This Week I Played...Week 16

Cultist Simulator, Take Two

I took another look at Cultist Simulator directly after writing that last post with the idea of playing a run where I try to just acquire and read books for awhile to gain all the little information fragment colors (meaning things like, stumbling upon different kinds of secrets and learning more about them, in the abstraction). This actually proved pretty fun! I had a really good loop going and I eventually did create my cult after I had all the fragments and had them upgraded a few times to try and play with the other systems.

 

I just accidentally ended the game by playing cards too quickly and not reading that I hit an endgame state. Then I tried one more after that unceremonious ending, but I think I lost it. 

 

Honestly I think I'll leave it there. I had one good run and I "got it" and now I can just leave those feeling there. There's something fun to be found there, but maybe not for me!

 

It Takes Two, Take One

So! This game originally came on my radar as something that brushed against my sensibilities. I mean, the concept of the book trying to forcibly reunite these parents when many couples would do better with a divorce, especially insofar as their children are forced to endure their petty nonsense? Rough! Not my ideal!

 

But, in the interim I've spent a lot of time working on just enjoying spaces, suspending my distaste for various elements, enjoying things in imperfection and this is a really fun example of that.

 

I've been enjoying all the little minigames and all the level design has been pretty fun. The co-op element DOES feel good. I'm happy to work and strengthen a real life bond, even if, y'know, I'm not entirely convinced the in-game one deserves it. (Oh it feels like it's working out for them, but that's also within the diagesis of the game's own logic, y'know? Which. COULD feel unfair to say because there's a gamestate it can arrive in here where I simply say, 'well yeah, with the book's narrative of course the actions make sense, but...' but I think saying, 'This game is an argument for couples toughing it out and so it fulfilling its premise with a happy ending is a little too clean' isn't TOO unfair)

 

Mr. Sun's Hatbox

I thought I was going to have more fun with this game than I did. The structure is fun! The core game is a 2D platformer dungeon crawler where you fight enemies (by throwing, hopping on their heads, shooting, or using the truly numerous items) and complete objectives. You can ALSO take weapons, knocked out enemies, and hats with you to your base.

 

The base building portion is fun, all these units you kidnap and brainwash with various generated traits. You can level them up to remove (random) negative traits or maybe give them positive traits. 

 

It's fun conceptually, but after two hours I was so done with the game. Maybe it has more longevity for people who are more keen on the 2D Platformer Arcade-y genre? I'm not sure. Two hours isn't so bad, but I know I didn't engage with all the systems or see what the 'campaign' gets to in the end. 

 

Homestead Arcana

This was fun! It was a neat little take on a farming sim crossed with being a witch. This functionally means adding a cauldron and growing spells to the list of other verbs you can do in these games. It's nice to make potions and ship them into town.

 

The trappings are kind of thin in the way that games made by small teams can feel and moving the 3rd person camera does not rotate it around the character, but rather a spot 

 

Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty

This game has been really fun so far! It's scratching the Dark Souls and even Sekiro itch without being too mean. It's just a fun, stylish one of these and I've enjoyed the time I've put in so far. 

 

Hollow Knight

AH I'm finally in the loop of this after trying to get into it a couple of times and it's SUCH a neat, charming game. I've had fun with the bosses, the traversal is satisfying. I get why people loved it so much. I hope to finish it!

 

Shrouded Isle

This game is really pretty to look at and the trappings of it are fun. I really enjoy the way it feels to rule over all these houses. The actual gameplay is a sort of blind run at balancing a capacitor, taking care of 5 sets of stats and 5 houses, trying to raise all the stats but having hidden attributes like "This character has -30 to ignorance because they love reading" you have to find. 

 

It's fun! I don't know how much more time I'll put in but I did enjoy being in there and making a cult a different way than in cultist simulator. Even if it did seem considerably meaner in tone.