Not Your Mama's Gamer

This week we all played YIIK: A Postmodern RPG and we've come together to talk about it.

What We're Playing:

Samsara
Smoke and Sacrifice
Roterra
Anthem (demo)
Stardew Valley
YIIK
What We're Reading:

The Gamer’s Brain by Celia Hodent
Games User Research
Computer Games and Technical Communication: Critical Methods and Applications at the Intersection 
What We're Drinking:

Ginger Peach Sparkling Water
Red Blend aged in bourbon barrels
Dry Ginger Ale and Whiskey
Links of Note

American Horror Story: The Cecil Hotel

This week we all played YIIK: A Postmodern RPG and we've come together to talk about it.

What We're Playing:

Samsara

Smoke and Sacrifice

Roterra

Anthem (demo)

Stardew Valley

YIIK

What We're Reading:

The Gamer’s Brain by Celia Hodent

Games User Research

Computer Games and Technical Communication: Critical Methods and Applications at the Intersection 

What We're Drinking:

Ginger Peach Sparkling Water

Red Blend aged in bourbon barrels

Dry Ginger Ale and Whiskey

Links of Note

American Horror Story: The Cecil Hotel

This week look back on our favorite and least favorite games of 2018 and talk about the games we are looking forward to most in 2019. 

What We're Playing:

Subnautica
Diablo III
Assassin's Creed: Odyssey
Divinity Original Sin II
Crusader Kings II
Return of the Obra Dinn
Bury Me, My Love
What We're Reading:

The Gamer’s Brain by Celia Hodent
An Unkindess of Ghosts by Rivers Solomon
Rock Needs River by Vanessa McGrady
Woke Gaming, eds Kishonna Gray and David J. Leonard.
What We're Drinking:

Pink Tea
Peppermint tea and Horny Monk Belgian Style Ale (not together!)

This week look back on our favorite and least favorite games of 2018 and talk about the games we are looking forward to most in 2019. 

What We're Playing:

Subnautica

Diablo III

Assassin's Creed: Odyssey

Divinity Original Sin II

Crusader Kings II

Return of the Obra Dinn

Bury Me, My Love

What We're Reading:

The Gamer’s Brain by Celia Hodent

An Unkindess of Ghosts by Rivers Solomon

Rock Needs River by Vanessa McGrady

Woke Gaming, eds Kishonna Gray and David J. Leonard.

What We're Drinking:

Pink Tea

Peppermint tea and Horny Monk Belgian Style Ale (not together!)

This week we talk we talk about thoughtful gift giving for holidays or just because. We hope that this comes in handy for some of you who may be finishing up your holiday shopping or thinking about what to buy loved ones on any other occasion. Giving yourself the change to tell them "I see you!"

What We're Playing:

Kingdoms and Castles
Katamari Damacy Reroll
Fortnite Creative
Strange Brigade
Mutant Year Zero
Divinity Original Sin II
What We're Reading:

Into the Forest by Jean Hegland
Salt Fat Acid Heat by Samin Nosrat
Hunger by Roxane Gay
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir
An Unkindess of Ghosts by Rivers Solomon
What We're Drinking:

Coffee and Grapefruit Vodka (no, not mixed together)
California Roots Moscato
Really bad vodka

Sound quality differs this week because Sam was accidentally using her headset mic. Blame it on the end of the semester!

This week we talk we talk about thoughtful gift giving for holidays or just because. We hope that this comes in handy for some of you who may be finishing up your holiday shopping or thinking about what to buy loved ones on any other occasion. Giving yourself the change to tell them "I see you!"

What We're Playing:

Kingdoms and Castles

Katamari Damacy Reroll

Fortnite Creative

Strange Brigade

Mutant Year Zero

Divinity Original Sin II

What We're Reading:

Into the Forest by Jean Hegland

Salt Fat Acid Heat by Samin Nosrat

Hunger by Roxane Gay

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

An Unkindess of Ghosts by Rivers Solomon

What We're Drinking:

Coffee and Grapefruit Vodka (no, not mixed together)

California Roots Moscato

Really bad vodka

Sound quality differs this week because Sam was accidentally using her headset mic. Blame it on the end of the semester!

This week we talk with Valdemar Andreasen (@fauxvaldemar), Lead Game Designer on Forgotton Anne (Throughline Games). We have a conversation talking about design, connection, and the concept of thrownness in Forgotton Anne.

What We're Playing:

Persona 5
9-9-9
Final Fantasy Tactics
Pokemon Let's Go Eevee
Spyro Reignited
World of Final Fantasy
Reigns Game of Thrones
Dead by Daylight
Divinity Original Sin II
What We're Reading:

21 Lesson for the 21st Century by Yuval Noah Harari
So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo
Paradise Rot by Jenny Hval
I'm Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness - Austin Channing Brown
Values at Play in Digital Games by  Mary Flanagan and Helen Nissenbaum
Gaming Representation edited by Jennifer Malkowski and TreaAndrea M. Russworm
Dark Places by Gillian Flynn
What We're Drinking:

Coffee and Water Kefir (Prune and Apricot)
Red's Apple Cider
Orange Mango juice and mango vodka
Mint Julep
Links of Note:

Walking in Anne's Shoes (Blog Post from Valdemar)

This week we talk with Valdemar Andreasen (@fauxvaldemar), Lead Game Designer on Forgotton Anne (Throughline Games). We have a conversation talking about design, connection, and the concept of thrownness in Forgotton Anne.

What We're Playing:

Persona 5

9-9-9

Final Fantasy Tactics

Pokemon Let's Go Eevee

Spyro Reignited

World of Final Fantasy

Reigns Game of Thrones

Dead by Daylight

Divinity Original Sin II

What We're Reading:

21 Lesson for the 21st Century by Yuval Noah Harari

So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo

Paradise Rot by Jenny Hval

I'm Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness - Austin Channing Brown

Values at Play in Digital Games by  Mary Flanagan and Helen Nissenbaum

Gaming Representation edited by Jennifer Malkowski and TreaAndrea M. Russworm

Dark Places by Gillian Flynn

What We're Drinking:

Coffee and Water Kefir (Prune and Apricot)

Red's Apple Cider

Orange Mango juice and mango vodka

Mint Julep

Links of Note:

Walking in Anne's Shoes (Blog Post from Valdemar)

This week Alisha and Sam (@saffista) are joined by the fabulous T.L. Taylor (@ybika) as we talk about E-Sports, live streaming, and her new book Watch Me Play: Twitch and the Rise of Game Live Streaming.

Episode Note: there is a brief segment in recording where the audio goes wonky (yes, that is the technical term), we have reduced the distortion as much as possible but rest assured it lasts less than 2 minutes.

What We're Playing:

Classic Wow Beta
Life is Strange 2
Old Man's Journey
Fallout 76 (beta)
Slay the Spire

What We're Reading:

Watch Me Play - TL Taylor
I'm Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness - Austin Channing Brown
Post, Mine, Repeat: Social Media Data Mining Becomes Ordinary - Helen Kennedy

What We're Drinking:

Sparkling Water
Ciderboys Pineapple Cider
Pink tea and Eddy's Peach Vodka

Links of Note:

Watch Me Play Site 
Sam in Mixer

Episode Note: there is a brief segment in recording where the audio goes wonky, we have reduced the distortion as much as possible but rest assured it lasts less than 2 minutes.

This week Alisha and Sam (@saffista) are joined by the fabulous T.L. Taylor (@ybika) as we talk about E-Sports, live streaming, and her new book Watch Me Play: Twitch and the Rise of Game Live Streaming.

Episode Note: there is a brief segment in recording where the audio goes wonky (yes, that is the technical term), we have reduced the distortion as much as possible but rest assured it lasts less than 2 minutes.

What We're Playing:

Classic Wow Beta

Life is Strange 2

Old Man's Journey

Fallout 76 (beta)

Slay the Spire

What We're Reading:

Watch Me Play - TL Taylor

I'm Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness - Austin Channing Brown

Post, Mine, Repeat: Social Media Data Mining Becomes Ordinary - Helen Kennedy

What We're Drinking:

Sparkling Water

Ciderboys Pineapple Cider

Pink tea and Eddy's Peach Vodka

Links of Note:

Watch Me Play Site 

Sam in Mixer

Episode Note: there is a brief segment in recording where the audio goes wonky, we have reduced the distortion as much as possible but rest assured it lasts less than 2 minutes.