Another year gone. 2025 will mark three years of this infinitesimal site and four years of me being a professional video game critic. As I look back, I reminisce and wish that I wasn’t living so devilish, shit! The melancholy begins to set.
In 2024 I became an NPR contributor (let’s see how long this lasts). I began helping out as a contributing Gamers with Glasses. I increased my output as a freelancer. I was very selective when pitching. I cultivated a great working relationship with Unwinnable, a site with some of the best writers on the internet. I also made time to do more with the New York Videogame Critics Circle attending conferences and mentoring.
As a result of all this my output here on Aguas’ Points has suffered. In the last year, I only published two original pieces on Aguas’ Points and republished two pieces that were only available in Unwinnable’s Exploits magazine.
- “We Gain When We Create: Elevating Criticism A Pixel a Day”, an interview with Kat (Pixel a Day). Kat is one of the best video essayists on YouTube. This interview led to further collaboration. I commissioned her to review Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door for Gamers with Glasses. She had some spicy opinions on the game. I even made a guest appearance on Kat’s 20k World of Goolebration.
- In “It’s Dangerous to Go Alone” I rambled a bit on the resurgence of targeted harassment campaigns on journalists and developers. “GamerGate never ended. We are still living through a specific paradoxical, absurd and idiotic malice that inflected our discourse. Yet, we still live in a society. Thus, if writers want to properly write about the Falangists, they should not do so in isolation. It’s dangerous to go alone”. I don’t know if I was successful in this piece.
- The two were other pieces: “Kingdom Hearts II: Sleep No More” an experimental short piece on the origins of my hatred for Kingdom Hearts, and “The Lost Crown-ZAU” a comparison of two search-action games (or metroidvanias if you prefer). Kingdom Hearts is not for me. Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown and Tales of Kenzera: ZAU are fantastic games that at their core share much in philosophy with Tōru Iwatani’s Pac-Man.
Inside and Outside the Currents of Aguas’ Points
The Future of Aguas’ Points is in flux. I don’t know if I will publish here regularly anymore. I definitely didn’t in 2024. I have only one article in the works that should be published here soon, the final article in my YouTuber interview series. On that note, my GameCube project is dead. I don’t want to continue it. Maybe it will be revived in the future, but who knows? If you’re sad, here is an excellent piece on this purple lunch box to read while mourning: Vehe Mently’s “The Gamecube Startup: A Critical Analysis“. However, one thing is clear, the site will remain up and I will continue to update the “Writing & Media” page. Also, Aguas’ Points remains the best place where I can be reached.
Outside of Aguas’ Points is where most of my work can be found. The water has traveled out of the source. I published a lot of articles for PopMatters this year. A majority of these were on video games. However, the ones that were on music and books (not related to video games) have garnered the most attention. I’m grateful and humbled by this. Here are my five favorite pieces that I’ve written for my mother publication:
- In “Pedro Páramo Is a Masterpiece that Resurrects and Welcomes the Dead” I pay homage to an enduring classic of Latin American literature and its author Juan Rulfo.
- “Cuban Video Game Saviorless Subverts The Revolution’s Narrative” I was even interviewed for NPR for this review.
- “1000xResist’s Magnificent Operatic Heterotopia” a review of my favorite game of 2024.
- Probably my most salient review this year was “Horror Puzzle Video Game The Exit 8 Is an Inescapable Meme”. I wish this wasn’t the case.
- Last but not least “Phoenix Springs’ Journey to Nowhere Is Worth It”.
I look forward to continuing to write for PopMatters next year. I have a couple of book reviews and two game reviews incoming early in the year.
As previously stated, I expanded my byline to a few places. Three of which, NPR, Unwinnable, and Gamers with Glasses will be seeing more of my work in 2025. I look forward to continuing working with everyone at Gamers with Glasses both as a writer and editor. I wrote a few things for the site, but what I’m most proud of is my ongoing series of commissioned articles (three thus far). Thank you to Kat (Pixel a Day), Nicanor Gordon, and Autumn Wright for contributing your insights. Wright’s essay on the Trails series “The Way They Walk in Liberl” is among the best essays that I’ve edited this year. Here are the three articles:
- Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door Papers Over Its Problems, by Kat (Pixel a Day)
- Mexico 1921: A Deep Slumber Provides a Snapshot of Post-Revolution Mexico, by Nicanor Gordon
- The Way They Walk in Liberl, by Autumn Wright
My writing has appeared in other places as well. However, next year I’m going to focus on developing the relations that I’ve cultivated. In early January, a much-delayed piece on Panic’s Playdate will be published by Unwinnable. It’s a piece that I’m very proud of.
Another big change in 2024 is my appearances on podcasts. I was on a lot of podcasts. Let’s see if this continues. I was also on Homo Ludens a few times and will continue to collaborate with Fred Serval.
Lastly, as part of the New York Videogame Critics Circle, I attended the Long Island Retro Gaming Expo and organized and led a talk between Tim Rogers (Action Button), Jordan Minor (PCMag), and myself. It was fun.
Besides a few articles in January, the next big thing for me will be the New York Game Awards on January 21, 2025. I have many other projects in the works, but I’ll keep them secret until they are done.
Thank Yous – It takes a Village
2024 has been a trying time for many. In the video game industry layoffs have continued and surpassed in number those of 2023. Video game journalists, though there are many great writers, are seeing the places where they can work and contribute decrease. I want to thank Critical Distance and all those involved for highlighting the great work being done daily by writers the world over.
To Fred Serval of Homo Ludens, thank you for driving the conversation on historical tabletop gaming to new heights along with Liz Davidson (Beyond Solitaire). Stuart Ellis-Gorman, Alexandre Fontaine Rousseau, Timothy, Pierre, Russ, and all the Homo Ludens folks, and Dan Bullock thank you as well!
Thank you to Harold Goldberg, Ryan O’Callaghan, the NYC critics, and the mentors and mentees of the NYVGCC. To Karen Zarker, my editor at PopMatters for reading, editing, and publishing my weird ass work. I can’t believe that it will be four years of us working together. To the good people at Unwinnable, especially Levi Rubeck, David Shimomura, and Rob R. My sincerest gratitude. Gamers with Glasses has grown to mean a lot to me. Thank you to Nate Schmidt, Don Everhart, Tof Eklund, Edcel Javier Cintron Gonzalez, Samantha Trzinski, and all others at the site. Also, thank you to James Perkins Mastromarino, my editor at NPR.
I can’t forget Darren Hupke, Kat Pixel a Day, Bryn Gelbart, Tim Rogers, Jordan Minor, Kailey Hultner, Skeleton of Deep-Hell, Kritiqal, IGDA NYC, BabyCastles (We shall never die!), NYU Game Center, NYU’s Urban Democracy Lab, ThorHighHeels, the Brooklyn Institute of Social Research, DiGRA, Joe Yang, Mary Flanagan and Resonym games, Cole and Drew Wehrle, the Multi Play Network, TIER, the No Pun Included crew, and Aftermath for paving a way forward.
My heart to my partner.
Here is to another year. Du Courage!
Cheers,
Aguas’ Points
Aguas' Points 