An Evening at the Inn - Issue #1
Hello travelers, welcome to the first full issue of An Evening at the Inn. I originally had something else planned for my section here, but extra work from The Game Awards piled up, a massive work project, and some financial issues meant plans changed.
I have a couple of unique interviews lined up, though, so expect some fun diversions coming up. In the meantime, I want to wax poetic about one of my personal favorite RPG franchises, and the usual bits and bobs after that. Again, some issues I'll be editorializing, some I'll be reporting. I've heard people like these things to be personal, so I'm leaning into it.
Thanks so much to anyone and everyone supporting this newsletter so far, and if you enjoy your time at the inn, think about recommending us to a friend.
Please consider supporting An Evening at the Inn and my work as a freelance journalist via Ko-Fi. Comments, feedback, tips? Reach out to madsenhayes@gmail.com
From the Innkeeper
Cozy Trails
Cozy is a term you find thrown around left and right with video games, used as a sweeping statement to describe everything from Stardew Valley and Animal Crossing to Kirby. But, I think, on a more structural level, "cozy" is an idea we use to describe a unique feeling that oftentimes only games elicit – the idea of being able to live in another world, and actually experience it. No, we're not going to go a cheesy "gamers get to live other lives" route.
I originally had something else planned for this issue, but doing Inverse's cozy issue and some big interviews lately made me want to really dig into something – why that idea of coziness is really important to RPGs, in particular. On an integral level, every role-playing game needs to have an element of this; it's the idea of the inn for respite, the very thing this newsletter is based on.
Bonfires in Dark Souls are "cozy," intentionally designed to give off a sense of warmth and recovery. FromSoftware meticulously makes sure that you can often barely see the embers of a bonfire, or Site of Grace, as you're exploring. It's a north star to guide your journey. At the same time, something like Cyberpunk 2077 uses its romances to not only heighten its oppressive themes but also provide an outlet for V to find something more meaningful.
We could talk about any number of games in this sense, but I think there's one RPG series that gets the idea of "coziness" especially right, and it's the essential ingredient that has kept me hooked on it for over a decade. That series is Trails.
I've written more than one article on why people should play the Trails games, but this is maybe the most convincing argument I can make – it's the coziest RPG franchise ever made.
Trails is what you'd call a slow-burn, but it's genuinely much more than just a story that takes its time, a bunch of lore, or sidequests that flesh things out. Trails utterly painstakingly takes time to make you understand the geopolitics of Zemuria, how its journalism works, the role the Septian Church plays, and yes, what daily life in any city looks like.
There are a few brilliant techniques the Trails series uses to nail the sense of a "live-in" world. For one, NPC conversations constantly change between both major and minor events in the story, because each game is typically broken up into different arcs or days from Crossbell onward. You can talk to a single NPC over a dozen times in a single game, and they'll have something different to say.
This is, no doubt, a seismic amount of work for Falcom, but brilliantly enriches the world – making it feel like a breathing place that's changing and adjusting to the character's stories and the narrative. As the series has gone, it's integrated more Persona-esque freetime elements, and additional lore builders.
In the Daybreak games, part of the narrative revolves around helping a famous director and getting involved in the film industry, and Vaan is a bit of a film aficionado. You can actually see many of these films with your allies, helping build out an understanding of the style and tone of Calvard's films.
Most games also have purchasable newspapers where you can read about major events happening around the country – and what's truly fascinating is the different tones these publications take on. In much of the Cold Steel games, the Imperial Chronicle is state-run and supported, and you can see that in its hesitancy to question the aristocracy. Meanwhile, The Crossbell Times is a paper run by a set of daring-do reporters, who are quick to criticize the government and talk about Crossbell's need for independence. These games, of course, aren't always accurate to the way journalism actually works – but it's still rare to see a developer put that much thought into it, especially as it's not a focal point.
Each part of the series has these sorts of little touches that flesh out the world, on top of lengthy narratives that take you to an array of different locations. There's far more attention to detail than almost any other series I've ever seen, especially in making sure events and themes line up across the disparate games. So as you play Trails games, you aren't just getting to know the characters, but the actual culture, politics, and people of every region of Zemuria.
I'm not someone who feels the need to do everything in any game, especially lengthy RPGs. But the sole exception to that is Trails – I literally have to see and do everything. Because the integral experience of a Trails game, what makes it special, is seeing the world and culture change with the introduction of technology and shifting politics.
Kiseki Nut has a very good video about Anton, a real cinnamon role of a side character with a romance subplot that literally runs through a half-dozen games.
Yes, role-playing games are largely about the experience of "living" in a fantasy world, but nothing takes to that idea with as much gusto as Trails. It's a singularly unseen experiment the likes of which we've never seen in video games, a continuous story that's played out across, now, fourteen games. And more than the combat, more than the style, more than the delightful characters, I simply love feeling this world change. That wave of nostalgia walking the streets of Crossbell five games later is something I've only ever felt from the Yakuza series.
Falcom is doing something truly special, and I think when all is said and done, Trails is going to be a tremendous inspiration to future generations of RPG developers. And I know it's a real commitment, I know saying you need 1000 hours to play a series is something that's simply not an option for many people.
But as someone who's written about countless RPGs for over 15 years, I guess this is my soapbox moment, trying to convince you that those countless hours are, indeed, well and truly worth it.
Around the Realm
It's the end of the year, and there are very few things I love more than writing that looks back on the last year of games. In fact, that's something I wish games media as a whole strived for. I wish we looked back as much as we look toward the future, but alas, that's a topic for another day. So in the spirit of the theme, the best writing for this issue is all about cozy and looking backward.
Grace Benfell investigates Angeline Era as a counterpoint to open world design
Grace Benfell
Robin Bea talks to actual scientists about why we love cozy games
Heather Wald talks to key Cyberpunk 2077 developers about the game five years on, and making Night City the game's true antagonist
Heather Wald
Victoria Rose talks about the act of roleplaying in games like GTA Online and Baldur's Gate 3, and how it weaves into the fabric of nerd culture.
Victoria Rose
Zachary Edwards on the "point" of Monster Hunter
Zackary Edwards
Brian Shea talks to an array of Fallout creators on the series' impact and legacy
Brian Shea
The Back Page
The back page is going to be a few things this time, as I'll be introducing you to the artist who crafted my absolutely brilliant logo and graphics. I worked for months with an artist who goes by Belial. You can find their portfolio below.
I said before, but I very much wanted to work with and pay a human artist for this project – because it's tough for all of us right now. And I think forwarding human art is just as vital as forwarding human writing, right now. So if you can support Belial (or are looking to commission something), please do so.
Next time we'll hit key RPG releases for January, so for now I'd like to shout out one of the most delightful RPGs of the year that might have slipped under your radar, Promise Mascot Agency by Kaizen Game Works. Liberally inspired by Yakuza, this game lets you roam around a quaint rural Japanese town while managing your very own mascot agency. Funny, heartfelt, bizarre, and engrossing in every way, I cannot recommend Promise Mascot Agency enough – especially for any fans of Yakuza.
And finally, for the personal touch, I can't NOT share my favorite Christmas ornaments with everyone. These are the ones we have to put high up on the tree so the cats won't bother them.
And funny story, actually, every year we have to get this spray to put on the tree so it tastes incredibly bad (because the cats love to eat it). Don't worry, it's completely pet safe and non-toxic, I live with a vet after all. That being said, you don't want to "accidentally" taste the stuff yourself, because I spent an entire night suffering from doing so a few years ago. Without further ado,
The Grilled Cheese
Legendary Bounty Hunter
The Dino Taco
The Alien
The Dino Nugget
The Waldo Pickle (if you don't know what a Christma Pickle is, read this)
