Unwinnable Monthly – November 2020

This is a reprint of the letter from the editor in Unwinnable Monthly Issue 133. You can buy Issue 133 now, or purchase a monthly subscription to make sure you never miss an issue!

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Just like the cover of the November Exploits, this month’s cover, by Johan Nohr, isn’t tied to a specific story, but rather to the collective vibe at Unwinnable in this moment in time. Who doesn’t feel like molten evil is running out of their mouths at this point in 2020, honestly?

Our main feature sees George Umbarger finding Zen in the Yakuza series of videogames. Our second feature, by Katiee McKinstry, chases relaxing atmosphere and caffeinated beverages in Coffee Talk. Meanwhile, Sara Clemens takes the controls of Revving the Engine this month and learns about Heart Machine’s forthcoming Solar Ash.

As ever, Noah Springer leads off the columns with a batch of noteworthy hip hop albums. Harry Rabinowitz recommends The Promise, a graphic novel continuation of Avatar: The Last Airbender. Oluwatayo Adewole takes a look at the Brazilian film Bacurau. Amanda Hudgins examines the importance of subject matter tags in fanfic communities.

Diego Nicolás Argüello learns a bit about Tetris (and relationships). Declan Taggart wrestles with Hanano Puzzle. Deirdre Coyle witnesses the forest come to life. Melissa King pens a note of appreciation to the Fire Keeper. Ben Sailer gets ready for the winter from hell. Matt Marrone resists paying for a free-to-play game . . . for now.

Yussef Cole appreciates the crowded wasteland of Fallout 76. Autumn Wright gets cosmic. Justin Reeve checks out the architecture in Breath of the Wild. Rob Rich embraces endings. Adam Boffa, meanwhile, is surprised by an unexpected sequel. Finally, I chat with Michael Hsiung about his extremely relaxed wizards.

We’ll see you back here in a couple weeks, with the December issue of Exploits, in which we reveal the best of everything from the last ten years.

Stu Horvath
Kearny, New Jersey
November 15, 2020