Alexander Had
@alexanderhad1.bsky.social
I wrote From Ants to Zombies: Six Decades of Video Game Horror - out now @bitmapbooks.com 🐜 🧟♂️.
Bylines at The AV Club, PC Gamer, Edge, RPS, The Verge, The Washington Post, Slant Magazine, Wireframe, others.
Bylines at The AV Club, PC Gamer, Edge, RPS, The Verge, The Washington Post, Slant Magazine, Wireframe, others.
Discover Project Firestart & more than 130 other horror gems across 60+ gaming platforms -from the TRS-80 to the PlayStation 5- in From Ants to Zombies: Six Decades of Video Game Horror.
Sign up to be notified when reprints are available: www.bitmapbooks.com/collections/... @bitmapbooks.com
Sign up to be notified when reprints are available: www.bitmapbooks.com/collections/... @bitmapbooks.com
October 28, 2025 at 9:41 AM
Discover Project Firestart & more than 130 other horror gems across 60+ gaming platforms -from the TRS-80 to the PlayStation 5- in From Ants to Zombies: Six Decades of Video Game Horror.
Sign up to be notified when reprints are available: www.bitmapbooks.com/collections/... @bitmapbooks.com
Sign up to be notified when reprints are available: www.bitmapbooks.com/collections/... @bitmapbooks.com
didn't expect I was going to be personally attacked by Ultima IV for my life choices but here we are
October 6, 2025 at 2:07 PM
didn't expect I was going to be personally attacked by Ultima IV for my life choices but here we are
A rainy day and some spare time so fuck me if I'm not having my first serious go at one of the greatest CRPGs ever made
October 6, 2025 at 10:02 AM
A rainy day and some spare time so fuck me if I'm not having my first serious go at one of the greatest CRPGs ever made
Spooky season is here so sign up to be notified when From Ants to Zombies -covering 130+ horror games on over 60 platforms from the 1970s to the 2020s- becomes available.
www.bitmapbooks.com/collections/...
@bitmapbooks.com
www.bitmapbooks.com/collections/...
@bitmapbooks.com
October 2, 2025 at 9:17 AM
Spooky season is here so sign up to be notified when From Ants to Zombies -covering 130+ horror games on over 60 platforms from the 1970s to the 2020s- becomes available.
www.bitmapbooks.com/collections/...
@bitmapbooks.com
www.bitmapbooks.com/collections/...
@bitmapbooks.com
72) Giant centipedes emerge from cavern fissures with terrifying slithering sounds; winged horrors grab a fully-grown human to carry to their nest; and carnivorous lizards of steadily increasing size are stalking you.
King Kong's breathtaking setting is fixated on killing you. @bitmapbooks.com
King Kong's breathtaking setting is fixated on killing you. @bitmapbooks.com
September 25, 2025 at 7:45 AM
72) Giant centipedes emerge from cavern fissures with terrifying slithering sounds; winged horrors grab a fully-grown human to carry to their nest; and carnivorous lizards of steadily increasing size are stalking you.
King Kong's breathtaking setting is fixated on killing you. @bitmapbooks.com
King Kong's breathtaking setting is fixated on killing you. @bitmapbooks.com
not sure what the odds are of me playing this scene from Soul Blazer for the 1st time & watching that Jon Stewart bit in the same day, but there certainly seems to be a theme emerging from my Saturday entertainment picks
September 20, 2025 at 10:18 AM
not sure what the odds are of me playing this scene from Soul Blazer for the 1st time & watching that Jon Stewart bit in the same day, but there certainly seems to be a theme emerging from my Saturday entertainment picks
71) Orion Prime is a unique New Retro hybrid.
Setting and tone are inspired by System Shock, yet it plays like a 1990s first-person point 'n click adventure, and was coded for the Amstrad CPC, becoming one of the most ambitious works ever created for the platform. @bitmapbooks.com
Setting and tone are inspired by System Shock, yet it plays like a 1990s first-person point 'n click adventure, and was coded for the Amstrad CPC, becoming one of the most ambitious works ever created for the platform. @bitmapbooks.com
September 18, 2025 at 7:36 AM
71) Orion Prime is a unique New Retro hybrid.
Setting and tone are inspired by System Shock, yet it plays like a 1990s first-person point 'n click adventure, and was coded for the Amstrad CPC, becoming one of the most ambitious works ever created for the platform. @bitmapbooks.com
Setting and tone are inspired by System Shock, yet it plays like a 1990s first-person point 'n click adventure, and was coded for the Amstrad CPC, becoming one of the most ambitious works ever created for the platform. @bitmapbooks.com
Watched the 1985 NZ sci-fi The Quiet Earth for the 1st time yesterday for some light research on post-apocalyptic worlds.
Moving & uncomfortable, it paints a more convincing picture of life in an empty world than most examples of the genre & deserves a place alongside classics like Miracle Mile.
Moving & uncomfortable, it paints a more convincing picture of life in an empty world than most examples of the genre & deserves a place alongside classics like Miracle Mile.
September 12, 2025 at 11:04 AM
Watched the 1985 NZ sci-fi The Quiet Earth for the 1st time yesterday for some light research on post-apocalyptic worlds.
Moving & uncomfortable, it paints a more convincing picture of life in an empty world than most examples of the genre & deserves a place alongside classics like Miracle Mile.
Moving & uncomfortable, it paints a more convincing picture of life in an empty world than most examples of the genre & deserves a place alongside classics like Miracle Mile.
70) Among the initial ideas for the book was an "Ultraviolent" chapter which would feature some of the goriest horror games from the early 80s until today. Entries would include the likes of Go to Hell (1985), Manhunt (2003) & SNK's blood-soaked rail shooter, Beast Busters (1989) @bitmapbooks.com
September 11, 2025 at 8:43 AM
70) Among the initial ideas for the book was an "Ultraviolent" chapter which would feature some of the goriest horror games from the early 80s until today. Entries would include the likes of Go to Hell (1985), Manhunt (2003) & SNK's blood-soaked rail shooter, Beast Busters (1989) @bitmapbooks.com
69) Prefiguring cinematic horror's introverted turn triggered by the success of M. Night Shyamalan's The Sixth Sense a year later, Echo Night's voyage is defined by a kind of otherworldly tranquility, your sole concern aboard the Orpheus to discover what ails its forlorn ghosts.
September 4, 2025 at 8:45 AM
69) Prefiguring cinematic horror's introverted turn triggered by the success of M. Night Shyamalan's The Sixth Sense a year later, Echo Night's voyage is defined by a kind of otherworldly tranquility, your sole concern aboard the Orpheus to discover what ails its forlorn ghosts.
Still remember that bozo who heads a major indie publisher proclaiming, a couple of years ago, that Game Pass is great for indies & if you disagree you don't know what you're talking about because you haven't published on the platform like he has...
July 9, 2025 at 9:13 AM
Still remember that bozo who heads a major indie publisher proclaiming, a couple of years ago, that Game Pass is great for indies & if you disagree you don't know what you're talking about because you haven't published on the platform like he has...
"If Lord British can do so much with 64K, what is the potential with 256 or 512 or more?", asks Scorpia -citing one of her favourites, Ultima IV- for the June-July 1987 issue of Computer Gaming World.
Judging by what I've played since then, nothing to write home about (Disco Elysium aside, obvs).
Judging by what I've played since then, nothing to write home about (Disco Elysium aside, obvs).
July 3, 2025 at 10:00 AM
"If Lord British can do so much with 64K, what is the potential with 256 or 512 or more?", asks Scorpia -citing one of her favourites, Ultima IV- for the June-July 1987 issue of Computer Gaming World.
Judging by what I've played since then, nothing to write home about (Disco Elysium aside, obvs).
Judging by what I've played since then, nothing to write home about (Disco Elysium aside, obvs).
68) Scythe-wielding skeletons dig their way up from the ground; scowling trees sprout roots to entangle you; famished vultures observe your progress from above, ready to pounce. All combine into Ghouls 'n Ghosts' memorable opening level - gaming's quintessential spooky forest.
June 27, 2025 at 8:54 AM
68) Scythe-wielding skeletons dig their way up from the ground; scowling trees sprout roots to entangle you; famished vultures observe your progress from above, ready to pounce. All combine into Ghouls 'n Ghosts' memorable opening level - gaming's quintessential spooky forest.
67) Inspired by the film adaptations of the Mary Shelley novel & owing a clear debt to David Crane's Pitfall!, Frankenstein's Monster on the Atari 2600 has you racing against the clock to prevent the mad doctor from unleashing the behemoth. It's alive? Not if you can help it.
June 11, 2025 at 7:38 AM
67) Inspired by the film adaptations of the Mary Shelley novel & owing a clear debt to David Crane's Pitfall!, Frankenstein's Monster on the Atari 2600 has you racing against the clock to prevent the mad doctor from unleashing the behemoth. It's alive? Not if you can help it.
66) Can a 2D shooter terrify you? Well, imagine it's 1982 & you sit for the first time inside Sinistar's claustrophobic cockpit-style cabinet, drifting through the cosmos, blasting alien drones.
And then, booming through the speakers positioned behind your ears, you hear this:
And then, booming through the speakers positioned behind your ears, you hear this:
June 3, 2025 at 8:13 AM
66) Can a 2D shooter terrify you? Well, imagine it's 1982 & you sit for the first time inside Sinistar's claustrophobic cockpit-style cabinet, drifting through the cosmos, blasting alien drones.
And then, booming through the speakers positioned behind your ears, you hear this:
And then, booming through the speakers positioned behind your ears, you hear this:
Nic (unsurprisingly) killing it for RPS
May 30, 2025 at 9:26 AM
Nic (unsurprisingly) killing it for RPS
"we'll push them left"
May 13, 2025 at 12:45 PM
"we'll push them left"
As for Netflix's output, I'm genuinely not trying to be contrarian but really struggling to come up with those examples. I tried looking up a LIST and out of these, I've tried more than half but there's only two I'd rate (Bojack and MoN).
Any other suggestions? Never averse to discovering good TV!
Any other suggestions? Never averse to discovering good TV!
May 7, 2025 at 3:30 PM
As for Netflix's output, I'm genuinely not trying to be contrarian but really struggling to come up with those examples. I tried looking up a LIST and out of these, I've tried more than half but there's only two I'd rate (Bojack and MoN).
Any other suggestions? Never averse to discovering good TV!
Any other suggestions? Never averse to discovering good TV!
65) “We set From Beyond Prologue in roughly the correct era for Lovecraft’s original works, but the visual language is heavily representative of the 80’s movie adaptations – Re-Animator and From Beyond were some of our favorite films." - William McDonald on From Beyond Prologue
May 6, 2025 at 8:24 AM
65) “We set From Beyond Prologue in roughly the correct era for Lovecraft’s original works, but the visual language is heavily representative of the 80’s movie adaptations – Re-Animator and From Beyond were some of our favorite films." - William McDonald on From Beyond Prologue
Sunday night movie
May 4, 2025 at 7:20 PM
Sunday night movie
...I've played a game that had me so involved in probing its inner mysteries.
April 30, 2025 at 1:07 PM
...I've played a game that had me so involved in probing its inner mysteries.
...really hidden in the tomb I can build outside the mansion? What's the significance of the repeated paintings? How do I access the Secret Garden? Wait, there's a way to tear down walls?
There are flaws, namely certain deflating runs when the tiles don't come your way. But it's been years since...
There are flaws, namely certain deflating runs when the tiles don't come your way. But it's been years since...
April 30, 2025 at 1:06 PM
...really hidden in the tomb I can build outside the mansion? What's the significance of the repeated paintings? How do I access the Secret Garden? Wait, there's a way to tear down walls?
There are flaws, namely certain deflating runs when the tiles don't come your way. But it's been years since...
There are flaws, namely certain deflating runs when the tiles don't come your way. But it's been years since...
...an obfuscation of the game's inner workings, a collusion between cryptic narrative & arcane mechanics to jointly generate an all-pervading sense of wonder.
What will happen in a run when I finally manage to get a garage tile, power up its external gate, and locate a set of car keys? What's...
What will happen in a run when I finally manage to get a garage tile, power up its external gate, and locate a set of car keys? What's...
April 30, 2025 at 1:04 PM
...an obfuscation of the game's inner workings, a collusion between cryptic narrative & arcane mechanics to jointly generate an all-pervading sense of wonder.
What will happen in a run when I finally manage to get a garage tile, power up its external gate, and locate a set of car keys? What's...
What will happen in a run when I finally manage to get a garage tile, power up its external gate, and locate a set of car keys? What's...
...waiting-to-be-deciphered meaning.
Moreover, it's not just "lore" fragments lying about in the form of conveniently-scribbled journal entries. Instead it's the kind of tantalising opacity that, for me, remains the key (and, sadly, half-abandoned) core of the first Souls games...
Moreover, it's not just "lore" fragments lying about in the form of conveniently-scribbled journal entries. Instead it's the kind of tantalising opacity that, for me, remains the key (and, sadly, half-abandoned) core of the first Souls games...
April 30, 2025 at 1:02 PM
...waiting-to-be-deciphered meaning.
Moreover, it's not just "lore" fragments lying about in the form of conveniently-scribbled journal entries. Instead it's the kind of tantalising opacity that, for me, remains the key (and, sadly, half-abandoned) core of the first Souls games...
Moreover, it's not just "lore" fragments lying about in the form of conveniently-scribbled journal entries. Instead it's the kind of tantalising opacity that, for me, remains the key (and, sadly, half-abandoned) core of the first Souls games...