melancholy-thots

[melancholy-thots]

Aether Operations

Yeah. It's been a while. I'm hoping to come back and I thought I'd do it with the weirdest possible post I could make.

I'm going to go off the rails about a ttrpg zine that I have owned for months and only just now found out the name of.

Around this time last summer, the semester had just ended and I went on a vacation to the nearest Actual Big City to visit a friend. Said friend works sometimes, kind of freelance, at a gaming store. So during my friend's shift, I spend the entire time marvelling at all the cool gaming stuff. Especially the table top role playing games.

Ever since my first time playing Paranoia, I've had a bit of a love for weird ttrpg stuff. So when I saw the whole bookshelf in this store just dedicated to the weird, the indie, the not-dnd, I was ecstatic.

One thing that caught my eye was this gorgeous piece of art on what looked like newspaper paper. Then I unfolded it. Unfolded it again. It turned out to be this MASSIVE zine that has an entire ttrpg complete with character classes and world map.

I cannot stress enough, this is tied for the most beautiful art I own. Every single part of this weird little folded sheet of paper leaves me speechless.

But the title is written in an unreadable font and the price tag system wasn't really helpful. So for the longest time I've just had this piece I adore with my entire heart and no idea what it is.

But I was watching a youtube video today about fake video games and one of them gave me vibes so hard of this zine that I had to try. I googled "ttrpg zine spirit bone meat" and I got it. Top of the results. Aether Operations. Turns out there's a whole webbed site where I can buy weird funky booklets like this many of which I remember considering at the shop.

So yeah. No real thesis here. Just go look at this thing. Maybe support them with money. Definitely keep your eyes peeled when you're out in the real world. These weird little gems pop up in the least expected places.

#personal #ttrpg #aether operations #zines #serendipity

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Internet Existence

I changed my pic on here again, as I have been doing a good bit. It's always been hard for me to find a pic for places like Tumblr where I don't want to put my actual face. On Discord I use a picture that I actually commissioned from an artist because I feel so bad if I use art without actually getting the artist's permission or compensating them properly. And yeah, that does give me weird feelings with the bidoof pic, but I'm posting those pics anyway so I feel less bad.

Anyone else think about this stuff or am I just insane?

#personal #been doing less personal blogging recently #but I'm still thinking way too much about shit #don't you worry

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Literally the Best Pokemon Game, Fight Me

I have said my whole life that Pokemon snap was my favorite pokemon game. It holds such a dear spot in my heart and may be one of the only things I feel genuine nostalgia for. I spent time in college drafting up ideas and models for a fan remake. So when Pokemon announced this remake, I LOST IT.

They had to know what they were doing to my one nostalgic memory when they did this shit. Is this what people feel like when DisneyMarvelSuperCrossover shit happens? If so, it's honestly understandable.

(For context, Todd is the player character in the original Snap)

I have so many edited photos. Honestly the improvements they made are all so good. The people who made this game really get it. The joy of just taking silly little images of your favorite pokemon. And boy, do I have pictures of my favorite pokemon here. I could become an entirely bidoof blog for months if I shared all of them.

Plus being able to share your photos? I don't even care that much about other people seeing the little images I make so much as I care about seeing other people with correct opinions about the perfection of bidoof.

Obligatory Amogus while I'm sifting through looking for plot points to talk about

Oh! Not plot, but I am loving the new stages they added. Obviously on this crazy superior hardware we can do so much more, but I kind of expected new biomes like Jungle. Not weird haunted forest where you keep getting teleported around. Really was not expecting underwater. All great additions.

Literally the only picture I have of an illumina pokemon. But I really like what they're doing here. Obviously it's not the kind of mind-bending story plots that I typically love. But this isn't a narrative game either. It's a fun photo game. And they are giving us even funner pokemon to take photos of. And it's a really nice addition.

#May just post some more of these pics for the next few days #I have some genuine bangers #Maybe I'm spoiled but idk why people complain about remakes of their childhood favorites #this was incredible and has given me so much joy as an adult #definitely rivals how much joy the original gave me as a kid #pokemon #new pokemon snap

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That's Not Even a Game Yet?

I'm super hype for this one! This is my first ever time trying an Early Access game! I've had it sitting in my Steam library for like a month though, so it's already seen a number of updates and the only bug I saw was not game-breaking at all. That being said, here's a look at Snacko!

I had a WAY cuter picture of Mikan, but apparently my desktop decides it wants to occasionally not remember multiple screenshots in a row and sometimes it does. Wack computer, but adorable writing!

Oh I love when these games let me have a birthday. If freaking Clint gets gifts on his birthday, why can't I? Oh, also yeah, I'm shipwrecked or whatever.

Hehe, can't believe I received your mom. Heh. Gottem.

I really like that you invite whichever characters you want to your island. Issue: this lad is perfect, but I didn't vibe with the guy who replied to be my carpenter. But I can't reject him, I'm not a monster!

Took me a week of setting up my farm, but I finally decided to branch out and explore, but good god! Look at these areas! They're gorgeous.

This intro scene lasted like 30 seconds. So hard to pick a spot to screenshot. It all looks so good.

If I haven't sold you yet, look at how your little kitty sleeps each night! Overall, this is an awesome little game. I will 100% be coming back, especially after it gets fully released. I should've screenshot, but there were multiple things like "this mechanic is not available in Early Access." That's probably super standard, but like I said, I've never done this before, so it's super novel for me. Got me hype to keep coming back to see the new stuff. Go ahead and check this out if you've been thinking about it, these devs are cooking up something good.

#snacko #hopefully they don't mind me posting before the game is out #I follow the devs so I know they're here on tumblr #hopefully they also don't mind that I didn't report the one bug I saw #my friend told me after that they like hearing even about tiny things #but I am a hardcore bethesda fan #so I'm used to playing games that are sooooooooo buggy

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Yeah! You Want "Those" Blog Posts?

Speaking of mobile games! (From yesterday, I posted about a mobile game yesterday) The creators of Katamari have finally given us those mobile games that are always in ads but never really what they're advertising.

This is such a beautiful brain-off kind of game. Genuinely could not ask for more from this collection of minigames.

We've got all the classics. Math tower, fluid tubes, parking lot, money stack (which I've literally never seen advertised), and key sliding puzzle.

This one was literally my childhood though. My uncle had a physical toy that was essentially this same premise. Loved it to pieces.

This one makes no sense to me though. You pick the money up then you use it to protect you from dangers. WHERE IS MY ESCAPISM, THIS IS JUST REAL LIFE??

I've cleared almost every stage of every game at this point, but there are still buttons on the front page of the game that have "???" on them. Maybe I'll google what they mean and how to unlock them.

I have unlocked this though! Not sure why there's a "gotcha" mechanic, but it's all in-game. This is based off of mobile games, but does not fall into their monetezation strategies. Which is good because I did pay money for this up front, so I would be kind of salty about that.

I do feel the need to show what comes out of the egg toys. You get titles and backgrounds. I'm not sure what for. Maybe the question marks hide some kind of multiplayer aspect. No telling for now.

#yeah! you want “those games” #I'm not typing the whole title #It's long and there's probably no fandom #Maybe there is though #People find beauty in everything afterall

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Mobile Games? Mobile Games.

I have been dabbling slightly into this massive corner of gaming. Not really sure why it's never really grabbed me like other ways of gaming. I think it serves a different purpose. As is evident by all my other posts, I want to use my entire brain when I'm playing a video game. I want stories and characters and gameplay that grab me by the shoulders and shake me somewhat violently. And mobile gaming is for filling the small quiet moments in life that I prefer to keep small and quiet. That being said: look how cute these desserts are!!

Yes, like all good Zoomers, I am often seized by nostalgia or otherwise by the uncontrollable need to have a tasty little treat. Enter Pokemon Cafe Remix to fulfill both of those at the same time.

Just look at that art style. This game really is perfect when what I need is bright happy colors to kickstart my brain into functioning again.

I actually don't have any screenshots of the normal gameplay, probably because it's timed, but I really haven't seen anything like it. Maybe it's common in mobile games, but it's a shape-matching game where you drag the shapes across the touch screen and try to make as many of them touch as you can before lifting your finger. Extremely fun, though I'm always a sucker for a good match-three so grain of salt.

Oh yeah. I'm playing the game in French. So apologies to any non-francophones out there, but I promise there's nothing of note in any of these words. It's a mobile game. They want people coming back and spending money so there's daily rewards and there's a better version of this if you spend. I consider this level of monetization an endemic disease at this point. I would love if I could pay once up front and not deal with this, but the devs need to eat so I'll throw some money at these types of games every 10 or so hours that I get out of them.

Enough of me yapping. Look! I got my favorite pokemon! And it's wearing a little barista uniform! What a good little employee.

This just seems like an unnecessary workplace hazard. Having employees that are snack shaped.

#pokemon #pokemon cafe remix #Honestly worth a try #I haven't played in months #but I remember it fondly #I kind of fell off when they introduced having teams but then my team members didn't help at all #free rider problem and all that

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More Than Just Boyfriends in the Dungeons

I've played enough dating sims with just men or just women as love interests that I wasn't expecting anything different here. Boyfriend is in the name, why would I expect girlfriends? And certainly I'd never expect a fellow nonbin-

Oh hi~❤️

Yeah, this game has not one, not three, but two nonbinary love interests. Mind blown.

Say what you want about them fitting into various tropes about who can and cannot be nonbinary, and I do wish they would've pushed even more boundaries here, but you've got to admit. This is infinitely more than I'm used to getting in a dating sim. I am feasting on these crumbs.

Speaking of weird tropes. There's a cat. Yes this cat is adorable. Yes this cat is a weapon. No, you don't date this cat in the same way you date the humans. No make out sessions, only cafe cuddles and ear scritches. Like the good lord intended.

Speaking of weapons. I haven't talked any about the actual gameplay. It's pretty fun! I didn't get any screenshots of just fighting (because any combat that isn't turn based makes me panic and not think about hitting the button) but it really is a great addition to this game. Actually. Maybe addition is wrong. The way that the battles are done and how the dungeons represent emotional conflict, it really is an integral part of the game. The story supports the battles which turn around and support the game. I feel like that balance has to be hard to strike given how most dating sims tend to shy away from gameplay like this.

Apparently this is the only endgame screenshot I got. I went back and got Sunder and Valeria's endings after this, too. But of course this is the first ending I got and the only one I got a picture for. Wonderful dating sim. Highly recommend.

#boyfriend dungeon #actually talked about the game in this one #kind of #Fun fighting fun characters fun stories #what more can you ask for?

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Time to Date Weapons!

Now that I have all my screenshots on my computer, I'm also going to go back and talk about some other games I've really enjoyed. Or hated. It's my blog and I'll do what I want~

Before the game even starts though, I'm greeted with something I always love to see when starting anything where it's applicable:

Content warnings!

I know it's a bit of a meme at this point, but I really appreciate content warnings, especially in media that it's easy to get super lost in, like video games. I actually played this game a couple years ago right after I got a restraining order against my own stalker. So seeing this really helped me steel myself against those story points. They weren't anything too much for me, but a hit always hurts less when you know it's coming and can prepare for it.

Similarly, this is just so considerate. It's the tiniest detail, not very difficult to implement on the back end, but it shows that the people making this game were really thinking about their players. And that's really cool.

Why yes. I did make myself a pink haired waifu. If I can't do that, you need to rethink your character creation.

Wasn't expecting this game to have a human antagonist. Kinda assumed it would be all about the dungeon battles. But who knows. Maybe the devs will be merciful and allows me to stab this guy with a sword as well. Here's hoping.

#I rambled on a lot in this one #so I'll probably make another 2 part post #I just hate making these too long #But this game is really good I promise #If you're a fan of dating sims and also actually playing a game with mechanics #can't go wrong with this one #boyfriend dungeon

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Breakthrough in Blogging

So I just found out today how I can move literally all the screenshots off my switch. This will make posting waaaaaay easier. Also they were apparently taking up very little space on there? I have no idea how data storage works.

#being employed full time while also finishing my degree is hard #I'm still learning how to blog #but at least it's fun and it's for me and there's no downside if I mess up #or don't come back for months at a time #same can't be said of every other facet of life #personal?

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I am a chronic turn signaller. People will be like “there’s no cars around.” Wrong, I’m

1. letting pedestrians know.

2. I’m doing this in case I missed a car or person somewhere, or

2b. I’m gonna be stuck at this intersection til a car or person shows up

3. It makes it a habit

#everyone do this all the time!!! #i had a REAL close call recently bc some asshole thought it was fine not to signal he was turning when I was walking home

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Second Sticker Post

Because I want to and y'all can't stop me. This game is cute and fun and I'm going to talk about it again. But only once because I feel like I've finished.

Starting off strong with one of my favorite designs yet. Look at these lads. Bernd specifically requests a sticker with some kind of rodent. So of course I spent all my upgrade points getting as many rodents as I could. But this raises another pressing question: do people do that??? Just make. Requests? of online stores????

Holy shit. Fifteen!!! My man loves these stickers just as much as I do. How is this game so cute and heartwarming?? I came into this expecting to make dumb stickers. Now I've got Bernd and his rodents.

I get these kind of comments a lot and I just. What motives??? Are frogs a motive? Drinks? I have so many questions.

THAT'S GROWTH! love seeing character development in my online business simulator.

Would be weird if my customers were frogs. Glad I can rest assured that they are not.

This is the last plot line I got. I'm not actually sure if this game has a "roll credits" kind of ending. I just stopped playing when the days got too hard and I felt like I was on a hamster wheel. I am learning to be better about defining my own end state with stuff like this. Obviously with my big plot-based games there will be a credits rolling moment that I can call the end if I want. But even many of those have postgame stuff where I have to call it a day when I say so. All in all a really cute little game and a great way to spend a few hours on a rainy weekend.

#sticky business #I'm having fun blogging about games #Maybe I'm an elite gamer now

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Let's Get Down to Business

I spent so long looking covetously upon this game before realizing I'm an adult with a job. I can spend my money how I want. Even on adorable little games that allow me to run a virtual sticker shop. Zero regrets. And even less now that I've played the game and seen how much cute, chill fun it is.

The first thing that struck me enough to warrant a screenshot was this. This customer left a comment with their order? And it's like a detailed personal story?? There's no shot people actually do that. Right? I get nervous leaving comments like "love your art! this made my day!"

Oh wow! There's multiple people doing this. Poor fictional dudes inside my computer. I'm going to pack their stickers with my nicest packaging to help make their day better!

This is my nicest packaging by the way (yeah, this is a different order, I forgot). I spent all my upgrade points on this but it was so worth! Look how cute!!

Also, it's not visible in the other screenshots, but stickers all have names, and I've been having a hoot and half. Ran into the character limit though, so beware!

Oh shit! He's gonna do it! He's gonna talk to me or my so! That bastard.

No fuckin way! We've got plot lines? Characters?? Not what I was expecting from Sticker Design Simulator, but I'm sure as hell not complaining.

#sticky business #real cute game #there's a second post coming #I've got too much cuteness to share #you can't stop me

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Finally Finished!

I don't have that many screenshots of the ending because I was too busy crying and feeling emotions and loving how good the narrative is. And I'm still tempted to go back and play more! I only have half the achievements and I want to investigate all the tiny moments this game has to offer since that's really what makes it great. In addition to that, I still have a lot of unanswered questions, mostly about Sif's backstory. It's possible that this uncertainty is part of The Point®, but it's equally possible that I'm bad at gaming and missed something.

Maybe I'll come back later to try to answer those questions. In which case I will definitely throw more words on the internet about how good this game is. Until then, have the last two screenshots I took, the first being possibly my favorite line in a game filled with nothing but bangers.

#in stars and time #isat #time for new games! #I've got some short games I want to try #very hype

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Long Overdue Talk of Coffee

I have no idea how I haven't talked about this on here yet. Probably because I talk at so much length in my real life about how much I love this game. Genuinely it has helped reignite my love for VNs, it is incredible. I'm talking, of course, about the incredible coffee shop sim Coffee Talk (including the much more recent sequel)!

Everything about these games is so cute and vibey. I'm just mixing these tasty beverages (irl tasty beverages are about the only way to keep my ass hydrated, idk why I'm so bad at drinking water), talking to these great fantasy characters about their lives, even helping them out occasionally.

I will say, I didn't get a screenshot of it apparently, but the new item mechanic is sooooo good, if a little infuriating at times. I love having this additional way to interact with characters and influence the story in a way that doesn't feel weirdly disconnected from how people work. Like yeah, getting a nice tea latte can set me on track for a good day, but you know what does that wayy better? Someone handing me my house keys that I thought I'd lost.

This one is just because I love Jorji, only cop I respect. Loves his daughter, afraid of ghosts, perfect man right here.

Having a log really is a necessity for me when playing games where it's possible to skip past dialogue. Sometimes my fingers get twitchy, game devs! Let me see the thing I accidentally clicked passed, especially if it's a really nice moment talking about overcoming tendencies towards prejudice!

This is just an advertisement for genmaicha. My favorite type of tea. Drink this shit every time I need a tasty beverage and also am okay to drink caffeine. Irl caffeine real dangerous for me, so getting to look at these cute drinks and do my cute latte art helps keep me safe. Truly the best game I have played in a long time.

#coffee talk #games

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Observe the Lechonk (side view)

#lechonk #crochet #incredible #perfect #I'm in love #look at this man!

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This Game Owns My Entire Brain (Part 2)

I decided to split this into two posts so I don't have to use my brain to count. I know there's a picture limit on posts and I've got a fair number. That being said though, I also wanted to say @insertdisc5 has a tumblr. That's the developer of this game. Go give them a follow if you're interested, they put a lot of good stuff up. I'd tag them, but I don't want to annoy them with notifications from nobody ass blogs gushing over their games.

So I've also been voicing Boniface here (the tiny one on the right, the slightly less tiny one on the left is the PC Sif). Such an adorably written preteen character. The way everyone is devoted to protecting them at all costs is so fucking cute. Also. Did you see that? Bonnie's a they/them user like yours truly. I like to believe that Bonnie is simply too young to know what their gender is yet. Natural state of things really.

This fucking scene got to me so hard. The interactions between these two are really something else. I don't even want to give too much away, but these people are really good at writing characters who have been through unimaginable trauma before even having the emotional regulation developed to know how to respond in a way that isn't like. Being a dick to Sif. Phenomenal.

I only have this one pic for Odile right now, which is a shame because she's also a really good character. Typical mage type, nerd ass loves books, does all types of damage. But she also gets her own story that was really impactful, especially since the person I'm playing with voicing Isabeau is half Korean and was similarly abandoned by their mom. Plus Odile's relationship with Bonnie is just so adorable. Which actually. Writing it right after the "Odile never got a mom" sentence kind of also makes her relationship with Bonnie unbearably sad. Always something new to think about here.

Basically, if you're into story based games and like (or can deal with) turn based battles, I highly recommend this game. It's really good at so much that it does.

I'll just say, if insertdisc5 sees this, hi, huge fan, please release a guide 😭 I was able to find the long thingy thing so easy (much to the surprise of everyone else playing with me), but spent an entire game night trying to find the secret ingredient bc I didn't think it'd be past the threads.

#in stars and time #isat #spoilers under the cut #for sure this time

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This Game Owns My Entire Brain (Part 1)

Y'all I cannot speak highly enough of In Stars and Time. Yes, I'm still in the process of playing it during my weekly game night with friends, but I really wanted to write about it. The characters are so incredibly cute and the writing is so fun! Every time I go through a time loop, I'm kind of amazed at how much joy and fun and tears this team managed to pack into a game where I'm doing the same like hour long section over and over. I've been so engrossed by my love for this game that I've had a hard time remembering to take screenshots, but I do have some.

I'm in love with this character. I've been voicing her in my play through with my friends. Did I make her voice too high and breathy? Yes. Is it destroying my throat? Also yes. But getting to read this cutie's lines is worth it. It's super cool how she's kind of the protagonist of this story from everyone else's perspective. No one else knows about the time loops. They only know Mirabelle has this super power that's going to save the day. Eventually. I just have to loop a couple dozen more times first. Beat the king. Again. again.

Power of friendship! Mirabelle doing her protagonist shit. Love it.

SPEAKING OF PERFECT CHARACTERSSSSS! Isabeau is a fucking gift. He's so cute and genuine and cares so much for the main character. Plus he's transmasc like me, but also can use the ability "SMASH!!!" which I wish I could.

Look at him! Look at his little crush on Sif! He's trying so hard and he's doing so.... he's doing his best! Will say though. There's a whole part where he's like "I have to tell you something when we beat the king." I've killed that loser three, four times now and still haven't heard Isabeau say he loves me (or whatever, it better be that though)

I have gotten this though. Which is almost as nice. ALMOST.

#in stars and time #isat #spoilers under the cut #maybe