The Editor's Margin
Personal criticism, side notes, medium-level arguments, and cultural observations from a former reviews editor. Opinionated, reflective, and distinctly first-person.
the art of game design jesse schell: Does This Design Classic Still Matter?
the art of game design jesse schell is a clear guide to designing games with purpose. See what holds up, what strains, a...
Control Scientist: Why Remedy’s Weirdest Ideas Still Matter
Control scientist analysis for players who want more than lore: a sharp look at Remedy’s strange research, haunted space...
Why This Blog Exists: I Wanted Fewer Scores and Better Judgments
A former reviews editor explains why he started a games criticism blog focused on judgment over scores—what the number a...
What Editing Reviews Taught Me About False Authority in Games Writing
Nolan Pierce, a former reviews editor, explains how the editorial game reviews pipeline manufactures false authority thr...
Please Stop Calling Every Competent Game a Masterpiece
This essay argues that "masterpiece" has been cheapened into a participation award for competent releases. Drawing on mo...
What Makes a Review Sound Certain Even When the Critic Isn't
A working editor's guide to why some reviews read as certain even when the writer was not: verdicts are decisions made b...
Not Every Good Game Is Worth Your Time
Independent critic Nolan Pierce explains why competence alone does not justify a player’s limited hours. The piece separ...