Simon Parkin
Simon Parkin is a contributing writer to The New Yorker. He is the recipient of two awards from the Society of Professional Journalists, and his work has been featured in “The Best American Nonrequired Reading.” He is the author of three books, “Death by Video Game: Danger, Pleasure, and Obsession on the Virtual Frontline,” “A Game of Birds and Wolves,” and, most recently, “The Island of Extraordinary Captives.” Parkin is a fellow of the Royal Historical Society and has written for various publications, including the Guardian’s The Long Read, the Times, and the London Observer. He lives on the south coast of England.
The Bartender and the Lost Literary Masterpiece
How a Manchester native rescued “Caliban Shrieks,” Jack Hilton’s working-class opus.
The Open-World Genius of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Unlike other blockbuster games, Tears of the Kingdom allows for improvisation, tinkering, and fantastic feats of engineering.
How Monopoly Became America’s Cruellest Board Game
In “Ruthless: The Secret History of Monopoly,” we learn how a game meant to critique capitalism came to embody it.
How “Battle Royale” Took Over Video Games
With a simple, ingenious formula, a Japanese novel has inspired some of the most successful games in history.
The Best Video Games of 2022
More and more of the gaming experience has been monetized, but some titles continue to enchant.
On TikTok, an Album Containing Old Wartime Photos Causes Havoc
An antique dealer in Minnesota believed that he had found rare photographic evidence documenting the Nanjing Massacre.
Darwin’s Lost Treasure, Found
A talk with the librarian and the historian who authenticated the return of two of Charles Darwin’s missing notebooks.
Hidetaka Miyazaki Sees Death as a Feature, Not a Bug
Miyazaki has created the most difficult games of the century. In his latest, Elden Ring, he wants a broader audience to feel the pain.
The Best Video Games of 2021
As the industry confronts its cultural failings, smaller, more independent games have stepped into the breach.
Shigeru Miyamoto Wants to Create a Kinder World
The legendary designer on rejecting violence in games, trying to be a good boss, and building Nintendo’s Disneyland.
The Best Video Games of 2020
Away from the corporate mainstream, artists offered games that were bold and nourishing, and that made a tough year just a tiny bit brighter.
Finding Connection During Quarantine with Animal Crossing: New Horizons
In the game, players can enjoy the experience of visiting neighbors’ houses, browsing fully stocked shop shelves, and hopping on a plane to visit a friend, without fear of infection.
The Video Game That Lets You Make Video Games
In Dreams, the objective isn’t to win a game but to create one. Could it change the industry?
The Best Video Games of 2019
For those who think games have the capacity to take us to novel, joyous, or illuminating places, here are eleven that, this year, seemed to light a way forward.
The Joy of Being a Horrible Goose in a Time of Moral Crisis
Untitled Goose Game, which has become a viral sensation in the weeks since its release, arrives at a time when it’s pleasing to exact interspecies revenge.
The Division 2 and the Severing of Politics from Video Games
In recent years, video-game developers have continued to borrow politically charged settings while arguing that their games remain impartial.
The “Bandersnatch” Episode of “Black Mirror” and the Pitfalls of Interactive Fiction
The latest episode of the Netflix series is a choose-your-own-adventure story, which offers viewers an antidote to regret. Yet omniscience, it seems, isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.
The Best Video Games of 2018
This was hardly a vintage year for video games, but there were releases that nevertheless excited, stimulated, and challenged their audiences to think for themselves.
The Bartender and the Lost Literary Masterpiece
How a Manchester native rescued “Caliban Shrieks,” Jack Hilton’s working-class opus.
The Open-World Genius of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Unlike other blockbuster games, Tears of the Kingdom allows for improvisation, tinkering, and fantastic feats of engineering.
How Monopoly Became America’s Cruellest Board Game
In “Ruthless: The Secret History of Monopoly,” we learn how a game meant to critique capitalism came to embody it.
How “Battle Royale” Took Over Video Games
With a simple, ingenious formula, a Japanese novel has inspired some of the most successful games in history.
The Best Video Games of 2022
More and more of the gaming experience has been monetized, but some titles continue to enchant.
On TikTok, an Album Containing Old Wartime Photos Causes Havoc
An antique dealer in Minnesota believed that he had found rare photographic evidence documenting the Nanjing Massacre.
Darwin’s Lost Treasure, Found
A talk with the librarian and the historian who authenticated the return of two of Charles Darwin’s missing notebooks.
Hidetaka Miyazaki Sees Death as a Feature, Not a Bug
Miyazaki has created the most difficult games of the century. In his latest, Elden Ring, he wants a broader audience to feel the pain.
The Best Video Games of 2021
As the industry confronts its cultural failings, smaller, more independent games have stepped into the breach.
Shigeru Miyamoto Wants to Create a Kinder World
The legendary designer on rejecting violence in games, trying to be a good boss, and building Nintendo’s Disneyland.
The Best Video Games of 2020
Away from the corporate mainstream, artists offered games that were bold and nourishing, and that made a tough year just a tiny bit brighter.
Finding Connection During Quarantine with Animal Crossing: New Horizons
In the game, players can enjoy the experience of visiting neighbors’ houses, browsing fully stocked shop shelves, and hopping on a plane to visit a friend, without fear of infection.
The Video Game That Lets You Make Video Games
In Dreams, the objective isn’t to win a game but to create one. Could it change the industry?
The Best Video Games of 2019
For those who think games have the capacity to take us to novel, joyous, or illuminating places, here are eleven that, this year, seemed to light a way forward.
The Joy of Being a Horrible Goose in a Time of Moral Crisis
Untitled Goose Game, which has become a viral sensation in the weeks since its release, arrives at a time when it’s pleasing to exact interspecies revenge.
The Division 2 and the Severing of Politics from Video Games
In recent years, video-game developers have continued to borrow politically charged settings while arguing that their games remain impartial.
The “Bandersnatch” Episode of “Black Mirror” and the Pitfalls of Interactive Fiction
The latest episode of the Netflix series is a choose-your-own-adventure story, which offers viewers an antidote to regret. Yet omniscience, it seems, isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.
The Best Video Games of 2018
This was hardly a vintage year for video games, but there were releases that nevertheless excited, stimulated, and challenged their audiences to think for themselves.