Kickstart This: Wanderer

download

I go through cycles where I either am really into sci-fi or really into fantasy. The past few years have definitely been dominated by fantasy realms – Middle-earth, Tyria, Westeros, etc. But between reading The Woods comic series, watching SOMA playthroughs, and the impending release of a new Star Wars movie, I think it’s safe to say I’m entering a sci-fi cycle right now. So when I saw the Kickstarter for Red Cloak Games’ new game, Wanderer, my interest was definitely piqued.

Continue reading…

Sym – Platform Anxiety

1

Since I was a teenager, I’ve been suffering from anxiety. Sometimes it’s perfectly manageable and other times it is debilitating. My life has been peppered with incidents caused by my anxiety – dropping out of a drawing course my Freshman year because I was getting so stressed out from it; breaking down crying in the airport the first time I had to fly by myself; being too anxious to eat in the dinning hall of my dorm while studying abroad; not being able to sleep through the night because I was so freaked out despite nothing being wrong with my life – the list goes on but I’ll spare you the details. So when I first read about Sym from Atrax Games – a game that aimed to illustrate what it’s like to have an anxiety disorder – my interest was definitely piqued.

Continue reading…

Earthtongue – Diversity at Play

AxQH7R

At first, it might seem like there’s not much going on in Earthtongue. You’ve got some mushrooms and bugs growing. But then as time ticks on and new fungi and bugs come to inhabit your little planet, you begin to realize just how much diversity there is in this little vivarium simulator. Balancing out all the herbivores and predators and fast growing fungi and carnivorous fungi can be tricky but getting to watch the neon spores and growths spread across your planet is surprisingly fun and addicting.

Continue reading…

Crypt of the Necrodancer – Fighting to the Beat

zone1

My first experience with Crypt of the Necrodancer was in a dark back room at the first Bit Bash Chicago event in September 2014. In a tiny, cramped room filled with Killer Queen arcade machines, on one wall Crypt of the Necrodancer was being projected. In front, two Dance Dance Revolution dance pads were sprawled out and hooked up to the game. It had one of the more reasonable lines compared to all the other games set up, so my friend and I decided to wait. He got a go first and I watched carefully in an attempt to figure out how to play before I got up there and embarrassed myself. Finally when it was my turn up, we managed to get through level 1 of Zone 1 and got to the first dragon mini boss before we both died. Along the way I haphazardly sliced at enemies and accidentally dug my way through walls, trying to move my feet to the beat.

Continue reading…

Why I Still Buy Early Access Games

early access

Two years ago Steam introduced its Early Access platform to both developers and players. The system allows developers to put their game out on Steam in an unfinished state. The idea is that the system allows players access to games they are looking forward to sooner and from that the developers get more revenue earlier on as well as feedback to help them develop their games. I see a lot of people decrying the Early Access system and calling for others not to purchase any games that utilize it. Personally I feel that point of view makes the issue much more black-and-white than it is. Every game under the Early Access umbrella is different, as is every developer and their intentions and aims. I happily buy games that are still in Early Access within reason.

Continue reading…

Shelter 2 – Cat-based Heart Ache

shelter2_2

Before I was a lynx mom, I was a badger mom. By the time my badger cubs were big enough to fend on their own, I had managed to save three of the original five of them. It was an emotional task filled with perils. But I did it. So I thought I would be able to handle being a lynx mom well enough.

How wrong I was.

The Shelter series is an emotional rollercoaster. But whereas the original Shelter is like a wooden roller coaster, Shelter 2 is like this coaster (yes, there are flames that shoot out of the ground near the end). And it’s because of that increase in intensity that I just couldn’t get very far in the game. I played for a little over an hour but my little cat-loving heart just couldn’t take anymore. Think of this as more of an extended Impressions than a Review.

Continue reading…

The Floor is Jelly – Everyone Should Play This

screenshot6

What if the floor was jelly? Ian Snyder’s answer to that question is a fanciful, giggle-inducing romp with physics. After two years of working on the puzzle platformer, it was finally released in January 2014. As a rule, I get easily frustrated with platformers. I’m pretty terrible at them for whatever reason. Despite this, there are a small number of platformers that I really love and The Floor is Jelly has wiggled its way into that distinction. If I had to pick one word to describe this game it would be “delightful” because that word can describe any aspect of this game: art style, music, game mechanics and level design.

Continue reading…

Eidolon – A Hunger for Lore

2014-08-05_00011

I had to pull myself away from Eidolon in order to write this review. The day I got the game I didn’t even realize I had played for hours until I heard the door open when my husband came home from work. I looked around and realized that night had come and the house was already dark. I was so absorbed into the game and story that time just passed by.

Continue reading…