Oxygen is forgettable. It barely has a gameplay impact and seems to only exist to support the space theme.

But the grinder, I miss when I play 2 or 3. It gave me a reason to look at loot more closely and collect more, even if it was low rarity or irrelevant to my build. I liked having a more controllable way to get new weapons as an alternative to relying on drops and vendors. It’s also a good sink for moonstones.

In a game about loot, making you care about loot is pretty important. In the other games, there’s pretty much no reason to care about white and green drops, so why even drop them?

Special blue loaf

I tried the demo for it during Steam Next Fest and the third-person shooting was interesting but wow, the two main characters have no chemistry with each other.

Continuing with SOMA. Just had a big revelation but now the base’s network is down, so I need to go reset the router.

I’ve also started Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo for when I’m in the mood for something more light-hearted. I tried the demo for it during Steam Next Fest and instantly loved it. It’s very obviously inspired by GBA pixel graphics. All the character sprites are insanely expressive. It even has the Pokemon Ruby-Sapphire-Emerald-style trumpets in the music!

And for extra verisimilitude, there are a bunch of graphics options to make it feel like a GBA game. LCD filter, a “strict” pixel mode, a rotatable 3D model to view the game in, and even screen glare if you really want it!

The story was so corny. The soundtrack is fantastic, though. I bought the soundtrack after finishing the game.

I mainly wrote about my experience. Don’t worry, I only cover actual in-game events in the section I marked as a spoiler.

My favourite type of video about games

They were down?

I believe there are official wallpapers for OneShot. They might even be included with the game files.

The character writing, music, and high-resolution art carry this game.

If you liked Pseudoregalia, get Corn Kidz 64!

It’s another N64-style 3D platformer released in 2023 with a goat protagonist trapped in a dream. This is an oddly narrow coincidence.

There’s also a digital adaptation of Clank, though I haven’t tried it myself. I know the same developers made Root Digital for Leder Games and that adaptation is well-received.

ITAD’s Augmented Steam browser add-on also shows you price comparisons on Steam store and wishlist pages.

I’ve played through Bits & Bops and I can confirm that there’s also a “beat 7” minigame here

I guess it depends on how you want to screw around. In A Short Hike, you can go fishing, which has no gameplay function. Or gliding around in air currents.

• A Short Hike
• Lil Gator Game

These two indie games, both set in a nature park, are more about enjoying their worlds than actually completing quests. With no quest tracker or map, you’re free to roam around and talk to characters. Or just pick up sticks and swing them.

There are a few web adaptations of Monikers, a party game that has a charades component. I’d imagine a bit of the fun of the original is lost, though, because part of the setup of the real game is everyone building the deck together.

Okay, but does it beat YEAH! YOU WANT “THOSE GAMES,” RIGHT? SO HERE YOU GO! NOW, LET’S SEE YOU CLEAR THEM!

The Bill’s Big Thrill glitch in Half-Life 2 is especially bizarre.

Oh man, that’s big news. Lazer’s standard mode been essentially playable since like 2020. Recent updates have been chasing corner cases and adding features with no end in sight.