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Playing This Week

Katya Ryabova

Video game essays and reporting putting the spotlight on the Canadian video game industry, by a journalist and a recovering marketer based in Toronto. A sucker for good RPGs, adventure, and cozy games (whatever that means).

Platform
Substack
PricingOnly free issuesPublishesWeekly
Issues87Founded2 years agoLast Issue4 days ago
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Latest Issues

500 subscribers and the future of Playing This Week

Gamescom 2026 show floor

When I started this Substack, I had the vague ambition of eventually turning it into an income source. Not a large one by any stretch, as I wasn’t that naive even then. That ambition quickly dissipated as I actuall...

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[CBC Arts] These small Canadian video game studios are telling big stories

This week, I reached a milestone that any Canadian would appreciate: I got my first byline at CBC, the Canadian public broadcaster!

(Shoutout to one of my friends who didn’t know what CBC was. I hope you get acquainted. 😊)

CBC Arts is th...

10 days ago
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CONTROL Resonant is a game accidentally made just for me

Source: Remedy Entertainment

The broad critical consensus about CONTROL Resonant has been positive, as far as I can tell, but there has been a fair share of criticism, too. Negative reviews continue to pop up here and there in the unlikeli...

16 days ago
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My writing for games media outside of Substack

It has come to my attention that Substack doesn’t ~~think I’m a real journalist~~ know what I’m up to outside of writing my little posts here.

That’s really no surprise—how would you, if I don’t tell you? But I haven’t found an organic way...

24 days ago
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The coolest sh*t I’ve seen at Gamescom

Gamescom is yesterday’s news already. Of course. It’s been a while— now it’s Tokyo Game Show’s turn to flood my inbox with the same PR deluge, even though I’m not in Japan.

For the last couple of days, I enjoyed the last remaining bit of m...

a month ago
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Authors

The writers behind this newsletter.

  • Katya Ryabova

    Freelance writer & journalist. Gaming, Canadian-made video games, hot takes and cold drinks. She/her

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