Category Archives: Symposium

Symposium: Norco, December 1, 2022

It’s hard not to put the point-and-click adventure game Norco (2022) in conversation with Kentucky Route Zero (2013). Both present their own takes on the surreal South, a location as much grounded in the poverty of the moment as it … Continue reading

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Symposium: Dicey Dungeons, November 3, 2022

This month we’re going to discuss Dicey Dungeons. Its store page describes it as a “deckbuilding roguelike”; do we think that a characterization of it as a dice-based deckbuilding roguelike accurately covers what’s interesting about the game, or is there … Continue reading

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Symposium, October 6th – Citizen Sleeper

Somehow, Citizen Sleeper has managed to land right in the intersection of so many of our Symposium discussions, from Disco Elysium’s interrogation of the narrative capabilities of tabletop mechanics to Nier Automata’s exploration of how the body and self are … Continue reading

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Symposium 1 September: Marvel Continuity

When Chris Claremont gave us Giant-Size X–Men #1, did he — whether literally or metaphorically speaking — change the game of Marvel continuity, repurposing the moribund Uncanny X-Men to tell a new kind of story? Or did the game actually … Continue reading

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Symposium: Tunic, August 4, 2022

Tunic (2022) revels in nostalgia. Playing the game, it is hard not to see echoes of the past from previous titles like The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (1991) and Dark Souls (2011). It is a game … Continue reading

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Symposium: The Forgotten City, July 7, 2022

For our July symposium, we’re discussing The Forgotten City. I’d like to relate that to our recent discussion of time loop games, and in particular to talk about the game’s affordances for that sort of puzzle. And talking about Roman … Continue reading

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Symposium, June 2nd – Majora’s Mask

Like a Groundhog Day gone wrong, we will relive and relearn the recurring nightmare of Termina in Majora’s Mask and explore just how far one of gaming’s most beloved franchises is willing to dive into existential despair. It’s dangerous to … Continue reading

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Symposium 5 May 2022: Elden Ring

Really I just want to hear everyone else talk about any/all of the following: What specific characteristics of the game set it up for discussion as “the greatest video game of all time”? Is the lore intentionally impenetrable? What comparisons … Continue reading

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Symposium: Psychonauts 2, March 3, 2022

Psychonauts 2 (2021) is the long-awaited sequel to the initially commercial unsuccessful but critically praised game, Psyhonauts (2005). With nearly 16 years between the two, each presents very different approaches to level design, gameplay accessibility, and platformer combat. The second … Continue reading

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Symposium, December 2nd – Outer Wilds

We launch once more into the void on Thursday at 8:30 EDT / 7:30 CDT / 5:30 PDT, with voice chat over Discord, to continue our exploration of space through the clockwork universe of Outer Wilds.

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