The No Fun Issue
FEAR. GLUTTONY. PSYCHOSIS. FRUSTRATION. PAIN. SICKNESS. REJECTION. DISGUST. Welcome to the "No Fun" issue.
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Manufacturing Discomfort
Mark Essen (Messhof) creates games that thrive on discomfort, from the sickening drone of Randy Balma to the merciless difficulty of Flywrench. We explore how his background in art and film, and his preference for controlled randomness, shapes his uniquely unapproachable yet alluring designs.
I Am King of the Ogres
A Love Story
Videogame Feminist of the Decade
Why the Best Feminist of the Decade is You
Licking Her Boot
A talk with the independent gamemaker, critic, sadist, and creator of Mighty Jill Off, Calamity Annie, and Redder
Tura, Lost At Sea
I ended up in the ER convinced I was dying. Turns out I was having a panic attack — and EverQuest became the therapy no one prescribed me.
Some Russian
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 has a different story to tell.
The Sound of Sickness
Audio designers on things that crash, squeal, vomit, and boom.