iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Attention Elsewhere @attentionelsewhere.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

Hello, Eli here. We will be on a hiatus for an undetermined amount of time due to a family medical emergency.

Attention Elsewhere @attentionelsewhere.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

Please direct your attention towards Ep 5: Flee into Mommy’s Arms, in which we center Yin Shan Meng Tan—a 2013 manhua created by Zhang Jing (张晶)—and discuss classism, literal author self-inserts, and mommy issues. Check the Linktree in our bio for other platforms! www.patreon.com/AttentionEls...

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Attention Elsewhere 5: Flee into Mommy’s Arms | Attention Elsewhere

Please direct your attention towards ep 5: Flee into Mommy’s Arms, in which we center Yin Shan Meng Tan—a 2013 manhua written and drawn by Z

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Attention Elsewhere @attentionelsewhere.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

It's been a bit since we lasted posted, and it's likely going to be a while longer as one of our two co-hosts is currently moving to a different continent to start their masters in Film & English. We'll be back to our (un)usual programming once they're settled.

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Attention Elsewhere @attentionelsewhere.bsky.social · 09/06/2026

Interested in reading along with the show? You still have time to finish Yin Shan Meng Tan before our episode. But don't wait too long... With over a 100 chapters, varying levels of translation quality, and a richly layered narrative, YSMT demands both time and attention to properly enjoy.

Ah Jiu holds an open umbrella over Princess Yu Ji's head.

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Lady Emily ☄️ @ladyemily.nebula.tv · 01/06/2026

Ah, Kamille. It's the first day of Pride Month. You know what that means.

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artemis, scary boss of stop caring @stopcar.ing · 01/06/2026

It's pride month. You should support small time videogame criticism from the margins, especially if said website is ran by a trans woman. Ahem, anyways, please consider donating or subscribing to Stop Caring www.stopcar.ing#/portal/supp... www.stopcar.ing

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Attention Elsewhere @attentionelsewhere.bsky.social · 01/06/2026

Happy Pride Month! If you’re thirsting for some robust media criticism and analysis from a pair of delightfully queer co-hosts, then you’ve come to the right place. Not everything we cover is queer, but the way we talk about it—it might as well be:

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Attention Elsewhere

Patreon is empowering a new generation of creators. Support and engage with artists and creators as they live out their passions!

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Attention Elsewhere @attentionelsewhere.bsky.social · 22/05/2026

If you enjoyed our episode on 'Heaven Will Be Mine'—a game in which space is characterized as both playground and battlefield for its young cast—then we strongly recommend you read Asterisk Magazines' recent interview of Jon Peterson in which he traces the evolution of wargaming throughout history.

"There is an interesting distinction between what the actual professional military people want out of these games and what they find successful in them, and the kinds of things that hobbyists pursue in wargames."

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Attention Elsewhere @attentionelsewhere.bsky.social · 21/05/2026

Next episode: We'll be covering Zhang Jing's manhua, Yin Shan Meng Tan (or: Dream Talking in the Hidden Mountain) (2017-2020).

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Bullet Points @bpmonthly.bsky.social · 20/05/2026

"if marathon offers anything to say about the human condition, i don't think it's to be found in the cutthroat attitude players adopt with one another ... yet i feel like i've grown to understand people more by playing it." @goosepimple.moe on Marathon, up now bulletpointsmonthly.com/2026/05/20/w...

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Attention Elsewhere @attentionelsewhere.bsky.social · 14/05/2026

If you've enjoyed our coverage of Signalis, we strongly recommend that you check out Grace's article, 'Older Than Empires, As Deep As Death':

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Bullet Points @bpmonthly.bsky.social · 13/05/2026

"The Runner is from an empire, of a kind, but of no nation in particular. Home is nowhere." @gracemachine.bsky.social on Marathon, up now. bulletpointsmonthly.com/2026/05/13/o...

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Baxter @cosmicspooks.bsky.social · 13/12/2024

The outline of a corpse, a rotting city, a truth hidden below the earth, a crime that keeps happening. Join me in exploring Yuji Horii's metaphysical, purgatorial masterpiece, The Portopia Serial Murders! www.tsundokudiving.com/talking-game...

tsundokudiving.com

Talking games | The Portopia Serial Murder Case

Purgatory made digital.

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Attention Elsewhere @attentionelsewhere.bsky.social · 10/05/2026

LEADER. GOD. MOTHER. On this holy day, we worship at the feet of Mother Falke, Protektor Commander of S-23 Sierpinski Facility. We thank her for all she has done for us, the sacrifices she has made, and most of all, we thank her for stepping on us.

Signalis' Falke awakens from one dream to another... Ready to kill and replace Elster

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artemis, scary boss of stop caring @stopcar.ing · 29/04/2026

www.stopcar.ing/post-punk-sy... New Stop Caring essay, from yours truly. On violence in video games and real-life, the conditions and limits of sympathy, and No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle

stopcar.ing

Post Punk Sympathy

And critical support for the pervert's revenge.

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Attention Elsewhere @attentionelsewhere.bsky.social · 05/05/2026

In our second (and final!) Signalis episode, we discuss Adler who has plagued—and charmed—us since pushing poor Elster down the elevator shaft. Best read as a foil to Elster, he is both perpetrator and victim—his fate decided by compulsory heterosexual desire and Ariane's fading dream.

Adler shoves Elster into an elevator shaft

Adler looking hot af as he says, "You shouldn't have returned." What a monster.

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Dominic Tarason @dominictarason.com · 13/01/2025

Worm Girl - who you might know for her deep dives on the Fear & Hunger games - picks apart every last fragment of Signalis, which is still one of the best survival horror games of all time. Y'all should follow her at the very least.

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Attention Elsewhere @attentionelsewhere.bsky.social · 01/05/2026

Attention Elsewhere Ep. 4: 'The Genre is Empire':

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Attention Elsewhere @attentionelsewhere.bsky.social · 01/05/2026

Attention Elsewhere Ep. 3: 'Would James Sunderland Approve?':

Adler looking relatively normal, other than the big-ass knife through his eye

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Attention Elsewhere @attentionelsewhere.bsky.social · 29/04/2026

Please direct your attention towards Ep 4: The Genre is Empire, in which we center Signalis—a 2022 survival horror game developed by rose-engine—and discuss incest, the Rule of 6, and Adler. Part 2 of 2! Check the Linktree in our bio for other platforms!

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Attention Elsewhere 4: The Genre is Empire [Signalis] | Attention Elsewhere

Attention Elsewhere 4: The Genre is Empire [Signalis] by Attention Elsewhere on Patreon. Join Attention Elsewhere's community for exclusive content and updates.

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m @maekl029.bsky.social · 27/04/2026

I have no explanation for this one. You just have to feel it

A colored drawing of 8 Eules in the Nurse Station in S-23's hospital wing. 7 are huddled around a computer which is playing the Vocaloid song "Magnet". The 8th Eule watches from the side as she takes her eyes off of her computer work.

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Attention Elsewhere @attentionelsewhere.bsky.social · 28/04/2026

In Ep. 3 we examine, not just Signalis' artistic influences, but its historical influences too: Its world draws aesthetic inspiration from both Nazi Germany and the Soviet-controlled GDR, while its narrative and themes subvert or directly refute their fascistic ideology, rhetoric, and actions.

A propaganda poster found in the world of Signalis. It shows a FKLR (Falke) unit holding a Eusan flag (which looks *very* similar to that of Soviet-controlled East Germany (or the German Democratic Republic).

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Attention Elsewhere @attentionelsewhere.bsky.social · 23/04/2026

We're almost ready to release the second (and final) part of our discussion on Signalis, so get caught up by listening to the first part here:

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m @maekl029.bsky.social · 21/04/2026

A fake YouTube video titled "[ASMR] Storch beats you with a stun prod to help you sleep (wholesome)". The thumbnail drawing is Storch standing over the camera, swinging a stun prod

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Attention Elsewhere @attentionelsewhere.bsky.social · 21/04/2026

In the first of our two episodes on Signalis, we discuss how, by featuring subtle and prominent references to—and direct use of—many famous paintings, novels, shows, films, and other games, Signalis' form comes to mirror that of the narrative with the blending and blurring of lines between subjects.

Isle of the Dead (Die Toteninsel) by Arnold Böcklin (1880)

The Shore of Oblivion by Eugene Bracht (1911)

Major Motoko Kusanagi comes apart as she attempts to rip open a tank hatch in Ghost in the Shell (1995)

Echoing the scene from Ghost in the Shell (1995), Elster's arm comes apart as she tries to gain entrance to the Penrose (within which is Ariane, dying in cryo)

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Attention Elsewhere @attentionelsewhere.bsky.social · 15/04/2026

Please direct your attention towards Ep 3: Would James Sunderland Approve?, in which we center Signalis—a 2022 survival horror game developed by rose-engine—and discuss the GDR, collages, and mac and cheese. Part 1 of 2! Check the Linktree in our bio for other platforms!

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Attention Elsewhere 3: Would James Sunderland Approve? [Signalis] | Attention Elsewhere

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Attention Elsewhere @attentionelsewhere.bsky.social · 08/04/2026

It's *always* a good time to (re)play Signalis, and with our next episode (and a delightful, if very spoilery, discussion) on the horizon, you've really got no excuse to keep putting it off. So ignore your backlog; play Signalis; and come listen to the podcast once you're done!

A STAR unit from rose-engine's survival horror game Signalis says, "...an Elster unit?"

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Attention Elsewhere @attentionelsewhere.bsky.social · 03/04/2026

In preparation for our next episode on Signalis, we are reading Robert W. Chambers' 'The King in Yellow.' While we won't be discussing it in-depth, it's far from a throwaway easter egg. Rather, it serves to expand and complicate both world and narrative of the game.

A copy of Robert W. Chambers' 'The King in Yellow' found within the world of rose-engine's Signalis

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Attention Elsewhere @attentionelsewhere.bsky.social · 30/03/2026

While you wait for the next episode of Attention Elsewhere, consider giving our backlog a listen. We've got two great episodes, including our debut in which we covered the visual novel, 'Heaven Will Be Mine,' by Pillow Fight and Worst Girls Games.

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Attention Elsewhere 1: Baby's (Second) Visual Novel | Attention Elsewhere

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Attention Elsewhere @attentionelsewhere.bsky.social · 21/03/2026

ACHTUNG! We're not quite ready to release it, but in our next episode we will explore the corrupted depths of Sierpinski S-23 and twisted, fragmentary memories of its many denizens in rose-engine's 2022 survival horror, Signalis.

The replika unit Elster stands at the bottom of a red pit. The stairs behind her lead up to the snow-covered surface, while a hole in the wall leads deeper into the facility.

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Attention Elsewhere @attentionelsewhere.bsky.social · 16/03/2026

Whether or not you've had the pleasure of reading Oromay, you should definitely go listen to this episode! It's got it all: From in-depth analysis of some of the book's most difficult themes to a thoughtful discussion about what it means to be a journalist reporting on a tyrannical regime.

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Attention Elsewhere @attentionelsewhere.bsky.social · 08/03/2026

The Eye of Attention Elsewhere is always searching for more yuri...

The all-seeing eye of Attention Elsewhere spots Elster and Ariane from Signalis creeping through Mordor(?)

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Attention Elsewhere @attentionelsewhere.bsky.social · 02/03/2026

For as much as it is a critique of the Derg, Oromay is also an excellent political thriller with plenty of intrigue, iconic characters, and evocative prose. And if that doesn't convince you, just listen to Alasdair's near-10 minute summary, complete with its own mini history!

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Attention Elsewhere @attentionelsewhere.bsky.social · 24/02/2026

Please direct your attention to Ep. 2: Fiammetta the Fly, in which we spotlight Oromay—a 1983 novel written by Baalu Girma and translated in 2025 by David DeGusta and Mesfin Felleke Yirgu—and discuss propaganda in journalism, women and revolution, and spiders. Check the Linktree for more platforms!

open.spotify.com

Attention Elsewhere 2: Fiammetta the Fly

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Attention Elsewhere @attentionelsewhere.bsky.social · 25/02/2026

Huge shoutout to @davidwrites1.bsky.social for getting in touch; answering a bunch of our questions; and providing us with additional resources to better understand both the novel and the history that it draws upon!

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Attention Elsewhere @attentionelsewhere.bsky.social · 24/02/2026

open.spotify.com

Attention Elsewhere 2: Fiammetta the Fly

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Attention Elsewhere @attentionelsewhere.bsky.social · 24/02/2026

Get hyped! Get sad... Get ready: In a little less than twenty-fours hours, you'll be able to listen to the second episode of Attention Elsewhere: "Fiammetta the Fly."

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Attention Elsewhere @attentionelsewhere.bsky.social · 19/02/2026

Many reviews of Oromay have taken issue with its depiction of women, but for those who agree with these reviews, our analysis might come as a surprise. It certainly surprised us.

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Attention Elsewhere @attentionelsewhere.bsky.social · 16/02/2026

In our upcoming episode, we test the blurry boundaries between journalism and espionage, news and propaganda, spokesperson and puppet - and how now, more than ever, we may need Oromay's insights to help us navigate our own political waters, muddied by news media, puppets, and propaganda alike.

Taken from the Wikipedia article on the Derg, the military junta that ruled over Ethiopia and parts of Eritrea from 1974 to 1991: "Ethiopian army soldiers rally in support of the Derg; many of them holding advocacy manifestos of the regime."

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The Baffler @thebaffler.com · 12/02/2025

Baalu Girma’s 1982 novel “Oromay” spilled the secrets of Ethiopia’s military dictatorship—and cost the author his life. @michaelbarron.bsky.social reviews the long overdue English reissue.

thebaffler.com

The Volunteers of Death | Michael Barron

Baalu Girma exposed the vulnerability of the Ethiopian military dictatorship while serving as its mouthpiece, his afterlife as complicated as that of Elvis.

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Attention Elsewhere @attentionelsewhere.bsky.social · 07/02/2026

We appreciate everyone who's been kind enough to give us a listen so far, and we'd love it if you would share this with anyone else who might enjoy it! Thanks!

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Attention Elsewhere @attentionelsewhere.bsky.social · 29/01/2026

In the next episode of Attention Elsewhere, we'll be covering Baalu Girma's "Oromay" (1983), which follows journalist and minister of propaganda, Tsegaye Hailemaryam, and his role in, and eventual disillusionment from, the Derg's 'Red Star Campaign' (better known now as the Red Terror) in Eritrea.

The cover of the first, official English translation of Baalu Girma's "Oromay." It shows a woman posed in front of the silhouette of a soldier.

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Attention Elsewhere @attentionelsewhere.bsky.social · 21/01/2026

Heaven Will Be Mine's setting and core conceit (that of the relationships that form between pilots as they operate their ship-selves in the vastness of space) draw, pretty explicitly, from elements of the mecha genre. But what's most fascinating, perhaps, is it's interpretation of the "Newtype."

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Attention Elsewhere @attentionelsewhere.bsky.social · 18/01/2026

I (Alasdair) had intended to play "We Know the Devil" (also by Worst Girl Games) before we recorded Ep. 1. But having finished it now, I can safely say it makes a great companion piece to "Heaven Will Be Mine": store.steampowered.com/app/435300/W...

store.steampowered.com

We Know the Devil on Steam

WE KNOW THE DEVIL is a visual novel about teens reluctantly fighting the devil at summer camp. Follow meangirl Neptune, tomboy Jupiter, and shy shy Venus as they get to know each other--but one always...

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