building a game about the berlin wall
When I visited Berlin, I was struck by how profoundly the city impacted me in the 2-3 days I was there. Wandering around on foot from the Brandenburg Gate to Checkpoint Charlie to the Reichstag Building, I was surrounded by…
assassin’s creed’s virtual notre-dame proves the value of video games
When the devastating fire ravaged the roof and toppled the spire of the Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris on the Monday of Holy Week (15th April 2019), I, like the rest of the world, was shocked and heartbroken. Having visited Paris…
riot games’ problematic culture for female players of league of legends
In September 2018, I attended the North American League Championship Series summer finals in Oakland, CA. Having just started playing League of Legends earlier that year and really enjoying it, I was so excited to watch professional players playing live…
goodbye, subpar mini golf, you were anything but
It was an exceptionally cold afternoon on August 13th 2017, when I stepped into Subpar Mini Golf in Alameda, CA. More than anything, it was an idea of something to do on a Sunday, with visitors in town. Our group…
an afternoon at the musée mécanique, san francisco’s retro arcade
Back in 2015, I wrote an article about arcades becoming archaic, based on thoughts on a visit to Dave and Buster’s. I thought it was time to revisit, or perhaps reimagine the topic, with thoughts on a recent visit to…
foldit, player motivation and video games for science
Picture this: You’ve just come home from a long day at work, and have the promise of a free evening before you. It’s been a stressful day, and you want to relax. Do you a) fire up your favourite video…
the game design of rock climbing
Lately, I’ve gotten into rock climbing, and it has quickly become one of my favourite pastimes. While climbing is a great workout and a fun social activity, it is the design of rock climbing in gyms that separates it from…
virtual reality is a platform for art and museums
Before Saturday, the last time I visited a museum was eight months ago. It was the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York during a brief visit. Although I live in a city with state-of-the-art public museums, I never seem…
cmu carnival “game night” booths
CMU’s annual spring carnival is a big deal, so when we found out the theme for the booths this year was “Game Night”, Julian, Amy and I decided to go check them out and pass judgment. The booths ranged in…
