Ever feel like game designers might be coddling players a little too much? Then you probably haven't played a game by Mark Essen, aka "messhof." John Adkins speaks with the indie designer about his punishing, occasionally nauseating but always interesting game design philosophies.

How long do you have to play a game until you feel like you've sufficiently mastered it? If your answer can be measured in hours or days, chances are you're not a speedrunner. Danielle Riendeau investigates the obsessive world of competitive speedrunning.

Plenty of developers talk about promoting more visceral reactions in their audience, but they probably didn't have headaches and nausea in mind. Nova Barlow explains the plight of gamers who suffer from Virtual Simulator Sickness.

Sometimes, the only thing better than a flawless victory is an agonizing defeat. Lee Petrie examines the allure of the Last Stand in both videogames and the culture at large.

The Escapist staff vents about their most frustrating gaming moments.