As the brisk grip of winter envelops us, the team at Rock Paper Shotgun (RPS), a well-regarded gaming publication, has decided to gather their virtual quilts and retreat into their annual winter hibernation. They've declared that their digital treehouse will be temporarily closed to the public, urging their readership and PR associates alike to resist sending emails until the new year dawns. The staff, however, won't fully vanish; they've meticulously prepared a banquet of content to keep their audience entertained during the bone-chilling hiatus.
Responsive to the chill of winter, the RPS crew has humorously acknowledged the impracticality of maintaining their usual presence, bidding their audience a brief adieu with a promise to return on January 2, 2024. This marks not only a pause in the routine but also the beginning of the inevitable struggle of adjusting to the new year—misdating articles, tweets, and documents for a stretch of time as they, and indeed many of us, inadvertently cling to the vestiges of 2023.
The warmth of the holiday season does not end with well-wishes and virtual toasts; the RPS team has prepped a holiday treat for their readers. Come tomorrow, at 1 pm GMT, the final chapter of their Advent Calendar will unfold, disclosing their much-anticipated Game of the Year 2023. Despite the collective reader's hunch suggesting a familiar outcome, the RPS crew invites everyone to participate in the jolly charade, a nod to the traditional holiday festivities of charades and light-hearted merriment.
Aside from the grand reveal, the staff at RPS have also assembled Selection Boxes—compilations of games handpicked by each member of the team, celebrating those titles that may not have garnered a spotlight in the Advent Calendar but nonetheless deserve an honorary mention. These selections are the staff's way of acknowledging the games that tugged at their heartstrings but fell just short of making the official list, and they're eagerly dubbed "hon. menchies," in stubborn defiance of anyone challenging the term.
To guide their readers through a reflective journey of the year gone by, RPS is set to release a series of Year in Review roundups. These retrospectives will serve as time capsules, reminding everyone of standout occurrences such as the reviews bestowed with the coveted "Bestest Best" title and the features that left a mark on the publication's body of work. The guides team will provide its own twist on the year's conclusion, shedding light on the trends and themes that set the stage for 2023 from their unique vantage point.
The generosity of RPS shines brighter this holiday season as they unlock Supporter-funded posts for public consumption, enriching everyone's reading experience with insightful content previously reserved for a select few. The curious can scour the "From The Archive" tag for an assemblage of these now-accessible posts, as well as browsing the Latest feed for real-time updates.
Moreover, in keeping with a lighthearted tradition, RPS offers its annual Christmas Crackers—jokes so horrendous they're practically a gift in their own right. Scheduled to appear daily during the break, these jests promise to deliver groans and chuckles in equal measure. Even within the forewarning of their cringe-worthy nature lies the promise of cherished amusement.
As the team at RPS wraps up the year, its Senior Editor communicates from the temporal space of the past, making final arrangements for the social media blasts that will herald each piece of their prepared content. Anticipating the shift to holiday mode, they muse over their personal gaming resolution for the upcoming year: to delve into a wider eclectic array of gaming experiences, reaffirming a yearly tradition of seeking out the undiscovered and offbeat.
The anticipation of reuniting in the new year is palpable as the staff beckons their readers to share in their resolutions, fostering a sense of community even as they step away from their desks. It's a period for gratitude, reflection, and conviviality. The team extends heartfelt thanks for the support and camaraderie throughout the year and beckons the awaited return – fully refreshed and reinvigorated on the flip side of this brief intermission. With that, Rock Paper Shotgun bows out of 2023, ready to embrace all the virtual adventures 2024 might bring.
