James Ernest, Amber Cook, Rhea Friesen, Dan Mushalko, Paul Peterson, and me at Origins 2016. Photos by Marie Poole.
I’m gonna tell you a story about someone who you should know about. Her name was Amber Cook. She was the most curious person I ever met. This story will give you a window onto why.
In 2015, I did a panel at PAX called “The 100 Games You Absolutely, Positively Must Know How to Play.” Amber was in the front row as I presented 100 representative games of all the important mechanics and styles that I knew of. Most people took it as a resource or a lark or a prompt for debate.
Amber took it as a quest.
You see, Amber was a marketer in games. One of the very best. She cared about everyone and everything in the game industry. She knew much more about what we did than most of us who did it. But something about the panel told her she didn’t know enough. She told me, on the spot, that she was going to play every game on the list. One hundred games. I laughed. Surely she was joking?
She was not joking.
Amber created a website called The 100 Games Project on which she documented her journey. She forced open her mind and filled it with knowledge, game by game. She involved her friends. She spread the love of games solely for the love of games. She made all of our creations important. She kept a checklist. She taught you how to love what she loved.
I tell this story not just because it shows how curious and dedicated Amber was. I tell it because of how she made me feel by throwing herself into this activity. She made me feel trusted. I am a person who frequently puts on a face of confidence at times I don’t really feel confidence. Seeing her—someone who I viewed as brilliant and powerful—center part of her life on something I did was validating. But here’s the thing: I’m not the only one. Amber did this for everyone. There are many people posting now about how Amber lifted them up. Who can hold all that weight without buckling? Not me. Amber could.
I was 100% convinced she would finish the list. She didn’t. An illness took her away this week. She leaves behind a partner, a young son, and a legion of friends who love her. Next year, if given the chance, I’m gonna do a ten-year anniversary panel of the 100 Games project and I will dedicate it to Amber.
I texted back and forth with Amber just six days ago about Gamers 4 Harris, which she enthusiastically joined. We didn’t stay on for long and I really regret that. I would have loved to spend more time finding out about her life with her son, what she was doing, and where her mind was at. Because it was a great mind. It’s silenced now. We are worse because of it. But we were at our best when she was around.
Requiescat in pace, Amber.