people are drawing Steamboat Willie Mickey doing all this crazy shit and whatnot, but you could always do that. you can do that now, with current Mickey, just fine. it's fanart and it's legally protected. hell you could take Disney-drawn Mickey and put a caption about unions or whatever on it and it would still be protected under free speech and sometimes even parody law.
what is special about public domain is that you can SELL him. you could take a screenshot and sell it on a tshirt. you can use him to advertise your plumbing business. people have already uploaded and monetized the original film.
you could always have Mickey say what you want, but now you can profit off it.
holds your face so fucking gently please leave reviews for indie games. please. every single review legit counts, especially if the game is small enough, and you don't even gotta say much if that's the problem!!
like, anything from a long ramble to a simple 'it was good' matters, because steam (and probably also the Other Ones) uses an algorithm. so the more reviews, the more exposure, the more money the dev team gets. like, please. please. leave a review. throw your small indie dev team a bone
I like games ! You know that ?! and I played a lot 2023! and I liked a lot :). They aren't in any specific order, it's just a little highlight of games that stood out to me this year. I've attempted to write a few thoughts on each so I hope take a look. I wrote playtimes for some also but that is very subjective.
-Ones that actually came out 2023-
Lunacid
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1745510/Lunacid/
I think I mentioned enjoying this in 2022 but it officially released so I can say it was one of my favorite games in 2023 :3! I like to feel around this game's walls for secrets. I like the npcs that are full of hope and whimsy despite the bleakness of its world. Chill and occasionally spooky first person dungeon crawling around moody caverns and ruins varying from underground forests to vampire castles and blood lake. (Blood lake!!!! Lake of blood!!! Big creature there.) Lots of fun weapons and spells to find, I like the one that lets you turn blood into coffins.
~20 hours
Orbo's Odyssey
https://feverdreamjohnny.itch.io/orbos-odyssey
If you played the massively popular demo for "Peeb Adventures" by feverdreamjohnny then you know that Johnny makes some fun and funny games and this is certainly one of them.
speedy and satisfying platforming! funny dracula moments! short and sweet.
~2 hours
A Walk in the Woods
https://mooncaller.itch.io/a-walk-in-the-woods
Quaint little GBStudio game :) Made by some friends of mine for a jam :) It's cute I like it. There's minigames where you catch bugs and birdwatch.
~30 minutes long
Undertale Yellow
https://gamejolt.com/games/UndertaleYellow/136925
I've only completed the pacifist run and checked out a neutral run so far. as the title somewhat implies, this is a prequel to Undertale where you play as the fallen human who had the yellow colored soul.
This Undertale fangame has a lot of charm!!! A lot of battles really feel like they could have been in the original, with quite a bit of extra flair in some circumstances.
~10 hours
vs really cool bird
https://bobacupcake.itch.io/vs-really-cool-bird
you know that really cool bird that rob bobacupcake made well you can fight it in undertale and it's really fun.
yeah two undertale fangames. . . wat of it …
~30 minutes
Misericorde: Volume One
https://xeecee.itch.io/misericorde
I wont lie the main draw for me into this was cute anime nuns I sure didn't know a whole lot else about it when I dug into it. But it's (the first part of) a VN murder mystery! And I enjoyed it a whole lot. All the characters are memorable and I really enjoy how all of them have differentiating designs. The protagonist is so failgirl. She sucks so much and I love her. I'm very intrigued by the mechanics of the game's world, it clues you in near the beginning to expect something a bit supernatural/fantastical, which gives you (and later the protagonist) a curiosity about what's real and what isn't. The music is all very impressive too, with the ost reaching past 100 tracks varying through post-rock, folk, drum & bass, and others. (Remembering when the track "Scandal" played and my friends and I took a moment to be like- okay hang on this track pwns.) Big fan of its haunting locals and how the aesthetic of the game fits them well. Also the humor is a lot of fun, and I love all the moments getting to know the different characters. Very excited to see the eventual continuation of this.
~12 hours
Absolutely Perfect Specimen
https://chambersoft.itch.io/absolutely-perfect-specimen
It seems like a lot of people are craving toxic horror yuri lately. Here's a recommendation.
It's a VN about the android maid "Pan" and the mad scientist girl who created her. Horrifying & gut wrenching & largely about having other people define you. The art and music is haunting & poignant and matches the ever increasing feeling of dread throughout. It's yuri with the chunks. Peak robotgirl horror for those who can stomach it.
~90 minutes
Wordhopper
https://kokoscript.itch.io/wordhopper
Very quaint word search type puzzle game for ms dos! I think its style is very slick and that's pretty impressive to see. Chill game with nice vibes and eyecandy visuals. also it was so cool to have played this and then ended up seeing the dev's booth at Vintage Computer Festival Midwest. I was like omg woah I just played this.
~bunny
Bossgame
https://lilyv.itch.io/bossgame
This game is yuriful as f*ck. Delightful humor and fun character dynamics! A simple-to-understand-difficult-to-master boss rush battle system that makes you satisfied to get it right, and enticing to get just a little farther if you get it wrong. There's a lot of detail and charm to this game's menus and dialogues and win screens, I remember noticing that once you beat a boss there would be some marquee text that would pass by with some prose on it. I love how it balances its silly moments with its heartfelt moments and its high octane moments. I like the character development and revelations had throughout the plot. & I like how good the protagonists are for each other :) It's very sweet. It's hype as hell. if you want some boss rush action paired well with that sweet sweet girl's love, you *will* play this game.
~5 hours
Elly's Adventure
https://bikwins.itch.io/ellys-adventure
Very cute and witchy!! You are the little witch girl "Elly" on an adventure to get your toys back!!
Feels like a pretty authentic gameboy type experience, it takes a lot of design cues from Kirby's adventure and the like. I am a big fan of how playful it feels.
~1 hour
Nour
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1141050/Nour_Play_with_Your_Food/
This was a treat for me, but I understand that not everybody is going to get it. It's a game where you play with food(and food accessories). And that's it. It knows what it was going for. I think a lot of people were expecting something else for some reason. It's a cute little toy game and I felt satisfied with my time with it.
~food
Hi-Fi Rush
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1817230/HiFi_RUSH/
Do I have to say this game is super fun? It's a big one everybody probably already knows it. This game's dopey humor made me laugh a lot and I'm not afraid to admit it.
~12 hours
WHISKEY.ST2007S
https://bonicle.itch.io/whiskey-st2007nes
One of the last games I played in the year because it released super last minute. Does anybody else get a rush when running a shopping cart down the parking lot? This emulates that feeling.
Short game where you collect whisky stones in the whisky stone dimension because you forgot to go christmas shopping until the very last minute. it rules.
It's very short you can go play it right now & get a highscore.
~5 minutes
re:curse
https://devpalmer.itch.io/re-curse
Discovered this one near the very end of the year also.
Fun little rpg maker horror/humor game about a weird scientist lady, her butch, and an evil clown computer virus that figured out how to warp reality.
I got a kick out of it. and also enjoyed digging through the game's files, which was actively encouraged by the dev, which I thought was very fun.
~90 minutes
-Didn't technically get to until 2024 but released last year-
SWOLLEN TO BURSTING UNTIL I AM DISAPPEARING ON PURPOSE
https://1207.itch.io/swollen-to-bursting-until-i-am-disappearing-on-purpose
People love to dunk on a lot of indie rpgs for being "quirky Earthbound inspired and about depression" or whatever. Earthbound's great. If people can nail the kind of humor and absurdity it likes to pull off while also balancing difficult topics I think that deserves a high mark.
SWOLLEN TO BURSTING was fun. Bizarre and charming places to explore & distressing secrets to find. I like how it blends meander-around-the-town gameplay with Yume Nikki sort of exploration and effects. Also I'm a big fan of the music. I like how it has the lofi sound which matches the early 3d look of the game.
~6 hours
HalOPE
https://starbage.itch.io/halope
Another for the fans of sweet little rpg maker games that have a lot of heart. HalOPE is about an incomplete little angel wondering through worlds. Each has a theme, usually to do with an emotion or feeling, and they do well at evoking that feeling as well as its antithesis. a lot of the music is very homey and charming at moments and unnerving at others, sometimes lonely, all doing well in their corresponding chapters to further the feeling of its specified theme. There are so many delightful characters and designs in this & I found myself feeling really attached to their tiny little stories. The narrative at the core of it all hit me. If I may be vulnerable, I cried a whole lot at various moments in this game. It was really cathartic. I feel very excited for people to experience this game.
~5 hours
-Favs I finally got around to that didn't come out 2023-
An Outcry
https://quinnk.itch.io/an-outcry
Kind of sad it took me so long to get to this one, but glad it meant I got to play the "definitive" updated version of it.
Apartment wandering RPG maker horror. Bum smokes from your neighbors and use them to save the game.
I wish I could unwrap a lot more of what I like about this game than I can without spoiling too much. But if I could, I'd probably go on for too long. Let me attempt to be succinct & not giving too much away. You can tell pretty early on that An Outcry is about taking action when necessary & not turning a blind eye. What it explores about player vs protagonist agency is very fascinating to me as well, and I enjoyed learning about the inspirations for why the game's narrative works the way it does. The character Anne is such a sweetie and I love her a whole lot. This game has a very tangible feeling, this apartment complex is dirty and crumby, it smells of smoke, and there's a surrounding desperation you can feel.
~5 hours
Pigments
https://punkcake.itch.io/pigments
Honestly I had gotten this game in a bundle and while I was playing it I hadn't looked at the name and I just kept calling it FRUIT.
On call with my friends I'd be like "hey im gonna play more FRUIT". I straight up didn't read the title screen.
But it's called Pigments. You play as a fruit and you try to paint the whole floor and not get sliced by buzzsaws. Fun little arcade type game.
~fruit
Bridge, October 3rd
https://lowpolis.itch.io/bridge-october-3rd
Very short vignette. I like it. It's what it says it is. I'm not going to overexplain.
~like a minute
-Other Games I Want To Mention-
Pseudoregalia
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2365810/Pseudoregalia/
I think a lot of people might have already known this one but I felt like it was a pretty fun 3d platformer. There were a few issues I had with it (boss fight at the beginning was frustrating, and I got lost a lot [but it looks like there's been a map patch by now, so, perhaps for some that is a fix]). I enjoyed it but sure felt weird that the only accessibility option was to give the protagonist pants. What kind of joke is that?
~5 hours
Mushroom Musume
https://mortallymoonstruckgames.itch.io/mushroom-musume
(Disclaimer, this game is still early access, but I saw a lot of people talking about it last year. SO I will mention here?)
Haven't played much of this yet, but I have enjoyed what I played so far!!
As of writing I've gone through 6 playthroughs, I feel like I've hardly scratched the surface and I've been so impressed by its depth.
It's very charming, you never know what sorts of fairytale shenanigans are going to happen, and it's very cool to see how your different stats will affect things.
It very much plays out like a roguelike vn. Which is not the sort of thing you may expect to make much sense but it pulls this off well.
Also all the mushroom girls are very cute and I love them very much. I hope the sad goopy one who had bugs in her skin rests in peace.
~mushroom
Knuckle Sandwich
https://andybrophy.itch.io/knuckle-sandwich
-_-
Hm. Where do I start with this one.
I was pretty excited for this one since the demo and kickstarter in 2018. I felt like the demo was a hell of a hook that got me curious & horrified. As time went on, it seemed to be shaping up into something really cool. turn based combat with action commands and wario-ware-type microgames?? with a banging soundtrack?? like, count me in!! Then it released and well, the gameplay, art, music all delivered. It was very fun and engaging in those aspects.
But the story… oh it just devolves into disappointing nonsensical randomness. The whole hook at the beginning seemed to be completely thrown away for the wild goose chase plot that ensues, leaving you to wonder if it was ever going to be relevant again. It felt like it had no idea what it was trying to say or do. It disappointed me that a game that has so much good in so much else about it gets brought down so much for me by this plot.
~12 hours
Rhythm Doctor
https://store.steampowered.com/app/774181/Rhythm_Doctor/
(Putting this one in mentions because it is early access.) I really enjoyed the act 5 release. When I first saw this game, I kind of shrugged it off, thinking "that base mechanic doesn't seem like it will last". I thought it was basically just that one ghost shooting game from Rhythm Heaven which I Hate. Well let's just say I am now seeking penitence for my previous transgressions. It's really fun. There's a lot more to it that I didn't know when I first took a look. Also, consistently amazed by people's custom levels, I had no idea that its level editor allows people to do so much in it, I look at some levels and think "This editor seems as complex as an industry standard video editor". I'm looking forward to what they're planning next, very curious how they could possibly one-up the last update.
~rhythm
El Paso Elsewhere
https://strangescaffold.itch.io/el-paso-elsewhere
This was really fun & funny so far but unfortunately I had been encountering an issue with a certain level where the game would crash. I reported the issue, got a response, and there has been an update since then so I think there's a possibility that it got fixed but I have not tried yet. I would like to return to this sometime but having to relearn controls midway through is always daunting to me.
~?
-Things that looked good but didn't get around to-
Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1340480/The_Cosmic_Wheel_Sisterhood/
Still don't know a whole lot about this. But there are witches, and I like witches.
Casette Beasts
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1321440/Cassette_Beasts/
I haven't felt thrilled about Pokémon lately. I know a lot of people seemed to really enjoy this little monster-collecting-rpg. The style is appealing to me as a die-hard gen 5 fan. I started playing it but haven't set aside the dedicated time for it yet, but I'm excited to dig in more when I do.
Little Goody Two Shoes
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1812370/Little_Goody_Two_Shoes/
Started watching a friend play this, and I'm certainly curious.. Some sort of horror fairytale but also there's yuri? Yum. Enjoyed the style and animation in the nightmare segments that I saw.
Venba
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1491670/Venba/
I've picked this up a while ago but still haven't gotten around to it, but I'm eager to, I've heard nothing but good things.
Goodbye Volcano High
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1310330/Goodbye_Volcano_High/
I think there are gay dinosaurs in a band and it's going to be the apocalypse? I have also heard nothing but good things about this.
-Things I watched friends play-
Signalis
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1262350/SIGNALIS/
This was a pretty big one. You probably already know it, right?
Watched a friend play this and I missed various parts but I understood a solid bit of it.
hey. robotgirls are always getting put in these fucked up situations. have you noticed this? one time i got really high and cried about it. it isn't fair
Bomb Rush Cyberfunk
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1353230/Bomb_Rush_Cyberfunk/
This one was also probably big enough you don't need me to sing its praises. but it looked really neat. swag.
-Various Thoughts-
Lately I've been thinking more about design and narrative. I feel like I haven't been doing as much analysis as I should be when it comes to games. I want to dissect more what games are saying and figure out meaning. Also attempt to see how the mechanics aid in that. I feel like most of my own work is pretty abstract & random. I simply make what I like. While that's fun and all, I still want to improve in a lot of ways, especially in having more of a theme or message. Figuring out how other games accomplish this is obviously a good step toward this.
If you saw games here that interest you I highly urge you to take a look, many are pretty short, and I pretty explicitly wanted to highlight some smaller titles. If you know me you know I like to uplift small games. (Save for the occasional big game, but that's rare these days) I think it's healthy for you to play and support independently developed & published works. I don't want to ramble too much this time about why that's important, but I hope that you might have found something you may enjoy here and if not then I encourage you to find small stuff that you would like. And I would like to encourage everybody to share their findings as well! Little games need our help to be seen and talked about! They don't have the budgets the big ones do for advertising, and advertising on your own is a whole ton of work. If you like something, spread the word! I'm sure the developers would very much appreciate that.
for the record my official paleontologist review of Paleo Pines is
it's gorgeous
it's so cute
it's super fun
it takes too long to get into it, the start is just... slow. too slow.
it needs more tutorials/explanations of things in the game, I had to look up waaaaay too much stuff online just to understand certain things
I am once again begging game devs to hire me as a "taxon balancer" because why did we need four dromaeosaurs and not a single alvarezsaur or small running ornithopod/neornithischian thing? why are there no sauropodomorphs at all when plenty would be smaller than the ornithischians and theropods??? why is Wuerhosaurus in the Game at all when it's just Stegosaurus but Later???
I can accept Postosuchus and Desmatosuchus being there (barely, like I love Triassic Weirdos but like... idk, don't call everything a dinosaur then) but Dimetrodon????? Permia isn't even one of the seasons!!! come on!!!
a farming/ranching game without romance??? I don't have to have a pansexual crisis??? hooray!
how dare the number of dinosaurs you can keep happy on your ranch be finite based on dreamstones and not space
I *love* the flavor system and it took me way too long to figure out that favorite treats are based on each individual animal's specific favorite secondary flavor
I want more dinosaurs and more regions
you should be able to befriend animals without necessarily bringing them home (and yes, I know, you can send them to the wilds, but they look so OFFENDED, like... why can't I just make friends)
I'm addicted to this game, send help, I am hopelessly behind on Fossil Novembirb posts and I want to turn in a grant proposal this week
I'm glad I waited till after my big conference to play because of the aforementioned addiction
anyways I finished work for today, off to play some more la la la
'Twas the week of The Game Awards 2023, and a lot was going on.
Baldur's Gate 3 won big with six wins, The Great Gonzo himself was there in a dashing black suit, Hideo Kojima materialized (of course), lots was announced, Alan Wake 2 picked up some prizes, yet more was announced, and the ~actual~ ModdedController360 (sometimes known as Timothée Chalamet) dropped by the close the ceremony.
You came for the awards, you stayed for the trailers. We hope you liked what you saw. In the meantime, let's put this little weekend aside to look back on the week that was: #the game awards, to be precise.
it's all your favourite 80s/onwards slasher flicks rolled into one
the premise is ropey as hell but it's self-aware enough to know that and make it FUN
the references are gonna be really obvious to horror connoisseurs but tbh for me they were subtle enough that they weren't overpowering the experience; it's not just fanservice held together by gaffer tape and string
there's one (1) jumpscare right at the beginning, so be aware of that, but it didn't send me running for the hills and while i haven't finished the game yet, it's fair to say the rest of the game does not rely on cheap thrills and scares
that said, the fact that there's a crouch mechanic deeply worries me
but still: without giving too much away, you experience the game by manning the radio station and taking calls from people being pursued by a serial killer. there's no narration or visuals, the tension relies entirely on voice acting and sound design -- and i think they did a spectacular job with that
there were so many moments where i (and chat, i was streaming it) was on the edge of my seat
the puzzles are absolutely doable but still really satisfying when you work them out; and there's timers only on some dialogue choices, so you have enough time to work things out in steps -- also makes it easier/more fun to let chat help hehe
when you do fail, you don't feel railroaded or tricked, which is important, though once or twice a lack of information can be a little frustrating because you're just gonna have to go with your gut
the characters have really interesting backstories, i can't wait to find out more 👀
according to the devs, the dialogue and backstories were all written collaboratively across the team, and the game somewhat responds to how well you do in keeping people alive
there's also clues throughout the story so you can try and put it together as you go -- delighted to find out what's the biggest red herring
devs say all players will get a satisfying resolution re: the killer's identity, but players who do well get a more complete picture -- raising the incentive for multiple playthroughs
there's moments of instant karma that are just *chef's kiss*
the environmental storytelling at the radio station ohmygod
is something lgbt happening to Peggy 👀👀
the dialogue choices match up with the tone of what your character actually says, so it's easy to mould his personality a little bit (and the bits where they get creative with punctuation to help convey that tone are really funny)
i'm about halfway through and so far nothing seems overplayed; instead the game just fully commits to the bit without being obnoxious
mechanics are simple: play records, play ad tapes, take calls, and occasionally run through the station for clues
sadly, you can't photocopy your butt
BUT you can shoot hoops from your desk (with paper balls) and the game tracks how many you got
if you're a horror movie or game fan, if this sounds like you'd enjoy it, i can only recommend it! i'm not super good with horror or survival games, but i had an absolute blast with this. here's a couple of screenshots so you can see the aesthetic they're working with:
it's got that cell-shaded telltale look -- easy on the eyes, colourful. and the carpets. my god
Death Stranding: "Mail delivery - the game".
While interesting narrative, I bailed out before reaching "Wind Farm" (location inside so called intro area) as I slipped down the cliff and not being able to fight "monsters" yet, I found I have no time to constant sneak and V spam while the monsters can just make my cargo drop and I have to run around tree and then wait and micro manage my cargo with spray and whatnot. I factually decided to bail out of the game, when I was told to that i also have to deal with a baby stress levels besides all the other micro management.
This is interesting game, but not quite for me. I still think people should give this walking simulator a try - as it is unique game in many ways and online mode has come unique mechanics how other players actions can save your life (it IS single player game, but ... it is related to games lore ... about being connected and I really loved how other players even had left signs which route is safer to take or placed ways to cross rivers. there are NO other players in your game, but their actions can have impact to your world in positive ways).
Would have been curious to find out the story, but .... I am one of those people, who just do not work well with all the constant "stop all your doings and press this button because X happened in game world" - Press 3+click to drink, press F to rock your baby, press left-right to balance your cargo, drop cargo to spray it, press Q to scan, press C to sneak and press ALT to hold breath, tab to read mail, press 5 to like, press F to eat a worm, press Q to scan again, press F to pick your metals, do not forget to press arrows to balance cargo and oh... try to find shelter because rain bad. That happened in span of 10 minutes, just right after i built a bridge... yeah, got to build stuff too.
Fun game to those, who like micromanaging each their step, but I am more of a Dishonored kill-simulator-kind-of-player. Still I recommend to at least try it. It's... very different from the mainstream empty-shell games you get promoted by AAA nowadays.
PS! See I can STILL doodle something else than Hellraiser ..... at times!