What is it that you find pissing you off? Is it lines of argument that you didn’t follow, sources you’ve discovered since publishing, particular phrasings…?
06.03.2026 21:24
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What is it that you find pissing you off? Is it lines of argument that you didn’t follow, sources you’ve discovered since publishing, particular phrasings…?
Transistor mentioned raaaaah
My grid of 9 games. Hypnospace Outlaw, Pentiment, Sekiro, Return of the Obra Dinn, Keep Driving, Gone Home, Dark Souls III: The Ringed City, The Case of the Golden Idol, Mass Effect 3
Off the dome
The work im least proud of is the work i couldn’t give my full attention to because of my full time, non-writing job.
As much great work is being done in games right now, it’s kind of insane that almost no one is working at the top of their game
I definitely bank 5 minute tasks for when I get burnt out on a more complex task so I can cash them in for good brain chemicals
Same, I always have to try and put myself in the heads of people who just play Apex and the newest NBA 2K. Which is like, most people who play games lol
But i think people in games circles know things are dire and want to help out. I feel like im letting devs down when i get behind on games!
SPIT
Is this true outside of tight knit critical/dev circles? I feel like this conversation definitely is happening around the Oscars for a certain set of media-critical movie people
How do you feel about fonts/the color lime green
Got my new 65” qled tv, cant wait to see how Perfect Tides: Station to Station runs on that sucker
Point being, I think critics want to imagine an audience for a game because they want the game to find an audience, but that gets inauthentic quickly. A mistake I definitely have made!
Something I keep track of when reviewing (and I think this is literally advice you gave me) is my own feelings detached from “objective” evaluation. I note when I *want* to like a game. Maybe it’s charming or earnest. But that feeling reframes my problems with a game, it doesn’t erase them
I swear to god my moving budget has been dwarfed by my stress eating budget
American Fire by Monica Hesse, maybe?
Far and away not the point of this article, but “slop” emerged simultaneously as a backformation of “friendslop” and as a descriptor for AI junk. Two competing etymologies with very different connotations, associated with one another basically because of poor timing!
'Few games capture the spirit of indie game development quite like VA-11 Hall-A: Cyberpunk Bartender Action. What initially started out as a short game for a Cyberpunk Game Jam back in 2014, soon became a standout indie hit. VA-11 Hall-A delivers a heartfelt story of happiness in the depths of disaster, draped in a unique cyberpunk aesthetic and set to a distinctive synthwave soundtrack to match. It’s a truly remarkable visual novel, and the perfect choice for our Design Works range. Produced in collaboration with Sukeban Games and Ysbryd, VA-11 Hall-A: Design Works explores the corrupt metropolis of Glitch City, its culture, and the people who frequent the game’s beloved hole in the wall, VA-11 Hall-A. Written by talented journalist and author Ashley Schofield (Polygon, EDGE, Unwinnable and VGC), you’ll hear how this world came to be and the cyberpunk touchstones that inspired it — all the while lending insight into the history of Venezuela, where the team is located, and the unique challenges of developing a game there. VA-11 Hall-A: Design Works will be a celebration of this beautiful indie masterpiece, and the people that made it all possible. Alongside contemporary interviews with writer/programmer Fernando Damas and artist/designer Christopher Ortiz conducted exclusively for VA-11 Hall-A: Design Works, the book also features a collection of highlights from the ‘Daily VA-11 Hall-A’ blog posts directly from Sukeban.moe. You can also expect deep dives into the development of the game’s prototype and prologue; the bartending mechanics that put you in the shoes of disaster bisexual bartender Jill Stingray, and interviews exploring its iconic synthwave soundtrack/jukebox with composer Michael Kelly. VA-11 Hall-A: Design Works features detailed insight into the game’s early concepts and development, an exploration of Glitch City itself, and a deep dive into the programming, art and soundtrack — an unmissable read for any fan.'
A magazine cover of Unwinnable Monthly #191, with the feature being my essay 'I Don't Want To Be This Kind of Animal Anymore' and art by Shafer Brown. An excerpt reads: In the dark times, should the stars also go out? 'Revachol is still. Silent. Decades of unrest, corruption and capital gain have reduced it to a shell of a city. And yet, under these sullen skies, a miracle is happening. The limbed and headed machine of pain and undignified suffering is firing up again.'
My review of Hollow Knight: Silksong for Video Games Chronicle. 'Hollow Knight: Silksong review: A game that intends to make you suffer, even to its own detriment. Team Cherry’s sequel has a clear mission statement, but doesn’t seem to consider the consequences. 3/5 stars.'
My review of Demonschool for Rock Paper Shotgun, included in RPS' Bestest Bests category. 'Demonschool review Saturday morning carcasses.'
hey, i'm looking for work! full-time or freelance 💜
journalist, critic, author
proficient in features, criticism, reporting, reviews, previews, news, guides
words at lost in cult, RPS, VGC, unwinnable, gamesradar+, polygon, EDGE, PLAY
muckrack.com/ash-like-a-d...
ashleyschofieldwrites@gmail.com
Every time i get the chance to write about a great game its always some shit like “im moving and no one at Alphabet Corporation can figure out why i don’t have internet”
Ive never seen a guy that wants to fight so bad
Gecqua, the pokemon gen 10 water starter. He’s got a giant head and a tiny little body. He’s got the eyes of a killer in a Coco Melon face.
If no one else is gonna rep the dude then i’ll rep the dude
Putting the "LLM" in "Gell-Mann amnesia"
i think editors are more important than writers
Someone reading that review will walk away with a very different idea of the game than someone who just played it.
I revisited a piece by Moira Hicks arguing how games can’t be interpreted separate from their mechanics, which I fear is not the main way games are interpreted!
OH. I didnt know British English was free from the which/that distinction T-T
Wait im unfamiliar, whats an example of this!
And there was a time not too long ago when AAA releases were super fun! They’re still fun! It’s awesome when a new game comes out of nowhere and dazzles everyone, and it’s awesome when everyone is buzzing about the same thing!
The first time a source wanted to do an interview over discord i said “sure!” and then did emergency medicine on my high school account like i was dr. michael robinavich
Denshattack is the only good video game. And ive loved a lot of video games!! But im a big enough person to admit that i was wrong
“Japan. The future.” Im so in why dont all games start like this
The browser itself is also pretty much unusable :(
