Happy October everyone! It’s a month of warm meals, movie marathons, and you guessed it: spooooOOOoooOOoky scary video games. But, if you’re like me, you are a soft little wimp who threw up watching The Conjuring 2. You might be wondering, are there any fun games of the season that can give me a little chill without scaring my eyeballs out? You betcha! Here are some suggestions of spooky games that might just be okay for us that are faint of heart. All of these are available on Steam.
Read More“We just have to get more people in the industry and keep them there, because right now the biggest hurdle is access. I mean, you know, I'm sure a lot of people know, going to something like GDC, the game developer conferences, is super expensive. Even when you got your past coverage, you got to pay for a week in San Francisco. It's also making environments less hostile to people of color, queer folks, etc. and making sure we have a place to be in the industry and to exist.“
Read More“I really consider my art practice pretty separate from my academic side. And I always kind of wanted to have the goal of making pieces that weren't just serving the academic interests and they're like available to the public and can be consumed by people without reading my accompanying essay about it….”
Read MoreEvery gamer knows it sucks to have an overflowing inventory, and to have that hinder your progress. This is why the backpack is the most coveted item in games where it’s collectible (next to the shotgun. Everybody feels like a big boy when they get the shotgun).
Read MoreFor me, Picross isn’t a game that I sit down and completely clear over the span of a couple days. No, it’s more elusive, a long hunt like no other, one unmatched by the likes of Super Smash Bros or Mario Kart. Unmatched by Wii Boxing and its kin. It’s a beast to be conquered.
Read MoreWhether you’re listening to music to get hyped for a heist or looping the Coconut Mall Mario Kart song to help you finish your essay, we all have a deep connection when it comes to music and video games. From The Last of Us’ enchanting Spanish guitar ballads to Taio Cruz to K.K. Slider, this is what the VGA Staff has been listening to.
Read MoreWhen I was talking about prototyping this system, you know, it had like, kind of like moves and HP and damage and stuff planned. And, you know, a lot of planning and not a lot of coding with that. And I feel like, I learned that, you know, there's a certain point you can feel where you should just try to design a few levels, and then use that as, like data without, and, you know, don't worry too much about setting up systems, because you're probably not even gonna need those systems that much, you know, like, there's only like, what 30 of these links in the game.
Read MoreVideo games have taught me more about myself than years of schooling. I’ve become a talented problem solver, keen observationalist, and an empathetic human being. With the tools I have to focus myself, moderate my gaming intake, and maintain a balance between work and fun-time (mmm, capitalism am I right?), I no longer consider spending hours attempting to catch ‘em all a guilty pleasure, rather, a self-care activity.
Read More“How much did you pay for this game?” one of my roommates asks. All three of them have gathered behind the spine-mangling futon where I’m sitting, pulled into my shared bedroom by the cacophony of obscenities and jangly slot-machine sound effects emanating from my tiny, second-hand TV.
Read MoreOut of the Park Baseball is a boring simulation of an already boring game (baseball is the sports version of a delayed flight), and I have spent the last year of my life playing it with small breaks for sleep and sustenance. It is, defying all odds and its own design, the best, most poisonous, most addictive video game I have ever played. I hate it I hate it I hate it.
Read MoreWe have been collaborating with Bit Bash Chicago since their very first festival back in 2014, and with that partnership we have been able to exhibit our collection at their events, manage their print competitions, curate exhibitions of digital art, and highlight our developed work such as the exhibition of Frame Switch in 2019. Today, we’re thrilled to announce we are taking that partnership even further, as VGA Gallery is now the fiscal sponsor of Bit Bash Chicago.
Read MoreSo in what ways do video games teach us? Well, obviously, trivia games and the like teach us facts and bits of useless knowledge to lord over others at parties. But more generally, games teach us how to manipulate and explore a virtual space in order to overcome specific roadblocks. Teaching how to explore is a game’s most important job, for without it, the player would be unable to see the carefully coded experience laid out by the developers.
Read MoreOne thing that has helped me massively through all of this? Video games. I have spent many late-night hours discovering some incredibly beautiful pieces of art from indie developers that somehow manage to encapsulate all of my emotions wordlessly. I have whittled down a long list of recommendations to six indie games that have had incredible significance to me. Some of these games are gay, some of them are sad. Some of them are both. All of them, however, have helped me confront some really difficult and emotional questions in the middle of a bewildering world.
Read MorePlease Do Not Use The Word “Punk”
“From the start, we had an idea and a gimmick,” says Andrew. “I think maybe part of it was we were trying to create these NES punk jackets. It totally was like, 'How do we make a studded jacket, but with Mario on the back?'”
Read More“Always gratifying to collaborate with someone who inspires you to create differently; a new perspective, flexibility, and willingness to explore. When artists are willing to try, get out of their comfort zone, and unconditionally experiment then it becomes dreamy!”
Read MoreI can't help but—whenever an absurd situation is created—kind of think about what it would be like to actually live it and the feelings that it would pull out of you. And so that is where I think the the pathos of Octodad as an imposter in this world comes from, and the kind of absurdity that human life has when you're a tentacle being. Right, like as an outsider looking in. Because I think that that's what comedy is good at, is drawing out the empathy of absurd situations.
Read More“We have a variety of people who are just speaking about topics related to game development. That's really important, actually, because a lot of times people of color are the folks who are just talking about what it's like to be a person of color in games. And we're like, No, we already know that we're here, we know what it's like, let's actually let them speak about their expertise.”
Read MoreThe base model PC Engine was simply better suited to these kinds of visuals than contemporary home computers. So what, then, did this version offer that couldn’t be found elsewhere? CD-quality audio. Not even a dedicated arcade cabinet could come close to producing sounds like this…
Read More“It’s the process of generating footage in real-time through game-play, although the creative process often requires editing tools and techniques. The creative work generated generally goes completely contrary to what the original game was intended to do, such as a fantasy, a driving game or a first person shooter, to tell a new story. It is a practice that was borne out of online game-based community practices.”
Read More“Basically, practice absurdity. And don't worry about any sort of dumb result that you come up with, because honestly, that's where the best stuff comes from. I've never thought I've never had anything in my life, career wise or otherwise be like, Oh, I'm glad I planned that out, start to finish in a very serious way and it worked out great. It's always been that would be stupid, what if I did it? And it worked!”
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