Jordan Cassidy
@thecrossoverappeal.bsky.social
On YouTube as The Crossover Appeal.
At thecrossoverappeal.com for pop culture recs.
Games writing, criticism. Formerly games studies.
Open for writing and editing opportunities.
Bylines: Unwinnable, Uppercut, Barely Textual, InMediaRes.
🏳️🌈🇲🇽
At thecrossoverappeal.com for pop culture recs.
Games writing, criticism. Formerly games studies.
Open for writing and editing opportunities.
Bylines: Unwinnable, Uppercut, Barely Textual, InMediaRes.
🏳️🌈🇲🇽
Pinned
Hey, I’m Jordan.
I’m a recovering academic (English, game studies, queer theory) who occasionally writes and makes videos about games, music, movies, and pop culture.
Stick around if you like takes on:
- indie games
- board games
- rpgs
- criticism
- new music
- org design
- writing
Welcome!
I’m a recovering academic (English, game studies, queer theory) who occasionally writes and makes videos about games, music, movies, and pop culture.
Stick around if you like takes on:
- indie games
- board games
- rpgs
- criticism
- new music
- org design
- writing
Welcome!
I’ve seen almost nothing marvel has put out in the last five years. Figured I’d give some of what I missed a shot, starting with Black Widow, and wow that opening credits sequence with the Smells Like Teen Spirit cover is rough.
November 15, 2025 at 8:32 PM
I’ve seen almost nothing marvel has put out in the last five years. Figured I’d give some of what I missed a shot, starting with Black Widow, and wow that opening credits sequence with the Smells Like Teen Spirit cover is rough.
I’m seeing some “Uno good” discourse spin up and I’m not here to say “Uno bad” but I am here to say if there’s a deck of Dutch Blitz at the function, Uno is never coming out.
November 15, 2025 at 6:02 PM
I’m seeing some “Uno good” discourse spin up and I’m not here to say “Uno bad” but I am here to say if there’s a deck of Dutch Blitz at the function, Uno is never coming out.
Sharing this excellent reporting from a local news source about some ICE bullshit that happened just a couple blocks from where I live.
centralcurrent.org/who-knows-wh...
centralcurrent.org/who-knows-wh...
Who knows when ICE comes to town?
When a group of men were taken from a Syracuse city street, it took nearly two weeks to know who’d grabbed them.
centralcurrent.org
November 15, 2025 at 3:21 PM
Sharing this excellent reporting from a local news source about some ICE bullshit that happened just a couple blocks from where I live.
centralcurrent.org/who-knows-wh...
centralcurrent.org/who-knows-wh...
Still think about Clair Obscur all the time. Think it's been since Transistor that a game has stuck with me like this.
November 15, 2025 at 5:06 AM
Still think about Clair Obscur all the time. Think it's been since Transistor that a game has stuck with me like this.
Reposted by Jordan Cassidy
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment, Dynasty Warriors: Origins, and Warriors: Abyss have made 2025 the year of the Musou game. Here's @marcnormandin.bsky.social on the pleasures of hacking through too many dudes. www.endlessmode.com/video-games/...
2025 Is the Year of the Musou Game
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment, Dynasty Warriors: Origins, and Warriors: Abyss have made 2025 the year of the Musou game.
www.endlessmode.com
November 14, 2025 at 4:04 PM
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment, Dynasty Warriors: Origins, and Warriors: Abyss have made 2025 the year of the Musou game. Here's @marcnormandin.bsky.social on the pleasures of hacking through too many dudes. www.endlessmode.com/video-games/...
Love these categories and so many of the nominees.
Seeing a lot of games I need to catch up with too.
Seeing a lot of games I need to catch up with too.
Introducing the nominees for The Indie Game Awards 2025, airing on December 18th at 3:30 PM PT / 6:30 PM ET on @ign.com, @gamespot.com, and @sixoneindie.com's YouTube and Twitch channels.
Visit indiegameawards.gg for the full list of nominees, presenters, and judges.
Visit indiegameawards.gg for the full list of nominees, presenters, and judges.
November 14, 2025 at 2:21 AM
Love these categories and so many of the nominees.
Seeing a lot of games I need to catch up with too.
Seeing a lot of games I need to catch up with too.
Reposted by Jordan Cassidy
steam machine de la abuela
November 12, 2025 at 10:40 PM
steam machine de la abuela
Thinking about Victor Garber and all the weird things he turns up in.
November 12, 2025 at 8:58 PM
Thinking about Victor Garber and all the weird things he turns up in.
Reposted by Jordan Cassidy
More Future Class stuff!! I edited a segment from my Twitch stream covering my story and adding even more context (I even watch one of the first Future Class Game Awards clips, and *hoo boy*). That's on my YouTube!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIt9...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIt9...
Geoff Keighley's Future Class Failure and Performative Allyship
YouTube video by Alyssa Merc
www.youtube.com
November 12, 2025 at 8:02 PM
More Future Class stuff!! I edited a segment from my Twitch stream covering my story and adding even more context (I even watch one of the first Future Class Game Awards clips, and *hoo boy*). That's on my YouTube!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIt9...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIt9...
If this is <$600 it’s an instabuy for me. The Steam Deck is my favorite bit of hardware since the OG Switch, and from a product design perspective, I love the look of this thing. Sign me tf up.
Valve is making a console. The Steam Machine, a sleek box with the guts of a mid-range PC that runs SteamOS, will arrive in early 2026. Prices TBD, but unlike the failed Steam Machine initiative from a decade ago, this is Valve's own device. Big news www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Valve Announces Steam Machine, a New Video-Game Console
The US gaming company behind the popular, handheld Steam Deck is making a living-room device for PC games
www.bloomberg.com
November 12, 2025 at 7:55 PM
If this is <$600 it’s an instabuy for me. The Steam Deck is my favorite bit of hardware since the OG Switch, and from a product design perspective, I love the look of this thing. Sign me tf up.
Steam Machines were the way all along.
November 12, 2025 at 7:49 PM
Steam Machines were the way all along.
Reposted by Jordan Cassidy
The funniest thing about all of Valves hardware announcements today is that many of them are them going "you know what, fuck it, we were right the first time" and they were, in fact, right.
November 12, 2025 at 7:45 PM
The funniest thing about all of Valves hardware announcements today is that many of them are them going "you know what, fuck it, we were right the first time" and they were, in fact, right.
Reposted by Jordan Cassidy
Announcing: New @steampowered.com Hardware, coming in 2026:
Steam Controller
Steam Machine
Steam Frame.
Watch our jazzy announcement video and wishlist now: steampowered.com/hardware
Steam Controller
Steam Machine
Steam Frame.
Watch our jazzy announcement video and wishlist now: steampowered.com/hardware
Steam Hardware
The Steam Hardware family officially expands in early 2026.
steampowered.com
November 12, 2025 at 6:03 PM
Announcing: New @steampowered.com Hardware, coming in 2026:
Steam Controller
Steam Machine
Steam Frame.
Watch our jazzy announcement video and wishlist now: steampowered.com/hardware
Steam Controller
Steam Machine
Steam Frame.
Watch our jazzy announcement video and wishlist now: steampowered.com/hardware
Reposted by Jordan Cassidy
The Seance of Blake Manor manages to eloquently tackle themes of grief, while also being a very cool and unique open ended detective game. Any fans of Golden Idol or even Blue Prince should consider it.
My review.
bignerdgaming.com/2025/11/12/t...
My review.
bignerdgaming.com/2025/11/12/t...
The Seance of Blake Manor Review: Death Detective
Like most people, I have many concerns about the seemingly rapid advances of AI into our society. One use of AI that has disturbed me the most is when I see people use it to try and essentially bri…
bignerdgaming.com
November 12, 2025 at 3:05 PM
The Seance of Blake Manor manages to eloquently tackle themes of grief, while also being a very cool and unique open ended detective game. Any fans of Golden Idol or even Blue Prince should consider it.
My review.
bignerdgaming.com/2025/11/12/t...
My review.
bignerdgaming.com/2025/11/12/t...
Does he not realize that he's talking about his administration's exact demographic?
Hegseth: "We don't need to be a military of beardos anymore. Do you know how many troops claim to be Nordic Pagan? No, suddenly it's become this real fake religious affiliation inside the Pentagon where troops came to be Nordic Pagan so they can grow a beard and nobody challenges them on it."
November 12, 2025 at 4:23 PM
Does he not realize that he's talking about his administration's exact demographic?
Spent the last five minutes trying to come up with a Mario-related UNCUT JAHMZ joke and I just can't get there. Just totally washed, guys.
November 12, 2025 at 2:20 PM
Spent the last five minutes trying to come up with a Mario-related UNCUT JAHMZ joke and I just can't get there. Just totally washed, guys.
I play a lot fewer games than some of ya'll and complete even fewer, but here are the highlights for me so far this year.
Hades II
Silksong
Avowed
Drop Duchy
Clair Obscur
Keep Driving
Eternal Strands
Dynasty Warriors: Origins
Hades II
Silksong
Avowed
Drop Duchy
Clair Obscur
Keep Driving
Eternal Strands
Dynasty Warriors: Origins
November 12, 2025 at 1:58 PM
I play a lot fewer games than some of ya'll and complete even fewer, but here are the highlights for me so far this year.
Hades II
Silksong
Avowed
Drop Duchy
Clair Obscur
Keep Driving
Eternal Strands
Dynasty Warriors: Origins
Hades II
Silksong
Avowed
Drop Duchy
Clair Obscur
Keep Driving
Eternal Strands
Dynasty Warriors: Origins
Catching up on the State of Play right now and feeling extremely pumped for the new Dynasty Warriors Origins dlc. Probably my personal sleeper fav of the year. Really perfectly shaped game for its ambitions.
November 12, 2025 at 2:08 AM
Catching up on the State of Play right now and feeling extremely pumped for the new Dynasty Warriors Origins dlc. Probably my personal sleeper fav of the year. Really perfectly shaped game for its ambitions.
Incidentally, if anyone wants to commission a piece that talks about how the narratives in this book speak to the persistent rift between academic game studies and popular games criticism, hit me the fuck up.
I've been slowly making my way through this collection and it's quite good. Should be required reading for anyone who talks about games for a living. Also a painful read as someone who left the academy in part because of how impoverished the support for my work was.
punctumbooks.com/titles/histo...
punctumbooks.com/titles/histo...
Historiographies of Game Studies: What It Has Been, What It Could Be – punctum books
punctumbooks.com
November 11, 2025 at 7:47 PM
Incidentally, if anyone wants to commission a piece that talks about how the narratives in this book speak to the persistent rift between academic game studies and popular games criticism, hit me the fuck up.
I've been slowly making my way through this collection and it's quite good. Should be required reading for anyone who talks about games for a living. Also a painful read as someone who left the academy in part because of how impoverished the support for my work was.
punctumbooks.com/titles/histo...
punctumbooks.com/titles/histo...
Historiographies of Game Studies: What It Has Been, What It Could Be – punctum books
punctumbooks.com
November 11, 2025 at 7:46 PM
I've been slowly making my way through this collection and it's quite good. Should be required reading for anyone who talks about games for a living. Also a painful read as someone who left the academy in part because of how impoverished the support for my work was.
punctumbooks.com/titles/histo...
punctumbooks.com/titles/histo...
Reposted by Jordan Cassidy
Hi there! 👋🏾
I'm really excited to finally share what I've been working on these past couple of months! I'm putting a lot of time and energy into crafting a definitive behind-the-scenes breakdown of all the Amnesia games for fans and newcomers alike.
Feel free to preorder if you're interested! 🕯️
I'm really excited to finally share what I've been working on these past couple of months! I'm putting a lot of time and energy into crafting a definitive behind-the-scenes breakdown of all the Amnesia games for fans and newcomers alike.
Feel free to preorder if you're interested! 🕯️
Written by Toussaint Egan (@thesaintoftous.bsky.social) and designed by Callin Mackintosh, Amnesia: Design Works comes in both Standard and Deluxe Editions with around 200 pages of fascinating/frightening new secrets and behind-the-scenes concept art.
lostincult.co.uk/amnesia
lostincult.co.uk/amnesia
Amnesia: Design Works — Lost In Cult
Featuring anecdotes and insights gathered from interviews with key franchise figures – including Frictional Games co-founder Thomas Grip, Fredrik Olsson, Dan Pinchbeck, Jessica Curry, Rasmus…
lostincult.co.uk
November 11, 2025 at 6:14 PM
Hi there! 👋🏾
I'm really excited to finally share what I've been working on these past couple of months! I'm putting a lot of time and energy into crafting a definitive behind-the-scenes breakdown of all the Amnesia games for fans and newcomers alike.
Feel free to preorder if you're interested! 🕯️
I'm really excited to finally share what I've been working on these past couple of months! I'm putting a lot of time and energy into crafting a definitive behind-the-scenes breakdown of all the Amnesia games for fans and newcomers alike.
Feel free to preorder if you're interested! 🕯️
Reposted by Jordan Cassidy
It happened: a gacha game finally got me. I went hands-on with Arknights Enfield and fell in love with its characters, its world, and its combat.
While the UI can be overwhelming and the size of it may just be a bit too big, I could fight bosses for hours on end. Oh, and I did.
Read my preview 👇🏽
While the UI can be overwhelming and the size of it may just be a bit too big, I could fight bosses for hours on end. Oh, and I did.
Read my preview 👇🏽
Arknights Enfield Beta Test II Is Defined By Its Addictively Fun Combat - Hands-On Preview
There is expansive, and then there is Arknights Enfield, from new Operators to Wuling City and thrilling combat, it's easy to be invested.
butwhytho.net
November 11, 2025 at 4:32 PM
It happened: a gacha game finally got me. I went hands-on with Arknights Enfield and fell in love with its characters, its world, and its combat.
While the UI can be overwhelming and the size of it may just be a bit too big, I could fight bosses for hours on end. Oh, and I did.
Read my preview 👇🏽
While the UI can be overwhelming and the size of it may just be a bit too big, I could fight bosses for hours on end. Oh, and I did.
Read my preview 👇🏽
I am learning today that people have extremely strong feelings about Lumines and I'm happy for ya'll.
November 11, 2025 at 5:45 PM
I am learning today that people have extremely strong feelings about Lumines and I'm happy for ya'll.
Reposted by Jordan Cassidy
I’ll be posting my 7th embargoed game review in 4 months tomorrow. That’s so crazy to me. I’m so grateful for the opportunities coming my way. And especially appreciative of those of you on the journey with me. If I got one I would have called it a success. 7 in 4 months? Never imagined that
November 11, 2025 at 3:40 PM
I’ll be posting my 7th embargoed game review in 4 months tomorrow. That’s so crazy to me. I’m so grateful for the opportunities coming my way. And especially appreciative of those of you on the journey with me. If I got one I would have called it a success. 7 in 4 months? Never imagined that
Many things to hate about Microsoft this year. One of the less existential reasons, but still extremely annoying from the perspective of games crit and history, is the way their corporate malfeasance is overshadowing Obsidian's incredible creative achievement as a studio.
November 11, 2025 at 4:14 PM
Many things to hate about Microsoft this year. One of the less existential reasons, but still extremely annoying from the perspective of games crit and history, is the way their corporate malfeasance is overshadowing Obsidian's incredible creative achievement as a studio.