Into The Spine

Showtime - Into The Spine For this week's Fragments, Monique Barrow examines the importance of the arts Princess Peach: Showtime! in contrast to the real-life climate.

Happy anniversary to this fragment story that I wrote for @intothespine.bsky.social! Now more than ever, the arts and humanities need our support. Thank you, @diegoarguello.bsky.social, for publishing it!
intothespine.com/2024/09/14/s...

very honored i had the chance to write this for into the spine!!

Grasping for Agency - Into The Spine As Bee Wertheimer grasps for agency before moving to a new apartment, House Flipper 2 has them reckoning with real-life house flipping.

"And isn’t that the American dream? To have enough time and money to fulfill your goals, to do meaningful work without having to stress over bills? To be an important and beloved member of your community?"

@beewertheimer.com faces the realities of house flipping

intothespine.com/2025/09/06/g...

A Lalafell wearing Aerith's outfit smiles while lifting their arms to the air in Final Fantasy XIV. They're surrounded by flowers.

"The students noticed first: my pink backpack, pink bike helmet, pink sneakers. I didn’t start loud. It built slowly."

Jervon Perkins shares the story of Serenity Hart and learning to be seen in Final Fantasy XIV.

intothespine.com/2025/08/23/s...

haven't started responding to folks individually, but from a quick glance, the next couple of months might already be fully booked. if you wanted to pitch, i'd encourage you to do so by tomorrow at the latest (sorry that windows are this short - i can only field so many pitches)

A Letter to That One Shade in Hades - Into The Spine Deep within the lustrous halls of Elysium, a letter is delivered by the God of Swiftness. It's written by Zagreus, addressed to a fan.

The best thing I've read all day:
intothespine.com/2020/09/22/h...

If you're not following @intothespine.bsky.social, I recommend you start!

Write for Spine - Into The Spine Do you want to write for Into The Spine? Here's everything you need to know, including rates and what we're looking for at the moment.

spine is taking pitches again, ranging from short ($30 for 150-300 words) to longer form pieces ($60 for 500-700 words). *please* read the guidelines carefully, which now reflect the current monthly budget. i want to hear from bipoc and queer folks first and foremost.

intothespine.com/write-for-us/

a screenshot of a baby sleeping in the sims 4

"For those of us who struggle with mental health, it offers a sanctuary — a space to dream of a life that feels out of reach."

Jastine Beatrice Yap shares her story of playing The Sims 4 as a depressed queer, and turning 25.

intothespine.com/2025/07/10/t...

Get more from Into The Spine on Patreon creating stories, criticism, and reporting around video games

the site doesn't have the same sway as what people consider an independent outlet nowadays, but I've been running it since 2018 and i get pitches from new writers regularly. i'd love to continue giving them a home. there's a patreon if you want to support them! www.patreon.com/c/intothespine

spine is back, albeit with a different schedule. time and budget constraints has led to a monthly piece instead. for context, most of the pieces on the site over the years i've commissioned out of pocket, and that's not longer possible. june and july are covered, but i'll open submissions soon

the papers please logo, which is the emblem of the fictional arstotzka

"An act that is supposed to deny uncertainty ironically becomes complicit in a rigid state of stagnation and exhaustion."

Zonghang Zhou (@zhzhou86.bsky.social) examines the meaning of repetition via Papers, Please, and Tang Shanjun's Sisyphean efforts.

intothespine.com/2025/05/23/t...

The Lonely Skies - Into The Spine For this week's Fragments, Monique Barrow skydives into Hyrule's past, and future, in Tears of the Kingdom.

I can't believe it's been one year since I wrote this fragment story for @intothespine.bsky.social! I enjoyed writing about the music in Tears of the Kingdom. Thank you, again @diegoarguello.bsky.social, for the opportunity!

intothespine.com/2024/05/19/t...

Very happy with this feature I did on Paranormasight: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo for @intothespine.bsky.social (thanks @diegoarguello.bsky.social) covering one of my favorite moments in the game.

"A fourth-wall break moment early on, however, quickly changed my mind."

Mikhail Madnani (@va11halla.bsky.social) is pulled into Paranormasight: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo by one specific sequence.

intothespine.com/2025/02/22/t...

I Know Where Princess Peach Keeps Her Dish Detergent - Into The Spine For Gourmet Guy, from Paper Mario 64

Happy publication anniversary to this fun little Paper Mario poem, published a little over a year ago by @diegoarguello.bsky.social & @intothespine.bsky.social. I've always loved Gourmet Guy's line about learning to bake at truck driving school--this poem is an ode to laughter 🚚🚚

"Perhaps that's why this scene felt so angsty, because Vertin is me, and Schneider had said that to me. Schneider was bidding farewell, and I would no longer see her again."

Ree Summers explores a dialogue line in Reverse: 1999.

intothespine.com/2025/01/27/g...

a postcard of cloudbank, a collectors edition of transistor, and a figure of red sit on a shelf behind 7 stacks of into the spine stickers

happy 7th, @intothespine.bsky.social - and a massive shoutout to everybody who continues to choose the site as a place to share their stories

shadow and sonic cross paths while running in sonic adventure 2

"I’m afraid, but my mouth isn’t. 'Would they see him if he was a little girl?'”

Autumn McGarr (@flamingo-teeth.bsky.social) shares their story about gardening in Sonic Adventure 2.

intothespine.com/2025/01/13/o...

Stories of 2024 - Into The Spine Following the 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023 roundups, writers look back at the year with short stories. This was 2024, told by 102 people.

intothespine.com/2024/12/30/s...

If you have not checked this out yet, please do!!

a vast collection of perspectives detailing the different pieces of media that defined their 2024

it's so varied, there's so many morsels to chew on, more games added to the backlog

I got to gush about Nine Sols as part of Into the Spine's Stories of 2024. There's some great shoutouts to the best games of last year, so check it out!

I wrote a blurb for this! It’s about (surprise) Slay the Princess 💕

sharing again ahead of the weekend - i'm still grateful and honored by everyone's participation. if you haven't heard about spine, i've pubbed over 150 writers and counting, and there's a new piece every week. i cover most payments myself, but there's a patreon, too: www.patreon.com/c/intothespine

Glad to be a part of this for a second year!

In an era of dramatic narratives, multilayered characters, and breathtaking graphics, Ape Escape (1999) and Astrobot showed that you don't need any of that to push an industry forward.

Ape Escape was my favorite game that I played in 2024!

Wrote a little piece among a ton of great writers ❤️

Stories of 2024 - Into The Spine Following the 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023 roundups, writers look back at the year with short stories. This was 2024, told by 102 people.

I contributed to the big 2024 wrap-up on @intothespine.bsky.social, it's over a hundred writers who each contributed ~100 words about various games and other industry subjects from the last year. intothespine.com/2024/12/30/s...

Stories of 2024 - Into The Spine Following the 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023 roundups, writers look back at the year with short stories. This was 2024, told by 102 people.

ICYMI I was featured (along with 101 other writers) in @intothespine.bsky.social’s yearly round up! Honored to be asked and to be among so many writers I adore and respect. Check it out!

Sharing this again with a heartfelt thank you to @diegoarguello.bsky.social who manages to put together this wonderful thing each and every year without fail.

Go read!

I wrote about Hyper Wobbler in there!

"And then we have the moments when we let go..."

What a stunning, moving piece from @miri.bsky.social among a beautiful celebration of all the artists, writers and developers who made life worth living this year.

Now we're crying.

I'm in here with a thought about one of the furriest and funniest movies I've ever seen.