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underdark-dreams · 8 months

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ok, I'm too cowardly to actually reply to your post about Rolan/ Dammon headcannons/ prompts but here are a few:

Rolan:

-He finally gets to be hero, he saves Tav from some scenario and when Tav is thanking him he has no idea what to do with himself.

-Cal and Lia being siblings and absolutely embarrassing him anytime Tav is around. (Sharing embarrassing but endearing stories from when they were younger, hinting at his feelings for Tav, making kissy faces from behind Tav when he's trying to have a conversation.)

-Also, I just have a feeling that he's a jealous green monster whenever someone who isn't any one the companions try and talk to Tav.. especially if its another wizard.

Dammon:

-Him trying to muster up the courage to ask Tav out when he has his shop in Baulders Gate.

-Dammon would 100% be the type who wants to court someone the 'proper' way, but could be convinced otherwise.

-He seems like he would act like a love sick puppy when he's in love.

Thank you for this delicious bouquet of ideas!! 🖤 Twirling my hair over these!! I do want to save a few for fics, but I couldn’t look at this in my inbox any longer without writing out some headcanons:

Rolan

[Cal & Lia embarrassing him around Tav]

The three of them have a super close bond underneath all the bickering. So the absolute second Rolan catches feelings, Cal & Lia smell blood in the water

Honestly they probably catch it before Rolan admits him to himself

When Lia starts to drop hints or Cal asks if he’s gotten up the nerve to kiss them yet, Rolan is like "what? stop being stupid"

But then he turns away & checks in with himself for a second & he's like "oh fuck"

Rolan makes an effort to only interact with Tav far away from his home, his workplace, the general vicinity of his neighborhood in Baldur’s Gate—basically avoiding anywhere they might run into his sister or brother. They already make him nervous enough

But once they start getting closer he also really wants to bring them home, so at some point, he’ll suck it up and face this potential trainwreck head-on

His siblings make light conversation over dinner about what Tav’s been doing or working on lately. Lia’s like “oh yeah Rolan mentioned that, you know he talks about you a lot, like all the time”

Tav’s hand silently taking his under the table is the only thing that could distract Rolan from snapping back

Somehow, Rolan is even more embarrassed when his siblings start genuinely reminiscing and telling Tav stories about the three of them growing up in Elturel

He’ll chime in if Tav asks him a question, but otherwise he’s pretty quiet. Rolan doesn’t want them to think about him as a refugee or an orphan

In his mind, he still thinks he needs to be powerful and significant in order to truly deserve Tav’s affection

If Rolan paid any attention, he’d realize that Cal and Lia talking up what a stubborn, protective big brother he’s always been is putting stars in Tav’s eyes

[Jealousy]

He’s so fucking jealous and it drives him crazy

Rolan likes controlling the narrative, keeping any vulnerability under control & well hidden from others, etc.

Falling in love with Tav creates a big complication in the way he usually operates

Once he’s master of Ramazith’s Tower, he has a certain amount of social obligations—hosting members of the wizarding community, professional gatherings, etc

And Tav is an integral part of his life now, so they'll always be involved to some extent

Midway through the evening, Rolan glances across the room and sees one of his colleagues talking much closer than he'd like to his beloved. As he watches, their hand actually reaches out to touch Tav’s elbow

Whatever he's doing or whoever he's conversing with is abandoned without ceremony

Rolan does that thing where he casually walks up to join the conversation and places a hand on the small of Tav's back, just resting there with a slight smile as he pretends to listen. But he’s staking his claim

In his head the gesture means step the fuck back, this person is with me. It’s honestly about as subtle as a sledgehammer

After they're finally alone again he'll probably want to fuck Tav on his desk or against one of the bookstacks in the Tower

Capturing them for himself and hearing them moan his name and making sure they know they’re his

Dammon

[Working up the courage to ask Tav out]

He’s been really glad their paths have converged here and there along the way, but nothing could make him prouder than when Tav comes to visit the Forge of Nine Hells in the city

Dammon is completely in his element in Baldur’s Gate

He’s pretty modest and down-to-earth, but he feels a swell of pride when Tav finally sees him running a proper forge. It’s how he always hoped they’d see him

And is it just his imagination, or does he see them…often? Almost every day they’re dropping by for one reason or the other, and they seem to linger to chat and watch him work

The hints that they’re interested are all Dammon needs to start working up his courage to make a move

He's alone and tied to his work most of the day, which gives his mind ample time to run through different options

Getting the timing right drives him a little crazy. So often Tav is in a hurry, or with their companions, or he's got a rush commission that he has to get finished

When he finally finds the moment, he’ll probably come right out with it & ask them out for a drink. He wants something simple where they can talk, plus smithing is thirsty work

When Tav agrees with a smile, Dammon drops everything, his leather apron snagging as he pulls it over his horns in his haste to get going

Gathers his courage and puts an arm around their shoulders as they walk

With anyone else Dammon would be self-conscious about how he smells like iron and smoke and sweat all the time. But if anyone can look past it it’s Tav, with everything they’ve been through

A feeling that's confirmed when they lean further into him with a laugh

[Being totally lovesick over Tav]

The definition of devoted

He would 100% be that type of boyfriend who likes to be always touching Tav when they’re close

Prefers to rest his hand on their hip while they’re side by side, maybe on the curve of their ass if he can get away with it. The contrast against the doting look in his eye is classic Dammon—sweet and hot

It's not a possessiveness thing, and he'd tone it down if Tav asked, he's just super into them & touching them feels natural

Just in general, he loves telling Tav yes and has a very hard time telling them no

At the end of the day, Dammon likes to pull Tav down to sit on his lap and talk about their days. He might stroke their hair or rub their back while he listens, just helping his love relax at the end of a long day

Dammon’s used to being a single bachelor and taking care of himself, but he discovers that he adores when Tav does little things to dote on him or pamper him

One night he comes home with the usual soot stains on his skin and ache in his shoulders to find that Tav has drawn him a warm, pleasant-smelling bath. Ignoring any mild protests, Tav insists on helping him peel off his sweaty layers and sink in, then loosens his knot of hair to gently lather and wash his locks. The feel of Tav’s fingers and nails massaging his scalp is the most loving, tender thing. Dammon feels like he could fall asleep right right there in the water under their hands

He calls Tav all kinds of pet names: darling, love, dearest, gorgeous, sometimes angel if he's feeling especially whipped

Dammon is one to say "I love you' freely and often, but hearing Tav say it back never fails to make him sigh with happiness

#mildly spicy #dammon x tav #rolan x tav #bg3 dammon #bg3 rolan #rolan bg3 #dammon bg3 #bg3 headcanons #bg3 spoilers #baldur's gate 3 spoilers

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robynbaldurlogs · 2 months

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baldur log day 3

TODAY WAS THE WORST DAY OF MY FUCKING LIFE!!!!! OHHH MY GOD. IM SO MAD. ok. im exaggerating but. ill get to that. so lets just go through the first couple things that happened. heres the squad. say hi intrepid heroes

so i talked to zevlor and agreed to find the goblin leader. on my way to the goblin camp i meet these people who talk about the absolute and call me a true soul after their brother dies lol.

then they say theyre looking for a survivor from the ship crash, i say i am one and..

they... wanna kill me...??? i really didnt want to but i was already in the fight so im like. whatever. sure man. so i cooked the shit out of them, duh. im curious about what their deal was though... also i had the option to ask if they knew about halsin the healer and i didnt ask which sucks cus i should have done that first also im... starting to catch on to what astarion is. if im assuming correctly. cus earlier he talked about how much he looooves rare ass meat thats "dripping" with blood and that was weird as a random comment but...

Ok. I Know What You Are.

anyways. then i meet this dog by his dead owner. befriend him. all good.

but then. i use speak to animals (with wyll) and talk to the dog. and wanting to help i yell at the corpse. because im like. I DUNNO MAN. maybe the dog will realize hes dead. but then HE GETS MAD AT ME AND TURN COMBAT MODE COMES ON. and i tried to go back and reload. i didnt want to but i also did not want to kill him. but the save was so far back. then i tried to run away with astarion but i guess running away works per character. so i thought oh maybe if i return the fight will be over.... and it wasnt....

i have never regretted something more. ohhhh i am going to show you so much love and compassion when i run this game a second time. this is the worst thing to happen to me. ever. fuck everything. i still love you scratch.

...anyways. got to the goblin camp. used a wisdom roll to convince the goblins we're good thanks to the brain tadpole. astarion commented on how we could convince anyone to do anything with the tadpoles and he was like mweheheeheh.

but of course i agree with shadowheart. cus shes goated. also id agree with that if it wasnt her either way. (ignore her looking like a swedish twink. i used disguise self and forgot to change her back) oh also we leveled up right before this hell yes

but ya then my friend speves reminded me to go back to that gate in the beginning of the game that was locked. so i went there and unlocked it with astarion. fucked up like twice but hey man its a dc 20 okay. im lucky i had vampirical fuck with me or ida never unlocked it

but yeah i went into the crypt, looted some stuff and killed a couple people. nothing bad happened in the first room and i did not have to reload.

embarrassing as fuck but yeah then i intimidated the guys outside to leave

and shadowheart said i was more cunning than i looked.... wow. thank u. im flattered. but yeah relatively short session i havent even found halsin or met karlach yet but hopefully i get that done next time. ive got a test tomorrow so im gonna fuck off and study hell yeah bitches

#bg3 #baldurs gate 3

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dicecast · 5 years

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Blast from the Past: Baldur’s Gate 2 Tutorial

Ok so last time I talked about Bladur’s Gate I’s Candlekeep and how it is my standard for what an RPG tutorial should be. Today I want to switch things up and talk about a tutorial which I am more mixed about, which is both good and bad, Jon Irenicus dungeon from Baldur’s Gate II

See in many ways I think this is a fantastic tutorial, it has story, it has character, it has challenge, it introduces the characters and it is related to the plot, what more could you want? Well...it has one big problem and that problem kinda....kills it even though it is great

So ok, the premise is this. After emerging victorious in BG1, you guys wander off and are captured and you wake up basically being experimented on in a laboratory by a freakishly powerful mage named Jon Irenicus. The mage speaks to you in this creepy dispassionate way where it is clear he doesn’t even see you as human, and the whole place feels cold and distant. He gets attacked by enemies and has to leave, giving you an opportunity to escape, and this is his dungeon. So lets talk about what this does well and oh so well before we get to the glaring error

1) its a pretty interesting dungeon. You are going through what is a tutorial dungeon but rather than fighting a bunch of goblins and rats in the most generic caves ever, you are going through a place with a unique antithetic with a bunch of cool monsters. Over the course of this adventure you will run into clay Golems, Mephits, Grey Dwarves, Shadow Thieves, Jinn, air elementals, Ogres Mages, Rakasha, Cambions, Demons, Otyugh, some deranged clones, goblins, some enslaved Nymphs, a Vampire, a doppleganger, and a ton of traps. Its a whole variety of different D&D creatures all of whom have a place in the dungeon (except the goblins why are they here?) and many have different methods of interaction. At one point you go to the Plane of Air, and an underground forest and this is all just in the first dungeon. Compare this to like the opening dungeon to Oblivion.

2) it serves a lot of story functions, which I am going to sub divide

2a) It builds the Character of Irenicus, actually more so than the rest of the game. The entire place feels cold, sterile, and kinda...in human. The clone rooms, the experiment labs and of course the terrifying room, it really does feel like somebody who has lost all ability to feel but remembers he once did. Its really creepy and is able to convey a lot about him that talking to him will not. The way Imoen is so broken reflect this as well

(This character has dignity..no really)

2b) It advances the plot, two of your companions die here, though I never liked that plot line. more importantly though, it shows off the varied world of D&D and how much Baldur’s gate is going to engage in the more exotic elements of the D&D world

2c) It is the only time in the entire saga where you really feel helpless, when I first played I was terrified Jon would find me (I was 10 btw) and this entire area always creeped me out. This is your lowest point

(eww)

3) And this is absolutely critical, this dungeon is actually pretty tough...or it would be if you weren’t stronger. If you entered this dungeon at almost any point in Baldur’s Gate 1, this place would kick your ass but here...its kinda easy. Its basically a starter dungeon, except that everything in this is powerful but you are more powerful. Its a great introduction to mid level play and the possibilities that it offers. Through this dungeon it sets the tone for BGII vs. BGI, now you are actually able to handle yourself and you are going to be having more focused more specific adventures against much tougher opponents. Rather than design a tutorial dungeon, they designed a normal dungeon and then made the party higher level for it. You even find the sword of the main villain of the first game, just to hammer home how far you have come.

(We finally made it to a cage...)

4) Finally it has variance, some encounters are social, puzzles, traps, combat, stealth, different types of fight and you have some limited control of how to play it

Ok so far so good...what could be wrong?

Well....replay value. This dungeon is great the first time you play it, or if you play again after a long time. The second time though or the third time...this gets old real quick. you can’t just skip through it and there is enough XP and money in here that you want to stay to get it, which makes repeat play thoughs frustrating as you try to go through to get all the shit in here. Its so bad that there is mod to just skip this dungeon, even though it is pretty good in my mind.

Next up my favorite RPG tutorial level, a place with the architectural charm of a pregnant spider

#Blast from the past #Baldur's Gate #Baldur's Gate II #Forgotten Realms #RPG #Dungeons and Dragons #Roleplaying Games #Game Design #Tutorials #pathfinder: kingmaker #jon irenicus #Bhaalshawpn #Charname #planescape torme #Fantasy #D&D

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swords-starships-and-sylvari · 5 years

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Tell me about those Neverwinter Nights modules?

Ok! As background for the unaware, Neverwinter Nights is ostensibly a cRPG in the same vein as Baldur’s Gate or Pillars of Eternity, with three campaigns using D&D 3e rules. However, it’s better understood as a cRPG engine and set of robust, user-friendly modding tools. Its campaigns are effective demonstrations of what a person can make with the tools they’re given, but only the third one (Hordes of the Underdark) is a campaign I’d bother playing more than once.

The Neverwinter Vault is a fan website and repository of mods, ranging everywhere from minor graphical changes to major gameplay overhauls. One of the largest categories of mods are modules, or custom campaigns/adventures. The complexity and scope of an individual module can vary greatly; some might last the player no more than an hour, and some rival AAA games in sheer content available. Below the cut is a brief list of modules I particularly enjoyed, or currently have in my queue:

Favorites I’ve Played:

HeX Coda 01 - One of my favorite examples of what can be done with the NWN engine, this module manages to blend fantasy and sci-fi in a neat way that I don’t often see. The characters are personable and well-written, and I still have fond memories of getting to know their quirks years after playing. My only lament is that the author stopped after one-and-a-quarter modules, so we’re unlikely to ever see the full trilogy he planned.

A Dance With Rogues series [NSFW] [Trigger Warnings] - This series is frustrating to talk about. On one hand, it’s got some of the best character writing of any modules I’ve played, and it’s easily the most satisfying rogue/stealth gameplay I’ve experienced in a NWN module. On the other hand, there’s an awful amount of sexual violence inflicted on the player character (some of which is unavoidable), and a rather significant chunk of the module is just plain smut. I greatly enjoyed it, but I cannot recommend it without also giving a boatload of disclaimers.

Aribeth’s Revival series (Not to be confused with Aribeth’s Redemption) - A cute, fluffy, romance-driven sequel to the first campaign. If you played it, and wanted to smooch Aribeth, I wholeheartedly recommend the first couple modules in this series. However, Aribeth’s Revival III was written by a different author, and he was apparently unaware that the first two let you play as a woman. If you’re seeking soft sapphic feels, you’ll either need to stop after the first two or get misgendered constantly from hardcoded pronouns. Don’t let that stop you from playing the first two!

Next in my Queue:

Tales of Arterra - I know nothing about this series except that your dad has a run-in with a werewolf as the very first thing that happens, and that the community apparently loves the series to death. There’s a 95% chance this is my next module to play; I just need to stop waffling between different character options.

Almraiven - This is supposed to be the best-of-the-best wizard/sorcerer roleplaying module. Tons of dialogue, tons of creative use of spells, disguise systems, and so on and so forth. Biggest reason I haven’t played it yet is that I hate playing Vancian mages, even if there’s relatively little actual spellcasting.

Sanctum of the Archmage series - This is another of the community favorites for roleplaying/dialogue. The primary reason I haven’t finished the series so far is that this module relies on a good chunk of supporting mods, so there’s a bit of effort involved in setting it up in the first place. I do eventually plan to play it, just haven’t gotten around to it yet.

#talia speaks!#hey whoever's asking these if you want to talk to me directly please feel free #I always love talking to people #I just don't like shouting into the void so I don't do it unless prompted

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pixelrender · 5 years

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My 5 genres of video games

I used to spend my time on a variety of games from AAA open world titles to small flash tower defense games. I’m still quite fond of many of these games and Kingdom Rush in particular has a special place in my heart as the smoothest tower defense game I’ve ever played. I got obsessed over niche genres from time to time too. I had a short period, in which I read many articles on hg101. Naturally, I got super interested in shmups back then. I still like to play a simple free shmup from time to time, but I avoid more difficult entries these days and I can’t call myself a hardcore fan of the genre.

For the longest time I was big on RPGs and Boiware in particular. I loved Dragon Age and I still plan getting my hands on Inquisition one day. I need to replay Mass Effect 2 and finally finish the trilogy. Baldur’s Gate is still on my shortlist of games to finish and Jade Empire is one of my favourite underrated games to recommend. There were other RPGs than those from Bioware too. Gothic 3 probably qualifies for the game I spent most time with as completing it took me half a year. I still like low fiction of Gothic series and admire compact worlds of the first two games and Risen. Oblivion is my favourite roaming game. The best part about it was bumping into a small settlement in the middle of nature and just be there. The last not least I should mention RPG Maker. I developed few small games in it and I still sometimes work on three more. 2 of them are actual RPGs. I played and enjoyed many RM games, some of them epic fantasies. So, why is this genre only a honorable mention? I don’t find myself as attracted to it and its power fantasies as I used to. I don’t have time for sprawling epic and there are certain strategy games fulfilling my lust for medieval and characters better. The two basic premises of RPGs aren’t as interesting for me as they used to be. I don’t really care about hero’s journey narrative and I’m little bored with basic mechanics. For example leveling up can be such a chore.

Now my choices are way narrower than they used to be. I still play other games and especially hobbyist and micro RPGs, which might enter my top 5 one day. These are the five genres I purposely follow, build up libraries or knowledge of their game design and talk about on Discord the most.

1. Non-linear platformers

I enjoy myself a good metroidvania. There’s only one thing, which makes a foggy, rainy better. It’s not alcohol. Also, I used term non-linear platformers on purpose. I enjoy sideview platforming and not every metroidvania’s that. There are many different movements and some of them are less fun and there are 3d games, which use Metroid inspired progression. Also, I haven’t played a single Metroid or Castlevania proper. I don’t have any excuse for the travesty. Ok, not being a console guy might give you an explanation of my situation. And with so many likes and clones on steam, I have enough to eat through without touching emulators.

I enjoy the genre’s level design in particular. I think that adding multiple layers and making souls inspired timing based combat or adding too many rpg elements rarely helps. Movement’s still the core. Upgrades/progression is at its best, when focused on obtaining new ways of movement and not stronger weapons. Clever boss fights are always important, but I prefer them to be a puzzle rather than an endurance competition. I have a huge, almost endless list of metroidvanias to play and to base my own one on.

2. Walking simulators

Sometimes I just need to turn off. Games in general are a good resting activity, walking sims and ambient games take it little further. And I usually feel enriched by playing them. I don’t feel like an overgrown child. Walking around studying original aesthetic of their creators. It’s a dialogue, in which I confront and reflect their approach to architecture and aesthetics They are definitely better enjoyed on a big screen with proper audio and smooth performance. They’re quite power hungry as even low poly ones are usually 3d. That’s a problem with my current hardware and software. In general I enjoy low poly and minimalist walking sims the most. They tend to focus more on composition.

Almost walking sims present you with a sense of wonder. You explore unknown and often massive lands. They should let you find your own way, but some of there are more focused and lead. Even if the land’s strange, it’s for the better when it rings a sense of familiar. Going cheap surreal isn’t the way. Landscapes in walking sims can be way weirder than Dali, but they should have their own nature. Walking sims are usually very slow. There’s no activity besides walking, maybe you can pick up an item. Sometimes, you follow a story. It’s hard to define a hard border, where walking sims end and other genres start. Gone Home is about something completely else than pure walking sims, but I still enjoy it for its pacing and ambiance. That brings it very close. Curtain certainly isn’t a walking sim, but the way you move around the apartment and then walk through a corridor to bend time is very much close to timeless scenes of walking sims.

3. Art games - game art

This is a difficult category to define. Art games are usually aiming for more than entertainment. They’re deeper with references to other media or filled with social critique. Having fun sometimes feels bad in them. Game art is even more difficult to define. To put it simply, it’s usually a piece of art using games as its medium. It can have a form of an interactive executable or weird modification of an existing game but the artistic concept is more important than it being a working game. In terms of mechanics, this is a diverse group and vague one, when it comes to game design. Here I can learn from areas more relevant in the real world. They often take on philosophy, ethics, politics, aesthetics and other fields I’m interested in more than in violence and loot.

Some game are clear art games. An easy example is Kentucky Route Zero, which despite it’s artsy nature is clearly defined by its mechanics and sense of progress. The other example from my favourite games would be Little Party. This one’s lighter on mechanics, but it tells a very subtle and civil story and it uses art and creativity more than being a product of it. Proteus would be my personal borderline example. The game’s about complementing and its island are small art pieces. This is actually very close to an ambient video installation and could be considered game art.

4. Turn based strategy games

Games my brain enjoys the most. I get satisfaction from solving. Solving concrete situations of strategy games is closer to me than abstract puzzles and logic games in general. Into the Breach is close to the latter in terms of mechanics but I love it, because it’s not cold, it makes me feel and every time I fail and an enemy hits one of the cities, I stop breathing for a moment. It makes me feel heroic to put one of my mechs in front of houses and almost sacrifice its pilot to save those lives.

There’s a huge influence of Heroes of Might and Magic. That game has many flaws, but its pace is perfect. Battles are usually either swift of epic. Heroes were my first love and I still fondly return to them from time to time. They’re not as challenging or complex as most tactics/strategy games, but they’re perfect rewarding fun. I only left them as my default turn based strategy to branch out. Series like Civilization and Warlock are building more consistent worlds. Especially in Civ its super fast turns and ties to the real world’s history make it a captivating game, in which you need to strategize on several fronts at once. Tactics are the second path I currently follow. There are closer to RPGs, but for reason your characters becoming stronger makes more sense here. It’s often because you can lose them and losing a level 10 character hurts more. I enjoy the small scale of tactics games too. The smaller the better. Again it’s a game design challenge of going further without sacrificing complexity.

5. Grand strategy games

I wonder how longer this one sticks. I love engrossing myself in Paradox games, losing track of real for weeks and becoming weirdo obsessed with my own history of the world. But it’s weird and disconnecting and you can’t talk about it with your friends, because explaining it is impossible. You can share some stories with fellow grand strategy players, but it’s not difficult to realize the weird nerdness of the company.

So, what’s so good about them? They simulate politics on a world-wide level with an amount of realism, which just feels right. You can change history, but only within borders set up by Paradox. For example you can conquer France as an Aztec, but it stays France. Shapes are the same, systems too. This shade of reality makes fiction in Crusader Kings, Europa Universalis, Victoria and other games much more easy to engage with. That’s also why I find Stellaris boring. Leaving reality, there’s nothing to compare your fiction with. It renders my choices irrelevant and different developments have same impact on me. Multiplayer probably changes this.

Civilization is far less complex than grand strategy games. It’s simple and easy to explain and to change. Yet it keeps certain connection to the real world and it has great modding scene. There isn’t an infinite number of expansions for it, which would make it bloated with features. And one run lasts a lot less. Civ isn’t a simulation, it’s still a very long puzzle. One day, I will only stick with one of the two. Now It looks better for Sid Mayer than Paradox.

Pictures are from following games: Caged Bird Dont Fly Caught in a Wire Sing Like a Good Canary Come When Called, Gunmetal Arcadia, Mura Toka (1 and 2), Morphblade, Victoria 2

#feature #genres

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