10 Years Mash X to Muse!?

Much to my own surprise, Mash X to Muse has been around for an entire decade and more than a quarter of my life—not a lot on a cosmological scale, but a significant amount for a humble blog, and to me personally.

It's a very different place today than it was ten years ago, but a few things have proven themselves constant fixtures: a fascination with imagined worlds, a conviction that games should be discussed within their broader cultural and historical contexts, and finally, a somewhat unhealthy obsession with From Software's Dark Souls and Bloodborne.

I'm not entirely sure what one does to celebrate a blog anniversary, but I think this is a good time for a much-needed makeover (you may have noticed the new look) and a little navel-gazing. So I decided to dig up and dust off a few essays I've written over the course of the last ten years that I'm especially fond of.

But first: a huge THANK YOU to all my readers and everyone who's supported me over the years.

Primordial Days (2016–2018)

A time of mindbogglingly frequent updates, of finding my voice as a critic, and unabashed, youthful pretentiousness. I resisted the temptation of partially rewriting parts of them and decided to embrace the cringe instead.

Trespassers in Forbidden Lands

Shadow of the Colossus, Dark Souls and Journey are some of the most haunting games ever made. They’re also quite different from each other. SotC is an action-adventure faintly reminiscent of The Legend of Zelda games, but stripped-down to bare essentials. The game is set in a vast, open

Mash X to MuseAndreas Inderwildi

Prey Tell, What Lies through the Looking Glass?

No major spoilers, but I recommend playing at least halfway through Prey before reading. One point of criticism often levelled at Prey is its story, setting, and characters — what you might call its fiction. On the surface, it’s true that the story has pacing issues, that the setting is

Mash X to MuseAndreas Inderwildi

The Artists and Paintings That Bleed Through Bloodborne

This article was originally published by Kotaku UK on December 9 2016. This republished version includes some minor changes. Even as you are beaten to a bloody pulp by some horrific creature, you can’t help but notice the beauty in From Software’s action RPGs. Whether you’re playing

Mash X to MuseAndreas Inderwildi

Resurrection (2021–2022)

After a hiatus of several years in which I'd been busy with my freelance writing, I decided to resurrect my blog—using it mostly to republish articles that vanished into the black hole that had once been Kotaku UK, and to publish pieces a bit too niche for other publications.

What the Epic of Gilgamesh can tell us about Disco Elysium’s most troubling character, the Deserter

contains spoilers for the Epic of Gilgamesh! (also Disco Elysium) It’s an old story. The oldest we know of, in fact: The Epic of Gilgamesh. Having been confronted with the terrible reality of death, our archetypal hero Gilgamesh embarks on a quest for the legendary figure of Utnapishtim, who

Mash X to MuseAndreas Inderwildi

The Doomed Heroes of Dark Souls

This article was originally published by Kotaku UK on March 24 2017. This republished version includes some minor changes. Video games usually have an easy answer to the question “What does it mean to be a hero?” It’s an opportunity for excitement and adventure, to enter a virtual world

Mash X to MuseAndreas Inderwildi

Why Gwyn Must Die

This article was originally published by Kotaku UK on October 10 2018. This republished version includes some minor changes. Gwyn, Lord of Cinder and former Lord of Sunlight, sits at the centre of the tangled labyrinth that is Dark Souls. The harmful consequences of his presence spread through every capillary

Mash X to MuseAndreas Inderwildi

Not Yet Built and Already Ruined: The Ruins of The Green Knight and Pendragon

The Arthurian worlds of Inkle’s tactical narrative game Pendragon and the movie The Green Knight have one thing in common: the grand, pathetic ruins of castles, monasteries, and chapels. In The Green Knight, a castle in ruins is the first landmark Gawain passes as he sets out on his

Mash X to MuseAndreas Inderwildi

A New Focus (2022–now)

After years of writing about virtual worlds, it was time to make it official. The Game Cosmology series is an attempt to continue what I've been doing already, but with fresh focus and in a more systematic manner—and also an excuse to indulge my enduring obsession with Gnosticism.

The Gnostic Horror of The Excavation of Hob’s Barrow

This is the 2nd article in the Video Game Cosmology series. Read the intro here. If you like my work, consider supporting me on Patreon! Spoiler warning for The Excavation of Hob’s Barrow. There’s something strange lurking at the heart of The Excavation of Hob’s Barrow; strange even by the

Mash X to MuseAndreas Inderwildi

The Gnostic Dystopia of NORCO

This is the 3rd article in the Video Game Cosmology series. Read the intro here, and the first piece on Gnostic influences in games here. If you like my work, consider supporting me on Patreon! Spoiler warning for NORCO. “My child. I understand that you wish to remain here in

Mash X to MuseAndreas Inderwildi

The Layered Worlds of Pentiment

This is the 4th article in the Video Game Cosmology series. Read the intro here. If you like my work, consider supporting me on Patreon! Spoiler warning for Pentiment. Pentiment’s ambition keeps spilling over the margins of its seemingly humble frame. The entirety of the game’s narrative takes

Mash X to MuseAndreas Inderwildi