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#gaming year in review
hummingbird-games · 4 months
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2023 In Review (Indie Games)
Last year's! | 2021
I apologize in advance for how long this might be. As a reminder, I don't bash games here so even if I hated something with every fiber of my being...I ain't sharing. As a second reminder, my more in depth reviews and live blogging has moved to Gem's Game Gems so I don't clutter the HBG's main blog. Okay. ON WITH THE REVIEW!!
DEMOS
Diffraction (Demo)- A rainy day otome indeed. I love the quiet gentleness of this game, the two romance options, and the fact that our MC is a photographer and struggling with her art and stack of life "failures" (because...SAME!!)
Alaris - I was asleep and now I am awake: I came late for the advertised fae and dragon lore, stayed seated and waiting for Fenir zjgjdf. Oh, and I guess the mystery surrounding our MC's abilities LOL.
The Summit Library - When I say I was maaaaaad when I realized I blew through chapter 1 and would have to go back to waiting for more content??? LOL, I was very miffed. Anyhoo, check out this title for the gorgeous art, another intriguing mystery (like what is *up* with the magic in the poor library?? who or what is to blame?? 👀) and of course the lovely characters we've been introduced to thus far.
Of Sense and Soul - I'm a regency romance girl. Like after you strip away the other stuff, I am but a poor woman with simple needs: a good ass love story 🤧💛 It's about the yearning and the slow burn and the will they/won't they/PLEASEEE they...I've never been so charmed by a demo, and the full game is going to be amazing I just know it!
Made Marion - This project is a game I've been keeping tabs on for a hot minute but hadn't taken the time to sit and properly enjoy the demo. I'M SO GLAD I DID!!! It's in early access now, so I'm hoping eventually I'll be able to carve out some time to play, but guysss Velvet Cupcake is doing the Thing?!? No idea which love interest I'll go for first, but I had a fun time meeting the Nottingham peeps in the demo.
Herotome (Super Demo) - Oh gosh. Oh gosh oh gosh oh my GOSHHH. Where do I even began?? (Really the question is where the hell do I end because this is one of those projects I talk about a lot/think about a lot and surprisingly haven't run out of things to say zkjfksjd). Another game I've been following for a while, it 100% lives up to the superhero genre in its aesthetic, the characters you interact with, the music and sound design, and of course the slowly unfurling story. Jade and Mia had come out as my top faves, Warden is still there, like hovering in the backgroud, shhhh but I have a special place in my heart for Griffin too (that conversation we have with her?? I have so many screenshots just so I can go back and reread and sear the words in my brain. Like a weirdo. Yup.)
Celestial Crowns - Stats building, celestial royalty, dating sim where you fuck around and find out your choices directly affect your MC's personality?? I'm sat. I supported the Kickstarter and now I try to practice patience for the full game's release siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiighh.
OTOME/JOSEI JAM
Please note this is a SUPER abridged list for my sanity and I fell a little more in love with these 2 jams with each entry I played...
Intertwine - As embarrassing as it sounds, I've never given much thought to the "red string" thing, and I consume more than enough romance media LOL!! But Van is suuuuuch a beautiful man, the UI for this game is so interactive and lovely, the music is ALSO lovely, just lovely-love all the way around teehee. (Also this game encourages replayabillity so like, do with that info what you will.)
Spring Boy [Demo] - I believe this game is going through a complete rehaul, so my thoughts and feelings refer to the original jam entry I played. The art is bright and cute and it's a super super short demo, but I was intrigued by the other student we meet on our mission to plead with our professor about our bombed exam lol!
Assignment Due: Project Blue - IRl group projects??? Suck absolute ass. Group projects with a guy name Asher?? Suddenly it's my new favorite thing in the world 😁
Cryptid Campaign Manager [DEMO] - Remember the last time I looked over a cryptid dating sim??? Remember how I was SUCH a fool?? Good thing I didn't make that mistake again!! The prologue is such a tease but you get an idea of what the full game is gonna be like, and I'm excited to see where my career involving love (and politics) goes!
Heart Cage [Demo] - Yoooooo I stay my ass far far far away from yanderes (could never get into the trope or the character type). WELP. Guess I just needed to keep searching because I really downloaded this off a whim--well, the whim being one of my fellow dev peers playing and rating-- and proceeded to get sucked in 🤧I thought being a detective would be the highlight, but I guuuueeesssss I was more into the romance options than I thought. Oops.
Evernight - I tried to explain what this game meant to me on the side blog, but words failed me. I still don't know what to say other than I loved it?? Which is like ummm I say I love everything, and yeah I'm easy to please BUT Y'ALLLLLL if you play no other game, play this one. Please. Date a werewolf. Or a vampire. Or a fae. Plz. Also figuring out the mystery of your MC's abilities and past is just delightful, ugh.
Bright Oak (demo) - Anotha one I wrote about on the side blog!!! Play this one!!! The writing is lush and atmospheric and the characters are all delightful and it's another game with a mystery to untangle!
The Faithfulness of the Universe- This one gets the award for most unique all around entry that I played. Theeeeee prettiest pixel art to bless my eyeballs, and this tasty mystery concerning Fate and witch Faustina's future (or lack thereof 👀) and what it all means. As a player I very much want to know what it all means!
A Cup For All Seasons - Another game that needs its flowers y'all. It's short but super healing and super cozy and the voice acting and music really tie the gaming experience together???
The Working Woman's Guide to Burning Bridges - DEMO - It's the way I played the demo twice and I've been thinking about it ever since 😭😭😭🙃 obviously life happens and things come up, plus this was a demo. But. BUT!!! I am on my hands and knees prayinnggg the team gets together again to finish the game. I love playing as a stressed, lowkey bitter hot mess who doesn't have her life together 😂somehow the fictional version is soooo much more entertaining!!!
Keyframes (Spring Demo) - After the game College Craze, this is legit THE college, slice of life visual novel of my dreams. I cannot wait for the updated demo next year, and the Kickstarter whenever that rolls around. And now that the developer is on Tumblr, I've definitely been stalking the account and reading each new post like it's my day/night/weekend job 🤧
Hello Counsel 💋 - Okay I take it back, Evernight is like a 20/10 but Hello Counsel is like an 100/10 👁️👄👁️ This game is necessary for my mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual health, alright? The banter ✅ the character designs ✅ the music ✅ the sizzling chemistry between Poise and Salem ✅ I wish this game had more buzz because IT'S SO GOOD!!! (also the dev, Miseri, is who I wanna be when I grow up. I've made it through almost their whole backlog of games and there are no misses and EVERY game is different from the rest and it makes it hard for a toodler dev--ME--to cope LOL)
Candied Hearts - Isekaied into a candy themed game?? Sign me TF UP!!! (Peppermint I love you dearly, you must understand.)
Fully Released & Played (at least 1 playthrough)
The Knight's Dilemma - I don't even know how I originally stumbled upon this??? I just know it had been in my backlog for a hot minute and I was intrigued enough to save it way back when. Y'ALL WHY DIDN'T I PLAY SOONER SKJFHFJFH! There's a couple different endings, I loved the voice direction, AND it's such a simple concept of a game that was just executed beautifully.
Trouble Comes Twice - If I had to make a top 5 list of romance VNs, guess who makes the list?? Guess. Guess guess guess. Have you guessed yet??? LOL! I have been in love with TCT since it's development days and with each passing month, waiting in anticipation, playing the Pateron beta builds, screaming on the main blog about every single thought I had about Jace and Hazel (shoutout to Jace for helping me figure out *me*) Lol if you're curious about said thoughts, those posts are on this blog and not the side blog.
Aelfric the Wondrous - 10/10 would love to forget my first play through JUST to have that experience fresh again 😭😭💛Cute and funny and a wonderful parody type game all around.
A Summer's End - Hong Kong 1986 - Goodness, there's no excuse for why this took me years to finish but anyhoo, I finished, I loved it, I recommend it! It's romantic and achingly authentic and the art is soooo gorgeous I literally can't stand it 😭
The Things You Do For Love - Unhinged yandere manages to entertain and garner sympathy and laughter from Gemini. And that poly ending is chef's kiss too????
Band Camp Boyfriend - There are a handful of games I found and loved before I began my game development journey, and this is one of them. BCB is so dear to me, because of the story and characters but also because of the Dynamic Duo creators and their team behind the scenes. I was never a band kid I was a chorus kid but just as the band geeks loved this game to pieces, us normal folks do too!! Even the boys who I didn't like I STILL managed to find joy in playing their routes (still have a few more to finish at the time of this posting lol, GOTTA GET THE FINAL ROUTE YO). Anyway, this game more than delivered for me and I hope more people keep discovering it!!
Belle Automata: Chronicle I [RELEASED] - While only Chronicle 1 is out at the time of this posting, I already know that the 2nd and 3rd parts are going to be just as amazing???? I wrote about this one on the side blog, so here's my copypaste that still rings true:  
I love TNP (The Nightmare Prince) but Victor’s route hit the sweet spot for me. Maybe it’s the slow(er) burn nature of this route, maybe it’s the reserved nature of Victor and watching him slowly start to care (AND NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH THOSE FEELINGS TEEHEE) for me.
A Date with Death - I wrote about this on the side blog--again--. The demo. And then right after finishing a route. And then again where I was fully awake and still managed to sound deranged. No copypaste for that, I shall be nice. But yeah!! Another game where I was screaming at the sky about how much I love it and how I'll never know peace as long as I live.
Our Life: Baxter DLC - I need to offer an official apology to both Cove and Derek because falling head over heels, down the stairs, crashing into the parking lot, falling again but down a manhole for Baxter's infuriating ass was NOT on my 2023 bingo board??? HELLO???? I bought his DLC just to complete my OL collection. Was not expecting to love it this much. Was not expecting to be called to write fanfic and abandon all responsibilities to do this. WHILE DOWN WITH COVID TOO. Allow me to play the song of my people. *Send in the Clowns plays*
Our Cinderella - (this is so funny I'm taking about a side game before the main game LOLOLOLOL) Guys. Guysss. You guyyyysss 🥹if you're looking for a cozy, hilarious, equally oddly and wonderfully sweet short game, this is the one!! You may have your personal favorite Iggy ship (like me) but all the pairings are so amazing and just make sense lol!
Wylde Flowers - This is the only non visual novel game on here but it gets the spotlight because I did NOT spend 90+ hours on this game to gatekeep this beauty. No. It the coziest, the funniest, the funnest, the most addictive Switch game (after Teacup) I've ever played.
Fully Released (& still on 1st playthrough)
Garden of Seif: Chronicles of an Assassin - Life kicked my butt and then sat on me SO while I finally got my grubby hands on the full copy, I still have only played the entirety of the demo. But. We will return to this in 2024 and hopefully I'll have a full review for the next wrap up!
Our Wonderland - I looked back at the side blog and I can't believe it was only THIS year that I started OW??? Because I'd known of the game and the dev for longer than that??? So basically what I'm saying is that I was chicken shit for longer than I've been in love with this world that Developer Carrot has created kjzhhshggj. But OMG to get me, who is scared oh so easily to get hella invested in this clearly labeled horror game??????????????? And even with shit gets super absurd and hella disturbing, I cannot stop playing. At the time of this post, I'm only in Act 4, hence the category above, but it's only because I play each act in a sitting and lose track of space and time and myself. That's a compliment btw.
...
Okie!! That's 2023 in a nutshell! I played a looooot of really good games this year and while I would have liked to talk about them all, I think this list provides a nice overview.
Let me know if we share any favorites!
- Gemini 💛
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leonbastralle · 2 months
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GAMES I PLAYED IN 2023 - SECOND HALF-ISH
here's part 2 of my little review of my 2023 games! somehow this is even more indie than the first half and honestly a lot of games w nonexistent fandoms on tumblr so be the change u want to see in the world i guess!
old man's journey: this is a rly short indie game with an interesting, though very repetitive puzzle mechanic that follows an old man as he goes on an important journey - literally but also figuratively by coming to terms with his past, and at some point the two end up being the same thing. the art style is truly lovely and unique, it gives me big children's book vibes, and the soundtrack is beautiful and touching and so is the story and the ending itself. as i said, the mechanic and actual gameplay could be expanded on, but i knew this going in and played it mostly for the vibes and in that it did not disappoint.
the last campfire: when i talked my wife into playing this i told her it's basically the pacifist puzzle version of dark souls and it truly is. you play as a little ember on their final journey to the last campfire, where all embers go when their light begins to fade. the path is challenging and a lot of embers give up. they become forlorn. it's your desire to help them, if they let you. this game is heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time, such a gentle and touching story with a cast of diverse, likeable characters. the puzzles are all in all pretty doable, though they can get pretty intense at times, but there is a story only mode to remedy that! this one definitely is going on my all time favorites list.
lemon cake: who were you before you wandered into this bakery? doesn't matter, because the ghostified previous owner is now holding you hostage as her successor. this is a little sim/time management game w a super cute style where you upgrade your bakery, cafe and garden to keep making new delicious looking treats and serving your customers in the best way possible until you are worthy of your predecessor's famous lemon cake recipe. this game, as games of this variety tend to do, gets a bit stressful if you want to serve all of your customers before they get angry and leave while also needing to keep an eye on your ingredients and ovens and displays. i really liked all the upgrade options that make your life easier, and i loved combining all the cute pastries into new menus every other day or so to keep customers happy. a bit expensive for the amount of gameplay you get out of it but definitely worth it on a sale!
the gardens between: this game follows a pair of childhood friends through their memories together as they prepare for the move that one of them is about to go through and the inevitable goodbye that will precede it. super touching game with a really cool and unique puzzle mechanic in which you manipulate time and objects at different times throughout the puzzles to get to the solution. can make you kind of dizzy because the levels are built like spirals so the camera does a lot of spinning, but i'm sensitive to this and was fine when i went slow and took breaks.
book of travels: hoooo boy this is a big one. this game is marketed as a tmorpg (because the servers are TINY) and it definitely makes it work. most of this game is just exploring around, doing little tasks and finding your way since the game doesn't tell you at all what to do, it's all up to how you play it. do you want to do some combat? figure out what the fuck happened in kasa, the closed capital? become a fisherman? just trade and collect cool looking things? the braided shore is your oyster and it is a beautiful one with the painterly art style and great music and ambiance. still in early access and therefore quite buggy sometimes, but definitely one of my faves w a lot of potential.
capybara spa: made by the same person as lemon cake, you can really see the similarities in terms of the cutesy style, but i think it's a lovely thing to look at. this is just a little clicker where you run a spa for capybaras and their little critter friends and keep levelling up to add more and more spa options and extras to give them the special treatment they deserve! i assume this game could get a bit overwhelming since there's a lot to keep an eye on at all times, but there are no time constraints and no punishment so you can take your time and get sucked in for hours, which this game is very good at doing.
tiny echo: in this point and click game you play as a funky little guy w an eye for a head who delivers letters to their spirit inhabitants with a minimal amount of puzzling involved. i mainly played it because i wanted to check out more games by the book of travels devs, and it was a nice experience, though it also doesn't really stand out for me. very short game, maybe a bit short for the price, but i played it from a shared library so skdjfhksdjf
cosmic wheel sisterhood: i got nothing bad to say about this one. you play as an exiled fortune telling witch who breaks after years of solitude and forms a forbidden pact. the cast of witches (and other creatures) is diverse, i liked both the characterizations and the interactions between characters (also a lot of them are very hot so that helps). the big mechanic of this game is that you use elemental energy to craft your own tarot cards from a selection of card backgrounds and elements and then you use these to tell people's fortunes, which in turn gives you more energy. depending on your selections, the cards will have unique names and different meanings, and i enjoyed seeing all the cards i or others could come up with. the story is intense and emotional, but to me, definitely in a good way. though there are several outcomes and so far i've only tried one. definitely replay value there. just be wary because despite including trigger warnings, they forgot one for cancer so be informed and do not be like me ADJHKAJSDHA
planet zoo: i tried this after i saw my wife play it because growing up i was crazy about zoo empire and zoo tycoon. i don't have much to say about this one because though you have a whooooole bunch of freedom in designing your zoo, the enclosures and even every single building, that freedom was a bit overwhelming for me so i never ended up rly getting into it. also not a huge fan of big capitalism expansion packs system, but hey. it definitely is a pretty, very neat game.
cats & dogs organized neatly: it's like static tetris. but with animals. you click on them and they bark and meow and you can SPIN THEM MANY TIMES as jazzy music plays in the bg. as you go you unlock more funky little boys n girls and they all have funny little bios and names. i broke my brain on some levels but didn't mind looking up some solutions in favor of the vibe! i enjoyed both of these and will definitely play the birds sequel that's set to come out this year! another german dev shoutout these were great games. they're very small and quite cheap but you can also get these on sale for like 2 euros KSJFHAKSFA
toem: truly the year of photography games for me, but i think vibe wise this one was my favorite. just a funky lil guy in a black and white world going on their first photography pilgrimage to toem, the famed natural phenomenon of their world. i loved all the little quests, the different worlds and the endless filter options and the soundtrack was great too. honestly greatly recommend, i don't own this game but i plan to buy it to replay!
pupperazzi: yet another photography game! this one's all about dogs, and it's delightful and wonky and just a good casual time with less story elements than the other mentioned photography games. not groundbreaking but great fun.
luna the shadow dust: this game follows a young apprentice mage back up the tower that he's grown up and studied in to face the consequences of his past mistakes. lovely art style, music, and puzzle mechanics, especially the use of light and shadow. i've wanted to play this one for a while and i'm really glad i did, i liked the story a lot even though it got quite sad.
alba: WAIT this one too is a photography game that i honestly might like even more because its story is so touching. you play as alba who is visiting her grandparents for the summer. the natural reserve on their island is about to be sold to be turned into a hotel, so her and her friend decide to start a petition to save it and help clean up the island and rescue animals in need as well as documenting the wildlife to change people's minds! truly one of the most heartwarming games i played in my life, 10/10 i cried at the sad part sdjkhksd
röki: this one's...a lot. the main character of this game, tove, lives in a little cabin with her dad and her very whimsical little brother who she's basically taking care of on her own because her dad has been incredibly depressed since his wife passed away. when a mythical creature attacks their house and abducts her little brother, tove has to enter a magical mirror world. there she has to help all the other mythical creatures in hopes of reawakening the forest spirits, who have been plagued by nightmare parasites, and finding a way to get her brother back. lovely puzzles and wintery vibes, but a truly heartbreaking story that gets more and more messed up every time she faces a nightmare parasite and with it, more of her past and the events that lead to her mother's death. despite the heavy undertones this is still a good game if you're ok with some tragedy and slight horror elements askjfhakjsfas
stardew valley: i forgot to add this one in the previous post bc i actually played it in early 2023. not my first time and will not be my last time either. still a queen among farming sim peasants and i'm looking forward to restarting our little farm w my wife after the next big update!
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hellcatinnc · 4 months
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My Gaming In 2023
I decided to post my gaming from both my steam and my switch this doesn't include my downtimes of writing fanfic and making videos as well. Not to mention real life adulting getting in the way... but here you go.. If you want to check your own here you go...
Steam In Review 2023
Nintendo Switch In Review 2023
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Keep.... Going....To....See....Mine!
Steam
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Nintendo
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onedivinemisfit · 9 months
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You can see how much rimeorldypu played versus other players on steam??? What
Yes! If you use “Steam’s Replay 2022” service, which is like valve’s version of a year in review, they give you the stats for your profile. I think it was a brand new feature they offered last year, so I expect we’ll get it this year too onwards~
A whole breakdown to boot. It clocks your game habits vs everyone on steam and where you are on average, your fave genres, and whether you’re in the top percentages of anything… which was how I found out I was in the top 9% of rimworld players 🫣
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fandom · 5 months
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Video Games
We combined the console and mobile games lists and two dating sims still came out on top. Go figure.
Genshin Impact
Baldur's Gate 3
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Five Nights at Freddy’s
Splatoon 3
Twisted Wonderland
Undertale
Ace Attorney
Pokémon Violet and Scarlet
Obey Me! Shall We Date?
Disco Elysium
The Sims 4
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Deltarune
Team Fortress 2
Hogwarts Legacy
Final Fantasy XIV
Honkai: Star Rail
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Minecraft
Persona 5
Pizza Tower
Rain World
Hollow Knight
Hades
Danganronpa
Arknights
Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Project Sekai
Elden Ring
Touhou
Stardew Valley
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
ULTRAKILL
Pikmin 4
Guilty Gear
Overwatch
Portal
Omori
Flight Rising
Resident Evil 4
God of War
Red Dead Redemption 2
Sonic Frontiers
The Stanley Parable
Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Cyberpunk 2077
Limbus Company
Mortal Kombat
Bendy and the Dark Revival
Destiny 2
Bloodborne
Among Us
Yakuza
Silent Hill
Ensemble Stars
Cookie Run
League of Legends
Bendy And The Ink Machine
Fear & Hunger
Dragon Age: Inquisition
Cult Of The Lamb
Fallout: New Vegas
Half-Life
Resident Evil Village
Pathologic
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time
The Murder Of Sonic The Hedgehog
Professor Layton
Dragon Age 2
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
Fire Emblem Engage
Devil May Cry
Pokémon Legends: Arceus
The Sims 2
Fallout 4
Cuphead
Persona 3
Metroid
Final Fantasy VII
Dragon Age: Origins
Metal Gear Solid
The Witcher
Psychonauts
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon
Street Fighter
Guild Wars 2
The Sims 3
Dead By Daylight
Horizon Forbidden West
World of Warcraft
Starfield
Umineko
Detroit: Become Human
Yume Nikki
Monster Hunter
Pokémon Black and White
Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective
Night in the Woods
This is a newly-combined list! Yay!
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felixfeliccis · 6 months
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Me and my sister going to the fnaf movie like
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2023yearinreview · 5 months
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Tumblr's 2023 Year in Review is here!
We found the top 100 video games on Tumblr by combined the console and mobile games lists and two dating sims still came out on top. Go figure.
Tap the link below to see which two dating sims Tumblr was oh-so-obsessed with in 2023. We obey you.
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gumsbiter · 8 months
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Making the right choice
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fictionadventurer · 5 months
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From what I can see, all the commentary on the Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes movie thinks this story is trying to answer its philosopical questions, and completely overlooking the fact that all the answers these characters find are the wrong ones. The right answer is in The Hunger Games and Catching Fire and Mockingjay. You can tell because the main character of this story is the villain in the other ones.
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larabar · 4 months
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colors redraws to (probably) end the year 🎉🎉
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kirby-the-gorb · 3 months
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hummingbird-games · 1 year
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2022 IN REVIEW (VN/INDIE GAMES EDITION)
(Missed last year’s?? Check me out!!)
This year had lots of personal high highs and lower lows, so I’m glad I had games to distract from things 😂Without further ado, here’s my year in review:
DEMOS
Pivot of Heart - I’m unsure of the current status of this one, but I played it earlier this year and fell in love with the MC, the art, and was intrigued by the tarot inspired gameplay!
My Alien Roommate - I will 100% be supporting the Kickstarter the MOMENT it’s live. I was actually upset when I reached the end of the demo knowing good and well it was only a demo so that’s how you know I had a fun time 🤣 also, how can you not wanna romance an alien?? That’s what I thought. 
Our Life Now and Forever - On one hand, if you’re plugged into the VN scene, you’re already aware of this game and there’s no need for me to draw attention to it. On the other hand, to quote Billie Stevenson, “I do what I want.”
Infinite Blue - Oh man did I have fun with this one! To say I’m excited for the full game is an understatement! (review for this one is on the blog too btw)
Error143 - Seeing people simp for Micah Yujin has added 10 years to my life because a dark-skinned love interest getting THIS much attention??? Players be ready to risk it all for him and I love it. Also yeah he has my attention too, I am not immune, TF you thought this was???☠️
Garden of Seif - I’m not much help in selling this game because I just straight up inhaled it?? Everything was on point, from the characters, to the unraveling story, to our LIs and supporting cast, and of course, can’t love a game with loving the MC (at least, that’s how I work)
Fully Released & Played (at least 1 playthrough)
Gilded Shadows - The brain rot for this game is so real??? So. Damn. Real. It got to a point where after I played so many routes and unlocked multiple endings that I had to stop playing so I could work on my game! And there’s still content on the way?????? Oh to live at the same time as GS 🤗
Sifting Thyme - I’d be lying if I said this wasn’t my favorite high school otome game.  And I thought long and hard about the many other games I’ve played. And I have played a lot of high school romance/dating sim games ☠️ But this one takes the cake!!--and because food is involved, pun intended. If I could have played this in one sitting I totally would have.
An Everyday Love - Check the tags on this blog. I never shut up about this game. Seriously. 
Butterfly Soup 2 - Sequel’s only been out for like 2 months and I’m already begging for a third.  
Blanket Cat & Teacup - The first is a cozy visual novel that gives storybook/ younger me watching Reading Rainbow vibes, and the second is a puzzle, point and click narrative about an introverted frog girl who needs to get tea ingredients for her party, and both these games reminded me of the healing power of gaming. 
Still Shinning - Simply and lovely in its execution. I need to check out this dev’s other titles as well!
Portrait of a Texas Family - If you play no other games on this list, play this one. I don’t have any better words other than “I love it” and “this family and their love and their worry stick with you”.
Dusk & Dawn - SFHJSHFJSEJE THIS WAS SO GOOD LIKE WHAAA??? Black female MC, demi rep, superheroes, 2 dating options, multiple endings/dead ends, ughhh this game had it all. The only thing stopping it from being perfect is a sequel. And no, there’s no announced sequel so we can sulk together...
Fully Released (& still on 1st playthrough)
Wylde Flowers - I suck at farming sims in general, but this game has a special place in my heart. It’s the definition of charming + cozy and it was made to be played in bed so shoutout to the Switch port!!
ValiDate: Struggling Singles in your Area - I want to go in depth about this game when I’ve played all or majority of the routes, but for now just know I also believe this game was made for playing in bed LOL.
Gemi’s Gushies
(a list within a list of games that have devs trucking along in the background and I want to spotlight for y’all)
Band Camp Boyfriend
Ise and Kai
The Closet Door
Herotome
College Craze
Trouble Comes Twice
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leonbastralle · 2 months
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GAMES I PLAYED IN 2023 - FIRST HALF-ISH
i've been seeing a lot of this in gif form but i do not have the energy or video material and also i'm late but i rly wanted to make a post where i say a lil bit abt all the games i played and how i liked them!
pokemon platinum, soulsilver, white, white 2, y, sun, alpha sapphire & shield: i started a big mainline pokemon marathon in 2022 but most of it fell on 2023. it was a lovely time tbh and i miss it! platinum was a bit too grindy (but we love cynthia) and soulsilver traumatised me for glitch reasons. my favorites out of this lineup were definitely gen 5 in terms of storyline and pokemon selection, the later ones were a bit too handholdy and slow for my taste, and alpha sapphire could not compete w the og emerald which is my favorite pokemon game of all time. i did rly love shield though but that's bc i'm a) a football girl and b) i played it on my wife's sofa askfjhkasjf. anyway music is bangers all around and i do love The Concept of pokemon so i didn't hate any of them.
lonely people potion shop: this was an absolute surprise indie gem that i found on my wife's itch.io in 2022 but i replayed it for her in 2023 so it counts. this game is a rly short very fruity visual novel where you make potions for people and chat with them. it's one of the most heartwarming and gentle games i've played, every character is so lovely and caring towards each other and also to you the player! 100% would recommend i cried a bit several times.
validate: i really wanted to love this game because a dating sim/visual novel/narrative fiction type game w a super diverse cast (in terms of backgrounds, body types, gender, sexuality, and mental health struggles) and such a lovely art style? sounds perfect! and it would be if the characters weren't so...unlikeable sjfhaksjfa. it eventually got so difficult for me to root for them and also kind of frustrating bc the routes overlap in a way that even if you get good outcomes in one route, you can still mess up the relationship in a different route (because you have routes for each of the characters) so i ended up not finishing it.
neo cab: another one i never finished but was rly intrigued by! another visual novel but choices matter type deal where you play as a taxi driver in a dystopian world where you're being replaced by self driving taxis. the mechanics and cast are really cool and if the storyline didn't stress me out so much i would've finished it by now but i definitely will one day!
coffee talk 1/2: barista simulator meets visual novel in an urban fantasy setting where you also kinda save the world one drink at a time! i loved the first one so so much and finally played it last year in preparation for the second one coming out that i'd been anxiously awaiting, it's so vibey and the characters and their storylines are so interesting and i loved seeing their heartfelt interactions! also the first game was giving such strong queer vibes but they kinda dropped the ball w that in the second game trying to backtrack on that. ruined the experience for me a little bit but still a very solid game w cool additions to the already great cast of the first game!
skyrim: not much to say about that one. my favorite classic walking simulator that i keep coming back to, still very much playable and so pretty even on the switch! unfortunately also incredibly broken so i can't finish the solstheim questlines kjsfhkajsfas fuck you todd howard
calico: wonky little game where you explore the world and also bake and own a café that you can fill with all sorts of animals from cats to snow foxes to capybaras because why the fuck not! absolutely delightful, 10/10
later alligator: lovely little puzzle game w great old timey detective vibes and a banger soundtrack where everyone is alligators. these characters are such great fun, i loved the writing and i loved learning about all of them and doing tasks for them! the minigames got a bit frustrating at times bc i was lacking the coordination skills or just general strategy and there are some completionist things i could never do because of that and the main character (the main guy you're doing things for, not the player character) can get on your nerves pretty quickly but otherwise a lovely game w a great twist in my opinion
strange horticulture: this one made it into my all time favorites too. you play as the owner of a supernatural plant shop in a place where A Lot of strange things are going on. it has a bunch of really cool mechanics like plant identification and a lot of map related puzzles to find new plants, secrets etc. the overarching story that gets revealed bit by bit from an unknown person's pov outside of the gameplay while related events are also happening in real time was so interesting, and there are a lot of cool choices you can make that lead to various more or less unsettling outcomes. the spooky vibe is SO good but at the same time it has a very calming homey feel AND YOU CAN PET THE CAT 10000/10
penko park: another absolute indie banger. probably something like a pokemon snap but the beasties look fucking stupid and kinda creepy and the lore is cursed as hell. throughout the game you explore the remains of a park that was built upon the abuse of all sorts of cute little creatures (and big creatures) and while you mostly try to take pictures of every weird looking fella in their different emotional states that you bring upon them in various ways, maybe there's something you can do to right the wrongs of the park founders! who knows! (also special shoutout because these are german devs and as a german, i am especially demanding when it comes to german games and this one knocked it out of the park) (haha the park get it)
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leidensygdom · 4 months
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i think my steam's year in review is the funniest shit i've seen
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todayontumblr · 5 months
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Saturday, December 9.
The Game Awards.
'Twas the week of The Game Awards 2023, and a lot was going on. 
Baldur's Gate 3 won big with six wins, The Great Gonzo himself was there in a dashing black suit, Hideo Kojima materialized (of course), lots was announced, Alan Wake 2 picked up some prizes, yet more was announced, and the ~actual~ ModdedController360 (sometimes known as Timothée Chalamet) dropped by the close the ceremony. 
You came for the awards, you stayed for the trailers. We hope you liked what you saw. In the meantime, let's put this little weekend aside to look back on the week that was: #the game awards, to be precise. 
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fandom · 1 year
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Video Games Fictional Characters
A skeleton, a blue hedgehog, and an animatronic bear walk into a bar...
Spamton | Deltarune +3
Sonic the Hedgehog | the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise +8
Glamrock Freddy | Five Nights at Freddy’s: Security Breach
Sans | Undertale +5
Ingo | the Pokémon franchise
Kirby | the Kirby franchise +10
Mario | the Super Mario Bros. franchise -1
Kris Dreemurr | Deltarune +11
Sundrop | Five Nights at Freddy’s: Security Breach
Moondrop | Five Nights at Freddy’s: Security Breach
Shadow the Hedgehog | the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise +17
Phoenix Wright | Ace Attorney +1
Link | The Legend of Zelda franchise -10
Gregory | Five Nights at Freddy’s: Security Breach
Miles Edgeworth | Ace Attorney +3
Ralsei | Deltarune -4
Susie | Deltarune -3
Noelle Holiday | Deltarune +8
Mammon | Obey Me! – Shall we date? -11
Lucifer | Obey Me! – Shall we date? -13
Main Character | Obey Me! – Shall we date? +3
Knuckles the Echidna | the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise
Montgomery Gator | Five Nights at Freddy’s: Security Breach
Papyrus | Undertale -2
Glamrock Chica | Five Nights at Freddy’s: Security Breach
Roxanne Wolf | Five Nights at Freddy’s: Security Breach
Jevil | Deltarune
Berdly | Deltarune
Subway Boss Emmet | the Pokémon franchise
Ekko | League of Legends
Kim Kitsuragi | Disco Elysium
Bowser | the Super Mario Bros. franchise
Azul Ashengrotto | Twisted Wonderland
Diavolo | Obey Me! – Shall we date? -1
Leona Kingscholar | Twisted Wonderland
Frisk | Undertale -1
Malleus Draconia | Twisted Wonderland +11
Glamrock Bonnie | Five Nights at Freddy’s: Security Breach
Barbatos | Obey Me! – Shall we date? +4
Arthur Morgan | Red Dead Redemption 2 -8
Mettaton | Undertale
Floyd Leech | Twisted Wonderland
Maya Fey | Ace Attorney
Simeon | Obey Me! – Shall we date? +1
Michael Afton | the Five Nights at Freddy’s franchise
Riddle Rosehearts | Twisted Wonderland
Harry Du Bois | Disco Elysium
Sora | the Kingdom Hearts franchise -14
Solomon | Obey Me! – Shall we date? -8
Idia Shroud | Twisted Wonderland
The number in italics indicates how many spots a name moved up or down from the previous year. Bolded names weren’t on the list last year.
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