#they're so many engaged sims in my game

[astoldbychae]

That moment when the Spice Festival and Night On The Town fall on the same night, so drinks are free until 2AM. Pour up!

After SEVERAL drinks, She most definitely got absolutely wasted then called her fiancé to come get her! 😏 Whole time I'm watching her just gigglin' and thinking of that One Margarita song

Fun Fact: This is Ashanti, TJ's older sister. She's engaged to Mekhi (Monet's older brother). Her & TJ are actually Melo's cousins. Melo was raised by his Aunt (Ashanti & TJ's mom) and Grandma. His mom passed away when he was very young.

Ashanti and Mekhi have had an on -again-off-again relationship since high school. Now that they're 30-somethings, She's ready to settle down and start a family. She stopped taking her birth control (without telling Mekhi) and has been trying to get pregnant. They just got back together (officially) not too long ago and she is not about to do the whole break-up/make-up thing any more. She damn near gave him an ultimatum that he better put a ring on it, or else...A few months later, he did exactly that. She...I mean they're planning the wedding of her dreams. Mekhi would be ok with going to the courthouse but anything for the love of his life...right?

#astoldbychae random gameplay #I need to do one of those family trees #they're so many engaged sims in my game #lawd help me #i need to make a pinterest board for their wedding #this is about to be fun #i hope she doesnt get pregnant before her wedding #cause its so many paused pregnancies in this save #CHILE IM TIED #I cant wait for the family reunion #Spotify

[hallasimss]

i leave Safwah alone for a few weeks with full autonomy since i'm playing with another sim in the same save and i come back and they're engaged and expecting their first child 😭

#* mine. #* safwah. #hallasimss #ts4 #my sims #simblr #( * girls and gays ik i said i might do a legacy challenge with them but i didn't mean now!!! #| paused the pregnancy with one of my mods but Safwah and their boyfriend [fiance now?] are so gorgeous #| i think i'll just keep the save as is and not revert to an early version #| the ring tho... so glad i downloaded so many engagement cc bc i have the cream of the crop to choose from #| there was no warning with these two btw the notification wall told me #| anyway ig it's nursery build time? i need to see how many babies they're having otherwise my game is f*cked rip )

[yooniesim]

I'm sitting here thinking about a pretty age-old debate on simblr... the race of sims that have black hairstyles, particularly in cc preview pics.

I know it's been talked about repeatedly, but when it comes to cc previews for paid cc I think it's especially worth talking about. Some people say, well, the creator only uses a few different sim models each time, it's not like they're intending to be racist or something. It's just for convenience, because they're busy, they're hustling, they gotta pay their bills. They always use the same sim, so it's fine. But like... isn't that gross to y'all? Someone making money off of black hairstyles, but they can't even be assed to go in cas for 15 mins to make a black sim? Isn't that a prime example of appropriation of black culture for profit? Like the human aspect of us as a person is gone, it's just another part of us being advertised and sold. Black hair makes money, black hair cc is limited, it will sell and nothing else matters. It feels like black hairstyles are some kind of trend with them too, because none of these creators made them before it was possible to profit off of them... back then it was "too hard" just like now it's apparently "too hard" to make a different preview sim.

Also, it's not lost of me that when a creator does make a black sim for their previews, they're as light skinned and white looking as possible. Whether just by skintone, very eurocentric features (like they just gave a white sim slightly darker skin), vitiligo to make most of the skin light, or claiming the sim has albinism. And while some of this I'm sure is just finding that aesthetic more "pretty", I also think this has to do with potential sales. I'm going to be honest... besides engagement by black simblr itself, I've noticed a lot of posts I have get less engagement/reblogs if the sim in question has darker skin and darker hair. It's much more likely to pick up in the mainstream cc finds blogs/YouTube videos etc, if the content is for white sims or the sim has lighter skin and light hair. I don't care about engagement and simply make whatever sim I want to make, and since I do have that variety, it's how I noticed this strange trend. And with the volume of content paywall creators make, I think they noticed this too. Posts with lighter skinned sims get better engagement, and thus, make more money.

Have you ever noticed, even in paywalled cc packs, there will usually be a sort of token effect? One white sim, one ethnically ambiguous sim, one black sim. This is great if you're showing off something that will vary for different skintones- makeup and skin details, for example- but why is it always like this? And why is the variety usually only in previews for cc packs instead of solo items (like hairs)? It feels like it's all to sell better, to appeal to different demographics and say, hey, I didn't forget poc exist! Please pay for my content! It feels disgenuine, and since creators like this rarely engage with the community anymore besides paid content, it's hard to figure out whether they feel this way or not.

Personally, I don't care much what people do in their own games- I might look at them weird for a sec, but I move on, cos it's their issue not mine. But like many other aspects to this community, when it crosses over into paid content, it sparks my interest. It feels like everything, everything, is about maximizing profit now. And for the people that focus on that, that's their prerogative and all, I can't exactly stop them, but. It's just something I observed and wouldn't mind discussing with y'all.

(Note: I don't apply the "profiting off black culture" part to black creators, obviously. Also no hate to any creators that do this stuff. Be reasonable adults, please. I'm just discussing in a constructive criticism type of way.)

#ceci speaks #nonsims #text #the patreon issue #ceci speaks a lot more #negative #kinda? #just thinking #first thinkpiece in a while lol

[swallowprettybird]

Hey! This question is from an anonymous..

Who inspires me?

Thank you for this question! I have so much to say 😍❤️

I have so many people's blogs that inspire me. Unfortunately, they won't all fit here, but there are so many wonderful people, know that you are wonderful! 🫶

Too many letters below in random order under the cut 👇

@bakersimmer inspired me so much with her story and legacy ❤️ I love her light and engaging writing and storytelling style ✍️

Saffron is just a cute little devil whom I love very much 😁 and Anselm.. keep your eyes peeled! ehhh my lovelies 😭❤️

Also, her style of screenshots and game seems to be my favorite on simblr ✨

@onestormeynight and Penny, Blair and Rosie life and them story, they're so so cute and warming my heart ☺️ I adore their story because it is full of family love and understanding, it is a wonderful portion of happiness every episode :з

@elderwisp your arts it's something magical!It inspires me a lot, I love this aesthetic, and it hits the heart 100%, your simstyle very fine and sm tasteful 🧡 and tesselate such a goooood story ohmhm my gosh so good 🤌

@youredreamingofroo i love your Roo universe hehe ❤️ I like to discover him every time learning details about his life and character, it seems as if he is another good friend of ours on Simblr 🤭 It's very inspiring to know own characters better too) And of course, I admire your renders, they are very beautiful and high quality!

@kuroashims and her beautiful blog dedicated to One Peece ❤️ 🧭 If you're like me and have never seen this anime, you'll want to know more about it after discover her page, and if you're a loyal fan, you'll love it even more! Her style is unique in its kind, you won't see anything like it in the sims. And the way she conveys emotions and feelings with just one picture without many words is just something beautiful. It is very inspiring. Elfy is also a wonderful person and a so kind warm friend. 🧝 Je t'aime, ma chère ☺️( btw your French vibe is very inspiring too 😍🤌 belle, incroyablement belle 💅🗼)

@changingplumbob and her amazing stories with amazing families. I love each of them. Kirsty plays the game with a huge and contagious passion. Each of her oc's is different and has its own story.

It's touch me and makes root for each character, through victories, mistakes, and life circumstances. She also has a great sense of humor! Her game sometimes throws up such funny situations! In general, Kirsty knows how to turn the usual gameplay into an exciting journey and I definitely recommend you to join. Also, I am very impressed with her playing style. And if I'm ever going to play a ts4 (as gameplay lmao), she'll definitely be the one to inspire me how.

@holocene-sims i love all about Grant and his life. This is such a vital and real, deep story. I love experiencing all the happy and poignant moments with him as well. His example teaches me not to give up and to live in spite of everything, and to be honest, the thought of this sometimes supported me in difficult moments.

I love talking with you about him and the family and about Junga, she's wonderful. 😇 I'm always looking forward to new episodes.

And Ana is my main inspiration for my main story. If you see a new episode of Cursed Chronicles, you should know that part of the gratitude lies with Ana. ❤️

@matchalovertrait and her beautiful lovely sunshine Noemi and her family ❤️ I will love them always 🥹 It seems to be the warmest, kindest and most loving legacy I know) I like to read it at least to recharge my batteries with this wonderful atmosphere and I immediately want to create something cute and wonderful ☺️

btw Dulce and Ángel has grown so charming!

@miralure your sims just incredible and i love your lookbooks ❤️🤌 You inspire me a lot to create and remade my sims and stand at the CAS like never before! looking forward to hearing new posts from you ☺️

@wistfulpoltergeist You have no idea how much I appreciate this person and his support from the very beginning of my blog❤️ Євгенку ну ти справжнє найсправжнє сонечко 🌞☺️🧡He is a real sunshine. And of course, I adore him both as a creator and a storyteller and as a dad/mom of two beautiful cats Aidan and Arvin 😁 this teo boys so lovely and hot 🤌🔥 і я сподіваюсь ще почути від тебе багато історій ☺️❤️

@aniraklova I think looking at her screenshots, you don't have to say anything, do you? This is an absolutely sky-high level of aesthetics 🤌💅 And I admired their work long before I started the blog, becouse all her cc and all art is something very very inspiring, she really inspired me to create some characters and recent cyberpictures :h Карі ти просто крейзі в найкращому значенні цього слова 😘🔥💋

@vermutandherring another wonderful creator who amazes me with her skill and beauty, It's just so gorgeous, this builds and scenes are incredible and everything I see there I dream of either seeing in my game or just admiring endlessly, so talented artist просто золоті руки 😍

@stellarfalls people who I may not follow much, but people who I consider my great inspirations, who make me want to move on, develop and improve my screenmake skills 🧡 at one time she impressed me a lot with her story&creations and I am still impressed, thank you friend ❤️

@aheathen-conceivably I've probably said it before, but you really do inspire me in a very real way, besides the fact that your dynasty is more than sims, it's a whole bunch and a storm of emotions, these are such real, well-developed characters, I almost cried a few times over some moments... for everyone who is not familiar with the dynasty of this wonderful author, I highly recommend you to read it) and besides, your work inspires me to write my own story too :з it really inspired me for some points of the sequel and thank you to your blog for that)

@circusjuney your style and story, are some of my favorites, and Ellie and Max are the ones I'm really rooting for and worried about ❤️ your blog is very inspiring to me in gґso many ways and makes me glad to be here on simblr ☺️✨🫶

@papermint-airplane I may not have known your blog for that long, but I get excited every time I read about Aiden and his friends again ❤️🫶 I really like your writing style, it's engaging, light and catchy, I love adventure, so it really inspires me to write. and I'd like to send you a special hug as a former fan of the TS3 hehe 🫂

I would also note @weirdosalike because I can't help but note that I am fascinated and obsessed by her story, which makes me just as passionate about creating something 😁

I almost forgot about @theosconfessions Scarlet is so gorgeous, you know what inspires me about your blog? your absolute passion for what you do!

.... oh okay i need a chapter 2 😣😖

There are many more authors whose work I am just getting to know, and I really like them ❤️ Sorry if I didn't mention you i love your blogs too 🥹🫶

#ask game

[snapscube]

i don't know if you said so on your recent Web of Shadows stream, but what are your thoughts on Insomniac's more casual style of web swinging vs. the more difficult, physics-based web swinging? I've been avoiding Spider-Man 2 footage, so I haven't seen any web swinging, but I'd love if they could incorporate some risk/reward aspect to make swinging more engaging.

i think there's been a big push from spider-man game fans to re-contextualize Insomniac's web swinging as underwhelming and too casual that's kinda unnecessary and does it a big disservice. THAT IS NOT TO SAY that there haven't always been people who don't prefer the very low skill floor and relatively low skill ceiling of those titles, and that's also not to say that it isn't a fair assessment when looking at swinging mechanics in a vacuum. something like Web of Shadows ABSOLUTELY has a lot more rewarding moments of web swinging because of its higher skill floor, and when you really get a feel for the mechanics you can pull off some crazy stuff that it feels like insomniac's take isn't even dreaming of.

HOWEVER, i reiterate, this is all totally true and not exactly in Insomniac's in favor when examined in a vacuum, but in reality these mechanics DON'T exist in a vacuum. they're very important yes, they're how you're gonna spend a majority of your time in game yes, so it's important that they have a baseline level of fun and satisfying enough risk/reward to sustain an entire playthrough, or maybe even multiple. but Insomniac's swinging mechanics are in service of a game that not only does MORE with its open world than many others previously, but also does pretty much everything else a LOT better. Insomniac's take feels a lot more like it's in service of creating a much more approachable Spider-Man sim, where you don't have to necessarily "figure out" the swinging mechanics as much as you might in WoS or in SM2 (PS2) because there's a lot of content they want you to be spending more of your time on, and they need you to feel like you are playing an extremely capable and seasoned version of Peter.

playing through even just the opening of Web of Shadows on stream this week really drove home how much the world just feels so empty in comparison. the swinging was admittedly more fun at times!! but that kinda ended up being the saving grace of an experience that otherwise is feeling very bare-bones. and ultimately, as much as i PERSONALLY like mechanics with a bit more physicality, and i don't necessarily think that needs to be at odds with a larger amount of other content, i think my point is that i don't necessarily consider the swinging a FLAW of the Insomniac games, just a representation of the design philosophy of this take. and the design philosophy happens to be one i really appreciate. they want you in there DOING stuff, sure swinging around idly is fun and it's a great way to get you from point A to point B in a more exhilarating fashion than a lot of games even come close to, but these games have a much wider target audience and i don't know how much the average person cares more about the physicality of swinging as much as they care about it being an easy way for them to..... *sigh* feel like spider-man while traversing a larger set of activities.

THAT BEING SAID.... the improvements so far in Spider-Man 2 look SO SO SO GOOD and they will come MUCH appreciated. It looks so much faster. I straight up might turn on fall damage for my playthrough, which IS a new option they added. it's gonna rule.

[swisccfinds]

🔞🔞The Wicked Whims Mod by Turbodriver🔞🔞

BEFORE CONTINUING TO THE DOWNLOAD PAGE THIS WEBSITE AND MOD REQUIRES YOU TO BE 18+, THIS MOD ISN'T MADE FOR KIDS TO USE. PLAY WITH CAUTION.

I will not be placing any previews of this mod in this post just incase someone under 18 comes across this post.

The Wicked Whims mod is a sex animation mod. In this mod your female sims can get their period, they can take birth control to prevent pregnancy there are also condoms in this mod that a male sim can put on when the sex starts, if your male sim has the pack of condoms in his inventory he will automatically use them when clicking the sex animation you want to play out.

I have this in my game mainly for the fact that it gives your sim an actual naked body and no censor bar pops up around them in gameplay.

There are many add-ons to this mod which you can find everything on Turbodriver's downloads on the wicked whims website. Here are a few other examples of what this mod includes (you will have to download everything separately), strip clubs is a big feature in this game you can own and run a strip club with this add-on, you can also engage in porn in this game or you can create your sim's own porn videos, pubic hair is another small add-on that comes with multiple options on pubic hair, Sims also have the options to pick what sim features they are attracted to you can also have your sim scan a room by clicking on ur sim to see if you sim finds anyone attractive in the room they're in, cum will come up after a male sim has climax some sims will love this (if they have the cumwhore trait) or they will get uncomfortable with it on them triggering them to take a show or bath to get rid of the mess. You can download many sex animations (all the ones that are compatible with this mod is located on their website) and even join sex making a 3sum or an orgy.

There are so many feature to this game and a lot of info about them most of this post gives you some of the rundowns of wicked whims and its features but I do recommend reading their index on their website so you have a better understanding on how this mod works.

you can find their index here.

DOWNLOAD

#sims 4 18+ #sims 4 download #sims 4 cc #sims 4 gameplay #sims 4 mods #the sims 4 #sims 4 #sims 4 custom content #the sims 4 custom content #sims4cc #the sims 4 mods #sims 4 wicked whims

[slightly-ludic]

Who is the Jungle Adventure Team???

I have noticed that as Ben progresses through the challenge, his friends become more complex and detailed. This is a reflection of how much Ben has changed as well. He has gained new traits and developed three different lifestyles (which I will share at the end of round 5). I wanted to provide some context on the crew he is working with.

If you haven't played Jungle Adventure, it is, surprisingly, very fun! I've enjoyed a lot of exploration of the world and have taken a good amount of time playing with these four sims, in tandem with Ben.

Dr. Carlos Javier: Dr. Javier is actually based on Charles Xavier from the X-Men. He's also the leader of the crew. His traits include being a genius, good, and family-oriented. I can definitely see him taking Ben under his wing. In my mind, he is from Selvadorada, so his knowledge of the culture is maxed out. He has the Archaeology Aspiration that comes with the game pack, so I make sure he does a lot of the archaeology stuff whenever the crew comes back with new relics. A new development is that Dr. Javier and Lori are actually engaged! They were head over heels for each other once they got plopped on the campsite together. C'est la vie!

Lori Croft : If it isn't already obvious, Lori is based off of Tomb Raider's, Lara Croft. Her traits include being ambitious, active, and she loves the outdoors. She is a no-nonsense kind of lady, but under that hard exterior, she's actually really chill. In fact, I'd say she gets a kick out of Ben's potty jokes the most. Lori's specialty in the group is probably weaponry. I'd imagine she'd be in charge of any defense if it got real crazy.

Montana Jones: So, Montana was a sim I had already made, that I had planned to play Jungle Adventure with solo. However, once I started getting into the Globetrotter Challenge, I decided to save him for this round. Montana is based on Indiana Jones. (And if they ever made an Indiana Jones spin-off series they should definitely cast John Boyega as MC, just saying). Montana's traits include Active, Self Assured, and Adventurous. He also has a very high logic skill and the 2nd highest knowledge of Selvadoradian culture. Even though he is very much into combat, I see Montana more as a liaison and likely an interpreter to locals whenever Dr. J is unable to be present. I'd also see Montana being the guy to negotiate pricing on relics whenever they're sold to museums. Montana is also very close to Dru. In game they'll autonomously hang out by the fireside for a chat or play a round of cards together, they both love sparring too. I want to say they've achieved Best Friend status but don't quote me on that.

Dru Nance: Believe it or not Dru is loosely based off of Nancy Drew. For those of you who don't know, Nancy Drew is a teen detective from a 1950s YA fictional series. Dru's traits include Genius, Goofball, and Loves the outdoors. Next to Dr. Javier, Dru has a maxed-out skill level in Archaeology. They also have a maxed skill level in wellness. I'd like to think that Dru is the team "peacemaker" but because they also specialize in archaeology, Dru comes in clutch for Dr. J whenever there are too many artifacts to be authenticated! In my mind, Dru also has a photographic memory, so that would explain why they never get upset when Ben gets the team lost. They'll always remember how to get back!

That's it, that's the crew! What should their organization be called though? Like, Selvadorada Archaeological Studies Society?

Or SASS for short.

Hope you have a nice day!

#slightly ludic rambles #my ocs #sims 4 gameplay #round five

[destiny-smasher]

Stuff From 2023!

List of things of note I experienced in 2023! A few things didn't technically release in 2023, I'm sure, but yea. Will contain my 'Top 10 Games I Played in 2023' as well.

Firstly, something I played a lot of this year in bursts but doesn't quite crack my Top 10 is Vampire Survivors. Very addicting, did some very fun goofy shit that had me laughing and engaged in a lizard brain way. Appreciated the many Castlevania references and jokes, too.

A couple of games I played every weekend for a few hours across many weeks this year were Project Zomboid and Roots of Pacha, both in a group 4. We had lots of fun with those two, and I think they're both great co-op time-sink games. Zomboid is a zombie survival sim that has way more attention to detail than its graphics may imply. It's still in early access but the depth to its is honestly pretty dang impressive. Pacha iterates on the Stardew Valley formula in a ton of small but deliberate, thoughtful ways that make for a nice twist on that Harvest Moon style game.

REMAKES

There were so many great remakes this year, on top of just amazing games in general, I can't fit them all into my Top 10. So here's a segment dedicated to most of the remakes I loved this year.

The remake of Super Mario RPG was such a surprise, and turned out very damn well. That game, turns out, is very near and dear to my heart and I did not fully appreciate that until this remake was revealed. It comes just shy of cracking my Top 10 list and that's honestly only because I finished Mother 3 finally right at the tail end of the year. This game manages to still feel weirdly fresh even today just due to how fucking strange it is, and the remake speeds up the pacing a bit while also adding in some new mechanics and a chunk of new post-game content. Everything was handled so well. This is like the new gold standard of complete one-to-one remakes of sprite-based games imo. I will admit the artstyle is a bit 'off' in some ways but I think it's very clean looking and captures that 90's CGI spirit really well, all things considered. And the music, OOF, so damn good.

The remake of Dead Space I don't have much to talk about, but it's very well produced. It's remade so well, in fact, that it felt like my memories of the original, even though I know it's not an exact recreation. Very well done and still holds up as a great horror action game with these improvements.

The remaster of Metroid Prime is so impressive it feels like a remake, even if the game is identical to the original aside from presentation and some control changes. It's an iconic classic, and yet I have no patience to do the Chozo Artifact stuff, so I actually did not roll credits on this version BUT still thoroughly enjoyed reliving the game with a very nice new coat of paint. It makes me excited to see what Prime 4 will look like on, I expect, more powerful hardware.

SHOWS/MOVIES

The year started strong with a TV adaptation of The Last of Us. While I've come to have conflicted feelings with the franchise at large, mainly due to its leading boss man, I thoroughly enjoyed the first season of this series. Very well done adaptation that picked and chose what to keep and what to change and honestly makes for a better story as a whole if you ask me, while not really replacing the game's tactile interactive tensions. Cannot wait to see what they do with Part 2 tbqh. I loved that game more than the original but also felt it was worse as an overall game/experience/narrative. But a fresh take on that same plot could potentially address a lot of the issues I had with Part 2, while simultaneously not really 'replacing' it, either.

The Bear. If you haven't seen it, it's just. Very good television. Two seasons in and it's sitting up there chasing Mr. Robot and Better Call Saul as one of the best live action series I've ever seen. Season 2 did such a great job of giving us deeper dives on the various characters and building toward an organic and rewarding conclusion that still leaves room for another season to theoretically wrap things up. Nothing too crazy with this show, it's super down to earth, and it owns that very well with editing and pacing that varies per episode, kind of in line with the different character perspectives.

Super Mario Bros.: The Movie had me worried for a while, mainly due to the animation studio and casting. And while I'm still not 100% sold on this celebrity casting, I will admit it didn't weight the experience down -- even if it's still the second weakest element by far. The weakest element is the writing. It's not, like, offense -- it's loyal to the source material and works, it functions. But it's not doing anything beyond pushing us from set piece to set piece. If anything, the movie is a bit too short for all of the stuff it's cramming in. But on the upside, there is a lot of amazingly rendered visuals and music to take in. A real treat for fans of the franchise, and the most loyal gaming adaptation in movie form, I would say.

Across the Spiderverse is in essence the first half of a two part film. That makes it kind of difficult to talk about, especially when it's also a sequel, and the production sounds like it was marred with bad management and crunch. But the results they came up with actually met my hopes and expectations for a sequel, and that is saying something, as I had very high expectations. I completely adore this film's stupendous sense of style, editing, framing, writing, and the way it's making meta-commentary on multiple levels on top of just being an effective narrative on its own. This is animated storytelling running at full capacity in my opinion, and in general just film doing all of the kinds of things film can do. So it's no wonder that there's still a rub -- this is the first half of the story they planned. The editing, animation, framing, effects, acting, action sequences, music, writing, theming, just Farore's sake, this is SUCH a damn banger of a film and one of the best movies I've ever seen, which, again, is kind of insane given the circumstances. I can only hope they don't fuck up the conclusion.

Scott Pilgrim Takes Off was quite the surprise announcement, and as it turns out, quite the surprise adaptation. I won't spoil much but I will say that by the end of the first episode, it becomes very apparent that this series is no mere by-the-books adaptation, and does something unique and edifying, even if it still maintains a certain surface-level depth I wish the franchise would push beyond. Either way, I enjoyed it way more than I expected to going in, and I think it makes for a great companion to the rest of the series. The animation style was super fun, as well, with some great action sequences.

But Blue Eye Samurai sucker-punched me, having released before I'd even known about it. This show is something else, something unlike any other animated show I've seen besides Arcane. And it's not like it's mimicking Arcane, it's just the closest I can think to compare it to: a quality, thoughtfully framed, thoughtfully written, made-for-adults animated series. It tows the line between fantasy and realism in a refreshing way, its protagonist is great, its cast is compelling, its plot goes to some neat places, and things just feel very well thought-out and well-executed. Slap this in second place behind Arcane as the TV series I am the most excited to see more of in the future, just ahead of The Bear.

Something I did near the end of the year was watch The Hunger Games movies, back to back over the course of like, a week. Have not read the books but man, watching these sure made me interested in doing so at some point. I totally get why people were so enamored with this franchise, and honestly, I think its themes and messages are more relevant now than they were when this franchise was at the peak of its popularity. The films certainly have glaring issues for my tastes but yea, I managed to really enjoy them as a whole despite my lack of mainstream sensibilities. Looking forward to reading the books eventually.

Another thing my wife shared with me was 花ざかりの君たちへ (often called 'Hana-Kimi' for short). Specifically, the 2007 version, as, uh, apparently there are multiple adaptations of this. It was a live action Japanese drama about a high schooler who was born female but transfers into an all-boys school, identifying as a boy while she is there. There's more to it than that, and I won't say it handles everything the best (it's from the mid 2000's) or concludes things in quite the way I'd have preferred. Not to mention it's kind of weird seeing many tropes I'm used to seeing in anime rendered by physical, real actors. BUT it was overall a really sweet, adorable, funny, heartfelt, and reached for pro-queer expression in a time and place when that wasn't mainstream yet (and honestly kinda still isn't depending on who you ask).

Good Omens Season 3 also dropped this year. I actually don't have much to say partly because I think a big element of it is just not knowing what to expect going into it! But it was also very good, very fun, pretty damn gay, I really enjoyed it and am crossing my fingers hard they get to wrap it up the way they want.

All right! Onto my personal top 10 GOTYs.

TOP 11 GAMES

(I played and finished in 2023)

11) Mother 3

The one entry on this list that did not actually come out this year -- in fact, it's never technically released outside of Japan. Originally release in 2007 on the Game Boy Advance, this quirky RPG has developed quite the reputation. I started playing the fan translation back in like 2020, and only got around to finally finishing it this year. While that likely did tarnish the experience a bit for me, so does the final third or so -- it kind of drags on a bit, and any old school format RPG that requires grinding to progress can become a bit of a chore.

Thankfully, Mother 3 did earn its hallowed reputation in my eyes now that I have experienced it. I totally get the passion for this game now, and I am a convert. It makes me want to finally finish Mother 2, aka Earthbound. But here's the biggest thing about Mother 3 I weirdly did not expect going in, yet smashed my face in like a hammer by the time I finished it:

without Mother 3, there is no way Undertale/deltarune would exist.

The DNA for Toby Fox's works is achingly obvious in its relation to this game, specifically. I won't spoil anything and I won't go into my long list of evidence like an Ace Attorney case, but trust me, there is ample evidence to make this claim.

And that also means that Mother 3 stands on its own merits as doing things that RPGs just plain were not doing in 2007, and in some ways still aren't today. Aside from some pacing issues further in, the characters in your party aren't as developed as much as I'd like. BUT the overall narrative it tells, especially in those opening chapters, have a rare kind of earnest, human magic to them that most games just don't let themselves fall into. And it concludes in ways I did not expect and yet offered clarity as to why it is so beloved, and how Toby Fox was so inspired to put his own mark on the gaming landscape.

I owe a great deal to Undertale, personally, and as such, I also owe a great deal to Mother 3. You don't need to have played others in the series to enjoy it, you'll just be missing some referential stuff here and there. It's quite playable and unique by today's standards and I strongly recommend it if you want an RPG that is heartfelt, funny, fun mechanically, and has some simple but hard-hitting things to say about the world we live in, and what we are doing to ourselves and that world.

10) Super Mario Bros. Wonder

What can be said that hasn't been said already? Nintendo knocked it out the park with this one. This was everything I've wanted in a 2D Mario for like 15 years. The only thing 'missing' from it is playable Rosalina, but hey, we finally got Daisy in a mainline Mario game, so I'll take it. After a decade or so of dragging their feet with low-effort but enjoyable 2D games, Super Mario Wonder finally, at long last, captures what makes Nintendo games great and with their best foot forward. They haven't done 2D Mario this well since World on the SNES in 1991. And they have never put this level of production into a 2D game since... ever?

This is one of the all-time best 2D platformers out there, and for once it finally feels like 2D Mario is running on all cylinders as a big budget passion project kind of game. You love to see it.

9) Scarlet Hollow

This game isn't technically finished yet, as it is episodic, and its developers wanted to release Slay the Princess in the interim, but that doesn't stop its quality from being good enough to make my list. This game is doing the kinds of things visual novels should be doing, the kinds of things I wish to do in a sense with my own visual novel development.

It's a horror themed experience but balances the high tension with actual real stakes very well against mostly down-to-earth conversations, with lots of great tricks and touches of presentation you don't typically see in indie visual novels, along with a fantastic art style, charming characters (my favorite character has turned out to be the one I immediately disliked at first, and that's rare for me), and meaningful choices.

I can't wait to see how this one wraps up but even as it stands it's one of the best things I experienced in 2023.

8) Xenoblade Chronicles: Future Redeemed

I will admit I skipped Xenoblade Chronicles 2 after giving it an honest go in like, 2019 or so. A few hours in and i couldn't stomach it, the tonal whiplash from Xenoblade 1 (one of the best RPGs I've ever played) was too much for me. But then Xenoblade 3 came out last year, and is also one of the best RPGs I've ever played, even better than the original for my tastes.

But I wasn't prepared for the DLC to drop a whole ass side-game on us, a self-contained prequel to 3 that serves as narrative cohesion to tie the whole trilogy together with a bow on top, complete with perfectly tuned fanservice (and not the sexy kind, although grown-up Rex and Shulk, well, yes) that really respects its fanbase for investing hundreds of hours in this franchise.

Matthew is easily one of my all-time fav RPG main characters, probably the favorite RPG main character when I think of it (as main characters specifically go, anyway), and his game is a fraction of the length of many RPGs out there. But as usual, the entire cast had their charms, the story was nicely paced, the gameplay and overall length was just about damn perfect for what I could want from the genre.

As an expansion to a pre-existing game, this is one of the top 3 best expansions/DLCs I've ever played. When taken as a side story to an overarching trilogy, I'm not even 100% in on the lore and I still enjoyed the hell out of it, it's just the kind of thing that hits a tone of 'damn, video games are a fucking unique medium that we can do specific narrative things with across years of telling a story.'

I don't know where Monolith Soft is going next, though the ending certainly offers some intriguing teasing, but I suspect I will be there day one to see it, and am looking forward to it.

7) Pikmin 4

Given the long wait (10 years!) one might understand fan concern over the state of Pikmin 4. Turns out, that extra time was spent making this game fucking good. It's not the largest, most impressive, most complex, most inspiring, most 'anything' game I played this year, and yet I can't help saying that this is a damned good video game. It really nailed what it set out to do as a sequel, incorporating just the right ideas to spice up the formula while bringing things back to how Pikmin 2 was, and improving on the series in basically every way -- including stuff to do!

This is easily the most Pikmin game... in a Pikmin game. I still haven't 100%'d it. Without giving away any details, I'll just say that when a game rolls credits and you're only like, halfway through its content, and it just keeps going, that's just kind of wild. It would've felt like a great game even then, but the breadth and depth it ends up going to in order to keep giving you ways to engage with its wonderfully detailed world and addictive mechanics, I love it.

I just want more of it. Give me DLC with more Dandori content, the formula and feel just works so well at this point.

6) Sea of Stars

How the hell I forgot to include this one on my list initially is boggling. Easily one of the best indie games I've ever experienced. The writing is nothing to, well, write home about, but it's not bad. And in fact the story has a lot of great things going on, from an interesting world to a very potent arc with the leading support character (who, let's face it, is kind of more the main character than your two main characters).

The game's art and music are phenomenal, capturing the essence of 90's era RPGs but clearly doing things not capable back then. Made even sweeter, the game is a prequel to the studio's prior work, The Messenger, which I also played and adored in tandem, kind of going back and forth between the two once I was partway into Sea of Stars. The way this RPG repurposes songs from Messenger as well as all kinds of seemingly superfluous elements but makes it feel cohesive is pretty great.

The game also trims a lot of the fat you'd find in older RPGs, as well as lets you customize your experience in a modern way using collectibles you can toggle on and off to grant all kinds of effects, like increasing or decreasing the difficulty in various ways.

The homage paid to classics like Chrono Trigger and Super Mario RPG is clear but it's not at all copy-cat-ing, instead wearing those inspirations proudly on its sleeves and forging its own path with its own ideas. A fantastic collection of party members, a wonderful world, amazing presentation, and environments and pacing that help it stand apart from the genre that inspired it. I wish we got to know the leads better, there is a lack of character growth in many ways, but that's me grasping at straws to critique, it's just a fantastic experience and the studio should be very proud of what they've accomplished.

5) Hi-Fi Rush

This is gonna be a running trend from here on out, but on any other year, Hi-Fi Rush would've been my GOTY, easy. From this point on, we're talking measures of inches rather than miles in terms of my love for these games.

Hi-Fi Rush finally delivered on something I have waited like 20 years for: a rhythm action adventure where playing the game in sync with the music felt fucking cool and gave me emotional resonance in a way only this medium can. The humor was charmng. The visual aesthetic is almost peak 'my taste.' The music was groovy with a few tracks I did not see coming but loved seeing how they were incorporated. The story was surprisingly fun! The characters were fantastic, I loved the entire main crew in a way I rarely ever do and would jump at the chance to spend more time with (and hey, there's a whole bunch of post-game I have yet to do, so I intend to in 2024).

The only real thing I could reasonably ask for from this game is a way to play as those other party members in post-game content or new-game plus or something. And who knows, maybe we get that some day. Even if we don't, what they came up with here is the next best thing besides. And what we got is one the most video-gamey video games I have ever played, a real classic and one I think will go down as one of my all-time favs. A passion project given meaningful time, budget, and creatives to bring it to life.

Had this game offered multiple playable characters, a bit more development in its story, and maybe a stronger climax, it'd be higher. I still love it to death and want more games like it regardless.

Hi-Fi Rush is exactly what kind of game we could have gotten more of if the Internet hadn't pushed gaming into a 'live service' direction. It is literally the spirit of a PS2/GameCube game given modern form. And either way, we did get it, at least, in that form, and it fucking rocks.

4) Resident Evil 4 (Remake)

This year was big for remakes and remasters, but one stands tall above the rest, if you ask me. The original RE4 has stood as my fav in the franchise, the one that got me into the franchise, the one that got me into M-rated games in the first place. Lots of nostalgia, but it's held up surprisingly well over the years despite some limitations of the time (mainly the controls) and some older-fashioned sensibilities ("with ballistics, too~").

But Capcom fucking nailed it with this reimagining. Like Final Fantasy VII: Remake, this game is not a remaster, or a one-to-one recreation. It is a brand new game, built from the ground up, reimagining the original entirely, complete with new mechanics and story. But unlike with FF7, this is also shockingly authentic and loyal to the original at the same time. It remixes elements from the original game, maintains most of the original's map design, adds in new stuff, removes some of the more goofy shit -- and even 90% of what feels 'removed' is revealed to be repurposed for the Ada side story DLC.

It looks great, it sounds great, the adjustments to characters and story are improvements across the board, (except for Hunnigan, RIP) the gameplay is improved in intensity and feel and action and replayability. And yet despite all of this, it balances that campy tone of the original just enough to still evoke what I loved about the original's tone. And it doesn't outright replace the original game, either. The two are now like different recipes of the same sandwich or something. There's reasons to revisit the original, though for me this has now replaced the remake of RE2 as my fav in the franchise.

I really don't know where they go from here but I will look forward to it, and regardless, they fucking nailed this one.

3) Street Fighter 6

Two Capcom games, back-to-back? They had a fucking good year in my eyes. The interesting thing about this particular entry is that unlike the others on this list, I will be continuing to play this one for hours and hours into 2024, especially with more fighters still planned. And in another year, this would've easily been my GOTY.

After all, Street Fighter 6 is the single-best traditional fighting game I think I've ever played. And while fighting games are my overall personal favorite genre, I'm more of a Smash player who also loves the hell out of Street Fighter and then dabbles in Tekken and whatever else releases. Street Fighter has always been one of my go-to top multiplayer games since I got into the franchise with SF4 in 2010. While I did enjoy SF5 well enough, it just didn't keep me hungry to come back for more like 4 did. SF6 has fixed that problem by way of a multitude of changes.

It has easily the most fun single player mode I've seen any fighting game have. Like, yea, The Subspace Emmisary (and even then, I don't love that mode like other folks do, I kinda think it's... fine?) but tbqh World Tour is just better in most every way. You get to build your own fighter, earn and mix and match different costumes and individual character special moves with each fighter's fight style. You get to just hang out with the SF characters, get to know them as people, their hobbies, their fears, their insecurities, their passions besides just beating the shit out of each other. On top of this, the realistic art style shift (a by-product of the RE Engine) seals the deal on what Street Fighter 6 is aiming to do: humanize its cast.

Is it still wacky as fuck? Is it still comical and weird and goofy? Hell yes, it is. Is the story mode deep in its narrative? Not in the slightest. But it's still stepping confidently in a direction fighting games should be trying to, not being too self-serious, but also being earnest.

And I haven't even touched on the mechanics! The Drive System alone is a brilliant addition that adds a sort of 'stamina' system that works so well to add an extra layer of decision making and tension. The game's not perfectly balance imo but for how much is here it is surprisingly damn well balanced, especially given they have insisted on not pushing out a single balance patch since it launched in June. For most any other competitive game, that would be like suicide for the scene, but the game seems to be thriving and selling extremely well for the franchise. And it's earned it.

I will absolutely be continuing my warrior's journey into 2024 and I can't wait to see what else Capcom has in store for this game.

2) Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Out of every game I played in 2023, Tears of the Kingdom is easily the most technically impressive. From a design standpoint, from a 'how in the hell is the Switch doing all of this without exploding' standpoint. From a 'holy hell how is there this much stuff in a single player game' standpoint. From a 'oh my goddesses that stupid batshit idea I had 100% worked because it actually did make sense' standpoint.

Where Breath of the Wild opened our minds as to what an open world game could be -- fully designed like one giant interconnected 'level' -- Tears of the Kingdom replied in much the way I expected: it pulled a Super Mario Galaxy 2. What I mean by that is that this is a direct sequel, building directly off the foundation of the original. You know. Like video game sequels almost always used to. And which many very successful ones still absolutely do.

But Tears of the Kingdom somehow managed to wow me all over again by adding to that open world's verticality in insane ways -- the Depths alone are probably my favorite 'mechanic' from any Zelda game ever besides the time loop of Majora's Mask (and what that did for the story and gameplay). But beyond the scale of the world basically doubling and then some (floating islands and caves on top of Depths), I was curious how this game could stand tall after Elden Ring, which is easily in my top 10 favorite games of all time at this point. Elden Ring was Fromsoft's reply to BOTW. And yet Tears of the Kingdom still managed to have something new to say in spite of that very strong reply.

Tears of the Kingdom opened the door to let players essentially create their own mechanics. By removing the abilities Link had to engage with the world before, and replacing them with a brand new toolset that includes abilities you just... don't see games give you, because they'd be 'overpowered,' TOTK designs its massive world in ways that invite you to use those 'overpowered' abilities however you see fit.

Being able to interact with the world and objects in this way, being able to fuse them together to create all kinds of effects, or new methods of transportation, even interacting with things not just spacially but in respect to time, it's nuts and fun and I've already poured like 130 hours with still so much I haven't done. And that's the thing: this game wasn't designed to be 100%'d. It was designed to just... be experienced, as much or as little as you want. And games on this level of scale/budget just do not have the guts to let so, so much 'content' be missed out on. And this game does.

It's a technical achievement and while I had my doubts with how strangely little Nintendo had to show, I am very glad that the experience itself manages to breathe new life into one of my all-time favorite games while improving on it in so many ways. It won't convert you if you didn't love the original -- this is a Super Mario Galaxy 2 style sequel, after all. But it's essentially replaced the original in ways I didn't think would be possible.

The story? Oof. Uh, not so much the story, let's ignore that part. That's what Nintendo wants you to usually do, anyway. But everything else, just. Din-damn.

It expands upon the first game's already fairly open-ended nature in an exponential way that I suspect developers will spend years to come trying to pin down, much like how they've spend the past 6 or 7 years trying to replicate BOTW's open world design.

For much of this year, I thought this was personal GOTY. And for many it will be, because it's just an extremely impressive video game.

Number 1...?

Going into this list, I kept telling myself, 'man, on any other year, this would be my GOTY. And if you know me personally you likely have already figured out what my GOTY is by omission. But the more I've thought about it, the more I've realized just how close these top 5 games are, it really is like centimeters instead of inches, and they each -- well, every game I've mentioned here, beyond the Top 10, as well -- offered something edifying that I was very satisfied with.

And no, it's not Baldur's Gate 3. While I have spent hours playing it in co-op and a little bit solo, that game's just not really for me, exactly. Like, I can enjoy it, and I have massive respect for the dev team and what they accomplished with it. But I don't much care for D&D, and the game just didn't do very much for me personally, I lack the motivation to finish it. Remove Karlach from the game and I have next to nothing to really attach myself to, personally. I definitely get why it's many people's favorite game of 2023, though, and I do think it's a bit of a wakeup call for what can be accomplished by just making a GAME instead of struggling to contort it into a service etc.

Street Fighter 6 is fucking fantastic but it could still use some more actual fighters and incentives to keep playing besides monetizing its players in weird ways. I love it, and it will be the game from 2023 I end up playing the most (it already is, I think). But if it ended as it is, I would be very satisfied.

Hi-Fi Rush is oozing with originality and style and I adore it to death, and when I finished it, I was very satisfied.

Resident Evil 4 kept me addicted for over 100 hours, had an amazing DLC expansion, oozes replaybility in the specific ways I like for a single player action game (rogue-likes besides). I am extremely satisfied by it.

Tears of the Kingdom is so massive and fun to just explore that I know I will continue to play more in the months to come. Will I ever revisit it entirely? I'm actually not sure! That massive length does lend some repetition, even if it's the kind I find therapeutic and satisfying.

And that's what made me realize something. My personal GOTY did not just satisfy me. It made me hungry. It filled me up in a way I didn't think was possible and yet I still hunger for more, because I enjoyed it that fucking much. I played through it twice and still hunger for more. I know I will play it a third time eventually, but mainly I just have not been to remove from my brain the particular ways it made me feel, ways that only a video game can. Nothing about it felt like it needed to be overlooked.

SF6 and RE4 had dubious monetization, TOTK had a story I found to be like 90% boring and it still maintains many of the flaws of the original. And Hi-Fi Rush, while amazing, just didn't scratch the particular itch this game did for me.

1) Lies of P

If you told me that Lies of P was a game developed by some sub-division of FromSoft, I'd believe you. Which is to say I would also believe that it was made by people who wanted to break free from some of the shackles of the now infamous 'soulslike' genre.

A narrative that actually makes sense by the end? Opening up options for the player without requiring specific stat levels? Encounters and boss fights that feel ravenously challenging without just feeling like cheap bullshit? Music that crosses borders beyond 'angry chorus, angrier orchestra'?

Lies of P doesn't quite eclipse Elden Ring, but that's an absolutely unfair comparison given the utter scope and scale and variety that game packs. But Lies of P improves at the FromSoft formula in specific ways, while making concessions in others, and as a result it's just an experience that seeped into my brain like no other game this year, not even Tears of the Kingdom, despite that I put half the hours into this one.

I love all of the games I have mentioned here, you could honestly swap around the order of this top 5 and I could mentally meander a way to justify why, no, actually, this one was my favorite game of 2023. In a year so awful for the people who make games, yet so amazing for games themselves, Lies of P is exactly the kind of game I needed. I needed someone to show me that you can make something directly inspired by someone else's work, yet fine tune it in all the right ways to make it stand just as tall in terms of quality and design. Lies of P made me feel things in ways only a handful of games ever do -- and I would actually count Hi-Fi Rush among those in a regard.

But Lies of P also told a story I found compelling. It had mystery, tension, buildup, it started off seeming like it would do the vague FromSoft schtick only to 100% come together, make sense, be rewarding, and offer a 'true ending' that I got on the first playthrough, organically, without looking things up, because it just... felt right. Not only is the game adapting FromSoft's formula into something its own, it's also doing that with the story of Pinocchio. The gameplay and the story congeal together not in the 'perfect' way that it does with games like Celeste or Undertale, but rather in a more... messy way, like a puppet aching to become a real boy.

The game is full of loss, in its world and for you as the player, who will die many times. But unlike much of FromSoft's catalogue, I never once felt like I died because of bullshit. Was I trolled? Sure, the game definitely 'trolls' you in classic FromSoft fashion, lulling you into a sense of security only to sweep you off your feet. But unlike how FromSoft does it, these circumstances can always be avoided if you're cautious. And if you're not? Hey, 'We got you! We gooottt youuu, haha' and you lose a couple minutes of progress, rather than like fifteen minutes and also an entire level's worth of souls because oh right, this section you just got through is kind of bullshit cheap.

Don't get me wrong, I love Dark Souls. But the thing is, Lies of P takes the parts I love about Dark Souls, admits it can't pull off quite the intricate web of level design, but then throws away everything I do not like about Dark Souls, improves on the things I already liked, and then pushes me to meet it on its level.

The satisfaction of being a boss you spend an hour, two hours on, cannot be understated. It's a feeling unlike any other, and one only this medium can provide. And Lies of P kept me motivated, like Sekiro before it, to keep improving, keep growing, keep trying. And unlike Sekiro, it gave me so many more tools to play with, to learn, to balance in an arsenal with intent. Enemies have elemental weaknesses if I so choose to exploit them, the moveset of one weapon's handle can be applied to a completely different blade, my robotic arm can leverage things in a pinch, or be the backbone to dealing with a boss. Mastery is rewarded with practice. A vicious boss that annihilates you in five seconds can be defeated without a single scratch if you practice enough. Mastery, creativity, quick thinking, and reacting are all rewarded here.

I am more than the hands pulling the strings, I am more than a puppet, I am human. And games like this can only be made by humans, who get that specific itch that only video games that challenge us can scratch. It's not an itch everyone has, but that's why it's my GOTY and not yours, innit?

With its unique setting, its wonderful music, its cozy hub area, its narrative that offers just enough to make me care, but not so much that I am bored or feel misled, its amazing boss designs, and its wonderfully tactile and engaging combat, Lies of P is a game I just can't stop feeling something about whenever I am reminded of it.

It epitomizes so much -- not all, but much -- of what I love about what video games can do, what adaptations can do, and much like how Toby Fox was inspired by Mother 3, what people can do when they are inspired by someone else's work.

As far as I can tell, this is developer Round8's debut game, and just. Holy hell, what a way to come out swinging. I haven't seen a debut game hit this hard since, I don't know, Bastion.

Close your eyes. Come to me. Feel all right.

I did, and I do, and given what you teased at the end of this game, I have extremely high hopes of what you come up with next. And in a landscape where things feel more difficult to get excited for with each passing year, much less new IP, it's so damn refreshing to have both Hi-Fi Rush and this game standing out as signals that, hey, some folks are still willing to invest bigger budgets into new games, new ideas.

Again, a battle of centimeters here and at this point I should wrap this up and go to bed.

But yea, Lies of P reminded me of what makes me, specifically, human, in a very particular way that only it has. And I honestly think out of all of single player games of 2023, I think it will actively stand out in my heart the most in the years to come.

#GOTY 2023 #goty #video games #gaming #Mother 3 #scarlet hollow #super mario wonder #future redeemed #Pikmin 4 #Hi-Fi Rush #re4 remake #TOTK #LOZ TOTK #Tears of the Kingdom #Lies of P #long post #Sea of Stars

[phanfictioncatalogue]

Gaming Masterlist

6 Months and 1550 Miles (ao3) - DryCereal

Summary: Similar events feel very different, depending on whether you can edit stuff out before the audience sees it...

A Light During the Year of the Plague (ao3) - DixieWilliams

Summary: Two men return two years later to a gaming channel staple, to provide a bit of comfort to a world on fire with plague, fear, and aching loneliness. It sounds like a noble quest, but don't worry -- there's plenty of Bob Pancakes almost dying digitally to enliven the world of the young people who enjoy their content. It's an alternative timeline of Dan and Phil returning to the Sims let's play in order to give comfort to fans near and far.

Are you playing with Dan? (ao3) - sierraadeux

Summary: of meeting in among us lobbies and the logistics of throwing a game.

Cheaters (ao3) - Portia331

Summary: Phil just wants to catch a rare Golden Trout the hard way, and maybe make some friends to fish with.

danando's (ao3) - calvinahobbes

Summary: "I still haven't caught a betta so I've come to the conclusion that my island just doesn't have any. So I thought we could go see if maybe I would have better luck on another island."

early morning tea (ao3) - possumdnp

Summary: Dan and Phil take a moment to relax and reflect in between the chaos of Gamingmas and family Christmas celebrations.

engage the enemy (ao3) - CallofTheCurlew

Summary: Phil feels the judgement in his tired eyes, tired of making 25 games in a row and constantly putting on this face again so soon after they’ve come off tour. Dan doesn’t want to play it, Phil knows, but he’s not backing down this time. It’s far too important.

Enough Is Enough (ao3) - Cougar88

Summary: Dan constantly taunts Phil when they're gaming. It really pisses Phil off. This time, when Dan pushes the wrong buttons, Phil has HAD it.

Les Règles du Jeu (ao3) - danfanciesphil (thejigsawtimess)

Summary: Games night at PJ's. Phil wants to play.

Lungs Filled With Flowers - botanistlester

Summary: Whenever Dan has a bad day, he always knows that Animal Crossing will be there for him no matter what. When he finds a friend code written on his desk, he immediately adds it into his DS, despite not knowing who it could be.

Oops (ao3) - dip_and_pip_trash

Summary: It only took one miss click for the world to find out the truth about Dan and Phil's relationship.

Plenty of Fish in the Sea (ao3) - Portia331

Summary: Phil has another great idea, and spends some time in the sunshine with his bestie.

Press play, gamer (ao3) - natigail

Summary: They have done many joint projects through the years, but they have never seriously dabbled in gaming, even if it has always been something they've enjoyed together. Dan and Phil decide that it's the year to change that and they could never have imagined how big a part that little gaming channel would become.

The Swear Jar (ao3) - Spring_Haze

Summary: Phil teases Dan about his language during a gaming live stream and offers him a deal off camera. The sexual game proves to be a real challenge for Dan, who wants nothing more than to collect his unique reward.

#phanfictioncatalogue #phanfiction #phanfic #phan #masterlists #gaming #gaming masterlist #video games

[nolan-sims]

With the recent negativity in the community, I figured we could use some uplifting. So I’m asking simblr to pick a blog or two, (or more if you want) and say why they inspire you, or what you admire about them. Or simply.. Why you think they’re cool. Whatever your heart desires. Let’s just spread some good. :) ❤️

Hey anon! This is such a cute idea. So here goes, these are some of the blogs that inspire me ✨ (in no particular order):

@magnolianfarewell makes such beautifully detailed, aesthetic posts and CC. Everything always looks so clean and dreamy~ and I always get excited whenever she shares something new! Her Simblreen items are all permanent fixtures in my game.

@trillyke easily has the cleanest texture work I've ever seen. I'm such a dork when it comes to a good texture, and Trillyke delivers. Just, wow. Not to mention she can bring such a wide variety of styles and fashion to life! And the cherry on top? She's such a kind person and I always look forward to seeing her on my dash/timeline.

@crypticsim makes such beautiful makeup I just swoooon. I sort all of my CC into folders by creator, and his is definitely bursting at the seams haha. Everything he makes is so well made and works on literally any Sim. It's a real treat! I'm so glad to have such a stellar makeup CC creator in this community.

@ratboysims has such entertaining gameplay, amazing poses, and CC. I've never been much of a storyteller myself, so the fact that he can create engaging stories that star such relatable Sims (to the point where they feel like real people) is wonderful. He definitely keeps the storyteller side of Simblr going.

@pictureamoebae has the best vibes. Their reshade presets and resources have been so helpful to so many people. They truly go above and beyond to help others and to be an active participant in this community, no matter what may be going on. I'm always happy to see them pop up on my dash.

@oatberrytea Simblr's favorite grandma! (the little granny icon makes me smile haha) But in all seriousness, I just really enjoy their presence in this community. They're always so kind, encouraging, and supportive of others. Not to mention, their gameplay? An actual dream. All of their Sims and builds are so beautiful. I just adore them.

I could sit here and list folks all day long, but I'll stop myself here! Definitely go check these people out and show them some love. It goes without saying: but if you aren't on this list, do not feel excluded. I love each and every one of you and what you bring to this community! Stay creative, friends 💗

#replies #nonsims #non sims #anon #this was fun #I want to do a write up of everyone I follow now lmaoo

[natelotl]

Open letter to the interactive fiction community

Personal opinion that doesn't represent anyone's but my own.

First of all, I will clarify that I'm just a reader, not a writer of this genre (I do write conventional fiction though), but here's what I noticed:

I'm someone who went away from the scene for about a year due to other interests and found myself reading my favourite titles again, as well as some I've never read before. I love this genre, so as a reader I enjoy reading various titles, but I always feel a sense of dread whenever I open most development blogs, with the exception of some authors that I know don't take fans asking stuff that personally. I will not name specifics, but if the shoe fits, you can wear it.

The sense of dread comes from whenever I try to open dev blogs. I'm always happy to know more about the plot and the characters, but I personally feel like I have to tiptoe when reading asks, and a bit scared to find out how authors react to other people who are asking seemingly innocuous questions and in return get answers that are... very defensive? of the work being written, and a lot of the time the ask is not even criticism of the work by whoever is asking.

I also get the impression that some authors in the community seem to enjoy looking down/dunking on their audience or think of their audience as more morally inferior for coming to different conclusions to their works? I get that fans 'not getting the point' of your plot and/or characters can be frustrating, but that's the risk of putting your work out there, isn't it? Even people who like your work in its entirety might not align with you personally.

To build up on the above point, as someone who enjoys other genres with romance elements or straight up romance games like dating sims/otome/BL/yuri/galge is that there's a sense of looking down at their audience who choose to play because they mainly enjoy the romance and/or are solely there for the romance/intimacy aspects, as if they're lesser than people who can enjoy multiple aspects. There's a sense of 'romance/sex is lesser' and I know there's a reason romance isn't compulsory to include as many players as possible, but it feels a bit puritan/sex negative to me, as is scoffing at players who find NPCs or antagonists/villains attractive enough to want to date, but you can always ignore/ delete those asks instead of openly antagonising your audience for wishing something that you have the power to include/exclude from your canon, no? All it does is make your a part of your audience resent you and/or refuse to engage with the work (it's happened to me before).

Last commentary: There's a sense of "I have the moral responsibility to write only morally correct fiction" sometimes, and so not enough creative freedom in general in especially how character flaws and especially villains are written? Are you guys limiting yourselves? But maybe that's my personal taste, I like leches, lol.

Small note for fellow readers: I know I just criticised how authors handle things, but in our part I think we can all start from reading FAQs and do away from asking things that might be out of their boundaries. we can always do fanart and/or fics, headcanons etc of things authors disagree with somewhere they cannot see.

I think that's all I have for now. I won't answer back, but I'm curious what the rest of the community thinks.

*EDIT: this was directed ONLY at western-style text-based IF community. If what you make is closer to dating sims, VNs or otome/galge/BL/yuri: feel free to ignore this post, you are not its target audience.

#interactive fiction #interactive novel #interactive game #discourse

[moyokeansimblr]

Hi Moyo :)

I would really love to know about your rules regarding wants/ltws/secondary asp etc. How do you choose aspirations for your sims? Is ltw (for example, career one) more important to you than regular wants (for different careers for example)? Are you trying to acomplish ltw even if sim doesnt have many wants about it?

Hope this is not too much questions :)

Have a nice day!

Hi nonny!

That is so weird, I was just thinking last night I wondered if I should post about some of my gameplay rules and here you asked! Let's see, how can I organize my response to not ramble... I'm gonna ramble anyways I can't help it.

I try to follow my sims' wants, within reason. 90% of the time I'll do whatever they want but it is my game at the end of the day. I don't have a lot of specific want-related rules. One that comes to mind is when teens roll the go to college want. I will entirely ignore it if they roll it prior to their birthday. If they roll it any time on their final teen day then I'll lock it in and then they'll go. But I don't lock it in before because they could change their mind 😉 College is a big decision! With things like engagement & marriage I'd ideally like both sims to want it but that doesn't always happen and then I have to decide whether I think the desire of the sim who does want it trumps the other sim not having the want. Usually I decide it does.

Sims don't get jobs unless they want one, meaning there's no guarantee a sim with a career-related LTW will fill that. However, I do keep it in mind when a sim is looking for a job - in the cases where they just roll a generic 'get a job' want or if they roll any job want I'll hold their LTW career in higher regard and if it's one of the options I will choose it instead of whatever the want is for. I won't spoil which sim but this exact example is in my queue atm. But if my sim isn't showing any want indication for a job I won't go out of my way to be like "well your LTW is x so here you go!"

So to answer that question I'm not sure if that makes LTWs more or less important than regular wants...I guess they sort of are less important because I want there to be a chance that not every sim is fulfilled. At the same time there's a lot of gray area. You could argue with former-townie Renee Andrews who has the custom Self-Employed Talent LTW that I shouldn't make her start a business until she has a regular want for one, but I've kind of made the executive decision that whenever she can afford to that I want her to start one...mostly because businesses are really fun imo.

The same goes for whether or not I'm trying to accomplish a LTW even if they don't roll many regular wants regarding it - it's a big ol' depends. Pol's LTW is to raise 20 puppies/kittens but it's not like he's had wants for Baby and Tarabas to try for kittens (is there even a want for that?). Pol did want to obtain a pet and adopted Baby, but I had to force the adoption of Tarabas and do the rest. But that's because I've personally never completed that LTW and I want to give it a shot so I am. The Max 7 Skills LTW is usually pretty easy because Knowledge sims always want to skill anyways so I don't have to intervene at all there. Same with Romance sims, they'll roll wants to have x lovers or woohoo with x sims regardless. But I obviously have their LTWs written on my spreadsheet for a reason. I'm not going out of my way to fulfill them but they're always in the back of my mind. I guess that's the answer.

Aspirations are chosen based on Zodiac. I have two tables saved on my spreadsheet and I'm 99% sure they're from Cindy/Pleasant Sims because I borrow a lot of the way I play these days from her. I have one that does incorporate Pleasure as a primary asp and one that doesn't - and seems like from my past-self's decision to highlight the one that does that I am using that one for Strangetown 😜

Secondary Aspirations are calculated using interests with this calculator, which I don't know if it was made by Cindy? But I know I borrowed from her. The only additional rules I have regarding secondary asps are that I only assign them once a sim is an adult, and if a sim has the highest number of points in their primary asp then they won't have a secondary. If they tie in a category then I choose.

This seems like a good point to mention that I also don't look at LTWs until a sim is a young adult...unless of course I see it by accident. I have a few age-specific 'rules' for when I check things and add to my spreadsheet. Here are those, along with some other rules I wrote down for myself so I don't forget. Such as because I use the shorter university mod I cheat sims $1k for each semester it skips because idk I think that's fair... gives graduates a little extra money. And then I wrote down the actual amounts per grade in case the popup disappears before I see it since I will put that into each sim's individual bank account. Wondering now if it'd make more sense for me to do body hair as teen too... 🤔 I've always done it at YA but I only recently added in that I want to start rolling for glasses and facial hair otherwise I forget and none of my sims will ever have them. Dunno.

Let me know if you want clarification on anything or have any other questions! I'm always happy to answer about the way I play 🤗 One of the best things about this community is being able to inspire and be inspired by each other!

#moyokean #anon ask #answered #sims 2 #ts2 #the sims 2 #thesims2 #moyo's gameplay rules

[demoncia2]

I love putting my fav characters in the sims

-Black Hat can not make friends on his own. He doesn't really care to interact with people, and when he does, he's very mean. I've managed to get him to be friends with a few other awful sims but I still have to supervise him because he'll randomly start arguments and shout in the middle of a conversation and then be all giddy about it. Trying to make him apologize is a Herculean task.

-He set the kitchen on fire because he HAD to walk away from the stove to laugh maniacally to an empty room

-If I don't buy him new and expensive things every so often, he gets upset. He gets extremely bored watching TV or when he's in a room without many decorations. He's very high maintenance

-He's also a vampire because there isnt an occult sim any closer to whatever he is. He hates spellcasters and keeps picking fights with them

-Flug doesn't care for meeting people either, but he's significantly easier to get along with than Black Hat. He is also Evil though, so he likes to go over to his "friends'" houses and kick their trash cans over and call their baby ugly

-I had to get rid of most of the computers in the house because all he would do was hop between them and barge into people's rooms to play video games. I didn't tell him to like video games, but he's still on that damn computer

-He is the most perturbed about all the haunted shit in the house

-He hasn't lost a fistfight yet

-Demencia eats out of the trash

-Demencia has ended up being the most qualified medium in the house, therefore I put her in charge of throwing away all the haunted shit that starts appearing in the house

-Demencia and Flug have become rather...close...since neither of them want to be yelled at by Black Hat. It's complicated. Maybe it would be less complicated if she stopped eating trash or if he stopped busting her door down to take apart her stereo. They're both kind of assholes still

-505 is a dog (great pyrenees) and he sheds all over the fucking house.

-I had to get rid of the fireplace because he was terrified of it

-I went to play a different household and apparently I didn't disable autonomy for non-played households and Black Hat got engaged and I didn't find out until I went back to that house. I think it would be a terrible wedding, or I'll find a way to make the wedding excellent for he and his partner and extremely miserable for everyone else

[lamare-sims]

Hey, I'm trying to enable go steady wants for adults because I have a mod that allows them to do that. I have got the want working for adults, showing in game, but I've noticed that the want will reappear even if they're already going steady with a sim - and ctrl + right clicking on the want to fulfil it just makes it reroll again. Would you have any ideas about how to not make it appear when they're already in a relationship like it works for teens and for engagement/marriage?

I too use Adults Go Steady and I made a mod for myself to regulate these wants and fears. For my personal use, I don't suppress the want entirely if sims are seeing someone, but I quickly made another version for you or anyone that may want it like that.

GoSteadyWantFearYAE_LoveCrush_NotMarriedEngaged - adults/elders must have a crush/love before they want to go steady, they mustn't be married or engaged to anyone, but they may be currently going steady with someone else

GoSteadyWantFearYAE_NotInAnyCommitment - adults/elders don't have to have a crush/love before they want to go steady, but they mustn't be married, engaged, or going steady with anyone else

🎈 Choose only one version and remember to edit or replace your WantTrees.package to enable the wants (these packages I just shared ARE NOT want trees, they go in the downloads).

One lengthy explanation about the first version follows :D I wanted sims to be able to want to go out with someone else, even if they have a steady partner. Go steady is a not as strong of a commitment as marriage, right? If we make these wants function the same way, then why have the option to go steady in the first place? It's not fun if it's the same thing with a different icon. So it has to be different in a meaningful way, less serious, but at the same time -- not annoying. Like when I enabled baby wants for young adults, too many uni students started to want them (which reminds me that I still haven't uploaded the updated files). To give it at least some filter, I decided to restrict it to love/crush (sims will probably won't roll it without love or crush anyway, but it wasn't hard coded before). I might fine tune it some more, I haven't played enough lately.

#sims 2 #wip #testing

[enniewritesathing]

What inspires your character story and design? Is there influence besides just liking how they look? Are you striving to tell a complete story or just tales (short story blurbs about their lives)? I struggle with wanting to add more when I haven't finished the stuff I have.

Also! Do you think you've advanced in your writing from say 5 years ago to now? Do you think you've improved?

I always wonder if I'm improving. I certainly wouldn't be writing what I do if not for positive (and not so positive) feedback from simblr and having a writing friend who shares my passion and vision for story writing.

Sorry if that's too many questions. Just curious to hear how others process. Thanks!

Oh, don't worry, you're not asking too much at all! :D

I'm gonna put it under the cut bc it's gonna be long, lol

So!

I don't think I was particularly inspired by anything other than the fact that John and Brian were from a previous, abandoned story. It was based on the game Organ Trail (think Oregon Trail but with zombies and other stuff, lol). They are very different from what they used to be; they weren't together for one thing (they were both straight!) and they were edgy. Brian especially, he was more of a doomsday prepper. John having long hair is a hold over from the story; he grew it out to cover his eye (severely damaged from a grenade blast), y'know that sort of thing. I dropped the story after a while because I lost interest in it. That and everyone involved died...

There's not really a big influence on how they look either. I kinda come up with what's good but also what's unique. I guess I'm not one of the ones who struggle making male sims. For a future story, I had to make some (like 7??) and I went to town on the random button until I found what I liked and shaped them from there.

As for stories? Over the years, I've went from being very long form to shorter stories. I guess tales is a better description. They do have some continuity like with John and The Werewolf, the dealings with Brian's aunt, John and Brian getting engaged. I know Bare Knuckle, a story where John fights a literal demon, sticks out like a sore thumb because of how bonkers it is, but I made the story because I thought it would be cool; it also pushed my pose making skills at the time. (It's clear that I made that for myself really... ^^;)

I'd get an idea and go "can I put either of these two in this situation? and how would they go about getting out of it? or make it worse? better?" etc. Would this be "canonical" or would it be an AU? It's fun for me to think like that. A lot of the time, I make it bc I wanna see it for myself, what kind of a take I have on certain tropes and plots and maybe someone else would too?

I feel like I've improved in the past 5 years. It's pretty evident in my earlier stories it was strictly dialogue and nothing else and thus, empty. It used to be so stiff, it's kind of embarrassing, but there's a reason why I left it as is and never went back to redo them. (That's key, I think). That and I can the progress of how I use to take screens versus now, how everything's laid out, the expressions, etc.

I've had my ups and downs writing -- I feel I'm kind of a tough sell with most of my stories for simblr. They're not serial (I do not have the attention span or energy to do this), not a really big cast... I could go on, but it'll come off as complaints and maybe whinging on my part more than anything else.

That and the content itself; John and The Werewolf in particular because those stories deals with things I don't really see too often. and y'know, the blood, torture, violence. it's just so messy. In fact, I don't really get too much of any feedback of any kind so I'm kind of out here doing my thing. I don't know who's actually reading what I put out or if it's even thought of at all. I just hope that they're a little entertained by it. (tho it wouldn't hurt for a recommend)

but I'm also extremely stubborn! I'll complain, but I'm gonna keep doing it. I have ideas and they're gonna exist and I love to see how things play out. Sometimes the boys surprise me and I surprise myself. :)

#ennie answers #sparkiekong #good lord that's a lot of words @_@ #thank you for the ask! :D #a text post #non sims

[lone-sk]

Hey, so! I thought it would be fun to do a tier list of all the games I played for the first time this year, and discuss my thoughts on them. Tiers are unordered, thoughts below the cut.

Super Meat Boy -

Just a fun ass time. Excellent platforming, a great difficultly curve, fun level gimmicks, and a solid amount of content. Basically as flawless as a video game can get.

The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth -

I've never played a roguelike where each run felt so unique. All the different shit you can do with ability synergies and items is insane, the skill ceiling for this game is practically infinite. This is what the roguelike genre has the potential to be, and every other roguelike is now worse because they aren't this good.

Dark Souls Remastered -

Yeah, the combat is improved in later entries, but the level and world design here is unmatched. Each segment flows together so seamlessly, combined with the top notch atmosphere and aesthetic for an unforgettable experience.

Psycholonials -

A really exceptional visual novel that talks about the pandemic, the internet, and just kinda what its like being a young adult nowadays. Captures a lot of weird and intense feelings. It makes you feel so emotionally drained after every chapter, and I mean that as a compliment.

Persona 5 Royal -

There are so many interconnected systems in this game, but they're all so balanced and intuitive. The developers thought of everything, and every time you get complacent, they pull another trick out of their sleeves to keep you on edge. Masterclass of pacing. Plus, the visual style is leagues above anything else out right now. The RPG mechanics are even somewhat manageable as well. It just feels good to play, and never really fumbles.

Class of 09 -

A visual novel that is both really funny, and really profound. Kinda similar to MTV's Daria, with a lot more edge. I do appreciate that there is a message - several really - at the core of it's various endings, and it's not just being edgy for the sake of it. The voicework really caries the experience, especially in contrast to the inconsistent artstyle. I get that they want to go for the shitty deviantart anime style, but some of the endcards just look bad.

Class of 09: The Re-Up -

Pretty much a direct improvement in every way. More scenes are hand illustrated now, and the artstyle looks a lot more palatable now. The voice actors are given more challenging scenes, and they absolutely rise to the occasion. There are less endings, and less content overall, but it's higher quality.

Cruelty Squad -

Everyone seems to talk about this games art style, but honestly, I just really liked the gameplay. Lots of high skill movement mechanics, paired with challenging level design, and a dash of immersive sim mechanics make for an engaging experience.

Melty Blood: Type Lumina -

A fighting game that combines the mobility of a platform fighter, with the combos and depth of a traditional fighter. Takes the best of both genres with none of the cons. I only wish the netplay was better.

Shenzhen I/O -

A puzzle game that involves programing and arranging circuits. Fun, but very challenging. Or maybe I'm just dumb.

Pentiment -

Disco Elysium but set in a 15th century European monastery. It's well written, and has cool art, but doesn't really have the memorable, interesting characters of Disco. Plus, it asks the player to learn a lot about medieval history. Like a lot.

Dead Cells -

A fun enough roguelike, but it runs out of steam pretty quickly, faster than you'd expect for this genre. After a while, you run out of good long term progression unlocks, and the difficultly curve really spikes. I got stuck at a point where I could beat through all of the stages easily, but then the end boss would wipe me out really quickly.

Hotline Miami -

Lots of visceral, gory gameplay. The aesthetics and art direction are on point as well, more so than normal for one of these games that was clearly made for a gamejam. The controls do kinda suck though, the lock on mechanic is especially unintuitive. It's almost impossible to play on controller.

Exa Punks -

Another fun programming puzzle game. The gimmick of having little robots you give commands to is fun, and kinda reminds me of those websites that teach coding in similar ways. The only problem is that the objective of levels can be unclear.

Watch Dogs 2 -

I'm surprised a Ubisoft sandbox is this high, but this game really grew on me. The gameplay is mostly similar to the stuff you can do on the hacking skill tree in Cyberpunk 2077, but more fleshed out and intuitive, really fun stuff. The story, too, is surprisingly pretty good. They also push the messaging pretty far, nothing that's proper like, anti-corporation or anything, but it's pretty anti-silicon valley, anti-walled garden tech, stuff like that. Shattered my incredibly low expectations, good job guys.

The Coffin of Andy and Leyley -

Overrated as fuck in my opinion. It starts out strong, but the pacing gets flattened by the end of chapter 2, and it feels like the developers don't know where to go from here. There are so many little bits and pieces of the story, with the cult, the demons, the weird shit to do with blood types - and I don't think there's any way to take these ideas, build on top of the story so far, and have something cohesive, or satisfying. And if you're just here for the incest, it's only in one scene at the end of one of the possible endings, so what the hell was even the point.

Shadows of Doubt -

A procedurally generated detective game, which gets points for letting you do pretty much everything. Like it's an admirable level of detail, you can do shit like break into the phone lines in order to trace someone's call. It just doesn't really click with my brain, I guess. Like it could be tutorialized a bit more, so the player has a better idea of what they can do. Plus after a while, you exhaust all the different cases there can be, and they all get predictable and formulaic. I do hope there are more content updates in the future, this is a great base to build off.

Psychonaughts 2 -

The world and characters in this game are all really good, but the story is really a drag for me. The first game had this goofy, silly vibe to it, but the story here is so overly focused on like, acknowledging how fucked up it is that you can go into people's minds and change their personality like that, which I always thought was kinda the joke of the original. Plus the gameplay is like, just okay, although a lot of the levels are too long, which feels like a weird complaint, but I ended up getting bored a lot.

Pseudoregalia -

Excellent platforming with dogshit level design. Once I left the tutorial stage, I was constantly confused about where I needed to go, and what I needed to do, and even where I was. Just some of the worst game design I've ever fucking seen. Abysmal shit. But, the movement is pretty spectacular, so I did end up finishing it. I hope people find out how to mod level packs in, that would be hype.

Pizza Tower -

I had the same issue with this game that I did with Mario Odyssey. The main character has such a distinct and refined moveset, so why am I spending half of most levels as someone who is not the main character? I don't understand this focus on captures. I still had a lot of fun, but it's frustrating as fuck, when you want to play as the fun character with the deep, high skill ceiling moveset, and the game does not want you to do that for some reason.

TIS-100 -

Another puzzle game for smart people, which is brought down a bit from not really having an art style. I dunno, I get wanting to be minimal and cool, but at least give me background music, come on guys.

FAITH: THE UNHOLY TRINITY -

I do respect the commitment to the Atari 2600 art style, but if anything this just proved why most "retro"style games went for the style of later console games. The gameplay is literally almost nothing, and I have a hard time getting into any story that's told in 90% text logs. The style makes for some effective horror, outside of that I had a hard time getting anything out of this.

ALAN WAKE II -

I feel like the devs did not consider the combat system here. Like the entire point of making combat clunky and resource - dependent is to force the player to pick and choose their battles. It falls apart when you're constantly forcing them to kill enemies. That, and the corkboard puzzle sections don't really require any thinking to solve, you can just brute force them. They aren't very intuitive either, it's such a transparent way to just, progress the plot instantly. I did like the story though, for the most part, and the visual style is pretty fantastic. Lots of eerie, abandoned scenes, I love it.

Hotline Miami 2 -

Whatever improvements to the art style and gameplay are negated by the terrible level design. Lots of wide open spaces, where an enemy off screen will shoot you, and you have to duck out of cover, spraying at them with an SMG that has random spread. Lots of glass, lots of levels that only really have one route, lots of getting killed by random enemies you didn't even notice. Just really frustrating stuff.

Teardown -

The tech used here is really cool, I just wish they used it in a better way. The levels are barely passable, there's no real difficulty curve, or ideas that get expanded upon. It still feels like a tech demo.

Hiveswap Act 1 -

It's a perfectly inoffensive point and click adventure game. The art is well made, I like the story, and I thought Joey and Xefros were cute together. It's just missing something to really bump it any higher. It's short, and the puzzles are all either obtuse as fuck or super easy to solve. I also have a hard time figuring out who this is for. I don't know if Homestuck fans or point-and-click adventure fans would get a lot out of this.

Yakuza 0 -

I had a hard time getting into this one. The main story is just too soap opera for me. So many characters with complicated relationships, so many dramatic declarations and cutscenes. The combat is also just okay. The side content is really great, but it's hard for that to carry the entire experience for me. What a weird game.

Critters for Sale -

It's difficult, because I think there's a lot of cool techniques here that would help push visual novels as a medium forward. Lots of cool visual effects and fun mini games. Being very clear and upfront about how many endings and routes there are. Good menu and UIs. But the stories are just, not very good? Like I can remember maybe one or two individual moments, but most of the game I've totally forgotten about. Except for the Death Grips storyline, what the fuck was that?

Far Cry 3 -

Everyone gasses up the main story on this one, but lets be honest, it kinda sucks. Vaas is great, but who gives a shit about any of Ethan's friends? Or Ethan himself? Plus, the gunplay and exploration were both so generic. They were probably impressive like a decade ago, but now? I can get this same experience in 20 other games, do something interesting with it, or get out.

Not for Broadcast -

A game that really had me, and then really lost me. At first, the gameplay is mostly basic video editing stuff - keeping the camera on the person talking, censoring curse words, stuff like that. Ok, makes sense, it's fun. But they slowly add more gameplay that's just busy work, and the story really goes off the rails, and I couldn't take it seriously anymore. It basically turns into watching Monty Python skits while solving a Rubik's cube.

Gunfire Reborn -

A roguelike fps that just kinda sucks. The "roguelike" elements don't change anything massive about your run, just enemy placement and weapon pick ups. And it runs on like, Borderlands progression, where you're just looking for stuff with the bigger number. The combat feels shitty too. Shitty movement, abilities and guns that don't feel satisfying to use, what a terrible experience. I hate how every FPS makes "difficult" enemies by just adding more HP.

Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch -

Boring as fuck. The story was boring, the combat was boring, the world was generic, I feel like I've played this game twenty fucking times already.

Jedi Fallen Order -

Dark Souls if it sucked. You can always tell if a game was made in Unreal Engine if it has shitty, floaty movement, and for a soulslike, not having precise movement really fucks with the entire experience. There are also too many ranged enemies, which is a problem when your character is melee focused. The levels suck, and the story is shit. Fucking Star Wars fans will buy anything.

Bastion -

It's Hades, but everything is 1% as good. I guess it was interesting to see the roots of certain ideas, but everything is just slower and not fun. Literally no reason to play it now outside of some historical curiosity.

City of Gangsters -

There are so many interesting systems here. You can set up specific routes for your crew to perform at specific times, down to the location, and action, but honestly, it just doesn't scale well. In video games that revolve around storing shit, the complexity ramps up much faster than it does in most games, and if you don't provide the player the tools for handling it, it's just overwhelming. I appreciate the ambition, but this needed like, another half year of dev time, minimum.

Outcore -

I've never played a game that was this self conscious. You can skip pretty much all of the gameplay, although it's not like it offers a lot outside of rip offs of better games. So much could have been done with this concept of a desktop buddy coming to life, but instead, I am presented with a rip off of the Flowey fight from Undertale. Guess it's not plagarism if you frame it as an homage. Get the fuck out of here.

Clone Drone in the Danger Zone -

It needs more. More upgrades, more enemies, more weapons, more arena designs. As it is, it feels like a gamejam game.

Hiveswap Act 2 -

Oh my god the story is so terrible. Imagine thinking that it's a good idea to introduce 30 characters in a 4 hour game. Barely any of them are interesting, either, and even if you do end up liking one, it's not like they can be a significant part of the story, because we've got 29 more of the fuckers to introduce. Plus there's an Ace Attorney segment like halfway through which is really hard to get through if you've never played one of those games. I don't see anyone enjoying this, outside of the really hardcore Homestuck/troll fans, and even then, do you know how much fan fiction for this series exists? And how much of it is really good?

#lone talks #super meat boy #the binding of isaac #dark souls #psycholonials #persona 5 #class of 09 #cruelty squad #pentiment #dead cells #hotline miami #watch dogs #the coffin of andy and leyley #shadows of doubt #psychonaughts 2 #pseudoregalia #pizza tower #faith the unholy trinity #alan wake 2 #hiveswap #yakuza zero #critters for sale #far cry 3 #not for broadcast #gunfire reborn #ni no kuni