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Tiny Bookshop: why gamers are choosing to spend their free time simulating work – according to philosophy

In the recently released game Tiny Bookshop you are invited to “leave everything behind and open a tiny bookshop by the sea”. Tiny Bookshop has been described as an ambient narrative management game, which has a cosy and calming feel.

The Conversation · Aug 22, 2025

Politics has always been a game – but why does it now feel like we’re being cheated?

Donald Trump – who has spent at least 45 days of his presidency so far on the golf course – has once again been accused of cheating, and this time there is video evidence. Trump’s long history of golfing malpractice is well documented, not least in Rick Reilly’s Commander in…

The Conversation · Aug 14, 2025

Monopoly, Catan and learning through play: how board games can teach us starkly different economic models

The early 21st century saw rapid growth in new, predominantly digital entertainment. Video games, streaming and podcasts now dominate our free time, but one analogue product, whose roots date back to the origins of human civilisation, has made a resounding comeback: the board game.

The Conversation · Aug 12, 2025