Ember

During World War II, German soldiers gathered millions of people from Central and Eastern Europe and forced them to work in labor camps. They were given badges marked “OST” (from the German word for “east”) and called “Ostarbeiter,” or “Eastern workers.” According to Wikipedia, by 1944 most of these workers were children, since the majority […]

Alex Young, our protagonist, awakens in an unfamiliar room. Rising from the plush red couch she’s found herself on, she takes in her surroundings. She’s in some sort of study, dimly lit and dotted with books and shelves filled with various trinkets. Cameras follow her every move, and a door — the only exit — […]

It’s after midnight, and I’m trapped on an island whose daytime workers have all packed up and left for the night. I have a companion who’s keeping me company with snappy dialogue as we explore our spooky surroundings. We have a radio with us, which has proven invaluable in helping us figure out what’s going […]

I’ve always admired the retrofuturism aesthetic — 1950s machinery in all its clunky glory against the backdrop of stunning planetary vistas. This imagery is what drew me into The Invincible, and it remains a gorgeous game from beginning to end. It certainly has no shortage of style, and fortunately, it also has plenty of substance […]