Lyric games are the discourse de jour, and I'm not interested in being negative right now. So I want to instead talk about @MariaMison and my own 101 Games For Survival, and why I think it's maybe one of the most important lyric texts ever https://mariabumby.itch.io/101gamesforsurvival

In the description of this game, we wrote "101 Games To Survive is 101 solo lyrical games about making it through a terrible time. It is worth it to try and play each one, even if you're not sure you physically/mentally/emotionally can."

Let's talk about that sentence.

First off, we are in a time where many games are not playable. What was once accessible has become impossible. These are games written for COVID, for a time of quarantine and isolation. These are games that are to be played alone.

But here's what's important - not all of these games CAN be played. Some of them are impossible or imaginary or encouragements to do things that simply put cannot be done. So, what does that mean?

There is value in *trying* to play games, even if you know you can't. There is value in reimagining what it means to play games. There is value in asking yourself how you can approach a game in a playable way. These games are challenges and questions and conversations.

I hope you go and read 101 Games For Survival, and I think it'll really help in this tumultuous and rocky time! These are lyric games - they are also playable, but they are also musings on what it means to play. https://mariabumby.itch.io/101gamesforsurvival