Endgame Sequences is a collection of essays and illustrations dedicated to exploring the many facets of death in the games we pour ourselves into. In what ways do these games portray loss? In what ways do they explore bereavement, ceremonies for the dead, and concepts of rebirth? And what do they give us in return?
The zine began as an offhand tweet from a recent graduate of the NYU Game Center who was spinning her wheels after graduating grad school during the pandemic. Many of her peers from NYU, located in the initial epicenter of the first U.S. COVID-19 wave, were re-evaluating games’ portrayal of death.
A rounded spoonful of Twitter and Discord conversations later, Endgame Sequences launched on Kickstarter in September 2020 with a slate of four illustrators, five essays, and five open slots for essay pitches. The campaign was 135% funded. Five more essays and six mini-essays were selected from a robust pool of pitches.
As a finished zine, Endgame Sequences includes over ninety pages of writing and art, as well as six free mini-essays. Those who did not back the Kickstarter can buy a print (while supplies last) or digital copy on Gumroad.
