Hollow Knight, Place, and Telling a Rich Story

This has pretty big spoilers for Hollow Knight. Last time, I made a fairly inoffensive assertion: that fiction and fantasy are great for exploring sensitive topics and uncomfortable truths. Arguably, it's what they're there for; gleaning some truth about ourselves through the stories we tell about ourselves. To this end, they'll lather themselves in theme, reference, and allegory. …

Darkest Dungeon, Trauma, and Lovecraft

Few games open with a warning. Most will do something like offer a sensible selection of difficulties, a little challenge cheeseboard, maybe with labels denoting what you can expect from each option. Darkest Dungeon offers shot after shot of smouldering spirit, and politely encourages that you try the strongest variety, right after telling you how …