Ever since I was in my mid-teens, I've dabbled in game development. I've entered more than half a dozen game jams, created dozens of game prototypes, and finished one long-term game project. Whenever I have an idea for a game I could feasably create, I write it down for later use. One such game idea … Continue reading Steam Cleaning #10: Wizard of Legend
Golem Project Part 7
Draft 1.07 Golem Project In Progress Previous Chapter First Chapter The next few minutes were a blur of information. New visual lenses put over reality. Wessel could see how hot things were, how far away they were, their density, and their chemical makeup. It didn’t make sense that he knew those things, and he didn't … Continue reading Golem Project Part 7
Steam Cleaning #9: Zombie Army Trilogy
I kneel in an alley, surrounded by mist and dead men. Eye to the scope, I hesitate, then squeeze off a powerful sniper round. The gun kicks in my hand, and suddenly I am following the bullet, time frozen as it barrels toward my foe. The shot enters my undead foe through the eye socket, … Continue reading Steam Cleaning #9: Zombie Army Trilogy
Eleventh Cycle by Kian N. Ardalan — A Review
Eleventh Cycle combines the strange and enigmatic lore of Dark Souls with the difficult lives of mortal men, and then manages to make the mortals seem the more enigmatic part. The five point-of-view characters act; sometimes emotionally, sometimes inconsistently, sometimes with flagrant foolishness, and yet never unbelievably. This is the core of the story. I … Continue reading Eleventh Cycle by Kian N. Ardalan — A Review
Steam Cleaning #8: Underhero
Underhero, the game I almost quit… twice. And yet, the game that kept me coming back to see what came next. I came into this game with low expectations. The platforming felt floaty and uncoordinated, and the text intro and animation for the prologue could have used some polish. Just some indie game, right? I … Continue reading Steam Cleaning #8: Underhero
Golem Project Part 6
Draft 1.06 Golem Project In Progress Previous Chapter First Chapter Wessel had never been inside the golem garage before. He had to check the maps on the walls of the school halls several times before he found his way into the poorly-lit metal storage building that was called the golem garage. It was beautiful. Hundreds … Continue reading Golem Project Part 6
Beyond the Edge of the Map by Robert McCarroll — A Review
Beyond the Edge of the Map is one of those books that are hard to rate. It doesn't have that tied-together and cohesive feeling that many novels have. This isn't a book that should be measured by its cutting emotional narrative, but it isn't supposed to be. The book tells you what it is right … Continue reading Beyond the Edge of the Map by Robert McCarroll — A Review
Golem Project Part 5
Draft 1.05 Golem Project In Progress Previous Chapter First Chapter Wessel’s golem didn’t arrive the next day. Or the day after. Two days of school, during which Wessel avoided Jakob as much as possible. It wasn’t abnormal for him to act like this. Wessel always avoided Jakob. He always avoided everyone. His desk hid in … Continue reading Golem Project Part 5
The Wolf and the She-Bear by Morgan Stang — A Review
The Wolf and the She-Bear is brutal. I can't count the number of times that my eyebrows jumped into my hairline, and I stopped to utter "holy crap" before resuming my read. And I'm not just talking blood and guts. Brutal twists, brutal betrayals, brutal choices. And yes, brutal killings. Nearly every chapter of this … Continue reading The Wolf and the She-Bear by Morgan Stang — A Review
Golem Project Part 4
Draft 1.04 Golem Project In Progress Previous Chapter First Chapter The sun had sunk halfway below the horizon by the time Wessel and his father finished celebrating his achievement and arrived home. They pulled up to the top of the multi-story parking garage, front wheel of the car scraping against the black asphalt as the … Continue reading Golem Project Part 4