Emma Kidwell
Rock Paper Shotgun
Baltimore, MD, United States
Contact Emma
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Past articles by Emma:
A Mortician’s Tale shows how businesses exploit our fear of death
A Mortician's Tale is a death positive game but also an insight into the ways businesses exploit grief → Read More
5 Moms in Video Games Who Deserve Our Thanks
For me, Mother’s Day is about waking up in a panic and wondering how on earth I can show the most important woman in my life how much I care for her through → Read More
5 Video Game Schools That We Wish Existed In Real Life
Before I started playing Dungeons & Dragons every week, I thought the tabletop game would be too nerdy for my tastes. Just hearing the name conjured images → Read More
How Anime Hit YOUR NAME Gets Millennial Relationships Better Than Hollywood
We live in a fast-paced society that relies on our ability to be clear and concise with our words. This is especially true in environments where walking too → Read More
7 Free Games You Should Play This Weekend
The days are longer now. The sun doesn’t retreat to the west before 8:00 PM, offering more light to cast an unsightly shadow against your computer screen as you → Read More
Tom Savini Designed a New Jason for FRIDAY THE 13TH: THE GAME and It’s on Fire
Have you ever wondered what Jason Voorhees would actually look like after he came crawling back from the fiery depths of Hell to continue wreaking havoc at Camp → Read More
Celebrate National Pancake Day With an Actual Maple Syrup Bath
For me, the hardest part of taking a bath is choosing how to enhance the relaxation process. Should I opt for bubbles or a vanilla scented bath bomb? If your → Read More
Blow Some Boozy Bubbles with Bubble Lick
Sometimes, if you’re lucky, you might be presented with a paper umbrella or a fancy looking straw to spruce up an otherwise unenthusiastic drink. But what if, → Read More
Get ready to unlock the secrets of A Normal Lost Phone in January
It’s cold. You burrow further into your scarf, hoping to shield more of your face from the harsh winds biting at your cheeks. The streetlights do little in their attempt to guide you along the cobblestone street—the fog is too thick to distinguish shapes. As you walk, you squint against the way the light disperses among the thick mist, resembling soft glowing orbs that float in the night sky.… → Read More
Your next dose of Uncharted features two female leads
It was revealed during the Playstation Experience on December 3rd that Uncharted 4’s single player DLC will feature a few familiar faces. Returning to steal our hearts is Chloe Frazer as the main character and mercenary leader Nadine Ross as supporting cast. Uncharted: The Lost Legacy is slated for a 2017 release and has been described as a standalone experience. In true Naughty Dog fashion, the… → Read More
Balthazar’s Dream reveals what good boys dream of, and it’s ruff
A soft whimper causes you to look up from your work. It’s your dog, who is sleeping peacefully in bed. Is she dreaming? Her legs twitch slightly. Maybe she’s running around in a field, chasing a squirrel. She’s too old to do that now, but you like to think that the tiny mammal stood no chance in the dreamscape. “Wow.” You think to yourself. “She’s doing such a great job laying there.” You rouse… → Read More
Visual Out asks you to embrace the glitches of a dying computer
“They deserted us. You’re all that’s left.” These are the words that echo through Visual Out, a Metroid-like platformer set inside the guts of a broken down, dying computer. Created by Ohio-based game maker MadameBerry, Visual Out has you play as an escaped program tasked with exploring different sections of the machine in hopes of finding out the secrets of your creator’s demise. As the… → Read More
Go on a procedurally generated walk with a dog
It’s quiet. The air is gentle and warm as it brushes past your neck and causes you to close your eyes. A barking in the distance causes you to step away from admiring the lake—the soft, rhythmic motion of the waves was lulling you in a trance as it splashed against the shoreline. An impatient whining beckons you to turn around, and you oblige. Sitting obediently is a good boy, with… → Read More
I miss the summers in Japan: How videogames overcome language barriers
I sat cross legged in front of the TV and watched as Alex carefully removed the Super Nintendo from its dusty, neglected box. Our grandfather hardly used it, preferring to play Shogi on his computer instead of the console. Also stored away were a pile of games with labels we couldn’t read. The Japanese characters were printed in bold intimidating letters, with no illustrations to help guide our… → Read More
Find your favorite room amid the chaos of The Catacombs of Solaris
A strategy to use when exploring ruins in Dungeons & Dragons is to hug the wall. Have the beefiest party member (preferably a halfling barbarian) lead the way—not necessary, but a warrior knows how to survive. When presented with the option to turn either left or right, pick the latter. Always. The party will always find their way out eventually, even if it takes two hours. With this in mind, I… → Read More
One game creator's way to overcome depression? Make an uplifting game
The blinds are drawn. The room is dark and quiet. It’s past noon, and you’re still in bed. Your eyes are fixated on the carpet, bland and beige. The walls are white and bare, the furniture is hard and stiff. What is supposed to be a safe and comfortable space feels more like a prison—you are trapped. You haven’t showered yet, and your stomach reminds you that it needs attention. Your body is… → Read More
Post Apoc Dating Sim will let you make sweet, sweet love to a toaster
“If I ever had rust, would this bother you?” You’re halfway through a second glass of wine at this point. Tina is sitting on the table across from you, anxiously awaiting a response. Her body is shapely—mainly square, but boy do those four corners look sharp. The shiny chrome of her skin reflects the sun, bright and hot. The two slits located at the top of her form contain soft, delicious pieces… → Read More
Give Lost Ember all your money so you can play as a good boy
A gentle breeze rustles the tall grass that surrounds you, causing the blades to sway back and forth lazily to the soft rhythm of the wind. Up ahead lies a dirt path, leading to an unknown destination whose name was lost to time long ago. You’re curled up on a patch of soil near a bank of water, taking a short break from exploring the environment. The ripples created by the wind roll slowly… → Read More
Really Bad Chess is bad in all the right ways
You’re taking a walk in Central Park. The sun is shining down on you, a stark contrast to the cool autumn wind that tickles the back of your neck. It’s a reminder that change is coming. As you stroll past the row of chess tables, you see two elderly men hunched over and glaring at each other with an intensity that startles you. As you approach, you notice that there are chess pieces sprawled… → Read More
Find out how terrible you are in The Monster Inside Me
Ana and Jakob are hunched over and bickering by the fire, as usual. You try and ignore them and throw some crumpled up newspaper into the pit. The fire laps up the paper, hungry for more. As you stare into the flames, their arguing becomes harder to to tune out. Everyone is tired and hungry and stressed. It was a miracle you found this place untouched and managed to keep it fortified to ward off… → Read More