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A Profound Waste of Time
184 pages, Paperback
First published June 27, 2018
17 people are currently reading
111 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
December 5, 2025
This is what in Japan would probably be classified as a "mook" (part magazine, part book, all cop). It covers a range of mostly indie games, mostly of the 2010s (when it was published), from a variety of interesting perspectives. There's also an article about the history of Sega Technical Institute, which was a major highlight for me.
The writing is generally of a higher quality than what I saw in the first couple volumes of Lock-On, which is the most similar publication I know of, although I suspect Lock-On has improved in that regard as it's gained renown. Most of the articles in APWOT are written by games industry professionals, so there's a baseline competency and maturity that shows through. However, the copyediting could've stood another pass.
The layouts and artwork err on the side of subdued minimalism in a way I find pleasing and classy (though I'm also game for some vulgar maximalism any day), but I wouldn't recommend this to someone on its merits as an art book the way I might Lock-On. The artwork in APWOT accents the articles in a magazine-like way, but isn't that much of a draw unto itself, save for the fantastic covers.
There are some moments of interesting experimentation bordering on pretention herein, such as the in-bound mini booklet about Shovel Knight. At first I thought this was a supplemental item, but it's literally a tiny book bound within the rest of the book, creating a weird negative space when you look at the book from the top or bottom. But after actually reading the booklet, it kinda felt right.
My biggest gripe with this series is that the paper stock it's printed on feels kind of cheap, especially in the case of the covers (for the standard version), but I believe this was partially an eco-conscious decision and partly a way to keep the cost down, both of which I appreciate. On the other hand, I believe APWOT and Lock-On are the same price at £25 a volume, and Lock-On definitely feels like nicer material (though I deeply dislike the obis that literally "lock" the books closed and have no durability). Ultimately this is a small gripe, but part of me feels like if you're going to bother with this boutique physical media racket, you should go full baller.
Ultimately, the best endorsement I can give this volume is that it enhanced my appreciation for games I'd already played (nearly a decade ago in some cases), and made me want to revisit them. I feel like that says it all.
The writing is generally of a higher quality than what I saw in the first couple volumes of Lock-On, which is the most similar publication I know of, although I suspect Lock-On has improved in that regard as it's gained renown. Most of the articles in APWOT are written by games industry professionals, so there's a baseline competency and maturity that shows through. However, the copyediting could've stood another pass.
The layouts and artwork err on the side of subdued minimalism in a way I find pleasing and classy (though I'm also game for some vulgar maximalism any day), but I wouldn't recommend this to someone on its merits as an art book the way I might Lock-On. The artwork in APWOT accents the articles in a magazine-like way, but isn't that much of a draw unto itself, save for the fantastic covers.
There are some moments of interesting experimentation bordering on pretention herein, such as the in-bound mini booklet about Shovel Knight. At first I thought this was a supplemental item, but it's literally a tiny book bound within the rest of the book, creating a weird negative space when you look at the book from the top or bottom. But after actually reading the booklet, it kinda felt right.
My biggest gripe with this series is that the paper stock it's printed on feels kind of cheap, especially in the case of the covers (for the standard version), but I believe this was partially an eco-conscious decision and partly a way to keep the cost down, both of which I appreciate. On the other hand, I believe APWOT and Lock-On are the same price at £25 a volume, and Lock-On definitely feels like nicer material (though I deeply dislike the obis that literally "lock" the books closed and have no durability). Ultimately this is a small gripe, but part of me feels like if you're going to bother with this boutique physical media racket, you should go full baller.
Ultimately, the best endorsement I can give this volume is that it enhanced my appreciation for games I'd already played (nearly a decade ago in some cases), and made me want to revisit them. I feel like that says it all.
September 6, 2023
I helped fund the second printing on Kickstarter, so was obviously primed to enjoy it. That being said, I really did like it. I like reading the magazine and I like having the magazine. It's a good fusion of design and thoughtful writing about videogames. It feels like it was conceptualized as an experience at least as much as it is a medium for reading, and that elevates it above any usual magazine about games. On the other hand, it's also different from usual online or offline game reporting in that it allows itself to be timeless, to collect pieces that are interesting no matter when the referred games were launched or the text written.
I'm excited to continue reading and have also helped fund the third number.
I'm excited to continue reading and have also helped fund the third number.
October 7, 2021
Best videogames magazine! Love it! Good content and beautiful illustrations.
December 17, 2025
3.5 stars. A nice collection of articles that largely revolve around game development and various aspects surrounding it. They range from historical stories of a particular studio to interesting takes on the mechanisms of movement in gaming. It's an interesting read for anybody who loves games and includes some stellar artwork. Looking forward to reading the rest of these!
March 30, 2021
A pretty mixed bag that pivots between fantastic and mediocre essays about game development and the experience of playing them. It's a great idea to get developers involved in writing and explaining their creative processes, but it's clear that some have more of a knack for expressing themselves in text than others. It's consistently well illustrated — I particularly enjoyed a piece on swimming toward the end — and the layouts are very visually pleasing, even if they get a bit repetitive. Unfortunately the copy-editing is some of the worst I've seen. It's hard to go more than a page or two without spotting a misspelled, repeated, or missing word. The concept shows a lot of promise, but considering this sells new for over $40 USD with shipping, I hope the quality of the writing and copy-editing catches up with the illustrations for future issues.
July 22, 2018
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July 9, 2023
A wonderful tribute to the art and spirit of game development and design. Not all the contributors are the best writers but they all have something valuable to say about their respective discipline. The artwork is also gorgeous.
But not everything is great about APWOT. One article right in the middle of the book was inexplicably printed on pages a third of the size of the rest, making it physically challenging to even hold the book open while reading. It also happens to be (I think) the longest article in the book. There are also quite a few spelling and grammatical errors throughout. However the biggest drawback by far is the $45 price point. I hope the creators who worked on this were generously compensated but I feel like a sucker.
But not everything is great about APWOT. One article right in the middle of the book was inexplicably printed on pages a third of the size of the rest, making it physically challenging to even hold the book open while reading. It also happens to be (I think) the longest article in the book. There are also quite a few spelling and grammatical errors throughout. However the biggest drawback by far is the $45 price point. I hope the creators who worked on this were generously compensated but I feel like a sucker.
August 31, 2020
APWOT is better than most independent video game publications but as usual, there's an inconsistency in it's topics, quality and writers. I will say that the art and design by Leo Field and Harrison Dew amongst others is truly gorgeous and will be perfect to adorn any coffee table. However, I can never call this book profound but sometimes a waste of time.
November 14, 2022
Absolutely adored this first edition of APWOT (especially since I’m a huge gamer)!
It took me over a month as I wanted to savour it - and boy did I 😂
Each article was beautifully written and illustrated, and I’m so thankful my friend showed it to me! Now, bring on APWOT 2!!
It took me over a month as I wanted to savour it - and boy did I 😂
Each article was beautifully written and illustrated, and I’m so thankful my friend showed it to me! Now, bring on APWOT 2!!
January 5, 2024
A few great articles that are more generalized for the masses, but the majority of these articles and essays are about very specific indie games. Having never played most of them, the context and connection are weak for me personally.
March 22, 2021
Excellent. 15 individual articles, I would say maybe 2 are ok and the rest are excellent. Bit pricey, but then there's not much like this out there. Great stuff.
August 21, 2021
Brilliant! Beautiful! First of its kind in the games industry.
March 17, 2025
Сборник эссе с вдохновенным названием и фантастически красивыми иллюстрациями. У каждой главы уникальное оформление и вёрстка. Мой самый любимый момент - текст о Downwell, оформленный под стать игре - в виде вертикального разворота. Цена такой красоты - довольно ощутимое неудобство при чтении. Эссе Under the Armor в виде мини-книги внутри книги вообще оформлено будто бы с издёвкой.
Качество эссе варьируется, но в целом стремится к серединке. И это во времена, когда ютуб ломится от качественной видеопублицистики про видеоигры. Видна попытка редакторов посмотреть на видеоигры с разных сторон, но некоторые из выбранных взглядов настолько пусты, что кажется, будто добавлены для галочки. Хорошо, что каждый плохой текст всё ещё сопровождается хорошим оформлением.
Качество эссе варьируется, но в целом стремится к серединке. И это во времена, когда ютуб ломится от качественной видеопублицистики про видеоигры. Видна попытка редакторов посмотреть на видеоигры с разных сторон, но некоторые из выбранных взглядов настолько пусты, что кажется, будто добавлены для галочки. Хорошо, что каждый плохой текст всё ещё сопровождается хорошим оформлением.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews