Ode to Everything
Godgaming and the Art of Newsletter Maintenance
This newsletter is growing slowly, but it is growing, so I want to take the time to welcome the new subscribers, and I hope you enjoy the content. I also appreciate those recommending Blockhead to other readers. This is a free newsletter, and there will be no paywalls. All I ask is to share the word and let the blockhead do his thing.
Blockhead continues to evolve as an independent gaming outlet, and the recent interview with Chris Avellone marks a turning point in editorial direction and content approach. During the first few years, I focused primarily on reviews and previews to build up my reviewer record as a critic for TechRaptor and other sites.
This will be the first of a series of editorials commenting on gaming topics and interests, as well as news, announcements, new releases, and the gaming industry at large. These articles will be short and simple, with either a few quotes, screenshots, or videos. Most of the time, they will be short appreciations of games.
Everything’s Awesome
To be clear: everything sucks nowadays, yes, but Everything does not. The amount of slop in games and online media has been increasing exponentially. Like many gamers, I find myself returning to old games I have not yet played, working through my Steam backlog and enjoying the games that hold up in the Age of Slop. One of the games that really holds up well years later is Everything by David OReilly, an independent Irish artist, filmmaker, and solo game developer.
I’ve also been thinking about Godgaming in games and fiction lately, and this almost 10-year-old god simulator might be one of the most underrated, least appreciated god games of all time. Most god games tend to be about controlling things and achieving certain goals, which are usually extractive and built on achieving utopian ideals.
Everything is rather about immanence. Yes, the world is a mess. We are all lost, confused children in an uncaring universe. But what if we can change the way we see this state of universal indifference? What if you are everything? What if all the Eastern wisdom about the oneness of the universe is actually true?
Everything features scattered audio extracts from Alan Watts’ lectures on life, the universe, and everything. We perceive ourselves as separate entities, stuck in our bodies, but that is only part of the picture. We can become more than what we are by taking part in everything that exists. To do this, you need to expand your imagination.
If you are looking for another god sim where you can achieve defined goals and compete in some way or another, you will be disappointed. But if you keep an open mind and if you are patient, you will find something much more valuable in this game. You will find everything you were always looking for.
Everything is available to purchase on Steam, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, and Games For Change.
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