June 2019 Issue
From the Editor
June 1st, 2019 by Stewart C Baker
There’s a French term, l’esprit d’escalier (literally “staircase wit”), which refers to the experience of coming up with clever or insightful things to say hours after a conversation. For better or worse, the term perfectly describes many of my own social interactions.
Our games this month both consider a similar theme. In “Dead Lake Crossing,” by Hannah Powell-Smith, you travel across a wasteland at an ancestor’s behest, and “Replay” by Robert Dawson puts you in control of a device that gives you endless do-overs–but at what cost? Our cover, “Not Again!” by Laura de Stefani, portrays another all-too-relatable experience.
Issue Contents
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Cover
“Not Again!”
by Laura De Stefani
[view full size] – [follow the artist on Twitter]
Essays
Dukes & Dumbledore: Truth and Canonicity in Stories
by Sharang Biswas
Statements from authors about their novels and stories can have more of an impact than insights we come by ourselves. But is that true for games, as well?
[read essay]
Once Upon a Time in the Age of Fable
Are you on a quest? You might be. But then again, maybe not.
by Anya Johanna DeNiro
[read essay]
Experimenting in IF
by Katherine Morayati
How can you create innovative pieces of interactive fiction? Well, to start with…
[read essay]
Games
Dead Lake Crossing
by Hannah Powell-Smith
A journey to a dead city.
[play game] – [read interview]
Replay
by Robert Dawson
The Replayer lets you correct life’s little mistakes, but can it be overused?
[play game]