Sooooooo, I bought A Plage Tale on a pretty big whim. It came on sale for about $20 CAD, and I'd had my eye on it for a while, so I decided to get it and see.
I was SO IMMEDIATELY ENTHRALLED. I literally played through it once, waited a day, then played it all again once more.
The fact that this game's story is goddamn original and fresh is only exponentially exploded by the fact that the visuals are pretty as all hell. Like, this is the medieval/dark ages visual setup that The Witcher wants to be, and with a less of a lot less pointless horniness!
Jokes aside, children are a wonderful vehicle for storytelling and powerful narratives. I'm not saying that eeeeevery single character here was perfectly formed (looking at you Melie), but it did a hell of a lot of things very well. Some other little details:
SOUNDTRACK: A+++
UI DESIGN: Pretty good, not perfect
GENERAL GAME DESIGN: Quite cohesive at some points, others not so much
SECRETS: Good god, does this game know how to reward completionists. Give me my damn loot for looking around that corner, HELL YEAH.
Check out my favourite game screenshot and more here: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2237224387
I was SO IMMEDIATELY ENTHRALLED. I literally played through it once, waited a day, then played it all again once more.
The fact that this game's story is goddamn original and fresh is only exponentially exploded by the fact that the visuals are pretty as all hell. Like, this is the medieval/dark ages visual setup that The Witcher wants to be, and with a less of a lot less pointless horniness!
Jokes aside, children are a wonderful vehicle for storytelling and powerful narratives. I'm not saying that eeeeevery single character here was perfectly formed (looking at you Melie), but it did a hell of a lot of things very well. Some other little details:
SOUNDTRACK: A+++
UI DESIGN: Pretty good, not perfect
GENERAL GAME DESIGN: Quite cohesive at some points, others not so much
SECRETS: Good god, does this game know how to reward completionists. Give me my damn loot for looking around that corner, HELL YEAH.
Check out my favourite game screenshot and more here: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2237224387
2018
I played 149 minits of this game, and love all of them. It's exactly what you'd want out of a Zelda-like, Melon Journey-esque, micro-adventure. It deserves a pat on the head for being able to deliver a charming narrative, unique side quests, and pretty neat soundtrack, all through the constraint of a 1-bit environment.
There could be more here of course (like any game), but this satisfies for sure.
There could be more here of course (like any game), but this satisfies for sure.
2019
What an utterly adorable and peaceful little gem. It's not often that I partake in the cutesier games, but this performed sooooo well. Maybe I should check out some others.
A fulfilling game to a T, brimming with love, fun animation, fantastic dialogue, and a warm sunny feeling. Gonna play this again sometime soon.
A fulfilling game to a T, brimming with love, fun animation, fantastic dialogue, and a warm sunny feeling. Gonna play this again sometime soon.
God I fucking hate stereotypes. This is just thinly veiled hate trying to present itself as unbiased, and barely even doing that. Please, I'm begging you, talk to other humans.
2016
Wow wow wow I didn't have huge expectations going into this, and considering I'm not one for physics games or INTENSE puzzle games, I wasn't really sure how long I'd poke at this for. All I knew was that Loading Ready Run had played it once.
Hooo boy was I wrong. This tiny little masterpiece is chock full of charm, humour, engaging gameplay, and fascinating graphics. It's so very unique, and honestly surprisingly human. An indie standout among standouts.
Hooo boy was I wrong. This tiny little masterpiece is chock full of charm, humour, engaging gameplay, and fascinating graphics. It's so very unique, and honestly surprisingly human. An indie standout among standouts.
2019
I'm really loving Finji games so far! I got Overland as part of the Itch Bundle For Racial Justice And Equality, and it's been a really great time waster. Indie game design can really produce some unique and engaging stuff!
Gushing aside, I did find that while highly replayable, the game tended to just brick itself every once in a while. Like I get that it's RNG, but sometimes I'd be a ways into a playthrough, and simply not be able to continue due to an impassable roadblock (literally) or an unnecessarily difficult level.
I'm sure I'll return to Overland when I have the time, and it'd be a great game to stream. I'm just done with it for the moment!
Gushing aside, I did find that while highly replayable, the game tended to just brick itself every once in a while. Like I get that it's RNG, but sometimes I'd be a ways into a playthrough, and simply not be able to continue due to an impassable roadblock (literally) or an unnecessarily difficult level.
I'm sure I'll return to Overland when I have the time, and it'd be a great game to stream. I'm just done with it for the moment!
I really, really, really, really adore indie games. Like more so than lots of otherly-sized games. If that makes sense. Or at least, I enjoy them in a very special way. Very small indie games give me hope for the thing that I love, which is game design. They help to complement and diversify the games landscape. They add the cultural discussion, and are often wonderful pieces of art.
I played What Isn't Saved (will be lost) three times. I thoroughly recommend doing this, and learning that even a game with a simple enough concept can afford such an enthralling experience.
I played What Isn't Saved (will be lost) three times. I thoroughly recommend doing this, and learning that even a game with a simple enough concept can afford such an enthralling experience.
Okay so, I get that this game was made for a jam, so maybe I shouldn't be so harsh, but it didn't really do anything for me. Sure the environment/level design was fantastic, and it was well put together, but I find it hard to enjoy something when the pacing is brutally inconsistent.
From classic jump platforming one minute to nigh-unbearably boring maze griding the next, I found myself unsure how to get a grip on the game. The potential is here, and with a more solid story, sound design, and consistent play style, it could be quite enjoyable.
From classic jump platforming one minute to nigh-unbearably boring maze griding the next, I found myself unsure how to get a grip on the game. The potential is here, and with a more solid story, sound design, and consistent play style, it could be quite enjoyable.
2017
What can I say? I've been wanting to play NieR: Automata for a looooong time now. I can't believe I've finally now done it. For those who are curious, I achieved endings A, B, C, D, K, and M, but I intend to go back in the future and get them all. I promise.
It feels so weird to think that this only came out 3 years ago. I'd heard so much about it, and watched people play it. It seemed so austere and unattainable. I'm now proud to say that I've played through almost all of what the game has to offer. And I analyzed the hell out of every minute with my game design brain.
There's so much that I could list that was mindblowing about NieR: Automata, and so I won't waste your (or my) time, but I will say this: A good, memorable, and seminal game is measured by the quality and love that goes into it. It's always visible to those that appreciate it.
With wholly unique, enjoyable, diverse, and rule-breaking combat systems, award-winning soundtrack, unfathomable story writing, beautiful UI, level, and environment design, and a heavy dose of harsh nihilism, NieR: Automata has quickly become one of my absolute favourite games. Can't wait to replay it sometime in the future
It feels so weird to think that this only came out 3 years ago. I'd heard so much about it, and watched people play it. It seemed so austere and unattainable. I'm now proud to say that I've played through almost all of what the game has to offer. And I analyzed the hell out of every minute with my game design brain.
There's so much that I could list that was mindblowing about NieR: Automata, and so I won't waste your (or my) time, but I will say this: A good, memorable, and seminal game is measured by the quality and love that goes into it. It's always visible to those that appreciate it.
With wholly unique, enjoyable, diverse, and rule-breaking combat systems, award-winning soundtrack, unfathomable story writing, beautiful UI, level, and environment design, and a heavy dose of harsh nihilism, NieR: Automata has quickly become one of my absolute favourite games. Can't wait to replay it sometime in the future
2017
Oh man! This is such a sweet little game! Though I've never played Caves of Qud, I get serious vibes for it while playing this. The graphics are beyond imaginative, and it's just plain fun. I'm not done, so I'll be updating this as I continue playing.
EDIT: I just finished the game for the first time! And holy shit!!! I love it! I absolutely love what people have been doing with the classic roguelike over the past decade. This breaks down barriers, impresses above and beyond, and is fun as hell to play. This is the kind of game I want to eventually make.
EDIT: I just finished the game for the first time! And holy shit!!! I love it! I absolutely love what people have been doing with the classic roguelike over the past decade. This breaks down barriers, impresses above and beyond, and is fun as hell to play. This is the kind of game I want to eventually make.
2015
A̱̹̰̳̗ͅh͓̳͇̖͍̺̭ ͉̬̳̙͍̲͉y͉͙̱̝͡e͎̥͔̟s̬, ̝m̕y͓̺͖̤̥̹̤͝ ͕f̧̖͔av̜̥͚̘̥͜o̢̩͙̬̘̜̘̫u̟͕̬̟̖͉̲r̛͓̥̘͕ͅį͍t̟̯̠̪͈̙̩e͈͇̗͎͟ ͢g̛e̡n̯̙̖̖͠r̢̼͎̤̭̠e͚͜ ̧̞̩͕̞̣͓̯ọ̮̥̮f͏͎̦̻ͅ ̱̫̲̺̖̳!͍̪V͖̬̞̘͖̦͖I̤ͅD͝Ḛ̰O-̻̯̺̫G̠̗͙̲A̷̞̙̬̭̪̫͚M̰̀E̷̬̪!̺̱͈̟̼ͅ ̮̘S̻̼̬͉̪̯l̦̭͟i̲̻̠̥̞͕̲͡g͎͕̬̼̲̮̫h̝̘̙̺̝͓͖tl͇̖y̜̥̮̻͟ ͙̝͕̕u͉̥̖̬̖ń͔̰̟̣h̹̤̝̜̩͎ḭ̱̻͈͉̱͓͘n̡̰͉̣̼̤̹̜g̺̲̮̝̘͔͕̀e̸̺͖͇̥͔̙̺d̼͉͖̩̥͠,̡̝̻̘̞ ̵͙̟̱̤d̝̥i̧̹͖̥̭ͅf̲͇̲̮̬͎̺̀f͍̦̟i͞c̦̰̕u͇͈̗̫̼̯͎͡l̫͍͔̕t̲-̱̝̪͈̙l̞̤̞͈̟͔̰͝o̩̟o̢ͅḵ̼̙̯̫͓i̷̲̹̻̜ͅn̖͜g̠̙͕̬͖ ̪̦̝̭̕to̟̟ ̙p̺͍͔̥̬r̘̪͉͘o̜̝̠͓̫g̻̹̱͍͞r͎͚̣̺͕͓a͍m̠̜̙͚̣͡,̩ ͚aṋ̲̠͉̖̪͓d̙̳̖ ̥̩̝̭͖̮̀ͅc͎̹͈o̴͕͔͕̳̮m̬͘ͅp̤͈̻͉̘̥l͙e̼ț̣̤̙̰̤̰e̪ly̺̼͔͓̖ ͔̺̥͞o͚̰̞̰̭͔ͅve̞͇r̥̀ ͇͈m̧͇͙̳̪͍ͅy̴͈̫͇͙ ̩̦͚̭͉h̬̜͔̝̞ea̳͍ḍ̙̼͔̯̗͕͞.
2018
A really neat game! A tad rudimentary here and there, but for one of the many, MANY itch.io games out there, it's really interesting. I didn't finish it, but I may some day.
2015
Life is Strange will always be one of the dearest games to my heart. It came to me at a unique point in my life, and it changed my perceptions of games as art, and my future regarding game design. Not only is it a beautifully crafted narrative experience, but it explores talking simulator mechanics in a fluid and interesting way. I will always have this game to thank for kickstarting me on a path of game design love and game creation initiative.
2017
Playthroughs completed:
-The Survivor
-The Monk
-The Hunter (though only briefly)
-The Drought (almost all)
It was only relatively recently that I discovered Rain World, but I absolutely adore it. It's just so... FASCINATING. I genuinely feel that this game, more than almost any other, is a master of immersion and environmental situations. That means to say, the dynamic soundtrack, adaptive obstacles/enemies, brutal survivalism, GORGEOUS graphics, and depth of worldbuilding make it a wholly seperate gameplay experience. I'm sure I'll take some time to play it again and again.
-The Survivor
-The Monk
-The Hunter (though only briefly)
-The Drought (almost all)
It was only relatively recently that I discovered Rain World, but I absolutely adore it. It's just so... FASCINATING. I genuinely feel that this game, more than almost any other, is a master of immersion and environmental situations. That means to say, the dynamic soundtrack, adaptive obstacles/enemies, brutal survivalism, GORGEOUS graphics, and depth of worldbuilding make it a wholly seperate gameplay experience. I'm sure I'll take some time to play it again and again.
2014
I've played Transistor a few times now, and I can definitely say it's just a really solid game. It hits it out of the park with music, graphics, and pacing, and the combat design is something really unique. I've got to play more games by Supergiant.