#dungeons and legends are also on sale

[risingsunresistance]

wha... hey for those of you who have told me you've never played minecraft, or you have bedrock but not java... minecraft is. on sale? this thing NEVER goes on sale-

[no1ryomafan]

You haven’t experienced peak autism hyperfixation on something until you have a interest that’s a franchise with multiple iterations and you learn every single thing about each one of them- but among the multiple series you maybe finished like one yet you talk about the others as if you had all the time in the world or the strong interest to go through all of them and not just consume one of them over and over.

[quibbs126]

I wish they’d bring back more Pokémon spin-off games

Not necessarily the idea of reviving old spin-off series (although also yes, please do that), but as in just doing them in general

Conquest, Mystery Dungeon, Ranger, I really like those games. And while I’ve never played Colosseum or Gale of Darkness (I’ve never had a GameCube, as well as the fact that they were just before my time), those games have always fascinated me too. They were fun ways to expand the series and I think we need more of them

Like, we’ve barely gotten any in recent years, at least that I can remember, that being the new Snap game, the new Mystery Dungeon game, and Legends Arceus (and I guess Let’s Go Pikachu and Eevee? I’m not sure where that falls since it’s sort of in the middle, at least to me)

On some level, I get it, Switch games probably take a lot longer to make than DS games, and considering they now have a rule of “new Gen every 3 years”, they’re probably going to spend that time more on mainline games. Especially considering those probably have better sales numbers than spinoffs

But still, I’d like to see them come back more

[lilyblisslys]

watching this iii showcase late bc of work but here are some of my unasked for thoughts

>slay the spire 2; neat! Will be interesting to see how they switch it up (or if they do)

>i like vampire survivors and also I have yet to play any of the dlc, most of which I own

> what’s even going on with risk of rain 2 rn, doesn’t gearbox own it now? It’s not exactly indie, is it?

>that anime/jet set radio inspired game looks cool! Maybe someday I’ll pick up bomb rush cyberpunk (is it me or is it never on sale)

> I keep meaning to look at that Vampire Survivors-esque thing that is clearly trying to be Hades, but I find that games trying to be Hades don’t understand that the reason hades was amazing was more about the quality and quantity of writing than anything else

>a lot of these sim games look cool! Cataclismo, let’s school, and Layasoma(?) summit kingdom look sick as hell

>darkest dungeon 2 free update! The progression system in that game is a fucking mess, a game mode that….fixes(?) that would be neat? Idk

>wizard of legend 2 taking the heartbreaking route of getting rid of a gorgeous pixel art style for an “eh it’s fine” 3d style. Will still probably pick it up

>33 immortals looks sick as fuck, aesthetically and conceptually. I’m really rooting for that one. Interesting to see how the hades aesthetic has trickled down for indie stuff (I’ll explain this thought later)

>the main character in this prince of Persia platformer looks like hatsune miku binder Thomas jefferson. Why is a Ubisoft game in this big indie showcase…?

>forgot about it until the end recap but “Wasteland but it’s in Australia” is kinda tempting but also this doesn’t look like something I’ll ever play

[chronotsr]

Pre-G1 Modules, part 4...A - The Judge's Guild Roundup

Part 4a? This is one of those projects that keeps ballooning in scope forever.

Again, keeping with the theme of "trying to not get too historical", Judge's Guild was a group formed by Bob Bledsaw and Bill Owen to release DM aids, in part because then-TSR didn't think it was a viable market. Note that this is Bob Bledsaw Sr., the guy responsible for the nazi incident at Judge's Guild a few years ago was Bob Bledsaw Jr. Anyway, JG was responsible for a lot of materials ranging from setting materials, adventure modules. A lot of luminaries ultimately come from JG, including recently passed legend Jennell Jacquays, so they're a very worthwhile topic to review. I will not talk everything they put out between 1976 and G1 because I'm already planning on touching on (edit: 3 of 6) items today, so we will focus only on their for-sale, non-serial modules.

City-State of the Invincible Overlord (1977)

This is stretching the definition of module -- it's more of a setting book. CSIO is a setting supplement for, yeah, a city state of an invincible overlord. I hope you like maaaaaaaaaaaaaps! Essentially, an overlord stays above and aloof to the factional struggles of the people beneath him, roman emperor-style, and details out a bunch of characters and places within a city. It's, actually pretty good, I think a modern revision of CSIO would probably be pretty fun to play in, especially if you omitted a lot of 1970s gunk (like the frequency of slavery). It has this nice quality where it's much more brief per-location than modern city sourcebooks, but has many many varieties of the same concept. You might want a tavern, and there are so many to choose from. Here's a random assortment of buildings you can find in this book:

A park of sexy statues with a pleasure cult hiding in the rush

A 'fear shop' where the owner will go to ridiculous lengths to scare you

A GILF brothel

The tavern that Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser always go to

A siege engineer you can bribe for promotions

The map is almost, too comprehensive. I'm not sure what % of buildings are described but it's gotta be close to 20%, which is REALLY HIGH by ttrpg city standards. I'd guess that Green Ronin's Freeport is maybe 1% described. The book also has the traditional regulars of a city book (laws, sewer maps, factions) as well as the admittedly novel idea of a full advertising system to acquire hirelings. It, probably didn't merit a full page, but the idea of caring this much about where precisely those hirelings is coming from is kinda novel.

Regardless, this is an adventure module review blog, not a city review blog, so we have done our due diligence and may now proceed.

Tegel Manor (1977)

Oh boy, it's a megadungeon. Here we go. So despite that ominous cover, it's only 30 pages, so it could be worse. The essential schtick of the adventure is that there's a destitute (by noble standards) paladin who owns the deed to an extremely haunted mansion and is desperately trying to pawn the problem off on someone else. You can bully him into helping, but he's a complete coward.

The house is magically fireproofed because adventurers are just like that. A good sign, I think? Surely this won't be a tedious monster closet festival? We have a pretty standard rundown of a town and,

That's one of the most unfortunate names I've ever seen. If I was a dwarf named Cretin Nodcock, I feel like I would also not give a damn about my appearance. Or maybe work on a name change. This adventure really lavishes in its old timey words, we have a paladin described as "poltroonerous" (cowardly), a passing mention of "white wassail" (a mulled white wine), et c. Relatively little is given about the surrounding town and countryside, just enough to get us into the manor asap.

The first floor is a greatest hits of a haunted house. Animated knives, disappearing ghosts, screaming, the walls ooze GREEN SLIME, et c. Here's the stuff (across this entire dungeon) that isn't rote:

A creaky floor that gets so loud that it stuns elves' sensitive hearing while a wall crusher goes off

An animated yellow mold that looks like a sleeping woman

An animated painting of a battle that shoots arrows outward randomly

An animated painting that paints the party, and if it succeeds the party is petrified

Rust monster on flying bed action

A room of opaque gas-filled tubes that contain a variety of people, monsters, objects in animation. I bet the elf lord would have some nice things for their rescuer.

The level of haunting really goes down and it just becomes an assemblage of roughly halloween monsters in increasingly ridiculous patterns. If I was running this, I'd probably shrink the manor down into a greatest hits version of these rooms, because this is a SPRAWLING manor and it's room after room of "there is a wolf, there is a wight, there is a moldering desk". When you think of Gygax going "why would anyone want to buy a module?", this is sticking in my mind. It's not "Dwarven Glory" bland but it IS a never-ending gauntlet of monsters punctuated by silly rooms.

A rare luxury after all the room-by-room shit. Just some good ol' fashioned silliness.

Inexplicably under the house is a further dungeon-dungeon, which is mostly rat tunnels. Happily some of these maps feature little blank lines to mark your revisions from the official map, which is a nice little conceit.

I am always, always, always happy to have a new riddle to throw at my party, although I'm not so good at riddling myself.

Curiously, lich is spelled with an e at the end here, I have no idea how normal this was at the time.

Like most GMs, I have a crippling addiction to random tables for miscellaneous crap. This is a really hard to parse table but I believe how it works is:

Roll a d12 to determine what the statue does from the first list of results

Follow that result vertically down to the array of concepts

Roll a d8 and pick from that vertical list of results So for example, I rolled d12=5; d8=8. I go to 5 in the first list (Advises), follow it down vertically to the third column of results (the one that starts with Location), and index down to 8 (Directions). My magic statue advises directions to the party. What a nice guy! This table bothers me so bad that I rejiggered it real quickly in excel, because with the benefit of widescreen monitors it's pretty easy to fix:

Tegal Manor wraps with some extra resurrection rules, in case you needed more realism in your magical revivification. I think I prefer it just working, thanks.

Modron (1977)

There's honestly a stunning lack of underwater content in RPGs, I think. Underwater is such a magical location, both experientially and in mythology. One of these days I will set an adventure in one of those sets from the old 1986 Journey to the West TV show, the underwater sea dragon palace ones? They're so fucking cool. Everything is better with underwater dragon palaces.

Right. Modron. Focus.

Modron is another one of those "straddling the line between module and setting book" situations, only much smaller than CSIO. The art all looks like Prince Valliant, which by that sentence alone either means you're going to love or hate it (I hate it). Our titular Modron is a goddess, but also a temple, but also a port town. We will deal with these in order.

Goddess Modron is a river goddess who was worshipped by the town and the temple. She is implied to be, kind of like wonder woman in a weird way? She has to exist underwater, or she dies in 6 rounds (so 6 minutes), which is pretty fucking lame but I too know the struggle of dry skin. She's a fertility goddess (who isn't) and she does d20 years of damage when she lovetaps you. Tragically, she is no longer worshipped in favor of Mitra. COWARDS! LOVE YOUR RIVER/SEA GODDESSES.

Modron's Temple is very, very briefly explained. Essentially, only the oldest people in town know how to find it, via the cellar of the tavern. It's completely underwater, and a lot of mermen hang out there. The head priestess can drain your water! Google says that one love tap would exhaust you, two would probably kill you, and three would definitely kill you. It's implied in this section that a JttW-style Triton Coral Kingdom is, in fact, hanging out off the shoreline somewhere.

Town Modron is your standard raided port town. There was once two gods worshiped here, then it got messed up by raiders and ECONOMICS and some light civil war. It's okay, ya boi Invincible Overlord is sending you a bailout, making him a better autocrat than most living politicians. Apparently they have a pet seamonster who serves the overlord directly? Awesome! We need more pet kaiju in the world.

The actual area-by-area is pretty blasé. The local rulers are varyingly competent (the king is competent but a huge sex pest), there's a guy who takes you on guided tours to, anywhere in the multiverse? Somehow the blacksmith has figured out how to rustproof armor, which will really piss off your rust monsters. The book makes a point to say that the jailor is a particular bastard, so Judge's Guild says ACAB? Unlikely but a very funny concept.

Tragically, we end our adventure without a map of the palace, the temple, the other temple, or anything. I don't believe this is the first supplement to contain Mitra as JG's most famous god (well, Mitra is a real-life god anyhow), but this is certainly the first adventure-ish module to feature him. Dark Tower is quite a ways away!

A poison coral table is, one of those things you would only ever see in early DND. That is so unbelievably specific. The book ends with many such cases, there's a pearl randomizer that doesn't include any fun magic effects or anything, merely linking to Supplement II. Boo!

So originally when writing this, I had intended that part 4 be a whole unit, but then I realized that I was going to have to include these semi-adventures in the roundup. So to my great shame, we will continue this later.

[paperbackribs]

Steddie as Howl's Moving Castle, but the novel version and an urban fantasy setting (mix of old world European magic setting and 1980's Hawkins, Indiana).

Steve is the babysitter of the usual rugrats who are old enough now to go into their own respective apprenticeships, which is great! Truely! But leaves Steve at loose ends. Who is he if not the protector, the shield, the one there for rides, for weekends at the quarry, for snacks and meals, and general fussing over?

But even without his charges around as much, he still has this dreadful feeling of responsibility. Like Sophie's fixation on being the oldest of three and doomed to failure, so to Steve fixates on being the oldest of the group with no career or academic prospects. He continues to slog out his hours at Family Video, but when Robin isn't there to distract him he talks to the film casettes.

"You have a mysterious allure," he tells the hard plastic of Legend. To a copy of Top Gun he laughs, "you are going to have to marry money!" To the cover that he affixes with a "New Release!" sticker over a smirking Venus flytrap, he firmly assures that "you have a heart of gold and someone in a high position will see it and fall in love with you." Robin catches on eventually and will hold up a film for him to assess. It's their new favourite game.

Robin even argues that his words of encouragement help sales. The duo are increasingly run off their feet as more and more people come to borrow videos, at all times of the days and week. She barely has a moment to pass on the gossip about plain and lonely Becky Stevenson, her old babysitter, who is suddenly selling her house to move away with her new wife, a hot-shot healer from Indiana. Becky forgets to return her copy of Little Shop of Horrors.

But Steve is becoming more isolated and boxed in; his days are a repetitive cycle of home, work, and home again. Robin tries to get him to come out with her more, but he just feels so tired after a shift. The kids invite him to join in their nerdy little dungeon game, but he'd rather eat glass. And so Steve becomes a little numb, a lot bored, restless but without the energy to do something about it.

He knows it's his own fault so he tells himself he just needs to get his act in gear and get out of the house. He misses the kids. He misses being with Robin outside of the confines of the shop. He misses Dustin, his bossiness, his way of cutting into the heart of a matter, his place in Steve's heart as a brother in all but blood. But he's also anxious about showing his face after avoiding everyone for so long. Mulling on it, Steve decides to try a softer start to branching out again. He'll start with Will.

Will, who started his baker's apprenticeship three months ago. Will who, Robin reports, is already making beautiful creations that inspire awe amongst Hawkin's customers. Will, who apparently has quite a few suitors vying for his attention. Will who, Steve knows, is going to greet him without fanfare and accept his presence quietly. So Steve wraps himself in his faded grey-blue windbreaker and comfortably slouched jeans in pale acid-wash to head towards the town centre.

He pauses by the hallway mirror on his way out, noting the sad flop of his hair, but leaves without sprucing it up. The strands droop further in neglect.

He has to park his maroon beamer further from the market square than he'd expected. It's terribly busy with people bargaining aggressively for beans, cranberries and corn. Swaggering amongst those with purpose, are young men in letter jackets bloating into any empty space they can. Calling out loud remarks and louder gestures to those who look pretty. Steve keeps his head down; he doesn't want to be seen by anyone these days, let alone these noisy fellows.

It's only as he dodges a squealing turkey running for its life that he realises that it's the weekend before Thanksgiving. No wonder it's so hard to make his way through! Steve stumbles into the mouth of an alleyway behind Melville's booth when he feels warm hands catch him from behind. Long fingers wrap around his hips and Steve has just a moment to catch a whiff of hyacinths before tilting his head back to see the prettiest young man he's ever seen.

The man smiles, dimples popping and warm brown eyes sparkling, "whoa there, little grey mouse. You don't want to get hurt now, do you." Just as warm as his eyes is the deep baritone of this voice, a bard's voice, Steve reasons by the guitar neck he sees peeking over the man's shoulder.

Steve is so close to the man's jaw that he can see his stubble just barely peeking through and for a chocolate curl of his long hair to blow onto Steve's cheek. The softness of it against his skin causes a hot blush to spread against those cheeks and Steve is so mortified at his reaction that he finally has the strength to jerk up and spin around.

The young man looks at him in suprise, "it's all right, mouse. How 'bout I buy you a drink? Don't look so scared."

The pitying look makes Steve utterly ashamed. The other man is so dashing as well, with careful ringlets and a dazling suit of blue and silver. "Oh, no thank you," Steve stammers. "I-I'm on my way to see my kid -" Steve hears himself and blushes more deeply than he thought possible, "I mean - my friend! He's a friend who I babysat! Like a little brother!"

"Then by all means do so," laughs the young man, spreading his arms wide. "Who am I to keep a pretty boy from his brother? Would you like me to go with you, since you seem so scared?"

Steve, who has prided himself on being the strong babysitter and once smooth lover, would not be opposed to the land of Hawkins splitting apart to swallow him today and forever. Possibly after a hundred years this entire interaction will not leave him so utterly mortified.

The other man seems to mean his words kindly, which just makes Steve even more embarrassed so he squeaks out a, "no, no thank you" before turning on his heel and fleeing. The smell of hyacinths follows him as he runs.

[cirerally]

Indie Browser Games Masterpost

⚠️ Make sure to check the descriptions of the games for information beforehand as some of them can be triggering! ⚠️ Also, feel free to suggest games to add! The platform doesn’t matter as long as it’s safe and you can play without necessarily logging in! 

Stylization 👾: pixel art 🎮: low poly (ps1 style) 🧊: 3D

Difficulty 🍃: easy 🍊: medium 🌶️: hard No emoji: doesn’t apply

Visual novels

Off day: "A point & click visual novel about appreciating the little things in life." (via itch.io)

👾 Is it that deep, bro?: "A text-based game where you navigate the tricky headspace of a teenager who is going to see a movie with his friend." (via itch.io)

Dating sims

👾 Nothing to say: "You're on a date with a cute girl, but you're feeling tongue-tied... Can you puzzle out how to confess your feelings?" (via itch.io)

Horror

👾 Five Nights at Freddy’s NES: do I have to explain. (via itch.io)

🎮 Burger & Frights: "It's a late night and you were craving burgers. It's time to ride home." (via itch.io)

👾 Egg friend: "Play games. Earn money. Feed it. Love it. Watch it grow. It is sure to love you back. "

Adventure

👾🍃 Princess Poffin and the Spider Invasion: "The moth kingdom has been covered in spiderwebs! it's up to poffin to find the spider responsible, and restore her kingdom to its former web-free glory!" (via itch.io)

Platformers

👾🌶️ HELP! NO BRAKE: "Hey umm, your car won't brake anymore. So better clear all the levels to get it fixed I guess."  (via itch.io)

👾🍊 Bio Evil 4: "Leave to me, Leon!"

Under 5 minutes

How to make a cup of tea: "Hello! You know, I could do with a good cup of tea. Could you please make me one? Don't worry, I'll guide you through it!" (via itch.io)

We become what we behold: the legend itself. (via itch.io)

Gacha

👾🍃 Catfishing cuties!: "Catfish to fish for some local cuties! Collect them all!" (via itch.io)

Text based (like, only text)

You Are Jeff Bezos: ‘’When you wake up this morning from unsettling dreams, you find yourself changed in your bed into a monstrous vermin.’’

Puzzle games

👾 Economical: "2D puzzle action game where saving coin is important!"

👾 Poca - A Thief’s Escape: "Steal all carrots in a level to exit."

👾 Knightin’:  "Knightin' is a little zelda-like adventure. Explore dungeon, fight monsters and solve puzzles." (via gamejolt)

👾🍊 Witch’s familiar: "Your master has tasked you with an urgent delivery." (via itch.io)

🍃 Good Morning!:  "A morning routine simulator." (via itch.io)

👾 Last seen online: ‘‘You find an old computer at a garage sale. So you decide to turn it on.’‘ (via itch.io)

Roguelike

👾🍃 Labor power: "A small Pikmin-inspired game dedicated to class solidarity and the betterment of working conditions."

Multiplayer

Local 

👾 Toe II Toe: "Who said fighting games need to be difficult and time consuming? (Seriously, punch those gatekeepers!)" (via itch.io)

Thwack: "Funky-legged tennis." (via itch.io) (also a demo)

Online

Count together: "Count all the passing creatures." (via itch.io)

Shooters

🧊🍊 Wolfgun: "You are WOLFGUN - an ornery, rage-filled werewolf on the set of a bad horror movie. Hordes of undead ghouls wielding knives have broken into the studio and want you dead, and it doesn't look like they're part of the crew." (via itch.io)

Demos

👾 Small town emo: a game set before Halloween in 2007 about a seventeen year old emo with a crush on his best friend. (via itch.io)

👾🍊 10 Minutes Till Dawn: "Survive the onslaught of an endless horde of monsters for 10 minutes!" (via itch.io)

🎮 Fear the Spotlight: follow your mysteriously-vanished friend to the abandoned area of Sunnyside High, but beware, something seems to be lurking there with you. (via itch.io)

Mr. Stretch and the Stolen Fortune: "Join the late Mr. Stretch on his quest to reclaim his fortune, stolen from him by an old enemy that Mr. Stretch can't quite remember."

No ending 

👾🍊 BASES LOADED: a baseball survival game... basically? (via itch.io)

👾🍃 Bunnyland:  "A bunny is shipwrecked on an island and your task is to survive and get off the island." (via itch.io)

👾🌶️ GB-Wordyl: A Wordle clone for the Game Boy that will ruin your life. (via itch.io)

🎮 Hungry ducks: "If there is no food... you become the food!!!" (via itch.io)

👾🍃 Ketris:  "Avenge your adorable dog by clearing rows and decatpitating the evil Kets! (via itch.io)

Plant daddy: "Your plants grow in real time–water them, buy some furniture, and then close the tab and come back when you have a spare moment!" (via itch.io)

👾🍃 Shoukan Connect: "Use your tripwire to prevent the ghosts from reaching the circle and connecting the 5 points of the star that has no affiliation to any existing religion!" (via itch.io)

Terraforma:  "Grow your land by placing blocks & buildings while carefully planning your placements, and make your own little world in this small idle game." (via itch.io)

[leaslichoma]

I think that something people don't talk about much with preserving older games is the manuals. The manuals were often one the few sources for game lore like in the NES Legend of Zelda and for RPGs were often critical for actually playing the game. Every now and then I'll watch a lets play of some retro dungeon crawler or RPG and the youtuber is like "woah, I have no idea what's going on," and I think "Well have you tried reading the manual specifically made so you know what's going on?". Nowadays it's rare to get any manual, often times you just get a paper with some kind of QR code or Coupon and that's if the game has a physical release. But in 1985 Ultima IV gave you not only a manual but also a cloth map and reference card for the controls. We talk about games that require wikis to play, but back then many games required manuals and sometimes even hint books as developers made extra hard or confusing parts of their game to encourage sales of guides.

[tincanaudio]

Today is Bandcamp Friday! For the next 24 hours, Bandcamp are waiving their cut of sales, making it the best time to support the creators you love by buying their music & their merch.

We're splitting any sales made today between Gendered Intelligence, a trans-led grassroots organisation in the UK that works to increase education and understanding of trans people, and Small Trans Library Glasgow, a mutual aid organisation that also functions as a small lending library of trans-authored books for trans people in Glasgow.

Below the line are some recommendations on what you can find on our Bandcamp site.

First up, we have our latest release: Anamnesis: An Audio Drama

An experimental microfiction audio drama about memory, identity, and mistakes. Adapted from the solo journalling game Anamnesis by @GoblinMixtape.

Second, we have multiple releases for our ongoing audio drama concept album, The Tower, including ad-free versions of Parts 1-3, full series soundtracks, lo-fi remixes and extra music.

We also have our delightful fantasy comedy series The Dungeon Economic Model and its soundtrack (and more lofi remixes!)

If you're a fan of shows such as Quid Pro Euro and Stellar Firma (the latter of which I worked on and very much inspired the sound design for DEM) we think you'll definitely enjoy this educational series about maximising your profits by moving your town to a Dungeon-based economy.

Finally, and this is a personal choice more than anything, we have our entry into the 'OST Composing Jam: Crunchtime' called Valley & Mountain.

This release is a soundtrack to an imaginary game, made in 48 hours live on Twitch and inspired by the music of Stardew Valley, Dark Cloud, Minecraft and the Legend of Zelda series.

It's one of my favourite things that I've made.

[mima-sama]

Hey Mun, after 7 years from release I finally got my hands on a Switch, which games should I look to play besides the free ones on eshop? (Reminder that each Big N own franchises' game here cost ~250 BRL, that's quite expensive considering the minimum wage of 1400 BRL). Ps: sent you a friend request there,i hope i got the right code

I'll have to check my friend requests a little later, then! As for game recommendations, I'll only give ones I've personally played, so... Games I highly recommend will be highlighted in blue. In the ~20-30 USD/~100-150 BRL range: Okami HD (no explanation necessary) Katamari Damacy: Reroll (another port/remake, but a fun time nonetheless) Sakuna: of Rice and Ruin (which is an excellent game if you like action platformers mixed with a rice farming simulator-- which is a lot more fun than it sounds Untitled Goose Game (Unbridled fun. You play as a horrible, horrible goose, and it is wonderful) Koumajou Remilia: Scarlet Symphony and its sequel (Touhou + Castlevania! Probably one of the most well-known Touhou fangames) Gensou Skydrift (Mario Kart, but Touhou!) Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy (If you like the AA games, this is a good way to have 'em all in one place)

Some games in the ~15 USD/~75 BRL price range: Blossom Tales: The Sleeping King and Blossom Tales: The Minotaur Prince (An action RPG series very similar in gameplay to classic Zelda. They're very cute games) Murder by Numbers (A Picross game that has some Phoenix Wright elements, which also has music by the composer of Phoenix Wright, and art by the Hatoful Boyfriend artist!) Hollow Knight (if you like insects and really hard platformers) Stardew Valley (no explanation necessary, though if you already have it on PC, it's up to you if you want to double-dip)

Games below ~15 USD/~75 BRL: Kubinashi Recollection, a puzzle game which is a Touhou fangame, ~12 USD/~60 BRL. Yodanji, a Mystery Dungeon rougelike that's only ~5 USD/~25 BRL Kamiko, a top down arcade hack-and-slash, also only ~5 USD/~25 BRL Part Time UFO, a fun little physics puzzler by HAL, ~9 USD/45 BRL

And of course, there are the more expensive games, like the first party Nintendo titles, if you want to save up for them. You can't go wrong with any of the Zeldas: Link's Awakening, BotW, or TotK, though TotK's price is OOF. Pokemon Legends Arceus is genuinely the best Pokemon game we've had in ages, it's unironically really good. If you like 3D Mario, Super Mario Odyssey is definitely a must-have. 2D Mario is more your thing? Super Mario Maker 2. Do you like Toad? Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker. And of course, there's Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. I would always recommend checking out what's on sale, too. Sometimes, there are some hidden gems in there. You just gotta sift through the crap-- and on that note, if you see a game in the eShop with a banner at the top, AVOID IT AT ALL COSTS, IT IS RANK GARBAGE. (I highly suggest you watch AntDude's video, Nintendo eShop Regrets, in order to better learn how to recognize the games you should avoid.)

[peacelykerockets]

Well this is pretty obvious. I couldn't see Nintendo backing off of the open world format when Breath of the Wild is one of the most critically acclaimed, and the best selling LoZ game ever. Tears of the Kingdom is critically acclaimed and seems poised to outdo Breath of the Wild in sales, or at least it's going to come pretty close. But while I love both BotW and TotK, I would like to see them size the world down and make it feel more full. I would love to see an open world rendition of Hyrule that's not in ruins. And while the return of themed dungeons in TotK was great, and are better than the Divine Beast, I still feel like they pale in comparison to the dungeons in old school Zelda games. I want something that feels tighter and more focused while also retaining that sense of adventure you get from moving through BotW's and TotK's Hyrule. And I especially feel like that in terms of story. While I think TotK story is better than BotW, the way of which we have to go to get the story is still the same as BotW, where the story doesn't really matter and if you don't want to go through the process of getting the cutscenes you don't have too and you can miss the story if you don't. It's better in the way that everything is just not told through cutscenes of past events, and what's going on in TotK is far more compelling. And I hate to be a traditionalist here, because again I have no real huge problems with either BotW and TotK, and nostalgia doesn't kill the experience for me, but I would love to see the the return of more older Zelda tropes, enemies and characters in this new format. I will say that being a lifelong Zelda fan, that you get a cold feeling not seeing some old staple characters, items, and music in these games. I know there's nods, easter eggs, and some returning characters (mostly ones that make sense in the open world, Beedle for example) but nostalgia does get the best of me and I would love to see things like the the hookshot or the magic meter return in some form. Purely I hope the next game is that, it's a return to traditionally and uniquely Zelda tropes, while giving us that newness. Again, I could go for a smaller world that's still open but is packed densely with more content. Bigger towns, a tighter and more direct story, and a Hyrule that's prosperous and thriving once again. Or maybe even some place that's not Hyrule, like Termina or rather someplace completely new in the world of The Legend of Zelda.

[thessalian]

Thess vs Open Gaming Licence

So, after some reading around and some thinking, I’m doing the thing I always do when Worrying Thing is on the horizon - doing the Jenga Tower of Logic thing. Yes, this is about WotC’s OGL 1.1. I’m approaching it from a variety of levels because yeah, it worries the fuck out of me for a variety of reasons. So I’m going to start with “why it’s entirely likely that the leaks are true”, go on to “what would probably happen if the leaks are true”, and then go on to “what can be done about it”. That way at least it’s not looming, unnameable dread. I like to comprehend my horrors, thank you.

So. Why we think this is actually true. One simple reason, honestly: the fact that Wizards of the Coast isn’t saying shit. Given the sheer amount of furore going on, given that they’ve actually received letters from lawyers requesting (well, actually demanding) clarification, given that it’s their professional reputation on the line? If this was not in any way true, they would have said something by now. All we’re left with in terms of comment from WotC (and, frankly, Hasbro) is “We need to monetise D&D as much as possible!” Which ... you know, given that OGL 1.1 as leaked lets them grab royalties, steal content and use it as their own with no say from the creators, and outright change their own document in whatever fashion they see fit as long as they give 30 days notice, after the affected parties have already signed it ... that’s just giving them license to print money off the backs of others. Even with the amount of franchising they could be doing, they seem to want to monetise the players themselves. It doesn’t hurt that Kickstarter have apparently confirmed that they’ve spoken to Hasbro about royalties, either, because the leaked document states that Kickstarter-funded creations don’t have to pay as much in royalties.

What will probably happen if the links are true is ... another complicated one, given the community as a whole. This one needs bullet points.

Livestreamers: So okay, this is where it gets complicated, and Critical Role is kind of the perfect example. Not because it’s better than the others in its field; because of Green Ronin and Darrington Press, respectively. Look, way back before the Kickstarter for TLoVM, Critical Role produced the Tal’Dorei Campaign Setting, published by Green Ronin. That didn’t actually stay on sale very long, though you might be able to find the PDF floating around somewhere. Thing is, around that time, Critical Role was also working on Explorer’s Guide to Wildemount, through Wizards of the Coast. I would guess that part of the reason for halting things with Green Ronin was having to make sure that anything in the Green Ronin book wouldn’t end up copyright WotC. Which makes sense. Thing is, then Critical Role started Darrington Press, their own publication house. That allowed them to publish Tal’Dorei Reborn, the now more-or-less official guide to Tal’Dorei. Now, you cannot tell me that WotC didn’t seethe at that. They got Wildemount, but Critical Role LLC got Tal’Dorei, which would soon be heavily advertised via The Legend of Vox Machina, and I would bet someone felt short-changed. Given that the leaked document make OGL 1.0 obsolete (if that’s legally possible; more on that later), the bit about taking what someone else made and using it as they see fit could mean that everything in Tal’Dorei Reborn becomes WotC property. That’s not even talking about every other stream out there possibly being the source of all manner of new content where the creators won’t see a penny of the profits and have no legal recourse about it, whether they themselves are making money and having to pay royalties or not. I mean, if you want a campaign guide to whatever world Dimension 20 or Adventure Time or whatever are playing, I’d assume most people want the money for it going to the people who made it, but Wizards and Hasbro in concert apparently just say ... no.

Dungeon Masters’ Guild: DMG is a great source for third-party content. I’ve put up a couple of monster manuals there myself, mostly using the proceeds to buy more third-party content. By the same rules as above, anyone who risks publishing on the DMG, whether or not they’re making enough per year to hit the threshold for royalties, could have their creations stolen by WotC.

Pathfinder: I mean, a lot of other games as well, but Pathfinder’s the big one. It’s what one might call The Competition insofar as this kind of thing is concerned, and where Critical Role technically began. It’s based on 5e, sort of (or at least 2.0 is; I admit I haven’t followed much), but apparently it’s a bit crunchier in terms of numbers - part of why CR swapped to 5e when they started streaming was wanting things to flow with a little less crunch that might alienate people watching for story. Thing is, Pathfinder started on the original OGL. See above re: OGL 1.1's retroactivity and rescinding all permissions granted in OGL 1.0 - Paizo would have to pay royalties, risk having their content stolen, and all of it subject to whatever change WotC wants to make on only 30 days’ notice. Not even sure what happens to the video games at that point. Which brings us to the “a lot of other games as well” thing. I’m flashing to Obsidian’s Pillars of Eternity series, and Solasta: Crown of the Magister. They’re all based on 5e rules, thus OGL 1.0. They’re possibly going to end up with the same problem.

Merchandise: This one’s a real grey area, but it’s something that needs to be considered - it’s not just the text and rule set that’s at stake here. As a for-example: the webcomic Questionable Content has among its merchandising a Tsundere Beholder T-shirt. In fact, a lot of people who sell on Etsy and Redbubble and things like that have items that could, if WotC wanted to push it, fall under the rules set out in OGL 1.1. See, I’m not so much worried about royalties in those cases, because that would be a seriously complicated issue. I’m worried about eventual C&D takedown notices and theft of the images for their own use. Given the whole “AI art programmes are taking art from creators and using it for their own purposes with neither permission nor commission fee” thing, this wouldn’t be entirely unheard of. I mean, keep in mind that I also started my time in fandom during the Foxing Era, when websites were getting takedown notices left and right and fanfic authors were holding up Acuff vs Rose Music like a fucking riot shield, so I’ve been in the trenches of a ‘content creator vs grasping corporate body’ war before. OGL 1.1 may only deal with the text and rule set right now, but again, if the leaks are true, they’ve written a clause that lets them change the text however they want with only 30 days of notice. That’s not a long time when you’re having to revamp your entire small business model.

I think that covers everything, and what it basically says is “If you’re smaller than Hasbro, you’re fucked”.

So what can we do about it? I mean, not much, not ourselves, but we can do at least one thing, which will hopefully pave the way for others - those with more resources - to do more.

TALK ABOUT IT: I’ve seen a lot of people saying, “Well, let’s just wait and see what happens; it might not be that bad and it might not be true anyway! Stop catastrophising everything!” I mean, I personally like flagging up when there might be an actual catastrophe coming for smaller content creators, but I’m just quirky that way. While it’s true that assuming it’s true and getting depressed about it isn’t healthy, people do need to talk about it so that it stays in the public eye. Wizards of the Coast and its parent company Hasbro need to know that we are not happy about this; that we are looking at this and flagging up the parts where it’s unfair, restrictive, and in some cases possibly illegal. No one makes a U-turn on a shitty course of action that will make them money unless given compelling evidence that it will lose them more money. And yes, there are other systems, but not everyone is good with transferring to a whole new system - not out of laziness but out of neurodivergence. So saying, “Just move to another system! It’s about time D&D got out of the limelight anyway!” is kind of ableist. Plus a lot of people saying that tend to say, “Go for Pathfinder instead!” and ... well, see above. You want to save Pathfinder? TALK ABOUT IT.

Paizo, Critical Role LLC, Etc: No, none of these companies, or any of the smaller content creators out there, could take Hasbro in a legal fight. However, if they distanced themselves from the D&D rule set entirely ... it would hurt them, yes, particularly the two companies mentioned who have made their name on it. But they’re creative people and they could probably do it. People would follow suit. This is a perfect set-up for the classic “a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush” situation; WotC has its bird in the hand at present (selling us sourcebooks and franchise-specific stuff and getting so much free advertising from the RP community), but it’s looking to grab at the two in the bush because hey, more birds! But that kind of grasping only results in the birds in the bush flying away and the bird in the hand either also flying away or being crushed by overreaching asshole. See also: Shooting Yourself In The Foot. And if that kind of thing keeps on long enough...

Amazon: Seriously, if we talk about it enough? And the third-party creator companies talk about it enough? It’s eventually going to get noticed by Amazon. Y’know, Amazon, which sells a lot of third-party D&D sourcebooks and would probably take a hit if those stopped being made because no one wants to provide WotC free content? Amazon, which owns Twitch and would probably take another hit if TTRPG livestreamers stopped streaming? Amazon, which currently hosts Legends of Vox Machina and probably has zero interest in paying royalties to Wizards of the Coast for it? Amazon, run by Jeff “HAS ALL THE MONEY AND IT’S STILL NOT ENOUGH” Bezos? If people talk enough about this, it’s conceivable that Amazon sends lawyers of their own. And the legal power Amazon could throw at someone makes Habro’s look like nothing. See also: Disney, because WotC has Star Wars books floating around out there and if WotC sets that standard of “You created it with our rule set and it’s now ours to use as we see fit no matter what the agreement under which you originally created it says”, theoretically that means they could publish a new one without consulting the current owners of the IP ... thus, Disney. I don’t think Disney would like that.

So basically there’s a lot that could happen at this point. There are a lot more people than we think using rule sets, concepts, and imagery that it was perfectly fine to use under the original agreement as set out by WotC. The original OGL 1.0 document allowed us to do so and lawyers are now looking at this to assess the legality of retroactively rescinding the permissions granted by that document with the new document. It honestly doesn’t look good for WotC or Hasbro legally, but Hasbro can afford a lot of laywers who are experts at finding loopholes, so ... seriously. Talk about it, keep it out there ... but people are right about not panicking or despairing. It’s not over yet, but we’ve had enough nasty surprises the last few years that even being able to prepare for the smaller, arguably less vital ones is something.

[narratingvoice]

Sorry I died for a bit. The holidays on earth are a time where retail workers are not having a good day. I could explain it from a human(my) perspective if need be but the crux of it is that I'm back and how have you been?

Oh, hello again! I hope your death was peaceful and that you respawned in one piece. I'm aware that December is a very stressful month for a lot of people, but great news: it's over now. You won't encounter it again for another 11 months! You're home free to start the year fresh!

I've been doing pretty well, thank you for asking. I am winding out of holiday mode and about to get back to work. I have the final Ultra Deluxe patch to finish, recording sessions for Dungeons 4, and a few WIPs I'm not ready to talk about yet. I'm trying to focus on the future, and not the past, and not be bitter that I lost the Steam Award to a game that came out in 2018. I mean really, who came up with that nominee list? But I did make a tidy profit in the Steam winter sale, so that softens the blow a great deal. I just have to keep practising mindfulness and let the negative feelings wash over me like a receding tide, at least according to this mental health app I downloaded. Soon I shall be the picture of tranquility.

I'm also looking back at game releases I missed in the early part of 2022 when I was too busy getting Ultra Deluxe out the door. The great thing about finally being on a Nintendo console is that I can pop in on some famous franchises I've never explored before. Which game do you think I should visit first: Pokemon Legends Arceus or Kirby and the Forgotten Land?

[ohthehypocrisy]

What if Pokemon Unite was an Anime?

(Video taken from 'Challenge the World! 2023 Pokemon World Championships'. This portion of the video was clipped and uploaded to Reddit, which is where I got this file from, since no GIF of this clip exists at the moment.)

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The Pokemon Anime has been running since the 90's, and since then it had kept a very stable status quo up until a while ago, where the story of the main protagonist, Ash Ketchum and his partner Pikachu, had ended with an optimistic dash into the unknown future.

While the anime was airing, new pokemon games were released, which propelled the series into new regions and characters, and pokemon of course. This did inhibit the series a bit, though, as the show was always adapting to the bigger and grander stories being told within, like settling the feud between Groudon and Kyogre in Hoenn, or stopping Eternatus from absorbing the energy of Galar. You'd be surprised to learn that, for a while, the only animated form of pokemon was this long-running series adapting the new games as they were released. That, and the movies, of course.

It wasn't until a while ago that we started seeing additional animated specials from the animation studio. Not just the one-offs based on Pokemon Mystery Dungeon, I'm talking about the short miniseries that started with Pokemon Origins, going over the Kanto Adventure of Pokemon Red/Blue. After that we saw an expansion with Pokemon Generations, short episodes animating the key story points of the pokemon games. Then came Pokemon Twilight Wings, going over bits and pieces of the Galar region and its characters.

Out of all of the side specials released so far, my personal favorite would be the spinoff featuring Bidoof in 'Bidoof's Big Stand', where a Bidoof has dreams of winning a match only to be used as an HM Mule by the trainer for most of its adventure.

My other favorite series would be Hisuian Snow, an animated miniseries showing life in Pokemon Legends: Arceus. Mostly for the animation but also because of it being based off of the game, with how much I enjoyed the game and for how big of a risk it was, deviating heavily from the mainline formula of the pokemon games without being called a spinoff itself.

Speaking of spinoffs, the last miniseries to have been released, Pokemon: Path to the Peak, featured the Pokemon Trading Card Game of all things. Now, to each their own, I did enjoy the episodes when they came out, but I can't help but feel like the show writers for these independent miniseries are running out of material to adapt. Of course, it's pokemon, so there's plenty of games to look into to try and animate.

But shows cost money to make, and any miniseries made has to have a return on the investment. Pokemon: Path to the Peak got by with the idea that anyone can become a TCG championship with a good enough deck, so it's likely to boost sales of TCG starter packs and booster decks and such. For that reason, any future adaptations of spinoff games have to be what's hot right now, and there are two active spinoff games running at the moment; Pokemon GO, and Pokemon Unite.

Now believe it or not, I don't play Pokemon GO. Shocking, I know. My only excuse is that my phone wasn't good enough to run it at the time it came out. By the time I upgraded to a decent mobile device, I figured I was too far behind to actually play with other people, so I never bothered.

I DO play Pokemon Unite, though, on the regular if I can help it. And that's what we're gonna focus on right here. By combining my experience with my writing skills I've honed from making fanfiction for years, we're gonna make a proof of concept for a spinoff series that answers the question...

What if Pokemon Unite was an anime?

[gamescardblog]

Humble Bundle Delights: Dive into the ps5 Baldur's Gate 3 bundle and More with Exclusive Offers!

Introduction: 

Calling all adventurers and treasure hunters! Humble Bundle has once again unearthed a trove of gaming goodness, and this time, the spotlight shines on the PS5 Baldur's Gate 3 bundle. Prepare to embark on a journey through the Forgotten Realms, face mind flayers and monstrous spiders, and forge your own legend in this critically acclaimed RPG masterpiece. But that's not all, because along with Baldur's Gate 3, this bundle brims with bonus adventures and exclusive offers, ready to satiate your gaming cravings. In the vast universe of gaming, there's nothing quite like the excitement of discovering a bundle that promises not just one, but a multitude of gaming wonders. Enter the realm of Humble Bundle, where gaming delights await, especially for PS5 enthusiasts eager to embark on a journey through the captivating Baldur's Gate 3.

Baldur's Gate 3: A Descent into Dungeons & Dragons Bliss

The wait is finally over! The iconic Baldur's Gate series has triumphantly returned, transporting players to the perilous world of Faerûn on the powerful PlayStation 5. Gather your party, choose from a diverse cast of races and classes, and delve into a rich narrative filled with memorable companions, tough choices, and epic encounters.

But Baldur's Gate 3 isn't just about nostalgia; it's an evolution of the classic formula. Witness stunning visuals powered by the PS5, visceral combat that puts you right in the heart of the action, and a deep character creation system that allows you to craft the perfect hero (or villain!). Whether you're a seasoned Dungeons & Dragons veteran or a curious newcomer, Baldur's Gate 3 promises an unforgettable adventure.

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The PS5 Baldur's Gate 3 bundle sweetens the deal with a selection of additional games and goodies. Depending on the tier you choose, you can snag titles like:

Divinity: Original Sin 2 – Definitive Edition: Another critically acclaimed RPG masterpiece from Larian Studios, Divinity: Original Sin 2 offers tactical turn-based combat, a sprawling world to explore, and a story brimming with player agency.

Solasta: Crown of the Magister: Dive into a classic Dungeons & Dragons experience with Solasta, featuring deep character customization, challenging encounters, and a focus on tactical combat.

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And that's not all! Each tier unlocks exclusive soundtracks, digital art books, and other goodies to enhance your Baldur's Gate 3 experience.

Why Choose the Baldur's Gate 3 Bundle for PS5?

Baldur's Gate 3, tailored for the PS5, promises an unparalleled gaming experience. The stunning graphics, seamless gameplay, and engaging narrative make it a must-have for any gaming connoisseur. With this bundle, you not only acquire the game but unlock a portal to a realm where every gaming moment is an adventure waiting to unfold.

Humble Bundle: Gaming for Good

But the joy of playing extends beyond the digital realm. The PS5 Baldur's Gate 3 sale bundle through Humble Bundle, you're not just getting a great deal on amazing games; you're also supporting a good cause. A portion of your purchase goes to a variety of charities selected by the Humble community, allowing you to slay monsters and do good at the same time.

So, adventurers, what are you waiting for? The PS5 Baldur's Gate 3 bundle is your gateway to a world of epic adventures, unforgettable stories, and endless possibilities. Gather your party, head over to Humble Bundle, and prepare to answer the call of the Forgotten Realms!

URL: https://www.gamescard.net/product/baldurs-gate-3-ps5/