Archive of: games
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Top albums and films (and other stats) for 2021
Albums
(It’s 11, my list, my rules)
- The August List - Wax Cat
- Nick Cave & Warren Ellis - Carnage
- Dry Cleaning - New Long Leg
- illuminati hotties - Let Me Do One More
- The Limiñanas / Laurent Garnier - De Película
- Little Simz - Sometimes I Might Be Introvert
- Mogwai - As the Love Continues
- Arlo Parks - Collapsed in Sunbeams
- SUUNS - The Witness
- Villagers - Fever Dreams
- Teice - Nowhere, Now Here
Films
(my full stats for 2021 can be seen on Letterboxd)
- Spider-Man: No Way Home
- Dune
- Cruella
- The Mitchells vs. The Machines
- Petite Maman
- Barb & Star Go to Vista Del Mar
- Summer of Soul (…or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)
- One Night in Miami…
- Promising Young Woman
- Last Night in Soho
Books
I read 38 books in 2021, a bit short of the 50 I was aiming for.
Games
This was the year of big RPGs for me: Mass Effect: Legendary Edition and The Witcher 3 took up most of my time, but honourable mentions to Scandi fairytale Röki, Crow-on-a-mission Death’s Door, and the weird as hell The Sexy Brutale.
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Top albums and films (and other stats) for 2020
Albums
- Phoebe Bridgers - Punisher
- beabadoobee - Fake It Flowers
- Black Casino and the Ghost - Farewell Marshal Brunswick
- Thee MVPs - Science Fiction
- Rose City Band - Summerlong
- Run The Jewels - RTJ4
- Sault - UNTITLED (Rise)
- L.A. Witch - Play With Fire
- Sorry - 925
- SPICE - SPICE
Films
(my full stats for 2020 can be seen on Letterboxd)
- Buffaloed
- Jojo Rabbit
- Little Women
- Portrait of a Lady on Fire
- Parasite
- Palm Springs
- Queen & Slim
- Rocks
- Lovers Rock
- Soul
Books
I read 46 books in 2020, thanks in part to a Pratchett re-read and a global pandemic.
Games
Virtual worlds were a fantastic way to shield myself from the state of the world in 2020. Some highlights were: Outer Wilds, Kentucky Route Zero, A Short Hike, Breath of the Wild, and of course, Animal Crossing.
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Pixels
I’m late to the party on this, but I love Patrick Jean’s Pixels.
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Real Life Tron
One day, when Marco and I were playing against two computer opponents, we forced one of the AI cycles to trap itself between its own walls and the bottom game border. Sensing an impending crash, it fired a missile, just like it always did whenever it was trapped. But this time was different – instead of firing at another trail, it fired at the game border, which looked like any other light cycle trail as far as the computer was concerned. The missile impacted with the border, leaving a cycle-sized hole, and the computer promptly took the exit and left the main playing field. Puzzled, we watched as the cycle drove through the scoring display at the bottom of the screen. It easily avoided the score digits and then drove off the screen altogether.
Shortly after, the system crashed.
Our minds reeled as we tried to understand what we had just seen. The computer had found a way to get out of the game. When a cycle left the game screen, it escaped into computer memory – just like in the movie.
Daniel Wellman reminisces about the day his program went awol and life started imitating art.
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The Internet is for porn
A bit of Friday fun to get your morning started.
The Internet is for porn (google video, safe for work)
[hat tip: Tom Coates]