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Comment on November 2025 Backlog Burner: Week 4 Discussion in ~games
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Comment on November 2025 Backlog Burner: Week 4 Discussion in ~games
Wes Link ParentOh my god, you've gone off the rails, Kefir! Madness has descended and words no longer have any meaning. This reality is failing before our very eyes. Okay, but interesting pick. I had a quick...I bought new shoes ... and I was surprised at how comfortable they were. [marks game as Comfortable]
Oh my god, you've gone off the rails, Kefir! Madness has descended and words no longer have any meaning. This reality is failing before our very eyes.
Okay, but interesting pick. I had a quick look at the developer's page, and they've actually produced a handful of very competent looking indie games. It's a bit of a shame that none of them seem to have sold very well, but it's also gratifying to know they keep trying. Best of luck to you, Somepx!
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Comment on November 2025 Backlog Burner: Week 4 Discussion in ~games
Wes Link ParentManifold Garden - What will you grow? A mind-bending, surrealist experience; Manifold Garden is a living Escher painting. Like a painting, the world is stunning to look at. The scenery seemingly...Manifold Garden - What will you grow?
A mind-bending, surrealist experience; Manifold Garden is a living Escher painting.
Like a painting, the world is stunning to look at. The scenery seemingly stretches on forever, daring you to jump. The minimalist architecture is punctuated by bold colours that draw the eye and signal puzzle design.
You might be reminded of another minimalist game, Antichamber. The influence is unmistakable, and they both make use of non-Euclidean spaces and screen wrapping to create impossible landscapes. However, where Antichamber is fundamentally a block manipulation game, Manifold Garden is all about directing gravity.
Players can interact with a nearby wall to make it their new floor. Each direction has an associated colour, which is the only way to really orient yourself. There is no canonical "up" here. Most objects are colour-coded too, and can only be manipulated when you're standing on a floor of a matching colour.
I think of the world like a hollow Rubik's Cube: you can stand on the inside of a coloured face and interact with objects of that colour. When you move to a different face, gravity flips as if you're rotating the cube.
I found myself getting more familiar with the constant reorientation as I played. Indeed, the most efficient way to move is often by flipping gravity and falling down a hallway rather than walking the distance. As a result, I imagine this game has some very impressive speedruns.
The puzzles have been well-designed so far. Most haven't been too difficult, but a few had me scratching my head. I appreciate that they require you to actually solve them, as you're unlikely to walk into a solution by accident. That's definitely the hallmark of great puzzle design.
As there's no tutorial, you learn the rules through experimentation. New mechanics are introduced as you progress which gradually increases complexity. From what I've seen, the problem space appears quite large.
I'm submitting this one under the category "Focuses on exploration", though mostly due to its exploration of mechanics rather than environs.
Manifold Garden is a unique, abstract puzzler that tickled my brain in just the right way. You might like it, too!
(: ¡unɟ ǝʌɐH
GOD EATER 3 - A dangerous morsel.
I went into this one completely blind. What the heck is a "God Eater"?
I would describe this one as Monster Hunter lite. It doesn't quite have the mechanical complexity of the MH series, but it's well above that of a typical hack'n slash.
For MH vets, the gameplay loop will feel familiar. You fight large monsters called Aragami using oversized weapons. Monsters drop parts, which you use to craft and upgrade your gear. Each weapon type has a distinct yet complex moveset.
I tried a handful of weapons and found I liked the responsiveness of the scythe. For ranged weapons, the shotgun seemed a good choice for fast damage. This was not easy to test, though, as the NPC allies were so overpowered they'd often solo the early-game monsters while I was still figuring out the controls.
The game is mission-based, with story advancing through cutscenes after each outing. It takes a while to get going, and you're stuck in tutorial mode for the first two hours or so. This is somewhat justified, as the game does throw a lot of mechanics at you.
One big difference from Monster Hunter is the art style. God Eater 3 is unabashedly anime. From the opening cinematic, the game hits you with a high-intensity animation that really gets the blood pumping.
I was generally impressed with the music, animations, and art style. Though being an anime game, the body proportions are also about what you'd expect.
The character creator was fairly limited, with the notable exception of the voice options. I was given a whopping 20 voices to choose from, and each one sounded great. It's a small thing, but I was honestly impressed.
One thing that didn't impress me was the new player experience. Before getting control over your character, you need to click through roughly 50 popups. They were mostly patch notes from previous versions of the game, but it really breaks the introduction's flow.
All in all, I enjoyed it. It scratches that monster-hunting itch in a completely new universe, and really picks up once you leave the tutorial. I expect to play more in the coming weeks.
This one is going under the category "From a series you've never played", because it's from a series I've never played. But who knows -- maybe I'll tackle the other installments some day.
Carnivores: Dinosaur Hunter Reborn - Clever girl.
I remember playing Deer Hunter II on Windows 98. I was a kid at the time, and never very good at it. I'm not even sure I ever had a successful hunt, but I kept coming back. I'd set up my tree stand, cover myself in buck urine, and watch the treeline.
Looking back, it seems the late '90s were a golden era for hunting sims. 1998 saw the release of Deer Hunter, Cabela's Big Game Hunter, and today's focus, Carnivores.
Carnivores has gone through many iterations. The original game, developed by Action Forms, released in '98 and was followed by three sequels over the next few years. Later, mobile developer Tatem Games revived it for iOS and Android as Carnivores: Dinosaur Hunter, and also released an HD version for the PS3.
The version I played, Carnivores: Dinosaur Hunter Reborn, came out in 2015 for PC. Developed by Digital Dreams Entertainment in partnership with Tatem Games, it's an enhanced version of the HD PS3 release.
Finally, Digital Dreams produced a Unity-based version titled Carnivores: Dinosaur Hunt in 2021. Unfortunately, this meant the previous version was delisted from Steam.
Carnivores has certainly been around. However, since I wasn't familiar with any of these studios, I feel comfortable slotting this under "From a studio you haven't heard of before".
So what does a 90s-PC-title–turned-mobile-game–turned-PC-game look like? Well, about what you'd expect: rudimentary gameplay, a UI with giant buttons, few graphical settings, and currencies displayed as bubbly gem and crown sprites.
I also really liked it.
All the positive memories I had with Deer Hunter II came flooding back to me as I tracked my prey. Sure, a stegosaurus is a pretty big deer, but the careful, methodical approach hunting requires just felt right. It was almost like I was camping out in a tree again, covered in urine. It was a great feeling.
The hunting gameplay is actually pretty solid, at least for the era. Sound and smell can alert dinosaurs to your presence, meaning you need to move slowly and stay downwind.
Your aim is pretty shaky after running, but you can steady it by holding your breath. Aim for the soft organs, usually in the forward belly region, for a clean kill.
To ethically hunt dinosaurs, one also needs to buy a license. This is one of the primary methods of progression, as higher-tier dinosaurs are worth more points.
Here's where I complain though. The balance in the point system still feels very much like a mobile game: unlocking guns, tools, and licenses is painfully slow. I don't know whether the developers simply removed all the pay-to-win features without rebalancing, or if it was even worse before. Either way, the current rates are glacial, and I'd happily triple them.
Still, this could make a very decent podcast- or audiobook-friendly game. It doesn't require a ton of attention - except when going in for the kill - and it's relatively low stakes. I had a good time with it, and expect to return to the hunt soon.
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Comment on November 2025 Backlog Burner: Week 4 Discussion in ~games
Wes Link ParentGood rec on Roadwarden. I find the two-tone color palette really charming as well. They still utilize shading and other techniques, so the effect comes off as stylized yet detailed. I think I'm...Good rec on Roadwarden. I find the two-tone color palette really charming as well. They still utilize shading and other techniques, so the effect comes off as stylized yet detailed.
I think I'm already on my "third chance" with Noita. It's a game I want to like so badly, but it just doesn't click for me. I guess I need to watch some tutorials to figure out the wand building, because my experience basically echoes your own: death, death, death.
I still find their falling sand engine to be incredibly impressive, and I hope they continue to work with it, and maybe create a second game using the technology. Their wizard character would also feel right at home in a puzzle game that that employs different elements, or even a more traditional action RPG.
Ah, but knowing me, I'll probably give Noita another try yet. Fourth time's the charm?
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Comment on November 2025 Backlog Burner: Week 4 Discussion in ~games
Wes Link ParentI was at first surprised by the the steampunk theme in the menu, thinking it seemed unusual for a stealth game. I'd assumed it was just another example of 90s software being really into...I was at first surprised by the the steampunk theme in the menu, thinking it seemed unusual for a stealth game. I'd assumed it was just another example of 90s software being really into skeuomorphism. But as I played, I kept seeing gears and steam pumps everywhere, and eventually realized it was a huge part of the game world.
You're 100% right about the control presets. It seems there's a bunch of them made available by default. Whoops. Oh well, at least I learned the key functions well by manually going over each of them.
The Forgotten City is definitely one of my standouts from this event so far. Do check it out if you get the chance. I'm even willing to forgive you for the irony of forgetting it.
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Comment on November 2025 Backlog Burner: Week 4 Discussion in ~games
Wes (edited )Link ParentHey, if you found a game that you clicked with, that's just another success story, right? I'm glad you're enjoying DD2, especially after bouncing off it before. Thanks for the update as we near...Hey, if you found a game that you clicked with, that's just another success story, right? I'm glad you're enjoying DD2, especially after bouncing off it before.
Thanks for the update as we near the end of the event. There'll be
one more thread for the last few days of the month ("Week 5-ish"), and thena final wrap up thread on Dec 1st.edit: No Week 5-ish thread this month.
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Comment on November 2025 Backlog Burner: Week 4 Discussion in ~games
Wes Link ParentGolfie - Slicing the Spire. How does "randomness determine your fate" in golf? By making it into a roguelike card game, of course! Each run of Golfie begins with a basic starter deck. These cards...Golfie - Slicing the Spire.
How does "randomness determine your fate" in golf? By making it into a roguelike card game, of course!
Each run of Golfie begins with a basic starter deck. These cards are crucial for play, as your shots are otherwise weak and ineffective. You can collect new cards by finding them in levels or purchasing them from vendors.
New cards often enable more complex interactions, like activating a jetpack or placing a ramp. It sounds good on paper, but each new addition makes it harder to draw the basic cards you actually need. A ramp is useless if you don't have the power to clear it.
I was hoping Golfie would put me into situations requiring wacky solutions like ramps and jetpacks. In reality, most experimentation with cards proved detrimental, and sticking to the basic deck was often the safest bet. Turning my ball to rubber or making it explode on contact just introduced too much unpredictability.
I feel that some method to mitigate the randomness beyond deck editing would be helpful. Allowing cards to carry over at the cost of energy, or increasing your baseline power through progression would make it less risky to experiment.
Another source of randomness is the procedurally generated holes. They're created on-demand as you choose a path along the overworld map. Each hole follows a theme, like beach or industrial, and may include modifiers like extra coins, depending on your route.
The holes do feel varied with features like slopes, water hazards, and coin pickups. That said, when compared to traditional, hand-designed golf courses, they start to feel a bit repetitive. Their procedural nature also occasionally produces awkward layouts, making the difficulty somewhat scattershot.
In one case, I found myself wedged in a seam at the edge of a map. There are no mulligans in this game, so my run ended there. In fact, most of my runs ended because of a single, difficult hole. This can be frustrating as it feels beyond the control of the player. At least in regular golf, you can just accept the max score for the hole and move on.
By my count, this is now the third golf game I've played for a Backlog Burner event. I enjoyed both Golf Club: Nostalgia and Golfing Over It with Alva Majo previously, but couldn't quite connect with this one. It's a clever idea and certainly delivers on its premise, though I found it almost too faithful to its roguelike brethren. The blending of genres didn't quite work for me.
Wuchang: Fallen Feathers - Fading beauty.
The Ming dynasty is faltering. Bandits roam the countryside, and rumours spread of a strange disease that sprouts feathers in the afflicted, driving them to violence.
This is the world you enter in Wuchang: Fallen Feathers. You wake in a cave, beset with feathers on your arm, and with no memory of who you are.
It's a unique setting for a soulslike set in 1600s China, and everything from the first steps onward will feel familiar to fans of the Souls series.
For me, it felt a bit like sliding on a form-fitting glove. The controls responded exactly as I expected, and the usual mechanics were all there: estus, bonfires, soul currency, and so on.
Wuchang also draws inspiration from Sekiro with a posture-breaking mechanic. Applying constant pressure with well-placed charged attacks will stagger opponents, allowing for massive strikes. This is important in boss fights, and rewards both aggression and knowledge of enemy patterns.
One departure from the Souls games is the massive skill tree, which governs everything from new abilities and combos to stat increases and estus flask upgrades. The menu feels a bit overloaded, but it likely allows for very specialized builds, especially at low levels.
I spent my skill points on spear abilities. I enjoyed the extra reach they provided, and the lower stamina costs made them more reliable in extended combat. There is also a parry feature that I haven't mastered the timing for yet, but I expect it will become a boon once I do.
The combat feels responsive and offers multiple approaches to each encounter. You have the usual light and heavy attacks, along with specialized weapon arts and swappable techniques, such as the aforementioned parry. Magic and consumable items can also be useful in a pinch.
One new feature is the last-second dodge, which grants a temporary buff that increases weapon skill damage. I found this easier to weave into combat than a traditional parry, and enjoyed the risk/reward it adds for daring players.
The combat is quite involved, and will take me more practice to feel confident with. Thankfully, an in-game guide covers each of the mechanics. Loading screen tips also offer helpful advice, like this gem of wisdom: "You lose health when attacked".
Up to now, I've been using Souls-specific terms like "estus flask" because they're familiar. Wuchang rebrands everything, and I had to pause when I first read "Access the Impetus Repository to convert Red Mercury into Essence". It really just means "spend your money to level up and unlock skills", but it takes a moment to parse. Thankfully, the classic "Door does not open from this side" is still there.
Beyond its mechanics, Wuchang is absolutely gorgeous to look at. Yes, your character is very pretty, and the outfits clearly show off the game's assets. But the environments themselves provide a refreshing contrast to the gothic fantasy common in soulslikes. The landscapes are lush, and the Chinese temples and shrines create a richly detailed world to explore.
Importantly, the world isn't purely fictional. Wuchang grounds itself in real-world history, and it's actually for that reason that I'm submitting this game for the category "Known for its real-world drama" -- though this will require a little context.
Wuchang takes place during the late Ming dynasty, a period of great hardship for the Han people. Marked by famine and financial collapse, there was widespread unrest and rebellion. Beijing itself was eventually taken over by rebel forces, culminating in the Chongzhen Emperor's suicide.
Faced with rebels on one side and advancing Manchu forces on the other, the Ming general Wu Sangui made a fateful decision: he allowed the Manchus to enter China to help crush the rebellion. While the plan succeeded, it also paved the way for the Manchus to consolidate power. Rather than restoring the Ming dynasty, they established a new dynasty, the Qing.
Over the following decades, the Qing used both military campaigns and political maneuvering to solidify their rule and subdue the remaining Ming loyalists. This was not a bloodless transition, and while there was eventually an integration of Han and Manchu populations, lingering resentments endured across generations.
As you can imagine, this remains a politically charged topic even today. Debate continues over whether the Qing were a legitimate continuation of the dynastic cycle, or an invading power against the Han people. The conflict sits at the intersection of personal identity, official narrative, and cultural memory.
By setting the game in this era, Wuchang wades into arguments that are long-standing and well-practiced. Its story features famous historical figures from the Ming side as both NPCs and bosses, requiring the player to defeat them to progress. This apparent one-sidedness has led some to accuse the developers of bias.
In an effort to ameliorate these concerns, the devs later patched the game so that certain characters no longer truly die, instead becoming "exhausted". This change triggered a second wave of controversy in both China and the West about censorship, particularly as the changes made some parts of the game easier and undercut key emotional moments.
It seemed like a no-win situation for the developers, and I feel bad for how harshly the game was review bombed in response. Some legitimate concerns about performance and a preorder bonus mixup also didn't help, though these were addressed in later patches.
I wouldn't normally have started a 30-hour game during this event, but the richness of this real-world history felt worth exploring, and my love of the Soulslike genre made it harder to resist.
I plan to set the game aside for now, and return to it after the Backlog Burner is over. Thankfully, the familiar gameplay will make it easy to pick up again, and I'm not yet deep into the story.
Wuchang is fun, fluid, mechanically satisfying, and steeped in history. It's worth checking out for any fans of the genre.
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Comment on November 2025 Backlog Burner: Week 4 Discussion in ~games
Wes Link ParentBingooo!! I really enjoy the underwater theme, and it sounds like Subnautica nails that aesthetic. Outside of titles like Bioshock (entering the bathysphere), I really can't think of too many...Bingooo!!
I really enjoy the underwater theme, and it sounds like Subnautica nails that aesthetic. Outside of titles like Bioshock (entering the bathysphere), I really can't think of too many games that give you the sense of descending into the deep, dark beyond.
I played an interesting modpack for Minecraft a few years back that was "skyblock", except underwater, called Seablock. Similarly, in the "Programming/technical projects" thread, I just posted about an underwater Minecraft base I started recently, hoping to capture the same feel. We'll see how it turns out - I'll resume work on that come December.
I'm glad I finished on this one, because I'm probably going to spend a fair bit of time with it.
I can relate on this point. Through this month, I've started to accrue a list of games I'd like to go back and finish once the event is over. I'm now up to like five that I really enjoyed. On the one hand, it leaves me feeling a little flustered with options! But on the other, I'm glad to have a list of games I already know I'll enjoy and that are ready and waiting for me.
Plus, separating the wheat from the chaff is kind of the point of this exercise, right? I'm not just absolving guilt from impulse buys I made years ago!
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Comment on November 2025 Backlog Burner: Week 4 Discussion in ~games
Wes Link ParentJCPhoenix is playing a detective game? I can't believe it! Shame you had to re-record your footage for Yangtze, but I appreciate the effort. The visual aesthetic is very nice on this one, and the...JCPhoenix is playing a detective game? I can't believe it!
Shame you had to re-record your footage for Yangtze, but I appreciate the effort. The visual aesthetic is very nice on this one, and the ability to draw around areas of interest really helps sell the illusion that you're driving the story. The history snippets are also fun.
I do think it's cool to see more international games coming to the West, and being made available on PC, even if the early ports are not as polished as we may hope for. It seems like developers are getting more used to the platform, and expected features and polish are slowly improving. But it's definitely not 100% yet, and I can relate to some frustration when there's localization bugs, or missing features like borderless fullscreen or Steam Cloud.
Chef RPG seems a good fit for the Life Sim category. It has lovely art too, and I like that you can choose your starting season. Not sure what was up with the text bug you kept running into. The cooking was fun... but maybe don't quit your day job.
I've heard people rave about the story in Until Then. It looks good. It's kind of hilarious that you can "like" others' social media posts, and then get called out on it. It definitely seems like the kind of game I'd want to completely immerse myself in. That's also true for Eastward, actually.
Well done on the 4x bingo, by the way! I'm still working towards mine.
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Comment on November 2025 Backlog Burner: Week 4 Discussion in ~games
Wes Link ParentAppreciate the history alongside the review. It sounds like a labour of love, and it's cool to see how the game has evolved (and then devolved) over time. I can see they're all really highly rated...Appreciate the history alongside the review. It sounds like a labour of love, and it's cool to see how the game has evolved (and then devolved) over time. I can see they're all really highly rated releases, too.
It seemed like for a few years there, demakes were really in vogue. Gang Garrison 2, Bloodborne PSX, and Portal N64 all come to mind. I love the trend.
There's something really satisfying about seeing modern games reinterpreted through older technologies. It's hard to imagine a game like Portal existing on the N64, but the project above shows it is possible. Some of the old school tricks needed are also entertaining, like performing fake reflections by cloning a player and positioning them behind a mirror.
Even some modern titles like Ion Fury are built using the old Build Engine, used for Duke Nukem 3D and others. It almost feels like devs are tired of the absurd complexity of modern engines, and long to get back to the simpler days. I sort of get it. They still require a ton of work, but it's gratifying to build something from the ground up, and not rely on shaders, plugins, and middleware for everything.
Hardware hacking remains very much alive today, and I'm glad.
Also, your category choice is just the kind of post hoc justification I needed in my life. You could've taken a shortcut and redirected from AAA back to gaming, but nope, we're taking a very necessary detour through the phone book first. Well done!
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Comment on November 2025 Backlog Burner: Week 4 Discussion in ~games
Wes Link ParentI thought Façade was a very neat game when it released. Most encounters ended the same way ("I think you should leave"), but it felt so novel at the time. I'd be curious to see a more fleshed out...I thought Façade was a very neat game when it released. Most encounters ended the same way ("I think you should leave"), but it felt so novel at the time. I'd be curious to see a more fleshed out game using modern NLP techniques, even just to see if it'd actually be fun, or just interesting.
I think I know what you mean about a game becoming less effective once you understand its mechanics. This touches a bit on "players optimizing the fun out of games", but sometimes, it's just that the game doesn't create a convincing enough smokescreen to make its mechanics feel integrated or believable. You start to focus on the smaller elements, and not engage with the game as a whole.
For example, if I discovered in Tony Hawk's Pro Skater that the best method to score points is to perform nothing but special tricks, that kind of takes away from all the other interesting trick types in the game. But I'm not some scrub who's not gonna get a high score, so you bet your butt I'll be hearing that special trick sound on repeat for the next 20 minutes.
Was this more fun, or did I just hyper-focus on the scoring mechanic?
Horror games are another good example. If you can understand a monster's AI, or predict its behavioral patterns, it ceases to be a monster. It's just a hazard that pathfinds to you by following specific rules. Learn to manipulate those rules, and that's when the game stops being scary.
Big props to Amnesia, by the way, for having an incomprehensibly-complex monster AI that cannot be easily predicted. Despite its age, it's still one of the most convincing horror games I've seen.
I'm glad to hear that Indiana Jones has restored your faith in the classic P&C. Crisis averted, and Indy saves the day, yet again.
By the way, you may need an extra line break after your closing
</summary>tag for the markdown to fully work. That's why your link is broken. It's a common issue. -
Comment on November 2025 Backlog Burner: Week 4 Discussion in ~games
Wes Link ParentThe Forgotten City - Reminding us all of the golden rule. Salve, friend. Let me tell you about a strange time and a stranger place. A place where sin isn't possible, and nothing bad ever happens....The Forgotten City - Reminding us all of the golden rule.
Salve, friend. Let me tell you about a strange time and a stranger place. A place where sin isn't possible, and nothing bad ever happens. A gilded age, if you will. Let me introduce you to The Forgotten City.
This game blew me away. I was immediately hooked, and felt five hours melt away before I knew it. I went to bed that night thinking about the world and its story. My only regret is playing this title so early in the week, since I needed to pull myself away to actually play other things.
I'm submitting this under the category "Has a time limit", though some may choose to quibble. It is time-loopy, so technically you have all the time you could ask for. However, there is a limited amount of time in each day to get things done, a la Majora's Mask, and I think that will be consequential in the end.
This title is interesting because it started life as a Skyrim mod. It was so good that they spun it out into a real, standalone game, built in Unreal 4.
Despite being remade from scratch, there's still clear influence from the original Skyrim mod. The physics feel similar, mechanics like quick-saving/loading are available, stealing is still there (though considerably more consequential in this game), and there's even a dev console enabled by default.
Unlike a lot of Skyrim mods though, this game is polished to the nines (or the Nine Divines). For example, everyone starts as a "Stranger" to you, and you learn their name by talking to them. Okay, that's common enough in games. But you can also learn a name if you overhear it being spoken, or seeing strong contextual clues. It's a small detail but I was impressed by how well that worked.
The game features something akin to a "class" system, letting you choose a perk to play with. I chose a backstory that put me on the lam, granting a 25% faster sprint speed. Listen, if you're ever given the option, never turn down more movement speed. More health is nice, but running right past the danger is even nicer. Never skip leg day.
The game's world takes place in a sunken Roman city, deep in a hidden valley. It's funny, I had just made a comment about Titan Quest being set in a unique locale, and now here we are again. Okay, admittedly Ancient Greece may predate the Roman empire by five centuries or so, but close enough, right?
The environments look great, and the statues dotting the landscape give me Piranesi vibes. The animations are smooth, and must be mocapped because the facial details look great. The voice over work is also really well done.
I opted to turn off the "hint whispers", because I'd like to get to the bottom of this mystery myself. Still, it feels like the statues are whispering to me... drawing me in closer... No, it must've been the wind.
Technically, the game feels great. It offered a full options menu, with my favourite feature ever, borderless fullscreen.
My one complaint was going to be that the camera zooms in when sprinting. I really dislike this effect, as it causes me motion sickness like nothing else. Thankfully, since they included a console, I could run
fov 90to override the zoom-in effect and lock my field of view.Suffice it to say, I'm looking forward to playing more. I already have a notepad with dozens of observations, and I'll be back to collect more soon.
Hoa - A puzzle-platformer in pastel.
Hoa is beautiful to look at, with soft landscapes and gentle piano tracks that set a relaxing atmosphere. For some, it could be the perfect way to unwind after a stressful day.
The gameplay, however, doesn't quite match the artistry. The platforming is simple and rarely challenging, and the puzzles are mostly perfunctory. I was ready to put the game down after just an hour, and nearly did. However, I decided instead to use the low-engagement gameplay as an opportunity to catch up on videos while playing, which turned out well. I finished the game in about 2.5 hours.
Even if I wasn't very engaged, I'm sure many would appreciate Hoa for what it is. I personally prefer more challenge, but the game clearly succeeds in creating a serene atmosphere, and the gameplay arguably suits it.
I'm submitting this under "Same number of letters as your username", though my options were fairly limited.
Thief Gold - Aged like fine wine, which might fetch a nice price...
I had to think about my options for the category "From now-defunct dev studio". When I came across a game from Looking Glass Studios, it felt right. They were a big name in the '90s and produced many landmark games, including Thief and System Shock. I'm glad to finally give one a try.
Thief is a classic title. Originally published as Thief: The Dark Project in 1998, it was upgraded to Thief Gold the next year, featuring three new missions and other enhancements.
"Gold" may be an appropriate term, as this game is now in its golden years. When booting it for the first time, I had the choice of playing at 640x480 or 800x600. Woof.
Thankfully, as is often the case, a community mod saved the day by patching the game for modern systems. I'm now running the game in glorious 4K thanks to the TFix mod. It applied a few other texture upgrades as well, but the biggest change was the internal update to the Dark Engine.
Another hint to the age was the default control scheme: it used WASD, except A/D rotated the camera instead of strafing. I spent some time reconfiguring all of the controls, then jumped into the tutorial.
My first impressions were positive. The tutorial steps you through the darkness and sound mechanics, and suggests that maybe you shouldn't wear stilettos on cobblestone if you want to avoid detection. Good advice! The game taught me how to use a bow and sword. It then admonished me for trying to use a bow against my sparring partner.
After that, I played through two missions. That might not sound like much, but it still took me about four hours to complete. I played on Hard, and completed all of the objectives for each mission. Admittedly, a lot of that time was spent trying to read the map. Some quick-saving/loading may have been involved towards the end, as I lost patience with resetting.
The stealth mechanics feel rewarding. The focus on light really makes you think about your positioning, and leads to some dynamic situations (eg. luring a guard to a dark area, or dousing a wall-mounted torch with a water arrow). Of course, there's always the faithful option of waiting for a guard to come around a corner, then smacking them with a billy. Knockouts are permanent, so you can find a nice dark spot for others to take a nap in.
I was surprised by the amount of world building that went into the Thief universe. Thematically, the technology is very steampunk, with cogs and pressure valves powering most devices. A few modern features, like security cameras, are also present, and they're bloody hard to see.
Cults and religion seem to drive the major powers in this game, and are backed by a magic that feels somewhat occult. Supernatural elements are also present, though I found them best to run past. Zombies are not interested in stealth tactics.
I streamed a mission for some friends, and they commented on how great and authentic the game looked. They assumed it was a modern game in a retro-style. Nope, it's just Thief! But I can understand the sentiment, because the game does look and play great. I might have even thought the same, had I not just spent 30 minutes installing patches and tweaking controls.
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Comment on November 2025 Backlog Burner: Week 4 Discussion in ~games
Wes (edited )LinkOnto the final week! I fell behind in week 3, but I'm back now with my final mini card. It's time to burn backlogs and chew bubblegum... and I'm all outta gum. Week 4: Flux Category Entry ✅...Onto the final week! I fell behind in week 3, but I'm back now with my final mini card.
It's time to burn backlogs and chew bubblegum... and I'm all outta gum.
Week 4: Flux
Category Entry ✅ Focuses on exploration Manifold Garden ✅ From a series you have never played GOD EATER 3 ✅ Known for its real-world drama Wuchang: Fallen Feathers ✅ Randomness determines your fate Golfie ✅ Same number of letters as your username Hoa ✅ From now-defunct dev studio Thief Gold ✅ From a studio you haven't heard of before Carnivores: Dinosaur Hunter Reborn ✅ Has a time limit The Forgotten City -
Comment on November 2025 Backlog Burner: Week 2 Discussion in ~games
Wes Link ParentI don't know how, but I completely missed this comment my first time through. Sorry, JC! I see Makoto Wakaido is another game full of fresh red paint. Wait, am I allowed to reference a later...I don't know how, but I completely missed this comment my first time through. Sorry, JC!
I see Makoto Wakaido is another game full of fresh red paint. Wait, am I allowed to reference a later week's games, or is that against the bingo code? This is what happens when I miss things!
It seems like this one mostly tests that you're paying attention to the clues, and picking up on details. I gather this comes easily for you, as you seem to have an affinity for detective games.
The twinkly background track reminds me of the OST for an old N64 game, Body Harvest. The reference is probably lost on everyone though, because virtually nobody has played that game. But the OST always stuck out to me as unique, so I was happy to be reminded of it.
Next up: Nine Noir, cat detective. I'm sensing a pattern here. I'm surprised by how few reviews this game has considering the apparent production quality. It seems to have great humour, and the VA really carries it. Being able to lick everything is also great. These dang fat cats and their fancy offices, though.
Akiba's Trip was actually less lewd than I was expecting, at least in the first 45 minutes. That might not last. I do get the appeal of a modern city in an anime art style. Like you said, the recent Digimon games look great for the same reason.
Intravenous seems pretty cool, and is one I also own (from somewhere?). My first thought was of Hotline Miami, and the gunplay is similar, but the focus on stealth makes a big difference. I like that it almost has the puzzle element in deciding how to approach a situation.
Okay, now to travel forward through time back to Week 4. Wish me luck!
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Comment on November 2025 Backlog Burner: Week 3 Discussion in ~games
Wes Link ParentI swear, each week seems to have one fewer day than the week before! Thanks for updating the stats. I'll do my best to get my final card in before the Week 5-ish thread to make it easier on you...I swear, each week seems to have one fewer day than the week before! Thanks for updating the stats. I'll do my best to get my final card in before the Week 5-ish thread to make it easier on you (but no promises!).
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Comment on What programming/technical projects have you been working on? in ~comp
Wes LinkI was invited to a modded Minecraft server, where I've spent a few hours building an underwater base with a functioning airlock system using ComputerCraft. It uses player detectors on either side...I was invited to a modded Minecraft server, where I've spent a few hours building an underwater base with a functioning airlock system using ComputerCraft. It uses player detectors on either side to cycle the lock, flashes some lights, and if moving to the water-side, floods the chamber. The doors are controlled by modular routers, which extend and retract blocks when receiving a redstone signal.
I'm using bundled cable for signaling, which encodes up to 16 bits of data. I assign each system a color, such as for the doors, lights, and water release systems.
Color Dec Bin White 1 0000 0001 Orange 2 0000 0010 Magenta 4 0000 0100 Light Blue 8 0000 1000 ... ... ... This lets me send a combined signal by summing them, and later pull a color out by checking its associated binary digit. I'm using the mod More Red for this, but it's based on the original design of RedPower 2.
I think I've worked out all the kinks now. The script is written in lua, which is not my favourite language, but I'm pretty happy with the end result.
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Comment on Tildes Book Club Discussion - November 2025 - We are Legion (We are Bob) by Dennis Taylor in ~books
Wes LinkWell, that was unlike anything we've read so far. How to even describe it? Fun. Irreverent. Occasionally sardonic. The beginning lulls you in. The first chapters feel normal enough, with the story...Well, that was unlike anything we've read so far. How to even describe it? Fun. Irreverent. Occasionally sardonic.
The beginning lulls you in. The first chapters feel normal enough, with the story being grounded in our world. The titular Bob visits a scifi convention - surely the most fun you can have in Vegas! - and gets a timely lesson on Von Neumann probes. We start to learn about the company he's founded, his investors, and his friends and coworkers. Just as it seems we're getting a lay of the land - boom! - we wake up in an ultra-right-wing dystopia.
So that was the first sign this book is different. It's definitely an interesting setting, and I actually wish we'd gotten to learn a little more about it before things got so explodey on Earth. A theocratic revolution is not something I see explored very often in scifi. I was intrigued by the talk of different factions, espionage, and state-sponsored assassinations.
In the next chapters, Bob is introduced to something that might be described as a video game tutorial. He learns to control his new mechanical limbs and the office Roombas. He's apparently been entered into a competition for his very life. Though this storyline doesn't really go anywhere, as he handily beats out his opponents and we never actually get to meet them. I'm hoping this plot point will be revisited in the sequels, as it felt like some lost potential.
Doc Landers reveals that sending Bob to space is humanity's last, best hope. Things are already too far gone on Earth. So the launch date arrives, the word "missile" is uttered, and Bob slams the accelerator down as he shoots off in his new rocket-home. This spells the end for Earth, but the beginning for Bob as we enter the space age.
I quite liked this section of the book. It seemed like the part that the author was most excited to write about, and was now happy to be past all the obligatory backstory. The pacing was slowed to allow some room for introspection. I enjoyed Bob's coming to terms with the new reality, and the problem solving required in these early space chapters.
The moments given to mental health also seemed a nice touch. Bob's toying with removing the endocrine controls reminded me a lot of the DCS from Elder Race. It had a similar message about not being able to put emotions off forever.
Similarly, the VR environment offered a nice window into Bob's personality. First the one, then many. The different environments helped reflect the individuality of those in the collective. It also let us measure time in a more concrete way, as the construct progressively improved over time. What began as a basic avatar ends with a sophisticated and even networked game of baseball.
The pace starts to pick up as Bob begins to multiply. One of the Bobs decides to enter politics. Another becomes an anthropologist (though not a very good one). Soon, his clones begin reproducing further, at which point I started having trouble keeping them all straight.
Soon, new worlds are reached and new technologies discovered. The Bobiverse is formed as FTL communication becomes possible. At this point, the time jumps between chapters start skipping decades at a time. Bob begins to question the ethical implications of his own spreading out to the stars, and I have to agree. Is this really ensuring the continuation of the human race, or something more akin to the spread of a virus?
By the book's conclusion, the remaining pockets of humanity are safe(r), the Deltans are highly contaminated, and the Bobs are ready to start seriously colonizing nearby star systems. We have hints of hostile alien life, and there's at least one Brazilian probe lurking in the vicinity.
Yep, it's safe to say that I'm hooked for the sequels. For as wild and frenetic as this book was, I found it very enjoyable. It was a page-turner that got me invested in a wisecracking nerd-cum-spaceship, and I can't wait to see what happens next.
This book was really a hodgepodge of different ideas, themes, and even genres. The setting switches between the modern day, dystopian fiction, and nautical space battles. Sometimes it utilizes real-world physics to calculate orbital mechanics, while other times it invents new physics and just rolls with it. There are elements of "competency porn" mixed with smatterings of buffoonery (thanks Homer). Despite it all though, it remains fun throughout.
I had a good time with this one. I can't say that all of the humour landed for me, but it definitely had more hits than misses, and it's one of the few books that has really made me laugh.
I listened to the audiobook, narrated by by the excellent Ray Porter, and I'll likely continue the series the same way.
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Comment on November 2025 Backlog Burner: Week 4 Discussion in ~games
Wes Link ParentI think I may elect to do a smaller card next time as well. I've worn myself out this month trying to complete four separate mini cards! But it was also fun to try the more rapid-fire approach....I think I may elect to do a smaller card next time as well. I've worn myself out this month trying to complete four separate mini cards! But it was also fun to try the more rapid-fire approach. Just one more week to get through!
Inscryption is one I keep hearing good things about. I liked Pony Island, and still intend to play The Hex, but I'm guessing that similar unusual elements play out with this one. Perhaps with a bit more frontloaded gameplay, as people do describe the game as actually being fun.
I had a devil of a time trying to talk about a game last week without spoiling its most impactful moments, so I can understand how tricky is it to describe these games openly, too.
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Comment on November 2025 Backlog Burner: Week 4 Discussion in ~games
Wes Link ParentThe Layton/Phoenix Wright mashup is so bonkers to me. Unlike the current trend of gaming crossovers, they really went for it and built a full game out of their similarities (and differences). I...The Layton/Phoenix Wright mashup is so bonkers to me. Unlike the current trend of gaming crossovers, they really went for it and built a full game out of their similarities (and differences). I have to give them kudos for that.
Rune Factory is one I've yet to try. I really enjoyed the old Harvest Moon games, though, so I think I'd like them. Thankfully, 3-5 are on Steam, as well as Azuma.
Which is personally extra frustrating to me because despite having played every Rune Factory game to date, I have yet to actually complete one. So I WILL complete this one!!
It sounds like you might hit on Endurance then, too. Best of luck!
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Comment on November 2025 Backlog Burner: Week 4 Discussion in ~games
Wes Link ParentJ-Chip, you continue to deliver. I really appreciate how you provide some context with each of your picks, adding historical context or your own personal experience with a game. This time, I...J-Chip, you continue to deliver. I really appreciate how you provide some context with each of your picks, adding historical context or your own personal experience with a game.
This time, I actually have experience with some of these titles. I did own (but was never very good at) Pokemon Puzzle League, AKA Tetris Attack.
WitchSpring is also one that I surprisingly have played. Though I played the original on Android. At the time, I was happy to find a "premium" game without IAP. Unfortunately I did run into some global time limit issues that were present in the original game, but have apparently been removed from the remake (thank goodness).
I've never owned Gran Turismo 3, but remember the cover image quite vividly. I swear it was plastered on storefront shelves for years and always caught my eye. It's interesting to see it as one of the early "hyper realistic racers", or at least what was possible at the time.
I do find it absurdly impressive the level of detail that goes into some of these games today, with simulations for things like air dynamics and even fluid sloshing in tanks.
Long Puppy sounds adorable. I'm a bit jealous of some of these inventive Playdate-exclusive titles (but am glad that they exist).
Congrats on the blackout! It seems like you ended with some really solid picks.
Well done on the golfing bingo! Not to mention crossing so many long-term games off your backlog. Those can feel the most satisfying to turn in.
Between Eastward, Cassette Beasts, and Katamari, you shared a lot of overlap with other backloggers this event. I really enjoyed reading about games from multiple perspectives, so that was a lot of fun.
Catch you soon in the final recap thread!