heavy rain, but also metaphorically providing an alternative to reality.
Soft Wave for Automatic Music Box
013 — Apr 1, 2025The melodic sequence of notes—that repeat with overlaps—mimic gentle waves, like coming into consciousness after waking on a lazy weekend morning.
Mr. Thank You
012 — Mar 26, 2025Thinking about the bus, and by extension public transportation, as the circulatory system of industrialized society.
Seven Games: A Human History
011 — Mar 18, 2025It’s a very human endeavor to aspire to be the best backgammon player in the world, just as it’s a very human endeavor to want to create a backgammon computer to beat the best player in the world.
Maborosi
010 — Mar 11, 2024Traveling, from life to death, from Osaka to a small seaside village, across time and space. *Maborosi* charts the journeys we embark on, and the questions we ask along the way.
Multiple Choice
009 — Mar 4, 2024Standardized tests feel like a binding contract with an illusion of choice, you can pick your poison as long as you drink it.
Ape Escape
008 — Feb 26, 2024Often cited as the first console game to require dual analog sticks, playing Ape Escape now feels like both a time capsule and a glimpse at alternative possibilities.
Ico
007 — Feb 19, 2024How many games allow you to hold a hand?
Sonic the Hedgehog
006 — Feb 11, 2024Sonic is defined by speed. As a way to prove the Sega Genesis’ power relative to Nintendo and Mario, Sonic had to be fast personified. In an era where entertainment and value were defined by bits, Sega set out to make Sonic’s default speed the same as Mario’s running speed. Where does this put the player, who inherits this speed?