It was 31 October 2014. My younger brother and I were in the middle of our college years. No real activities outside of classes and friends, mostly staying in at home. Nothing really exciting happening, no hero to meet, no event to attend. Calm and quiet homefolk, taking time to relax after classes. Our mom… Continue reading Losing It: Con Virginity and How Losing Mine Changed Me for the Better
A nerd, a wrestler, a lagomorph, and a heavy machine gunner get together for a game of poker... No, this isn't the setup to a weird joke. This is the backdrop for one of the wackiest, weirdest, and best game studios active today: Telltale Games. Sam and Max, The Wolf Among Us, The Walking Dead, Homestar… Continue reading Your Own Adventure: Longevity of Telltale
Do me a favor and take a look at this screen for a second. No tricks, promise. What do you see? A fancy banner for the site, a couple other linked articles, maybe a picture. Ok, fair enough. But what else do you see, covering most of the page? Words. Sometimes it's hard to stop… Continue reading The Power of Performing with Words
With the popularity of franchises like The Hunger Games, DayZ, and PlayerUnknown's Battleground, the battle royale genre has gained incredible traction over the last few years. The idea of many against one and the rise to the top is nothing new in storytelling. But what makes this specific end of the spectrum so special? Competition, conflict, uncertainty, paranoia,… Continue reading Battle Royalty: Rise of the Grand Melee
When I was younger, I liked to read. Scratch that, I loved to read. If I found a book I loved or a story I adored, I wouldn't put it down. Seriously, bookworms know of the learned skill of successfully navigating crowded hallways and classrooms with your nose stuck between pages. (Books are great, kids.… Continue reading Crustaceous Corner: Shine On, You Scary Diamond — Stephen King’s “The Shining”
So I was browsing a small video sharing website one day, minding my business, passing time before having to leave for work. Scanning the homepage, a particular video caught my eye. A movie trailer for a particularly old internet phenomenon, to be produced by Hollywood, and as a horror movie no less. Interesting, I thought… Continue reading Reuse, Rebrand, Remake: Reintroducing an Old Property to a New Audience
With the passing of Inktober, where online artists commit themselves to make and publish daily drawings, comes the beginning of NaNoWriMo. NaNoWriMo, National Novel Writing Month, is the writer's equivalent to Inktober, where daily writing and review culminate in a fully realized novel. Titles like "The Night Circus" and "Water for Elephants" were penned during… Continue reading Do You NaNo?
Ah, November. A time to recover from crazy Halloween parties and hide the kids' trick-or-treating haul so they don't eat it all in one go. Depending on where you live, leaves are changing colors, days are getting shorter, and temperatures are dropping like electronic fish. It's also the opportune time to bust out some favorite tabletop… Continue reading Life Hacks through Game Mechanics: Catan in the Kitchen
Greetings, ladies, gentlemen, and others. A bit of a departure this week from my usual ramblings, in celebration of my favorite holiday: All Hallow's Eve. Instead of a written piece, The Geek Embassy has granted me the opportunity to present a dramatic reading of a piece penned by one of the great masters of modern… Continue reading TGE Ep 43 – Halloween Special: A Dramatic Reading of H. P. Lovecraft
Everyone loves a good villain. An interesting and engaging antagonist is vital to a successful story, be that a physical being or an ethereal idea. From psychopaths to masterminds to literal gods, some of these characters even get more fans than their corresponding heroes. And you have to admit, there's something weirdly satisfying about that.… Continue reading No Rest for the Wicked: Villains as Cornerstone Characters
