iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Reposted by Jordan Wood

Video games journalism is in the thick of a generational change, and it fucking sucks. Eventually, things will improve, but what comes next won't look like what exists today.

postgame.substack.com

The Nine Lives of Games Journalism

Where video games websites, video channels, and podcasts go from here.

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Andy Robinson @andyrobinson.bsky.social · 7h

Games media cuts have felt unending for a while, but the mood feels especially grim among indie outlets with the latest wave of layoffs. More than ever, if the game industry values its media, it needs to support them. Buy some advertising, sponsor content, purchase subs. It makes a big difference.

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Will Borger @edgarallanbro.bsky.social · 4h

Skybox is doing all right (our subscriber numbers are remarkably consistent) but we don't have enough money to publish everyone I want to, let alone pay them what I'd like. I'm not kidding when we say every dollar helps. www.patreon.com/skyboxcritics

patreon.com

Get more from Skybox on Patreon

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Reposted by Jordan Wood

DongWon Song @dongwon.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Hello. I am widening my submissions categories to include: - Epic Fantasy - Space Opera - Near Future/High Concept SF - Horror Details here: www.dongwonsong.com/submission-g...

dongwonsong.com

Submission Guidelines — DongWon Song

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Jordan Wood @thecrossoverappeal.com · 6h

Tokon and Mina are probably the two I'd chuck in there - Phonopolis as well.

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Jordan Wood @thecrossoverappeal.com · 7h

Question for anyone who might know the answer: I'm aware of a few attempts at game developer hardship funds. Does anyone know of something similar for freelance games and/or culture writers? Maybe at that point it's more of a patronage thing I guess, but just a fund where writers can bridge gaps?

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Reposted by Jordan Wood

Lost In Cult @lostincult.co.uk · 29/09/2026

The struggle, the cycles. It can all fade away...🌧️ Find some shelter in @rainworldgame.bsky.social : Design Works, our newest book that honours a survival game like no others. Signed Editions by the development team available only for the first 48 hours! 🔻

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Jordan Wood @thecrossoverappeal.com · 9h

Stop Caring is a beautiful site with some of the best games writing you’ll find anywhere. If you’ve got any capacity to support games writing, please see if you have space to support Artemis’ work there. Here’s one of my fav pieces from earlier this year. (TW: EDs) www.stopcar.ing/a-consumer-c...

stopcar.ing

A Consumer Childhood

Fast Food, Wii Fit, and Consume Me.

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Ashley Schofield is looking for work! 🐉 @ashlikeadragon.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

if you have a couple dollars, or even many dollars, to give to an outlet you love, please make it stop caring artemis is one of the best editors i know, an incredible writer and a beautiful, vast soul. stop caring deserves to live on. please, if you can support the site, do 💜

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Imran Khan @imrankhan.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Another terrible thing about this industry contracting is every time someone talented also reports getting laid off, you start hyperventilating because it means more competition from other really good writers in this space. We're all fighting over the tiniest crumbs and it fucking sucks.

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Reposted by Jordan Wood

Ashley Schofield is looking for work! 🐉 @ashlikeadragon.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

also i hate how simple and reductive this sounds but no women or trans people having jobs also means that it's considerably harder for female and trans freelancers to get any work at all because cis men are just less likely to accept or even reply to pitches from us, whether they admit it or not

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ashley bardhan @ashleybardhan.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

／(^o^)＼ all these compliments are so nice you’re making me want to hire myself 😭 if i haven’t told you yet, please know that your support means everything 💗 all i want is to make WEIRD, BEAUTIFUL, CONFRONTATIONALLY GIRLY video game writing because it matters to me, and i promise that won’t stop

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Jordan Wood @thecrossoverappeal.com · 19h

You know this already, but Transistor. My honorable mentions are OlliOlli World, Splosion Man, What Remains of Edith Finch, Inside, and Tacoma.

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Jordan Wood @thecrossoverappeal.com · 19h

It would be profoundly irresponsible of me to start a new playthrough of The Witcher 3 right now.

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hiero melão 🍈 @lesbiankakyoin.bsky.social · 20h

i think this is a good time to advertise myself as i do... hi, i'm hiero! i'm a nonbinary brazilian game journalist, for hire and i love overanalysing stories! below are some places you can find me, and if you want me on your outlet too, hmu @ hierodelima@hotmail.com ^.^

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Jordan Wood @thecrossoverappeal.com · 20h

Not sure why this didn't tag correctly, but @stopcar.ing is who you should be following for this!

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Reposted by Jordan Wood

artemis, big boss of stop caring @stopcar.ing · 29/09/2026

This is a good time as any to tell you that the diversity of Stop Caring was a complete accident. I didn't go out into the world looking specifically for women and queer people that wanted to write about video games. I looked at quality of the pitches and work, first and foremost.

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Dr. Emily Price @emilyprice.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

sites just have to hire more non-men. It’s unforgivable how few women and nonbinary people are staff writers and editors at major sites, across the board. not just in games but games in particular has a serious problem.

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AndresPlays @andresplays.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Excellent round-up of stellar, sadly underrepresented writers.

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Jordan Wood @thecrossoverappeal.com · 21h

Stop Caring is easily my favorite games writing space on the Internet - it’s incredible what you’ve created. In a fair world it wouldn’t have to face any kind of uncertainty. I’m sorry to hear you’re being faced with such hard choices.

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Reposted by Jordan Wood

artemis, big boss of stop caring @stopcar.ing · 29/09/2026

A little peek inside my life: There is a very real possibility I will lose my job soon. They are asking me to do something I am not comfortable with. If I lose my job, I have no safety end. That means that Stop Caring will be on hiatus until my material reality improves. I dont know what to do.

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Jacob Geller @jacobgeller.com · 29/09/2026

Really love having a deepest dive on a game with this many strengths and weaknesses! Fascinating discussion.

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Luke Plunkett @lukeplunkett.com · 21h

thanks so much to the tons of people responding to this, but just to make it clearer, by "something else" I mean out of games entirely. maybe you're going back to school, maybe you're opening a business, whatever!

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Reposted by Jordan Wood

YSUBassoon @bassoonysu.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Guys, if you aren't already supporting the Internet Archive, please consider doing so. They are way more than just the Wayback Machine. They have a massive library of texts, audio, films, video games, and more media available. I'm downloading the 1933 OED right now as pdfs. It's insane.

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Reposted by Jordan Wood

Mike Straw | Insider-Gaming.com @mikestrawmedia.com · 29/09/2026

I keep seeing people throw out the term "Covid Correction" for the mass layoffs we continue to see in the games industry. We're beyond that. It's far beyond the mass hiring during Covid. It's mismanagement, poor trend chasing, cuts of departments to use AI (not as much but happening), etc.

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Jordan Wood @thecrossoverappeal.com · 29/09/2026

A quick note, I should have used the pronouns she/her here - apologies Micaela!

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Jordan Wood @thecrossoverappeal.com · 29/09/2026

Also, my bad, Autumn, I used the incorrect pronoun - I should have said "everything they write". I hope it's ok that I correct that here rather than delete the post in the string of replies.

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Jordan Wood @thecrossoverappeal.com · 29/09/2026

My god, I can't believe I fucked that up lol. Thank you for tagging!

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Jordan Wood @thecrossoverappeal.com · 29/09/2026

@dykedeitz.bsky.social's work is newer to me, but my god, can they write the fuck out of an essay. Their recent piece about Papers Please and the gendered surveillance of trans bodies is one of the best I've read all year. www.deletedsaves.com/papers-pleas...

deletedsaves.com

Papers, Please and the Reality of Being an American Tranny

Getting my identity documents in order made me feel like Jorji, balancing the fluctuating demands of a ridiculous government with the resources at my disposal.

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Jordan Wood @thecrossoverappeal.com · 29/09/2026

I am! They're all doing incredible work.

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Jordan Wood @thecrossoverappeal.com · 29/09/2026

It would be super cool if folks would respond to this thread with work from women, femme, and nb writers who I missed!

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Jordan Wood @thecrossoverappeal.com · 29/09/2026

An academic and a columnist over at @unwinnable.com, @emilyprice.bsky.social is more or less living the dream I dreamed in graduate school through the 2010s, marrying academic rigor to accessible, attentive games criticism. Her monthly column at Unwinnable is a fav. unwinnable.com/2026/01/29/a...

unwinnable.com

Angeline Era vs Videogames - Unwinnable

In Angeline Era, discursive difficulty leads to meaningful experiences.

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Jordan Wood @thecrossoverappeal.com · 29/09/2026

They've got excellent writing across a whole range of outlets, but my fav is what @autumn-wright.com has on her own blog. Everything she writes both broadens my horizons and sharpens my attention. Just an excellent stylist and a smart fucking critic. autumn-wright.com/sleepy-zebes/

autumn-wright.com

Sleepy Zebes

Could I ever play Metroid like I read Irving?

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Jordan Wood @thecrossoverappeal.com · 29/09/2026

Grace's co-editor at The Imaginary Review, @phoenixwritesdown.bsky.social is one of those writers who forces you to remember that games aren't an island - they're deeply attached to other forms of cultural production, and we need to attend to those connections. unwinnable.com/2026/08/07/p...

unwinnable.com

Paying No Mind - Unwinnable

"[D]eciding what to remember is also the politics of deciding what we don't spend time on remembering."

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Jordan Wood @thecrossoverappeal.com · 29/09/2026

Follow @gracemachine.bsky.social for thoughtful criticism and coverage that feels just effortless. In addition to their editorial work over at @tier-review.com, Grace's contributions to Bullet Points and AV Club have repeatedly caught my attention. www.avclub.com/pragmata-pow...

avclub.com

Power and vulnerability are at play in Pragmata

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Jordan Wood @thecrossoverappeal.com · 29/09/2026

@ohmymithrandir.bsky.social is fucking WORKING. Between their coverage of games, tv, and sports as well as their work running @butwhytho.net, Kate is a goddamn hero in these streets. Plus, nobody in the space does more to platform and highlight Latin voices. butwhytho.net/2026/09/raym...

butwhytho.net

'Rayman Legends Retold' Makes Mexico Scrumptious With "Mystic Mesa" - Hands-On Preview

Rayman Legends Retold reimagines its classic Mexico-inspired world, and it's doing so with music, mechanics, and a vibrant joy.

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Jordan Wood @thecrossoverappeal.com · 29/09/2026

An absolute vet, @jessicogs.bsky.social knows how to run a fucking beat. Consistently covering some of the biggest games around, if you've ever loved Overwatch, Diablo, or WoW, you've already read her work. Loved her reporting earlier this year on Love and Deepspace www.gamespot.com/articles/im-...

gamespot.com

I'm Breaking Up With Love And Deepspace

I'll miss Sylus's ruby-red eyes and sultry smolder, but it's time to end things.

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Jordan Wood @thecrossoverappeal.com · 29/09/2026

Big fan of @carlivelocci.com, both as just an excellent follow here for her commentary on the reality of freelancing in Current Year, and as an industry reporter whose interviews often feel irreplaceable. Writing at the intersection of design and industry. www.gamedeveloper.com/design/resou...

gamedeveloper.com

Resource management? Survival games are about time management.

'The moment to moment gameplay… none of that matters. That's the smoke and mirrors,' says Pacific Drive director Seth Rosen

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Jordan Wood @thecrossoverappeal.com · 29/09/2026

If i find myself reading a piece that sneaks up on me, something I start out resisting and gradually succumb to, bet ten bucks it's written by @dreamcastaway.bsky.social. Often challenging, always worth engaging. kotaku.com/resident-evi...

kotaku.com

Resident Evil Requiem Confronts The Past To Save The Future

Leon's return to Raccoon City may liberate the series from a whole lot of dead weight

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Jordan Wood @thecrossoverappeal.com · 29/09/2026

Like Maddy, I've been following @xoxogossipgita.bsky.social's work for over a decade at this point. There's an immediacy to their writing lends their excellent reporting a directness, a kind of urgency, that the games writing ecosystem would benefit learning from. aftermath.site/charli-xcx-m...

aftermath.site

Music, Fashion, Film, Existentialism

Has anyone else been thinking about death?

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Jordan Wood @thecrossoverappeal.com · 29/09/2026

While I'm thinking about Bullet Points, Astrid Ann Rose's work there is also fantastic. (tag her if she's on Bluesky, I don't have her s/n!). Her writing often traverses the line between games crit and industry crit, a tricky move she pulls off all the time. bulletpointsmonthly.com/2026/04/22/a...

bulletpointsmonthly.com

Ante Up

Monthly magazine for long-form articles and podcasts on videogames

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Jordan Wood @thecrossoverappeal.com · 29/09/2026

I mostly know @thewillarowe.bsky.social's work from the excellent monthly publication, @bpmonthly.bsky.social where she's been consistently publishing my favorite kind of games writing: incisive close reads. A big influence on how I think about games writing. bulletpointsmonthly.com/2026/02/26/a...

bulletpointsmonthly.com

A Real Boy

Monthly magazine for long-form articles and podcasts on videogames

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Jordan Wood @thecrossoverappeal.com · 29/09/2026

If you aren't reading @midimyers.com, whether as an author or as an editor over at @mothership.blog, you're missing an essential voice. She writes about the industry with tremendous savvy and is *always* out here supporting new writers. www.mothership.blog/samus-works-...

mothership.blog

Samus works alone

A reprint of Maddy Myers' 2013 blog about meeting Samus

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Jordan Wood @thecrossoverappeal.com · 29/09/2026

I can't imagine anyone reading those won't already know @adashtra.bsky.social, but just in case, Ash is just an essential journo to have in your rotation. Her prose is always so lively and she's one of the best around at explaining why a game feels the way it does. kotaku.com/the-blood-of...

kotaku.com

The Blood of Dawnwalker: The Kotaku Review

It's the best and bloodiest time-management sim disguised as a humble action RPG

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Jordan Wood @thecrossoverappeal.com · 29/09/2026

If you've followed me at all, you'll know I'm an admirer of @ashlikeadragon.bsky.social's work. One of those writers for whom the strength of their criticism rises from how they marry precise textual observations with intimate self-reflection. www.stopcar.ing/no-good-opti...

stopcar.ing

No Good Options

And damn it, we are gonna figure something out, if it takes me all night.

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Jordan Wood @thecrossoverappeal.com · 29/09/2026

@blondepizza.bsky.social is pretty new on my radar and I'm grateful to have her in my feeds. She's a big streamer, which admittedly, I'm less plugged into, but I love the way she's building out her coverage portfolio over at Brick Throw. brickthrow.com/post/endacop...

brickthrow.com

Endacopia Review: A Tale of Abuse and Retribution

I played a lot of video games growing up, and when I say a lot I mean a lot . As far back as I can remember I was on the computer playing games like Math Blaster , Treasure Mathstorm , and Putt Putt…

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Jordan Wood @thecrossoverappeal.com · 29/09/2026

@stopcar.ing who runs and writes for Stop Caring, probably my current fav website / blog publishing games crit on the regular at the moment. Some of the most relentless pursuit of an idea within an essay you'll ever see. www.stopcar.ing/this-sacred-...

stopcar.ing

This Sacred Body / This Bloody Mind

A Zero Parades review for Dead Spies.

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Jordan Wood @thecrossoverappeal.com · 29/09/2026

Apropos of nothing, here's bunch of women, femme, nb writers whose work I've appreciated over the past year. First, @katyar.bsky.social. I've shared her work a bunch before because her sharp coverage balances enthusiasm for the form with wide-eyed crit. playingthisweek.substack.com/p/the-games-...

playingthisweek.substack.com

To the games I won't ever play...

An ode to those who make experiencing them still possible.

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