Stefan H. Simond

Heaven is a Halfpipe: The Story of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater

The Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater have inspired an entire generation. And they have disappointed that same generation unlike barely any other series. How did the series go from being one of the most beloved video game franchises to making one of the worst games ever released? – Blow the dust off your skateboards and come…

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Lovecraft and Cosmic Horror

The influence of H.P. Lovecraft on the domain of (video) games can hardly be overestimated. The introduction of the sanity meter, the ripples of madness in Bloodborne, and Batman’s Arkham Asylum—the exploration on the fringes of knowledge fascinates today still. We discuss Lovecraftian aesthetics with horror aficionado Richard Mertens, who is not only the newest…

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Return to Monkey Island

Time to return to Monkey Island! For the series’ original creator Ron Gilbert as well as for us—after many years and some mixed experiences. Does Return to Monkey Island hold up as a proper sequel to the original titles? – Here’s our review!

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Would You Rather?

We are turning 50 years, uhm, episodes old! And at the same time, we are celebrating our one year anniversary. What an occasion! So let’s go ahead and ponder some “would you rather” questions. For fun! Shownotes Nintendo Direct, 09/13/2022 (Nintendo)

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How 9/11 Affected Video Games

Many of us still have vivid memories of 11 September 2001. The worlds deadliest terrorist attack left a gaping wound of societal trauma. Video games are no exception to this. So today, on the attack’s anniversary, we are dissecting how 9/11 changed video game culture, how individual games were altered, and how games actively engaged…

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Logical Fallacies and Where to Find Them

It is so easy to be wrong! Especially in academic discourse, it is important to watch out for logical fallacies that can either help you make a point or that can sneak into your own arguments. Here’s our overview of some most common logical fallacies and how you can avoid falling into their traps. Shownotes…

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Stray

Exploring a cyberpunk dystopia from a cat’s perspective—best idea ever. But does Stray hold up to scrutiny? Or does it cutify the dire setting? – Here’s our review!

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Gamescom 2022

Gamescom, the biggest video game trade show in the world, has come and gone. Of course, we were there to check out a whole range of games and to discuss the status quo of video game culture with experts. Here is our report! Shownotes 00:05:42 One Piece Odyssey 00:09:24 Floodland (with Kacper Kwiatkowski, Co-Boss and…

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Thymesia

With its plague themed setting and its sprinkles of role-play mechanics, Thymesia attempts to employ the strengths of Soulsborne games and run with them. But does it manage to stand out enough? Here’s our review!

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Do JRPGs need to be made in Japan?

Technically, JRPG simply stands for Japanese Role-Playing Game. Yet, it seems like the genre ascription has taken on a life of its own. Is every RPG made in Japan automatically a JRPG? And what differentiates them from Western RPGs? Here’s our take on the matter! Shownotes Japanische Rollenspiele: Was macht ein Spiel zum JRPG? –…

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