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wordsmaybe.bsky.social

@wordsmaybe.bsky.social
142 followers 293 following 654 posts

Full-time slugabed. He/Him. I write about games, anime, and other media. A lot of Bioware, flight combat sims, and agency in games chatter from me. Linktree: linktr.ee/WordsMaybe Avatar by @nutmargaret Banner by @owawa

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Baxter @cosmicspooks.bsky.social · 11h
If you like what I do on the net -- essays, subs, archival stuff, bad posts on Bluesky dot com -- and have the means, think about sending a dollar or two my way via ko-fi! Every cent is always beyond appreciated :^) And if you don't like the stuff I do....idk send me a dollar anyway
ko-fi.com
Support Baxter
Support Baxter
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wordsmaybe.bsky.social @wordsmaybe.bsky.social · 21h
I'm just a ways into Ace 8 and god damn, what a wonderful start.
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Critical Distance | Where’s all the good writing about games? @critdistance.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
This week: Ace Combat, Resident Evil, Sonic CD, and lots more: critical-distance.com/2026/09/27/s...
critical-distance.com
September 27th
Welcome back readers. As we move into the back quarter of the year, it’s time for us to start thinking about our annual Year In Videogames Blogging recap. This is always a major undertaking, …
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Mer @drowwpoison.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Wrote an opinion piece about @exodusgameofficial.bsky.social for @gameobserver.bsky.social and its seemingly inescapable comparison to Mass Effect. I had to speak my truth, sorry!! gameobserver.com/opinion-let-...
gameobserver.com
Opinion: Let Exodus Be Exodus | GameObserver
Exodus is already being compared to Mass Effect, and those comparisons risk shaping expectations before the game has a chance to prove itself.
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wordsmaybe.bsky.social @wordsmaybe.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Maybe the most immediately noticeable thing of Control Resonant is because the camera is zoomed out for melee combat, you dont get the intimacy like in the first game. Both Control and Alan Wake 2 are technical marvels that really work aesthically because terrific visual direction.
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Ephemeral Enigmas @ephemeralenigmas.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
New blog post time! This week's game is Janggun-ui Adeul, a beat 'em up for the Sega Master System and one of two games based on the influential South Korean movie General's Son. The game does little with that, but it's a fascinatingly janky experience with a solid presentation: #blog #gaming
ephemeralenigmascom.wordpress.com
Janggun-ui Adeul
That’s kinda the thing with Janggun-ui Adeul. It’s hard to fully express through words, but it’s the kind of game that seems like janky fun at first, but if you take it seriously and try to get bet…
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Critical Distance | Where’s all the good writing about games? @critdistance.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
This week: Trails, Control, aesthetic experiences, and the International Phonetic Alphabet: critical-distance.com/2026/09/20/s...
critical-distance.com
September 20th
Welcome back readers. I’m going to keep opening our issues with mini Patreon updates for the next little bit, because as I’ve been talking about recently, we need a bit more wiggle room…
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wordsmaybe.bsky.social @wordsmaybe.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Once again I have said words about Bioware, and Kenneth was nice enough to listen.
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wordsmaybe.bsky.social @wordsmaybe.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Wrapped up Zero Company. One of those good games that a sequel could really refine on but given that state of things...
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wordsmaybe.bsky.social @wordsmaybe.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Now that I'm nearly done with Star Wars: Zero Company, I can confidently say its a Bioware-lite and not a Bioware-like. A very important distinction that matters to a great many people.
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wordsmaybe.bsky.social @wordsmaybe.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
I'd know Star Wars: Company was made by the XCOM devs simply by having multiple instances where my crew had a 85% chance to hit while there gun clips trough the targeted enemy, and they've also missed multiple 100% opportunities.
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Baxter @cosmicspooks.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
New post! Today I’m discussing dolls, mountains, and cats with the little seen anime classic, Licca-chan to Yamaneko: Hoshi no Tabi! Come for brand integration art, stay for the profound intermingling of tradition, faith, and life. Read it here!!
tsundokudiving.com
Talking anime | Licca-chan to Yamaneko: Hoshi no Tabi
You can (not) sell a mountain.
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Ephemeral Enigmas @ephemeralenigmas.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
New blog post time! This week's game is Warriors of Might and Magic... for the Game Boy Color! This unique take brought to you by the developer of Sudeki offers a different story and 2D gameplay closer to that of Zelda. Weak combat and instant death pits do ruin the fun, though #blog #gaming
ephemeralenigmascom.wordpress.com
Warriors of Might and Magic (GBC)
I wish the rest of the game was more compelling so I could at least try to make a case for pushing through, but I just can’t. Seriously, it’s extremely rough out there and I can’t in good conscienc…
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wordsmaybe.bsky.social @wordsmaybe.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
Love to make the rounds in my spaceship so I can talk to all of my digital friends.
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Critical Distance | Where’s all the good writing about games? @critdistance.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
Critical Distance is the equivalent of a fulltime job split across a small team, and Patreon support is how we keep it going. Help us keep the lights on, run events like our Friendslop Essay Jam, and continue our project to build a living time capsule of games criticism. www.patreon.com/critdistance
patreon.com
Get more from Critical Distance on Patreon
Get more from Critical Distance on Patreon. Join for free or become a member for just $5/month. Critical Distance promo video from Zoya Street on Vimeo.…
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wordsmaybe.bsky.social @wordsmaybe.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
And the suicide mission is a really good idea with middling execution.
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wordsmaybe.bsky.social @wordsmaybe.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
I started Star Wars: Zero Company last night, and a tactics game set in this universe with some Bioware-esque stuff going on is unsurprisingly my jam.
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wordsmaybe.bsky.social @wordsmaybe.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
This week: someone failed to break into my car, but broke my door handle. My 18 year-old cat had a $600 urgent care visit. Electric bill spiked. Also, student loans. I'll manage, but if you've ever appreciated my writing and want to ease my stress, perhaps a small donation? ko-fi.com/wordsmaybe
An adorable senior gray and white cat hanging out on light colored hardwood floors between a kitchen and bedroom. A close up of a driver's side door of a car that has had its handle entirely broken off.
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Wallace @exalclaw.com · 31/08/2026
New Save File is out youtu.be/M8QB1JXRk7s
youtu.be
Cheesing Is Okay, But What About Using "Friendslop"? | Save File August 2026
YouTube video by Exalclaw
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Critical Distance | Where’s all the good writing about games? @critdistance.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
This Week: Big Walk, checkpoint racers, and the hardest anybody has ever worked in a game for a pinch of salt: critical-distance.com/2026/08/30/a...
critical-distance.com
August 30th
Welcome back readers. There’s just one day left to get your entry in for our Friendslop Jam! Stay tuned for the issue compiling the submissions. Even with all of that participation (we love t…
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wordsmaybe.bsky.social @wordsmaybe.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
I'm a week late to the conversation but a year early to its inevitable repetition.
medium.com
Sexuality in Games Deserves a Better Conversation
Playersexual is a term that limits how we define good queer design.
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Baxter @cosmicspooks.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
so Super Real Mahjong is back.... If you wanna know the entirely too detailed history of how we got to this new game, check out my deep dive into the world of strip mahjong video games so you too can be Normal about superior gambling based gooning 😌
tsundokudiving.com
Talking games | The NSFW History of Strip Mahjong Games
A story of sex, politics, and the games that once ruled arcades
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wordsmaybe.bsky.social @wordsmaybe.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
I'm a week late to the conversation but a year early to its inevitable repetition.
medium.com
Sexuality in Games Deserves a Better Conversation
Playersexual is a term that limits how we define good queer design.
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Wallace @exalclaw.com · 24/08/2026
I haven't finished Big Walk yet, but I had to write about it now. On listening to the world outside during a walk, the beauty of precarious things, and Big Walk just being an awesome site of call and response: exalclaw.com/instruments-...
exalclaw.com
Remembering That We’re All Instruments In Big Walk
Big Walk turns your group into a band on an island of call and response.
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wordsmaybe.bsky.social @wordsmaybe.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
This week: someone failed to break into my car, but broke my door handle. My 18 year-old cat had a $600 urgent care visit. Electric bill spiked. Also, student loans. I'll manage, but if you've ever appreciated my writing and want to ease my stress, perhaps a small donation? ko-fi.com/wordsmaybe
An adorable senior gray and white cat hanging out on light colored hardwood floors between a kitchen and bedroom. A close up of a driver's side door of a car that has had its handle entirely broken off.
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Baxter @cosmicspooks.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
New post! We’ve got a big one today, folks. In honor of Japan’s spooky season, I asked 10 of my incredible horror expert friends to each recommend a work of Japanese horror they wish the world talked about more! You WILL walk away with at least one new ghoulish delight to love. Enjoy!!
tsundokudiving.com
Diving with Friends | Finding Hidden Horrors
10 horror fans share 10 hidden delights
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Baxter @cosmicspooks.bsky.social · 14/09/2025
P.S. Everything on Tsundoku Diving is free and always will be, but that also means I have to throw all the money I (don't really) have into keeping it going So if you like what I do on the world wide web, consider throwing a dollar my way on my ko-fi! Every single cent helps more than you realize!
ko-fi.com
Support Baxter
Support Baxter
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wordsmaybe.bsky.social @wordsmaybe.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
*Grumbling that the obsession with the firm delineation between gameplay and narrative is a fundamental misunderstanding of the medium* Also me: I like lists. Annoyingly, there is no place to put The Skycrawlers: Innocent Aces. There should always be a Best Sicko Shit category in these things.
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wordsmaybe.bsky.social @wordsmaybe.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
Its August which means its Boku no Natsuyasumi month once more. And also, time to share my favorite piece of mine again.
medium.com
The Nostalgia of ‘Boku no Natsuyasumi 2’ Leaves Me Yearning For an Illusory Past
Them iyashikei vibes have me thinking about south Jersey again
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Andes Chucky @wendeego.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
For scrmbl, I wrote about the new and old Ghost in the Shell. What does it mean to be a "faithful" adaptation?
scrmbl.com
The “faithfulness” of Science Saru’s The Ghost in the Shell | scrmbl
If I wanted to read the manga, I could just go do it. So I did.
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wordsmaybe.bsky.social @wordsmaybe.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
Finished Eternal Strands. A good Bioware-lite on a budget. Visual novel for dialogue scenes. A story that conveniently avoids populated areas but still has some good worldbuilding. One truly terrible boss fight that they recycle three times... some fun physics based navigation and combat though!
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Bowl of Lentils @bowloflentils.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
For anyone wondering why the translation of Kamaitachi no Yoru is such a big deal, I'd highly recommend giving my video about Chunsoft's sound novel series a watch. It's a bit long, but it goes into the long history behind why these games were so influential in Japan. www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9BT...
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Jo-eek! ‘Dead-chibe' W. 👻 @thestacks.ca · 30/07/2026
As a reminder: 💛The Stacks is open for pitches & paid writing!💛 I'm looking for writing on obscure games history, art history, sex/gender, and more Full guidelines + rates: thestacks.ca/submissions
thestacks.ca
The Stacks Submissions
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InnerSpiral @innerspiral.lol · 28/07/2026
Hell yeah!!! Thank you so much for the feature. As always, please check out the ther amazing writers in this round-up!! 🩷
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Critical Distance | Where’s all the good writing about games? @critdistance.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
This week: Blades, Parades, Plays, Arcades: critical-distance.com/2026/07/26/j...
critical-distance.com
July 26th
Welcome back readers. If you haven’t already seen it, we’re bringing back Blogs of the Round Table on a semi-recurring, topic-oriented basis. The first topic is Friendslop. Check out Ka…
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wordsmaybe.bsky.social @wordsmaybe.bsky.social · 26/07/2026
Was fun to learn how to make espresso martinis for our house warming party last week, but now it feels like dangerous knowledge to hold with all these leftover ingredients.
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wordsmaybe.bsky.social @wordsmaybe.bsky.social · 25/07/2026
Haven't updated my office pic since the move to Philly, so here ya go. Yes, I really need to get rid of that atrocious keyboard.
A home office with light brown wood floors. A desk with dual monitors and a gaming pc sits below. Book cases stuffed with games, many of which are Bioware or arcade flight combat titles. A large corkboard with photos and notes stuck to it. Another smaller board jammed with stationary.  A large window with green curtains sits behind it all with several plants on the large sill as well as others scattered throughout the room.
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wordsmaybe.bsky.social @wordsmaybe.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
My mods as player agency in Mass Effect video is now my main project and I hope to have it out in the next few months. Surely this will be the project that "fixes" my creative struggles from the last couple years.
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Wallace @exalclaw.com · 20/07/2026
ICYMI wrote poem due to train game
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wordsmaybe.bsky.social @wordsmaybe.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
My piece on Marathon, Journey, and a particularly niche Oshii film is featured here alongside a bunch of much cooler writers!
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wordsmaybe.bsky.social @wordsmaybe.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
My piece on Marathon, Journey, and a particularly niche Oshii film is featured here alongside a bunch of much cooler writers!
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Baxter @cosmicspooks.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
Surprise! I actually translated TWO stories from Kozy Watanabe's 1999 Game Kids. This one is the first in the book, sets the tone for the whole series, and definitely isn't relevant at all to today, no buddy, not even a bit
tsundokudiving.com
In Translation | "Family Computer" by Kozy Watanabe
From 1999-nen no Game Kids
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wordsmaybe.bsky.social @wordsmaybe.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
In honor of the thick Canadian smoke filling my lungs all the way down in Philly, I began replaying Firewatch last night. I forgot just how much of a sad shitty wife guy there is from the jump.
The main promo image for the video game, Firewatch. It shows a hiker on the edge of a cliff looking out over a sunset soaked valley, and a fire watch tower in the distance.
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Wallace @exalclaw.com · 16/07/2026
For @mothership.blog, I talked to over a dozen caretakers about the reality of being a caretaker while working in games. The short of it? It's *very* difficult. Here's a glimpse of the current experience, its consequences, and coveted standardized practices: www.mothership.blog/the-games-in...
mothership.blog
The games industry isn't taking care of its caretakers
We spoke with over a dozen devs who take care of children, aging parents, and sick family members
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wordsmaybe.bsky.social @wordsmaybe.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
Marathon has been much discussed, but I'm here to do what I do best. That is to relate Bungie's latest attempt at a trendy online shooter to the lonely themes of a Mamoru Oshii film.
medium.com
Online Games that Let You Feel Lonely
From Mamoru Oshii’s Assault Girls, to Bungie’s Marathon…the new one.
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The Murders in the Brian Ruh Morgue @brianruh.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
Just got my quarterly book earning statement, which is prompting me to say “Thanks to everyone who bought my book!” and “Hey, did you know I have a book for sale?” Do you like Ghost in the Shell? This has nothing about the new series, but does cover the first two movies.
amazon.com
Stray Dog of Anime: The Films of Mamoru Oshii
Upon its US release in the mid 1990s, Ghost in the Shell , directed by Mamoru Oshii, quickly became one of the most popular Japanese animated films in the country. Despite this, Oshii is known as a ma...
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wordsmaybe.bsky.social @wordsmaybe.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
Marathon has been much discussed, but I'm here to do what I do best. That is to relate Bungie's latest attempt at a trendy online shooter to the lonely themes of a Mamoru Oshii film.
medium.com
Online Games that Let You Feel Lonely
From Mamoru Oshii’s Assault Girls, to Bungie’s Marathon…the new one.
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Baxter @cosmicspooks.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
Bluesky dorks exclusive: Was gonna use this for a future post that may or not may not ever happen so what the heck -- here's a little translation I did of a story from the early 90s sci-fi flash fiction collection 1999 Game Kids!
tsundokudiving.com
In Translation | "Daydream Believer" by Kozy Watanabe
From 1999-nen no Game Kids.
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Hilltop @hilltopworks.bsky.social · 14/07/2026
Tapping the sign again. Start your playthough on August 1st for a magical experience!
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Critical Distance | Where’s all the good writing about games? @critdistance.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
This week: 23 picks on disc-ourse, ARGs, Warframe, and much more: critical-distance.com/2026/07/13/j...
critical-distance.com
July 12th
Welcome back readers. Hey! Kaile’s monthly recap is live. You, too can check out their excellent work by joining our Patreon! On the weekly side of things, we’ve got 23 new-and-cool pic…
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