How a Game Lives: Volume 1

Called “one of the best video game essayists in the game,” Jacob Geller has garnered over 1 million subscribers to his YouTube channel thanks to his in-depth video essays on themes and topics in modern gaming. The first in a two-volume set, How a Game Lives, Vol. 1 is a stunning four-color collection of Geller’s most popular essays, annotated by Gellar himself along with commentary by other writers and beautifully illustrated by a collection of artists. It’s the perfect gift for gamers, fans, and pop culture critics alike.

Over his illustrious career, YouTuber and video game essayist Jacob Geller has written and produced a sprawling collection of writings, deftly interweaving video game analysis with complex narratives about art, politics, and history. In How a Game Lives, a collection of Geller’s most popular writings, Geller positions video games as vital tools for understanding each other and ourselves alongside stunning original artwork by Killian Eng and others inspired by Jacob's writing.

How a Game Lives, Vol. 1 re-examines ten of Geller’s most iconic essays accompanied by his brand-new commentary, plus afterwords on each piece by some of the industry’s best writers. Topics include:

  • The Legend of Zelda series and our inherent need for fear
  • The art of the easter egg and Shadow of the Colossus
  • The hero's journey and path through hell in Returnal
  • and essays discussing popular games such as Control, Call of Duty, and more.

With videos like “Who’s Afraid of Modern Art?,” “Every Zelda Is the Darkest Zelda,” and “The Legacy of the Haunted House,” Geller has taught audiences how to think about the art that’s affected them. How a Game Lives immortalizes those works and more and provides boundless insight into the construction, philosophy, and afterlife of each essay. 

1147751390
How a Game Lives: Volume 1

Called “one of the best video game essayists in the game,” Jacob Geller has garnered over 1 million subscribers to his YouTube channel thanks to his in-depth video essays on themes and topics in modern gaming. The first in a two-volume set, How a Game Lives, Vol. 1 is a stunning four-color collection of Geller’s most popular essays, annotated by Gellar himself along with commentary by other writers and beautifully illustrated by a collection of artists. It’s the perfect gift for gamers, fans, and pop culture critics alike.

Over his illustrious career, YouTuber and video game essayist Jacob Geller has written and produced a sprawling collection of writings, deftly interweaving video game analysis with complex narratives about art, politics, and history. In How a Game Lives, a collection of Geller’s most popular writings, Geller positions video games as vital tools for understanding each other and ourselves alongside stunning original artwork by Killian Eng and others inspired by Jacob's writing.

How a Game Lives, Vol. 1 re-examines ten of Geller’s most iconic essays accompanied by his brand-new commentary, plus afterwords on each piece by some of the industry’s best writers. Topics include:

  • The Legend of Zelda series and our inherent need for fear
  • The art of the easter egg and Shadow of the Colossus
  • The hero's journey and path through hell in Returnal
  • and essays discussing popular games such as Control, Call of Duty, and more.

With videos like “Who’s Afraid of Modern Art?,” “Every Zelda Is the Darkest Zelda,” and “The Legacy of the Haunted House,” Geller has taught audiences how to think about the art that’s affected them. How a Game Lives immortalizes those works and more and provides boundless insight into the construction, philosophy, and afterlife of each essay. 

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How a Game Lives: Volume 1

How a Game Lives: Volume 1

by Jacob Geller
How a Game Lives: Volume 1

How a Game Lives: Volume 1

by Jacob Geller

eBook

$16.99 
Available for Pre-Order. This item will be released on November 18, 2025

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Overview

Called “one of the best video game essayists in the game,” Jacob Geller has garnered over 1 million subscribers to his YouTube channel thanks to his in-depth video essays on themes and topics in modern gaming. The first in a two-volume set, How a Game Lives, Vol. 1 is a stunning four-color collection of Geller’s most popular essays, annotated by Gellar himself along with commentary by other writers and beautifully illustrated by a collection of artists. It’s the perfect gift for gamers, fans, and pop culture critics alike.

Over his illustrious career, YouTuber and video game essayist Jacob Geller has written and produced a sprawling collection of writings, deftly interweaving video game analysis with complex narratives about art, politics, and history. In How a Game Lives, a collection of Geller’s most popular writings, Geller positions video games as vital tools for understanding each other and ourselves alongside stunning original artwork by Killian Eng and others inspired by Jacob's writing.

How a Game Lives, Vol. 1 re-examines ten of Geller’s most iconic essays accompanied by his brand-new commentary, plus afterwords on each piece by some of the industry’s best writers. Topics include:

  • The Legend of Zelda series and our inherent need for fear
  • The art of the easter egg and Shadow of the Colossus
  • The hero's journey and path through hell in Returnal
  • and essays discussing popular games such as Control, Call of Duty, and more.

With videos like “Who’s Afraid of Modern Art?,” “Every Zelda Is the Darkest Zelda,” and “The Legacy of the Haunted House,” Geller has taught audiences how to think about the art that’s affected them. How a Game Lives immortalizes those works and more and provides boundless insight into the construction, philosophy, and afterlife of each essay. 


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780063489677
Publisher: HarperCollins
Publication date: 11/18/2025
Sold by: HARPERCOLLINS
Format: eBook
Pages: 224

About the Author

Jacob Geller is an American video essayist, critic, and writer known for his analysis of video games and popular culture. Geller's YouTube channel has over 1.2 million subscribers, with videos covering topics like horror, art, frigophobia, thalassophobia, and social justice. He published an annotated print collection of his essays in 2024. Geller's career has included writing for Polygon, which named his 2019 video essay "Games, Schools, and Worlds Designed for Violence" as one of the best in YouTube's history. He is the host of the podcast Something Rotten.

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