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    1. November 2024 Backlog Burner: Conclusion and Recap

      The November 2024 Backlog Burner event is officially over! Over the course of the month of November, 17 participants moved 136 games out of their backlogs. There were 9 bingo wins from: u/aphoenix...

      The November 2024 Backlog Burner event is officially over!

      Over the course of the month of November, 17 participants moved 136 games out of their backlogs.

      There were 9 bingo wins from:

      Also, a big thank you to ALL who participated in the event, whether that was by playing games or joining in conversations.

      It has been an absolute blast doing this with everyone. Thank you all for participating.

      Use this topic to post your final bingo cards, give recaps of your games, and share any thoughts you have on the event itself.

      See you again for the next Backlog Burner in May 2025!


      Statistics

      • We averaged 8.0 games per person and 31.7 games per week.
      • There were 245 comments posted across 5 different topics.
      • Two games were played twice: Hades and Monster Hunter Wilds
      • We played games that started with every letter of the alphabet except Q.

      Highlights

      The following highlights were aggregated from participants. Thank you to those of you who wrote in! I'm sharing these as written, though I did make some minor edits to maintain anonymity.

      • u/Wes made a great bingo site that works really well for this event.

      • It's touching that u/Wes took the time to respond to nearly everyone. He really made this feel like a community.

      • A special mention for @Wes, who seems to have read and thoughtfully replied to every single writeup this month, which was very kind (and I really liked their writeup of Praey for the Gods).

      • I love the evolution of the Bingo card over the past several events, and I really liked this form.

      • There were so many great entries that I enjoyed reading this time around, actually, and I really wanted to keep trying games that other people tried.

      • @SingedFrostLantern for their hole-in-one golf

      • The highlight for the whole event to me was @SingedFrostLantern's hole-in-one and the wonderful writeup that went with the game.

      • My favourite writeup had to be @SingedFrostLantern with their Keylocker Hole in One, a fun little exercise that put me onto a new game that (regrettably) went straight back into the backlog.

      • @JCPhoenix for creating full video reviews for many of his entries

      • @Eidolon's Neverwinter Nights for bringing the classics back

      • @kfwyre for Journey to the Savage Planet, and finally getting to be the dog

      • u/kfwyre completely missing the joke

      • @Evie, with basically every write-up she did. Dead Space, Prey, and Outer Wilds were all very good.

      • @CannibalisticApple with Lost in Blue, finally tackling the game cartridge lost somewhere in a closet

      • @J-Chiptunator with four unique console selections

      Full Game List (alphabetical)

      A

      B

      C

      D

      E

      F

      G

      H

      I

      J

      K

      L

      M

      N

      O

      P

      Q

      R

      S

      T

      U

      V

      W

      X

      Y

      Z

      Full Game List (by week)

      Week 1

      Week 2

      Week 3

      Week 4

      Week 5(ish)

      16 votes
    2. November 2024 Backlog Burner: Week 5(ish) Discussion

      Only a few days left! Post your current bingo cards. Continue updating us on your games! Finish your Backlog Burning by December 1st! Quick links: Backlog Bingo Site Week 1 Discussion and Event...

      Only a few days left!

      Post your current bingo cards.
      Continue updating us on your games!
      Finish your Backlog Burning by December 1st!

      Quick links:


      Week 4 Recap

      10 participants played 9 bingo cards and moved 27 games out of their backlogs!

      • 4 people played Flow bingo cards
      • 5 people played Flux bingo cards
      • 1 person played free choice

      There were FIVE bingo wins.

      Congratulations to:

      Thus far, a total of 114 games have been played for the November 2024 Backlog Burner.

      Week 4 Game List:

      Week 3 Recap

      12 participants played 12 bingo cards and moved 34 games out of their backlogs!
      There were 0 bingo wins.

      • 4 people played Flow bingo cards
      • 8 people played Flux bingo cards

      Thus far, a total of 87 games have been played for the November 2024 Backlog Burner.

      Week 3 Game List:

      Week 2 Recap

      14 participants played 13 bingo cards and moved 36 games out of their backlogs!
      There were 0 bingo wins.

      • 6 people played Flow bingo cards
      • 7 people played Flux bingo cards
      • 1 person played free choice

      Thus far, a total of 53 games have been played for the November 2024 Backlog Burner.

      Week 2 Game List:

      Week 1 Recap

      11 participants played 10 bingo cards and moved 17 games out of their backlogs!
      There were 0 bingo wins.

      • 6 people played Flow bingo cards
      • 4 people played Flux bingo cards
      • 1 person played free choice

      Game list:

      19 votes
    3. November 2024 Backlog Burner: Week 4 Discussion

      Week 4 has begun! Post your current bingo cards. Continue updating us on your games! Quick links: Backlog Bingo Site Week 1 Discussion and Event Guidelines Week 2 Discussion Week 3 Discussion Week...

      Week 4 has begun!

      Post your current bingo cards.
      Continue updating us on your games!

      Quick links:


      Week 3 Recap

      12 participants played 12 bingo cards and moved 34 games out of their backlogs!
      There were 0 bingo wins.

      • 4 people played Flow bingo cards
      • 8 people played Flux bingo cards

      Thus far, a total of 87 games have been played for the November 2024 Backlog Burner.

      Week 3 Game List:

      Week 2 Recap

      14 participants played 13 bingo cards and moved 36 games out of their backlogs!
      There were 0 bingo wins.

      • 6 people played Flow bingo cards
      • 7 people played Flux bingo cards
      • 1 person played free choice

      Thus far, a total of 53 games have been played for the November 2024 Backlog Burner.

      Week 2 Game List:

      Week 1 Recap

      11 participants played 10 bingo cards and moved 17 games out of their backlogs!
      There were 0 bingo wins.

      • 6 people played Flow bingo cards
      • 4 people played Flux bingo cards
      • 1 person played free choice

      Game list:

      17 votes
    4. November 2024 Backlog Burner: Week 3 Discussion

      Week 3 has begun! Post your current bingo cards. Continue updating us on your games! If you did not participate in Week 1 but want to start this week, that's fine! Reminder: playing bingo is...

      Week 3 has begun!

      Post your current bingo cards.
      Continue updating us on your games!

      If you did not participate in Week 1 but want to start this week, that's fine!
      Reminder: playing bingo is OPTIONAL.

      Quick links:


      Week 2 Recap

      14 participants played 13 bingo cards and moved 36 games out of their backlogs!
      There were 0 bingo wins.

      • 6 people played Flow bingo cards
      • 7 people played Flux bingo cards
      • 1 person played free choice

      Thus far, a total of 53 games have been played for the November 2024 Backlog Burner.

      Week 2 Game List:

      Week 1 Recap

      11 participants played 10 bingo cards and moved 17 games out of their backlogs!
      There were 0 bingo wins.

      • 6 people played Flow bingo cards
      • 4 people played Flux bingo cards
      • 1 person played free choice

      Game list:

      19 votes
    5. November 2024 Backlog Burner: Week 2 Discussion

      Week 2 has begun! Post your current bingo cards. Continue updating us on your games! If you did not participate in Week 1 but want to start this week, that's fine! Reminder: playing bingo is...

      Week 2 has begun!

      Post your current bingo cards.
      Continue updating us on your games!

      If you did not participate in Week 1 but want to start this week, that's fine!
      Reminder: playing bingo is OPTIONAL.

      Quick links:


      Week 1 Recap

      11 participants played 10 bingo cards and moved 17 games out of their backlogs!
      There were 0 bingo wins.

      • 6 people played Flow bingo cards
      • 4 people played Flux bingo cards
      • 1 person played free choice

      Game list:

      16 votes
    6. November 2024 Backlog Burner: Week 1 Discussion

      The blaze has officially ignited! The November 2024 Backlog Burner is officially live. Use this topic to post about the games that you play. Quicklink: Backlog Bingo Etiquette: It is fine to make...

      The blaze has officially ignited!

      The November 2024 Backlog Burner is officially live. Use this topic to post about the games that you play.

      Quicklink: Backlog Bingo

      Etiquette:

      • It is fine to make multiple top-level posts throughout the week.

      • It is also fine to respond to your own posts.

      • If you are playing Backlog Bingo, you can share your table either by markdown or through screenshots.

      Gameplay guidelines:

      • Goals for this event (if any) are entirely individual and self-determined.

      • Playing Bingo is optional and not required.

      • You do NOT need to finish games unless you want to. The point is to try out games and have fun, not force ourselves to play things we're not interested in.


      Backlog Burner FAQ

      What exactly is the Backlog Burner?

      Your "backlog" is all those games you've been meaning to play or get around to, but never have yet. This event is an attempt to get us to collectively dig into that treasure trove of experiences, scratch some long-standing itches, and knock a few titles off our to-play lists.

      It runs every May and November. New discussion topics will go up once a week during those months.

      You do not need to sign up in advance -- the topics are open to all. If you would like to be included in the notification list, comment in this topic to be added.

      How do I participate?
      • Choose some games from your backlog and play them.
      • Then tell us about your experiences in the discussion thread for the week.

      That's it!

      Optionally: you can play Backlog Bingo which is a fun way of cutting down the choices you have to make and playing games you might not have normally selected on your own.

      Do I need to finish the games that I play?

      Nope! Not at all.

      There aren't really any requirements for the event so much as this is an incentive to get us to play games we've been avoiding starting up, for whatever reason. Play as much or as little as you like of a given game.

      Try out dozens for ten minutes each or dive into one for 40 hours. There's no wrong way to participate!

      Can I make multiple posts in the same topic?

      Yes! Each discussion thread stays live for a full week, so feel free to make multiple comments in the topic as you play different games. This isn't considered noise -- it's considered valuable participation in the event!


      Backlog Bingo FAQ

      Important: All data for your Backlog Bingo card is stored on your device, not the server. Clearing your browser data will irrecoverably delete your card.

      I'm a returning player. How do I reset my previous card?

      If you've already created a card and wish to start over, click the Edit Rules button in the header to access your card settings. Then click the Reset button, and confirm the prompt. This will irrevocably delete your present card, allowing you to start fresh.

      Where is my data stored?

      All data is stored by your browser in local storage. There are no accounts, and nothing is sent to the server, so it's privacy-friendly by design. This does mean that you are responsible for not deleting any browser data on wescook.ca, either manually or through automatic cleanups performed on browser close.

      Backlog Bingo is open-source, and licensed permissively under MIT.

      What is the difference between the "Standard" and "Golf" modes?

      In Standard Mode, each square on the bingo card corresponds with one single game. Duplicate games cannot be entered into different squares. A winning card would have a row of five different games that each filled in one square.

      In Golf Mode, duplicates are not only allowed -- they are encouraged! The purpose of Golf mode is to try to find a single game that will fill multiple categories at the same time. For example: Stardew Valley might fulfill You got it on sale, A solo-dev project, and Has romanceable characters all at the same time. A winning card would have all twenty five squares filled, but possibly only six or seven different games.

      What is the star space in the middle?

      That is the "wildcard" or "free space."

      In Standard Mode, there are no requirements to fill it. You can choose any game you want! Anything goes!

      In Golf Mode, it does not need to be filled. Because Golf is all about stacking up categories on a single game, any game used in Golf would fill it automatically, meaning it has no real function. As such, the square will be pre-filled for you if you play in Golf mode.

      Can I create custom bingo categories for this, or other events?

      Absolutely! The Backlog Bingo app reads in simple JSON files which define the available categories. We've created a couple prebuilt lists for this event, but you're free to tweak our categories, or create completely new ones. You could even use them for books, anime, movies, recipes -- anything!

      If you are interested in learning more, you can find documentation on the wiki, and use an example JSON category file. You can also ask for help in the topic!

      14 votes
    7. Announcing the Tildes Backlog Burner event for November 2024: Shrink your unplayed games list this coming month!

      It's almost time... ...for another Tildes Backlog Burner -- the event where you try out games you've always wanted to play (but haven't yet -- for whatever reason). The Backlog Burner for November...

      It's almost time...

      ...for another Tildes Backlog Burner -- the event where you try out games you've always wanted to play (but haven't yet -- for whatever reason).

      The Backlog Burner for November 2024 will officially begin in two days on November 1st.

      If you're new to the Backlog Burner, check out our previous events to get an idea of what's going on:


      Backlog Bingo returns again!

      Backlog Bingo is a backbone of this event, so it's of course back and better than ever! u/Wes has made some new tweaks to his amazing site, and we've also further developed our category sets.

      For this event, you can choose between two different official Bingo lists:

      • Flow: A conceptually abstract list of ideas to guide you. Let your imagination flow.
      • Flux: A tweaked and updated version of the May 2024 category list.

      If you participated last time, clear your old card and start fresh with a new one. If you're new to the event, simply go to the Backlog Bingo site to generate your card.


      Notification List

      If you are interested in participating in the Backlog Burner, please comment in this topic. Anyone commenting/replying here will automatically be added to a notification list for the Backlog Burner, unless you specify otherwise.


      Start Planning (or Playing)

      Technically the event starts in two days, so you have time to roll your cards (if you're playing Bingo) and plan out what you'd like to play for the month. That said, if you're eager to jump right in, and start early, I certainly won't stop you!

      Let's get ready to burn through these backlogs!


      Backlog Burner FAQ

      What exactly is the Backlog Burner?

      Your "backlog" is all those games you've been meaning to play or get around to, but never have yet. This event is an attempt to get us to collectively dig into that treasure trove of experiences, scratch some long-standing itches, and knock a few titles off our to-play lists.

      It runs every May and November. New discussion topics will go up once a week during those months.

      You do not need to sign up in advance -- the topics are open to all. If you would like to be included in the notification list, comment in this topic to be added.

      How do I participate?
      • Choose some games from your backlog and play them.
      • Then tell us about your experiences in the discussion thread for the week.

      That's it!

      Optionally: you can play Backlog Bingo which is a fun way of cutting down the choices you have to make and playing games you might not have normally selected on your own.

      Do I need to finish the games that I play?

      Nope! Not at all.

      There aren't really any requirements for the event so much as this is an incentive to get us to play games we've been avoiding starting up, for whatever reason. Play as much or as little as you like of a given game.

      Try out dozens for ten minutes each or dive into one for 40 hours. There's no wrong way to participate!

      Can I make multiple posts in the same topic?

      Yes! Each discussion thread stays live for a full week, so feel free to make multiple comments in the topic as you play different games. This isn't considered noise -- it's considered valuable participation in the event!


      Backlog Bingo FAQ

      Important: All data for your Backlog Bingo card is stored on your device, not the server. Clearing your browser data will irrecoverably delete your card.

      I'm a returning player. How do I reset my previous card?

      If you've already created a card and wish to start over, click the Edit Rules button in the header to access your card settings. Then click the Reset button, and confirm the prompt. This will irrevocably delete your present card, allowing you to start fresh.

      Where is my data stored?

      All data is stored by your browser in local storage. There are no accounts, and nothing is sent to the server, so it's privacy-friendly by design. This does mean that you are responsible for not deleting any browser data on wescook.ca, either manually or through automatic cleanups performed on browser close.

      Backlog Bingo is open-source, and licensed permissively under MIT.

      What is the difference between the "Standard" and "Golf" modes?

      In Standard Mode, each square on the bingo card corresponds with one single game. Duplicate games cannot be entered into different squares. A winning card would have a row of five different games that each filled in one square.

      In Golf Mode, duplicates are not only allowed -- they are encouraged! The purpose of Golf mode is to try to find a single game that will fill multiple categories at the same time. For example: Stardew Valley might fulfill You got it on sale, A solo-dev project, and Has romanceable characters all at the same time. A winning card would have all twenty five squares filled, but possibly only six or seven different games.

      What is the star space in the middle?

      That is the "wildcard" or "free space."

      In Standard Mode, there are no requirements to fill it. You can choose any game you want! Anything goes!

      In Golf Mode, it does not need to be filled. Because Golf is all about stacking up categories on a single game, any game used in Golf would fill it automatically, meaning it has no real function. As such, the square will be pre-filled for you if you play in Golf mode.

      Can I create custom bingo categories for this, or other events?

      Absolutely! The Backlog Bingo app reads in simple JSON files which define the available categories. We've created a couple prebuilt lists for this event, but you're free to tweak our categories, or create completely new ones. You could even use them for books, anime, movies, recipes -- anything!

      If you are interested in learning more, you can find documentation on the wiki, and use an example JSON category file. You can also ask for help in the topic!

      32 votes
    8. Tildes Game Giveaway: June/July 2024

      Important: This will be a noisy topic. If you do not wish to see it in your feed, please use the Ignore feature to hide it! Tip: If the large number of comments are cluttering up the topic and you...

      Important: This will be a noisy topic. If you do not wish to see it in your feed, please use the Ignore feature to hide it!

      Tip: If the large number of comments are cluttering up the topic and you just want to see the main giveaway posts, click Collapse Replies at the top of the comments.


      It’s time for annother edition of our biannual Game Giveaway topics! Share games with the community; get rid of those extra bundle keys you have lying around; maybe do a cool The Price Is Right-style game?

      Before you participate, please make sure you read the rules below.


      Rules

      -Gifters

      Post your available games, the platform and method of delivery, rules for your giveaways (e.g. first-come first-serve, random draw, etc.), and any additional info or requirements. Feel free to get creative!

      -Giftees

      Request giveaways. Please make sure you follow the gifter's posted guidelines.

      -Guidelines

      Anyone can choose to be a gifter, giftee, or both! Giveaway rules are set by individual gifters, but there are handful of guidelines everyone should follow:

      1. No grey market keys! Only give away games from reputable sources. If you're not sure what this means, please ask.
      2. Requests for games should be done in this topic, but if the gift is a key, those should be delivered by PMs only. Please don't post keys publicly in this topic, even obfuscated ones.

      If you're new to these, check out previous giveaway threads to see how these usually go.

      53 votes
    9. Pride Month at Tildes: #5 - Ask almost anything

      Ask almost anything Last week had a focus on understanding. This week has the same focus but with a different angle. Use this topic to ask almost any question you want to ask, including those...

      Ask almost anything

      Last week had a focus on understanding. This week has the same focus but with a different angle.

      Use this topic to ask almost any question you want to ask, including those you’re worried might come across poorly if brought up elsewhere.

      If you feel equipped to answer a question, answer it!

      Importantly: this is a safe space in which you can ask questions free from judgment. The vibe we're going for is a classroom, not a battleground.

      Discussions like this can often cause intense emotions, but I want us to be especially vigilant in keeping this topic conflict- and aggression-free (see: Thermostat Rule below). If a fight breaks out in a classroom, learning stops, so conflict is counterproductive to our goals here. Disagreements are fine; disses are not. In all of these threads I have said that we should "be kind; be gracious; listen to others; love lots." Let's put that into practice here.

      If you feel that a user is deliberately breaking any of the norms for this topic, do not engage them. It is more productive to simply mark their comment as noise and not respond. In the extremely rare case that you believe someone is actively intending to do harm, please mark their comment as malice.

      Ground Rules

      • Curiosity Rule: The reason that this is "ask almost anything" instead of "ask literally anything" is that your question has to come from a place of genuine curiosity -- you must honestly want to learn more. This is not a place to ask rhetorical questions to make a point or provocative questions to stir the pot.

      • Good Faith Rule: assume all users here are acting in good faith and read their words in the best possible light. This goes for both those asking the questions and those answering as well.

      • Thermostat Rule: the thermostat is set for this topic, meaning the heat should not rise. If you find that you might say something that would raise the temperature in the topic, please reword it, step away to cool down for a bit, or ignore the topic entirely.

      Guidelines

      • Experience Guideline: if a question is directed at people with specific identities/experiences, the bulk of their answers should come with people aligned with those identities/experiences. For example, a question directed at trans people should be primarily (but not necessarily exclusively) answered by trans people. The reason this is a guideline and not a rule is that there are many ways a rule would cut out valuable discourse -- e.g. people who are still questioning their identities; a cis person who wants to talk about the experiences of their trans partner, etc.

      • Multiple Answers Guideline: even if a question has already been answered by someone else, it is okay to give another answer if you have more to add or a different perspective to share.

      • Volunteer Guideline: if you are open to answering questions about specific topics, instead of making a top-level comment with a question, make a top level comment stating what you're willing to share about (e.g. "I'm happy to answer questions about ace spectrum terminology"). People can then respond to you directly with their questions.


      Full Event Guidelines

      Everyone is welcome to participate. This includes allies! You do not need to identify as LGBT in order to join in the topics (especially this one!).

      I will use "queer" and "LGBT" interchangeably as umbrella terms to refer to all minority sexualities and gender identities. These are intended to be explicitly inclusive.

      Be kind; be gracious; listen to others; love lots.


      Schedule

      I won't reveal everything upfront, but with each post I will give a teaser for what's next:

      June 1st: Introductions and Playlist
      June 4th: Who is a historical LGBT advocate that you admire?
      June 7th: What positive changes have you seen in your lifetime?
      June 10th: What's something you wish more people understood?
      June 13th: Ask almost anything
      June 16th: (teaser: windows and mirrors)
      June 19th:
      June 22nd:
      June 25th:
      June 28th:


      If for whatever reason you would not like to see these topics in your feed, add pride month at tildes to your personal tag filters.

      25 votes
    10. Pride Month at Tildes: #10 - What did you do for Pride Month?

      What did you do for Pride Month? This is the final topic of our Pride Month series! Share anything you did this month that fits with the theme of Pride. Anything goes! Big things, small things,...

      What did you do for Pride Month?

      This is the final topic of our Pride Month series!

      Share anything you did this month that fits with the theme of Pride.

      Anything goes! Big things, small things, public things, personal things. If it was queer or queer-supportive, then it counts! Even if it was just commenting in some of these topics, feel free to talk about that.


      Event Guidelines

      Everyone is welcome to participate. This includes allies! You do not need to identify as LGBT in order to join in the topics.

      I will use "queer" and "LGBT" interchangeably as umbrella terms to refer to all minority sexualities and gender identities. These are intended to be explicitly inclusive.

      Be kind; be gracious; listen to others; love lots.


      Full List of Topics

      June 1st: Introductions and Playlist
      June 4th: Who is a historical LGBT advocate that you admire?
      June 7th: What positive changes have you seen in your lifetime?
      June 10th: What's something you wish more people understood?
      June 13th: Ask almost anything
      June 16th: What media representation resonated with you personally?
      June 19th: How are things with your family?
      June 22nd: What are you worried about?
      June 25th: What are you hopeful about?
      June 28th: What did you do for Pride Month?

      19 votes
    11. Pride Month at Tildes: #9 - What are you hopeful about?

      What are you hopeful about? The flipside to last week: Looking forward, what are you hopeful about? What good do you see on the horizon? You can share hopes that are social, political, personal,...

      What are you hopeful about?

      The flipside to last week:

      Looking forward, what are you hopeful about? What good do you see on the horizon?

      You can share hopes that are social, political, personal, or something else entirely.

      Addenda:

      • These don’t have to be big picture things — they can be tiny or insubstantial hopes as well.

      • Sharing hope can be hard because it can feel like you’re being dismissive of struggle, but remember that struggle is often possible to endure only because of hope. Posting hope is a way of helping others, not disregarding them.


      Event Guidelines

      Everyone is welcome to participate. This includes allies! You do not need to identify as LGBT in order to join in the topics.

      I will use "queer" and "LGBT" interchangeably as umbrella terms to refer to all minority sexualities and gender identities. These are intended to be explicitly inclusive.

      Be kind; be gracious; listen to others; love lots.


      Schedule

      I won't reveal everything upfront, but with each post I will give a teaser for what's next:

      June 1st: Introductions and Playlist
      June 4th: Who is a historical LGBT advocate that you admire?
      June 7th: What positive changes have you seen in your lifetime?
      June 10th: What's something you wish more people understood?
      June 13th: Ask almost anything
      June 16th: What media representation resonated with you personally?
      June 19th: How are things with your family?
      June 22nd: What are you worried about?
      June 25th: What are you hopeful about?
      June 28th: (teaser: ending on a good note)


      If for whatever reason you would not like to see these topics in your feed, add pride month at tildes to your personal tag filters.

      22 votes
    12. Pride Month at Tildes: #8 - What are you worried about?

      What are you worried about? We started Pride month looking back, then we learned a bit more about others, then we reflected more on ourselves. I want to finish the month off by looking forward....

      What are you worried about?

      We started Pride month looking back, then we learned a bit more about others, then we reflected more on ourselves. I want to finish the month off by looking forward. The next two topics will ask about the future. This one asks about worries; the next one asks about hope.

      Looking forward, what are you worried about? What concerns you most?

      You can share worries that are social, political, personal, or something else entirely.

      Addenda:

      • Similar to last week: this is a safe space to talk about difficulties if you need to.

      • Remember that unsolicited advice can come across as dismissive. It’s better to affirm and commiserate than trying to solve the problem (unless they specifically ask for help).


      Event Guidelines

      Everyone is welcome to participate. This includes allies! You do not need to identify as LGBT in order to join in the topics.

      I will use "queer" and "LGBT" interchangeably as umbrella terms to refer to all minority sexualities and gender identities. These are intended to be explicitly inclusive.

      Be kind; be gracious; listen to others; love lots.


      Schedule

      I won't reveal everything upfront, but with each post I will give a teaser for what's next:

      June 1st: Introductions and Playlist
      June 4th: Who is a historical LGBT advocate that you admire?
      June 7th: What positive changes have you seen in your lifetime?
      June 10th: What's something you wish more people understood?
      June 13th: Ask almost anything
      June 16th: What media representation resonated with you personally?
      June 19th: How are things with your family?
      June 22nd: What are you worried about?
      June 25th: (teaser: looking ahead, with optimism)
      June 28th:


      If for whatever reason you would not like to see these topics in your feed, add pride month at tildes to your personal tag filters.

      24 votes
    13. Pride Month at Tildes: #7 - How are things with your family?

      How are things with your family? Share your current situation with your family, biological or chosen. I debated whether or not to put this in the Pride Month topic rotation, because I know it can...

      How are things with your family?

      Share your current situation with your family, biological or chosen.

      I debated whether or not to put this in the Pride Month topic rotation, because I know it can be a difficult topic for some and isn’t necessarily something with a celebratory/advocacy spirit.

      I ended up deciding to include it though because I think space to process is also important. Hopefully people find value in it.

      Addenda:

      • This is a safe space to talk about difficulties if you need to.

      • Sharing successes/positives is absolutely valuable too and can give hope to others.

      • If someone shares hardship or sorrow, remember that unsolicited advice can come across as dismissive. It’s better to affirm and commiserate rather than trying to solve the problem (unless they specifically ask for help).


      Event Guidelines

      Everyone is welcome to participate. This includes allies! You do not need to identify as LGBT in order to join in the topics.

      I will use "queer" and "LGBT" interchangeably as umbrella terms to refer to all minority sexualities and gender identities. These are intended to be explicitly inclusive.

      Be kind; be gracious; listen to others; love lots.


      Schedule

      I won't reveal everything upfront, but with each post I will give a teaser for what's next:

      June 1st: Introductions and Playlist
      June 4th: Who is a historical LGBT advocate that you admire?
      June 7th: What positive changes have you seen in your lifetime?
      June 10th: What's something you wish more people understood?
      June 13th: Ask almost anything
      June 16th: What media representation resonated with you personally?
      June 19th: How are things with your family?
      June 22nd: (teaser: looking ahead, with concern)
      June 25th:
      June 28th:


      If for whatever reason you would not like to see these topics in your feed, add pride month at tildes to your personal tag filters.

      23 votes
    14. Pride Month at Tildes: #6 - What media representation resonated with you personally?

      What media representation resonated with you personally? In teaching, we talk about kids’ need to access diverse literature in the framing of “mirrors” and “windows”. A mirror is a character that...

      What media representation resonated with you personally?

      In teaching, we talk about kids’ need to access diverse literature in the framing of “mirrors” and “windows”. A mirror is a character that the child can see themselves in; a window is a character that is different and requires perspective-taking.

      A gay child seeing a gay character in a story might see that character as a mirror of themselves, while straight readers might see the character as a window instead, offering some perspective into what it’s like to be gay.

      No mirror or window is a perfect match, of course, and people can still identify with characters who don’t exactly align with their identities (which is what makes fiction such a powerful tool for empathy!).

      Share some of the characters and people that have resonated with you (whether as windows or mirrors) across any media types (books, movies, television, music, comics, anime, podcasts, etc.).

      They can be people who helped you understand yourself better, or people who gave you insight into others' experiences (or both!).

      Addenda:

      • They do not need to be fictional characters. Real-world people can be windows and mirrors too!

      • You don’t have to specify whether someone’s a "window" or a "mirror" for you unless you want to. It’s a simple shorthand way of helping kids understand the concept, but it can feel a little limiting and boxy for adults to use it, since people and characters are complex individuals.


      Event Guidelines

      Everyone is welcome to participate. This includes allies! You do not need to identify as LGBT in order to join in the topics.

      I will use "queer" and "LGBT" interchangeably as umbrella terms to refer to all minority sexualities and gender identities. These are intended to be explicitly inclusive.

      Be kind; be gracious; listen to others; love lots.


      Schedule

      I won't reveal everything upfront, but with each post I will give a teaser for what's next:

      June 1st: Introductions and Playlist
      June 4th: Who is a historical LGBT advocate that you admire?
      June 7th: What positive changes have you seen in your lifetime?
      June 10th: What's something you wish more people understood?
      June 13th: Ask almost anything
      June 16th: What media representation resonated with you personally?
      June 19th: (teaser: a check-in on those close, or maybe not so close, to us)
      June 22nd:
      June 25th:
      June 28th:


      If for whatever reason you would not like to see these topics in your feed, add pride month at tildes to your personal tag filters.

      25 votes
    15. Pride Month at Tildes: #4 - What's something you wish more people understood?

      What's something you wish more people understood? What are the common (or not so common) misconceptions you have to live underneath? What are the parts of your experience that don't seem to be...

      What's something you wish more people understood?

      What are the common (or not so common) misconceptions you have to live underneath?

      What are the parts of your experience that don't seem to be widely portrayed/known?

      What do you wish more people understood because genuinely understanding that could genuinely help them too?

      Addenda:

      • This does not have to be strictly factual. It can be based in experiences and beliefs.

      • It can be based in yourself, in a larger identity that you share with others, or something else entirely.

      • Try to avoid any responses that include a spite for other people's ignorance. Center them instead in the earnest desire to be both truthful and known. (Write your response for today's lucky 10,000 rather than today's bigots.)


      Event Guidelines

      Everyone is welcome to participate. This includes allies! You do not need to identify as LGBT in order to join in the topics.

      I will use "queer" and "LGBT" interchangeably as umbrella terms to refer to all minority sexualities and gender identities. These are intended to be explicitly inclusive.

      Be kind; be gracious; listen to others; love lots.


      Schedule

      I won't reveal everything upfront, but with each post I will give a teaser for what's next:

      June 1st: Introductions and Playlist
      June 4th: Who is a historical LGBT advocate that you admire?
      June 7th: What positive changes have you seen in your lifetime?
      June 10th: What's something you wish more people understood?
      June 13th: (teaser: a chance to understand more)
      June 16th:
      June 19th:
      June 22nd:
      June 25th:
      June 28th:


      If for whatever reason you would not like to see these topics in your feed, add pride month at tildes to your personal tag filters.

      38 votes
    16. Pride Month at Tildes: #3 - What positive changes have you seen in your lifetime?

      What positive changes have you seen in your lifetime? Last week we looked at people in the past, but this week I want us to turn the focus more towards ourselves and the experiences we've had. I...

      What positive changes have you seen in your lifetime?

      Last week we looked at people in the past, but this week I want us to turn the focus more towards ourselves and the experiences we've had.

      I want you to think back across the span of your particular life and identify the positive changes that you've personally witnessed regarding LGBT people and causes.

      Addenda:

      • These positive things can be at any level: yourself, your friend(s), your family, your community, your country, society, the world at large, etc.

      • These positive changes do not have to be "big" or political (though they certainly can be). It is perfectly fine to share your own small, personal stories. If they're positive, then they count!

      • These can come from any domain: personal life, law, entertainment, science, careers, etc.

      • I'm certainly aware that there are still many negative things that hurt us and our community out there. I don't want this topic to be something that paints a false, saccharine picture of our world, but I think it's important to take broad and open stock of situations and remind ourselves of any positives. Not only is Pride partly about hope, but focusing on positives can be a powerful tool against despair.


      Event Guidelines

      Everyone is welcome to participate. This includes allies! You do not need to identify as LGBT in order to join in the topics.

      I will use "queer" and "LGBT" interchangeably as umbrella terms to refer to all minority sexualities and gender identities. These are intended to be explicitly inclusive.

      Be kind; be gracious; listen to others; love lots.


      Schedule

      I won't reveal everything upfront, but with each post I will give a teaser for what's next:

      June 1st: Introductions and Playlist
      June 4th: Who is a historical LGBT advocate that you admire?
      June 7th: What positive changes have you seen in your lifetime?
      June 10th: (teaser: maybe a chance to be better understood?)
      June 13th:
      June 16th:
      June 19th:
      June 22nd:
      June 25th:
      June 28th:


      If for whatever reason you would not like to see these topics in your feed, add pride month at tildes to your personal tag filters.

      40 votes
    17. May 2024 Backlog Burner: Conclusion and Recap

      The May 2024 Backlog Burner event is officially over! Over the course of the month of May, 13 participants moved 105 games out of their backlogs. There were 7 bingo wins (5 Standard and 2 Golf)....

      The May 2024 Backlog Burner event is officially over!

      Over the course of the month of May, 13 participants moved 105 games out of their backlogs.

      There were 7 bingo wins (5 Standard and 2 Golf).
      Congratulations to @aphoenix, @CannibalisticApple, @Durinthal, @Eidolon, @kfwyre, @Weldawadyathink, and @Wes!

      Also, congratulations to all other participants as well: @Carrow, @J-Chiptunator, @Mendanbar, @Notcoffeetable, @semsevfor, and @Shevanel

      Finally, appreciation to those who didn't play any games but still popped in to talk about them with us: @brews_hairy_cats and @Wafik

      It has been an absolute blast doing this with everyone. Thank you all for participating.

      Use this topic to post your final bingo cards, give recaps of your games, and share any thoughts you have on the event itself.


      Reminder: the Backlog Burner will now run on a regular schedule during every May and November. Our next event is only five months away!


      Highlights:


      Quick links:

      Full Game List (alphabetical)

      #

      A

      B

      C

      D

      E

      F

      G

      H

      I

      J

      L

      M

      N

      O

      P

      Q

      R

      S

      T

      U

      V

      W

      X

      Y

      Full Game List (by week)

      Week 1

      Week 2

      Week 3

      Week 4

      Week 5

      16 votes
    18. Pride Month at Tildes: #2 - Who is a historical LGBT advocate that you admire?

      Who is a historical LGBT advocate that you admire? We, in 2024, come from a long lineage of people who have fought for and advocated for queer causes and identities. We have those who came before...

      Who is a historical LGBT advocate that you admire?

      We, in 2024, come from a long lineage of people who have fought for and advocated for queer causes and identities. We have those who came before us to thank for many of our rights, the terminology that we apply to ourselves, and even our very own self-concepts. The dignity that many of us are able to live with today is only possible because of people who asserted, against often significant pushback, that our dignity should be non-negotiable.

      I think it would be great if we could all share some of their stories here. It's a way of keeping their memories alive, honoring their contributions, and saying thank you for the path that they laid and upon which we now walk.

      Please share the story of at least one historical figure that was an LGBT advocate that you admire. Please do not just link to a Wikipedia page or an article about them -- take the time to tell us their story in your own words.

      If you do not have one in mind immediately, that's fine! This is also a great opportunity to do some research. Wikipedia has a good starting point, but feel free to explore on your own.

      A few addenda:

      • Feel free to connect their story to your own experiences and share why you, personally, find them admirable.

      • For the purposes of this post, "historical" does not mean "ancient." If the person came before you and was a trailblazer for queer causes, then they count!

      • The person themselves does not have to actively identify as someone under the LGBT umbrella. Straight allies can be trailblazers too, as can historical figures whose specific identities were ambiguous or don't map on to our modern identities and terminology.

      • The individual's advocacy does not have to specifically be political in nature. Many historical figures were queer advocates simply by openly being themselves. That absolutely counts!


      Event Guidelines

      Everyone is welcome to participate. This includes allies! You do not need to identify as LGBT in order to join in the topics.

      I will use "queer" and "LGBT" interchangeably as umbrella terms to refer to all minority sexualities and gender identities. These are intended to be explicitly inclusive.

      Be kind; be gracious; listen to others; love lots.


      Schedule

      I won't reveal everything upfront, but with each post I will give a teaser for what's next:

      June 1st: Introductions and Playlist
      June 4th: Who is a historical LGBT advocate that you admire?
      June 7th: (teaser: you might have to look back in time again, but this time a little closer to home)
      June 10th:
      June 13th:
      June 16th:
      June 19th:
      June 22nd:
      June 25th:
      June 28th:


      If for whatever reason you would not like to see these topics in your feed, add pride month at tildes to your personal tag filters.

      24 votes
    19. Pride Month at Tildes: #1 - Introductions and Playlist

      Event Overview June 1st marks the beginning of Pride Month for many countries around the world, and we're going to have our own little celebration here on Tildes! I have come up with ten different...

      Event Overview

      June 1st marks the beginning of Pride Month for many countries around the world, and we're going to have our own little celebration here on Tildes!

      I have come up with ten different discussion topics centered on sharing, celebrating, and understanding queer life and experiences. I will post one every four days throughout the month of June.

      Everyone is welcome to participate. This includes allies! You do not need to identify as LGBT in order to join in the topics. Also, I will use "queer" and "LGBT" interchangeably as umbrella terms to refer to all minority sexualities and gender identities. These are intended to be explicitly inclusive.


      Schedule

      I won't reveal everything upfront, but with each post I will give a teaser for what's next:

      June 1st: Introductions and Playlist
      June 4th: (teaser: you might have to look back in time a little bit)
      June 7th:
      June 10th:
      June 13th:
      June 16th:
      June 19th:
      June 22nd:
      June 25th:
      June 28th:


      #1 - Introductions and Playlist

      This is the inaugural post -- the beginning of our little month-long discussion topic Pride Parade!

      There are two tasks for this post:

      1. Introduce yourself to everyone and share any information about yourself that you feel comfortable sharing. Who are you? How do you identify? What’s important for people to know about you? Are you excited about anything? Are you doing anything for Pride Month IRL?

      2. A good Pride Month needs a good Pride Playlist! Link to some of your favorite queer-themed songs or tracks from LGBT artists so that we can crowdsource an awesome collection of music to listen to throughout the month.


      If for whatever reason you would not like to see these topics in your feed, add pride month at tildes to your personal tag filters.

      55 votes
    20. May 2024 Backlog Burner: Week 5(ish) Discussion

      The event is almost over! Only three days left! Post your current/final bingo cards, and get those last few games in before the deadline! A final discussion topic and complete recap will go up on...

      The event is almost over!

      Only three days left!

      Post your current/final bingo cards, and get those last few games in before the deadline!

      A final discussion topic and complete recap will go up on June 1st once the event is officially over.

      Quick links:


      Week 4 Recap

      8 participants moved 31 games(!!!) out of their backlogs!
      There were 3 bingo wins! (1 golf, and 2 standard)
      Congratulations to @aphoenix, @Wes, and @kfwyre!

      • 1 participant played free choice
      • 5 participants played standard bingo cards
      • 2 participants played bingo golf

      Thus far, a total of 80 games have been played for the May 2024 Backlog Burner.

      Week 4 Game List:

      Week 3 Recap

      Week 3 Recap

      8 participants moved 16 games out of their backlogs!
      There were 0 bingo wins (but we are SO close!).

      • 2 participants played free choice
      • 4 participants played standard bingo cards
      • 2 participants played bingo golf

      One participant played a game they had been putting off for 14 years!

      Thus far, a total of 49 games have been played for the May 2024 Backlog Burner.

      Week 3 Game List:

      Week 2 Recap

      Week 2 Recap

      10 participants moved 18 games out of their backlogs!
      There were 0 bingo wins.

      • 1 participant played free choice
      • 7 participants played standard bingo cards
      • 2 participants played bingo golf

      Thus far, a total of 33 games have been played for the May 2024 Backlog Burner.

      Week 2 Game List:

      Week 1 Recap

      Week 1 Recap

      10 participants played 10 bingo cards and moved 15 games out of their backlogs!
      There were 0 bingo wins.

      Game list:

      12 votes
    21. May 2024 Backlog Burner: Week 4 Discussion

      Week 4 has begun! This is the last full week of the Backlog Burner. There are only ten days left in May! Post your current bingo cards. Continue updating us on your games! If you did not...

      Week 4 has begun!

      This is the last full week of the Backlog Burner. There are only ten days left in May!

      Post your current bingo cards.
      Continue updating us on your games!

      If you did not participate in previous weeks but want to start this week, that's fine!
      Reminder: playing bingo is OPTIONAL.

      Quick links:


      Week 3 Recap

      8 participants moved 16 games out of their backlogs!
      There were 0 bingo wins (but we are SO close!).

      • 2 participants played free choice
      • 4 participants played standard bingo cards
      • 2 participants played bingo golf

      One participant played a game they had been putting off for 14 years!

      Thus far, a total of 49 games have been played for the May 2024 Backlog Burner.

      Week 3 Game List:

      Week 2 Recap

      Week 2 Recap

      10 participants moved 18 games out of their backlogs!
      There were 0 bingo wins.

      • 1 participant played free choice
      • 7 participants played standard bingo cards
      • 2 participants played bingo golf

      Thus far, a total of 33 games have been played for the May 2024 Backlog Burner.

      Week 2 Game List:

      Week 1 Recap

      Week 1 Recap

      10 participants played 10 bingo cards and moved 15 games out of their backlogs!
      There were 0 bingo wins.

      Game list:

      14 votes
    22. May 2024 Backlog Burner: Week 3 Discussion

      Week 3 has begun! Post your current bingo cards. Continue updating us on your games! If you did not participate in previous weeks but want to start this week, that's fine! Reminder: playing bingo...

      Week 3 has begun!

      Post your current bingo cards.
      Continue updating us on your games!

      If you did not participate in previous weeks but want to start this week, that's fine!
      Reminder: playing bingo is OPTIONAL.

      Quick links:


      Week 2 Recap

      10 participants moved 18 games out of their backlogs!
      There were 0 bingo wins.

      • 1 participant played free choice
      • 7 participants played standard bingo cards
      • 2 participants played bingo golf

      Thus far, a total of 33 games have been played for the May 2024 Backlog Burner.

      Week 2 Game List:


      Week 1 Recap

      Week 1 Recap

      10 participants played 10 bingo cards and moved 15 games out of their backlogs!
      There were 0 bingo wins.

      Game list:

      13 votes
    23. May 2024 Backlog Burner: Week 2 Discussion

      Week 2 has begun! Post your current bingo cards. Continue updating us on your games! If you did not participate in Week 1 but want to start this week, that's fine! Reminder: playing bingo is...

      Week 2 has begun!

      Post your current bingo cards.
      Continue updating us on your games!

      If you did not participate in Week 1 but want to start this week, that's fine!
      Reminder: playing bingo is OPTIONAL.

      Quick links:


      Week 1 Recap

      10 participants played 10 bingo cards and moved 15 games out of their backlogs!
      There were 0 bingo wins.

      Game list:

      17 votes
    24. May 2024 Backlog Burner: Week 1 Discussion

      The blaze has officially ignited! The May 2024 Backlog Burner is officially live. Use this topic to post about the games that you play. Etiquette: It is fine to make multiple top-level posts...

      The blaze has officially ignited!

      The May 2024 Backlog Burner is officially live. Use this topic to post about the games that you play.

      Etiquette:

      • It is fine to make multiple top-level posts throughout the week.

      • It is also fine to respond to your own posts.

      • If you are playing Backlog Bingo, you can share your table either by markdown or through screenshots.

      Gameplay guidelines:

      • Goals for this event (if any) are entirely individual and self-determined.

      • You do NOT need to finish games unless you want to. The point is to try out games and have fun, not force ourselves to play things we're not interested in.


      Backlog Bingo: It's back and better than ever!

      Backlog Bingo is a completely optional way of participating in the Backlog Burner. You can generate a random bingo card with different gaming categories such as Has a fishing minigame or Your friend loves it. You then play a game that meets a given category and fill in that square.

      A conventional bingo win happens when you have filled in a full row, column, or diagonal. If you complete a full bingo with time to spare, you can go for another one on the same card. You can also choose to play with the "blackout" win condition if you're feeling extra adventurous, which means that you need to fill every square on the board to win.

      In order to help out with this, our amazing @Wes has singlehandedly made an open-source Backlog Bingo web app from scratch! (and here's the GitHub repo, for those interested).

      The site will:

      • Generate a random bingo card for you
      • Save your bingo card state as you enter games
      • Export your bingo card to markdown for easy copy/pasting into the discussion thread

      But wait, there's more!

      • It has both Standard and Golf rulesets, as well as completely custom rules
      • It allows for resizing the bingo card, so you can play a 3x3 or a 7x7 if you want
      • You can choose which categories you want to allow on your card
      • The categories now have groupings which limit similar ones from appearing on the same cards

      Wes could have stopped there, but he didn't:

      • The site is private by design; all user data is kept in local storage and does not touch the server
      • The site can import custom JSON files so that people can make their own custom categories
      • Because of this, people can use the tool for other events: a yearly reading challenge; an anime bingo month, etc.

      What's that? You thought Wes was done? Nope. He kept going:

      • It supports "dynamic" entries which allow for randomization within specific categories (e.g. "a game you've had for more than RANDOM[2,7] years")
      • It has both light and dark modes
      • It looks great in screenshots, so if you hate markdown tables you can post pictures of your card instead
      • It has some other fun surprises as well

      We've also updated the category list for this year to hopefully make it even better than the last. So, try it out! Generate a card and get gaming!

      Let's burn through these backlogs!


      Backlog Bingo FAQ

      Important: All data for your Backlog Bingo card is stored on your device, not the server. Clearing your browser data will irrecoverably delete your card.

      Is the Backlog Bingo site privacy-friendly?

      Yes! The site is coded by our very own @Wes who made it private by design. It is open source, all data is stored client-side, and the only information entered is the names of games. It does not require an account nor link to your Tildes username.

      My browser deletes data on exit. How do I save my card between sessions?

      You need to whitelist data from wescook.ca in your browser. PLEASE test this before committing to a card. Once a card is deleted it cannot be recovered.

      What is the difference between the "Standard" and "Golf" modes?

      In Standard Mode, each square on the bingo card corresponds with one single game. Duplicate games cannot be entered into different squares. A winning card would have a row of five different games that each filled in one square.

      In Golf Mode, duplicates are not only allowed -- they are encouraged! The purpose of Golf mode is to try to find a single game that will fill multiple categories at the same time. For example: Stardew Valley might fulfill You got it on sale, A solo-dev project, and Has romanceable characters all at the same time. A winning card would have all twenty five squares filled, but possibly only six or seven different games.

      What is the star space in the middle?

      That is the "wildcard" or "free space."

      In Standard Mode, there are no requirements to fill it. You can choose any game you want! Anything goes!

      In Golf Mode, it does not need to be filled. Because Golf is all about stacking up categories on a single game, any game used in Golf would fill it automatically, meaning it has no real function. As such, the square will be pre-filled for you if you play in Golf mode.

      Can I make my own custom categories?

      Yes! The Backlog Bingo site generates its categories from a JSON file. We prepared a default one for the event that everyone can use, but you are welcome to create your own JSON file with whatever categories you want and use that instead!

      If you are interested in doing this, you can find documentation in the wiki and use an example JSON category file. You can also ask for help in the topic!

      Can I use the Backlog Bingo site for something other than games?

      Yes again! Because it will accept custom categories, you can use it for books, anime, movies, recipes -- anything!

      If you are interested in doing this, you can find documentation in the wiki and use an example JSON category file. You can also ask for help in the topic!


      Backlog Burner FAQ

      What exactly is the Backlog Burner?

      Your "backlog" is all those games you've been meaning to play or get around to, but never have yet. This event is an attempt to get us to collectively dig into that treasure trove of experiences, scratch some long-standing itches, and knock a few titles off our to-play lists.

      How do I participate?

      Once the event starts on May 1st:

      • Choose some games from your backlog and play them.
      • Then tell us about your experiences in the discussion thread for the week.

      That's it!

      Optionally: you can play Backlog Bingo which is a fun way of cutting down the choices you have to make and playing games you might not have normally selected on your own.

      Is Backlog Bingo a requirement to participate?

      No! You can choose or play games however you like.

      Do I need to finish the games that I play?

      Nope! Not at all.

      There aren't really any requirements for the event so much as this is an incentive to get us to play games we've been avoiding starting up, for whatever reason. Play as much or as little as you like of a given game.

      Try out dozens for ten minutes each or dive into one for 40 hours. There's no wrong way to participate!

      What's the timeline?

      The event begins on May 1st and runs through May 31st. I will post an update thread weekly, each Wednesday.

      The next Backlog Burner event will be in November 2024.

      Can I make multiple posts in the same topic?

      Yes! Each discussion thread stays live for a full week, so feel free to make multiple comments in the topic as you play different games. This isn't considered noise -- it's considered valuable participation in the event!

      Do I need to sign up?

      No. You don't have to do anything to officially join or participate in the event other than post in these threads! Participate in whatever way works for you.

      Do I need to wait until May to get started?

      Technically yes but I won't police it. The first official discussion thread will go up on Wednesday the 1st, but feel free to kick things off here if you're wanting to pre-game the month!

      23 votes
    25. Announcing the Tildes Backlog Burner event for May 2024: Shrink your unplayed games list this coming month!

      It's almost time for another Tildes Backlog Burner -- the event where you try out games you've always wanted to play but haven't yet for whatever reason. The Backlog Burner for May 2024 will...

      It's almost time for another Tildes Backlog Burner -- the event where you try out games you've always wanted to play but haven't yet for whatever reason.

      The Backlog Burner for May 2024 will officially begin in two days on May 1st.

      If you're new to the Backlog Burner, check out our previous events to get an idea of what's going on:

      Announcement #1: Backlog Bingo returns!

      In the 2023 event, "Backlog Bingo" cards were quite a hit. I am thrilled to report that they are not only returning for this coming event, but they will be so much better than last time. @Wes has been hard at work cooking up some exciting new stuff that he can't wait to show everyone!

      Announcement #2: Backlog Burner is now a recurring event!

      In the interest of making the Backlog Burner as good as it can be, I want people to be able to know when it's going to be happening rather than having it pop up randomly and unexpectedly, as it has in the past. As such, moving forward I will be running two separate Backlog Burners each year during the months of May and November (similar to how I run Timasomo every October).

      Let's get ready to burn through these backlogs!


      Backlog Burner FAQ

      What exactly is the Backlog Burner?

      Your "backlog" is all those games you've been meaning to play or get around to, but never have yet. This event is an attempt to get us to collectively dig into that treasure trove of experiences, scratch some long-standing itches, and knock a few titles off our to-play lists.

      How do I participate?

      Once the event starts on May 1st:

      • Choose some games from your backlog and play them.
      • Then tell us about your experiences in the discussion thread for the week.

      That's it!

      Optionally: you can play Backlog Bingo which is a fun way of cutting down the choices you have to make and playing games you might not have normally selected on your own.

      Is Backlog Bingo a requirement to participate?

      No! You can choose or play games however you like.

      Do I need to finish the games that I play?

      Nope! Not at all.

      There aren't really any requirements for the event so much as this is an incentive to get us to play games we've been avoiding starting up, for whatever reason. Play as much or as little as you like of a given game.

      Try out dozens for ten minutes each or dive into one for 40 hours. There's no wrong way to participate!

      What's the timeline?

      The event begins on May 1st and runs through May 31st. I will post an update thread weekly, each Wednesday.

      The next Backlog Burner event will be in November 2024.

      Can I make multiple posts in the same topic?

      Yes! Each discussion thread stays live for a full week, so feel free to make multiple comments in the topic as you play different games. This isn't considered noise -- it's considered valuable participation in the event!

      Do I need to sign up?

      No. You don't have to do anything to officially join or participate in the event other than post in these threads! Participate in whatever way works for you.

      Do I need to wait until May to get started?

      Technically yes but I won't police it. The first official discussion thread will go up on Wednesday the 1st, but feel free to kick things off here if you're wanting to pre-game the month!

      26 votes
    26. Tildes Game Giveaway: Holiday 2023

      Important: This will be a noisy topic. If you do not wish to see it in your feed, please use the Ignore feature to hide it! Tip: If the large number of comments are cluttering up the topic and you...

      Important: This will be a noisy topic. If you do not wish to see it in your feed, please use the Ignore feature to hide it!

      Tip: If the large number of comments are cluttering up the topic and you just want to see the main giveaway posts, click Collapse Replies at the top of the comments.


      🎵 It's the most wonderful time of the year 🎵

      Holiday game sales are currently happening, and some are right around the corner!

      This is our annual holiday game giveaway topic. Spread some goodwill and holiday cheer with others!

      Before you participate, please make sure you read the rules below.


      Rules

      -Gifters

      Post your available games, the platform and method of delivery, rules for your giveaways (e.g. first-come first-serve, random draw, etc.), and any additional info or requirements. Feel free to get creative!

      -Giftees

      Request giveaways. Please make sure you follow the gifter's posted guidelines.

      -Guidelines

      Anyone can choose to be a gifter, giftee, or both! Giveaway rules are set by individual gifters, but there are handful of guidelines everyone should follow:

      1. No grey market keys! Only give away games from reputable sources. If you're not sure what this means, please ask.
      2. Requests for games should be done in this topic, but if the gift is a key, those should be delivered by PMs only. Please don't post keys publicly in this topic, even obfuscated ones.

      If you're new to these, check out previous giveaway threads to see how these usually go.

      49 votes
    27. How would you organize a global Rock, Paper, Scissors tournament?

      A friend and I were bantering about how we should organize a RPS tournament, where the LOSER advanced and was ultimately kicked in the bum by the "winner" of the final round, and also given $10 as...

      A friend and I were bantering about how we should organize a RPS tournament, where the LOSER advanced and was ultimately kicked in the bum by the "winner" of the final round, and also given $10 as a pity for being the "greatest loser".

      This quickly morphed into daydreams of a global event, culminating in the grand finals at the Mandalay Bay, with coverage by ESPN 12, sponsorship deals, trading cards ("Joe is known for his southpaw stance and shooting from his off-hand which greatly throws off his opponent." and per-year statistics of Win % by rock, paper, and scissors); the whole nine yards.

      But it got us thinking... in today's age, would it be difficult to organize a simple RPS tournament GLOBALLY? What technologies would you use? Could you approach it 100% digitally? How would you verify the loser for advancement?

      Let's even say someone was willing to put up $20k or even $100k to actually fly winners from each continent or major population region and put them up at the Mandalay Bay (btw - that hotel just came to mind because it was the first to come to mind in Las Vegas) for a 1-day event. Would that change anything?

      RPS because the absurdity of it and the zero cost to entry.

      We await your thoughts...

      21 votes
    28. Tildes’ 2023 Backlog Burner: Final Discussion

      November is coming to a close, and the Backlog Burner with it! Post your final updates, your completed Bingo cards, and any closing thoughts you have. What were the best games you found from...

      November is coming to a close, and the Backlog Burner with it!


      Post your final updates, your completed Bingo cards, and any closing thoughts you have.

      • What were the best games you found from digging through your backlog?
      • What surprised you?
      • What disappointed you?

      Also, another HUGE thank you to @Wes for his incredible bingo card generator.

      17 votes
    29. Tildes' 2023 Backlog Burner: Week 3 Discussion

      Three weeks in! Update your bingo cards and tell us about what you played! Q: I missed the beginning of this event. Can I still join? A: Of course! It's open all month. Topic etiquette: It is fine...

      Three weeks in! Update your bingo cards and tell us about what you played!

      Q: I missed the beginning of this event. Can I still join?
      A: Of course! It's open all month.


      Topic etiquette:

      • It is fine to make multiple top-level posts throughout the week if you play multiple games.

      • It is fine to respond to yourself with updates if you're continuing a single game and walk to talk more about it as you go.

      • If you are playing Backlog Bingo, feel free to make a top-level post with your card that you edit as you go, while making new posts underneath that to talk about the games as you play them.

      Gameplay guidelines:

      • Goals for this event (if any) are entirely individual and self-determined.

      • You do NOT need to finish games unless you want to. The point is to try out games and have fun, not force ourselves to play things we're not interested in.


      Backlog Bingo

      Thanks to the amazing efforts of our very own @Wes, we are debuting Backlog Bingo! This is a completely optional way to participate in the month.

      You can generate a unique Backlog Bingo card from a collection of 73 different categories. Choose the ones you want in your batch, and then use Wes's custom-made online tool to automatically create your own individualized bingo card.

      Wes's tool automatically assembles the markdown for your table, so it will paste beautifully into comments here on Tildes. For example:

      Bingo Card Example
      Bingo!
      Not super popular (e.g. <50 user reviews on Metacritic) Is one of the oldest games you own Arcade game Has DLC You own on physical media
      You have to tinker in order to get it running You got from a bundle You wanted to play it when you were younger but never did Owned for more than five years Has cute, feel-good vibes
      Co-op game or campaign From now-defunct dev studio Has a non-human player character Owned for more than one year
      Not found on any distribution service You can save/pet/care for animals Begins with one of your initials You paid full price for it Solo-dev project
      Has an animal player character From a series you have played Has number somewhere in the title Owned for more than three years Came out more than 5 years ago

      Play games throughout the month to check off categories in the Bingo card. The ★ in the middle of every card is a free space -- there are no requirements for that square and any game you play fits there!

      The most basic win condition is five-in-a-row, but, if you're feeling really wild, you might go for a win pattern that's a little more involved. Your choice!

      Here's an example of someone "winning" the card above:

      Winning Bingo Card
      Bingo!
      Not super popular (e.g. <50 user reviews on Metacritic) Is one of the oldest games you own
      Terminal Velocity (1995)
      Arcade game Has DLC You own on physical media
      You have to tinker in order to get it running You got from a bundle
      World of Goo
      You wanted to play it when you were younger but never did Owned for more than five years Has cute, feel-good vibes
      Co-op game or campaign From now-defunct dev studio
      Blur
      Has a non-human player character Owned for more than one year
      Not found on any distribution service You can save/pet/care for animals
      Super Metroid
      Begins with one of your initials You paid full price for it Solo-dev project
      Has an animal player character From a series you have played
      Rise of the Tomb Raider
      Has number somewhere in the title Owned for more than three years Came out more than 5 years ago

      Bingo Golfing (thanks @Wes and @aphoenix!) is also an option: trying to clear a pattern by counting multiple categories for a single game, thus “winning” with as few games as possible.

      Step 3 of Wes's tool includes instructions for checking off games, which has to be done manually. If you need an in-thread guide, you can use the following example below:

      Filling in a Square

      This markdown:

      ||
      |:-:|
      | ✅ ~~Struckthrough Example Category~~ <br> **Bolded Game Title** |
      

      Gives this completed square: (ignore the header row that markdown requires for its tables)

      Struckthrough Example Category
      Bolded Game Title

      If you can't figure out how to check off categories or you break the Markdown for your table, feel free to ask for help in the comments or PM me and I can help you out!


      FAQs

      What is this?

      Your "backlog" is all those games you've been meaning to play or get around to, but never have yet. This event is an attempt to get us to collectively dig into that treasure trove of experiences!

      How do I participate?

      Choose a game (or several) from your backlog and play it/them. Then tell us about your experiences in the discussion thread for the week! If you're not sure what you might write, take a look at our 2022 or 2020 events to get an idea.

      Do I need to finish the games I play?

      Nope! Not at all. There aren't really any requirements for the event so much as this is an incentive to get us to play games we've been avoiding starting up, for whatever reason. Play as much or as little as you like of a given game. Try out dozens for ten minutes each or dive into one for 40 hours. There's no wrong way to participate!

      What's the timeline?

      I will post an update thread weekly, each Wednesday, all through November. At the end of the month, I think it would be neat to tally how many collective games we all removed from our backlogs, as well as what the best finds were from our collective digging into our libraries. I expect we'll turn up some good hidden gems, as well as interesting insights.

      Do I need to sign up?

      You don't have to do anything to officially join or participate in the event other than post in these threads! Participate in whatever way works for you.

      But November has `Big Name Release` coming out. Why *this* month when people will be focused on that new game?

      I'm doing the best that I can! A "problem" with 2023 is that it has been an absolutely stacked year for gaming releases. There simply hasn't been a "slow" month. With limited time left, I figured November was at least better than December. Think of this as an opportunity to cut down on your backlog before all the end-of-the-year sales hit.

      10 votes
    30. Tildes’ 2023 Backlog Burner: Week 2 Discussion

      Two weeks down! Update your bingo cards and tell us about what you played! Q: I missed the beginning of this event. Can I still join? A: Of course! It's open all month. Topic etiquette: It is fine...

      Two weeks down! Update your bingo cards and tell us about what you played!

      Q: I missed the beginning of this event. Can I still join?
      A: Of course! It's open all month.


      Topic etiquette:

      • It is fine to make multiple top-level posts throughout the week if you play multiple games.

      • It is fine to respond to yourself with updates if you're continuing a single game and walk to talk more about it as you go.

      • If you are playing Backlog Bingo, feel free to make a top-level post with your card that you edit as you go, while making new posts underneath that to talk about the games as you play them.

      Gameplay guidelines:

      • Goals for this event (if any) are entirely individual and self-determined.

      • You do NOT need to finish games unless you want to. The point is to try out games and have fun, not force ourselves to play things we're not interested in.


      Backlog Bingo

      Thanks to the amazing efforts of our very own @Wes, we are debuting Backlog Bingo! This is a completely optional way to participate in the month.

      You can generate a unique Backlog Bingo card from a collection of 73 different categories. Choose the ones you want in your batch, and then use Wes's custom-made online tool to automatically create your own individualized bingo card.

      Wes's tool automatically assembles the markdown for your table, so it will paste beautifully into comments here on Tildes. For example:

      Bingo Card Example
      Bingo!
      Not super popular (e.g. <50 user reviews on Metacritic) Is one of the oldest games you own Arcade game Has DLC You own on physical media
      You have to tinker in order to get it running You got from a bundle You wanted to play it when you were younger but never did Owned for more than five years Has cute, feel-good vibes
      Co-op game or campaign From now-defunct dev studio Has a non-human player character Owned for more than one year
      Not found on any distribution service You can save/pet/care for animals Begins with one of your initials You paid full price for it Solo-dev project
      Has an animal player character From a series you have played Has number somewhere in the title Owned for more than three years Came out more than 5 years ago

      Play games throughout the month to check off categories in the Bingo card. The ★ in the middle of every card is a free space -- there are no requirements for that square and any game you play fits there!

      The most basic win condition is five-in-a-row, but, if you're feeling really wild, you might go for a win pattern that's a little more involved. Your choice!

      Here's an example of someone "winning" the card above:

      Winning Bingo Card
      Bingo!
      Not super popular (e.g. <50 user reviews on Metacritic) Is one of the oldest games you own
      Terminal Velocity (1995)
      Arcade game Has DLC You own on physical media
      You have to tinker in order to get it running You got from a bundle
      World of Goo
      You wanted to play it when you were younger but never did Owned for more than five years Has cute, feel-good vibes
      Co-op game or campaign From now-defunct dev studio
      Blur
      Has a non-human player character Owned for more than one year
      Not found on any distribution service You can save/pet/care for animals
      Super Metroid
      Begins with one of your initials You paid full price for it Solo-dev project
      Has an animal player character From a series you have played
      Rise of the Tomb Raider
      Has number somewhere in the title Owned for more than three years Came out more than 5 years ago

      Bingo Golfing (thanks @Wes and @aphoenix!) is also an option: trying to clear a pattern by counting multiple categories for a single game, thus “winning” with as few games as possible.

      Step 3 of Wes's tool includes instructions for checking off games, which has to be done manually. If you need an in-thread guide, you can use the following example below:

      Filling in a Square

      This markdown:

      ||
      |:-:|
      | ✅ ~~Struckthrough Example Category~~ <br> **Bolded Game Title** |
      

      Gives this completed square: (ignore the header row that markdown requires for its tables)

      Struckthrough Example Category
      Bolded Game Title

      If you can't figure out how to check off categories or you break the Markdown for your table, feel free to ask for help in the comments or PM me and I can help you out!


      FAQs

      What is this?

      Your "backlog" is all those games you've been meaning to play or get around to, but never have yet. This event is an attempt to get us to collectively dig into that treasure trove of experiences!

      How do I participate?

      Choose a game (or several) from your backlog and play it/them. Then tell us about your experiences in the discussion thread for the week! If you're not sure what you might write, take a look at our 2022 or 2020 events to get an idea.

      Do I need to finish the games I play?

      Nope! Not at all. There aren't really any requirements for the event so much as this is an incentive to get us to play games we've been avoiding starting up, for whatever reason. Play as much or as little as you like of a given game. Try out dozens for ten minutes each or dive into one for 40 hours. There's no wrong way to participate!

      What's the timeline?

      I will post an update thread weekly, each Wednesday, all through November. At the end of the month, I think it would be neat to tally how many collective games we all removed from our backlogs, as well as what the best finds were from our collective digging into our libraries. I expect we'll turn up some good hidden gems, as well as interesting insights.

      Do I need to sign up?

      You don't have to do anything to officially join or participate in the event other than post in these threads! Participate in whatever way works for you.

      But November has `Big Name Release` coming out. Why *this* month when people will be focused on that new game?

      I'm doing the best that I can! A "problem" with 2023 is that it has been an absolutely stacked year for gaming releases. There simply hasn't been a "slow" month. With limited time left, I figured November was at least better than December. Think of this as an opportunity to cut down on your backlog before all the end-of-the-year sales hit.

      13 votes
    31. Tildes' 2023 Backlog Burner: Week 1 Discussion

      Week 1 is done. Update your bingo cards and tell us about what you played! Q: I missed the beginning of this event. Can I still join? A: Of course! It's open all month. Topic etiquette: It is fine...

      Week 1 is done. Update your bingo cards and tell us about what you played!

      Q: I missed the beginning of this event. Can I still join?
      A: Of course! It's open all month.


      Topic etiquette:

      • It is fine to make multiple top-level posts throughout the week if you play multiple games.

      • It is fine to respond to yourself with updates if you're continuing a single game and walk to talk more about it as you go.

      • If you are playing Backlog Bingo, feel free to make a top-level post with your card that you edit as you go, while making new posts underneath that to talk about the games as you play them.

      Gameplay guidelines:

      • Goals for this event (if any) are entirely individual and self-determined.

      • You do NOT need to finish games unless you want to. The point is to try out games and have fun, not force ourselves to play things we're not interested in.


      Backlog Bingo

      Thanks to the amazing efforts of our very own @Wes, we are debuting Backlog Bingo! This is a completely optional way to participate in the month.

      You can generate a unique Backlog Bingo card from a collection of 73 different categories. Choose the ones you want in your batch, and then use Wes's custom-made online tool to automatically create your own individualized bingo card.

      Wes's tool automatically assembles the markdown for your table, so it will paste beautifully into comments here on Tildes. For example:

      Bingo Card Example
      Bingo!
      Not super popular (e.g. <50 user reviews on Metacritic) Is one of the oldest games you own Arcade game Has DLC You own on physical media
      You have to tinker in order to get it running You got from a bundle You wanted to play it when you were younger but never did Owned for more than five years Has cute, feel-good vibes
      Co-op game or campaign From now-defunct dev studio Has a non-human player character Owned for more than one year
      Not found on any distribution service You can save/pet/care for animals Begins with one of your initials You paid full price for it Solo-dev project
      Has an animal player character From a series you have played Has number somewhere in the title Owned for more than three years Came out more than 5 years ago

      Play games throughout the month to check off categories in the Bingo card. The ★ in the middle of every card is a free space -- there are no requirements for that square and any game you play fits there!

      The most basic win condition is five-in-a-row, but, if you're feeling really wild, you might go for a win pattern that's a little more involved. Your choice!

      Here's an example of someone "winning" the card above:

      Winning Bingo Card
      Bingo!
      Not super popular (e.g. <50 user reviews on Metacritic) Is one of the oldest games you own
      Terminal Velocity (1995)
      Arcade game Has DLC You own on physical media
      You have to tinker in order to get it running You got from a bundle
      World of Goo
      You wanted to play it when you were younger but never did Owned for more than five years Has cute, feel-good vibes
      Co-op game or campaign From now-defunct dev studio
      Blur
      Has a non-human player character Owned for more than one year
      Not found on any distribution service You can save/pet/care for animals
      Super Metroid
      Begins with one of your initials You paid full price for it Solo-dev project
      Has an animal player character From a series you have played
      Rise of the Tomb Raider
      Has number somewhere in the title Owned for more than three years Came out more than 5 years ago

      Bingo Golfing (thanks @Wes and @aphoenix!) is also an option: trying to clear a pattern by counting multiple categories for a single game, thus “winning” with as few games as possible.

      Step 3 of Wes's tool includes instructions for checking off games, which has to be done manually. If you need an in-thread guide, you can use the following example below:

      Filling in a Square

      This markdown:

      ||
      |:-:|
      | ✅ ~~Struckthrough Example Category~~ <br> **Bolded Game Title** |
      

      Gives this completed square: (ignore the header row that markdown requires for its tables)

      Struckthrough Example Category
      Bolded Game Title

      If you can't figure out how to check off categories or you break the Markdown for your table, feel free to ask for help in the comments or PM me and I can help you out!


      FAQs

      What is this?

      Your "backlog" is all those games you've been meaning to play or get around to, but never have yet. This event is an attempt to get us to collectively dig into that treasure trove of experiences!

      How do I participate?

      Choose a game (or several) from your backlog and play it/them. Then tell us about your experiences in the discussion thread for the week! If you're not sure what you might write, take a look at our 2022 or 2020 events to get an idea.

      Do I need to finish the games I play?

      Nope! Not at all. There aren't really any requirements for the event so much as this is an incentive to get us to play games we've been avoiding starting up, for whatever reason. Play as much or as little as you like of a given game. Try out dozens for ten minutes each or dive into one for 40 hours. There's no wrong way to participate!

      What's the timeline?

      I will post an update thread weekly, each Wednesday, all through November. At the end of the month, I think it would be neat to tally how many collective games we all removed from our backlogs, as well as what the best finds were from our collective digging into our libraries. I expect we'll turn up some good hidden gems, as well as interesting insights.

      Do I need to sign up?

      You don't have to do anything to officially join or participate in the event other than post in these threads! Participate in whatever way works for you.

      But November has `Big Name Release` coming out. Why *this* month when people will be focused on that new game?

      I'm doing the best that I can! A "problem" with 2023 is that it has been an absolutely stacked year for gaming releases. There simply hasn't been a "slow" month. With limited time left, I figured November was at least better than December. Think of this as an opportunity to cut down on your backlog before all the end-of-the-year sales hit.

      15 votes
    32. Tildes' 2023 Backlog Burner: The blaze has ignited!

      The event has officially begun! Let's Burn through these backlogs! Use this thread to post about the games that you play. Thread etiquette: It is fine to make multiple top-level posts throughout...

      The event has officially begun! Let's Burn through these backlogs!


      Use this thread to post about the games that you play.

      Thread etiquette:

      • It is fine to make multiple top-level posts throughout the week if you play multiple games.

      • It is fine to respond to yourself with updates if you're continuing a single game and walk to talk more about it as you go.

      • If you are playing Backlog Bingo, feel free to make a top-level post with your card that you edit as you go, while making new posts underneath that to talk about the games as you play them.

      Gameplay guidelines:

      • Goals for this event (if any) are entirely individual and self-determined.

      • You do NOT need to finish games unless you want to. The point is to try out games and have fun, not force ourselves to play things we're not interested in.


      Backlog Bingo

      Thanks to the amazing efforts of our very own @Wes, we are debuting Backlog Bingo! This is a completely optional way to participate in the month.

      You can generate a unique Backlog Bingo card from a collection of 73 different categories. Choose the ones you want in your batch, and then use Wes's custom-made online tool to automatically create your own individualized bingo card.

      Wes's tool automatically assembles the markdown for your table, so it will paste beautifully into comments here on Tildes. For example:

      Bingo Card Example
      Bingo!
      Not super popular (e.g. <50 user reviews on Metacritic) Is one of the oldest games you own Arcade game Has DLC You own on physical media
      You have to tinker in order to get it running You got from a bundle You wanted to play it when you were younger but never did Owned for more than five years Has cute, feel-good vibes
      Co-op game or campaign From now-defunct dev studio Has a non-human player character Owned for more than one year
      Not found on any distribution service You can save/pet/care for animals Begins with one of your initials You paid full price for it Solo-dev project
      Has an animal player character From a series you have played Has number somewhere in the title Owned for more than three years Came out more than 5 years ago

      Play games throughout the month to check off categories in the Bingo card. The ★ in the middle of every card is a free space -- there are no requirements for that square and any game you play fits there!

      The most basic win condition is five-in-a-row, but, if you're feeling really wild, you might go for a win pattern that's a little more involved. Your choice!

      Here's an example of someone "winning" the card above:

      Winning Bingo Card
      Bingo!
      Not super popular (e.g. <50 user reviews on Metacritic) Is one of the oldest games you own
      Terminal Velocity (1995)
      Arcade game Has DLC You own on physical media
      You have to tinker in order to get it running You got from a bundle
      World of Goo
      You wanted to play it when you were younger but never did Owned for more than five years Has cute, feel-good vibes
      Co-op game or campaign From now-defunct dev studio
      Blur
      Has a non-human player character Owned for more than one year
      Not found on any distribution service You can save/pet/care for animals
      Super Metroid
      Begins with one of your initials You paid full price for it Solo-dev project
      Has an animal player character From a series you have played
      Rise of the Tomb Raider
      Has number somewhere in the title Owned for more than three years Came out more than 5 years ago

      Bingo Golfing (thanks @Wes and @aphoenix!) is also an option: trying to clear a pattern by counting multiple categories for a single game, thus “winning” with as few games as possible.

      Step 3 of Wes's tool includes instructions for checking off games, which has to be done manually. If you need an in-thread guide, you can use the following example below:

      Filling in a Square

      This markdown:

      ||
      |:-:|
      | ✅ ~~Struckthrough Example Category~~ <br> **Bolded Game Title** |
      

      Gives this completed square: (ignore the header row that markdown requires for its tables)

      Struckthrough Example Category
      Bolded Game Title

      If you can't figure out how to check off categories or you break the Markdown for your table, feel free to ask for help in the comments or PM me and I can help you out!


      FAQs

      What is this?

      Your "backlog" is all those games you've been meaning to play or get around to, but never have yet. This event is an attempt to get us to collectively dig into that treasure trove of experiences!

      How do I participate?

      Choose a game (or several) from your backlog and play it/them. Then tell us about your experiences in the discussion thread for the week! If you're not sure what you might write, take a look at our 2022 or 2020 events to get an idea.

      Do I need to finish the games I play?

      Nope! Not at all. There aren't really any requirements for the event so much as this is an incentive to get us to play games we've been avoiding starting up, for whatever reason. Play as much or as little as you like of a given game. Try out dozens for ten minutes each or dive into one for 40 hours. There's no wrong way to participate!

      What's the timeline?

      I will post an update thread weekly, each Wednesday, all through November. At the end of the month, I think it would be neat to tally how many collective games we all removed from our backlogs, as well as what the best finds were from our collective digging into our libraries. I expect we'll turn up some good hidden gems, as well as interesting insights.

      Do I need to sign up?

      You don't have to do anything to officially join or participate in the event other than post in these threads! Participate in whatever way works for you.

      But November has `Big Name Release` coming out. Why *this* month when people will be focused on that new game?

      I'm doing the best that I can! A "problem" with 2023 is that it has been an absolutely stacked year for gaming releases. There simply hasn't been a "slow" month. With limited time left, I figured November was at least better than December. Think of this as an opportunity to cut down on your backlog before all the end-of-the-year sales hit.

      43 votes
    33. Announcing the Tildes Backlog Burner event for 2023: Shrink your unplayed games list this November!

      What is this? Your "backlog" is all those games you've been meaning to play or get around to, but never have yet. This event is an attempt to get us to collectively dig into that treasure trove of...

      What is this?

      Your "backlog" is all those games you've been meaning to play or get around to, but never have yet. This event is an attempt to get us to collectively dig into that treasure trove of experiences!

      How do I participate?

      Choose a game (or several) from your backlog and play it/them. Then tell us about your experiences in the discussion thread for the week! If you're not sure what you might write, take a look at our 2022 or 2020 events to get an idea.

      Do I need to finish the games I play?

      Nope! Not at all. There aren't really any requirements for the event so much as this is an incentive to get us to play games we've been avoiding starting up, for whatever reason. Play as much or as little as you like of a given game. Try out dozens for ten minutes each or dive into one for 40 hours. There's no wrong way to participate!

      What's the timeline?

      I will post an update thread weekly, each Wednesday, all through November. At the end of the month, I think it would be neat to tally how many collective games we all removed from our backlogs, as well as what the best finds were from our collective digging into our libraries. I expect we'll turn up some good hidden gems, as well as interesting insights.

      Do I need to sign up?

      You don't have to do anything to officially join or participate in the event other than post in these threads! Participate in whatever way works for you. Also, because this is ongoing, it is okay to make more than one top-level post if you're updating the thread with new information.

      Do I need to wait until November to get started?

      Technically yes, but I won't police it. The first official discussion thread will go up on Wednesday the 1st, but feel free to kick things off here if you're wanting to pre-game the month!

      But November has Big Name Release coming out. Why this month when people will be focused on that new game?

      I'm doing the best that I can! A "problem" with 2023 is that it has been an absolutely stacked year for gaming releases. There simply hasn't been a "slow" month. With limited time left, I figured November was at least better than December. Think of this as an opportunity to cut down on your backlog before all the end-of-the-year sales hit.

      What if I have trouble deciding what to play?

      You're in luck! I'll be debuting a Backlog Bingo Card card system when the event starts. It'll hopefully help people cut through the difficulty of choosing and make decision-making easier for those of who are cursed with both big backlogs and unhealthy doses of analysis paralysis.

      Let's burn through these backlogs!

      39 votes
    34. Tildes Minecraft server launch - Java Edition SMP

      Hey everyone! Since it was brought up in this thread I've created a Minecraft server. Details: Version: 1.20 (Join from Bedrock) Host: tildes.nore.gg Plugins: Basics for server administration and...

      Hey everyone! Since it was brought up in this thread I've created a Minecraft server.

      Details:

      • Version: 1.20 (Join from Bedrock)
      • Host: tildes.nore.gg
      • Plugins: Basics for server administration and rapid leaf decay

      I know there was some push back on running v1.20. I am operating under the assumption that the majority of Minecraft players here aren't opposed to the newest version.

      Currently the server is un-whitelisted.

      I used to run moderately large Minecraft servers years ago. I'd love for us to have a healthy player base so that we can have periodic events (in game lore, UHC, etc.)! I play more of a game master role - so don't be surprised if you see me just floating around in creative mode!

      Edit:

      Updates:

      • Set sleep threshold to 50% of online players in beds
      • Disabled chat verification enforcement server-side. You need to install a mod to disable it client side if you're afraid of the chat reporting system.
      • Disabled mob griefing
      • Installed a fast leaf decay plugin
      • Upped from 20 to 32 player slots (we hit 20/20 today!)
      • Created a site to get build access (You can use /nonick in game to revert this - and /realname to reveal the Minecraft account name for another player with a nickname)
      162 votes