Unwinnable Monthly – August 2024
This is a reprint of the letter from the editor in Unwinnable Monthly Issue 178. You can buy Issue 178 now, or purchase a monthly subscription to make sure you never miss an issue!
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Dear Reader,
I don’t have anything really cute to say about August. I’ve been playing a lot of Yakuza: Like a Dragon and I don’t know why I waited so long. Maybe because the game is big and daunting. Maybe because I thought I’d miss Kiryu from the previous entries. And it is true, I do miss him. But these misfits are so dang charming and fun. Anyway, I hope you’ve been enjoying the last month.
This month we’re featuring Mira Lazine on learning to enjoy the journey that is a videogame. We’ve also got Rob Rich with a feature length column that reminds us that play is personal. Honestly two really symbiotic features this month.
For this month’s Funeral Rites, brought to you by our friends at Exalted Funeral, Emily Price bears witness to Benjamin Marra’s bizarro campaign diary in INTERMEDIARY MUND.
As for the accounting of our regular rogues . . . Oluwatayo Adewole is back and taking us to 1972. Jay Castello rocks and rolls. Emma Kostopolus refuses to let Kawaiiju die and does cute and horror again. Matt Marrone flexes his (virtual) green thumb. Justin Reeve brings us to Japan. Levi Rubeck is doing the Summer of Action, read more to find out what the heck that is about. Ben Sailer filed his column late but I’m fond of him so I’m letting it slide but he doesn’t get a cute little preview because I’m still 1% grouchy about it. And Phoenix Simms goes full on 4X.
I guess I do have one thing to say about August. I’ve been watching the Olympics a bit. But mostly I’ve been watching things happening around the Olympics. I’ve been watching clips of athletes celebrate each other, be overcome with joy, reach new pinnacles previously thought of as impossible. I don’t really care about the medal count, I just really like people being excited and bringing joy to others. The Olympics as a whole is a major downer to me, so many people being so weird about it, but the fleeting moments are amazing and worth celebrating.
See you all in the next Exploits!
David Shimomura
Chicago, IL
August 9, 2024
