Today's game is Undertale. I'm sure everyone and their mother knows this game so i'm not going to go too in depth about it. I had originally picked up and dropped this game so many times though. Growing up i watched a playthrough and kind of spoiled it for myself, so i figured "Hey, i know like everything about this game. I don't really need to play it". So i never did. I did pick it up though for 2 dollars, just in case. After playing OneShot though, it made me really want to give this another try, so i did.

I'm having a lot more fun than i had expected with this. I think it's a combination of just age (so being able to appreciate some of the jokes) and time (so i don't remember it as clearly).

I ended up naming myself Link as a stupid joke. I saw the name picker and it was a RPG and just couldn't help myself. I wasn't really sure what to pick to begin with so i figured "why not".

The "combat" definitely lends itself to my enjoyment. I'm enjoying how diverse the Act options are. Trying to figure out which one to use is like a puzzle in itself. And reading context clues is a fun game for me (ironic considering i suck at it) so the game play has a lot to offer me despite already knowing the twists and such.

Anyways, so Undertale is my new "Currently Playing" game until i either get bored, burnt out, or suddenly hop tracks over to another game. All of which are likely for me to do. Still, i would like to stick with it.

In my nation-building game Country Architect, worker teams roam the map building infrastructure, transporting resources, and defending territory. Each team has different states (idle/working/drafted/charging) and can be equipped with multiple specialized vehicles. (Eg. One team could have several excavators, and a few drones to help defend itself).

I need to decide: Should teams be represented as emoji blobs or a construction vehicle?

1. Emoji blobs show team state at a glance (happy/working/alert)
2. Construction vehicle feels more professional but less expressive

Poll (no signup): https://linkto.run/p/Z5UY3MPQ

Steam page: https://store.steampowered.com/app/4136240/Country_Architect/

I'd love some input. Which would you prefer in a game like this?

I had a magical moment yesterday, looking at the Steam Sale and tempted to buy Dying Light: The Beast, and it hit me that I have the original Dying Light in my backlog.

Eight hours later, it's safe to say I really like this game, and spending zero dollars is pretty nice too.

What's everyone else playing?

Today’s game is some more OneShot. I binged this game all day today, and honestly i was a little sad at the end. It did a really good job of making me feel connected to the characters, and on a meta level it did its job well.

I was so attached I played through it to get all the achievements. That’s 3 whole playthroughs. One for the First Playthrough, the second for NG+, and the final in Memory Mode too get the last few.

Spoiler

I’m convinced that in a meta way, this game is about us (the player) giving a sort of humanity too the games we play, such as this one. I kind of saw Niko “taming” the World Machine (the process of basically letting a robot in more grow beyond their programming and gain free will) as a sort of reflection of us doing the same. When we start to view these characters as human (the first step in the process) do they break free from their programming and become alive.

And beyond that, in a way, the first playthrough was the player “Taming” Niko. By the end of it we’d sort of developed a bond and connection to him and almost saw him as human. By Solstice this allows him to metaphorically think beyond the capacity of the loops

Of course, this doesn’t work to people without attachment to the game, but that’s at least how I looked at it without any deeper insight.

And after doing a memory mode playthrough, I kind of find this even more reinforced as it’s a “recording” of Niko, not the real thing. Maybe it’s just me, but knowing the real Niko isn’t there made the whole thing feel soulless. This recording isn’t tamed, it basically has no free will and in lore is just destined to repeat the same actions over and over.

The artwork for NG+ was gorgeous too. I’ve honestly considered using it as my wallpaper. The only thing stopping me is a lack of 16:9, so for now I extracted the wallpapers from the built in “PC” and upscaled it instead for use

All of this, kind of points to me being in love with this game if you couldn’t tell. I just can’t bring myself to believe it’s over, and I can’t delete it. It’s hard to believe this game inspired such affection from me. Only a little bit ago I knew little to nothing about it, and now I’d say this game has earned a spot on my top games of all time.

• What about Early Access Games?
• Do you feel differently about Early Access vs traditional preordering?
• If you are open to the idea in specific circumstances, what are those?
• How do you decide if a game qualifies?

I’m interested in the community thoughts on preordering and I’d love to have a thoughtful discussion on the matter.

Personally, I’m against preordering, except in specific situations where I want to actively support the development of a game.

I have been thinking about this because there is a game I’m considering preordering from a medium sized studio, but the reason I want to preorder is for the IP, rather than the game and it goes against my typical stance on this. The game is based on my favorite book series and part of me wants to encourage more games be made based on this series. At the same time, the book series has found commercial success and as a whole does not need my help.

I did name the specifics here because I’m hoping to encourage discussion on preordering as a whole, rather than my example, but if you want to know, I’ll drop a comment and we can have a discussion in the comment thread. :)

The game streaming service will make almost all of its users pay extra for extended access.

Today's game is OneShot. I've heard praise for this game over the years for it's story, i didn't know much about it outside how good i have heard it is. And holy shit, this is amazing. I am so glad i went in blind. I have a nostalgic soft spot for games like this from the 2010s. Chiefly, The game Doki Doki Literature Club (A horror game that i doubt needs much introduction) is what got me into programming (I saw a playthrough and went "wow, that looks cool. i want to make one). So anything with meta elements are instantly going to get points from me.

I want to start with the basic foundations and praise the music, because it's bittersweet, it does an amazing job of making me feel soothed while also feeling unnerved. The entire time i felt like i was being watched. And the Artwork? Absolutely gorgeous. I'm not usually big on things that replicate pixel art (i feel like it's become the go to), but the color choice and art style is amazing. Give me glowing blues on a dark background and i'd die for you.

The particular part where you give Maize the sun i'm particularly fond of, it's really well done since you're told that the sun is super important, so of course you'd be hesitant. But also, they're dying, so you're left with the choice Do you do the human thing and grant their last request or keep the Sun safe. Ultimately you do have to give the sun up to progress, but it's not made clear.

I completed my first playthrough all in one day, but i want to go in for another. I hear theres a new game+ along with something called "Solstice" so i want to try that. I don't want to start thinking too deeply until i finish whatever solstice is, but i got the vibe the message was about how we kind of give meaning too all this and build a bond with this world that ultimately isn't real, and that act in itself is Human. We see it reflected a bit in the game. We kind of see this in a non meta way with everyone going out of there way to aid Niko on their quest and bond with them.

I'm sure this sounds like a jumbled up mess, but i'm trying to avoid thinking too deeply until i can sit down and really think after beating it. But basically, i really love this game. It's one of those games that stick with you after you beat it and kind of leave you with an empty hollow feeling that makes you ask "now what?" the last game to do that was maybe The Last of Us Part 2? I'm still mixed because i've been putting off finishing my grounded run though.

This latest update focuses on expanding the player’s offensive capabilities and significantly improving the overall atmosphere through a complete audio rework.

New Dash Attack Mechanic The dash is no longer just a movement tool for dodging. I have implemented a new mechanic where the player now kicks monsters and aliens upon contact during a dash. This adds a layer of aggressive mobility to the gameplay, allowing you to clear paths and deal damage while repositioning.

High-Quality Audio Remaster I have completely updated the game’s music and sound effects. The new tracks have been produced with higher fidelity to ensure a more immersive and professional experience. This audio overhaul better reflects the intensity of the combat and the fast-paced nature of the game.

Technical Refinements Optimized dash hitboxes to ensure consistent contact with enemies.

Balanced audio levels to ensure music and sound effects complement each other without distortion.

General performance improvements to handle the new collision logic during high-speed movement.

Link of game https://kittycreampuff.itch.io/starfishroom

Thank you for following the development of Starfish ROOM.

Today's game is Team Fortress 2. For those who weren't here last year (in which case, welcome), or who just missed it, i play Team Fortress 2 every Christmas Eve. I used to be quite addicted to the game and it overlapped with Christmas Eve, and by year 3 i noticed i had accidentally made it a tradition, so i just keep it up.

I... have not played in a while. In fact i think the last time i played was last christmas. It's not a lack of love for this game, in fact i still do give it a special place in my heart for running on my shitty Dual Core 6GB of DDR3 RAM Laptop. But I just can't find it in me to play now, i spend a lot of my "Multiplayer" time playing with my friend group, and the bot problem also killed a lot of motivation in me (though i hear it's been resolved).

To warm up though i did a practice match with bots. To no one's surprise i'm sure i had gotten really rusty. I usually play Demoknight and could barely keep up like i used too.

Still, i wasn't going to let that stop me from having a good time, so i hopped in a public lobby and played around. Almost everyone there was pretty chill.

I say almost everyone because there was a guy there screaming about how "Race mixing is a sin", but everyone kind of clowned on him and he ended up getting pulled from matchmaking, so hopefully Valve did something.

I went into another match and this one you had to feed a Nutcracker gifts like a game of Skulltaker in Halo. It was a fun game mode. Though i felt a little lost on the map. I ended up switching to plain Demo and carpet bombing the drop point which was fun.

The final match was a game of Push the Cart. It was really close but honestly by the end i had started to get into the groove of it again. I had used the Scottish Resistance to set up traps and held the cart for like a solid minute. We ultimately lost, but damn did i feel proud.

I ultimately might go back into it for another session with my friend (who joined me last year), though i can't say the same adoration i once had is there. I think it's kind of been over taken by Halo. It's weird going back though.

While i was playing i was thinking of a quote from Ben Folds (who i had actually seen live recently). He had described Christmas being like a "Rhyme", and honestly that's the same feeling i get from this. It's like revisiting an old family home that hadn't changed much. Maybe there's a few new faces this time, some of the people from last year are gone, and the walls are a different color, but it's still the same.

Anyways, I'd like to wish everyone a Happy Holiday! It's an honor to get to celebrate a second one with the community again.

Been in kind of a slump lately, remembered a friend recommending Drova awhile back. Had apparently marked it ignore at some point, as at first looks it does come off as a kind of generic action-rpg.

start up game, mess around, start pilfering everything not nailed down as one does...find set of clothes to replace my starting rags...talk to the guy i stole em from while wearing them and he stops me "...wtf dude, those are my clothes. give them back".

oooh, gonna be one of those games, eh?

quest to escort someone to another location? got distracted by a wandering cat and ran off...came back after short fight and that escortee won't talk to me anymore... "fuck off, you abandoned me"

little things like this repeated over and over again, very reactice rpg.

The gaming world appeared ablaze after the Indie Game Awards announced that it was rescinding the top honors awarded to RPG darling Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 due to the use of generative AI during development. Sandfall Interactive recently sat down with a group of influencers for a private interview session, where the French studio was probed about recent AI controversies. Game director Guillaume Broche clarified some of the misinformation surrounding the studio and reiterated what other Sandfall developers have said about generative AI usage during interviews held earlier in the year.

Transcription of the Q&A comes courtesy of gaming content creator Sushi, who was one of the handful of influencers who were present at the session. Twitch streamer crizco prefaced his question by recounting the storm surrounding Baldur's Gate 3 developer Larian Studios' admission about using generative AI during game development.

Today's game is some more Red Dead online, me and my friend setup a private lobby, which is awesome because it lets us play without Hackers (thanks to the individual that suggested this, it's really handy). It's also led me to the conclusion that all my bugs with this game are caused by hackers. The fish are all back, i'm not being disconnected every 30 minutes, and my Horse isn't randomly blowing up.

I went fishing and caught this huge ass Gar that was 16 lbs. I couldn't figure out what to do with it so i just carried it around for a bit until i swapped it for a gator pelt. I had wanted to cook it though. Sorry fish.

While i was looking at what i could do with my fish, my friend rode to catch up to me. He ended up tripping on a log though hidden in the snow. That got me thinking about how impressive this game is, that even a log hidden by snow can trip your horse. It's just a crazy level of depth to appreciate.

Me and my friend also went Gator Hunting to get supplies for our Trader. They're surprisingly easy to hunt since they lay there.

We also got attacked by a Panther of all things. I had to put it down because it was right by our camp and attacking us, but i fucked up the shot and it bled out. Man did that make me sad. I have an unreasonably large soft spot for felines.

We stole a train to end off our day and just drove around the map until one of the waterfalls. I ended up lassoing a police officer who shot at me though and dragging him behind the train. I tried to pull him up to at least make the death painless... but wasn't able too. So this random officer ended up being meat crayoned into the ground.

To end off we stopped at this waterfall which is gorgeous, before we got off to go play Halo 2 (we're working on a normal playthrough right now). I think it's a lovely and far brighter place to leave off the game.

I thought I'd share this because it captures the state of the market right now, as seen by a game developer and someone in games media. I know some of you are tempted to say, "it didn't do everything right, because it didn't do X", but I kept the original title. What I found to be particularly noteworthy was that they both seemed to agree that one of the biggest problems is market saturation, with just an unending stream of great games to play that makes it difficult for all of them to find their audience. And then that too has knock-on effects with funding and investment.

Source Wired video interview

Today's game is Baldur's Gate 3. We've spent all evening just working on gathering Exp to have a little more breathing room when it comes too the quests we're going to do. We ended up jumping the Bugbear and the Ogre to get some experience, which is where the screenshot above is from. We went and warmed ourselves by the fire before getting off.

When we started the combat i hung out on the roof and just shot arrows into them. I figured by the time they were able to make it through my party members they would already have enough arrows in them to be killed, i was right.

That's something i really like about this game, it has a lot of tiny little moving parts (such as being able to jump onto roofs and such) that all add up to make it feel like one of the best D&D games. It kind of makes me wish we got some sort of "Dungeon Master" tools to make our own campaigns, but then again, at that point just run D&D with some friends i suppose.

We also went and did the Harpies, i made quick work of them with my arrows, i ended up being lured by the very last one though. Luckily our Barbarian threw a Shovel (i think?) at it and killed it. I've started doing this thing where I'm collecting corpses and storing them at camp. I just want to see how long it takes for my friends to comment on it. So far i got the Harpies, the Dark Druids, and some goblins and skeletons. That chest has to smell absolutely rancid.

We left off as mentioned above after fighting the Bugbear and Ogre. After all my friends got off i messed around with the photo mode a little bit to get that photo in the main screenshot, here's the "unedited" version.

Hey everyone! SketBR here. I'm back with another update for Starfish ROOM, focusing on accessibility and smoother mechanics.

Here is what’s new in this version:

1. Gamepad Support (Xbox Input) 🎮 You asked for it! The game now fully supports controllers with the Xbox input layout. Playing a roguelite with a gamepad gives it a completely different, more comfortable feel. Plug in and play!

2. Visual Feedback: Card Selection 🃏 To help switch your focus from combat to strategy, the character now turns Blue the moment the Roguelite Cards appear on screen. This provides clear visual feedback that the action has paused and it's time to choose your upgrade.

3. Improved Throw Bomb System 💣 I have refined the Throw Bomb mechanic. It is now much more responsive and precise, making it easier to land those explosions exactly where you need them.

Give it a try and let me know how the controller support feels!

Thanks for playing!

https://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/1010890