#beast breaker

[inkabelledesigns]

Artists of all mediums, what's your comfort music to listen to while making things?

I like a lot of stuff that can be classified as chill and adventurous, typically mostly instrumental. I'll usually put on a game soundtrack that fits that vibe as a result, though the Nutcracker and Swan Lake ballets also fit in there. Balan Wonderworld and Beast Breaker are some of the most comforting and fun ones in my collection.

Balan Wonderworld Soundtrack: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfFi6_9VykQaMlfWfTJ9fqqW-KP5OApzV&si=ZEdNUVsBDMt9gfic

Beast Breaker Soundtrack: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_l64s1yjDu3yhSvSLtMuR_AL6Pk93LhmXQ&si=u0bpg2CEI0f2fdaZ

Consider reblogging and sharing some of your favorites! I'd love to hear your favorites, maybe find some cool new music to listen to while creating.

[madhogthymaster]

Master Recs: Beast Breaker - The World's Only Radical Leftist, Furry Pinball RPG

I discovered a charming little gem hidden away in the Nintendo Switch library. It is titled Beast Breaker and I would aptly describe it as thus: what if the world was attacked by giant pinball machine monsters and the only way to destroy them was to use a small mouse as the ball? Would you find that immediately appealing at a fundamental level? I sure would.

Beast Breaker is a rather unique hybrid between a turn-based RPG and the aforementioned pinball mechanics that gets deceptively more strategic with the addition of time limits, wide-area enemy attacks and weaponry-based offense. Besides all that, the characters are cute.

Stages are divided in two sections: turn-based exploration and combat, the latter of which occurs when you find the monster - or it finds you. The allies you choose to bring with you come with all manners of abilities that are useful in either scenario, such as recovering items from one side of the map without wasting a turn or attacks that impact battlefield conditions. There are nine party members in total and they are all well-rounded, both in terms of characterization and individual skills. There are no weak links to be found here.

Now, what I expected from this unassuming little title was a cute story with queer little animals. What I did get, instead, was an allegory for climate change, or COVID trauma, or any other moment in history where the Powers That Be do not care whether we live or die. It is a story about Found Family and Community, about people coming together against a common existential threat, becoming thoroughly disillusioned by the governing institutions, fighting the good fight even when there's no end in sight and making their voices louder with each new act of kindness. On that note, do not expect to find a typical, bombastic RPG narrative here. Despite its fun premise and gameplay, the plot is surprisingly grounded. Make no mistake, though, it is a blast to play.

I do fully recommend the Radical Leftist, Neurodivergent, Non-Binary Furry Mouse-Bouncing game.

---

A/N:

It's refreshing for me to put together shorter, more bite-sized articles for simple recommendations. I might do more in the future.

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Master Recs comes in short video format as well.

Beast Breaker was developed by Vodeo Games. It's available on Nintendo Switch and that other digital store that's not Steam.

[diode-the-skunk]

Guys I-

[archmage-ansrit]

Marshy Mallow - 4 - Beast Breaker

We follow the trail of broken recording equipment and arrive at a whole new area!

We draw ever closer to the mystery scientist.

As an extra, I get the weapon that is the easiest for me to use.

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[blueeyedrat]

Games I played in 2022.

If I were to sum up my year in a word, it would be stable. Game dev work has been steady, not particularly stressful. I got a new laptop, and have been gradually upgrading in other ways. A lot of good and bad things happened to the people I care about, but as a whole I entered the year in a pretty good place, and left it more or less the same way. I suppose I'm grateful for that.

As usual, one of the big constants was gaming. There's the usual time sinks – Animal Crossing, Sky, a bit of Grindstone here and there, and a couple new ones as well. I also returned to some older favorites, like Mario Kart 8. And I put some time into a couple dozen new games, and added even more to my ever-growing backlog. These were the highlights, with a few honorable mentions here and there:

(2021 ⇐ 2022 ⇒ 2023)

Monster Hunter Rise

The game I put the most time into in 2022. I'm new to Monhun, but it's piqued my interest for a few years – a bunch of folks in my orbit got into Monster Hunter World when it came out and that game seemed neat, and Rise seemed like a good excuse to dip into the series myself. It's a good entry point, bringing some accessibility for new players and new tools for old pros, but even then it's still pretty daunting if it's your first exposure to Monster Hunter. With so many different (and often unorthodox) weapons and builds and playstyles to choose from, it might be hard to figure out what clicks for you.

But when it did finally click for me? There was no turning back. Between the base game, the Sunbreak expansion, and all of the extra challenges, there's no shortage of quests to tackle, maps to climb and explore, and creative monsters to hunt, all the while building up ever-more-powerful armor and weaponry. The movement feels good and the combat feels great, and it's fun to drop in on other hunters and play in co-op. And with the two four five weapons in my arsenal, I've got a good variety to keep me going for a while yet.

Beast Breaker

For a different take on monster slaying: a turn-based action game where your primary means of attack is ricocheting around the arena like a pinball or billiard ball, lining up just the right shot to take down giant foes. This was the first game I played from start to finish this year, and I liked it a lot. The combat's pretty unique with a lot of interesting strategy and puzzle elements, and plenty of tools to mix and match. There's a good narrative, a memorable cast of characters, and a good visual style and soundtrack to tie it all together. It's a damn shame this was Vodeo Games' only title before the studio shut down. I would've loved to see what else they could do, and I hope they can find success elsewhere. But if you only get one, you might as well make it a good one.

Dicey Dungeons

Now, if we're talking strategy, style, and soundtrack, this one's hard to beat. Like plenty of other games, it's been in my orbit for a while. Seemed like a nice time all around, but I didn't have a pressing need to play it myself. Eventually it came up on a Steam sale and I heard about some extra content coming later in the year, so I figured I'd pick it up and play a few rounds once in a while... and suddenly it's two weeks later and I've blitzed through the entire game and completed every challenge available. Turns out this game is addicting as hell. Who would've guessed.

As far as deck-builders go, Dicey Dungeons is pretty quick to pick up, and it's fun to come up with a good, versatile strategy and adapt to the dice rolls you're given. Different episodes give you specific characters and gimmicks to work around while still making every individual attempt feel unique. And did I mention the music? Because the music is fantastic. Two weeks (plus a few days for the extra content) well spent.

Hollow Knight

I keep an informal list of "I'll get around to this eventually" media. Games, cartoons, movies, the kind that I'd like to experience on my own so I won't go out of my way to spoil myself on it beforehand. I... didn't make a lot of progress on that list this year. Just haven't been in the mood, I guess.

But I did get around to this one! As well as OneShot, and a couple more recent games further down the list. I quite enjoyed Hollow Knight. The combat could be frustrating at times and not in a fun way, but it was nice to explore and the platforming was great, especially as you unlock more abilities. I'll admit, in my blind playthrough I missed out on a lot of side content simply by just... never actually stumbling across it on the map. It's not a flawless game, and not one I'll ever feel an urge to complete a 100% file, but I enjoyed the time I spent on it.

Just in time for Silksong, right?

Sid Meier's Civilization 6

On the other end of the spectrum: a game I've immersed myself in thoroughly for years, but still never actually found the time to play until recently. I sunk many an hour into Civ 5 back in the day, and the ways 6 iterates on its predecessor are all pretty interesting, especially the emphasis on city-building with districts and wonders. There's no shortage of different civilizations to pilot and strategies to try out.

The issue now is, even though I have hardware that can run the game without immediately melting, a single round of Civilization is still a big commitment in terms of time and focus. I have time, but not that much time. Perhaps I'll make more room for it in the coming year.

(Another honorable mention, and another game I should make time for: Airborne Kingdom. A neat concept and aesthetic, and a pretty chill city-builder. I need to check out the extra content at some point. Same goes for the other builder games on my backlog, like The Wandering Village.)

Prime Mover

I continue to enjoy puzzle games whenever the mood strikes me. Sokoban-esque puzzles like Kine and Move 'n' Bloom, chill sandboxes like Cloud Gardens and Luna, and other curios like SOLAS 128.

It's been a while since I've been in the mood for a good programming puzzle, though, and Prime Mover delivered a challenge. The tools it provides are intentionally kinda restricted on their own, but the game is pretty open-ended and gives you a lot of room to maneuver around those restrictions. And while some of the best games in the genre encourage you to iterate and experiment and make exponentially more complex machines using the simple pieces you're given, Prime Mover openly requires it. The later challenges get pretty intricate, and the final one is the most complicated puzzle I've ever solved in a programming game, by a mile.

Seriously it took me weeks of planning and a dang flowchart before I even started building a full solution. It's an interesting game, if you know what you're getting yourself into.

The Zachtronics Solitaire Collection

While I was in the middle of that programming fugue, one of the big pioneers of the genre announced that they were closing up shop. I'll always have a fondness for the works of Zachtronics – SpaceChem is one of my all-time favorite games, and I put a lot of hours into Infinifactory, Opus Magnum, and MOLEK-SYNTEZ. I respect their choice to end the studio on their own terms and move on to new projects, but I'll miss 'em all the same.

They've also been an influence on me in another, smaller way: solitaire games. I played my share of Klondike and Freecell and other games back in the day, and as a game dev they interest me from a design perspective: by nature they're very small in scope, and it's easy to sketch out ideas and iterate on them and come up with something new. Much like its track record with programming games, Zachtronics has also approached solitaire with a particular design ethos that always feels well-balanced and puts a fresh spin on these familiar concepts, often with new rules and new decks. These are the games that inspired Temple Solitaire, and I'd like to keep drawing inspiration from them in the future. The tarot deck's a coincidence though.

Splatoon 3

I suppose I don't actually play a lot of online multiplayer games nowadays. Casually I've never had a lot of people to play with and have never been social enough to seek it out, and the more competitive side I often find frustrating. I'll play them occasionally, but a lot of the time I either keep to myself and play against the computer (see: Super Smash Bros, Civilization), or play games that are explicitly cooperative instead of competitive (see: Sky, Monster Hunter).

But then there's Splatoon, which has the whole package: a well-crafted single-player campaign, a variety of versus modes, and an excellent co-op mode, all with a distinct style that few games can match. I don't play a lot of shooters, but I loved the first Splatoon when it came out on Wii U, I loved the second game when we upgraded to our Switch, and the third game in the trilogy is just more and better. My brother and I got in on the ground floor this time around, and I look forward to seeing what this game (and this series as a whole) brings to the table going forward.

Chicory: A Colorful Tale

I've been sitting on this one ever since it came out. Not really sure why I waited for so long to play through it – just saving it for a special occasion, maybe. But I can tell you, Chicory is one of the best games I played this year. Its gameplay, well-paced with an interesting core mechanic that's iterated on over and over for a good variety of puzzles and challenges. Its visual style, charming in black and white and satisfying to add your own colors into. Its music, a unique and memorable score from one of my favorite composers. And like its predecessor Wandersong, its strongest aspect is its narrative, well-written and compelling with a neat world to explore and a fun cast of characters. Everything about Chicory is just good, and it was well worth the wait.

Sable

This isn't the last game I played in 2022 – I played LEGO Builder's Journey over the holidays, and managed to squeeze in Kirby and the Forgotten Land just under the wire (boy, does that game go places). But this is the one I wanted to close out the year with.

Sable is a game about discovery. There's no conflict, only exploration. You're presented with a simple narrative, a girl embarking on a coming-of-age journey to find her place in the world, and left to fill in all the blanks yourself through gameplay: You could climb to high plateaus and take in the sights. You could visit every settlement and station, lending a helping hand or an observant eye to travelers in need. You could delve into strange stone ruins to find treasure, or into derelict atomic ships to learn the secrets of Sable's ancestors (and also find treasure). You could hunt down a bunch of weird bugs and fish. You could just hop on your cool hoverbike and vibe across the vast desert.

Or you could take your time. Try everything, be everything, and return home a little older and a little wiser for the experience. And I think the game's interesting setting and atmosphere, its gorgeous cel-shaded vistas, and some surprisingly charming writing made it an experience worth having.

—

I think I need some time to figure out what I want out of 2023: from my work, from my personal life, and from my online presence and all the projects I have kicking around, game-related and otherwise.

I'm sure I'll find some way to pass the time.

But who can say, really.

[itaduri]

this seriously made me cry IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT

[deargravity]

endo’s commitment to matching takiishi’s freak is really something else

[bluntloyalist]

he is so special. to me

[alkcomics]

DDDDD:

[ssaraexposs]

HE AWAKENED!

[toriliashine]

Multiclassed wyll into a warlock/ranger. Best decision I've ever made, live your Disney princess with a gun truth man

[inkabelledesigns]

I feel it’s important to have a good soundtrack while you’re working on stuff. I listen to an interesting variety of things, mostly ballets and game soundtracks. But you know what one of my recent favorites is? The Beast Breaker soundtrack.

https://vodeo.games/bb

https://twitter.com/VodeoGames/status/1574428584009252864

 https://www.nintendo.com/store/products/beast-breaker-switch/

https://biggiantcircles.bandcamp.com/album/beast-breaker-soundtrack

If you’ve never heard of Beast Breaker, then today’s your lucky day! It’s a phenomenal game where you strategically bounce around a mouse named Skipper to take out various beasts that are threatening their world’s way of life. They run into several other woodland animals that join their cause as they to fix their hurting world. It’s an incredibly compelling narrative with a colorful cast, beautiful art direction, and a boppin’ soundtrack that has not gotten stale for me yet. It’s currently available on Nintendo Switch and the Epic Games Store, is planned to come to Steam in the future, and in honor of the game’s recent anniversary, it’s 40% off.

https://twitter.com/VodeoGames/status/1567581119608156161?s=20&t=5oPx6W0ir38YtIgpdYPmdQ

Unfortunately the indie team behind it recently announced that they aren’t able to continue working together due to a lack of funding for future projects, which is a shame. All of them are extremely talented and did an amazing job, and I hope they all find work doing what they love in a place they love soon. I don’t really know them personally, but one of their members is someone I know who is a phenomenal artist and a fun person to be around.

If you’re looking for a game, or just some good music, to get you through these rough times, highly recommend checking it out. This team made something absolutely magical, and the world should know about it.

[madhogthymaster]

Breaking Beast

Madhog plays the world's only Radical Leftist, Neurodivergent, Non-Binary Mouse and Pinball RPG.

Read it.

[archmage-ansrit]

A Royal Audience - 12 - Beast Breaker

We hear our friends and help them prepare (mostly emotionally) for the audience with Her Executive Majesty.

Of course, things are not so simple, ever, and having all paws on deck is going to be a huge help for what comes next.

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[transformers-villain-tournament]

[yanderederee]

Current Watchlist:

—- as of 06.09.24

𖤐FandomList

✓ = Up to Date / * = no spoilers !

Weekly Releases:

Wind Breaker ✓

Witch and Beast

Dungeon Meshi ✓

Bucchigiri! (Dropped)

Kaiju No.8 ✓

Manga:

Astro Royale ✓

Chainsaw Man ✓

Jujutsu Kaisen ✓

Gakurakugai *

Sakamoto Days *

Kagurabachi *

Wind Breaker ✓

Hunter x Hunter *

Spy x Family ✓

Others:

Kuroko no Basket

Freiren

Ergo Proxy *

A Sign of Affection

A Condition Called Love

Mashle

Mr. Villain’s Day Off

Mob Psycho *

Recently Finished:

Pluto

Vinland Saga

Apothecary Diaries