News

Play Story Press is thrilled to announce that all of our current and future publications will be collected in the Brian Sutton-Smith Library and Archives of Play at The Strong National Museum of Play. Our catalog resonates with the Strong’s exploration of how play encourages learning, creativity, and discovery, illuminating cultural history. This is such an honor for all involved with the press. We wouldn’t exist without you all sharing our vision, and sharing your work through Play Story Press. Thanks everyone!

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The Psychgeist of Pop Culture: KPop Demon Hunters, edited by Courtney Lazore Netflix’s 2025 animated movie KPop Demon Hunters quickly became a viral success with its creative visual style, catchy songs, and unique blend of K-Pop culture and traditional Korean mythology. The film currently stands as Netflix’s most-watched original movie with over 300 million views, a theatrical release, and a sequel on the way. KPop Demon Hunters’ fusion of idol and fandom culture with mythology, its focus on female leads, and its literalization of psychological concepts such as shame, power, self-acceptance, good versus evil, and identity have resonated with fans...

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Play Story Press is excited to release The Psychgeist of Pop Culture: Marvel Cinematic Universe, edited by Rowan Daneels & Alexander Vandewalle. The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is the shared universe of movies and TV series based on characters from the Marvel comics. Starting with Iron Man in 2008, the MCU now spans over 15 years of storytelling, following heroes, villains, and anti-heroes such as Captain America, Thor, Spider-Man, Loki, Captain Marvel, Thanos, Moon Knight and Ms. Marvel. Beyond the eternal struggle of good versus evil, these franchises address topics such as family, friendship, identity and morality. This book explores...

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Play Story Press is excited to release The Psychgeist of Pop Culture: Disney Villains, edited by Marie Shanley. It’s a safe bet that for every Disney fairytale we loved as a child, there was a villain that kept you on the edge of your seat. Or you may have admired a baddie whose motivations perplexed you so much, that you grew to appreciate their cunning wit and charming disposition despite it pushing your favorite hero away from their good goals. The Psychgeist of Pop Culture: Disney Villains dives deep into our understanding of what it means to be bad, in a...

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Chrono Triggered: Time Travel, Identity, and Emotion in the Greatest RPG Thirty years ago, Chrono Trigger changed gaming forever. With its nonlinear storytelling, multiple endings, and sweeping tale of courage, friendship, and fate, it set a new standard for emotional storytelling in games. Its characters, ranging from a frog-knight to a robot from a climate-ravaged future, continue to resonate with players decades later, inviting reflection on mortality, memory, and choice. It also offered a sweeping tale of time travel and sacrifice that resonated deeply with players and helped establish the golden age of Japanese RPGs. This volume invites psychologists, philosophers,...

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Schell Games, one of the most innovative full-service game developers in the US, and our First Founding Society Member, has increased their support of Play Story Press. Their generous philanthropic donation as a Collaborating Society Member supports the open development and dissemination of knowledge that has a positive impact. We're an independent non-profit organization powered by input and involvement from the consortium, our contributors, and the community at large. We invite people to participate so that we can explore and create a better future together. Thanks to Schell Games for their continued support!

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Play Story Press is excited to release The Psychgeist of Pop Culture: The Legend of Zelda, edited by Annayah M.B. Prosser. The Legend of Zelda series captivates millions of players worldwide. We have followed Link, Zelda and Ganon through many quests, timelines and consoles. What can playing the Legend of Zelda games teach us about ourselves, others, and our place in the world? In this collection, eleven expert scholars from across psychology and the social sciences shed light on these questions. A must-read for fans of the games and budding social scientists alike, The Psychgeist of Pop Culture: The Legend...

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Play Story Press is excited to release Roll with Advantage: Creative, Collaborative, and Critical Responses to Dungeons & Dragons, edited by Edmond Chang and Suzanne Richardson Roll with Advantage: Creative, Collaborative, and Critical Responses to Dungeons & Dragons is an interdisciplinary, multi-genre, mixed-form anthology featuring poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, personal essays, interviews, and analytical scholarship about and inspired by D&D—the game, the legends, the media, and the people. The book is a playful, imaginative, and critical response to D&D’s pop cultural renaissance, particularly during and after the global pandemic, with its appearances on television shows like Stranger Things, Community, and...

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Play Story Press is excited to release The Psychgeist of Pop Culture: The Elder Scrolls, edited by Amelia Herbst, PhD. Hail and well met! Do you have what it takes to be the Dragonborn? The Elder Scrolls is an award-winning high fantasy video game series that has allowed players to explore the dynamic continent of Tamriel for over 30 years. Players are thrust into the role of the hero while having the agency to forge their destiny- whether it is fighting dragons, exploring lost civilizations, or joining nefarious factions. The Psychgeist of Pop Culture: The Elder Scrolls dives into the...

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Play Story Press is excited to release The Psychgeist of Pop Culture: The Last of Us, edited by Adrienne Domasin, PhD. The Psychgeist of Pop Culture: The Last of Us explores the psychological themes at the heart of The Last of Us franchise. Authors from media, culture, and fandom studies explore how trauma, grief, morality, survival, and revenge shape the story’s characters and influence their choices. This book examines these themes across both video games (The Last of Us and The Last of Us 2) and HBO television adaptation, focusing on their unique approaches to telling the same emotionally resonant...

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