I am so sorry about that pun*. I recently got an email from Steam letting me know that XCOM 2 was on sale. It’s been on my wishlist since it came out, and I never took it off after I got it for the PS4. There was also an expansion pack for it released some… Continue reading XCOM-munication
Author: Joshua Tong
D&D, But Online
I’m a big fan of tabletop RPGs. Probably because it’s all the fun of storytelling coupled with the inherent zaniness of improv comedy. Imagine, you get a good group together who feed off of each other’s energy and are all too willing to "yes-and" off of whatever random plot or character development another player throws… Continue reading D&D, But Online
More Thoughts on The Sims
If you’re wondering what I’ve been doing during quarantine, the answer is still playing The Sims. Along with games like Death Stranding (terrific, prescient, heartbreaking) and Jedi Outcast (gotta love old school LucasArts), watching Kim’s Convenience (so good!) and trying to build a Singaporean kopitiam with LEGO bricks. And cooking, because, of course, but not baking… Continue reading More Thoughts on The Sims
Life Sped Up
So a bunch of The Sims 4’s expansion packs are on sale right now, and with not much else to do, I figured I might as well jump back into one of my favorite computer games. I’ve been playing The Sims for over eighteen years now, making it easily one of the longest-running and consistent… Continue reading Life Sped Up
What Day Is It?
I kid. I’m mostly sure it’s Saturday. Mostly. Kinda wild that another week has already gone by. Couldn’t tell you what I’ve been doing, just because it’s the thing where days tend to blur together, kinda like how summer days used to back when you were a teenager only with less time spent going outside… Continue reading What Day Is It?
Day Thirteen
'sup? Today is, more or less, day thirteen of my self-imposed quarantine/isolation. I’m not sick, but as someone who’s in a position to take themself out of the equation of contagiousness, I elected to do so. Social responsibility and all that. In the time since, New York has become the epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak… Continue reading Day Thirteen
Quarantined
To stem the rising tide of a pandemic, the residents of New York are put under lockdown. Life in the city grinds to a halt; no one goes into work and restaurants and bars are limited to take-out only options. News chyrons speak of medication being shipped to cities and team games being banned. Who… Continue reading Quarantined
Alone Together
I’m a big fan of escapism. Not the sort where you bury your head in the sand and ignore the world around you; the sort where you pay attention to what’s going on then seek out solace in entertainment. Call it self-care, call it recharging; but I believe that part of being an informed member… Continue reading Alone Together
Conjuring Worlds
I had the opportunity to go to a talk by one of my favorite authors this week. In the Rare Books Room at The Strand, Ken Liu talked about his new short story collection, the art of translating, and the process of crafting sci-fi and fantasy worlds. Worldbuilding, as the process is called, is a… Continue reading Conjuring Worlds
Just Quadrilaterals
Thomas Was Alone is a game about rectangles. Okay, there are some squares, but all the characters in the game are basic colored quadrilateral polygons. The story of theses characters is one that will make you feel things you wouldn’t expect a story about colored quadrilateral polygons to make you feel. Gameplay-wise, Thomas is a… Continue reading Just Quadrilaterals
Essays, Not Rants! 