This Month's Soundtrack

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Crikey. I've liked Beabadoobee since she put out her Space Cadet EP, but I'd somewhat fallen out of keeping up with her, so I had no idea she was now so fancy and popular she was playing stadiums. Obviously that should put me off but her recent single Sun Has Set has an emo-ey anger that has absolutely kept me on side. Excited to see what the upcoming album Pylon has got going on, considering it'll feature guest spots from both Hayley Williams and Chino Moreno.

This Month On exp.

Subscriber Posts:
​Star Wars: Return Of The Jedi (Atari, 1984)​
​UFO 50 #7: Velgress (Yu, 2024)[subscriber exclusive]

Unlocked Posts:
​Vampire Survivors (poncle, 2022)​
​Goal! (Tose, 1988)​
​NUTMEG! (Sumo Digital, 2026) / How To Play NUTMEG! (Sumo Digital, 2026)​

My Vampire Survivors piece has really chimed with a lot of people! It's even been linked in the G​GameDiscoverCo newsletter (still on Substack, though: boo!) It does make me wish, perhaps, that I'd got a little deeper into an explanation of the theories I'm drawing on, so if you're interested in learning more—and you don't want to read an entire book—I can recommend Game Studies Study Buddies' episode on Addiction by Design, which I've since listened to and I think is a pretty good primer. Still three hours, mind.

Also, you should play NUTMEG! (if you like football at all.)

From The exp. Archive:
​Soccer (Nintendo, 1985)​
​Behold The Kickmen (Size Five Games, 2017)​
​Stranglehold (Midway, 2007)​

exp. Du Cinéma

​Alpha (2026)​

I got absolutely nothing for my subheading "should be beta than this" and frankly I think that's a scandal. Haven't been able to catch The Odyssey yet, and in fact have accepted seeing it in (proper, full-frame) laser IMAX next week rather than doing it in 70mm IMAX because, at best, if I wanted that I'd be able to see it some time in September. I've got so much discourse bookmarked!!! I cannae wait that long!!!

Also reviewed: I Love Boosters (2026) / Backrooms (2026) / Masters Of the Universe (2026) / Scary Movie (2000) / Scary Movie 2 (2001) / Scary Movie 3 (2003)​

Zine News

​Jampack'd​

"This is purely an independent, human-made (no AI) project made for the love of games. Diverse, independent games reporting is crucial to maintaining a thriving landscape and balanced coverage."

Have a zine project you'd like us to share? Get in touch!​

And Finally…

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​Chris Baker wrote a great article on the lost art of film strips, which are being diligently restored and archived online by Uncommon Ephemera. Unfortunately, it's been posted on Substack and I'm trying to stick to a "no Substack" rule here (though I think a few have slipped through before.) So instead I'll just link Uncommon Ephemera's Youtube and advise you to explore this uncanny artform. "The Art Of Pantomime In Church" > Backrooms, sorry.

Next week on exp.: An alternative form of communication.