Unwinnable

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Bluesky

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Unwinnable@unwinnable· 8d

Where does Stu even find these cover images? This month's Exploits covers media like the World Cup, Life Is Strange and OBEX. Buy: buff.ly/qEsgZtN Subscribe: buff.ly/XdxYOYQ Read @bensailer.bsky.social on console merch in a world without physical games: buff.ly/AoYqkoU

The cover of the August 2026 issue of Exploits, featuring John Steuart Curry's "Tornado Over Kansas" (1929), art of a farming family and their animals trying to get away from a tornado. Text at the bottom indicates that this issue covers the future lack of physical games, Converge, Cross My Heart Hope You Die, OBEX, the World Cup, and Life Is Strange.

Unwinnable@unwinnable· 19d

The wind is rising. This month's issue of Unwinnable Monthly features @autumn-wright.com on The Wind Rises and terror plus our regulars on topics like Marathon, Alan Wake II and Silent Hill f. Buy: buff.ly/ci350lH Subscribe: buff.ly/2FiTW11

The cover of the July 2026 issue of Unwinnable Monthly, featuring art of a woman dressed in white with a white parasol walking among piles of wrecked planes.

Unwinnable@unwinnable· Jul 1

We've picked culture's bones clean for 100 issues, and we'll do it for 100 more. Celebrate by reading about topics like emo music and videogame adaptations. Buy: buff.ly/Z9X7xG3 Subscribe: buff.ly/xwYqWHJ Read @unwinnabledavid.bsky.social's essay on the ending of The Boys: buff.ly/AiiftQZ

The cover of the July 2026 issue of Exploits, featuring art from 1831 of two vultures picking at a dead deer. Text at the bottom reads "Celebrating one hundred issues of picking apart pop culture"

Unwinnable@unwinnable· Jul 1

We've picked culture's bones clean for 100 issues, and we'll do it for 100 more. Celebrate by reading about topics like emo music and videogame adaptations. Buy and subscribe at the link in bio.

Unwinnable@unwinnable· Jun 23

Don't leave your pies unsupervised during this season of the vulture. Feast your eyes on Unwinnable Monthly Issue 200, featuring @gottsdamn.bsky.social on Okami and our usual cabal of contributors. Buy: buff.ly/jlKvwGN Subscribe: buff.ly/wd5q5n6

The cover for the 200th issue of Unwinnable Monthly, featuring art of a vulture flying above a desert with a psychedelic sun surrounding a pie in the sky. Text at the bottom of the cover reads "Issue Two Hundred."

Unwinnable@unwinnable· Jun 1

No need to sacrifice a child for this issue of Exploits -- just pay a few bucks. This month features topics like videogame novels and the spirit of Resident Evil. Buy: buff.ly/09RZWep Subscribe: buff.ly/2yR4bZQ Read Isabella Irtifa's essay on Octavia's Brood: buff.ly/TWNinvG

The cover of the June 2026 issue of Exploits, featuring art of Moloch from John Singer Sargent's The Triumph of Religion mural from 1895. Text at the bottom indicates that this issue covers Resident Evil, Wild World, Octavia's Brood, Harold & Maude, Lord of the Flies and videogame novels.

Unwinnable@unwinnable· May 21

30 years can put a lot into perspective. In the latest issue of Unwinnable Monthly, read @zweiteturm.bsky.social on Final Fantasy VII post-Fukushima and our regular crew on things not related to Final Fantasy. Buy: unwinnable.bigcartel.com/product/unwi... Subscribe: unwinnable.com/subscribe/

The cover of the May 2026 issue of Unwinnable Monthly, featuring art of a person exploring a barren, concrete structure. Text at the bottom reads "this is not a place of honor."

Unwinnable@unwinnable· May 6

ICYMI: "Once, games like Breath of Fire II helped me to make sense of and manage life events that were too big and confusing for my age." @walshbr.bsky.social reflects on Breath of Fire II, retro gaming, and memory: unwinnable.com/2026/05/05/g...

A screenshot from Breath of Fire II showing Baba, Katt, and Rand fighting a double-headed bear creature with a club.

Unwinnable@unwinnable· May 6

"Once, games like Breath of Fire II helped me to make sense of and manage life events that were too big and confusing for my age." @walshbr.bsky.social reflects on Breath of Fire II, retro gaming, and memory: unwinnable.com/2026/05/05/g...

Unwinnable@unwinnable· May 1

Happy May Day, everyone. We don't have a workers' revolution for you, but we do have the latest issue of Exploits, chock full of micro-criticism. Buy: buff.ly/HAxjI8z Subscribe: buff.ly/EtUub5B Read J. Ryne Danielson's essay on The Oxford English Dictionary: buff.ly/e0bqKct

The cover for the May 2026 issue of Exploits, featuring a painting of the May Queen Procession in Nottingham on May 5th, 1893. In this photo, girls dressed in white carry the May Queen on her throne. Text at the bottom indicates that this issue covers The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives (again), Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice, Tigers Jaw, age restrictions, John Patrick Lowrie, and The Oxford English Dictionary.

Unwinnable@unwinnable· Apr 24

A project nearly a year in the making: This month's theme issue of Unwinnable Monthly covers Final Fantasy and politics. Features from @aguaspoints.bsky.social, @gracemachine.bsky.social, @solfleet.bsky.social and @nukelassic.bsky.social. Buy: buff.ly/AEMj6rD Subscribe: buff.ly/0hFvFne

The cover for the Final Fantasy and politics issue of Unwinnable Monthly, featuring art of Terra from FFVI lifting up a flag with various other Final Fantasy characters in the background. Text at the bottom of the cover reads "Final Fantasy x Politics".

Unwinnable@unwinnable· Apr 1

It's no joke -- the April 2026 issue of Exploits is here, chock full of microcriticism from a variety of voices. Buy: buff.ly/5AFr7mz Subscribe: buff.ly/QxiJSb4 Read Beatrix Kondo's essay on romance novels: buff.ly/11rAfPx

The cover of the April 2026 issue of Exploits, featuring “A Shipwreck in a Storm” by Jean Pillement from 1782, a painting of people clamoring onto a rock in the stormy ocean as a ship sinks in the background. Text at the bottom indicates that this issue covers romance novels, Mitski, Half His Age, American Psycho, Alone, and Minecraft paintings.

Unwinnable@unwinnable· Mar 23

Something's missing in this apocalypse. This month's issue of Unwinnable Monthly features @vehement-ly.bsky.social on STALKER and masculinity, plus our usual crew of misfits. Buy: buff.ly/W8dGNsw Subscribe: buff.ly/OXPSvMc

The cover of the March 2026 issue of Unwinnable Monthly, which features black and white art of a person in a hazmat suit holidng a device while a grizzled monster face watches them over their shoulder. Cyrillic text on the cover spells "STALKER."

Unwinnable@unwinnable· Mar 9

Subscribe here: unwinnable.com/subscribe/ And if you can't swing it, you can also support us by sharing this thread or our writers' writing! PS:

"Fuck the haters & protect writers at all costs" written in a snazzy font

Unwinnable@unwinnable· Mar 2

Bundle up -- it's still cold out there. This month's issue of Exploits includes micro-criticism on everything from Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE to School Spirits. Buy: buff.ly/bwvtaIe Subscribe: buff.ly/1KL2RKg Read Beatrix Kondo's essay on M/M narratives: buff.ly/MpgtkJx

The cover of the March 2026 issue of Exploits, featuring “Winter Coast,” by Winslow Homer, 1890 art portraying a hunter on a snowy beach. Text at the bottom indicates that this issue covers Heated Rivalry, Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE, About a Place in the Kinki Region, Do It, On Becoming a Guinea Fowl, and School Spirits.

Unwinnable@unwinnable· Feb 19

Don't stop be-leading. This month's issue of Unwinnable Monthly features @coledone.com on Suzerain and governance as well as our usual crew of rogues. Buy: unwinnable.bigcartel.com/product/unwi... Subscribe: unwinnable.com/subscribe/

The cover of the February 2026 issue of Unwinnable Monthly, featuring art of a political figure in a suit looking out the window of their office. Text at the bottom of the cover reads "Suzerain".

Unwinnable@unwinnable· Feb 2

Stay in from the snowcrete and get cozy with some micro-criticism. This month's Exploits includes writing on topics like The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives and Materialists. Buy: buff.ly/tbqYoVp Subscribe: buff.ly/tGadYLN Read @kellymerka.bsky.social's essay on puppets: buff.ly/YRqFcGZ

The cover for the February 2026 issue of Exploits, featuring “Winter - Fifth Avenue,” by Alfred Stieglitz from 1892, grayscale art depicting a horse drawn carriage navigating the New York City streets in a heavy snowstorm. Text at the bottom of the cover indicates that this issue covers The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, puppets, Little Big III, Legend Bowl, Chain-Gang All-Stars, and Materialists.

Unwinnable@unwinnable· Jan 21

Rise from the ashes and begin anew. This month's issue of Unwinnable Monthly features @aeneas-nin.bsky.social on Re-Animator, @kellymerka.bsky.social on Phoenix Springs and our regulars on the topics poking their brains. Buy: buff.ly/LRotYmo Subscribe: buff.ly/L0T9hxk

The cover for the January 2026 issue of Unwinnable Monthly, featuring art of a golden gate against a black backdrop.

Unwinnable@unwinnable· Jan 3

Let the lights guide you to a peaceful 2026. The first Exploits of the year includes micro criticism on topics like Andor and Yerin Baek plus our monthly horoscope. Buy: buff.ly/ntaZX8t Subscribe: buff.ly/fMT3UIA Read @lizardrock.bsky.social's essay on character creation: buff.ly/SJHPfOI

The cover of the January 2026 issue of Exploits, featuring Nicholas Roerich's "Moses the Leader," art from 1926 depicting a figure standing in the mountains and directing the aurora in the night sky. Text at the bottom indicates that this issue covers the secret origin of Santa Claus, Yerin Baek, character creation, The Brood, videogame pacifism, and Andor.

Unwinnable@unwinnable· Dec 19

There's nothing more festive than Frankenstein. In this month's Unwinnable Monthly, read @orringrey.com's feature on the creature as well as our regular columnists' latest thoughts. Happy holidays! Buy: unwinnable.bigcartel.com/product/unwi... Subscribe: unwinnable.com/subscribe/

The cover of the December 2025 issue of Unwinnable Monthly, featuring “Old Kris” by N.C. Wyeth, a 1925 oil painting of Santa in a house carrying a big sack of gifts.

Unwinnable@unwinnable· Dec 18

We just cooked up a year-end special: Subscribe to Unwinnable before the end of 2025, and you get access to all of our Monthly and Exploits issues from the whole year. This also applies to monthly subscribers who switch to an annual subscription! unwinnable.com/subscribe/

All the snazzy covers of Unwinnable Monthly from 2025. Text reads: Unwinnable: Good Writing Since 2010.

Unwinnable@unwinnable· Dec 1

The ghost of Exploits present is here, and boy, do we have presents. This issue includes writing on topics like the future of music and House of the Long Shadows. Buy: buff.ly/IBhA57B Subscribe: buff.ly/BrHZcDu Read @saraclemens.com's essay on A Muppet Family Christmas: buff.ly/9DttOrr

The cover of the December 2025 issue of Exploits, featuring “Scrooge and the Ghost of Marley,” by Arthur Rackham, art from 1915 depicting the ghost of Marley visiting Ebenezer Scrooge.

Unwinnable@unwinnable· Nov 21

We're not laughing out loud about this one. This month's issue of Unwinnable Monthly features @jamestocchio.bsky.social on L.O.L and Ryuichi Sakamoto, plus our regular crew on their areas of expertise. Buy: buff.ly/QQmEgNJ Subscribe: buff.ly/OFql2R4

The cover of the November 2025 issue of Unwinnable Monthly, which features art of an evolutionary chain of creatures from the game L.O.L.: Lack of Love. Text at the bottom of the cover indicates that this issue covers L.O.L.

Unwinnable@unwinnable· Nov 3

Don't get caught in the rain. This month's Exploits includes writing on a missing player two, The Casket Lottery, My Good Side, Misery, Andor and Somerville. Buy: buff.ly/hH7iYQ7 Subscribe: buff.ly/ffBGA2W Read @vandennis.bsky.social's essay on Andor: buff.ly/MBxx1Z8

The cover of the November 2025 issue of Exploits, featuring “Les Gendarmes” by Eugène Girardet, an 1884 artwork depicting two French policemen escorting two people in chains in the rain. Text at the bottom incdicates that this issue covers the concept of player two, The Casket Lottery, My Good Side, Misery, Andor and Somerville.

Unwinnable@unwinnable· Oct 21

Find tricks and treats galore in this month's issue of Unwinnable Monthly, including @jhensliterature.bsky.social on myhouse.wad, @orringrey.com on Sepulchre, and our regular crew on all things spooky. Buy: unwinnable.bigcartel.com/product/unwi... Subscribe: unwinnable.com/subscribe/

The cover of the October 2025 issue of Unwinnable Monthly, featuring art of zombies playing the Life board game in a graveyard as three kids play a board game about death in a house in the background.

Unwinnable@unwinnable· Oct 1

If you're cold, they're cold. Let your witch in this October with the newest Exploits, featuring writing on El Vampiro, alt metal, Timeguessr and more. Buy: buff.ly/cfuSfmb Subscribe: buff.ly/4LOpl1Q Read John Goodrich's essay on El Vampiro: buff.ly/3qqIhSX

The cover for the October 2025 issue of Exploits, featuring vintage art of a witch looking into a house where children are apple bobbing. Text at the bottom indicates that this issue covers The Mystery of Mammoth Mansion, Interview with the Vampire, El Vampiro, love, alt metal, and Timeguessr.

Unwinnable@unwinnable· Sep 23

We reached the 100 new subscribers we needed to unlock a Final Fantasy and politics issue for you folks! We'll start production soon with the goal of publishing it in early 2026. Thank you SO much for all of your help with this drive! We couldn't have done it without you.

The Final Fantasy VII title imposed over a screenshot of Midgar, except the meteor is an Unwinnable W

Unwinnable@unwinnable· Sep 23

Also I keep my promises

A black and white tuxedo cat lounges on a couch sitting up with her tummy out

A black and white tuxedo cat snoozes on a fluffy blankie

A black and white tuxedo cat sleeps with her arm over a Gengar squishmallow plushie

Unwinnable@unwinnable· Sep 23

Running to the computer to post this lovingly made meme because holy crap you folks are at NINETY-EIGHT out of the 100 new subscribers to unlock a Final Fantasy/politics issue! Send it home: unwinnable.com/subscribe/

A graphic of the members of the band Europe with Final Fantasy crystals titled "the final countdown"

Unwinnable@unwinnable· Sep 22

Step into a new identity. This month's issue of Unwinnable Monthly features @daytenrose.bsky.social on butterflies in games, @ashlikeadragon.bsky.social on Disco Elysium and the trans experience, and our regulars on the topics on their minds. Buy: buff.ly/7V3prT1 Subscribe: buff.ly/UexEQz3