Checkpoint 18: More Like L18!
I Don't Know How Much Longer We Can Keep Up With These "Funny" Numbered Titles
Welcome back to your favorite jumbled roundup of gaming news and games recommendations. Mom says it’s Joes’ turn on the intro so here I am (off to an incredibly rough start). This month has been pretty exciting for me, games-wise at least. The gorgeous Genesis Noir arrived on basically all platforms and Disco Elysium made it’s way to consoles with an extended Final Cut, which means I finally got to play it! (It’s really good) I also found a lot of joy recently in exploring itch.io on my lunch break, playing some small and wonderful things while waiting for my bread to pop out of the toaster. Keep on reading for more on that and find out what Sam has been playing, plus our usual roundup of writing and assorted gaming bits below!
Jason Scott treats us to the inspiring history of J.J. Styles & “Video Games and More”, the wildy forward thinking public access TV show he produced in the 90s, at twelve years old.
Following the reports of Sony closing its PSP, PS Vita and PlayStation 3 stores (a decision they have since walked back) Kimimi took to her blog with some thoughts on virtual stores and digital games.
A little love letter to Rhythm Heaven and the beat of everyday life from Alex Wen for their new blog about music and rhythm games.
The excellent folks at People Make Games did some investigating on how game studios outsource their crunch. So when AAA publishers make promises about improving working conditions for their employees this does not always include everyone involved in making the game, and in many cases its people overseas being ground to dust while forced to work unpaid overtime.
Marina spends some time examining the spatial language set up by Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater and how this applies to other 3D games, and the relationship to our own world.
Deirde Cole takes Arthur Morgan out to the bar for ”just one more drink” and muses over one of the best parts of Red Dead Redemption 2 in her column for Unwinnable Monthly.
Eliza Levinson wrote a piece on Alex Navarro’s Truck Simulator streams for art journal X-TRA. In the column she explores how the laidback streams offer some respite to viewers during an intense and stressful year.
An ode to nonsensical bullshit shared amongst friends.
When I decided to recommend this game originally I was just gonna gush about how simple and effective an idea it was, one of those I-can’t-believe-nobodies-done-this-yet’s. A grid based roguelike where you drop in floorpiece teronimos to create a path for your character, collecting items like shields and HP-ups while avoiding monsters. All in this super charming hand drawn, naive-but-not-actually pixel art style too. Brilliant! But playing it just now, letting with the games wonderfully melancholy one song soundtrack loop a couple times, I started sinking into overthought a bit. Is this game an analogy for the dreary tribulations of adult life? Taking whatever awkwardly shaped opportunities you’re given, having to decide where it fits best, not knowing if it’s going to take your closer to your goal or if you’re gonna lose half your health, or just end up going backwards. Probably not? Maybe. Probably not. — S
Of Love and Eternity is a solo project by developer Winston Powell that has been slowly evolving over the past few years. A short playable demo is available right now and even though it's early in development it already looks incredibly promising. There is just so much to like here—gritty dithered graphics, cool monster designs, a story overflowing with melancholy and tragedy, and totally breathtaking sound design (including a brilliant soundtrack by Michael Berto). Honestly, some of the best rain-tapping-on-armor, iron-greaves-mushing-in-mud, and dead-leaves-being-squished sounds I have ever heard. I cannot wait to play more of this! — J
ALSO ... Preview by Khee Hoon Chan at Indie Game Website.
A beautiful little experience about fishing for the bones of a deceased relative that has been lost to illness. The "game"part is simple and short but gives meaning to basic interactions that are touching and feel very personal. All of this accompanied by some amazing art and moody music that feed into the intimate atmosphere of the game. It's entirely playable in your browser and you can pick it up as part of the Indiepocalyspe #15 bundle, definitely go check it out if you have 15 minutes to spare. — J
ALSO ... A look at Riba and 4 other beautiful altgames by Nathalie Lawhead.
This game totally rips. It’s an… adventure management sim, with your perfectly pixelated protagonist’s monster-laden journey around a randomly generated loop of path being totally out of your control. Your only job is deciding what to do with the spoils of successful encounters. These are either equitable items or tiles you can place on or around their path to alter the terrain, which in turn lead to tougher enemies and greater rewards. As you’d expect from a game with loop in the name, it’s all super satisfying and, all though it maybe sounds kinda hands-off, this game has held my attention more than anything I’ve played this year. It doesn’t hurt that it looks and sounds like something some kids would play in an 80s educational video about the dangers of home computers; it’s all masterfully realised in muted palettes and just the right amount of pixels (the super minimal “overworld” sprites are especially brillaint) with wickedly original takes on classic fantasy monsters and fuzzed-up chiptune that somehow exudes the energy of 80s druid metal and a live orchestral perfomance at the same time. I love it. This game shreds. — S
*1981 was forty years ago. Sorry.
A cheeky puzzler from Madison Karrh where you play as a 25 year old, uhm, bird-person (?) who quits their dead-end job to become the Landlord of the Woods. In order to collect due rent from the woodland residents you have to perform all sorts of odd and bizarre tasks like cook a brain, stitch up a bird carcass, and dissect some bugs. This might seem somewhat grim and gruesome, but the art style and playful humor contrasting the macabre imagery imbue the whole thing with a non-sensical cheerfulness that is completely charming. The game is available for a silly 79 cents on itch.io and Steam so why not go pick it up. — J
ALSO ... The game reviewed over on Buried Treasure.
Hey aaaaaall! Hope you’re doing okay. Just making sure everyone’s got a good long Let’s Play series on the go. Something nice and semi-mindless to half watch while you half look at your phone. Whether you’re working or not,“achieving” or not, you need to and deserve to decompress and zone out for at least a little bit every day. That’s all!
Keep on kickin’ ass. — S