Adam

I'm Adam, founder, writer, and editor of The Ludic Mind. I write essays that look past reviews and patch notes to ask what games actually mean, drawing on philosophy, psychology, and storytelling to explore why certain moments in games stay with us long after the credits roll. Every piece here is researched, written, and edited by hand, with no shortcuts and no AI-generated filler.
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72 Articles

The Latest from Adam

Harry Potter and the Decade We Spent Playing Him Instead of Reading About Him
Characters

Harry Potter and the Decade We Spent Playing Him Instead of Reading About Him

By Adam

For ten years, an entire generation didn't just read about Harry Potter or watch him on screen. They walked him…

Papers, Please and the Quiet Horror of Becoming Complicit
Game Reflections

Papers, Please and the Quiet Horror of Becoming Complicit

By Adam

There is a particular kind of dread that Papers, Please manufactures out of almost nothing: a desk, a stamp, a…

The Psychology of New Game Plus: Why We Replay Games We've Already Beaten
Essays

The Psychology of New Game Plus: Why We Replay Games We’ve Already Beaten

By Adam

You already know how the story ends. You know which door hides an ambush and which chest is a trap.…

What Stardew Valley Taught Me About Rest (Not Laziness)
#Moral Choices in Games

What Stardew Valley Taught Me About Rest (Not Laziness)

What Video Games Teach Us About Identity (And Why We Keep Losing Track of Who We Are)
#GamingAnalysis#Moral Choices in Games

What Video Games Teach Us About Identity (And Why We Keep Losing Track of Who We Are)

Sony Just Ended Physical PlayStation Games. Here's What That Actually Takes Away From You
#GamingNews

Sony Just Ended Physical PlayStation Games. Here’s What That Actually Takes Away From You

What Disco Elysium Taught Me About Rebuilding Yourself (Not Redeeming Yourself)
#GamingNews

What Disco Elysium Taught Me About Rebuilding Yourself (Not Redeeming Yourself)

Jesse Faden and the Cost of Sharing Your Own Head
#GamingAnalysis#GamingNews

Jesse Faden and the Cost of Sharing Your Own Head

What Video Games Teach Us About Time (And Why We Keep Trying to Outrun It)
#GamingNews#Video Game Industry Analysis

What Video Games Teach Us About Time (And Why We Keep Trying to Outrun It)

What Stardew Valley Taught Me About Slowing Down (Not Giving Up)
#Video Game Industry Analysis

What Stardew Valley Taught Me About Slowing Down (Not Giving Up)

Why 2026 Became the Year of the Video Game Remake (And What That Says About the Industry’s Nerve)
#GamingNews#Video Game Industry Analysis

Why 2026 Became the Year of the Video Game Remake (And What That Says About the Industry’s Nerve)

What Video Games Teach Us About Freedom (And Why We Keep Building Cages to Enjoy It)
#Moral Choices in Games

What Video Games Teach Us About Freedom (And Why We Keep Building Cages to Enjoy It)

Geralt of Rivia and the Impossible Burden of Staying Neutral
#GamingAnalysis

Geralt of Rivia and the Impossible Burden of Staying Neutral

What Video Games Teach Us About Fear (And Why We Keep Choosing to Feel It)
#GamingAnalysis

What Video Games Teach Us About Fear (And Why We Keep Choosing to Feel It)

What Video Games Teach Us About Power (And Why We Keep Choosing How to Use It)
#Moral Choices in Games

What Video Games Teach Us About Power (And Why We Keep Choosing How to Use It)