Nicole Clark

Culture Writer and Critic

Game review

'Griftlands' Is a Delightfully Seedy and Accessible Deck-Builder

Griftlands is a science fiction western, set in the scummy world of Havaria, full of grifters and scammers trying to get rich or just get by.
Nicole Clark
6.25.21
Games Reviews

'Dorfromantik' Turns City-Building into a Beautiful Series of Puzzles

They finally made the entire game out of the tile-placement mechanic.
Nicole Clark
3.26.21
Games Opinion

During COVID-19, Video Games Have Become My Commute

When everything happens inside, it's hard to distinguish between "home" and "work." Video games have helped.
Nicole Clark
3.18.21
Games Columns

'Valheim' Is the Elder Scrolls Game Bethesda Wishes It Could Still Make

The hit survival game offers powerful hits of nostalgia for 90s RPGs, but sands off the rough edges to build something modern and beautiful.
Nicole Clark
3.4.21
Games Opinion

How Survival Themes Save the Management Games from Themselves

Perfectionism ruins strategy games; desperation elevates them.
Nicole Clark
2.24.21
Games News

These Mahjong Sets for Rich White People Are a Tacky Monument to Racism

A startup marketing "designer" Mahjong sets committed the classic sins of appropriation.
Nicole Clark
1.7.21
Games Opinion

Micro-Strategy Games Thrived in 2020

Puzzlers and battlers kept us busy in a long year.
Nicole Clark
1.5.21
Games Opinion

'Spiritfarer,' A Game of Hugging and Letting Go, Is Perfect For Right Now

The craving for physical affection is poignant, after many of us have gone months without being able to hold our loved ones.
Nicole Clark
9.4.20
Games Opinion

'Sayonara Wild Hearts' and the Masks We Wear to Protect Ourselves

In a year of personal change, a video game pop album helped me understand how to move forward.
Nicole Clark
1.2.20
The Borders Issue 2019

The Hidden Stress of Growing Up a Child of Immigrants

Though immigrants come from a variety of backgrounds, there are certain stressors that U.S.-born children of immigrants have in common.
Nicole Clark
9.12.19
Internet

These Memes Highlight the Absurdity of ScarJo's Comments About Playing 'Any Person'

The actress is getting roasted for saying she should be able to play "any person, or any tree, or any animal."
Nicole Clark
7.16.19
Film

'The Farewell' Makes the Asian American Immigrant Experience Feel Universal

Awkwafina's Billi is a Chinese American woman who struggles with her family's secrets, but she's also all of us and our inherited burdens.
Nicole Clark
7.8.19
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