Scrabdackle
Scrabdackle is a hand-drawn open-world adventure game. It’s got a really fun art style and OST. While the game comes across as pretty silly, the combat is actually a lil difficult. Thankfully it’s difficult while still feeling possible (unlike Silksong lol). There’s also ducks that have fallen into nationalism and a town of peanuts that is slowly being consumed by the void. If you're a fan of zelda-likes, souls games, and metroidvanias (though it's a little lighter on the metroidvania vibes), I think that you'll like this one.
Join me in Scrabdackle: https://scrabdackle.com/
You can watch the stream VOD here:
On My Own
Florence
I bought Florence a few years ago before we knew more about the experience that folk had at the studio. I had a few hours of down time earlier this month, and since I’m trying to get through my backlog this year, I sat down with the game. Florence is a visual novel and interactive experience about a girl who is just starting to figure out her life and what she wants to do. It was a couple of hours long and told a solid story throughout the experience. I wouldn’t currently recommend picking up the game because the studio that made it no longer really operates.
If you want to learn more about what happened at the studio, you can watch the linked video. Please know that there is mental abuse referenced throughout:
Click here if the preview isn't working.
Ball x Pit
Ball x Pit has truly become my turn my brain off and just play game. The brick breaker mechanics with the ability to combine different balls to create wildly powerful attacks is just a generally fun time. I’m not as big of a fan of the base building mechanics, but that’s mostly because that’s just not the kind of game I typically like playing. The ost has quickly become one of my favorites (shoutout to Amos Roddy) and it’s just a great way to unwind at the end of a day.
You can pick the game up here: https://www.ballxpit.com/
Absolum
Absolum just feels good to play. I’m not as well versed in the beat em up / fighting game style games and this has been a great introduction for me. It’s a good option to just pick up and play a run over a lunch break. Right now, I’m working on completing the different threads (Steam achievements) and learning more about all of the characters and the world.
Explore Talmah here: https://playabsolum.com/
Ember Knights Y’all already know I love this game lol. I had the chance to pick it up to play with some friends this month and it remains a great game. While it can sometimes be a bit repetitive, it’s still fun to play with friends.
Become an Ember Knight: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1135230/Ember_Knights/
Batora
I was really excited to pick up Batora and finally play through it, but the game crashes during the tutorial on my Steam Deck and I can’t progress. I’m gonna try again later this year because it looks like it could be a really cool story and adventure.
CorgiSpace
Thanks to Aster and the team at Finji Co. for a steam key for this game (not paid or sponsored). CorgiSpace is a collection of Pico-8 games with the idea of creating something small but fun to play. I’ve gotten through a few of the different carts and so far the one with the Tetris-like mechanics is my favorite. They just added 3 new carts to the game in the last week or so and I’m excited to check them out next!
Join the CorgiSpace on Itch.io or Steam! Or you can learn more about it here: https://corgispace.com/
Cult of the Lamb: Woolhaven
I enjoy Cult of the Lamb. There are parts of it that I think lean a lil too edgy for my taste, but the gameplay loop is really fun and the OST (rest in peace River Boy) is one of my favorites of all time. They recently released paid DLC called Woolhaven for the game and it adds a bunch of new follower forms, ranch animals, an entirely new area, and more story content to the game. I ran through all of it over the course of a few days and had a really good time learning more about the in-game world. I’d recommend the game for anyone who liked the base game. I will say that it still doesn’t always run super well on PlayStation 5 where I played it, but the stutters usually just happen when I’m in my base, not during combat.
I did somehow break the game while I was playing and had to completely close out and restart the game. I think that my character got stuck mid weapon attack and it prevented me from actually being able to do damage with my main weapon. Once I ran out of fervor, I was just kinda out of luck lol.
The game is still good and you can find it here: https://www.cultofthelamb.com/
Games I started but haven’t finished
- When the Past was Around
- Far: Lone Sails
Living Life when Things Change (or Fall Apart)
I already posted this on BlueSky, but I found out on Friday that my position was eliminated from my previous company. I was part of a restructure and will need to find a new role pretty quickly. I’m not gonna lie, I’m nervous about it. The job market isn’t great right now and companies continue to announce layoffs.
I’m taking some time to process and plan, but you’ll likely see more streams and hopefully some more video content from me while I figure out what’s next. I’ve got some great games lined up for streams and I’m excited to be able to stream and create a little more, even as I am worried about the bills that won’t stop just cause my main pay check did.
The world continues to get scarier. I have dear friends in Minnesota who are dealing with the occupation, there’s more news about terrible things that have not seemingly faced consequences, and it’s hard to see how things might get better. But somehow, I am still choosing to show up with hope that we can change things. We have the ability to show up for each other in ways that weren’t previously possible. We have the chance to create better support systems in our local areas or online as necessary. I believe that a different future is possible because I have the honor of knowing the most brilliant people who are contributing to creating a better place for all of us. Things are bad, but we can make it through. We will make it through, though we will all experience hardship as we get there. I hope you’ll continue to work towards that with me.
My Content for this Month
Scrabdackle Stream
I got one stream in for the month of January. We played Scrabdackle, a game that I had the chance to back on Kickstarter a few years ago. The game is wild lol and I’ve really been enjoying it
Upcoming YouTube Video
I’m working on recording a few videos that will be just for YouTube as opposed to just posting stream VODs. Some will be gaming videos and some will be more vlog / or chatting style videos. It’s been good to get back into a space where I feel like I can try doing things like this and I’m looking forward to seeing what yall think about them once they’re live.
If you want to subscribe on YouTube, I’d really appreciate it. You can check out the Gaming Channel and the Vlogs / Chatting Channel by clicking on the hyperlinks!
See y'all next month.
Keep telling stories. Keep creating. You are important for the world that we want to create. I look forward to continuing to build a better world and better stories for us all. Thank you for joining me on this journey. I’ll see y’all around the Internet.
