This Month On exp. Subscriber Post: Jingle Bells (Jack & Jill Software, 1986) As has become traditional, in the month of December I try and make sure I write up as many Christmas games as I can manage. This year I'm going to try and keep to my intent to write up new (preferrably 2025) games when I can, so it's (sadly) not going to be all Christmas, all the time, but it's good to start the month off with one, and I've already got some subscriber-exclusive Christmas essays brewing, so if you...
20 days ago • 3 min read
via Chris Baker Everyone who ordered exp. 2602 (or the value bundle!) before mid-Oct should have (or soon be receiving if they're far-flung) their physical copies! Digital copies were also sent out this week—check your spam if you don't see them, and get in touch if you still don't. I've been gladdened by the images people have shared with me of their copies, and if you've enjoyed the issues, please do share on social media. I don't want to moan too much, but I've been turned down for every...
about 2 months ago • 5 min read
They're here, and they're gorgeous. Apologies to everyone who has been waiting for a dispatch notification for exp. 2602 or the reprints, but due to a Canada Post strike I've been unable to send them out. It's been unfortunate timing, but I support the strikes—the workers are standing up to a predatory capitalist political class undermining an essential public good. Issues will begin being dispatched next week, though delivery may be slow due to the continuing rotating strike. The PDF/ePub...
3 months ago • 3 min read
Well, very funny to say in the last dispatch that I'd go to biweekly and then not actually send out another one for three weeks. Well, I've got a good excuse. This Fortnight On exp. Announcing exp. 2602 For Pre-order Today! Said excuse! I suppose I did send this out to all subscribers at the start of the week. exp. 2602 has been in the works for a while, but it was put on hold when I rebuilt expzine.com, and then actually launching it got delayed even longer because I was so dissatisfied with...
3 months ago • 5 min read
Announcing exp. 2602 For Pre-order Today! Following the successful relaunch of the exp. website, http://expzine.com, I’m proud to announce that the latest issue of exp. Magazine is now available for pre-order, in advance of debuting at Just Zine Things, to be held at Interesting Things (173 Baldwin St, Toronto) Saturday 27th September, 2025. exp. 2602 continues my exploration of the 1970s releases for the Atari 2600, with context provided by essays on 1979 and that year’s arcade hit...
3 months ago • 1 min read
I think I’m going to settle on the dispatch being biweekly–doing it every week has felt like overkill. I think I imagined this newsletter as just links to the articles of the week, but each time I’ve thought of doing that it’s felt like such poor value for your no-money that I’ve ended up doing more, so this is, probably, better for all involved. Let me know if you feel any different. Onwards! This Fortnight On exp. Subscriber Post: Many Nights A Whisper (Deconstructeam/Selkie Harbour, 2025)...
4 months ago • 3 min read
This week on exp. Subscriber Post: VILE: Exhumed (Cadaver, 2025) This was a really difficult one to write about, and while I really hesitate to bang on about how exp. needs your support to continue at this level, well, it does, so please consider supporting us on Patreon (preferrably), ko-fi, or pick up a zine or the book. Here, I chose to dig into a banned game with heavy themes that reflect the current moment of moral panic, but which I found… inconclusive. Would love to hear what others...
4 months ago • 4 min read
The triumphant return of the Dispatch after a week off because I was too busy. Sorry! Still, it means a bumper crop of article and zine links. This fortnight on exp. Subscriber Post: Firework Thrower Kantaro’s 53 Stations of the Tokaido (Sunsoft, 1986) A game I didn’t expect any reaction to but I’ve already had a few people saying they’ve played it as well and like me at least found it interesting Unlocked Post: Paradise Killer (Kaizen Game Works, 2020) Unlocked Post: DAIVA Story 6: Imperial...
5 months ago • 2 min read
In this week’s Dispatch: after playing Wheels of Aurelia, I decided to look at its main inspiration, Il Sorpasso. And a capsule review of Luth Haroon’s INSERT/DATE/HERE. This week on exp. Subscriber Post: DAIVA Story 6: Imperial of Nirsartia (T&E Soft, 1986) Even I wonder why I wrote about this one but it is on Switch Online in the west! Unlocked Post: Cyrano (Popcannibal, 2025) Unlocked Post: Wheels of Aurelia (Santa Ragione, 2016) Wheels of Aurelia is now delisted on the App Store, though...
5 months ago • 4 min read