Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Super Midlife Brothers: Thoughts on Mario at Forty — Gamers with Glasses

1 1

Reposted by Samantha Trzinski, PhD

Gamers with Glasses @gamerswithglasses.bsky.social · 5d

Featuring @aetataureate.bsky.social: "In a volunteer survey, we found almost no significant correlation between the zodiac sign and the favorite Mario items of respondents."
www.gamerswithglasses.com/features/sup...

It’s-a Mario’s birthday! Sort of. So here’s a Mario bonanza from your friends at Gamers with Glasses, which in typical fashion includes a scientific* study on Mario and the zodiac, elegiac expressions...

Welcome back readers. We’re two for two on this recent streak of on-time Sunday updates. I’m hoping to keep this up as I adapt my schedule to accommodate a couple of new work commitment…

1 5 10

Reposted by Samantha Trzinski, PhD

Critical Distance | Where’s all the good writing about games? @critdistance.bsky.social · 13d

This week: 21 articles on culture movements, maps, difficulty, dungeon crawlers, and much more. No Freddi Fish articles this week, sorry:

critical-distance.com/2025/09/28/s...

September 28th

My Defunded Friendly Neighborhood — Gamers with Glasses

12 23

Reposted by Samantha Trzinski, PhD

Gamers with Glasses @gamerswithglasses.bsky.social · 23d

@srtrzinski.bsky.social on horror sensation My Friendly Neighborhood and the actual horror of defunding the Corporation for Public Broadcasting:
www.gamerswithglasses.com/features/my-...

In the horror game My Friendly Neighborhood , the puppets from a children’s show become monsters after a long period of neglect. Samantha Trzinski explores what we stand to lose, as parents, children...

Duck, Duck, Goose - Unwinnable

1 5 13

Reposted by Samantha Trzinski, PhD

Unwinnable @unwinnable.com · Aug 27

"The goose has become a ubiquitous figure in pop culture, appearing on shirts, sweaters, mugs, bumper stickers – and, yes, even in videogames."

Unwinnable Feature Excerpt: @srtrzinski.bsky.social observes Untitled Goose Game's impact on videogames and culture:

“All hail the goose,” we say, to which the goose simply replies, “Honk.”

unwinnable.com

1 4 12

Samantha Trzinski, PhD @srtrzinski.bsky.social · Aug 21

My article “Duck, Duck, Goose” is in Unwinnable! 🦆

Unwinnable @unwinnable.com · Aug 21

Ideas bigger than you can imagine. The latest issue of Unwinnable Monthly features @orringrey.com on Godzilla, @srtrzinski.bsky.social on birds in games, and @muditaheart.bsky.social on Prince of Persia.

Buy: unwinnable.bigcartel.com/product/unwi...

Subscribe: unwinnable.com/subscribe/

The cover of the August 2025 issue of Unwinnable Monthly, featuring vividly colored art of Godzilla. Text at the bottom of the issue simply reads "Rawr"

2 9

Samantha Trzinski, PhD @srtrzinski.bsky.social · Aug 18

I submitted an article two years ago and haven’t gotten any response! 😠

1 1

Samantha Trzinski, PhD @srtrzinski.bsky.social · Jun 24

I had a great time talking with Erik Verlage about his research! Hear @aguaspoints.bsky.social and I dive into the world of game-based learning and STEM education in this episode of the Gamers with Glasses show:

Gamers with Glasses @gamerswithglasses.bsky.social · Jun 24

Seriously, though - what actually makes learning fun? What are we even talking about when we talk about educational games? For this one, our crew of humanities nerds finally asked a research scientist for help. Is Portal edutainment? Only one way to find out
www.gamerswithglasses.com/gwgpodcast/t...

The Gamers with Glasses Show, Episode 34: We're Not Making Chocolate Broccoli — Gamers with Glasses

We make learning fun! In this episode, Samantha and Luis interview Dr. Erik Verlage, a research scientist at the Ohio State University who works on interactive media and games in education. Discussion...

All the Duck Detective Needs is a Case (and a Friend) — Gamers with Glasses

2 2

Samantha Trzinski, PhD @srtrzinski.bsky.social · Jun 12

The bound copies of my dissertation “Teaching through Sorrow: Romantic Women Writers and Melancholic Didacticism” arrived today! #phd #19thcentury #dissertation

1 2 29

Samantha Trzinski, PhD @srtrzinski.bsky.social · Jun 5

Duck Detective has got to be one of my favorite games 🦆 Check out my thoughts on its latest sequel!

Gamers with Glasses @gamerswithglasses.bsky.social · Jun 5

It's got jokes. Puns. Absurd in-game facts. How could we resist? Check @srtrzinski.bsky.social's impressions on Duck Detective 2.

Samantha Trzinski asks the tough questions of Duck Detective 2 : when you’re down on your luck, divorced, and addicted to bread, is being the Duck Detective all it’s quacked up to be?

Parents and the Past in Pokémon Emerald — Gamers with Glasses

Samantha Trzinski, PhD @srtrzinski.bsky.social · May 28

Take a moment to read my piece on Pokémon Emerald and how it helped me navigate my parents’ divorce. It was cathartic to revisit the game and write about it

Gamers with Glasses @gamerswithglasses.bsky.social · May 27

@srtrzinski.bsky.social also wrote our first feature in the series, about Pokémon Emerald, long car rides between houses, and realizing her Pokémon parents lived in different homes.
www.gamerswithglasses.com/features/par...

As a child of divorced parents, Pokémon Emerald was my sole companion for my four-hour commute between houses, providing me with a sense of peace and control in an otherwise turbulent period of my l...

Please Place Your Order at the Kiosk — Gamers with Glasses

1 1

Samantha Trzinski, PhD @srtrzinski.bsky.social · May 4

I got my PhD from The Ohio State University today!!

4

Samantha Trzinski, PhD @srtrzinski.bsky.social · May 3

Really enjoyed writing about Kiosk! Check out my review:

Gamers with Glasses @gamerswithglasses.bsky.social · May 3

New on the site - @srtrzinski.bsky.social on the creepy/cozy dynamics of Kiosk!

Kiosk blends together creeps and coziness. Inside, it’s all about cooking up simple orders. Outside… is a different story. How comforting is routine in the face of horror?

Welcome back readers. I’ve received word from my colleagues that being ever-so-slightly irritating about making you aware on an ongoing basis that we have a Patreon, and that we would love yo…

3 3

Samantha Trzinski, PhD @srtrzinski.bsky.social · Mar 24

My article on A Game About Digging A Hole is featured in this week’s Critical Distance! Check it out, and shout out to @gamerswithglasses.bsky.social

Critical Distance | Where’s all the good writing about games? @critdistance.bsky.social · Mar 24

This week: Interviews, ungames, ARGs, matchroidvanias, and more:

critical-distance.com/2025/03/24/m...

March 24th

I Could Have Bought a Latte. Instead, I Dug a Hole. — Gamers with Glasses

1

Samantha Trzinski, PhD @srtrzinski.bsky.social · Mar 18

A Game About Digging a Hole was a fun — albeit short — game. Check out my review!

Gamers with Glasses @gamerswithglasses.bsky.social · Mar 18

@srtrzinski.bsky.social is kicking off our big return to the airwaves with a game that delivers on every single one of its promises, because all those promises revolve around the opportunity to dig a big ol' hole
www.gamerswithglasses.com/impressions/...

Become a homeowner, they said! Dig a hole, they said! So I said…”Why not both?”

Di cosa si è parlato questo mese

1

Samantha Trzinski, PhD @srtrzinski.bsky.social · Feb 28

My article on Mettaton in Undertale was featured in @ludicamag.com! Shout out to @gamerswithglasses.bsky.social, and special thanks to @tofeklund.bsky.social who organized our Love and Robots series

Ludica @ludicamag.com · Feb 28

La rassegna stampa videoludica di febbraio, con articoli, tra gli altri, di @bryantfrancis.me, @damienmcferran.bsky.social, @srtrzinski.bsky.social, @edwinet.bsky.social, @kimimi.bsky.social e @lewisgordon.bsky.social.

Febbraio 2025: Threshold, Civilization VII, Avowed e molto altro ancora.

www.ludicamag.com

4

Reposted by Samantha Trzinski, PhD

Critical Distance | Where’s all the good writing about games? @critdistance.bsky.social · Feb 25

This week: Archive, abjection, art, audience, and lots more:

critical-distance.com/2025/02/25/f...

February 23rd

Welcome back readers. Note to self: plug the Patreon! Ah, well met, fair traveller! Have you checked our fine Patreon? Every little bit helps! This Week in Videogame Blogging is a roundup highlight…

You Are Filled With Determination – and Narcissistic Robot Love — Gamers with Glasses

9 23

Reposted by Samantha Trzinski, PhD

Gamers with Glasses @gamerswithglasses.bsky.social · Feb 19

It's still the season for love! Maybe it's always the season for love in Undertale? Read all about its big star (no, not that skeleton, not that one, either) in @srtrzinski.bsky.social's piece on Mettaton in our Love & Robots series!

Undertale’s Mettaton may be a narcissist, but his love is real. Samantha Trzinski explores the relationship between player, performance, and the human-killing star of stage and screen in this entry of...

Welcome back readers. I mentioned last week that I would be plugging the Patreon a little harder going forward. We’ve experienced some really great community growth in the last couple of year…

3 10

Samantha Trzinski, PhD @srtrzinski.bsky.social · Feb 11

Koji Suzuki’s novel Ring is easily the scariest thing I’ve ever read. I couldn’t put it down, but my heart was racing the whole time

Samantha Trzinski, PhD @srtrzinski.bsky.social · Jan 24

I defended my dissertation today and am now Dr. Samantha Trzinski!!

1

Samantha Trzinski, PhD @srtrzinski.bsky.social · Jan 21

My recent article on Leshy was picked up by Critical Distance 🎉🍃

Critical Distance | Where’s all the good writing about games? @critdistance.bsky.social · Jan 21

This week: indie dev, hobbyist crit, localization, joyful play, and more:

critical-distance.com/2025/01/20/j...

January 19th

Leshy's Not Coming to Save Us — Gamers with Glasses

Samantha Trzinski, PhD @srtrzinski.bsky.social · Jan 17

I’ve noticed so many different versions of Leshy in recent games that I’ve played this past year. Check out my latest article with GwG!

Gamers with Glasses @gamerswithglasses.bsky.social · Jan 17

Have you ever noticed how frequently Leshy appears in contemporary games, and how often this character is an antagonist? @srtrzinski.bsky.social has! Check out her breakdown of this character's various iterations, from Cult of the Lamb to The Witcher 3.
www.gamerswithglasses.com/features/les...

Leshy, the forest guardian figure from Slavic folklore, appears in a wide variety of video games, usually as an antagonist. In this article, Samantha Trzinski explores the many iterations of this figu...

Samantha Trzinski, PhD @srtrzinski.bsky.social · Jan 13

I had no idea how exciting it would be to print out my complete dissertation. Holding 300 pages of my writing is surreal. Excited and ready for my defense in a couple of weeks!

This Year in Videogame Blogging: 2024

Samantha Trzinski, PhD @srtrzinski.bsky.social · Jan 2

Happy to be included in Critical Distance’s year in video game blogging! Shout out to @gamerswithglasses.bsky.social for having me on the team!

Critical Distance | Where’s all the good writing about games? @critdistance.bsky.social · Jan 2

Friends, it's time once again! Check out our year in videogame blogging post to see what works excited and incited us to think differently about games last year!

critical-distance.com/2025/01/01/t...

Welcome back to Critical Distance’s annual roundup of great videogame blogging! We’ve taken one more trip around the Sun in our ongoing mission to highlight and archive some of the best…