Gaming

Dogz: A GBA Cult Classic

By Jenny O'Connor December 28, 2024
Dogz for the Game Boy Advance wasn’t just a game; it was a lesson in care, empathy, and chaos disguised as pixelated cuteness. While your siblings were conquering Mushroom Kingdoms or wielding Master Swords, you were busy teaching a jerky little sprite to sit, stay, and love. In all its tinny, glitchy glory, Dogz remains a small but mighty cornerstone of handheld gaming nostalgia.

Infinity Nikki is Inspiring Gamers to Bond Over High Heels and Earrings 

By Hannah Holowaychuk December 16, 2024
ᯓ★
Seeing a feminine dress-up game acknowledged as a “real” game is groundbreaking. Twelve years ago, Papergames was told that the Nikki franchise was too niche to succeed in the competitive gaming market. The monumental success of Infinity Nikki proves otherwise, showing there’s a community of gamers eager to save the world in an iridescent ballgown and heels.

Short Trip: The Hand-Drawn Cat Carrying Experience

By Annika McCabe December 15, 2024
ᯓ★
As the chaos of finals, demanding work weeks, and holiday preparations looms, the need for a moment of respite becomes undeniable. Thankfully, we’ve found the perfect game to help you pause, breathe, and recharge amid the holiday frenzy.

5 Hidden Gems for Cosy Winter Gaming

By Team G.URL December 3, 2024
If you're craving cosy winter vibes, this list of five lesser-known games is your perfect escape. From heartwarming puzzle adventures to whimsical snow-filled escapades, these titles embrace the season’s magic without leaning on tired survival tropes.

Beauty in Blocks: How Roblox’s Dress to Impress Inspires Real-Life Makeup Trends

By Jenny O'Connor November 30, 2024
ᯓ★
From the virtual runways of Dress to Impress to the Instagram feeds of beauty influencers, Roblox-inspired makeup is rewriting the rules of beauty. Bold, playful, and unapologetically experimental, these trends are proof that digital creativity is shaping the face of fashion in more ways than one.

Our Forgotten Digital Dolls: A Note on Personalisation and Feminine Identity Crises

By Team G.URL November 29, 2024
ᯓ★ ᯓ★
Once upon a time, the Internet was a playground for little girls. On BarbieGirls.com and Be-Bratz.com, we weren’t just dressing up avatars—we were learning how to present ourselves to the world. These virtual spaces taught us that to be seen was to be valued, planting seeds of self-scrutiny that bloomed into a full-blown obsession with image. Years later, the MP3 players and pink VIP badges are gone, but the mirror they handed us hasn’t cracked. We scroll, we compare, and we perform, still chasing that fleeting feeling of being enough in a world built to tell us otherwise.

Aika Village: The Haunting Legacy of Animal Crossing’s Darkest Creation

By Jenny O'Connor November 15, 2024
ᯓ★
Animal Crossing fans have crafted a paradise of horrors in Aika Village, transforming a beloved game into an unforgettable experiment in eerie storytelling. The Animal Crossing series is known for its charming worlds and slice-of-life gameplay, where daily routines and cheerful villages offer an escape from reality. Yet amid this serene experience, an unexpected current…

We Got Feminism Before GTA VI

By Team G.URL November 12, 2024
ᯓ★
From its beginnings, Grand Theft Auto captivated players with the freedom to explore Rockstar’s gritty, satirical universe. The thrill of wreaking havoc in Vice City or untangling crime in San Andreas, paired with a mix of dark humour and pointed social commentary, has made GTA iconic. Yet, the series has often fallen short when it comes to representing women.

How Gaming is Reviving Classical Music

By Jenny O'Connor October 11, 2024
ᯓ★ ᯓ★ ᯓ★
When you think of gaming soundtracks, you might recall nostalgic 8-bit melodies, thumping EDM, or symphonic scores backing epic fantasy scenes. But today, there’s a quieter, unexpected phenomenon happening in the gaming world—players are rediscovering classical music, and it's not just in the background anymore. From rhythm games to grand story arcs, the symphonies of Beethoven, Mozart, and even Wagner are gaining new audiences, turning gaming into an unlikely conduit for introducing players to the world of classical music.

Chants of Sennaar Speaks in a Language of Its Own

By Jenny O'Connor October 10, 2024
ᯓ★
There’s a certain magic in the moment when a foreign language starts to make sense—when random sounds and symbols begin to form meaning, creating connections where there was once confusion. This feeling is at the heart of Chants of Sennaar, a beautifully crafted puzzle game that uses language as its core mechanic. After spending time in Corsica with family who speak only French, I’ve been noticing how much of my own experience in trying to learn French reflects the journey players take in Chants of Sennaar. You struggle to decode unfamiliar symbols, but the payoff when you understand even just a piece of the puzzle is immense.