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twistingsnake's review against another edition
3.0
I love anything that has to do with 1) the way we interact with virtual realities and 2) women and so I thought that this would be a win no matter how it played it out. While many of these didn't personally connect with me due to my inexperience in the world of DND and LARPing the general thesis was beautiful and heartfelt. A universal experience of womanhood is feeling trapped or contained to a vessel that is expected to perform and conform socially. Video games and fantasy role play give a chance for you to choose and practice autonomy away from those expectations/create a persona around them. There's a special relationship that women and queer people have with interactive media that personally touches me and I really enjoyed the general existence of this anthology. The standout piece in this for me was the comic about GLaDOS from Portal as a commentary on womanhood. It alone was five star piece and I would highly recommended it as a nuanced and outstanding feminist essay. 3 stars.
happentobeshort's review against another edition
5.0
I helped to fund this via Kickstarter so I got this in advance. But I also never got around to reading it because I am a poo. There are SO MANY stories/comics in here!! Some are really touching and others are funny and some are just cute memories from childhood. It's such a lovely collection of stories that even a non gamer like myself, was able to find SOMETHING to connect with. I think it would have even more significance with female gamers though. I left my copy in Singapore but I think when I visit in December, I'll get one of my gaming girl-friends to read it.
https://hercommonplaceblog.wordpress.com/
https://hercommonplaceblog.wordpress.com/
speculativebecky's review against another edition
3.0
As a gamer girl myself, I was super excited to read this anthology, but unfortunately I found most of the comics to be too brief and was ultimately underwhelmed. Some of the stronger stories for me focused on the issues of sexism in various gaming communities, calling out problems and noting recent improvements where they exist. A lot of the lighter stories suffer from the old adage that it’s never really that fun to listen to someone else recount in detail the exploits of their D&D campaign :b
meepelous's review against another edition
3.0
A really fast really fun read, it was actually a pretty painful reminder of some of the internalized misogyny that still lingers deep within my heart. Because F it, I'm as geeky and gamery as the next person >.< even if I don't see my games as REAL games.
As far as the art goes, 99% of it was on point although if you aren't already comfortable with some rougher web comic and memoir comic styles you may find some of it a bit hard on the eyes. It also helps that childhood is a bit of a recurring theme, and a lot of the styles do reflect that vibe. The fact that everything was black and white also helped to draw things together, although I might have ordered things a bit differently if it was up to me.
Each story in and of itself is pretty short, but there was a nice mixture of light and deep, personal and abstract. I do feel like this volume pushes us forward more than a little. I'm pretty excited about the even more different kinds of stories that are no doubt waiting for us just beyond the horizon ^^
As far as the art goes, 99% of it was on point although if you aren't already comfortable with some rougher web comic and memoir comic styles you may find some of it a bit hard on the eyes. It also helps that childhood is a bit of a recurring theme, and a lot of the styles do reflect that vibe. The fact that everything was black and white also helped to draw things together, although I might have ordered things a bit differently if it was up to me.
Each story in and of itself is pretty short, but there was a nice mixture of light and deep, personal and abstract. I do feel like this volume pushes us forward more than a little. I'm pretty excited about the even more different kinds of stories that are no doubt waiting for us just beyond the horizon ^^
rrrrj's review against another edition
4.0
"Play is witchcraft. ...What else is magic other than the rituals we use to remind ourselves of our identities? The power to reclaim our lives?" - anna anthropy
Gosh, this was really good. A lot of reviews complain of the focus on tabletop RPGs & LARPing (by my count, 16 of the 36 entries are about tabletop, LARPing or card games while the rest are about video games), but that really appealed to me! I have been looking for good writing about tabletop games and found a real dearth -- I would have been pleased with just the sillier dungeon-crawl comics in here, but the more personal stories about Monsterhearts and Vampire: The Masquerade were real highlights of the anthology for me.
Also, I usually don't take note or comment on the design of a book, but big ups to Hellen Jo (cover artist) and Jasmine Silver (layout), this is a beautiful object. I ordered it for my library but I'm thinking about getting my own copy because it's just nice to look at and hold!
Gosh, this was really good. A lot of reviews complain of the focus on tabletop RPGs & LARPing (by my count, 16 of the 36 entries are about tabletop, LARPing or card games while the rest are about video games), but that really appealed to me! I have been looking for good writing about tabletop games and found a real dearth -- I would have been pleased with just the sillier dungeon-crawl comics in here, but the more personal stories about Monsterhearts and Vampire: The Masquerade were real highlights of the anthology for me.
Also, I usually don't take note or comment on the design of a book, but big ups to Hellen Jo (cover artist) and Jasmine Silver (layout), this is a beautiful object. I ordered it for my library but I'm thinking about getting my own copy because it's just nice to look at and hold!
mooson's review against another edition
3.0
It's a bit of a mix, some the comics are excellent and some are kind of "meh". Sometimes it's also a bit hard to discern when one comic ends and the next one starts. But overall it's still a good collection of stories and I'm very glad I joined the Kickstarter. I have discovered many new artists that I'd like to read more from.
inkdrunkmoth's review against another edition
4.0
-- AN ARC REVIEW --
I am and have been a girl gamer at heart. It's not something I talk about too much, but a big part of who I am is gaming and the fact that those games made me fall in love with stories. Having a chance to read this collection of comics meant a lot. I got to relive a lot of my own experiences and the friends I made in the process. Each comic had it's own unique style and story from other female gamers that warmed the heart or left you sad. No one was left out, this collection even including transwomen, that aren't always included in female stories (like they should be). I really enjoyed the stories, though the formatting didn't always fit kindle and other comics slowed my computer down so much that my adobe reader crashed twice. Hopefully they'll fix it for digital readers because it is worth a read for any female gamer who had faced the whole 'fake gamer girls' who were left out or called names by men, those who wished they fit the games that they loved, those who despite it all loved and thrived with games, those who relied on these games as an escape from the world, these are our stories and their told for the most part really well (there a few stories that didn't always make sense, but not all the writers are native english speakers, so mistakes happen. But their stories deserve to be heard too).
I am and have been a girl gamer at heart. It's not something I talk about too much, but a big part of who I am is gaming and the fact that those games made me fall in love with stories. Having a chance to read this collection of comics meant a lot. I got to relive a lot of my own experiences and the friends I made in the process. Each comic had it's own unique style and story from other female gamers that warmed the heart or left you sad. No one was left out, this collection even including transwomen, that aren't always included in female stories (like they should be). I really enjoyed the stories, though the formatting didn't always fit kindle and other comics slowed my computer down so much that my adobe reader crashed twice. Hopefully they'll fix it for digital readers because it is worth a read for any female gamer who had faced the whole 'fake gamer girls' who were left out or called names by men, those who wished they fit the games that they loved, those who despite it all loved and thrived with games, those who relied on these games as an escape from the world, these are our stories and their told for the most part really well (there a few stories that didn't always make sense, but not all the writers are native english speakers, so mistakes happen. But their stories deserve to be heard too).
silelda's review against another edition
4.0
I first learned about this book when I saw a kickstarter campaign for it. I couldn't afford to help it out, but I was very happy to see it get funded. When I found a copy of this book at my local comic book shop, I had to pick up a copy and I am so very happy I did.
A lot of the stories in this collection are about the trials and tribulations a lot of women go through in the gaming community. One or two of them end there, but the rest show signs of hope and change in their communities. This includes fictional and non-fictional stories about women and LGTBQ gamers finding where they belong, in all the right ways. There is a place for everyone at the gaming table.
Some of the stories were more about how gaming had affected the author individually. From one author who talked about living with severe OCD to another who talked about how defeating gaming monsters helped her stay strong against real ones. Other stories talked about how the authors find themselves and who they want to be in the characters they play as.
This is an incredibly moving anthology that I think all gamers, or those interested in gaming, should read. I identified with more of the stories than I thought I would and I cannot recommend this book enough.
A lot of the stories in this collection are about the trials and tribulations a lot of women go through in the gaming community. One or two of them end there, but the rest show signs of hope and change in their communities. This includes fictional and non-fictional stories about women and LGTBQ gamers finding where they belong, in all the right ways. There is a place for everyone at the gaming table.
Some of the stories were more about how gaming had affected the author individually. From one author who talked about living with severe OCD to another who talked about how defeating gaming monsters helped her stay strong against real ones. Other stories talked about how the authors find themselves and who they want to be in the characters they play as.
This is an incredibly moving anthology that I think all gamers, or those interested in gaming, should read. I identified with more of the stories than I thought I would and I cannot recommend this book enough.
garconniere's review against another edition
4.0
Super happy to have contributed to the kickstarter campaign for this! Great read.
jameseckman's review against another edition
3.0
A very mixed bag of short cartoons written about women and others in gaming. A good read once, especially for those who still can't figure out Gamergate.