Dr Ian Sturrock
sturrock.bsky.social
Dr Ian Sturrock
@sturrock.bsky.social
Researcher into game studies, game histories, motivation for play, ethics of game design, creativity and world-building. Capoeirista, HEMA practitioner, larper, TTRPG designer/publisher. HE teacher and UCU activist but my views represent only me.
Precisely this!
September 1, 2025 at 11:38 AM
(And obviously Jayanth is cleverer still but, ya know, research is all about standing on the shoulders of giants!)
September 1, 2025 at 11:15 AM
2/2 ...“for identity, community, self-esteem, challenge, love, joy” are fulfilled through the game, rather than deferred (2021). Citizen Sleeper is, perhaps, at last, one such game.'
September 1, 2025 at 11:14 AM
1/2 'Jayanth points out the “gun is still the fundamental tool we give players to interact with the world”, advocating instead for games in which our fundamental human needs...
September 1, 2025 at 11:14 AM
Oh. There's a lot of bad art out there in every medium. But look at Citizen Sleeper, Disco Elysium, Planescape: Torment, Six Ages: Ride Like The Wind, Gris, even God of War: Ragnarok, and tell me videogames don't have multiple ways of telling amazing, subtle stories.
August 19, 2025 at 9:29 PM
Easily the best Star Wars, probably the best SF TV show ever too (I still have a huge soft spot for Strange New Worlds obviously).
August 4, 2025 at 2:07 PM
5) Seeing a key Imperial institution fragment & self-destruct with paranoia felt very like watching the Tory Party's implosion over the past 10y; what do you do when your most competent fascists are disgraced & disempowered? Now we know why the Empire of 1-3 is so ineffective in so many ways.
August 4, 2025 at 2:07 PM
4) The conscious low-tech touches -- radios, flight paths, air traffic control, etc. -- are so much fun thematically, harkening back to the mid-20th century wars and media that influenced Lucas so much.
August 4, 2025 at 2:06 PM
3) The insight into rebellion is also just astonishing -- we joke about an Andor game being a leftist infighting simulator but it does show how tough it is to get a bunch of traumatised, angry people to work together.
August 4, 2025 at 2:06 PM
2b) The makeup, esp. S2 E.10-12, shows not so much the aging of a couple of the key characters, as what they have endured. Again subtle and mostly about the contrast with how they looked for the rest of the series. A good indication of how well every single detail is considered in this show though.
August 4, 2025 at 2:05 PM
2a) The music has been subtly powerful all through and in particular brings a sadness to the final scene that, in the hands of a more schmaltzy director, would have been seen as hopeful rather than adding to the tragedy.
August 4, 2025 at 2:05 PM
2) Obviously the last three episodes are exceptional pieces of television and the acting, direction, and writing have been heavily praised, quite rightly! I am just gonna single out the music and makeup too though.
August 4, 2025 at 2:04 PM