#game recs

[stealthnoodle]

I Was a Teenage Exocolonist flew under my radar until a friend recommended it to me, and now I am fully obsessed so here's me passing the recommendation on!

Do you like visual novels? Skill management? Timeloops? Deckbuilding? Gorgeous art? A whole bunch of fantastic queer characters? Staggering numbers of events and endings that respond to a staggering number of choices you make?

Then you should play this game and come scream in my ask box about it! I have said both "uh-oh" and "yesssss" out loud multiple times while watching the consequences of my actions play out. Absolutely delightful. Enjoy a little bit of screenshot propaganda:

Living my best/worst life

Exploring in the pink

Behold my self-insert

Also, you can have up to four different pets following you around and one of them is THIS cutie

#i was a teenage exocolonist #game recs #i've lost track of how many times i've played through this game and i'm still finding new content #not pictured: my favorite hot mean rival/girlfriend #i am a simple lesbian with simple needs #can i also say how refreshing it is for a story with robot and alien characters to have multiple major non-binary characters who are human #and i love that you can adjust your name and pronouns and gender presentation at any time while playing

[kaijuborn]

cozy, slightly spooky games for Halloween season!

Night in the Woods - an adventure game focused on exploration, story, and character, featuring dozens of characters to meet and lots to do across a lush, vibrant world.

Haunt the House: Terrortown - haunt your way through a town in the dead of night! Possess objects with your soul, to scare people away from a museum, a hospital, a theatre and a cruise ship.

Oxenfree - a supernatural thriller about a group of friends who unwittingly open a ghostly rift. You are Alex, and you’ve just brought your new stepbrother Jonas to an overnight island party gone horribly wrong.

Sunless Sea - LOSE YOUR MIND. EAT YOUR CREW. DIE. Take the helm of your steamship and set sail for the unknown!

Beacon Pines - a cute and creepy adventure set within a mysterious book. Sneak out late, make new friends, uncover hidden truths, and collect words that will change the course of fate!

Costume Quest - in this charming role-playing game, choose your hero and trick-or-treat through beautiful environments full of humor and story.

Death's door - reaping souls of the dead and punching a clock might get monotonous, but it's honest work for a Crow.

Hand of Fate - in a cabin at the end of the world, the game of life and death is played. Draw your cards, play your hand, and discover your fate.

LIMBO - uncertain of his sister's fate, a boy enters LIMBO.

Wytchwood - a crafting adventure game set in a land of gothic fables and fairytales. As the old witch of the woods, explore a strange countryside, collect magic ingredients, brew sorcerous spells, and pass judgement upon a capricious cast of characters.

Cult of the Lamb - start your own cult in a land of false prophets, venturing out into diverse and mysterious regions to build a loyal community of woodland Followers and spread your Word to become the one true cult.

#game recs #game recommendations #indie games #spooky games #ramblings

[bettsfic]

what is the most obscure piece of media you love? the book, show, movie, game, or whatever else that you think is a masterpiece and you have no idea why it's not more famous than it is. the thing you're always recommending to other people because you want them to love it the way you do.

#book recs #tv recs #movie recs #game recs #this is not for clout i genuinely just want to know the bizarre magical shit that maybe slipped through the cracks of popularity

[shinobicyrus]

Anyway you should play Small Saga.

#Small Saga #Video Games #Game Recs #it's like...Redwall meets Final Fantasy #honestly it's so creative and fantastic and it's been a long long time #since a game made me feel entertained and relaxed and invested #what a lovely adventure

[arimiadev]

recommendations of visual novels on sale for the steam winter sale 2023

steam's winter sale just started and will run for the next two weeks, so if you're looking for a new visual novel to try (or want to get into them), here's a lot that I've played that are on sale on steam.

umineko when they cry

the ushiromiya family returns to the family head's home on an isolated island for their annual conference with the intention of settling how his vast amount of wealth is divided. instead, though, a letter is left from someone claiming to be a "witch". with the ushiromiyas dropping left and right, the mystery behind everything remains to be solved.

I can't make a recommendation list without mentioning umineko. it's life changing. it might even trans your gender. it's hard to describe umineko, but just know that it's absolutely deserving of the "cult classic" tag.

notes:

kinetic/linear - no choices

VERY long

divided into two games on steam - Questions Arcs is the first 4 episodes and Answers Arcs is the last 4 episodes (8 episodes in total, play Questions Arcs first)

created by Ryukishi07, creator of Higurashi

fantasy mystery

ace attorney

follow phoenix wright as he embarks on his career as a lawyer to help people. meet a variety of clients and prove their innocence by collecting evidence, interviewing witnesses, and exposing lies in court.

ace attorney is one of the classic mystery visual novels, being a blend of point-and-click elements via investigations and visual novel storytelling. the steam port is a massive collection, combining the first 3 games (the original phoenix wright trilogy) as 1 game.

notes:

investigative gameplay segments, a good chunk of the story is point-and-click parts

VERY long for the whole trilogy- each game is around 20 hours long and the steam edition is 3 games

modern mystery with supernatural elements

ai: the somnium files

play as detective kaname date as he hunts down a serial killer using a cutting-edge technology which allows him to "psync" with a person, diving into the memories of others to solve crimes in a limited amount of time with the help of his AI assistant/eyeball Aiba.

aitsf is a lot. it's probably the raunchiest non-eroge game I've ever played and despite my low tolerance for dirty jokes I found most of it to be laughable and a fun experience, though I did play this with friends. if it's a miss for you, it's gonna miss you by a wide margin, but if it's a hit for you, you're going to be recommending it nonstop. either way you'll want to hit kaname date with a car.

notes:

long, around 25-35 hours

this game heavily relies on going back to prior choices via their branching menu to try other options in order to get the full story (and true ending). there are several endings to this game but you're meant to play through them all, not just one or two.

a lot of gameplay and interactive segments

sci-fi mystery

english voice acting

witch on the holy night

aoko aozaki is a highschooler who has to balance her class president, perfect grades life with her secret afterschool life of being a mage—a secret she has to keep at the risk of death. keeping this balance already isn’t easy but one day she gets a wrench thrown into it with the introduction of a transfer student, soujuurou shizuki, a country boy so out of touch that he’s never seen electricity before.

I love witch on the holy night so, so much. it's one of the most beautifully directed visual novels ever made with so much love and care put into each frame. the cast is wonderful (touko my beloved) and it's a must-read for anyone who likes modern-ish fantasy.

notes:

kinetic / linear - no choices

long, around 25-30 hours

originally written by kinoko nasu, one of the co-founders of type-moon and creators of fate/stay night. has some relation to tsukihime and garden of sinners but you don't need any knowledge of those going in

modern-ish (1980s) fantasy with lots of talking about magic

ghostpia

a snowy town filled with "ghosts" is where the young woman sayako finds herself trapped, feeling like she doesn't belong and wants to leave this town where no one dies.

it's hard to describe ghostpia. it's a surreal-ish story about "ghosts" where every character is quirkier than the last but every part is made with so much heart behind it. you never really know where the story is going, but unfortunately only 1 season is currently out on steam.

notes:

medium length, around 10 hours

very innovative and unique use of visuals and paneling

surreal-ish (sometimes violent) fantasy

please be happy

as a shapeshifting fox called a "gumiho", miho has traveled the world in search for a traveler who showed her kindness many years ago. afraid of sticking around in one place for too long, miho has never stayed anywhere for more than a few nights- but all of that changes when she arrives in wellington, new zealand and meets the barista/writer aspen and the vampire archivist juliet.

okay okay I had to recommend at least one visual novel I worked on. please be happy was a labor of love for our team that took over 3 years to make and is a slice of life story about love, trust, and what it means to be human.

notes:

medium to long, about 20 hours

2 romanceable ladies, aspen and juliet, and a plethora of side characters to meet via a map system

modern slice of life fantasy

english voice acting

WE KNOW THE DEVIL

find yourself back at summer camp with all the queer religious horror of it.

WE KNOW THE DEVIL is a short, atmospheric and slightly surreal story about 3 teens at a religious summer camp waiting for the devil. if you want something that feels familiar and otherworldly at the same time, this is right up your alley.

notes:

very short, about 2 hours

3 endings and 1 true ending

isolation, psychological horror

------------

this is just a handful of recommendations of visual novels I've played and enjoyed that are on sale right now on steam.

some of these titles, like please be happy and WE KNOW THE DEVIL, are also available on itch.io which is a website for indie games! they're also currently having a winter sale so a lot of indie visual novels are on sale over there too, if you want DRM-free versions of games while also giving a better revenue split to devs.

#visual novel #visual novels #visual novel game #game recommendations #game recs #I wanted to rec more indie stuff but the ones I like either aren't on sale or they're free or they're not on steam at all #so that'll be for another time... #also this didnt end up as giant as i was thinking it would be bc i didnt want to do multiple in a series like higu and dai gyakuten

[hiemaldesirae]

hello... this is my compiled promise of lingyun propaganda slides . please please please give it a try its fun !! i swear!!!

i know there are some (?) ads for it but i don't think this game has gotten a lot of /good/ advertising in general... the socmed department should be given a bigger budget or something. pol deserves attention- it's got phenomenal story and art design. also, i didn't mention it in the slideshow but the music, sound design and voices are immaculate they haven't had a single miss

(so sorry for the tags by the way i just want this to get seen even once 😢)

#ran rambles #promise of lingyun #game recommendations #game recs #rpg game #roleplaying game #gacha games #historical games #dress up games #mxtx #SORRY FOR TAGGING BUT I WANT IT TO GET TRACTION :((((

[kiersau]

Highly recommend The Pillars of the Earth! It’s a visual novel centered around a cathedral in 1100s England and the story and art are both beautiful.

Available for PC but also currently on sale for Switch!

#pillars of the earth #Ken follett’s the pillars of the earth #the pillars of the earth #game recs

[gffa]

Does anyone have any recs for fun mobile games that you can play while on the exercise bike? With Dissidia Final Fantasy: Opera Omnia shutting down next month and Genshin's TCG isn't that extensive that I can play it for months on end, I'm in desperate need of something that I can basically play one-handed and not a lot of lore/reading to do, because I also usually have a video essay on in the background. Turn-based games are probably the best bet, but basically anything that's cute and addictive, that you can play for about 30 minutes a day, and still have one hand on the handle bars of the bike.

#lumi.txt #game recs

[a-dinosaur-a-day]

Can you recommend any dinosaur themed video games? Or maybe games that just have evolution somehow play a part?

sO

for one, you can always play Evolution! evolution is a video game based on a card game that is actually a pretty great game-ification of the process of evolution (I have a couple of big critiques - predators don't hunt their prey into extinction as a general rule, but that's a key game component) and fun to play

if you're cool with going retro, the game Spore is essentially an evolution simulation game, even if its a bit oversimplified

The game Ecosystem mimics evolution too, you essentially are creating an underwater ecosystem from scratch, but my immersion is broken by the modern-type plants juxtaposed with cambrian-era fish

ironically, games with prehistoric life and games about evolution? not the same two things. none of those games really feature actual prehistoric life.

But, there are games that do!

I actually really like Saurian. It's still in alpha, and has a lot of development to do, but it's essentially a complete recreation of Hell Creek, and you can grow up as a raptor or as a triceratops!

Then there's Prehistoric Kingdom, which is a park builder sim with prehistoric life. The online community for it sucks (major transphobia incident), but the game itself is a fun time, and the dinosaurs are gorgeous.

I also enjoy Jurassic World Evolution 2. Sure, JW is inaccurate af, and every time I see manual unguals on digits 4 and 5 on the hands/front feet I scream internally, but a) there are lots of accuracy mods and b) the graphics are gorgeous

Let's Build a Zoo has prehistoric life, too! And things you wouldn't expect! It's kind of a basic game, but it's fun. And has more birds than fucking planet zoo does.

Zoo Tycoon 2 is still probably the best zoo game around, somehow, and there are tons of mods to add virtually as many prehistoric animals as you want. Hell, my friends and I made a Kulindadromeus mod for it! Literally! Any dinos you want.

Roots of Pacha is a game similar to Stardew that takes place in the Pleistocene! It's all about the power of human cooperation and community building, complete with Mammoths and Smilodon and Glyptodonts. Its a fun game, and I love it a lot. Can't wait for it to update more!

Dawn of Man is a pretty good caveman sim, as well, but it's very realism-focused, and killing mammoths is part of the game, so it's a bummer. But it's fun to go through the history of stone age human technology.

Dinosaur Fossil Hunter is... meh. the protagonist is a muscular white guy. the adventure side of paleontology is overemphasized. the controls are kind of crappy. I can't recommend it.

Tyto Ecology is a fun, if basic, ecology simulator, but it is no longer being developed or supported. Still, I enjoyed it.

aaaand... those are my recommendations. The pickings are kind of slim. Hence my desperate desire to make more prehistoric life and evolution themed games!

that said, keep an eye out - Paleopines and Super Zoo Story are both coming out soon, and they both have dinosaurs!

#video games #game recs #paleontology #prehistoric life #palaeoblr

[robohaven]

AFFECTION GAME NOW ON ROLL 20!!

Today Affection Game has been published on the @roll20 virtual tabletop games app, and I’m having a ton of emotions (all good ones)!

As a lot of you know: in my spare time, I develop games to assist with communication in relationships.

Affection Game guides you through the mechanics of intentional conversations. The rules require you to thoughtfully invite people to play, choose cards for each session based on your levels of comfort, and practice your listening skills so your companion feels truly heard.

I completed my final update to the card prompts, all of which are based on what I’ve learned through relationships both past and present. I am willing to combat my anxiety with the affection and respect I have for those I love.

You now have 2 ways to play:

Virtually, on the digital game platform Roll 20

In-person, using the physical card game

If you play, let me know how it goes for you! I love to learn how my game integrates into different relationships (even if the result is “this was very difficult”)

Just @ me or something, I wanna know if your hearts were in those cards.

#communication #self-advocacy #relationship #relationship goals #love #friendship #family #connection #intimacy #games #indie games #game recs #queer games #relationship advice #dating advice #listen i may have discovered im aromantic but my work still has value in the relationship games category!!! #relationship game #affection game #affection game by robohaven

[charliebugz]

Spiritfarer is SO GOOD

it made me smile it made me cry (a lot) it is the PERFECT game

#if you like cozy stardew type games go play this rn! #its like animal crossing but the villagers have trauma #spiritfarer #game recs #cozy games #i speak!

[tinygameroom]

I will try to make a more in depth post about this when I have the brains to do so but for people enjoying Slay The Princess who haven't played these before and/or are looking for more visual novels I highly highly recommend We Know The Devil and HIKEBACK.

These are both much shorter experiences than Slay The Princess but they're both also very important to me. WKTD is about three kids at an uncanny Christian summer camp where the Devil quite literally comes to mess with the attendants and someone has to sit watch with a radio to keep the Devil out. You play as all three characters, sometimes splitting off into groups of two. It's about religious trauma and queerness and self-discovery and trauma and coming of age and it can get very heavy but so very very beautiful. And weird.

HIKEBACK is the Scorpion and the Frog as a driver and a hitchhiker. With time loops.

WKTD is by worstgirlsgames and you can play it on itchio and steam, and HIKEBACK is by CLOWN and you can play it on itchio.

#slay the princess #game recs #we know the devil #hikeback #visual novels #indie games

[kaijuborn]

some cozy indie games with summertime vibes which are on sale right now:

APICO - a laid-back beekeeping sim game about breeding, collecting, & conserving bees!

A Short Hike - hike, climb, and soar through the peaceful mountainside landscapes of Hawk Peak Provincial Park as you make your way to the summit.

Beacon Pines - a cute and creepy adventure set within a mysterious book.

Botanicula - five friends, little tree creatures, set out on a journey to save the last seed from their home tree which is infested by evil parasites.

Cozy Grove - a game about camping on a haunted, ever-changing island.

Firewatch - Firewatch is a single-player first-person mystery set in the Wyoming wilderness, where your only emotional lifeline is the person on the other end of a handheld radio.

Garden Story - embark on a wholesome adventure to save The Grove! Forage resources, combat the invasive Rot, and restore the community.

Haven Park - play as Flint, who is doing his best to keep his grandma's park up and running and make it a place for the campers to enjoy.

Mail Time - as a newly trained Mail Scout, put on your pack, grab those letters, and deliver them across Grumblewood Grove!

Teacup - help a small and shy frog on her journey to find the ingredients she needs for her tea party!

Yoku's Island Express - an open world/metroidvania-style pinball adventure, seamlessly blending platform navigation with pinball mechanics across a large open world.

#ramblings #game recs #game recommendations #indie games #out of these ones I think APICO beacon pines and yoku's island express are my favorites!! #I just replayed a short hike which is what inspired me to make this list

[cake0-3]

any indie horror game recs?

looking for recommendations as i’m still getting into this kind of thing.. i really like your turn to die (am waiting for the final chapter!)

or just any indie/mainstream game really- i love story-esque games, with not too much too do, maybe with puzzles and mind games, but im mainly here for the plot!

anyway here’s a bouncy midori 🐍

#midori yttd #yttd #your turn to die #horror games #indie games #game recs

[bismuth-209]

what i want to play in Solo But Not Alone 4

So, there's a charity bundle on itch.io right now, Solo But Not Alone 4 is a bundle of 125 solo ttrpg-type games.

By ttrpg-type I mean that they aren't played on the computer, they usually have pdfs to download and then you need to bring the things like playing cards, tarot cards, dice and something to write with yourself (and very occasionally a jenga tower). They're usually rather focused on journaling.

If you want to know which games need which supplies, or what genres the games are, there's a handy dandy spreadsheet you can get here.

now, I've not really played any of the games yet, but there's ones I really want to play, and maybe I can make some of you excited enough to buy the bundle and support the charity Take This too. Take This is a non-profit to benefit mental health in the gaming community, but a little look on their website gives me the idea that their resources are useful broader as well, for example they have links to mental health resources for particular ethnic groups. It does seem pretty English-speaking country centric, but still a worthy charity to support I think.

without further ado! the games

Project ECCO is a game you play in a PLANNER. I've scrounged up an old planner I barely used and I'll be using it to play this game. It's a time travel game and you write your answers to the prompts on the pages of the planner you've "travelled" to. There's different ways to "travel through time" in the game, so you use dice, playing cards, tarot cards and a coin to determine what day you're writing on and what prompt you're fulfilling. I like the variety in methods, and i like that i'll be having limited space to write (although it's VERY little on the weekends. we'll see what i can manage on 3 lines)

If you want to play just this game you should definitely buy the bundle, it's usually 15 USD, while the bundle is just 10.

Corporate Onboarding is here mostly because of the formatting, I'll admit. But the formatting is so cool! It's AVAILABLE AS A POWERPOINT FILE. Also pdf, handy if you don't have the ms office suite. It fits on just 19 slides, but it claims that the average session is about an hour, which sounds about right. It doesn't have a lot of introspection far as I can tell, you need to find all your bosses to report to them without going over 5 warnings, and you have some stats for your character and all that.

Fox Curio's Floating Bookshop is another game worth getting the whole bundle for, normally 16 USD and it does seem worth that.

The game has such cool worldbuilding, you've got different towns and seasons and events throughout the year. I can see myself dedicating a whole notebook to this. And it's got a beautiful pdf (that's kind of formatted for print, but the print book's sold out). Also a fishing mini game you play by dealing a deck of cards.

5 act play is a game that gives you some guidance for the plotting of a play. It uses tarot, but also gives an alternative using dice and playing cards. It really USES tarot, you are expected to have a guidebook or look one up for the meanings of the cards and use them to inform characters and themes, but it does have tables for what you do with some of the cards. It's Shakespeare inspired, using examples from Much Ado and Romeo and Juliet to help you, and you're expected to write a tragedy or a comedy.

The Peace Engine is a game you use a jenga tower to play, which I don't currently have access to, but it looks incredible and I'm considering asking around if I can borrow one. You have to pull bricks from the tower when your scientist gains "burnout" and if your tower falls you fail. It has a complex system and it seems very cool.

Again a game more expensive on its own, so get it in the bundle!

Glyph is a sort of guide where you make sigils, it has a beautiful pdf as well. I like the method it provides. It recommends to be used for enrichment of other games, or just as a fun creative exercise

This bundle runs until the 9th of March 2024!

#solo but not alone 4 #itch.io #itch io charity bundle #game recommendations #game recs #solo ttrpg #solo journaling rpg #solo rpg #the peace engine #fox curio's floating bookshop #game sale #bis speaks #indie ttrpgs #indie games #indie rpg

[galpalaven]

Interactive Fiction Game Recs

Hey, guys! I had a few people asking about suggestions for other IFs that aren't Wayhaven, so I've taken my list I keep for myself and put them all together here for you!

KEY Favorite** Complete On Hiatus Purchase Required* if you liked The Wayhaven Chronicles !

under the cut for length ;w;

Visual Novels

Our Life: Beginnings & Always***

Blooming Panic**

Andromeda Six

Ebon Light**

Touchstarved

It Lives Within** (fanmade sequel to It Lives in The Woods / It Lives Beneath available through the Choices app)

Vampire: The Masquerade - Coteries of New York* !

Vampire: The Masquerade - Shadows of New York* !

MeChat (available through the App Store)

ChoiceScript Games

The Exile**

Golden**

Hollowed Minds**

Mind Blind** !

Witches of Ferngrove

The Golden Rose*

The Fernweh Saga*** !

The Passenger*** !

OFNA: Birds of a Feather**

God of the Red Mountain (on hiatus)**

Virtue’s End

Body Count (on hiatus)

Creme de la Creme* (I've only played book one, but there are two of these!)

Infamous**

Vampire: The Masquerade - Night Road* !

Vampire: The Masquerade - Parliament of Knives* !

Itch.io

Attollo**

A Tale of Crowns**

Project Hadea**

The Northern Passage**

Greenwarden

Vespertines

Red Sugar Society**

The Nameless**

The Numbers Game

When Twilight Strikes** !

The Black River**

Event Horizon

Swan Song

Scout: An Apocalypse Story**

Larkin** !

Tell Me If There’s A Way Home

Snakeroot

The Gray Ascendancy

Zorlok**

Sinners

The Eight Years Revolution

Signal Hill**

Speaker**

Supernova: Renegade**

All links should go directly to the game! However, most (as in, like, 80% probably) of these games do have development tumblrs!

You can find the tumblr linked for the itch.io games on their itch.io pages mostly.

The choicescript games you can probably find by googling (name) tumblr.

Sidenote: Please don't be offended by anything not marked 'favorite' if it's on this list it means I really like it!!! It's just an Extra Hard recommendation instead of a regular one ;w;

#ref #game recs