my first game review up on ol' @kotaku.com AND an excuse to pop off about semiotics? don't miiIIiiiIIiind if i do.

Federal Judge Vacates Kennedy Declaration, Permanently Blocks Trump's Trans Youth Care Hospital Threats The judgment overturns the Kennedy Declaration which has been used to force 40 hospitals to drop trans youth care.

Federal Judge Vacates Kennedy Declaration, Permanently Blocks Trump's Trans Youth Care Hospital Threats • The judgment overturns the Kennedy Declaration which has been used to force 40 hospitals to drop trans youth care.

Deirdre is cooler and better than David Foster Wallace x1 billion, thank you for sharing this and for your earlier piece

I was listening to some records the other day and realized one speaker wasn't playing. had to do a whole AB test to figure out which cable it was (RCA from table to amp). scrounged another and back in business. Honestly kind of satisfying to diagnose, test, and solve, infinitely moreso than Win11

OPEN CALL FOR PITCHES Think you have what it takes to write for Palette Swap? We are opening our pitch group to new members, specifically for Different Colors which is the satire arm of the website. Submit your best 5 headline pitches that match the voice and style of Palette Swap via our About page or linked in our bio. If we like your submissions, you'll hear from one of our editors regarding next steps.

🗣️PALETTE SWAP IS OPEN FOR PITCHES!

-submissions due Thursday, April 30
-no AI shit

forms.gle/5G7x8sd9CS...

my latest for @deletedsavesmag.bsky.social is out now!!

this is one of my favourite essays i've ever written.

piecing together these complex feelings on kiryu, kasuga, the like a dragon series and toxic nostalgia was a challenge, but i think it's come together wonderfully

please give it a read 💜

Deleted Saves #2 - Spring 2026 The outpouring of interest in Deleted Saves after the release of our first issue has left me overwhelmed and overjoyed. There were so many strong pitches for the next two issues that I’ve decided to d...

The second issue of Deleted Saves is now online!

Lewis White explores the complex world of custom game engines.

Rick Lane asks developers whether Early Access is really worth it.

Francisco Dominguez profiles Okomotive.

Christian Donlan talks to Kenny Sun about making Ball X Pit.

I speak to the team at Frictional about Ontos.

And more.

new piece on me, on Marathon and the death drive. with music from caroline polacheck as a treat.

stuck on Marathon. Since writing this have played as much as I can (not close to what I want), almost entirely solo, which is a totally different experience. can't get enough

Corporations Steeped in Phraseology - Unwinnable Marathon is threading the needle between art and service, a refreshingly bold work from a technical monolith.

"Marathon is threading the needle between art and service, a refreshingly bold work from a technical monolith."

@rubeck.bsky.social takes the loot and runs in Marathon:

you shouldn’t learn about bands from shady TikTok manipulation, you should learn about bands by hanging out with a girl you like but are also extremely afraid of

‘Sometimes you need to keep a wound open’ An interview with Daniel Stewart of Station Model Violence.

New album from STATION MODEL VIOLENCE is straight-up inspiring and so was this correspondence with the great punk mind Daniel Stewart

open.substack.com/pub/thefutur...

The Maybe

In light of Orban's loss in Hungary, it is SO vital to go listen to this @naomiaklein.bsky.social interview with @themaybe.org / @alixdunn.com.

Don't mistake the muscularity of anger for real, sustained power. Fascists of all kinds are showing how scared they are every single day.

This Emma Kostopolus column on @unwinnable.com is such a good piece on recent film adaptations of horror games, examining why IRON LUNG works and RETURN TO SILENT HILL does not.

How Creature Kitchen Blends Creepy and Cozy - Unwinnable Creature Kitchen primes the player for horror that never comes.

ICYMI: "This game by The Rat Zone plays on players’ fears just to slowly soothe them with cute critters, peaceful cooking mechanics, and a sweet story about family and loss."

Bea Cadigan analyzes how Creature Kitchen mixes creepy and cozy elements:

To all who celebrate

Bo & Colin Interview Each Other (In Loving Memory of Bo Lueders) YouTube video by HARDLORE

Bo Forever ❤️

www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqsf...

Thrilled to kick off a stacked @bpmonthly.bsky.social issue on Marathon. I wrote about the resonance of Runners, live-service players, and SteamDB numbers.

We're all just grist for the mill, troops summoned to deliver the aims of the corporation.

bulletpointsmonthly.com/2026/04/09/s...

🐛🔫

marathon /// april & may 2026 ///
@bpmonthly.bsky.social

Games and stories are imitations of life, ways of playing at life, sometimes ways of learning how to live. Some of the rules may appear both cruel and arbitrary. But if you want to play the game, or live the life, you have to follow them.

Unionized ProPublica staff are on strike over AI, layoffs, and wages A key issue is protections against layoffs from AI

New: 150 unionized ProPublica workers are on strike TODAY over AI, layoff protections, wages, and more.

They're asking readers to not visit ProPublica or engage with content on other platforms. It's the first work stoppage of its kind at the newsroom.

www.theverge.com/news/908401/...

ProPublica Guild

Surprised that ProPublica is on strike? SO ARE WE! The contract we're being offered is NOT in line with the values of the place we love. For me, this is about job protections and AI protections for future generations of journalists. Read more about how we got here: www.propublicaguild.org

Absolute Wonder Woman Embraces Its Wild Religious Heritage Beautifully - Unwinnable Diana prays. She prays often, and when I say she prays, I don’t mean like in a cliche Hollywood way.

To say I found @kellythompson.bsky.social and co.'s work a refreshing change of pace for depiction of spirituality, prayer, and religion is an understatement.

My full column on Absolute Wonder Woman below, courtesy of @unwinnable.com!

What Knights of the Old Republic Taught Me About Wanting Too Much  - Unwinnable Her reaction did not push me away though – it pulled me in.

ICYMI: "She seemed to exist independently of me before I arrived to this universe, and would continue to after I moved on."

@drowwpoison.bsky.social tells the story of how KOTOR's Bastila Shan shifted her expectations in videogames:

Sho Kosugi doing Ninja hands in the classic 1983 b-movie Revenge of the Ninja.

Tonight! At 6pm! Games People Play returns to @wfmu.bsky.social to talk about NINJAS. Listen on the radio, or stream it online! wfmu.org/playlists/GP

Online games force players to embrace impermanence during uncertain times Online games really want us to know nothing is permanent; from in-game items in extraction shooters like Marathon, to entire games, it can all disappear quickly.

if you want to read more about impermanence and Marathon,

Look, I think Marathon is a miracle. I’m continually astounded by how taut the design is, how many nuances it has, and how almost every element of playing it has sharp, thematic edges. So I’m finding the broader response to it kind of baffling.