Architecture Plus Girl
Please watch this absolutely incredible video about a modder who worked with the Quakes, the Half Lives, and CounterStrike Source to make a series of astonishing maps. I haven't played any of these, but my husband had played some and was glad to watch this video with me. We had a great time:
When you're done, here are some scraps of KS's work scattered all over the internet that you may find interesting:
- His twitter, where he still posts a pencil drawing every couple of days
- His website
- His blog is not currently accessible online, but I've linked to the wayback machine, which has a version from 2024 where you can see some of the "Architecture Girl" pictures referenced in the video.
- His Soundcloud
- A webcomic in Japanese; English translation here. I read only a few chapters and it's focused on a lot of the same preoccupations that KS's map work is focused on: strange, empty places haunted by large flying polygonal objects... and anime girls.
- The Pastebin reference link on the Youtube video above, which contains links to all the mods
I think people who spend a lot of time in arts and social spaces adjacent to the games industry sometimes get desensitized to how many incredibly multitalented people work in this space. It's extremely heartwarming to watch this video and see KS slowly grow his craft skills - and interest in architecture - while establishing his peculiar personal perspective over the course of the 90s and 2000s. I hope he's doing well today!