MrKettles

@kategray Did you ever play A Short Hike? It’s a very charming, low-key game with a lot of Animal Crossing vibes, but the NPC interactions have elements of Stardew, and the emphasis on exploration and discovery is a trait it shares with Outer Wilds (though that comparison’s a bit of a stretch, to be honest). I was pleasantly surprised by how much there was to see in such a decidedly small game; I beat it in a lazy two hours, but I definitely didn’t do everything I could have. It’s totally worth the time if you’re looking for a self-paced, low-commitment game with fun characters and charm for days.

Interesting Math Fact: They made more money from the 1% who bought at full price than from the 99% who bought at 1% price (a sentence I can’t help but hear in Bernie Sander’s voice). Which I guess just reinforces that it was purely a marketing move, as it doesn’t make a ton of business sense otherwise.

I'd adore a Super Mario Land 2 option. Or, hear me out:
Super Mario Land 3

@UmbreonsPapa Right? I think people sometimes neglect how robust the level design was; for what is effectively an on-rails shooter, it packs in a lot of discoverable depth. You can't do that with AR because you forfeit too much control over the player experience. (VR, on the other hand, would be a blast.) And yeah, the size of the franchise now would lead to an even greater variety of interactions in the event of a sequel. Maybe someday...

I swear, this game has some of my all-time favorite game design. The way that specific interactions within the world would lead you to brand new photo opportunities lent the game such a sense of discovery. I loved how you have to discover Gyarados by hitting a Magikarp toward a couple Mankeys. And in the first level, taking pictures of every Lapras gave you a shot near the end with like four Lapras in it. It was so cool to discover those new ways of getting better pictures. And the linear path made it so that everyone was presented with the same opportunities; it was never a matter of not going to the right place, you just had to interact with the world the right way. And even when you found a great shot, the scoring system incentivized going back to get a slightly better shot. I really think this game has some of my favorite game design of all time. What I wouldn't give for a sequel...

My gosh. It looks like Hyper Light Drifter and Abzu's art styles meet Inside's gameplay. It concerns me that any game can nail my sensibilities so specifically. Color me captivated.

NNNGGH. This is easily one of my favorite games of the past decade. There was no doubt I'd be double-dipping here, but boy does that extra content sweeten the deal.

Will definitely get in a little Splatfest action. I love that those keep giving me a reason to get back into Splatoon. And I'll inevitably play DOOM - specifically, the VEGA Central Processing level on Ultra-Nightmare in Arcade mode. A buddy and I keep trading high scores on that one, and it's my turn to outdo his ~11.88 million.

My gosh, I'm thrilled. I was so bummed when it launched without motion controls. Really looking forward to trying these out.

I cannot recommend this game highly enough. It is one of the most mesmerizing games I've ever played. Staggeringly clever and creative. And surprisingly impactful by the end. And, as far as the cost goes: as a piece of art, I'd say it's completely worth it, but as a video game, the playtime doesn't really warrant the pricetag. I was happy to pick it up on Switch rather than play it on my phone's tiny screen, but I imagine the iPad version would be the ideal way to play, because of both the screen size and the price point.

Good night, the sprite animation in this game is so good. And it looks like classic top-down Zelda with a bit more RPG. Very interested.