Jay Castello
Jay is a freelance games writer specialising in intersectional feminist critique, how to improve games and use them to improve the world, and cute dogs. She loves inhabiting digital spaces in all their forms, and being constantly surprised by just how weird and wonderful games can be.
Happy Birthday Overwatch: A Look Back
On May 24, Overwatch celebrates its first anniversary. And it’s been a hell of a year. The game has been front and centre in major...
Narcissa Wright sets Breath of The Wild World Record
Narcissa Wright is one of the people who made speedrunning what it is today, famous for her work with The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina...
Let’s Talk Historical Accuracy in Games
The new Call of Duty, poetically titled Call of Duty: WWII after its setting, will allow players to play as women in its multiplayer...
Dear Gamedevs : Long Hair Doesn’t Work That Way
Hair has always been a problem for game developers. The Witcher 3 managed to make Geralt’s mane grow in real time, yet it, like...
Fighting The Stigma of Depression and Anxiety With Games
Though approximately one in four people will experience a mental health issue in their lifetime, there is still far too much stigma and misunderstanding...
Racist Rant Demonstrates Deeper Problems of Toxicity in Overwatch
Two weeks ago I wrote a long, long article about toxicity in Overwatch. This week, Matt “Dellor” Vaughn, formerly of Toronto Esports, destroyed his...
Sony Must Not Fear the Female Protagonist
Recently, the Playstation exclusive Horizon Zero Dawn became the best selling new IP on the platform, shifting over 2.6 million copies. In fact, it’s...
Peacecraft Brought Kindness to YouTube When It Needed It Most
Griffin McElroy’s Peacecraft series saw our sweet gnome friend Raandyy set out on a quest to end the fighting in World of Warcraft. In...
How Can Overwatch Deal With its Toxic Players?
If you’re playing any online game, you’ll run into toxic players. This is an accepted inevitability. But it shouldn’t be.
Overwatch in particular is intentionally...
Resist Jam: Games about Non-Violent Resistance
Resist Jam took place recently; dedicated to “creating games that resist oppressive authoritarianism in all its forms.” With over 200 games submitted, it’s impossible...
Sheri Graner Ray: 25 Years of Improving the Industry
The conversation about encouraging, supporting, and catering to women who play and make games is old. Really, it’s as old as games themselves. And...
Games Need To Provide Escapism for Women, Too
Horizon Zero Dawn starts with such promise. It seems to give a breath of fresh air for those of us dealing with sexism every...
Resist Jam: Games about Protest
Resist Jam took place recently; dedicated to “creating games that resist oppressive authoritarianism in all its forms.” With over 200 games submitted, it’s impossible...
Inclusivity in Overwatch Continues to Improve
At his recent DICE Summit talk, director Jeff Kaplan mentioned again the importance of inclusivity in Overwatch. This has been a continued rhetoric of...
Diversity in Virtual Reality: The Next Step?
I love VR. I’ve loved being a bird soaring over post-apocalyptic Paris in Eagle Flight, getting up close and personal with a shark in...
Gender Representation at the Game Developers Choice & IGF Awards
Diversity can’t just be a numbers game, and certainly isn’t limited to gender, but having facts and figures can be crucial to addressing further examinations....