The Video Game Library Newsletter - Vol. #007
Over a dozen new book reveals, a journey through Oddworld, a sprinkle of History, and an interview with one of my favourite voices in GameStudies!
Welcome back to The Video Game Library Newsletter!
May is showing no signs of slowing down when it comes to video game literature. And while this week may not rival last week’s avalanche of news, it still brings a fresh wave of exciting announcements and crowdfunding projects worth celebrating.
We’ll take a nostalgic detour through Oddworld with one of my favorite art books, spotlight an emerging sub-genre at the intersection of gaming and history in this week’s “From the Archive,” and close things out with a thoughtful, inspiring interview with Dr. Rachel Kowert - one you won’t want to miss.
So grab a coffee, settle in, and let’s dive into another packed edition!
📰 News & Highlights
May continues to be one of the busiest months in Video Game literature history, and while not quite as packed as last week, there’s still a ton of amazing book news to cover.
Let’s dive into everything you need to know!
If you’ve been following these Newsletters, then Lost In Cult will be a familiar name for you. Their latest announcements came this week, with Animal Well: Design Works - the 8th book in this lineup. And oh boy does it look purdy!
But they didn’t stop there! In partnership with Harper Collins UK, Lost In Cult also announced Joysticks To Haptics, the 3rd coffee table book in the series, following up A Handheld History and The Console Chronicles.
Another great announcement came from publisher Dark Horse Books in the form of The Art of Marvel Rivals. We’ve guessed this was coming, but it’s great to see it get a September release!
Dark Horse also hit comic shelves this week with a double-whammy on Wednesday. First with Assassin's Creed Mirage: A Soar of Eagles #2 and then with Borderlands: Moxxi’s Mysterious Momento #4.
The instructional “For Dummies” series has been pumping out books for more than 30 years, and while they’ve had many Video Game related releases, they’ve finally published a broad-stroke game design one. Video Game Design For Dummies hit store shelves this week!
Another release this week was the long-anticipated GAMEBOOK Advance: The Unofficial AGB Companion. This finishes Paul Murphy’s handheld trilogy, following up on GAMEBOOK: The Unofficial DMG Companion and GAMEBOOK Color: The Unofficial GBC Companion.
The physical edition of Vengeance Hunters just went live this past week on Kickstarter, and promises a reprint of the 80-page art book we saw in the previous MVS bundle featuring the game's original sketches, designs, and illustrations, with high-quality printing and finishing.
And speaking of bundled art books, Spirit of the North Signature Edition released this week, with a signed Art Booklet contained within. Both this one and the above will be added to the site as soon as I can get my hands on a decent cover.
The Official Five Nights at Freddy's Stickerpedia released this past week from Scholastic, and if I was back in grade school, I could totally see myself begging my parents for a Book Club money order on this one.
Minecraft also saw a few releases this week. First, Minecraft Ironsword Academy: Running Hot and Cold! hit store shelves. This is the 3rd entry in the ongoing Ironsword Academy series, and if it’s anything like the previous Stonesword Saga or Woodsword Chronicles, we can likely expect another 3 to be coming.
The second Minecraft release was actually the Spanish localization of Survival Challenges - titled “Minecraft Oficial: Retos de Supervivencia”. This franchise continues to be a global juggernaut, with books being released in every language.
And like every week in Spanish news (thanks to RBA Editores) their 68th hardcover entry in the Videojuegos Legendarios series hit shelves in the form of Gears of War: La Acción Más Visceral y Táctica.
Moving over to France, Mana Books has announced Assassin’s Creed: Forgotten Temple - Vol. 4, which will be hitting store shelves on July 3rd. Was expecting Kenway’s treasure hunt to continue, but still nice to see it made official.
Also in France, prominent gaming magazine publisher, JV, has just announced that they’ll be crowdfunding the official reprint of Génération Jeu Vidéo: Années 80. Head on over if that’s something you’re wanting to support!
Did I miss something cool? Want to see this laid out differently?
Drop it in the comments or swing by our Discord to share it with the community. Let’s keep this celebration of game-inspired books going strong!
📚 Behind the Shelves
Every week, I take you behind the scenes of The Video Game Library. From surprising discoveries to cataloging challenges, there’s always something new as we dig deeper into this ever-expanding archive of game-related literature.
One thing I’ve been especially proud of throughout this project is our continued commitment to global representation. While it might sometimes look like things are moving slowly, much of our effort goes into complimenting existing entries with multilingual data. It’s a time-consuming process, but rewarding when it comes together. This week’s highlight? The Watch Dogs Tokyo manga series, which we’ve now linked across English, French, Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese editions.
Our Discord server has been lighting up this week with some fun community contributions, so much of our efforts in the past few days have been catching up on those. Shoutout to Skyevlyn and Tabmok99, whose recommendations led to over 20 new books being catalogued. Just a few standouts from their lists include...
I also took some time to revisit the world of Minecraft—a franchise that’s been the subject of more books than any other on the site. It’s a juggernaut, and to do it justice, I’m taking it slow and steady.
And of course, a big thanks goes out to Geneviève, who once again helped add several new Pokémon titles to the collection. It just wouldn’t be a proper week without at least a few more Pikachu sightings.
This, as usual, is only a small sample of what we catalogued this week, so take a peek at the site to see everything! And while you’re at it, drop your thoughts in the comments below. Your feedback helps shape how we deliver these looks behind the curtain.
💡 Recommended Read of the Week
The Art of Oddworld Inhabitants: The First Ten Years
Daniel P. Wade, Cathy Johnson
Without a doubt, The Art of Oddworld is easily one of my favourites in the library. By nature, these 'behind-the-scenes' companions often provide a newfound appreciation to their video game counterparts, but few execute as well as this one does. Covering 4 games across the first decade of Oddworld - Abe's Oddysee, Abe's Exodus, Munch's Oddysee and Stranger's Wrath - you'll walk away a true expert of the award-winning franchise.
The early chapters cover the inspiration and conceptualization, both of which were heavily led by series mainstays Sherry McKenna and Lorne Lanning. The hardships and dangers endured by the diamond-miners in South Africa. The elusion of extinction by the most desperate of creatures. The loss of culture and way-of-life amidst onslaughts of industry. Some pretty deep (and dark) realities we face in our own world, have translated to the cartoonish, albeit heartfelt, representations we know and love from the franchise. This immediately had me hooked.
Next up, is a presentation of its scale. Oddworld is huge. We've come to know the staple locales like Rupture Farms, Magog Motors and SoulStorm Brewery, but you'll quickly realize that the entire planet has been fleshed out with a rich lore, only a fraction of which has even been mentioned in the games. And further behind the scenes tidbits offer insight into some of these ideas that never quite came to fruition. Bet you didn't know that an Oddworld RTS game (Hand of Odd) was on the docket, but sadly, never released. How about that designs of the character hands and some in-game popsicles all had to be redone because of the cultural believes of Japan.
Couple all of this with the usual concept art, storyboard designs, and character bios that are a given with these types of books, and you've got yourself a pretty incredible centerpiece for your coffee table.
Keeping in mind that I'm a big fan of the games, so bias is playing its role in my review, if you've had any enjoyment with the franchise over the years, I highly recommend this one.
You can find details about The Art of Oddworld Inhabitants: The First Ten Years 1994-2004 here
💾 From the Archives
Each week, I’ll dive deep into the shelves of The Video Game Library to spotlight a hidden gem or forgotten series — with the hope of surprising you with something new, unexpected, or long overlooked. This week, I wanted to share…
…an emerging sub-genre in the intersect of Video Games and Education.
Video games aren’t just about high scores and fast reflexes anymore. They’re becoming powerful tools for exploring the past. From ancient Rome and medieval Europe to the Haitian Revolution and Indigenous resistance, the sub-genre of world history in video games is rapidly gaining traction. And now, a growing number of books are diving into how games don’t just represent history, they teach it, challenge it, and reshape how we remember it.
Titles like Classical Antiquity in Video Games and Ancient Greece and Rome in Video Games explore how developers have turned the ancient world into playable experiences. Games like Assassin’s Creed Odyssey let players walk through recreated cities and meet historical figures, while scholars analyze how those worlds are built and what narratives they promote.
The Middle Ages, too, are a popular digital playground. Books like Digital Gaming Re-imagines the Middle Ages, Playing the Crusades, and The Middle Ages in Computer Games highlight how titles like Crusader Kings, Mount & Blade, and Kingdom Come: Deliverance portray medieval politics, warfare, and religion. These works question not just what games include, but also what they leave out, and why.
Meanwhile, other scholars are shining light on overlooked histories. Indigenomicon and Slave Revolt on Screen examine how games handle Indigenous peoples and colonial legacies, from resistance to misrepresentation. In Red Dead’s History, historian Tore Olsson uses Red Dead Redemption to discuss race, capitalism, and violence in the American West.
Even educators are joining the conversation. Assassin’s Creed in the Classroom and Bringing History to Life show how teachers are using games to spark curiosity and teach historical thinking, blending entertainment with education.
This emerging field reflects a simple truth: games shape how we understand the past. Whether through accuracy, atmosphere, or pure imagination, video games are becoming an interactive way to learn history, and the books above are a great starting point for exploring how.
For those passionate about gaming, learning, or both, this sub-genre is worth watching. Because sometimes, the best way to understand history… is to play it.
You can find more about this sub-genre catalogued over in The Video Game Library.
✨ Community Interview
Dr. Rachel Kowert is one of the most influential voices at the intersection of psychology, gaming, and digital culture. With over 100 publications, a growing book series, and her work on projects like The Video Game Debate and Gaming and Extremism, she’s helping reshape how we think (and talk) about games.
In this week’s Community Interview, I had the opportunity to chat with her about her journey, her passion for public scholarship, and the power of games to both inspire and inform.
Enjoy!
Let me first start by saying that I've been a really big fan of what you do, and how you deliver it. Could you tell our readers a bit about who Dr. Rachel Kowert is and what drives your work at the intersection of psychology, games, and digital culture?
I am a research psychologist who has been studying the uses and effects of games for 15 years. I am the founder of Psychgeist, which is a multimedia content production studio for the science of games and pop culture, that aims to translate academic knowledge into bite size, digestible pieces for general audiences.
Some of these studies have now been chronicled in your writings, covering everything from mental health and gaming to the influence of pop culture, what originally inspired you to begin writing about video games in such a focused and scholarly way?
My very first book, The Video Game Debate, was really inspired by wanting to create the book I wish I had in grad school. Rather than reading 100 articles on video games and violence and 100 articles on the social impact of games, just let me read a TL;DR that collates all that knowledge from someone who specializes in that field.
You mention The Video Game Debate series. That and Video Games & Well-Being have become essential reads for understanding game effects, how do you balance accessibility with academic depth in your writing?
It is certainly a balance I have learned over time! I would say that the Debate Series and Video Games and Well Being still lean pretty heavily into the academic writing style, as I started with the Psychgeist of Pop Culture series, I started to explore new ways of communicating that maintain that academic foundation but are readable by non-academic audiences.
It’s been great to see that Psychgeist of Pop Culture series really growing! How did that project come about, and how do you manage such an ambitious editorial vision?
This series started when I was in the thick of my extremism work and I needed an outlet that used my skill set and knowledge in a way that was bringing light and joy to the world (you can only look at the dark corners of the world for so long before you start questioning all your life choices). I wanted to create a series of book celebrating fandoms and bringing light to all of the reasons why we love the fandoms that we love. I have always had an interest in psychology, and want to learn more about why people are the way they are, and why we are the way we are... and figured I couldn't be the only one who was interested in that.
I also wanted to create a series that would help scaffold new authors and new editors. There is nothing more wonderful than creating a book with your name on the cover about something you are really passionate about; however, I know how hard it can be to get that "break" for a publishing house or editor to take a chance on you. I wanted to pay forward all of the opportunities I had been given and be the bridge to help scaffold new editors to their first publication.
It is important to recognize that this series would not have been possible without the continuous support of my editors at Play Story Press, Brad and Drew. They have been very supportive of my work and my vision for this series from the start.
Also, it is funny you ask about my ambitious plans - I can't say I was feeling super ambitious when I started it, but clearly I was being ambitious because today we have more than 20 books in the pipeline for publication (with 7 of them published already!).
Let’s chat a little about that extremism work you mentioned. You recently co-edited Gaming and Extremism: The Radicalization of Digital Playgrounds. What drew you to such a timely and potentially polarizing topic, and what do you hope readers take away from it?
This project is such an important one. I was originally drawn to this work because I was seeing reports that gamers were exposed to high levels of hate, harassment, and extremist ideology in gaming spaces. As a lifelong gamer, I was deeply disturbed by the idea that as many as 1 in 4 game players were being exposed to extremist ideologies while playing online. It was around 2019/2020 that I began my work in this space, and the Gaming and Extremism book is the outcome of those years of work by myself, and my colleagues in this space. Similar to The Video Game Debate, its a TL;DR on what we know about the various ways extremist ideology is seeping into our digital playgrounds (propaganda, radicalisation, normalization of extremism) from the various experts in the field. What I hope people take away from this book is an understanding that these fears are not exaggerated, they are real challenges, but there are also a whole lot of people out there working hard to address them.
So with your works around mental health, extremism, and even toxicity in online spaces which topics do you find the hardest to write about?
The extremism work was certainly the hardest, because you are spending every day looking at the worst of the worst in the world. That said, it is important work, which is why I started doing it in the first place.
You’ve published with major presses like Routledge and Springer. How do those publishing experiences compare to producing content through Psychgeist or working with Play Story Press?
Publishing with an academic press is so very different than publishing with a press that is more general audience facing. It is hard to pinpoint it down to one reason or another, it is really just the whole process is very different. This might also be because I am heading my own series at Play Story Press and so I have a lot more say in the production pipeline.
As someone deeply engaged in community education and outreach, whether through your Psychgeist YouTube channel, podcast, or lectures, how do you see your books fitting into that larger ecosystem of public scholarship?
I see my YouTube channel for gamers, parents, and those interested in studying games as a career. I see my Newsletter and Podcast as a more industry focused outlet.
I see my books as a way to nerd out with everyone. While all of these are certainly tailored more into public scholarship (written in an accessible way, presented jargon free when at all possible), each of these outputs seem to cater to slightly different audiences.
GameStudies as a field has grown significantly, but still feels underrepresented in mainstream literature and academic institutions. What’s your perspective on the current state of GameStudies, and what do you think is still missing from how we talk about games in research and publishing?
Game studies have grown so much. I think we are still missing a wealth of public scholarship. We continue to see moral panic headlines and misconceptions about games and gaming despite the fact the gaming industry has grown and game studies have grown. I'd like to see greater integration of game studies scholars' in the industry as well - they are a largely untapped resource for public communication, research, and product and policy development.
Well you’re certainly doing your part, with over 100 publications and multiple books under your belt. What advice would you give to someone looking to write seriously about the psychology of games?
Just do it! There are so many resources out there now - start a Substack, write a guest piece on someone else's Substack, post a YouTube video, write an op-ed. Find a more established scholar and see if they are looking for a summer intern or research assistant on their project. Especially if you are looking to get into the more academic spaces, there is really an art and a science to academic writing and having a more senior scholar to support you will be a great way to learn how to break into that space.
Inspiring words! So where can readers follow your amazing work, and what exciting projects (books or otherwise) are coming up next for you?
You can learn more about me and my work on my website, www.rkowert.com. You can find links to my newsletter and podcast and Psychgeist of Pop Culture books there (And find the free PDFS of the books!). The best place to stay up to date on all I'm doing (and take a peek under the curtain of game studies) would be my YouTube Channel Psychgeist.
There are lots of things on the horizon, several new Psychgeist of Pop Culture books will be coming out this year (Dragon Age, Warhammer, and The Last of Us to name a few!) as well as a lots of new content on the Psychgeist YouTube!
Amazing! Thanks for your time, Rachel!
🙏 And THANK YOU for Reading
That’s a wrap for this week’s deep dive into all things video game literature. I hope you discovered something new, surprising, or just plain fun.
As always, your feedback helps shape this project—so don’t be shy! Drop a comment below, join the conversation on Discord, or just reply to this newsletter and share your thoughts.
And if you’re enjoying these weekly roundups, please consider supporting The Video Game Library with a paid subscription or forwarding this to a fellow fan. Every little bit helps us keep preserving and celebrating these incredible works—and the passionate people behind them.
Until next week — happy reading,
Dean (Founder, The Video Game Library)