Bistro Boys opinion desk

Opinion, with the volume up

Essays, retrospectives, and strong feelings about games that deserve a second look.

Regular signals

Rue Bennett on the culture that grows around the games we keep returning to.

Frankie Kim on arcades, public play, and the spaces that make games memorable.

Miles Ortiz on the details that stay with us after the credits roll.

Considered takes on the machines, memories, and habits that make games worth talking about.

Why the best games know when to let you stop, look around, and decide whether you are ready to keep going.

The arcade was never quiet, and that was the point: a case for preserving the noise, the crowd, and the shared attention.