Alabaster Dawn has just released into early access and it’s been absolutely incredible so far. I’m only about an hour in, but the combat feels really good, with tight movements and quick action. The story is interesting, and the graphics are astonishing pixel art. If you’re interested in action rpg’s at all, pick this one up!

Last two weeks I have been playing a lot of Euro Truck Simulator 2, very relaxing game just driving trough the new maps (It looks so much better compared to when I bought it years ago). This weekend I also started playing Core Keeper, just a few hours in so far, but it seems like a fun underground survival game.

I’ve been playing my favourite kind of cozy point-and-click adventure on PC… Doom Eternal. (The demons are the puzzle and you point and click until it is done.) (Doom 2016 is better, tho - no Marauders, more ammo, more upset Hayden…)

As for phone, I’ve been trying out Google PlayPass and it might be the only Google service I keep using (unless/until I find a non-google alternative). I love no longer seeing ads or microtransactions in games. Some games I tried:

• Mini Metro (fun subway/tram/train network building game with daily challenges)
• Monument Valley (puzzle game about impossible architecture, alien geometries, and regret)
• There Is No Game (looks inside, finds game. False advertising smh my head)
• Human Resource Machine (great programming puzzle game, terrible IDE)
• Machinarium (cute robot-themed puzzle game from at least 10, possibly 20 years ago… UI design didn’t age well)
• INMOST (small horror metroidvania-ish adventure thingy)

Played Titanium Court. Its great. You should play it. Don’t look up anything about it, just put your trust in the Steam refund window. You will know if it is for you or not within the first 2hrs. I am still struggling to describe it in an enticing way without spoiling anything, because this is a game that delights in constantly surprising you. Disregarding the gameplay (which is completely different) you could say Titanium Court is a little bit like Undertale for adults? That’s what I felt, at least. If you want a little bit more then this short sort of captures it.

After finally tearing myself away from Titanium Court I began playing AI Limit. It’s an anime-styled Soulslike, and while I’m not huge on anime I’d heard a lot of good things about it. So far it’s been pretty solid. It has its flaws, but it was made by a small team after all. I wish the art direction was a little stronger and more distinctive - anime post-apocalyptic modern sceneries seem like they’re dime a dozen, especially paired with mutated fleshy alien matter. There are plenty of sceneries here that may be competently designed in isolation, but just feels like I’ve seen before. The graphics are also very uneven and some textures look terrible - again, small team I guess.

Combat is pretty decent though. There is no stamina, instead there is a combined stamina/mana bar called Sync that also depletes when you get hit and recharges when you hit enemies (or parry them). Normal attacks and dodges don’t cost any Sync, so combat has a distinctly different feel from most Soulslikes. You also deal more damage at maximum Sync, but your special attacks stop working at lower Sync. If your Sync is totally depleted you get into a vulnerable state that often means death. It’s an interesting twist that makes combat feel a bit different.

EDIT: Also forgot to say, but I’ve missed these threads! I hope you’ve been well @chloyster@beehaw.org and I’m glad you’re back!

Been taking turns with my SO playing Bore Blasters. It’s a vampire survivor like, I think, but the experience is smoother. It’s not something I’d have played for long on my own, since the constant rewards and positive feedback overwhelms my brain a bit, but taking turns it’s great fun.

Also started ship of fools and creatures of Ava, don’t mind either so far.

I keep wanting to replay Silksong but I should wait until the first DLC comes out…

The new Moomin game is very chill (pun intended)

Also playing a lot of Below the Crown, which is a chess based roguelike from the developers of Duskers

Ah, and rolled credits on Pragmata!

I played through the most of Enderal. It’s a full on new story and world built on Skyrim. So if you own a copy, no need to buy it again. It’s free already. It’s a grimmer world with rebalanced and new RPG elements, a lot of quests. A dense, interesting world and story, good voice acting and charachters in my opinion.

Haven’t played much this month, as I was focused on other things, but I finally played Unbeatable’s story. I think it was a bit messy, but I still liked it.

I’ve also started playing Absolum with a friend and we found it pretty fun. Meanwhile I’ve also been playing Blazblue Entropy Effect which IMO plays better but lacks the “style” of Absolum.

I’ve also started Potionomics this weekend, it’s surprisingly stressful and probably a bit too hard for me. I’ve also just started La-Mulana 2.

I just got into RuneScape (3, not osrs). Wow. Such a great game. I tried osrs, and I didn’t like it much. I like that it doesn’t dictate what you have to do. Just dk whatever you feel like. Levelling skills? Yep. Fighting beasts? Yep. Feel like questing? Better believe it!

I don’t have much time for gaming lately, but I found a couple of minutes this weekend to try out Gnomes.

From what I have seen, I cannot recommend this game enough.