Game & Word

An in-depth psychological and narrative analysis of the Shadow Archetype in video games. Every human has a violent, antisocial, and "dark" side—one we must face for our minds to grow. How long can *you* gaze into your own, inner darkness?

May 22

Podcast: All Masked Up and Nowhere to Go, with Jared Hansen Listen Now [Early Access] | A conversation with author and video game scholar Jared Hansen on Majora's Mask, symbolism, and game academics.

May 18

Chat: A Different, Non-Cringe Vision for the "Metaverse"Good afternoon, my esteemed paid subscribers! This week, instead of yapping on and on and merely talking to you, I figured I’d try something dif…

May 26

Join us as we dive into the inner mental worlds that Psychonauts and EarthBound's characters construct. But beware, for the mind holds secrets one might not want to learn...

May 15

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New Community

Byte-Sized: SILT Trailer Analysis Watch now (14 min) | Undersea eldritch goodness from today's Indie World Showcase, to hold you over until Silksong eventually materializes.

Jay 🎮➕✍🏼

May 11

What does your favorite mask from The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask say about you?

Jay 🎮➕✍🏼

May 8

Musings on three additional themes from Majora's Mask, for the game theorist in all of us.

Jay 🎮➕✍🏼

May 5

The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask, According to Jungian Psychology [A Symbolic and Psychological Analysis]

Jay 🎮➕✍🏼

May 1

How Battlefield 1 Unflinchingly Portrays one of History’s Most Brutal Conflicts [A Historical and Game Design Analysis]

Joe Mayall

Apr 27

Video Games, the Human Mind, and Two Great Books on Both!

Jay 🎮➕✍🏼

Apr 24

Bonus Audio: Pirate Archetypes with Dr. Anthony Bean Listen now | A conversation with Geek Therapeutics' Anthony M. Bean, Ph.D., on the psychology behind our collective fascination with pirates.

Jay 🎮➕✍🏼

Apr 17

Bonus Content: A Conceptual and Societal Analysis of MOTHER 3's Masterful Deconstruction of "Utopia"

Jay 🎮➕✍🏼

Apr 14

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Game & Word

The curious gaming newsletter. Games meet history, culture, literature, art, science, society, and philosophy. No prior gaming experience required, only an open and inquisitive mind. A Substack Featured Publication [2022]

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