Unwinnable
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A project nearly a year in the making: This month's theme issue of Unwinnable Monthly covers Final Fantasy and politics. Features from
@aguaspoints.bsky.social
,
@gracemachine.bsky.social
,
@solfleet.bsky.social
and
@nukelassic.bsky.social
. Buy:
buff.ly/AEMj6rD
Subscribe:
buff.ly/0hFvFne
15 days ago
0
77
48
ICYMI: "Vampire Crawlers has been a particularly bright spot within several months worth of bright spots."
@robsteinone.bsky.social
takes Vampire Crawlers for a spin -- and again, and again:
loading . . .
Vampire Crawlers is a Exponential Problem - Unwinnable
Will Poncleās dungeon drawling follow-up to Vampire Survivors be as huge ā and as commonly duplicated ā as the original?
https://unwinnable.com/2026/05/08/vampire-crawlers-is-a-exponential-problem/
about 3 hours ago
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ICYMI: "A political bomb is not just about fear, or shutting something specific down." Oluwatayo Adewole explores FFVII's AVALANCHE bomb and the political bombs within the industry that made the game and its remake:
loading . . .
1997 - 2020 - Unwinnable
It's much easier to force desperate people into extractive economic relationships when you've fundamentally destabilized their society.
https://unwinnable.com/2026/05/08/1997-2020/
about 4 hours ago
0
3
0
"Vampire Crawlers has been a particularly bright spot within several months worth of bright spots."
@robsteinone.bsky.social
takes Vampire Crawlers for a spin -- and again, and again:
loading . . .
Vampire Crawlers is a Exponential Problem - Unwinnable
Will Poncleās dungeon drawling follow-up to Vampire Survivors be as huge ā and as commonly duplicated ā as the original?
https://unwinnable.com/2026/05/08/vampire-crawlers-is-a-exponential-problem/
about 20 hours ago
1
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"A political bomb is not just about fear, or shutting something specific down." Oluwatayo Adewole explores FFVII's AVALANCHE bomb and the political bombs within the industry that made the game and its remake:
loading . . .
1997 - 2020 - Unwinnable
It's much easier to force desperate people into extractive economic relationships when you've fundamentally destabilized their society.
https://unwinnable.com/2026/05/08/1997-2020/
about 21 hours ago
0
8
3
reposted by
Unwinnable
Rob "Wear A Mask" Rich
1 day ago
I reviewed Vampire Crawlers for
@unwinnable.com
! tldr: It's not a very good dungeon crawler - because it's not actually a dungeon crawler - but it IS a *fantastic* card drafting/deck building game that reaches Siralim levels of "Wow, that's busted" (complimentary).
unwinnable.com/2026/05/08/v...
loading . . .
Vampire Crawlers is a Exponential Problem - Unwinnable
Will Poncleās dungeon drawling follow-up to Vampire Survivors be as huge ā and as commonly duplicated ā as the original?
https://unwinnable.com/2026/05/08/vampire-crawlers-is-a-exponential-problem/
0
19
3
ICYMI: "If thereās one thing Iām happy we left behind in the seventh generation of videogames, itās the strict binary morality systems."
@jhensliterature.bsky.social
laments the forced dichotomy of morality in the Mass Effect series:
loading . . .
The Paragade Paradox - Unwinnable
A character who is never challenged, who never lapses, becomes saccharine quickly.
https://unwinnable.com/2026/05/07/the-paragade-paradox/
1 day ago
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5
3
ICYMI: "If thereās a parallel between Final Fantasy and Rage Against the Machine, it may be that the political content of their messaging is often misunderstood."
@bensailer.bsky.social
breaks down how Tom Morello's collab with FFXIV reveals the political nature of the series:
loading . . .
Tom Morello Knows Final Fantasy Is Political - Unwinnable
"'Everything Burns' is both a reflection of the world that we're seeing and a warning, irrespective of anyone touching a controller."
https://buff.ly/1AkIgWk
1 day ago
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11
4
reposted by
Unwinnable
Ben Sailer
1 day ago
Do you love incredible niche content that's fantastic? Prove it with your money by subscribing to
@unwinnable.com
!
add a skeleton here at some point
0
5
2
reposted by
Unwinnable
Ben Sailer
1 day ago
For
@unwinnable.com
's Final Fantasy x Politics special theme issue, I wrote about how Tom Morello writing a song for a Final Fantasy game is less weird than what's implied by the sentence "Tom Morello wrote a song for a Final Fantasy game."
add a skeleton here at some point
2
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"If thereās one thing Iām happy we left behind in the seventh generation of videogames, itās the strict binary morality systems."
@jhensliterature.bsky.social
laments the forced dichotomy of morality in the Mass Effect series:
loading . . .
The Paragade Paradox - Unwinnable
A character who is never challenged, who never lapses, becomes saccharine quickly.
https://unwinnable.com/2026/05/07/the-paragade-paradox/
2 days ago
0
2
1
"If thereās a parallel between Final Fantasy and Rage Against the Machine, it may be that the political content of their messaging is often misunderstood."
@bensailer.bsky.social
breaks down how Tom Morello's collab with FFXIV reveals the political nature of the series:
loading . . .
Tom Morello Knows Final Fantasy Is Political - Unwinnable
"'Everything Burns' is both a reflection of the world that we're seeing and a warning, irrespective of anyone touching a controller."
https://unwinnable.com/2026/05/07/tom-morello-knows-final-fantasy-is-political/
2 days ago
0
9
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reposted by
Unwinnable
Stu Horvath
2 days ago
The gang worked extremely hard to bring y'all this one, an issue subscribers voted for with their wallets. And it's really good. I don't even like Final Fantasy! And if you do, subscribing helps pay our writers and keep (most of) the stories free for every reader! A gift for everyone!
0
6
2
reposted by
Unwinnable
Stu Horvath
2 days ago
And there you have it, the full run-down of
@unwinnable.com
's Final Fantasy x Politics issue, an issue so massive it took me nearly a week to put it all out here. If any of this sounds even remotely interesting, toss five bucks in the subscription bucket:
unwinnable.com/subscribe/
loading . . .
Subscribe - Unwinnable
Monthly subscriptions are $5. Annual subscriptions are $55. Subscriptions rebill automatically unless cancelled. Exploits comes out on or about the 1st of the month. Unwinnable comes out on or about t...
https://unwinnable.com/subscribe/
1
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ICYMI: "We canāt change everyoneās minds, but the hard conversations and decisions can be worth it." Melissa King explains what FFXIV's Dawntrail expansion has to teach us about accountability in interpersonal politics:
loading . . .
On Bygone Serenity and Sitting With the Uncomfortable - Unwinnable
The story of the Endless teaches us that we have to hold others accountable for their impact on society, even when we care about them.
https://buff.ly/9KNkgJv
2 days ago
0
3
0
"We canāt change everyoneās minds, but the hard conversations and decisions can be worth it." Melissa King explains what FFXIV's Dawntrail expansion has to teach us about accountability in interpersonal politics:
loading . . .
On Bygone Serenity and Sitting With the Uncomfortable - Unwinnable
The story of the Endless teaches us that we have to hold others accountable for their impact on society, even when we care about them.
https://unwinnable.com/2026/05/06/on-bygone-serenity-and-sitting-with-the-uncomfortable/
3 days ago
0
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ICYMI: "Once, games like Breath of Fire II helped me to make sense of and manage life events that were too big and confusing for my age."
@walshbr.bsky.social
reflects on Breath of Fire II, retro gaming, and memory:
unwinnable.com/2026/05/05/g...
3 days ago
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ICYMI: "But war is actually a game played by greybeards and fought by those much younger than them."
@unwinnabledavid.bsky.social
ponders how Final Fantasy's child soldiers are closer to reality than American war media:
loading . . .
To Be Young and Fight - Unwinnable
Most Final Fantasy games didnāt shy away from throwing adolescents into a meat grinder. But America did.
https://unwinnable.com/2026/05/05/to-be-young-and-fight/
3 days ago
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12
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reposted by
Unwinnable
Brandon Walsh
3 days ago
ICYMI I've got a piece out with
@unwinnable.com
about how games help children make sense of difficult topicsālike memory lossāand how your relationships to that material and those objects change with age.
add a skeleton here at some point
1
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"Once, games like Breath of Fire II helped me to make sense of and manage life events that were too big and confusing for my age."
@walshbr.bsky.social
reflects on Breath of Fire II, retro gaming, and memory:
unwinnable.com/2026/05/05/g...
4 days ago
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28
12
reposted by
Unwinnable
Phoenix
4 days ago
One of the insights that stuck with me the most from this interview is how FF compositions talk to each other. Even when pieces were rearranged into medleys for Pixel.wavās performance, their head composer would notice how easy it was for leitmotifs to communicate majors themes or conflicts.
add a skeleton here at some point
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"But war is actually a game played by greybeards and fought by those much younger than them."
@unwinnabledavid.bsky.social
ponders how Final Fantasy's child soldiers are closer to reality than American war media:
loading . . .
To Be Young and Fight - Unwinnable
Most Final Fantasy games didnāt shy away from throwing adolescents into a meat grinder. But America did.
https://unwinnable.com/2026/05/05/to-be-young-and-fight/
4 days ago
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10
1
reposted by
Unwinnable
Brandon Walsh
4 days ago
Iāve got a piece out with
@unwinnable.com
that discusses retro gaming, memory loss, and Breath of Fire 2. Check out "Gaming to Remember." Many thanks to
@rubeck.bsky.social
and the crew there for taking it on.
unwinnable.com/2026/05/05/g...
loading . . .
Gaming to Remember - Unwinnable
I think about time and memory more than ever.
https://unwinnable.com/2026/05/05/gaming-to-remember/
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17
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reposted by
Unwinnable
Grayson Morley
4 days ago
The inimitable
@walshbr.bsky.social
with his
@unwinnable.com
debut. A lovely piece on memory loss, games, and what we pass on.
add a skeleton here at some point
1
1
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reposted by
Unwinnable
4 days ago
This is a fantastic read!
add a skeleton here at some point
0
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ICYMI: "Russellās protagonist may eventually prove not merely useful but even heroic, but his own inner life is misery."
@orringrey.com
watches Soldier (1998) a Paul W. S. Anderson film that came before Alien vs. Predator and Resident Evil:
loading . . .
War is His Friend: Revisiting Soldier (1998) on UHD - Unwinnable
Thatās how you make a broken person who sucks.
https://unwinnable.com/2026/05/04/war-is-his-friend-revisiting-soldier-1998-on-uhd/
4 days ago
1
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ICYMI: "These two relationships to time take opposite sides: one loops and the other pinpoints. Yet, they share stagnation." Excerpt:
@gracemachine.bsky.social
puts Final Fantasy's time-bending villains within the context of Francis Fukuyama's political theory:
loading . . .
The Museum of Human History - Unwinnable
The courage of the heroes of Final Fantasy is an acceptance of uncertainty.
https://unwinnable.com/2026/05/04/the-museum-of-human-history-198/
4 days ago
0
11
4
reposted by
Unwinnable
Wallace
4 days ago
Heard itās Citizen Sleeper day! Game rules so hard. Itās always gonna be special to me not just for being a great sci-fi game, but my first paid game crit article was about the train on Wellspring in CS2 for
@unwinnable.com
unwinnable.com/2025/03/17/i...
loading . . .
Iām Not Meant To Know Every Train Schedule - Unwinnable
The longer I stared, the more convinced I became that the train was an assault against logic.
https://unwinnable.com/2025/03/17/im-not-meant-to-know-every-train-schedule/
1
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"Russellās protagonist may eventually prove not merely useful but even heroic, but his own inner life is misery."
@orringrey.com
watches Soldier (1998) a Paul W. S. Anderson film that came before Alien vs. Predator and Resident Evil:
loading . . .
War is His Friend: Revisiting Soldier (1998) on UHD - Unwinnable
Thatās how you make a broken person who sucks.
https://unwinnable.com/2026/05/04/war-is-his-friend-revisiting-soldier-1998-on-uhd/
5 days ago
0
4
1
"These two relationships to time take opposite sides: one loops and the other pinpoints. Yet, they share stagnation." Excerpt:
@gracemachine.bsky.social
puts Final Fantasy's time-bending villains within the context of Francis Fukuyama's political theory:
loading . . .
The Museum of Human History - Unwinnable
The courage of the heroes of Final Fantasy is an acceptance of uncertainty.
https://unwinnable.com/2026/05/04/the-museum-of-human-history-198/
5 days ago
0
2
0
reposted by
Unwinnable
Stu Horvath
9 days ago
The Unwinnable Final Fantasy x Politics is here! It overflows with amazing stories, so let's go through one by one. But only after you take a moment to appreciate
@sydneyjones.bsky.social
's fantastic cover art. Buy:
tinyurl.com/53f7schv
Subscribe:
unwinnable.com/subscribe/
2
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reposted by
Unwinnable
Phoenix
5 days ago
Still glowing from being a part of this!
add a skeleton here at some point
0
9
2
reposted by
Unwinnable
Nod-Crafty
7 days ago
Hey, that's me!
add a skeleton here at some point
0
5
2
reposted by
Unwinnable
GonƧalo Santos
7 days ago
Issue 98 of Exploits is also my first time writing for Unwinnable! I am flattered to be in such good company. If you read my essay regarding age restrictions in videogames (and beyond), let me know what you think.
add a skeleton here at some point
0
6
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reposted by
Unwinnable
Levi
8 days ago
Feel like I got some real gems in this one
add a skeleton here at some point
0
7
3
reposted by
Unwinnable
chilton š
8 days ago
I find it amazing that
@nod-crafty.bsky.social
was able to take what I'm sure is the physically largest book ever created by human hands and make a gorgeous piece of micro-criticism out of it. Applause!
add a skeleton here at some point
0
4
1
Happy May Day, everyone. We don't have a workers' revolution for you, but we do have the latest issue of Exploits, chock full of micro-criticism. Buy:
buff.ly/HAxjI8z
Subscribe:
buff.ly/EtUub5B
Read J. Ryne Danielson's essay on The Oxford English Dictionary:
buff.ly/e0bqKct
8 days ago
0
20
12
reposted by
Unwinnable
Hayes Madsen
8 days ago
This is such a good piece dude
add a skeleton here at some point
0
9
1
reposted by
Unwinnable
juno rylee schultz
8 days ago
Okay I will share trans journalism I have written about trans topics For
@unwinnable.com
i write about Kurt Cobainās struggles with gender and how their poetry n music saved me [a thread]
unwinnable.com/2024/04/05/d...
loading . . .
Donāt Hurt Girls When You Dance (Or Any Other Time) - Unwinnable
We may never know for sure, but I think thereās a reason that so many trans women have been able to identify with Kurt Cobain.
https://unwinnable.com/2024/04/05/dont-hurt-girls-when-you-dance-or-any-other-time-kurt-cobain-nirvana/
0
15
9
"In short, Ramza is a good cop."
@nukelassic.bsky.social
breaks down Ramza Beoulve's role as a good cop in a corrupt system in Final Fantasy Tactics:
loading . . .
The Good Cop is a Heretic - Unwinnable
The system will not bear someone building a better system within it.
https://unwinnable.com/2026/04/30/the-good-cop-is-a-heretic/
8 days ago
0
9
4
"In short, Ramza is a good cop."
@nukelassic.bsky.social
breaks down Ramza Beoulve's role as a good cop in a corrupt system in Final Fantasy Tactics:
loading . . .
The Good Cop is a Heretic - Unwinnable
The system will not bear someone building a better system within it.
https://unwinnable.com/2026/04/30/the-good-cop-is-a-heretic/
9 days ago
0
12
2
reposted by
Unwinnable
Hayes Madsen
10 days ago
If you havenāt read it yet - hereās your chance
add a skeleton here at some point
1
18
4
reposted by
Unwinnable
Ludica
9 days ago
Ć uscita la nostra nuova rassegna stampa videoludica mensile, con articoli da
@unwinnable.com
,
@polygon.com
,
@aftermath.site
,
@deletedsavesmag.bsky.social
,
@eteogames.bsky.social
,
@gamesline.net
,
@designroom.site
e
@jank.cool
, tra gli altri.
loading . . .
Di cosa si ĆØ parlato questo mese
Aprile 2026: Creature Kitchen, Dosa Divas, Kiln, Titanium Court e tanto altro ancora.
https://www.ludicamag.com/di-cosa-si-e-parlato-questo-mese-rassegna-stampa-aprile-2026/
0
3
1
ICYMI: "With Final Fantasy IX embracing the seriesā roots, it also became one of Final Fantasyās strongest political statements to date."
@solfleet.bsky.social
analyzes the anti-authoritarian message at the heart of Final Fantasy IX:
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Final Fantasy IX Embodies the Individual Responsibility Everyone Has to Stand Up to Tyranny - Unwinnable
The most powerful thing you can do is find a way to make a difference, whether thatās large or small.
https://buff.ly/gIWsjo1
9 days ago
0
6
5
"With Final Fantasy IX embracing the seriesā roots, it also became one of Final Fantasyās strongest political statements to date."
@solfleet.bsky.social
analyzes the anti-authoritarian message at the heart of Final Fantasy IX:
loading . . .
Final Fantasy IX Embodies the Individual Responsibility Everyone Has to Stand Up to Tyranny - Unwinnable
The most powerful thing you can do is find a way to make a difference, whether thatās large or small.
https://unwinnable.com/2026/04/29/final-fantasy-ix-embodies-the-individual-responsibility-everyone-has-to-stand-up-to-tyranny/
10 days ago
0
18
9
reposted by
Unwinnable
The Sisko
10 days ago
nethicite was such a great concept, one of many great ideas in a great game
add a skeleton here at some point
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13
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ICYMI: "To find oneās own voice, even if speaking through a language exclusive to you, means to be true to yourself."
@quiltedpoints.net
muses on making meaning and connections in Brigsby Bear:
loading . . .
Who Owns Brigsby Bear? - Unwinnable
An inevitable part of growing from audience and spectator to chorus and narrator.
https://buff.ly/FrM6IPx
10 days ago
0
3
1
ICYMI: "Just like in our world, these relics are more than just expensive symbols worn and adorned for mere projections of power. Their acquisition tells a story." Excerpt:
@aguaspoints.bsky.social
examines Final Fantasy XII's nethicite -- simultaneous WMDs and crown jewels:
loading . . .
XII: A Queen Needs Her Doomsday Bling - Unwinnable
Do not be fooled by Final Fantasy XIIās gorgeous blue sky, the world of Ivalice is a nightmarish one.
https://buff.ly/FMs1zfs
10 days ago
0
13
7
reposted by
Unwinnable
Christopher Spina
11 days ago
I love much more about Brigsby Bear than I couldāve fit into this essay. But I wanted to explore how Jamesā quirky and tender story might resonate with people who know what itās like to feel alone and still find the courage to express their passion and creativity. Also, āitās dope as shitā.
add a skeleton here at some point
1
6
1
"To find oneās own voice, even if speaking through a language exclusive to you, means to be true to yourself."
@quiltedpoints.net
muses on making meaning and connections in Brigsby Bear:
loading . . .
Who Owns Brigsby Bear? - Unwinnable
An inevitable part of growing from audience and spectator to chorus and narrator.
https://unwinnable.com/2026/04/28/who-owns-bigsby-bear/
11 days ago
0
6
3
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