#i have 3 pitches… emily and me are incredibly similar in that we both have very strong little red connections so she’s one

[figscigfigs]

hey friends!!! the other day someone asked me what fairytale i would adapt if i was going to play a neverafter pc and it was such a lovely conversation that i figured i’d ask the question here!!! reblog or comment which fairytale character you would adapt and what their class would be :)

[entergamingxp]

15 Upcoming Indie Games to Put On Your Radar in 2020

January 16, 2020 12:00 PM EST

2020 looks to be another great year for indie games. Here are 15 of them to keep an eye on as the year rolls on.

Last week, we gave you 10 2020 releases that you absolutely shouldn’t miss. However, that list mostly dealt with the biggest games of 2020. What about all the awesome games being made by smaller studios? Well, here’s the list for them. Below are 15 incredible-looking games coming from the indie scene in 2020.

Before we start, it’s important to note that with the continually growing indie space in games, there are hundreds of games that could easily make this list. I’ve capped the list at 15 mostly for my sanity, but the initial shortlist for this article was a mile long. Here are a few extra honorable mentions you should give a look: TemTem, Boyfriend Dungeon, Griftlands, Minute of Islands, Sable, Roki, Baldo, Garden Story, Ikenfell, Knuckle Sandwich, and She Dreams Elsewhere. I also chose to not include Axiom Verge 2, as that was already covered in last week’s article. Anyways, on to the list.

Lenna’s Inception

This Legend of Zelda-like from Bytten Studio is actually out this week. You play as an unlikely hero in a procedurally generated world that flips from 8- to 32-bit pixel art. It looks to turn the typical conventions of the genre on its head with a wild storyline that features multiple endings. You can also play the game with a friend in local co-op. A Link to the Past is my all-time favorite game, so any game that looks to iterate on that excellent formula is automatically something I’ll be paying attention to.

12 Minutes

Time loops are all the rage these days after the excellent Outer Wilds took the world by storm last year. Interestingly, 12 Minutes is another Annapurna-published game that explores the mind-bending concept. While Outer Wilds had you exploring an entire galaxy, 12 Minutes’ experience is a bit more intimate. As a husband trying to share a romantic evening with his wife, you’ll discover the many secrets taking place inside your apartment. On the surface, it might not sound like the most thrilling concept on this list, but everything I’ve seen has been very impressive.

Cook, Serve, Delicious 3

Before seeing this in action, I wasn’t really sure if the world needed another Cook, Serve, Delicious game. After all, how much more cooking, serving, and delciousing can a person reasonably expect to do? And then I saw that the game takes place in the post-apocalyptic US and you play as the owner of a food truck. As you travel across America, you must both cook food and fight off roving bands of evil cooks. It’s hard to imagine a cooking game with a better elevator pitch than this one.

Eastward

Earthbound-like games are a dime a dozen these days. The SNES classic made a major impact on the developers of today, and we’re seeing that love play out in games like LISA, Citizens of Earth, and, of course, Undertale. However, there’s something about Eastward’s style that really sticks out to me. While other games have done a great job of capturing Earthbound’s charm and gameplay, Eastward also nails the look. If I close my eyes and imagine what Earthbound would look like in 2020, Eastward isn’t far off. Hopefully, the team at Pixpil can nail everything else it’s going for just as well.

Sports Story

Golf Story is my favorite game for Nintendo Switch. Full stop. And now Sidebar Games is adding tennis and dungeons and espionage and buried treasure and a meeting with a queen? I need this game yesterday. If Golf Story wasn’t up your alley, this probably won’t be either, but for us beings of superior intellect, Sports Story is set to be one of the most exciting releases of 2020. I cannot wait.

The Red Lantern

The Red Lantern basically looks like FTL except instead of crossing the galaxy, you’re racing the Iditarod with a team of the best boys. When I was a kid, I was obsessed with the book Stone Fox. So, a game that lets me play out the fantasy of racing Searchlight through the Alaskan wilderness is very much right up my alley. My only worry is how brutal the game looks. The trailer has a scene where a bear attacks one of your dogs and I really hated watching it. Hopefully, that’s a rarity or else this might just become an idea I love and not a game I play.

Spelunky 2

Spelunky remains one of the best rogue-likes on the market. The platforming is tight and the game has so many awesome secrets for you to discover. The sequel looks to be more of the same and I can’t wait to join the community in uncovering all the weirdness that lies within. This spot could also easily go to UFO 50, which is another Derek Yu project I’ve been waiting for with bated breath. Crazy to think both games are likely for 2020.

Spiritfarer

This is a resource management sim that is all about dying. You play as a ferrymaster to the deceased. As you craft your way across the world, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to improve your custom death ferry. Spiritfarer has a unique setting that is well worth a look. However, the thing that really made me pay attention is the game’s visuals. The hand-drawn art quickly catches the eye and seeing it in motion is even better. I’m intrigued to see if the game’s look and premise are matched by its quality.

Carrion

Spoiler alert for 2016’s Inside. Carrion is like that ending sequence where you play as the gigantic amorphous blob except that’s the entire game. Oh, and this blob is straight out of a horror movie and is very interested in eating everything. Publisher Devolver Digital describes it as “a reverse horror game” and I have to agree. The way the blob moves through the levels is both deeply unsettling and incredibly cool.

Hollow Knight: Silksong

Y’all remember how Hollow Knight is one of the best Metroidvania games of the last decade or so? Or how it was a perfect match for Nintendo Switch? Well, how would you feel if I told you Team Cherry was going to do more of that except even more polished? Great news! That’s what happening and it’s going to be great.

Ori and the Will of Wisps

If you are a fan of sequels to tough-as-nails platformers with Metroidvania elements, 2020 is going to be a great year. Getting both Ori and the Will of the Wisps and Hollow Knight: Silksong in the same year seems like an embarrassment of riches. Plus, Axiom Verge 2 is coming, which is a bit different, but still sits in that same realm. Personally, Ori is the one I’m least excited about; however, I can’t deny that this will probably be great.

Mineko’s Night Market

Mineko’s Night Market is maybe the cutest game on this list. The “adventure/merchant simulator” wears its Animal Crossing inspiration on its sleeve. However, developer Meowza Games aims to put a much bigger emphasis on narrative and crafting. You play as a young girl named Mineko who has arrived on an island filled with cats. Your options for what to do are varied, but discovering the game’s secrets and preparing for the weekly Night Market is paramount. Mineko’s Night Market looks like it could fill a similar space to games like Stardew Valley. Great experiences to sit back, relax, and let wash over you.

Cris Tales

Cris Tales is billed as “a love letter to classic JRPGs”, but with a big twist. The game lets you simultaneously see the past, present, and future of your actions, which results in some fascinating situations. Maybe you warp your enemy into the future to make them older and weaker. Or you warp yourself to the past to make you shorter and are able to more easily dodge an attack. It’s an innovative idea that has major gameplay and narrative implications. The best part about Cris Tales is that there is a demo out on Steam right now. So, if you’re interested, you can go check it out and see if this game is up your alley.

Murder by Numbers

Picross is one of the best types of puzzle games in video games. However, outside of Picross 3D, there haven’t been that many innovations in the genre. Murder by Numbers looks to change that by adding a murder mystery narrative to the game. What a perfect marriage! And the whole thing is set to a score from Masakazu Sugimori who counts Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney and Viewtiful Joe among their credits. I need this game now.

Emily is Away <3

Both games in the Emily is Away series are incredibly moving experiences, especially for those of us who grew up in the time of MSN Messenger and AIM. The third game takes the series forward to a Facebook analogue. It’s tough to say if this release will hit as hard as the first two, but given the pedigree, I’m pretty confident in saying that Emily is Away <3 will be worth your time.

Obviously, the number of video games releasing in 2020 is vast. It would be a herculean task to try and cover everything. However, this list should be a great reference point for games to put on your radar. Of course, the best indie game of 2020 might not even be announced yet, but you can rest assured that when it is, DualShockers will be there to cover it.

January 16, 2020 12:00 PM EST

from EnterGamingXP https://entergamingxp.com/2020/01/15-upcoming-indie-games-to-put-on-your-radar-in-2020/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=15-upcoming-indie-games-to-put-on-your-radar-in-2020

[pennymakr]

Things I Wonder On Any Given Day, vol. 50 - My Favorite 50.

1.  Why your voice is pitch perfect and Grammy-awesome with the radio blasting (vol 1)

2.  How further advanced civilization would be if humans only required 2 hours of sleep per day (vol 1)

3.  How do you create a new font? (vol 2)

4.  If people ever wonder that this life is the heaven (vol 2)

5.  Is a pair of scissors one thing, or two things? (vol 3)

6.  When I see and interact with strangers throughout the day, how often I say to myself, “I will literally never see that person again.” (vol 5)

7.  How in texts, that simply saying “Haha” is almost dismissive, but add just an extra ‘ha’ and saying “Hahaha” expresses complete and utter hilarity. (vol 7)

8.  In Step Brothers, that their theory to make room for activities was ultimately “debunked”. (vol 7)

9.  Why aren’t there multiple choice answers that start with “All of the Below” instead of ending with “All of the Above”?  Switch it up a little. (vol 8)

10.  When someone says, “You’ll need to call ahead of time”… which is opposed to calling when? After? (vol 9)

11.  That fast-food drive-thru’s should give customers the option of a car wash in between ordering and receiving your food. I mean, you’re just sitting there anyway. Convenient as hell. (vol 9)

12.  If eye doctors just test themselves for new contacts/eyeglasses… Or do they still have another eye doctor ask, “What’s better, 1 or 2?... 1?............... or 2?” (vol 9)

13.  Why there’s always a negative stigma behind “Talking behind someone’s back”.   People do it to receive third-party, unbiased, fresh-to-death viewpoints in order to properly assess the situation in whole, rather than reacting rashly, hastily, and possibly regrettably, to the original someone’s front.  (vol 10)

14.  Ariana Grande dating Big Sean is like if Emily Rios ever dated River Phoenix. (vol 11)

15.  Some < Full… but, Awesome > Awful. (vol 11)

16.  How dancing fascinates me.  It’s simply your natural reaction to the sound of music. But having rhythm is the wildcard, because rhythm is a dancer. (vol 11)

17.  In the year 1992, if you wanted to know the age of a B-List celebrity… say, Fred Ward from the movie ‘Tremors’.  How would you obtain that information?  I wonder, because I believe you could find out Tom Hanks’ age via Britannica Encyclopedia. But Fred Ward’s? It might have taken days to find out. Incredible. (vol 12)

18.  About the credit card Discover’s choice of slogan, “We treat you, like you treat you.” Because I’m not so sure about that. We are overworked, overstressed, overweight, overmedicated and overdepressed ... We're intolerant, breed indifference and incompetence which results in inequality ... We lack self-confidence and self-discipline, in order to have more self-respect ... So I wonder, how good is Discover's customer service reallllllllly?  (vol 12)

19.  About people who lick their fingers in order to turn a page. Your fingers can’t taste good and there has to be a better way. (vol 13)

20.  How everyone loves food from food trucks, right? So why can’t they drive around neighborhoods, play awesome music and attract customers like ice cream trucks do? (vol 13)

21.  When people say, “Sorry, but not to change the subject” – then they do exactly that. It’s quite similar to saying “No offense, but…” (vol 15)

22.  Are there people coming up with new nursery rhymes? Or are they done? Three Blind Mice and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and The Muffin Man and Little Boy Blue are what we’re stuck with forever? (vol 15)

23.  What kind of maniac actually killed two birds with one stone? Why are you throwing stones into the air? (vol 16)

24.  When I’ll run out of stupid thoughts. (vol 16)

25.  What the hell is a ‘zigazig-ah’ that the Spice Girls wanted or wanted to do. (vol 17)

26.  That the first time I heard an angel was Mya’s verse in ‘Ghetto Superstar’ (vol 19)

27.  If someone kept looking at you on an airplane, would you call it a flight of stares? (vol 20)

28.  That when someone comes over to show me a funny video on their phone, I instantly expect it not to be as funny as they think it is. By at least half as funny… (vol 20)

29.  If “sammies” are a common moniker for sandwiches, why aren’t “sallies” a nickname for salads? Cafes can have a cute lunchtime or happy hour special and call it, “When Sammy Met Sally…. 10 Bucks” (vol 22)

30.  If anyone eats the strings off a peeled banana without hesitation or disgust (vol 23)

31.  If fruit salads will ever become so popular that we’ll have to call the typical salad, “vegetable salads” (vol 23)

32.  How awkward the San Francisco football team name would be if they discovered gold 20 years later. (vol 23)

33.  If a stretched-out circle is an oval, and a stretched-out square is a rectangle, why is a stretched-out triangle still a triangle? (vol 26)

34.  Would Jack Black + Barry White = Jack White holding a Blackberry? (vol 29)

35.  The runner-up choice name for companies and products. (vol 30)

36.  If Venus Williams married Bruno Mars. (vol 30)

37.  The inverse proportion of celebrating people falling in love to not generally accepting and/or looking down upon people falling out of love. The latter needs a little boost. (vol 30)

38.  If it’s still called tap water after leaving the tap, is it still called bottled water if it leaves the bottle? (vol 31)

39.  Who doesn’t make Freddy Krueger fingers when they eat Bugles (vol 33)

40.  The number of love letters crumbled up and thrown away, but would’ve worked if they sent them. Or, the number of love letters that didn’t reach the recipient – and the sender just assumed it was not to be. (vol 33)

41.  How many people roll on deodorant under both armpits by just holding the stick with one hand, instead of switching hands for opposite pits. (vol 35)

42.  If Justin Timberlake went to the store to get a caffeinated drink, would he be bringin’ PepsiBack? (vol 37)

43.  That you feel like if every driver on the road was you, that there would be no traffic at all. (vol 38)

44.  When someone states an emotion rather than expressing it, such as “I’m angry” or “That’s funny” has to be only a 5 out of 10 on an intensity scale. (vol 39)

45.  When newscasts show overweight people walking down the street, only from the neck down … how many people embarrassingly realize “Oh shit… that was me.” (vol 40)

46.  By the laws of physics, you cannot seesaw by yourself. Then, the movie premiered. Now, you can see Saw by yourself. (vol 43)

47.  If we can deposit personal checks into banks with our smart phones, when will we be able to take selfies and renew our driver licenses remotely? (vol 44)

48.  If I ever have been in an airport bathroom without a janitor present (vol 46)

49.  If the mirrors in department stores are also called self-checkouts (vol 48)

50.  How my contact name is entered in every person’s phone that has my number. (vol 49)

[epicurioustraveler]

Friends and Wine. Is there a better combination?

To me, the best thing about traveling, isn’t the site seeing, exploring the architecture of a city or the beautiful countryside, nor is it experiencing the local culture and its culinary specialties. Please don’t misunderstand me, those are all fantastic and I cherish each one. When I reflect back on any adventure or journey, what I most fondly recall are the encounters with locals and other travelers that blossom quickly into friendships. God directed my journey, controlling the decisions I made of where to stop and how long to stay, so He could bring me to this exact spot at this exact time.

After four days in Porto, and having met Bens, Stefan, Alvaro, Torbin, Alice, Andres, Mia, Joana, Emily and Joan, it was difficult to leave these new friends that my soul yearned for after 40+ days on the road. Don’t get me wrong, I had met friends along this journey that I plan to stay in touch with in the future. The Dane’s I met at British Bar in Lisbon, Marcel, Jesse and Phil from Sunset Destination Hostel in Lisbon, Emily & James at Room in the City hostel in San Sebastian, Max & Lucas at Casa Azul hostel in Sintra, and Filip at Rainbow Hostel in Doolin, all put a stamp on my life’s passport. But the gang at Wine Hostel have found a secure and cherished place in my heart given the close bond we created over the 4 nights that I was lucky enough to have experienced in that beautiful city.

First of all, the staff (Alice, Mia and Andres) at Wine Hostel love their jobs and it shows in how they interact with the guests. The Portuguese women working there have a great way of making you feel like a long time friend and one of the gang. It seemed that Alvaro was a staffer there as he was so inviting, interacted with the staff as if he had been working there for months but he had only been crashing here (in the room I was in) for a week while looking for a job as a chef. He cooked for us each night and would go to the market with us to select the food. Alvaro should be hired quickly as he is a fantastic chef and made delicious meals for anyone who pitched in with purchasing the ingredients each night. Torbin was just passing through for the night, but his Irish personality was so even keeled and polite that everyone loved him. He was off to do a ‘workaway’ program helping a family farm about a 2 hour journey northeast near the border of Spain. Joana, Joan and Emily were there for a few nights and I enjoyed their conversation and sarcasm. The two I clicked with and hung out with most were Stefan and Bens. These young Belgian gentlemen are around 21 or 22 and have an amazingly wise world view yet embody the innocence of their future life’s journey. Alvaro and I immediately got along as he is from Costa Rica (Alajuela) and we had much to talk about on that topic. I had lived in Costa Rica for 3 months in 2008-2009 and had traveled there many times over a 3 – 4 year span.

Making fast friends with Bens (Wouter) and Stefan, as we shared interests in investments, stocks, and banking, as well as politics, we would spend pretty much the entire day and night together touring Porto, shopping with Alvaro and cooking food each evening at the hostel. One afternoon we rented bikes and headed out for about 4 hours to the south of Porto along the beach. The waves were huge and rough that day. Pounding the rocks that were the protective barrier between the released harnessed power of the ocean and the surrounding calm of the landscape lying just on the other side of the bike and walk path. We climbed atop the rocks, teased the breaking waves to get soak us (and they did) and then would hop back on our bikes and peddle a bit further down the coast. Both Stefan and I experienced a fall in which our back landed firmly on a rock, Stefan’s shoe and sock almost found their way into the oceans abyss as did my cell phone with my credit cards and cash. But thanks to Bens, both Stefan and my possessions were saved. Biking back to the hostel in the cooler temperatures and slight breeze did not make for a comfortable stroll. Back at the hostel, after a tough long uphill climb where I left Bens and Stefan in my wake (all those spin classes with Judi B. over the years definitely paid dividends), we got our shopping list together with Alvaro and headed to the market. The meal began with rice and sausage for starters with the entrée, Mussels on rice in sauce. Honestly, I have no idea what the dish was called but with Alvaro’s touches it was excellent. Topping it off with a 2 Euro bottle of wine made it even that much better.

The next afternoon, the weather had turned cooler and windy, but the gang (Alvaro, Stefan and Bens) and I hopped the bus to Matosinhos about 15 minutes away. Alvaro works on Costa Rican (similar to Indian) time where everything is just “5, 10 minutes” away. Bens, Stefan and I kept remarking, “I think we are walking all the way there”. Eventually we did catch the bus and enjoyed a nice stroll along the northern coastline of Porto. Wandering out to a lighthouse which was barricaded by very thick concrete walls, again we teased the sea to soak us. And soak us it did. Wet, cold and hungry, we hopped on a bus and headed back to the hostel. I needed to get a couple of things done so the gang went on to the market to get the food. On their walk back the rains came. . .hard! They were drenched when they arrived, but luckily I was now warm and dry.

Alvaro prepared our meal again, Stefan retired to the room to avoid having to help (we noticed Stefan, haha) while the rest of us pitched in to help. Tonight’s starter was a delicious broth with spinach and the main course was meat and veggies. Delicious! Oh, and brownie’s (home-made :). Again, everything goes down better with a 2 – 3 Euro bottle of wine.

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Delicious

The gang before our meal

Preparing the food for Alvaro to cook

Porto Wine Hostel Living Room

Entree night #2

My room was upper right, balcony door open

Exterior of Porto Wine Hostel

brownies! yummm!

delicious meal and wine

The next morning Bens and Stefan departed for their flight around 7 AM. We said our goodbye’s and promised to stay in touch (and we have over a month later, as I write this). I remained in Porto for one more day and night. It was a rainy day so I nestled in and worked. Alvaro and I hung out that afternoon and he was headed out for a job interview as a chef that Mia had helped line up. In a way the day and night was depressing with 50% of your gang not there. I got a good nights sleep and would depart the next morning as Alvaro walked me to the train station.

It was tough to leave Porto as it is a lovely, welcoming and warm city. What made it harder to leave was knowing those memories forged in those 4 days would be carried in pictures but the details would fade. The laughs, the experiences along the water, the food eaten and the late nights would only be remembered in the future for its past. But those 4 days in Porto couldn’t have been a better blessing or come as such an incredible surprise. I have made great friends for life. Friends who were each just as welcoming, warm and loving as the city in which the intersection of our lives merged into one another for those four epic days in February!

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Drying off and enjoying a nice beer

Biking along the beach

Portugal meets Costa Rica flag

Atop the Dom Luis I Bridge

Large waves crashing into rock barrier

Lighthouse Shower

Strutting the boardwalk!

Torbin leaving Hostel

Getting our bikes 2 Bai de Bicla

Friends admiring the scenery

I’m the king of the world!

Friends + Wine = Porto Wine Hostel! Friends and Wine. Is there a better combination? To me, the best thing about traveling, isn't the site seeing, exploring the architecture of a city or the beautiful countryside, nor is it experiencing the local culture and its culinary specialties.