“And in the end, of course, a true war story is never about war. It’s about sunlight. It’s about the special way that dawn spreads out on a river when you know you must cross the river and march into the mountains and do things you are afraid to do. It’s about love and memory. It’s about sorrow. It’s about sisters who never write back and people who never listen.”

-Tim O’Brien, The Things They Carried

I’ve yet to come across a narrative game that features “CHOICES™” that hasn’t been an insult to the intelligence of its players. That said, my bar for these sorts of experiences is very low.

And yet, Purple Haze manages to limbo underneath said bar to perform the exploitation cash grab hat trick: infantile Hollywood Vietnam tropes, wishful thinking armchair squad commandeering, and a barely serviceable choose-your-own adventure framework.

The Back of My Mind Every Time I Play A Wargame

One of the reasons I seek out exceptional or odd wargames is because I am interested in historiography–the how of our historical memory.  I think this is a commonly shared interest among people who play this style of game. But there is always a question at the back of my mind whenever I engage with a game about a “real” conflict: what am I…

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