Short, free essays about death in games
The mini-essays were unlocked as a Kickstarter campaign stretch goal. The idea: to give more writers a chance to voice their thoughts about death, dying, and grief in all kinds of games. The mini-essays are web-exclusive (they do not appear in the zine) and don’t cost a cent (anyone can read them).
Five mini-essays are currently published, and the sixth is scheduled for mid-March.
Living with the Specter of Death: What Darkest Dungeon Tells Us About Stress
“If you’ve ever played Darkest Dungeon, you know that two things are inevitable: stress and death.” (By Oluwatayo Adewole)
When Death Is Not an Ending: Telling Survivors' Stories with Stardrawn
“This is your ending. You deserve this. It’s the last move of the game, after all. The tarot cards have guided you through space and time, each spread giving you different ways to change the course of the game.” (By Linda H. Codega)
Unmoored From Death, and Life: On Final Fantasy X-2 and Surviving Brain Surgery
“After my operation, I felt lost. Doctors said I was incredibly strong, and my prognosis was a best-case scenario. That may have been true, but I felt guilty and hollow. I suffered chronic nightmares and was unhappy for reasons I couldn’t pinpoint.” (By Halle Lyle)
Hanging by a Thread: The Delicate Balance of Holding On and Letting Go in Unravel
“Yarny’s inability to move forward when stretched too thin is a pain familiar to all acquainted with grief.” (By Alix Markman)
Killing Tommy: Death, Silencing, and Social Order in Mafia
“Whether you call it Mafia or Werewolf, assign roles with a French deck or folded index cards, portray a conniving mafia member or an innocent villager, you know that when you play this game, someone is going to die.” (By Emily Koonce)