Critical Thoughts

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Exploring big ideas and connecting through gaming, fantasy, and geek culture

The myth of the main quest Medieval Alchemy Woodblock illustration

The myth of the main quest

The myth of the main quest

You were not born into a linear story. You were dropped into an open-world myth. No map. No walkthrough. Just instincts, omens, and side quests that don’t make sense until...

What feels like death is just the soil forming

What feels like death is just the soil forming

What feels like death is just the soil forming

In the past few weeks, I’ve felt like I’m dissolving. Not in the poetic, "rebirth-is-coming" way that self-help grifters romanticize. Not in the heroic "phoenix rising from the ashes" sense...

Behind the fun there was a fire

Behind the fun there was a fire

🜁 Witness of shared imagination They laughed. They packed up their dice. Tossed cans and bags into the trash. Said "good game," and left for the Real World™. You smiled...

The whisper that kills heroes

The whisper that kills heroes

The first voice to doubt you will always be your own. The whisper in your head. What will they think? What if it's like last time? You'll get to it...

The riskiest thing you can do is to play it safe

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The riskiest thing you can do is to play it safe

The gods punish cowards more harshly than they punish the bold Because safety isn’t safe- it’s the slowest form of ruin. Every story begins with risk. A leap. A wager....

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The dungeon can set you free.

The dungeon can set you free.

You wake up in a new world. No map. No quest log. Just a horizon in every direction. Skyrim. Elden Ring. Breath of the Wild. Life after school. No rules....