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sidequestzone.bsky.social
Sidequest
@sidequestzone.bsky.social
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The earnest yet somewhat creepy gaming site you didn’t know you were looking for. Pitch us at editors@sidequest.zone and enter THE SIDEQUEST ZONE.
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sidequestzone.bsky.social
"When I engage with art that holds sincerity at arm’s length, including through ironic detachment, I feel a bit sad. Why are you afraid to say what you want to say?" — Melissa Brinks

Read more in Pretentious Game Jam is Authentically Good: sidequest.zone/2025/10/20/p...
Pretentious Game Jam is Authentically Good - Sidequest
Put on your black turtlenecks and thickest-rimmed glasses to take a look at Pretentious Jam with Sidequest editor in chief, Melissa Brinks.
sidequest.zone
November 8, 2025 at 11:35 AM
sidequestzone.bsky.social
"But [the past] is out of your hands; it happens before the gameplay ever starts. The only thing you actually control is what you will do moving forwards—and these choices set up who you want your Morgan Yu to be." — C. C. Rayne

Read more: sidequest.zone/2025/11/03/w...
Who Are Yu?: Prey and The Power of Self-Determination - Sidequest
C. C. Rayne examines themes of monstrosity, identity, and gender in Prey, and the impact of their relationship with protagonist Morgan Yu.
sidequest.zone
November 7, 2025 at 11:35 AM
sidequestzone.bsky.social
"χ suggested they could tag along, with Gin seeming hesitant to that idea. Noting this, I promised a future hangout with everyone and waved bye. Gin shyly pulled his hat down, wondering if he was acting too girly by wanting to hang out with me one on one."

sidequest.zone/2025/10/28/c...
Caligula Effect 2: My Body is Filled with Regret - Sidequest
In The Caligula Effect 2, Gin's second chance at self-expression in Redo gives Cress—and all of us—the opportunity to reflect on who we are.
sidequest.zone
October 30, 2025 at 11:35 AM
sidequestzone.bsky.social
"Gaming’s my favourite thing to do when flaring up because it’s less passive than watching TV or listening to podcasts, which lets me feel like I’m “doing” something when I physically can’t do anything."

Read more: sidequest.zone/2022/01/17/6...
6 Video Games to Play During a Chronic Illness Flare - Sidequest
These games are light and cozy, perfect for fun and distraction when you're experiencing a chronic illness or chronic pain flare.
sidequest.zone
October 28, 2025 at 11:35 AM
sidequestzone.bsky.social
"In honor of spooky season, dust off your haunted CRT monitor and plug into these short but chilling retro-inspired indie horror games." — Kathryn Hemmann

Read more from Kathryn Hemmann in "Eight Free Retro Horror Games on Itch.io" — sidequest.zone/2025/10/15/r...
October 25, 2025 at 10:35 AM
sidequestzone.bsky.social
"A while ago, I asked in the Sidequest Slack if I would ever be free of talking about Epic Games vs. whoever in court. Maddi wisely said no. She was correct.""— Melissa Brinks

Read more in GYGO Mobile: Roblox, Epic Games, You Know the Drill: sidequest.zone/2025/10/22/g...
GYGO Mobile: Roblox, Epic Games, You Know the Drill - Sidequest
This month in mobile gaming: Roblox does weird stuff! Epic Games vs. Google! Water is wet! The Pope is Catholic! Bears shit in the woods!
sidequest.zone
October 23, 2025 at 10:35 AM
sidequestzone.bsky.social
"I bring [these games] to you, along with a pretentiousness rating (which, importantly, is not a rating of quality) to help sell you on the value of art that rankles and irritates and maybe makes you feel a bit stupid." — Melissa Brinks

Read more: sidequest.zone/2025/10/20/p...
Pretentious Game Jam is Authentically Good - Sidequest
Put on your black turtlenecks and thickest-rimmed glasses to take a look at Pretentious Jam with Sidequest editor in chief, Melissa Brinks.
sidequest.zone
October 22, 2025 at 10:35 AM
sidequestzone.bsky.social
"I explained that someday all the memes he knows and loves will be dead, and he’ll be looking at reels on Futuregram and a video reminiscing about the 2010s will pop up, and it will feel like being pierced through the chest."

sidequest.zone/2024/04/29/t...
That’s Just a Theory: On MatPat, Five Nights at Freddy's, and Saying Goodbye - Sidequest
Kamie Wootan explores the lasting impact of MatPat and Five Nights at Freddy's on the memories she's made with her child.
sidequest.zone
October 19, 2025 at 10:35 AM
sidequestzone.bsky.social
"Halloween is the perfect excuse to dim the lights, grab some headphones, and delve into the eerie world of indie retro horror."

Eight Free Retro Horror Games on Itch.io — sidequest.zone/2025/10/15/r...
October 16, 2025 at 10:35 AM
sidequestzone.bsky.social
Melissa and Zora sat down to discuss the representations of sexuality and gender in the Dragon Age series, with some (maybe) surprising praise and some (less) surprising criticisms.

Check it out: sidequest.zone/2025/03/23/p...
September 20, 2025 at 10:35 AM
sidequestzone.bsky.social
"Sometimes [challenging convention is] throwing convention and practicality out the window and just reveling in making us screw up our faces and demand that our friends take a look at what we’re playing."

sidequest.zone/2017/01/19/d...
September 17, 2025 at 10:35 AM
sidequestzone.bsky.social
"Sewers combine the allure of secret underground tunnels with the chance to study old artifacts that have been thrown away and forgotten." — Kathryn Hemmann

Read more in Seven Intriguing Video Game Sewers: sidequest.zone/2025/03/03/v...
Seven Intriguing Video Game Sewers - Sidequest
Delve into the mysteries, horrors, and eerie beauty of sewers in seven video games with intriguing subterranean tunnel systems.
sidequest.zone
September 13, 2025 at 10:35 AM
sidequestzone.bsky.social
"And as I watched the playthrough again, I recognized an issue that I didn’t think I would have when I played it back then. You spend the vast majority of this game playing for and even lionising the bad guys. Genesis may be a dick, but he’s right." — Cress

Read more: sidequest.zone/2023/06/12/w...
September 10, 2025 at 10:35 AM
sidequestzone.bsky.social
"The forest represents a mysterious, forbidden realm or a boundary that cannot be crossed." — Kathryn Hemmann

Read more in Trees in Video Games: sidequest.zone/2024/12/16/t...
Trees in Video Games - Sidequest
A short comic about ludic representations of nature and the value of digital green spaces as sources of healing and inspiration.
sidequest.zone
September 7, 2025 at 10:35 AM
sidequestzone.bsky.social
"It is just and beautiful for friends to part when life... presents a fork in the road. When that moment comes... we will feel something precious when we say goodbye, for the joy of having known each other will be proven in the bittersweetness of our parting."

sidequest.zone/2025/08/19/i...
In Pyre, Every Game Is a God Game - Sidequest
Andrei Filote writes about the world of Supergiant Games' Pyre, and what liberation means for those who are exiled.
sidequest.zone
September 5, 2025 at 10:35 AM
sidequestzone.bsky.social
"To truly understand this fight, to become one with it, we are chasing the hitless run. Radiant Difficulty. Perfection.

Nothing else will force the state of mind we need."

Read more in How to Beat Nightmare King Grimm and Ignore Your Grief in Ten Easy Steps: sidequest.zone/2024/11/04/h...
How to Beat Nightmare King Grimm and Ignore Your Grief in Ten Easy Steps - Sidequest
Writer Rory Hoeschen walks gamers through defeating Hollow Knight's Nightmare King Grimm and working—or not—through grief.
sidequest.zone
September 4, 2025 at 10:35 AM
sidequestzone.bsky.social
"Pyre is an unusually reactive game; there are many variations of its ending. In one ... you are not separated from your friends at all, and that is when you fail. It is possible in Pyre to meet your enemies with gratuitous mercy, by losing on purpose."

sidequest.zone/2025/08/19/i...
In Pyre, Every Game Is a God Game - Sidequest
Andrei Filote writes about the world of Supergiant Games' Pyre, and what liberation means for those who are exiled.
sidequest.zone
August 27, 2025 at 10:35 AM
sidequestzone.bsky.social
"Mystic Messenger... removes all of the layers between game and player.... The characters speak directly to you, the individual. You are your own player character. You are the one experiencing these emotions alongside the others."

Read more: sidequest.zone/2018/05/01/m...
August 22, 2025 at 10:35 AM
sidequestzone.bsky.social
Andrei Filote writes about the world of Supergiant Games' Pyre, and what liberation means for those who are exiled.

Read more in In Pyre, Every Game Is a God Game: sidequest.zone/2025/08/19/i...
In Pyre, Every Game Is a God Game - Sidequest
Andrei Filote writes about the world of Supergiant Games' Pyre, and what liberation means for those who are exiled.
sidequest.zone
August 20, 2025 at 10:35 AM
sidequestzone.bsky.social
"We’re introduced to Ayta at her computer listening to a routine business meeting in which the company bosses are praising the quarter’s profits while only giving their employees a pat on the back (already relatable)." — Cress

Read more at sidequest.zone/2025/05/12/r...
REVIEW: Welcome to the Urban Jungle - Sidequest
Cress reviews Urban Jungle by Kylyk Games, a cozy game that allows players to organize, decorate, and build a flourishing plant store.
sidequest.zone
August 12, 2025 at 10:35 AM
sidequestzone.bsky.social
"Deus Ex... imagines the Illuminati as a cabal of tech billionaires—scary, powerful, but also gifted in a way that makes them seem like philosopher-kings... And that machine god... would wave its hand and alter our destiny, whether we like it or not."

sidequest.zone/2025/05/19/t...
August 10, 2025 at 10:35 AM
sidequestzone.bsky.social
Join us on patreon at patreon.com/sidequestzone!
August 8, 2025 at 10:35 AM
sidequestzone.bsky.social
"In a strange twist of fate, the games weaponized to mock diversity have become a sanctuary for many of the people who were once excluded. I’d like to share my story of how this happened." — Kathryn Hemmann

Read more in The Softer Side of Dark Souls Fandom: sidequest.zone/2025/07/14/d...
The Softer Side of Dark Souls Fandom - Sidequest
Dark Souls fandom was once infamously unwelcoming, but it has grown to include female gamers and the LGBTQ+ community.
sidequest.zone
August 6, 2025 at 10:35 AM
sidequestzone.bsky.social
"I’ve stopped playing games billed as “cozy” without a personal recommendation... [Would] humor be enough to offset the rose-colored disconnect I tend to associate with anything branded cozy?"

Wanderstop Is Pretty, but Fails to Capture the Challenges of Healing: sidequest.zone/2025/05/05/r...
Review: Wanderstop Is Pretty, but Fails to Capture the Challenges of Healing - Sidequest
Wanderstop is a beautiful game, but its lack of engaging mechanics and unchallenging story failed to hook me the way I hoped they would.
sidequest.zone
August 4, 2025 at 10:35 AM
sidequestzone.bsky.social
In this week’s mobile games news: Roblox breaks records and maybe even hearts. Plus, Fortnite’s suggestive new skin names and a HoYoverse cafe.

Read more: sidequest.zone/2025/07/23/g...
GYGO Mobile: We Might as Well Just Rename This to "Roblox News" - Sidequest
In this week's mobile games news: Roblox breaks records and maybe even hearts. Plus, Fortnite's suggestive new skin names and a HoYoverse cafe.
sidequest.zone
August 2, 2025 at 10:35 AM