Papers, Please is a thought provoking indie game that’s still a lot of fun to play. The message does not get in the way of the gameplay or the story. It just raises it to another level.
You play as an immigration officer at a new checkpoint for the fictional nation of Arstotzka. It is a militant communist nation with strict rules and constant political upheaval. Your job is to check passports, permits, and every other document your bosses demand be added on to ensure the safety of your country. The rules change every day and so do the people you encounter.
Papers, Please plays as an intensely personal narrative. I became invested in my fictional household of my wife, my mother in law, my uncle, and my son. When my son died five days into my new job because I couldn’t afford medicine, I felt terrible. His presence haunted the home with a big red mark under his name. Continue reading →
For all the fandoms I follow and embrace, there are two large ones I have never been able to really get into. The first is Star Wars beyond the character design and Disney World ride. The second is Star Trek, which I enjoyed in the context of Futurama and Family Guy.
Wil Wheaton, for me, was that villain on The Guild that got his own show on Geek & Sundry playing tabletop games with other geeky celebrities. I was aware that he was connected to Star Trek and that his character wasn’t well liked (thanks, Family Guy). That was secondary to seeing a smart and funny actor having fun online.
Wheaton’s 2004 memoir Just a Geek is a combination of blog entries from wilwheaton.net (abbreviated WWDN) and narration connecting the stories. It tells the story of a man running away from his fame by any means necessary, even creating an alternate narrative of success spun out of half-truths and total fabrications.
I’ve reopened my online arts and crafts store RJGOriginals. We specialize in seasonal and home decor. Now through 1 October, you can order hand-made foam tombstones for your Halloween display.
This is the long lost episode of Slipstream: The Pulp Culture Vlog. After I didn’t move on in the Geek & Sundry Vlogs search, I allowed myself to feel down for a few days. It transformed into a sneaky shame spiral and I’m only just pulling my head back up almost two months later.
Slipstream is going to be a weekly show on Thursdays with all the horror, sci-fi, and fantasy criticism you can handle. I’m really excited to bring this series to life and explore my favorite genres in a new way.
This week’s episode is all about text. Literally. It’s about how horror, sci-fi, and fantasy authors experiment with the physical form on the page to bring new meaning to their work. Watch it here then click through for all the behind the scenes goodies.
I am very excited to announce that I will be presenting a panel/workshop during the first ever Geek Creation Show in Piscataway, NJ. It’s called “High Tech Halloween on a Low Tech Budget” and it’s going to be a lot of fun. In 45 minutes, I’m going to run you through my biggest cost-saving tricks to create a home haunt or Halloween party with a lot of wow factor.
The Geek Creation Show is a brand new convention about living a better geeky life. The entire event is inspired by the spirit and legacy of Nikola Tesla. All proceeds from the convention will be donated to the Tesla Museum and Science Center at Wardenclyffe. My fellow panelists and I were encouraged to submit panels/workshops that could help our fellow geeks learn something new or refine their awesome geeky skills.
This week on Face Off, the remaining makeup artists were teamed up to create original futuristic Frankenstein’s Monster and Bride combinations for Universal Studios’ Halloween Horror Nights.
You know this challenge was right up my alley for the new episode of Sketchy Details @Home. In four days, I did all of the pre-building and detail work (but not full assembly) on my Monster drummer and his beautiful Bride as the band logo for the night club. Once the E6000 glue dries on the Monster, I can drill holes in the back of the frame to run lights through, cover the inside of the shadowboxes with this really cool Halloween scrapbooking paper I picked up at Michaels, and attahch it to the black box that will function as the Monster’s body behind the drum kit.
Here’s the only important topic of discussion from last night’s VMAs. Her name is Mary Lambert and this was her breakout moment.
If you’ve heard the wonderful song “Same Love” by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, you already know who Mary Lambert is. She wrote the chorus of that song in under two hours and recorded it. She’s a singer/songwriter and poet from Seattle
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis went onstage last night to perform “Same Love” live. When Lambert sang the first chorus, there was this brief moment of silence in the crowded Barclays Center in Brooklyn. It’s almost as if the audience didn’t expect the lovely young woman in the gold gown to be part of the performance.
You play as an immigration officer at a new checkpoint for the fictional nation of Arstotzka. It is a militant communist nation with strict rules and constant political upheaval. Your job is to check passports, permits, and every other document your bosses demand be added on to ensure the safety of your country. The rules change every day and so do the people you encounter.
