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Free to Play: A Video Games Anthology
Literature as a game. Gaming as literature. How are writers and artists interacting with video games, gaming, and notions of play?
Spanning fiction, creative non-fiction, poetry, comics, and multimedia works from an international array of emerging and established voices, Free to Play: A Video Games Anthology is both a love letter to, and a bold exploration of what video games and gaming culture are and can be.
Contents
No Man is an Island – Ellie Black
The Short, Sweet Life of Commander Brian – Gabriela Lee
Side-Scroller – Ken Liu
The Last Bonfire – Myle Yan Tay & Natalie M. E. Tan
All The Times I Was Dragonborn – Nuraliah Norasid
Less Than Three Stars – Jack Xi
All the Skin(s) You Left Behind – Sarah Mak & Nic Chan
Press “Y” to Reboot – Noor Tannir
He Is You, She’s For You – Hana Luisa Binte Yaacob
Dawn of Clarendera – Meihan Boey
memory leak – Zhen
A Seat at Venba’s Table – Varsha Sivaram
God of War – Maya Escobar
Boys and Girls Across Dead Worlds – Alex K. Masse
Don’t Start Without Me – Kenneth Lam
The Writer as Gamer – Alvin Pang
It’s Dangerous to Go Alone – Anthony Falleroni
snake on a train – judith huang
Your Inventory is Filling Up Again – Wen-yi Lee
Shadow Stone – Erica Eng
Fast Travel – Adriana X. Jacobs
Spanning fiction, creative non-fiction, poetry, comics, and multimedia works from an international array of emerging and established voices, Free to Play: A Video Games Anthology is both a love letter to, and a bold exploration of what video games and gaming culture are and can be.
Contents
No Man is an Island – Ellie Black
The Short, Sweet Life of Commander Brian – Gabriela Lee
Side-Scroller – Ken Liu
The Last Bonfire – Myle Yan Tay & Natalie M. E. Tan
All The Times I Was Dragonborn – Nuraliah Norasid
Less Than Three Stars – Jack Xi
All the Skin(s) You Left Behind – Sarah Mak & Nic Chan
Press “Y” to Reboot – Noor Tannir
He Is You, She’s For You – Hana Luisa Binte Yaacob
Dawn of Clarendera – Meihan Boey
memory leak – Zhen
A Seat at Venba’s Table – Varsha Sivaram
God of War – Maya Escobar
Boys and Girls Across Dead Worlds – Alex K. Masse
Don’t Start Without Me – Kenneth Lam
The Writer as Gamer – Alvin Pang
It’s Dangerous to Go Alone – Anthony Falleroni
snake on a train – judith huang
Your Inventory is Filling Up Again – Wen-yi Lee
Shadow Stone – Erica Eng
Fast Travel – Adriana X. Jacobs
224 pages, Paperback
First published May 15, 2026
About the author
Adan Jimenez
33 books29 followersBorn in the San Joaquin Valley in California to Mexican immigrant parents, Adan Jimenez became an immigrant himself when he moved to Singapore after completing his studies at New York University. He has worked for comic book stores, book stores, and gaming stores. And a hoagie sandwich shop once. He loves comics, LEGOs, books, games (analog and video), Doctor Who, sandwiches, and his wife, Felicia. Not necessarily in that order, though.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
September 22, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley and all of the authors who worked on this, for a copy of this book.
Free to Play: A Video Games Anthology is an entertaining collection that captures the creativity, culture, and connections surrounding video games. Very different to anything else I've been reading.
This was fun, I enjoyed the variety of perspectives and stories 🩷 this was a lovely quick read and highly recommend to anyone who needs something not super long to get into.
I love an anthology and this has plenty of things for gamers to appreciate. 4 stars woohoo.
Free to Play: A Video Games Anthology is an entertaining collection that captures the creativity, culture, and connections surrounding video games. Very different to anything else I've been reading.
This was fun, I enjoyed the variety of perspectives and stories 🩷 this was a lovely quick read and highly recommend to anyone who needs something not super long to get into.
I love an anthology and this has plenty of things for gamers to appreciate. 4 stars woohoo.
September 23, 2026
⭐️ ½/5 — Unfortunately, this one was not a rewarding read.
Free to Play created to be having an intriguing premise, but unfortunately, the execution never managed to translate that promise into a compelling reading experience. An anthology built around video games has enormous potential for exploring identity, nostalgia, technology, escapism, competition and the strange emotional worlds that games can create. Yet many of the pieces here feel underdeveloped, uneven and unable to leave any impression.
The biggest disappointment is the lack of thematic cohesion. Instead of feeling like different perspectives contributing to a larger conversation about gaming, the collection often reads like disconnected fragments that struggle to justify their place alongside one another in this collation. The writing rarely achieves the depth or originality needed to transform familiar gaming ideas into something genuinely thought-provoking.
Ultimately, it felt more like a concept searching for a stronger book than a fully realized anthology. I kept waiting for a story or perspective that would truly surprise me, move me, or make me reconsider the medium—but that moment never really arrived. A promising idea, but for me, the collection falls considerably short of its potential.
My NetGalley review
Free to Play created to be having an intriguing premise, but unfortunately, the execution never managed to translate that promise into a compelling reading experience. An anthology built around video games has enormous potential for exploring identity, nostalgia, technology, escapism, competition and the strange emotional worlds that games can create. Yet many of the pieces here feel underdeveloped, uneven and unable to leave any impression.
The biggest disappointment is the lack of thematic cohesion. Instead of feeling like different perspectives contributing to a larger conversation about gaming, the collection often reads like disconnected fragments that struggle to justify their place alongside one another in this collation. The writing rarely achieves the depth or originality needed to transform familiar gaming ideas into something genuinely thought-provoking.
Ultimately, it felt more like a concept searching for a stronger book than a fully realized anthology. I kept waiting for a story or perspective that would truly surprise me, move me, or make me reconsider the medium—but that moment never really arrived. A promising idea, but for me, the collection falls considerably short of its potential.
My NetGalley review
October 9, 2026
there was a very strange dual effect to reading this book for me. I don’t game, so I found this especially interesting, but so too did I find it rather confusing at times. I found that I was most touched by the clear love every contributor held for video games, be it in the words they wrote or the form they chose. Alvin Pang and Wen-yi Lee’s decision to play with the choose-your-own-adventure format for their work was particularly lovely, in my opinion; I loved how Pang’s essay spun off into a series of open endings and how all roads led to home in Lee’s short story.
I also really enjoyed the multilingual nature of this collection, something I find is much more common in literature from this region. about half the contributors were Singaporean, and both the editors and the publisher are based in Singapore, so to me this is effectively Singlit, despite the non-Singaporean contributors. the government seems to agree with me, because I noticed a huge Culture Pass sticker on copies of this novel in the bookstore the other day. anyway, the fact that there were no footnotes or in-text explanations provided for most of the non-English words was extremely satisfying to me after reading a spate of Chinese-inspired fantasy novels that caters exclusively to non-Chinese-speaking readers.
and now onto the part I didn’t enjoy. I was rather disturbed by the way Ken Liu describes physical disability in his essay, especially since he was talking about Mats Steen, a real person, not even a fictional character. Liu states that Steen was “locked inside his disabled body”—or that his family apparently believed him to be, anyway—and that he “escaped into” a game, “freed of the constraints of his physical body” (this part cannot be likewise attributed to Steen’s family). this strikes me as an incredibly appalling comment to make about someone else’s body, and I’m not sure how Liu thought it was appropriate, or how none of the four editors flagged this. I can only hope that this was taken out of the final copy, because it is deeply ironic that Liu’s essay is closely followed by Jack Xi’s, which discusses the lack of accessibility for wheelchair users in both the physical world (with a focus on Singapore) and in the Pokémon games and universe.
I received an eARC from Difference Engine via Netgalley.
I also really enjoyed the multilingual nature of this collection, something I find is much more common in literature from this region. about half the contributors were Singaporean, and both the editors and the publisher are based in Singapore, so to me this is effectively Singlit, despite the non-Singaporean contributors. the government seems to agree with me, because I noticed a huge Culture Pass sticker on copies of this novel in the bookstore the other day. anyway, the fact that there were no footnotes or in-text explanations provided for most of the non-English words was extremely satisfying to me after reading a spate of Chinese-inspired fantasy novels that caters exclusively to non-Chinese-speaking readers.
and now onto the part I didn’t enjoy. I was rather disturbed by the way Ken Liu describes physical disability in his essay, especially since he was talking about Mats Steen, a real person, not even a fictional character. Liu states that Steen was “locked inside his disabled body”—or that his family apparently believed him to be, anyway—and that he “escaped into” a game, “freed of the constraints of his physical body” (this part cannot be likewise attributed to Steen’s family). this strikes me as an incredibly appalling comment to make about someone else’s body, and I’m not sure how Liu thought it was appropriate, or how none of the four editors flagged this. I can only hope that this was taken out of the final copy, because it is deeply ironic that Liu’s essay is closely followed by Jack Xi’s, which discusses the lack of accessibility for wheelchair users in both the physical world (with a focus on Singapore) and in the Pokémon games and universe.
I received an eARC from Difference Engine via Netgalley.
July 10, 2026
Free to Play - 4⭐️
A very nostalgic read of games that we grew up playing / still playing that’s packed under 220ish pages
I loved how this book segmented into various games unlocked some core memories for me 🥹
Great visuals and greater stories all packed in games ❤️
Also I didn’t know there’s also a story from Ken Liu featured in this as well 👾👾👾
A very nostalgic read of games that we grew up playing / still playing that’s packed under 220ish pages
I loved how this book segmented into various games unlocked some core memories for me 🥹
Great visuals and greater stories all packed in games ❤️
Also I didn’t know there’s also a story from Ken Liu featured in this as well 👾👾👾
September 29, 2026
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for access to an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Disclaimer: I wouldn’t call myself a stereotypical gamer. I have always played video games throughout my whole life but have never leaned into popular games that it seems like everyone else has played. I played old PC games in the 90s, PS2 and Wii games in the 00s, The Sims 2/3/4 in the 10s and now I play pretty much exclusively cozy games on my gaming laptop. Therefore, I can’t relate to a lot of the conversations surrounding popular games that people played growing up. I find their perspectives and experiences interesting, but the relatability is low for me.
How do video games shape us? How do they fit into our lives? Whether they gave us purpose during the pandemic, help us cope with our illnesses, let us create an avatar that truly represents what’s in our hearts, or help us develop a community of online friends – video games are more than just pixels on a screen. While all of the subjects mentioned above are present in this anthology, it was not exactly what I expected. I expected there to be more comics included as I picked this out under the Comics & Graphic Novels tag on NetGalley. I really enjoyed the few comics peppered in. I especially enjoyed the story of the knight who was abandoned by the player – that was the type of story I was expecting the most in this anthology. I did also enjoy the interactive element in one of the stories and was hoping for more of that as well. Although the essays, poems and short stories were interesting – they weren’t quite my cup of tea. I did particularly like the story about “Venba” as that is a game that I played and thought it had a lot of potential as a game that could be dug into for deeper meanings. I really liked hearing from the creator of that game as well.
Overall, I thought this was an interesting dive into video games and what they mean to different people. It isn’t exactly what I thought it would be, but I did find some parts really intriguing. I would recommend this to someone who has played video games their whole life and knows a lot more about them than I do. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend this to any noobs or people who want to learn more about video games but don’t have much prior knowledge.
Disclaimer: I wouldn’t call myself a stereotypical gamer. I have always played video games throughout my whole life but have never leaned into popular games that it seems like everyone else has played. I played old PC games in the 90s, PS2 and Wii games in the 00s, The Sims 2/3/4 in the 10s and now I play pretty much exclusively cozy games on my gaming laptop. Therefore, I can’t relate to a lot of the conversations surrounding popular games that people played growing up. I find their perspectives and experiences interesting, but the relatability is low for me.
How do video games shape us? How do they fit into our lives? Whether they gave us purpose during the pandemic, help us cope with our illnesses, let us create an avatar that truly represents what’s in our hearts, or help us develop a community of online friends – video games are more than just pixels on a screen. While all of the subjects mentioned above are present in this anthology, it was not exactly what I expected. I expected there to be more comics included as I picked this out under the Comics & Graphic Novels tag on NetGalley. I really enjoyed the few comics peppered in. I especially enjoyed the story of the knight who was abandoned by the player – that was the type of story I was expecting the most in this anthology. I did also enjoy the interactive element in one of the stories and was hoping for more of that as well. Although the essays, poems and short stories were interesting – they weren’t quite my cup of tea. I did particularly like the story about “Venba” as that is a game that I played and thought it had a lot of potential as a game that could be dug into for deeper meanings. I really liked hearing from the creator of that game as well.
Overall, I thought this was an interesting dive into video games and what they mean to different people. It isn’t exactly what I thought it would be, but I did find some parts really intriguing. I would recommend this to someone who has played video games their whole life and knows a lot more about them than I do. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend this to any noobs or people who want to learn more about video games but don’t have much prior knowledge.
June 7, 2026
"Our world has more to offer when we are not shackled to the roles we are born to play."
🎮 Free to Play: A Video Games Anthology is a collection of short stories, essays, poems, and comics that explores gaming and the impact it has on our lives. Through diverse creators and perspectives, the anthology explores themes such as memory, identity, friendship, grief, community, and the connections we build through games. 🎮✨
Never have I ever read something that makes it so interactive, gives me nostalgic vibes and gives an explosion to my brain, how something we grew up playing and some of them still playing plays a big part in our lives for reasons. We all grew up playing games, be it on computers, board games, online, consoles, and so much more. When we were kids, we played these games for fun with our friends, pausing our studies to de-stress; as adults, we play them with our friends, sometimes by ourselves, to escape the stress of work and life. Still the same, but just at a different level
Reading Free to Play gives me nostalgic vibes from the games I played, and each writer's story offers their own perspective on what brings them joy, the hurdles they faced in life, and the memories they cling to when playing certain games. It’s a mixture of comics, poems, essays and interactive media that gets you engaged and wanting more.
What a phenomenal job by all the contributors of Free to Play: A Video Games Anthology. Thank you for reminding us of the joy of games; no matter how old we are or where we are, we seek them out because they bring us a little joy and a sense of connection.
Thank you, Difference Engine SG, for sending me this copy. Everyone, get your copy now!!
🎮 Free to Play: A Video Games Anthology is a collection of short stories, essays, poems, and comics that explores gaming and the impact it has on our lives. Through diverse creators and perspectives, the anthology explores themes such as memory, identity, friendship, grief, community, and the connections we build through games. 🎮✨
Never have I ever read something that makes it so interactive, gives me nostalgic vibes and gives an explosion to my brain, how something we grew up playing and some of them still playing plays a big part in our lives for reasons. We all grew up playing games, be it on computers, board games, online, consoles, and so much more. When we were kids, we played these games for fun with our friends, pausing our studies to de-stress; as adults, we play them with our friends, sometimes by ourselves, to escape the stress of work and life. Still the same, but just at a different level
Reading Free to Play gives me nostalgic vibes from the games I played, and each writer's story offers their own perspective on what brings them joy, the hurdles they faced in life, and the memories they cling to when playing certain games. It’s a mixture of comics, poems, essays and interactive media that gets you engaged and wanting more.
What a phenomenal job by all the contributors of Free to Play: A Video Games Anthology. Thank you for reminding us of the joy of games; no matter how old we are or where we are, we seek them out because they bring us a little joy and a sense of connection.
Thank you, Difference Engine SG, for sending me this copy. Everyone, get your copy now!!
June 10, 2026
I was asked a few times so saying this right on top: you can order directly from the Difference Engine website!
Any anthology is a mixed bag but I found myself enjoying everything here, most especially the nonfiction pieces. They were the perfect balance between personal (almost confessional) essays and scholarly analysis—of video games! Gameplay, world-building, dialogue, yes, but beyond that, the fandom ecosystems that grew organically inside and outside the games, and perhaps more significantly, how the process of playing a game shaped the writer during their formative years, particularly if they were different.
Why do we feel so strongly about some games but not others? To rework the question, what is it about games that capture us? Keyword is capture; I don't know about you but I can easily lose weeks playing a game. I find endlessly interesting the idea that the unknowable self can be made a little less unknowable through playing a game, which suggests that games at their core are small mirrors that reveal what is usually hidden and untested (and unhealed?) within the player, what choices make up our person.
Needless to say, this anthology is very, very nostalgic (for anyone above the age of 25, probably). I was mad about Maplestory back when I should have focused on exams and until now I still remember grinding for days to reach Bishop class and the thrill of clearing an entire map with Genesis + Big Bang. I remember restarting the old blocky PC when the game wouldn't boot up after installing a new patch, and toggling between the game and MSN to voice call during a party quest. None of that time spent was a waste.
Thank you Difference Engine for the copy! All opinions are my own. 👾🎮🍁
Any anthology is a mixed bag but I found myself enjoying everything here, most especially the nonfiction pieces. They were the perfect balance between personal (almost confessional) essays and scholarly analysis—of video games! Gameplay, world-building, dialogue, yes, but beyond that, the fandom ecosystems that grew organically inside and outside the games, and perhaps more significantly, how the process of playing a game shaped the writer during their formative years, particularly if they were different.
Why do we feel so strongly about some games but not others? To rework the question, what is it about games that capture us? Keyword is capture; I don't know about you but I can easily lose weeks playing a game. I find endlessly interesting the idea that the unknowable self can be made a little less unknowable through playing a game, which suggests that games at their core are small mirrors that reveal what is usually hidden and untested (and unhealed?) within the player, what choices make up our person.
Needless to say, this anthology is very, very nostalgic (for anyone above the age of 25, probably). I was mad about Maplestory back when I should have focused on exams and until now I still remember grinding for days to reach Bishop class and the thrill of clearing an entire map with Genesis + Big Bang. I remember restarting the old blocky PC when the game wouldn't boot up after installing a new patch, and toggling between the game and MSN to voice call during a party quest. None of that time spent was a waste.
Thank you Difference Engine for the copy! All opinions are my own. 👾🎮🍁
September 27, 2026
Free to Play: A Video Games Anthology
By Multiple Authors
Pub Date: 6th October 2026
✨3/5 Stars
Vibes Check:
👾 Gamer
📺 Nostalgic
📖 Quick Read
Anthology
I didn’t know what I was going into with this book, so I didn’t know what to expect! It turns out to be a really unique mix of formats as you flip through, you will find comic-like stories with some great storytelling, alongside poems, fiction, and non-fiction stories sprinkled throughout the pages.
Because the topics are so broad, my experience with the chapters was a bit of a mixed bag. Although I liked some of the parts, others just weren’t for me, mainly because I have no association with the specific game they were centered on.
That said, I did really find the games that I had played myself to be quite a fun read! Exploring the pieces centered on familiar titles felt like a great trip down memory lane, and I really liked some of the art featured in the comic segments.
While not every piece hit the mark for me, I believe that anyone could find something they enjoyed from this book. It is a good book to pick up if you want an easy, quick read and find video games enjoyable. You do not need to be a hardcore gamer to appreciate it just someone looking for a light, gaming-themed collection.
Special thanks to NetGalley, Difference Engine & the multitude of authors who worked on this for the ARC. Also reviewed on Goodreads, StoryGraph & Fable.
Disclaimer: My rating reflects the pure vibes and magic I felt while reading!
By Multiple Authors
Pub Date: 6th October 2026
✨3/5 Stars
Vibes Check:
👾 Gamer
📺 Nostalgic
📖 Quick Read
Anthology
I didn’t know what I was going into with this book, so I didn’t know what to expect! It turns out to be a really unique mix of formats as you flip through, you will find comic-like stories with some great storytelling, alongside poems, fiction, and non-fiction stories sprinkled throughout the pages.
Because the topics are so broad, my experience with the chapters was a bit of a mixed bag. Although I liked some of the parts, others just weren’t for me, mainly because I have no association with the specific game they were centered on.
That said, I did really find the games that I had played myself to be quite a fun read! Exploring the pieces centered on familiar titles felt like a great trip down memory lane, and I really liked some of the art featured in the comic segments.
While not every piece hit the mark for me, I believe that anyone could find something they enjoyed from this book. It is a good book to pick up if you want an easy, quick read and find video games enjoyable. You do not need to be a hardcore gamer to appreciate it just someone looking for a light, gaming-themed collection.
Special thanks to NetGalley, Difference Engine & the multitude of authors who worked on this for the ARC. Also reviewed on Goodreads, StoryGraph & Fable.
Disclaimer: My rating reflects the pure vibes and magic I felt while reading!
October 2, 2026
★★★★☆
Press start on a cool journey through pixels, controllers, and the weird deep feelings we attach to virtual worlds.
Free to Play: A Video Games Anthology is a solid collection for anyone who has ever stared down a loading screen and felt at home. Pulling together creators from sixteen different countries, the book mixes short stories, comics, poems, and multimedia art in a way that captures what gaming actually feels like. Whether it is dealing with the comfort of island life during lockdowns, raging out over a brutal boss fight, or mixing South Asian culture and cooking with digital memories, there is enough variety here that every gamer will find a piece to connect with.
Hands down, my favorite piece is Dawn of Clarandera by Meihan Boey. It is a funny, spot-on parody of MMORPG grinding, microtransactions, and completionist culture that had me laughing.
Press start on a cool journey through pixels, controllers, and the weird deep feelings we attach to virtual worlds.
Free to Play: A Video Games Anthology is a solid collection for anyone who has ever stared down a loading screen and felt at home. Pulling together creators from sixteen different countries, the book mixes short stories, comics, poems, and multimedia art in a way that captures what gaming actually feels like. Whether it is dealing with the comfort of island life during lockdowns, raging out over a brutal boss fight, or mixing South Asian culture and cooking with digital memories, there is enough variety here that every gamer will find a piece to connect with.
Hands down, my favorite piece is Dawn of Clarandera by Meihan Boey. It is a funny, spot-on parody of MMORPG grinding, microtransactions, and completionist culture that had me laughing.
September 25, 2026
3.5 rounded up to 4
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