I watched Pale Flower 乾いた花 almost by accident. It had been sitting on a study list when I was watching Japanese films, and one day I noticed it was only about ninety minutes long. The title sounded nice. Two minutes into the film, the protagonist, Muraki, tells you immediately what kind of man he is. He just got out...

It rained. Finally. I often check the forecast, maybe daily, hoping to see icons of clouds, droplets, or thunder. It had been a very dry summer where I live. The heat wasn’t as bad as it was two years ago, it was fine, but the season felt lifeless and boring without water pouring down through muggy air, without...

I had been writing down game ideas for a while. Lots of text, cool art, interesting mechanics. Excellent. Very useful. The ideas usually worked until they did not. At some point the parts began to feel attached to one another instead of necessary, and I kept wondering how other games avoided that. I needed some idea...

There have always been great games. We find plenty of old, obscure titles and appreciate their design today. Not just that—they’re fun. Lately, many of us rediscover old things. We revisit them, tweak ’em, steal from them. Celebrate them or view them in a different light. Share ’em. That’s another topic. I spent...

Rain falls in seconds that fold into themselves. It is unsayable, yes, and so it sounds shitty. It is not unthinkable. Can you dream it? Can you? It was loud, yes, and you closed the windows. Why? When was the last time we danced? Was my face wide, like valleys of open hands? Did I smile? We don’t have to talk. You...

No more waking up to social media first thing. Social media. What a phrase. I open my eyes in the morning and don’t immediately see everything I missed yesterday. But I also miss the news that some friend-of-a-friend’s girlfriend’s dog is doing better after all. You wake up and there you are, at the mercy of your...