BailerAppleby's recent activity
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Comment on May 2026 Backlog Burner: Conclusion and Recap in ~games
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Comment on May 2026 Backlog Burner: Conclusion and Recap in ~games
BailerAppleby LinkFinal bingo card Flux Standard bingo ✅ 19/25 ✅ Bomb Rush Cyberfunk.. Uses a unique control scheme ✅ Hatoful Boyfriend Came out more than 9 years ago ✅ Tales of The Neon Sea ✅ Still There ✅...Final bingo card
Flux Standard bingo ✅ 19/25 Popular game you never got around to playing
✅ Bomb Rush Cyberfunk..Uses a unique control scheme Focuses on relationships
✅ Hatoful BoyfriendCame out more than 9 years ago Your friend loves it
✅ Tales of The Neon SeaHas been played at a Backlog Burner
✅ Still ThereHas driving
✅ Breakneck..You have to tinker to get it running
✅ The Textorcist: The Story of Ray Bibbia..It’s already installed
✅ Tails NoirAdaptation of other media type (e.g. board game, movie) From a different culture or country
✅ Generation Zero..From a genre you don’t normally play
✅ The Shapeshifting Detective..★ Wildcard
✅ ProteusChosen for you by someone else
✅ Bendy and the Ink MachineKnown for its real-world drama
✅ Not Tonight 2You control a party of characters
✅ 60 Parsecs!You wanted it when you were younger
✅ OctahedronOwned for more than 4 years
✅ Doki Doki Literature ClubIs beatable without killing any enemies
✅ AtmasphereIs one of the oldest games you own Released in the year you joined Tildes
✅ Homebody..Has cards Focuses on exploration
✅ Guild of DarksteelHas a score system From a series you have played
✅ Legend of Grimrock 2..I wasn't sure what to expect when I started this. I really hoped to have gotten a blackout on all cards, but I achieved the goals I set out from the beginning, nevertheless. It was fun, I got to talk about video games, and maybe share a controversial opinion or two. I appreciate having the chance to take part.
I've been at Tildes for three years now, but only now have I noticed this event. I think if I were to do this again, I'd try to better plan out my picks. As well, I would choose games that were shorter, easier to finish, and weren't so mind-numbingly difficult; Atmasphere, Still There, and The Textoricist are some of the most difficult games I've ever played in my life. I mentioned that for The Textorcist, I will need to further train myself to be able to advance in the game.
As was my mission from the start, this backlog burner had everything to do with the fine people here who shared their games with me, so I'd like to share my thanks by recognizing them again:
Gifters: Thank you for your generosity!
For me, a month of playing 19 videogames is rare, and the experience was a lot like a film festival in that I kept comparing them with each other. So with that, here's a rundown of all the games I played for the month, ranked by whether I'd recommend them or not; the higher their place in the list, the higher they rank in that category.
Yay or Nay
Recommended Games
- Proteus
- Still There
- Generation Zero
- Hatoful Boyfriend
- Doki Doki Literature Club
- The Textorcist: The Story of Ray Bibbia
- Homebody
- Not Tonight 2
- Atmasphere
- Guild of Darksteel
Non-Recommended
- Tales of the Neon Sea
- Bendy and the Ink Machine
- The Shapeshifting Detective
- Breakneck
Incomplete Playthroughs, but Worth Playing More:
- Tails Noir
- Legend of Grimrock 2
- Bomb Rush Cyberfunk
- Octahedron
And, if it's okay, here are my "awards" for the best games I played this month, each accompanied by a SomethingAwful-One-Sentence-Review-type blurb:
The May 2026 BailerAppleby Tildes Backlog Burner Video Game Awards for Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Excellence
Most Innovative: Proteus
This is it: The first 3.5D video game.
Most Emotional: Still There
The far reaches of outer space can't compare to the yawning blackness of a grieving heart.
Most Complete Package/Biggest Surprise: Generation Zero
Shooting giant robots. In Sweden. In the 80s ...is more fun/dev-supported than you can imagine.
Best Genre Bending: The Textoricist: The Story of Ray Bibbia
The Vatican-underworld-dwelling exorcism bullet hell you'll be lining up at St. Peter's gate for, and as much as you may already harbor strong opinions about spelling games, just admit it: this is your type.
Most Creative: Hatoful Boyfriend
The game for anybirdy who always wanted to fly, but will settle for dating it instead.
Most Relevant to Our Times: Not Tonight 2
Too absurd to be taken seriously, too serious to ignore, and too emotionally draining to stay invested in, the only way to properly experience the epoch-changing current events that we live through day to day is for a NPC to explain it to you in a cutscene.
Hidden Gem (that everybody should play): Homebody
The best of the X-Files, made for millennials.
Most Difficult: Atmasphere
The incredibly relaxing way to endear yourself to apoplectic rage.
Best Vibe (modern): Bomb Rush Cyberfunk
The future is cool, oppressive, and one where square pants are still in fashion.
Best Vibe (retro): Octahedron
The old-school vector platformer that is only missing a quarter slot, a high-score slot, and a triangle retrowave carpet beneath your feet.
Most True to Self: Tails Noir
Timeless.
Best Writing/Concept: Doki Doki Literature Club
The collective geek punishment we deserve that grants vengeance to the objects we covet.
Thanks to @Wes and @kfwyre for running the show, and to @JCPhoenix for the recommendations, and for all the feedback I got. It was great, thank you all for a successful Backlog Burner!
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Comment on May 2026 Backlog Burner: Week 5(ish) Discussion in ~games
BailerAppleby Link ParentYou're not the only one. Lots of gamers like it. I'm the odd man out, feeling like I'm upsetting the apple cart. The game has won awards, even. So it's not a bad game, per se, but a game that...You're not the only one. Lots of gamers like it. I'm the odd man out, feeling like I'm upsetting the apple cart. The game has won awards, even. So it's not a bad game, per se, but a game that shows off the ignorance of the devs towards their influences.
Also, the English translation is bad. Unspeakably bad. Localization should matter as much to a video game if it's good, but this game is built like a visual novel. You can't ignore it. Errors, mistranslations, non-native meanings... line after line of exposition, hundreds of button presses, all resulting in broken logic and outright misunderstandings. It's just one of the many things wrong with this game.
The way things go, you notice one thing wrong, and then another, and then more. The problematic issues became so endemic to the gaming experience that it ruined everything, including boobs. Boobs! How can you ruin boobs?
All the same, I'm glad you enjoyed it. I don't want to keep ruining other people's experiences, so I won't bring it up again.
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Comment on May 2026 Backlog Burner: Week 5(ish) Discussion in ~games
BailerAppleby Link ParentVery true. I did not play a lot of it, but do recall a bit of this, I think to do with the transient manifesting platforms? Fun fact: I did not know what an "octahedron" was before, so if anyone's...Very true. I did not play a lot of it, but do recall a bit of this, I think to do with the transient manifesting platforms?
Fun fact: I did not know what an "octahedron" was before, so if anyone's wondering, it's the glowing shape representing the protag's floating head. Like an ass-to-ass set of vertically stacked pyramids, if such a thing can be said.
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Comment on May 2026 Backlog Burner: Week 5(ish) Discussion in ~games
BailerAppleby Link ParentThanks for the recos! I have not played either one, though Lacuna was on my radar before. I think cyberpunk, detectives, and point and click adventures all go hand in hand since they all have to...Lacuna. More a sci-fi noire than cyberpunk. There's also Technobabylon.
Thanks for the recos! I have not played either one, though Lacuna was on my radar before. I think cyberpunk, detectives, and point and click adventures all go hand in hand since they all have to do with uncovering mysteries.
I've had my eye on Dex for awhile, though that isn't point and click nor a detective story, but keeps many of the same themes, being a sidescroller with combat. Don't know if that's your thing, but it may interest you.
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Comment on Save Point: A game deal roundup for the week of May 31 in ~games
BailerAppleby LinkFanatical's Goblinz Studio 10th Anniversary Bundle I'm not personally interested as I'm not familiar with this studio (maybe someone can give recommendations). But I find this bundle fascinating...Fanatical's Goblinz Studio 10th Anniversary Bundle
I'm not personally interested as I'm not familiar with this studio (maybe someone can give recommendations). But I find this bundle fascinating because this is a rare tiered bundle format for Fanatical. Could they be looking to steal Humble Bundle's chief marketing tactic?
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Comment on May 2026 Backlog Burner: Week 5(ish) Discussion in ~games
BailerAppleby Link ParentThere's not much to it, but I liked it a lot. It's such a bittersweet game. I don't know how personal it was (in the case of Mixtape, not personal at all, people tend to complain) but it's such an...There's not much to it, but I liked it a lot. It's such a bittersweet game. I don't know how personal it was (in the case of Mixtape, not personal at all, people tend to complain) but it's such an underrepresented subject. How else do you reflect on the death of a childhood friendship? I feel as though The Gardens Between got lost in its aesthetics, and didn't go hard on the personal aspect of it (like how Still There does).
I tend to gravitate towards arty, pretentious games. Some I don't even like at all, like Where the Bees Make Honey. Total pomposity, that one.
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Comment on May 2026 Backlog Burner: Week 5(ish) Discussion in ~games
BailerAppleby Link ParentCorrect, the trailing period on my bingo card is a way to show that the backlogged games were played, but no fully completed; if for no one else, then at least for myself. I felt I needed to make...trailing periods
Correct, the trailing period on my bingo card is a way to show that the backlogged games were played, but no fully completed; if for no one else, then at least for myself. I felt I needed to make the distinction and not make it seem as though I've finished all of these games.
There will indeed be a recap post probably later today.
Excellent! This will give me a chance to post a post mortem on the month's progress. It felt kind of like a film festival (not that I've participated in one before), so I'd like to make mention of how they fared as a group.
Thanks very much for hosting this event! I appreciate your input, and it was great to be a part of it!
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Comment on May 2026 Backlog Burner: Week 5(ish) Discussion in ~games
BailerAppleby Link ParentThanks. It's not a real review, but I hope that it encourages more people to play this game. Gamers seem to be adamant that video games are art, but are unwilling to appreciate them as such for...Thanks. It's not a real review, but I hope that it encourages more people to play this game. Gamers seem to be adamant that video games are art, but are unwilling to appreciate them as such for themselves.
a very specific mood
I can totally see how Proteus could be a suitable pick for an enhanced playthrough. It's trippy, it's full of stimulating things. But I always figured if you're going to take a trip at home, why not crack open your backlog for a selection that need a more enlightened perspective? I have Lord of the Rings: Gollum in my backlog, and there'll be no getting through that sober. Like c'mon, most people cannot make it through an inning of baseball without a beer, how am I going to play this?
For the right mood to play Proteus, I 'd say it would be after a day in which you didn't see anyone, you're all alone, you're driving across the country by yourself, something like that. Because this game affirms that even alone, you are of great significance. You matter. You don't exist in a bubble.
EDIT:
Mountain
Reminds me of the fantasticThe Gardens Between; the surreal imagery makes the artificial so much more heightened, you know?
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Comment on May 2026 Backlog Burner: Week 5(ish) Discussion in ~games
BailerAppleby (edited )Link ParentHere is my final bingo card: Bingo card final Flux Standard bingo ✅ 19/25 ✅ Bomb Rush Cyberfunk.. Uses a unique control scheme ✅ Hatoful Boyfriend Came out more than 9 years ago ✅ Tales of The...Here is my final bingo card:
Bingo card final
Flux Standard bingo ✅ 19/25 Popular game you never got around to playing
✅ Bomb Rush Cyberfunk..Uses a unique control scheme Focuses on relationships
✅ Hatoful BoyfriendCame out more than 9 years ago Your friend loves it
✅ Tales of The Neon SeaHas been played at a Backlog Burner
✅ Still ThereHas driving
✅ Breakneck..You have to tinker to get it running
✅ The Textorcist: The Story of Ray Bibbia..It’s already installed
✅ Tails NoirAdaptation of other media type (e.g. board game, movie) From a different culture or country
✅ Generation Zero..From a genre you don’t normally play
✅ The Shapeshifting Detective..★ Wildcard
✅ ProteusChosen for you by someone else
✅ Bendy and the Ink MachineKnown for its real-world drama
✅ Not Tonight 2You control a party of characters
✅ 60 Parsecs!You wanted it when you were younger
✅ OctahedronOwned for more than 4 years
✅ Doki Doki Literature ClubIs beatable without killing any enemies
✅ AtmasphereIs one of the oldest games you own Released in the year you joined Tildes
✅ Homebody..Has cards Focuses on exploration
✅ Guild of DarksteelHas a score system From a series you have played
✅ Legend of Grimrock 2..And now, the final submission, a small tasting and not from a full playthrough:
60 Parsecs!
Choose your own astronaut survival adventure
60 Parsecs fills the bingo tile for "You control a party of characters" and comes courtesy of @cheep_cheep. Your choices as the leader of a group of stranded astronauts determines their survival as you need to take care of emergencies, manage food rations, and delegate responsibility. But really, what happens is that you watch your followers suffer as a result of your bad choices.
Like any survival game, it grows on you; as your scrappy survivors fight to stave off the inevitable, so too does this game do its best to stay relevant in your playlist. Tops here is the writing and setting up of emergency after emergency, each day bringing with it yet something else to worry about.
I have to say I am mostly disappointed because I thought a major part of the gameplay was animated, but it seems its only the beginning. It's a shame because the Mad-Magazine-type cartoon characters are wonderful caricatures, lampoonish and endearing all at once.
I know the original 60 Seconds! was a hit back in the day, but the basicness of watching a static image of your stranded astronauts gets old, even as they slowly change over time. I almost wish they didn't animate the introduction of snatching up the supplies so well; I just loved the exaggerated responses and the impact comic sounds.
I could see myself liking this/playing it more, but it hasn't aged well, unfortunately.
And that's it! Sure was a lot of fun! I think there will be a recap post, so I'll make my final comment there. Thanks for letting me be a part of this; was great to actually work through my massive backlog.
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Comment on May 2026 Backlog Burner: Week 5(ish) Discussion in ~games
BailerAppleby Link ParentReally coming down to the wire with this one. Only a scant few hours left, and yet the desire for bingo remains strong. I resolve to making some more submission of lightly-played games to get them...Really coming down to the wire with this one. Only a scant few hours left, and yet the desire for bingo remains strong. I resolve to making some more submission of lightly-played games to get them off my no-play list, at the very least.
Octahedron
Old school arcade action with old school vector graphics: Octahedron has got them in spades. Filling in the "You wanted it when you were younger" (if last year counts as "younger"), this game comes courtesy of @culturedleftfoot and is a neat platformer that feels old, but plays fresh. There's nice Tron feeling to this game that gives it a timeless feel to it, if such a thing can be said now that we're safely ensconced into the Information Age.
I have to say, I am a bit disappointed because I thought this was a music/rhythm game, but no: this is tried-and-true platformer -- it's just that the music is bangin'.
A lot of good, all the same. I think the best things about Octahedron's presentation is that there are not much in the way of tutorials; you're faced with a new obstacle and you have to figure it out yourself; only upon completion are you given any explanation. Makes for "pure" gaming, one that necessitates quality from the player and the devs making said game. Also, I think its hilarious this Tron-adjacent game takes it time to create an origin story that shows our digital hero in his decidedly analog beginnings and was transformed into our titular hero when looking for firewood in the forest, as one is wont to do.
Very playable. Good platforming. Tight controls. Fair difficulty. It's so old school, you scan the top row to see if it keeps score. Old school, but with modern QoL features like checkpoints. And it looks great; really pops off the screen. A good modern platform along the like sof BZZZT and Slime-San.
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Comment on May 2026 Backlog Burner: Week 5(ish) Discussion in ~games
BailerAppleby Link ParentTails Noir Video games aren't known for making bold statements. They're not celebrities looking to leverage their fame for a cause, or enfant terrible filmmakers looking to shake up the status quo...Tails Noir
Video games aren't known for making bold statements. They're not celebrities looking to leverage their fame for a cause, or enfant terrible filmmakers looking to shake up the status quo with the next 20-minute standing ovation. Video games are products looking to satisfy their customers. As transactional as it gets; give your fans what they want, and take the bacon home. Easy peasy.
So when the very first in-game footage of a gorgeous pixel art video game is an ugly, boxy closeup, you wake up as a player. This game is willing to make a statement at the expense of alienating its customer, and that takes guts, something that great games do.
It's too early to tell if Tales Noir is a great game, but not too early for me to write about it as the Backlog Burner winds down in its final hours. This game fills up the bingo tile for "It's already installed" and comes courtesy of the irrepressibly irreplaceable @kfwyre, making this the seventh (!) game I've played for this Backlog Burner that belongs to my angel investor of gaming.
I can only talk about Tales Noir in general terms since I've just started playing, but it really stands out for its bold choices. The game takes a gritty approach to the urban decay with realistic depictions of anthropomorphized animals that could have fallen into Disney-fication, but stays grounded as these animals talk about drugs and crime. Instead of doubting the fantastical absurdity of this world ("How do you buy pants in this world as a raccoon at the ape store?"), the world building draws you in with rich characterizations and personable dialog. The game never loses a step in unravelling its story, so you stay invested in its narrative instead of finding the fictional fallacies.
I'm maybe an hour in, but the main thing I wanted to talk about is how Tails Noir is everything that Tales of the Neon Sea is not. Tales Noir is true to its influences, being cognizant of genre standards. It relishes its pixel art, unashamedly using choppy animation that works so well to breathe life into its characters. It has a suitably grimy cityscape in which all of its characters look like they have a story to tell. Its gumshoe detective even wears a trench coat because it's raining. I'm not going to keep harping about Tales of the Neonsea, but the differences are night and day.
And the music! Wow! It's not full-on improvisational Ornette-Coleman-calibre free jazz, but the jazz-tinged music used in Tales Noir is great. Both games have scenes that take place in a "jazz" bar. Here's the comparison of the music:
- Tales of the Neon Sea: Repeats alternating two short sections, one half time to the other. Over and over.
- Tales Noir: Features a jazz song by a Billie-Holiday-styled singer (portrayed by a mouse in-game). Like, a whole song.
These types of stylistic design choices just keep adding up. Maybe Tales Noir will falter in the end, maybe all the animals will decide it's not worth it in the end and all go back to the forests and jungles. But it has such an interesting setup that you can tell it will make for an interesting playthrough, no matter what.
Tales Noir's intro is a lot like Celeste's intro in which a cutscene plays out introducing the hero. Instead of showing in normal game ratio, Celeste decides to zoom in on its character's faces. Of course, this is hidden gem Celeste that has its top-notch platforming to fall back on, but the bold choice remains the same.
Good stuff, Tails Noir. Now if the femme fatale were to show up right after the prologue, then I'd say this film-noir-influenced game is right on track.
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Comment on May 2026 Backlog Burner: Week 5(ish) Discussion in ~games
BailerAppleby Link ParentProteus Beauty is transient; it's there, you have to find it. So goes Proteus, by far one of the most amazing experiences I've had during this Backlog Burner. This game fills the "Wildcard" slot,...- Exemplary
Proteus
Beauty is transient; it's there, you have to find it.
So goes Proteus, by far one of the most amazing experiences I've had during this Backlog Burner. This game fills the "Wildcard" slot, effectively giving me three bingos, and was graciously provided by @cheep_cheep and wholeheartedly recommended by @kfwyre.
So you don't get the wrong idea: this game probably isn't for you. Not if you're a Gamer with a capital "G" who wants to relive Call of Duty over and over. There are no achievements, no objectives, no powerups, no minimaps, no mission-giving NPCs, no fan service. In other words, for these people, Proteus is "barely a game" that has "nothing to do" that is "pretentious crap" and "boring". It's short, it's stress-free, it contains no precocious top-heavy anime girls... why play this non-game?
Because it provides a unique experience you've never had before, and likely will never again. So much happens that you'll likely don't even notice, even if you don't look under the hood. Proteus is largely narrative-free in both in-game and its marketing, so the pretentiousness only comes from blowhards like me. The game itself is an astonishing work that makes for great thinking and writing, if it had to come to that.
Proteus: What Is It
You show up on an island and walk around: that's it. For this game, Gamers like to use the genre term "walking simulator" as a type of insult, but doing so is telling on themselves. The slight describes a downgrade from the high interactivity of a first-person shooter, leaving the unarmed player unable to exert his dominance on his environment. But they'd be wrong.
Proteus is all about the player's impact on the environment. Your presence changes the in-game music. Walk through the forest, and you'll hear a band playing. Head to the mountaintops, and you'll be met with silence. And everything in between.
Proteus is a roguelike in which the "physical" environment is made up, and then the music that's played comes as a result of where you are in it. It's like witnessing a parade, except the marching bands are standing still, and you control what you hear by your proximity to the triggering influence. It makes for a wild polyphonal experience; it's like being so excited to bring home a new Brian Eno record that you put on all the tracks at once. The truest metaphor would be to compare yourself to the conductor at the front of an orchestra, and that you are controlling the music you hear to accompany the reality that you see.
But I Don't Even Like Walking in Real Life
I know what you're thinking: "What's the point of walking from A to B in a video game if I'm not shooting anything?" And the answer is: walking gets you places, but it's not an end goal in itself, not unless you're in a timed race (in which a running speed is more preferable to the slow, flat-footed version). It's so subtle that it needs to be explicitly stated: the point of Proteus isn't to rush around from waypoint to waypoint; it's to explore and experience your surroundings. And that involves [emphasis here] STANDING STILL.
You don't get to fully appreciate the world of Proteus if things are constantly changing. And I mean this earnestly: for a game where there is a lot happening (yes, I said it), you won't see what's happening if you don't notice it. Why did that music happen? Is it that animal that just popped up? Is it because of the rain that just started falling? Is it because I've crossed biomes (usually snow to forest)? Is it because of a change in the day-night cycle?
I Play, Therefore I Am
You become hyper-aware of yourself in Proteus. Because you matter. It's a world created just for you, colored by the music shaped by your presence in it (yes, I'd cross back and forth between boundaries to hear what it sounded like, a real Homer-Simpson-at-the-embassy type of situation). It makes for an incredible experience that is in-between a game and a movie; it's interaction that shapes your perception of reality, but at the same time is reality itself since you made it.
Anal retentive Gamers may pooh-pooh the idea that nothing happens in this game, but if you were to make a blind gamer play this, they could tell something was happening. Proteus really is a game for the blind.
For a game that offers so much freedom, Proteus has a strong hand on the wheel. That's because Proteus has "levels" in which you progress to real and final ending. Just because you don't notice the guardrails ushering you along doesn't mean that they're not there.
Beauty and the (Music) Beats
If I had to describe Proteus in one word, it would be "beautiful". The game's graphics are noticeably low-fi and populated by crude, basic sprites, but the abstraction is necessary here. In this fantastical world, you're constantly questioning what you see; that thing obviously looks like a tree, but what's that squiggly thing there, especially when referring to supernatural phenomenon. To compensate, your mind makes the jump for you, and meets halfway with the music you are actively creating, making for a higher plane of existence and interaction that should be out of reach of we, the lowly and unaccustomed. It's just beautiful.
Sounds pretty amazing, huh? But no, it's not, because do so would just hype it to smashable heights by naysayers who complain they didn't feel anything from this pretentious video game. So I'll just say that there is a lot here to experience in Proteus, a game that may even make you think, and it'll always be waiting for you to play it, for real, whenever you're ready.
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Comment on May 2026 Backlog Burner: Week 5(ish) Discussion in ~games
BailerAppleby Link ParentContinued to play this and appear to be nearing the end. Just wanted to add that the puzzles are rather smart and logical. The clues are spread out, so if you don't find an answer, just go...Continued to play this and appear to be nearing the end. Just wanted to add that the puzzles are rather smart and logical. The clues are spread out, so if you don't find an answer, just go elsewhere and you may pick up the trail later down the road. NPC interactions are not static, so be sure to re-talk to the same people every now and then. There's even a "hint system" that the game provides.
This is a really smart game. It's a lot like Cabin in the Woods, but instead of post-modern quirkiness it delves into its characters. Like, the game cares about them and gives them motivations and backstories. Its not quite on the same level as Oxenfree, but they are realistically portrayed as young adults. Incredible, I know.
Hopefully, I'll have time to come back to this later. I always worry that the game won't be finished if there's an interruption.
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Comment on May 2026 Backlog Burner: Week 5(ish) Discussion in ~games
BailerAppleby Link ParentMore pet peeves: Your detective protag has computer-assisted bionic eyes that are used to gather and analyze evidence at crimes scene and solve murders... but not used once when solving any one of...More pet peeves:
- Your detective protag has computer-assisted bionic eyes that are used to gather and analyze evidence at crimes scene and solve murders... but not used once when solving any one of the game's many puzzles
- The game is called "Tales of the Neon Sea", but on the title splash pages, it calls itself "Tales of the Neonsea", as though it weren't troublematic to say in modern British parlance.
- The human women/prostitute characters are completely different from everyone else. It's like they were all created by one artist who didn't care to work in the same aspect ratio as everyone else, making for huge Amazons that tower over Rex and company.
- Everyone has big booba. This includes the captain AI. Her hologram barely contains enough photons to hold back her burgeoning bust.
- The hero always wears a trench coat and a fedora, but it doesn't rain once.
Tales of the Neon Sea is the most beautiful, inconsequential game I've played in a long time. It was conceived as and works best as visual novel tripe for fans who crave more content to click. It is Chinese takeout that will leave you hungry again after an hour. It is a hollow apple delivering no nutrition but all the original sin that a serpent can pack into a PG-rated game. It is inoffensively lurid and an offense to your sensibilities, all at once. Its success is a blight on good games made by devs with integrity. It needs to fail so that it can't inspire anything to follow it.
Another way to put it is that I didn't like it that much.
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Comment on May 2026 Backlog Burner: Week 5(ish) Discussion in ~games
BailerAppleby (edited )Link ParentHomebody It was too scary to play in the dark of night. But, having found my courage by the light of day, Homebody is a real treat to play... a real gem even. Homebody fills the bingo tile for...Homebody
It was too scary to play in the dark of night. But, having found my courage by the light of day, Homebody is a real treat to play... a real gem even.
Homebody fills the bingo tile for "Released in the year you joined Tildes" which would be "2023", and comes courtesy via the generosity of @Eidolon. I've only played it for a little bit, and it doesn't seem like that long of a game, but boy is it neat.
This is one of those "go in completely blind" type of games, so the less I say about it, the better. So I'll stick to the basics:
- Horror genre
with mild jump scares (they're minor, and won't give you David Lynch nightmares); would recommend this to people who don't like to be scared. From what I've seen, this is more suspenseful than anything; it makes great use of little creaks and doors opening to ratchet up the tension, but that's what it is: suspense. There are no Silent Hill monstrosities or whatever.EDIT Boy, did that turn out to be wrong. Some scary stuff in here. The scariest is the small details that will make you question yourself. - Very indie: no voiceover, no mouth speaking animations, lots of repetition. Keep your expectations down.
- As with all great genre examples: Makes great use of its limitations to transcend its genre.
Homebody, as its title suggests, deals with themes of anxiety. They are front and center in this game. For me, it makes for a great topic to use in a horror game; it works very well with the modern horror ruleset of flawed protagonists rather than following the "have sex, will die" rules of earlier slasher films.
Best of all (and I won't explain how this game expertly weaves it into its narrative), there is an actual story here. About people. With problems. And overcoming them. It doesn't detract from the thriller here, but it's told so well with good writing and characterization. You'll even sit up and pay attention to it rather than button-mash your way back to the action.
I can already tell this game is going to be good. It sets itself up so well that you know there's a payoff, one that you are invested in and want to know, so it doesn't matter even if turns out to be disappointing.
What an impressive little sleeper. Totally recommend this one; get it when on a sale. And don't ruin it for yourself! Don't read anything else about it. This isn't some amazing game that will change your life, but it is an impressive find that makes for a delightful playthrough. Someone had a great small idea, and then that idea was executed well into a small game, and now we get to play it. Wins all around.
- Horror genre
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Comment on May 2026 Backlog Burner: Week 5(ish) Discussion in ~games
BailerAppleby Link ParentTales of the Neon Sea I've been busy this past week and haven't been able to make as much progress as before. But what really slowed me down was my playing Tales of the Neon Sea to completion. I...Tales of the Neon Sea
I've been busy this past week and haven't been able to make as much progress as before. But what really slowed me down was my playing Tales of the Neon Sea to completion. I didn't enjoy it all that much as evidenced by my previous writeup, but I simply had to know how it ended. I was driven to find out if what I thought about was true.
I will say that it isn't a bad game. A lot went into it, and it appears to be a success that had humble beginnings as a Kickstarter campaign. It's complete, (mostly) bug-free, and delivers on being a point-and-click video game. There's lots of puzzles, you go to new places, you uncover stuff. It's what the kids want, and this game delivers.
On the other hand, I can't give a recommendation for it. And yes, while I can see that there is fun to be had with this game, I find it to be flawed on a fundamental level that makes it a detriment to the genre. It's a slight on pixel art, cyberpunk, and point-and-click adventures. It's best case scenario is to be forgotten and lost to time because anything influenced by Tales of the Neon Sea will be worse for it.
The Mystery That Isn't a Mystery
Tales of the Neon Sea fails at being a mystery. Or, even a noir, which it also references. Maybe it was never meant to be a mystery; maybe I, a man of mystery of note, am projecting myself onto this game unfairly. And yet, this game:
- Features a private detective as its protagonist who wears a fedora and a trench coat
- Features a massive conspiracy that is revealed at the end (think Chinatown, True Detective)
- Has you solve murders. At crime scenes. Using deduction and evidence, as it goes. Like people die, and you get asked, "So, what do you think?"
- The first words on its Steam page are: "Welcome to a world of intrigue and suspicion."
But no. Mystery genre fans who love whodunnits get blue-balled. There is no interactivity on solving crimes; you just solve puzzles and follow prompts and you get your answer. More than that, the game doesn't tell it's story as a mystery. As far as I know, the mystery genre hinges on drip-feeding the reader with info that allows the solution to be discovered; the best ones hide the clues in plain sight, requiring a second run-through so you can kick yourself for missing it. On the other hand, Tales of the Neon Sea doesn't even set up its low-stakes mystery, neglecting to make it personal for the hero even though the ending retcons his importance in the entire affair. Certain past cases are referenced, but it's not woven into the plot, nor does it resonate with the hero, who just goes wherever the story needs him.
To be clear, Tales of the Neon Sea doesn't have to be a mystery, but it also didn't have to dress itself up and pretend to be one either. For a video game that does mysteries right, check out Murder By Numbers, a great game more people should play. It's a picross-cum-visual-novel (yes, that's a thing) that is expertly made with great writing and fun nonogram gameplay. It doesn't have any interactivity when it comes to solving crimes, but the writing is pure mystery genre, setting up all the characters and clues for the reveal at the end. Best part: even if you hate mysteries, the game blasts through the exposition, so it appeals to everyone.
(Yes, I just recommended another game while reviewing this one. Tales of the Neon Sea is that bad.)
Cyberpunk? More Like Pseudopunk
The hologram prostitute advertisement is a mainstay of the cyberpunk genre. It's in both Blade Runner movies; it's a diehard reference that emphatically states which genre you're in. Sure. But for Tales of the Neon Sea, it's basically all that cyberpunk means to its dev. That, and neon shop signs in Chinese: that's it, that's cyberpunk. This game fails to address any of the main themes of cyberpunk, instead liberally copying its aesthetics to complete its homework assignment. Whereas any self-respecting cyberpunk genre entry asks "What is human?", Tales of the Neon Sea can not get past objectifying women in ways that the present can not yet provide.
Speaking of which, Tales of the Neon Sea is super weird about gooning women in its background. There are endless posters advertising prostitutes (in addition to the hologram ones; a window-shopping brothel makes a notable appearance as the solution to a puzzle; there are copious amounts of masterbation jokes and references to porno games. This, along with the ending, point to an indulging of depravity that does not speak kindly about the devs.
This all points to a lack of fundamental understanding about the very genre this game is supposed to be part of. It's all a mish-mash of interesting bits from other stuff the devs watched.
Pixel Art Non-Pick
I mentioned this before, so I'll keep this short. I like pixel art. I do not like this type of pixel art. From my layman's point of view, it looks fake, as in not true to the spirit of pixel art.
I like the backdrops, all the stuff that doesn't move. But the animations aren't pure, if there is such a thing. It just looks like textures grafted onto a skin. Those loopy Adventure-Time-style elbows don't cut it here.
I'm beyond my element here, and should be as trusted as your friendly drunk at the bar, but to me, pixel art should be reductive. It should embrace its limitations. It has its own visual logic that it abides with. This game doesn't have any of that. I know many games are made with "pixel art with QoL updates" such that "true" pixel art doesn't exist anymore on a certain level. But with Tales of the Neon Sea, it looks bad.
As I said before, even a smaller game like Terror of Oakheart looks much snappier as a pixel art game than this. I feel that Tales of the Neon Sea uses pixel art as lower-tier style upon which they can upload higher-tier effects like smoke and haze, making it look impressive (in a cop-out way).
About that ending...
The End (The "You've Got to Be Kidding Me" Part)
As if I wasn't supposed to be playing and talking about other games, I just got to say this about the ending.
Spoilers
So: The most interesting thing that happens in this game happened in the past, being the weird occult murders where dismembered bodies are arranged into weird sculptures. They happened multiple times, are all witnessed first-hand by the hero, but he doesn't talk about them or reference them. He has no lingering trauma or PTSD about it. He has no memory problems. It's just revealed at the end of the game when the game goes, "Oh yeah, the mystery to be revealed is this thing that already happened."
This is an artificial way of telling a story. It's not true to itself or its characters. It's just manipulated that way to create a dramatic climax that doesn't earn it.
As a by the way, what's up with this rivalry between the hero and the villain? The hero was just some basic flatfoot policeman before he quit and became a private eye, and yet he and the big bad are on some kind of Holmes-Moriarty level of rivals. It's lazy and unearned.
This is the kind of crap that mediocre visual novels try to pull off all the time and succeed. You've plowed through this massive story, one sentence at a time, and you need to build to an interesting ending. In the absence of good writing, just artificially limit what the audience knows.
The Verdict (True Ending)
I'm bad at puzzle games; I get frustrated and give in to the temptation and look up the solutions. But not with Tales of the Neon Sea; I blasted through each puzzle, even if it took me a moment to figure out. And it's not like I'm smart or a pro at puzzles; it's that these puzzles weren't meant to be solved easily. It's that type of game.
Netflix has changed their strategy to have the dialog of its self-produced movies to repeat plot points so as to make them easier to watch. Because it's just content to consume. That's what Tales of the Neon Sea: just a video game to finish that has easy puzzles and is easy on the eyes (i.e. neon boobies, which would be a better name for this game). It doesn't challenge you with difficulty or its themes. It's meant to titillate tourists with its depravity that you can forget within hours. That's why I don't recommend it.
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Comment on May 2026 Backlog Burner: Week 5(ish) Discussion in ~games
BailerAppleby (edited )LinkWith just two days left in the month, here is my bingo card at the moment: May 30 bingo card Flux Standard bingo 15/25 ✅ Bomb Rush Cyberfunk.. Uses a unique control scheme ✅ Hatoful Boyfriend Came...With just two days left in the month, here is my bingo card at the moment:
May 30 bingo card
Flux Standard bingo 15/25 Popular game you never got around to playing
✅ Bomb Rush Cyberfunk..Uses a unique control scheme Focuses on relationships
✅ Hatoful BoyfriendCame out more than 9 years ago Your friend loves it
✅ Tales of The Neon SeaHas been played at a Backlog Burner
✅ Still ThereHas driving
✅ Breakneck..You have to tinker to get it running
✅ The Textorcist: The Story of Ray Bibbia..It’s already installed Adaptation of other media type (e.g. board game, movie) From a different culture or country
✅ Generation Zero..From a genre you don’t normally play
✅ The Shapeshifting Detective..★ Wildcard Chosen for you by someone else
✅ Bendy and the Ink MachineKnown for its real-world drama
✅ Not Tonight 2You control a party of characters You wanted it when you were younger Owned for more than 4 years
✅ Doki Doki Literature ClubIs beatable without killing any enemies
✅ AtmasphereIs one of the oldest games you own Released in the year you joined Tildes
✅ Homebody..Has cards Focuses on exploration
✅ Guild of DarksteelHas a score system From a series you have played
✅ Legend of Grimrock 2..Up to now, I haven't yet gotten a bingo, but now have a chance to get four(!) at the same time. I hadn't really planned on this; if I was planning, I would have better selected my games to expedite the process, but no, I had to pick them randomly as if I had all the time in the world. That's why I'm going to (foolishly) announce my plans to finish (at least) these three games in the next two days:
Prospective Game List
- Proteus
- Tails Noir
- Octahedron
Those, along with Homebody (which is not yet finished) are my stated goals for this weekend, so here's hoping I can pull this off. But whatever happens, this backlog burner was fun to do: I got to meet more of the Tildes community, I played games that I've been meaning to play, I got lots of feedback, and I got to talk about video games. It's been great to have been a part of this; even though I won't get a blackout, it was all worth doing all the same.
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Comment on Save Point: A game deal roundup for the week of May 24 in ~games
BailerAppleby (edited )LinkHumble is offering a $12 for 10 (USD) game bundle right now. Only one tier, but you get all of this: Super Meat Boy Beat Cop Anomaly Agent Rubber Bandits Pumpkin Jack Liquor Store Simulator Once...Humble is offering a $12 for 10 (USD) game bundle right now.
Only one tier, but you get all of this:
- Super Meat Boy
- Beat Cop
- Anomaly Agent
- Rubber Bandits
- Pumpkin Jack
- Liquor Store Simulator
- Once Alive
- Livelock
- Hell Pie
- Hammerwatch II
- Haunted Lands
- Flooded
A lot of filler here, but on that chance that you don't own any of these, there is some good value here, especially for Super Meat Boy, Pumpkin Jack, and Hell Pie. Beat Cop looks interesting as does Once Alive, but there is nothing here if you're looking for AA-quality and up, mostly quirky indies you can get for $0.83 each.
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Comment on May 2026 Backlog Burner: Week 4 Discussion in ~games
BailerAppleby Link ParentCongrats on your bingo! And I wanted to add that NUTS looks fantastic, and sounds hilarious! Squirrels are hot for conspiracy theories now, what with Rick & Morty and the ongoing internet joke, so...Congrats on your bingo! And I wanted to add that NUTS looks fantastic, and sounds hilarious! Squirrels are hot for conspiracy theories now, what with Rick & Morty and the ongoing internet joke, so this looks ripe for the pickings!
Congrats on shrinking your backlog! I've taken a similar strategy to yours, and find it helps with my mindset.
I also played Doki Doki Literature Club for this backlog. Personally, I can't believe it took me so long to play this free game, so it's just as well I finally got around to it on a backlog burner. As the
cough
Fatal AttractionSpeaking in hushed tones,
spoiler talk
I heard that DDLC has different story paths depending on your choices. I for sure do not want to play it again soon, and neither do I really want to go back down into that rabbit hole, so what was your story like? I concentrated my attention on Yuri and so was able to read a book next to her and feed her chocolate. As a result, Sayori was the first victim, and then Yuri was the second for which I spend the entire weekend looking at her, spamming the button to skip time as fast as possible.
Was your experience similar? Hope you're not too disturbed by this game.