kfwyre's recent activity
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Comment on First few levels of F-Stop (Cancelled Portal prequel) leaked online in ~games
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Comment on November 2026 Backlog Burner: Week 1 Discussion in ~games
kfwyre Link ParentREDDER (itch.io) My itch.io library is thousands of games that I've gotten in charity megabundles, and like, thirty that I've actually bought purposefully on their own. REDDER is one of those...REDDER (itch.io)
My itch.io library is thousands of games that I've gotten in charity megabundles, and like, thirty that I've actually bought purposefully on their own.
REDDER is one of those deliberate purchases.
It's a 2010 web/Flash game that doesn't feel like a Flash game at all (I actually forgot that it was made in Flash until I tapped my Steam Deck screen during the gameplay and the context menu popped up).
You're on a spaceship exploring when your power crystals are unexpectedly vacated, causing you to have to make an emergency landing on a very red planet. From there, you have to traverse the alien landscape and recover them, allowing you to once again leave.
The game is an obvious nod to Metroid, but the main draw that made me want to play REDDER was that it was an inspiration for VVVVVV, which is genuinely one of my favorite games of all time (early in the game you end up on a screen that also appears in VVVVVV as an homage).
Structurally, the game is a grid of single-screen 2D levels. There's no scrolling -- as you leave the edge of one screen, you end up on the next. Your goal is to explore the map and recover the power crystals for your ship.
The map is helpful, but it is only non-descript, identical squares. It gives you your overall location on the topography, but it doesn't reveal the internal structure of all those various levels, so you still have to mentally map routes throughout the game world. There are plenty of times where you're able to get to a screen with a crystal to grab, only to find out that the route you got there by doesn't allow you to collect it. The game is primarily one of pathfinding.
One thing I liked is that REDDER is specifically NOT a metroidvania. You never gain new powers that let you access previously unaccessible areas. Instead, the whole world is open to you from the beginning, and you can explore wherever you like, however you like. Two people could start off in different directions and see the levels in the game in a completely different order from one another.
I've played a few of Anna Anthropy's other games, and I absolutely loved her book Rise of the Videogame Zinesters. She was on the front end of the nascent indie movement that saw its rise in the late 00s and early 10s, doing interesting and novel things with games -- more an auteur than a traditional game dev.
REDDER is the most "traditional" of the games I've played from her, but that's also something that's easier to say in hindsight. As she says on the game's page:
First released as a web game in 2010, it was doing things indie games just weren't doing yet.
It really does feel ahead of its time and like it punches well above its weight. Flash games of that time period were both noteworthy and notorious for experimenting with platforming mechanics, but few of them are as polished, full-concept, and cinematic as REDDER is. It's not that the platforming is particularly unique or novel -- it's that the exploration-first gameplay of a gridded single-screen world was a genuinely underdeveloped concept at the time. I don't know if I'm even aware of any examples of games that did it before this.
By modern, 2026 standards, it feels a little bit on the simple side of things. I found myself wanting it to do more or iterate further on its concepts, but I think that's unfair given that, at the time, it was already iterating a LOT. The game is a stepping stone on a path that's now so well-trodden that it's easy to forget it's even there.
The game took me roughly an hour and a half to 100%. I ran it on my Steam Deck, which handled it perfectly once I remapped the controls. I can see myself picking it back up as a comfort playthrough every so often, as I occasionally do with VVVVVV (which is almost certainly the game I have completed the most in my lifetime).
In case anyone else is like me and absolutely adores the specific subgenre of single-screen exploration collectathon, outside of REDDER and VVVVVV, I can recommend:
If anyone is aware of any others that fit this admittedly niche genre breakdown, I would LOVE to know about them.
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Comment on November 2026 Backlog Burner: Week 1 Discussion in ~games
kfwyre (edited )Linkkfwyre's Platform Party! Platforms Custom bingo 1/25 ✅ REDDER Light Gun Abandonware GameCube Switch 2 Android Indie Pass iOS Epic Legacy Games GOG Playdate Virtual Boy Microsoft Store VR Direct...kfwyre's Platform Party!
Platforms Custom bingo 1/25 itch.io
✅ REDDERLight Gun Abandonware GameCube Switch 2 Android Indie Pass iOS Epic Legacy Games GOG Playdate Virtual Boy Microsoft Store VR Direct Download Web Browser Dreamcast Ubisoft Connect Saturn Steam PlayStation Nintendo 64 EA App Humble That's right, I'm going for a full blackout across twenty five different gaming platforms! I'll be targeting short games (under 5 hours for the HowLongToBeat main story time).
BUT, I'm also going for a spiral win. So, instead of choosing from all over the bingo card as I see fit,
I'm planning to startI already started in the upper left corner withitch.ioand will be making my way clockwise around the card.I'm looking forward to playing some fun games and reading everyone's interesting writeups.
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Comment on Save Point: A game deal roundup for the week of November 1 in ~games
kfwyre LinkGOG is having its 18th anniversary sale. A New Beginning: Final Cut is currently free. Redeeming the game signs you up for their newsletter. If you want to change that, you can do so here....GOG is having its 18th anniversary sale.
A New Beginning: Final Cut is currently free. Redeeming the game signs you up for their newsletter. If you want to change that, you can do so here.
Gamesieve is a GOG-specific deal site you can use to sort/filter the deals on offer. Super helpful for sorting through everything.
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Comment on Heroic Games Launcher: an open source, cross-platform launcher for GOG and Epic Games Store in ~games
kfwyre Link ParentI'm adding so many 0s to my bank account balance!You should get a commission, except it's free.
I'm adding so many 0s to my bank account balance!
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Comment on Heroic Games Launcher: an open source, cross-platform launcher for GOG and Epic Games Store in ~games
kfwyre Link ParentRight?! I have an eight year gap in my GOG activity feed. XDRight?!
I have an eight year gap in my GOG activity feed. XD
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Comment on First few levels of F-Stop (Cancelled Portal prequel) leaked online in ~games
kfwyre Link ParentI was also reminded of Superliminal with the object-placement focus.I was also reminded of Superliminal with the object-placement focus.
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Comment on November 2026 Backlog Burner: Week 1 Discussion in ~games
kfwyre LinkBacklog Burner Notification: IT BEGINS! Happy gaming! (Sorry about this going up late -- was busy with Halloween last night and life stuff today) Notification List @BailerAppleby @BeardyHat...Backlog Burner Notification: IT BEGINS! Happy gaming!
(Sorry about this going up late -- was busy with Halloween last night and life stuff today)
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November 2026 Backlog Burner: Week 1 Discussion
The blaze has officially ignited! Quicklink: Backlog Bingo Etiquette: It is fine to make multiple top-level posts throughout the week. It is also fine to respond to your own posts. If you are...
The blaze has officially ignited!
- Quicklink: Backlog Bingo
Etiquette:
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It is fine to make multiple top-level posts throughout the week.
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It is also fine to respond to your own posts.
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If you are playing Backlog Bingo, you can share your table either by markdown or through screenshots.
Gameplay guidelines:
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Goals for this event (if any) are entirely individual and self-determined.
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Playing Bingo is optional and not required.
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You do NOT need to finish games unless you want to. The point is to try out games and have fun, not force ourselves to play things we're not interested in.
Backlog Burner FAQ
What exactly is the Backlog Burner?
Your "backlog" is all those games you've been meaning to play or get around to, but never have yet. This event is an attempt to get us to collectively dig into that treasure trove of experiences, scratch some long-standing itches, and knock a few titles off our to-play lists.
It runs every May and November. New discussion topics will go up once a week during those months.
You do not need to sign up in advance -- the topics are open to all. If you would like to be included in the notification list, comment in this topic to be added.
How do I participate?
- Choose some games from your backlog and play them.
- Then tell us about your experiences in the discussion thread for the week.
That's it!
Optionally: you can play Backlog Bingo which is a fun way of cutting down the choices you have to make and playing games you might not have normally selected on your own.
Do I need to finish the games that I play?
Nope! Not at all.
There aren't really any requirements for the event so much as this is an incentive to get us to play games we've been avoiding starting up, for whatever reason. Play as much or as little as you like of a given game.
Try out dozens for ten minutes each or dive into one for 40 hours. There's no wrong way to participate!
Can I make multiple posts in the same topic?
Yes! Each discussion thread stays live for a full week, so feel free to make multiple comments in the topic as you play different games. This isn't considered
noise-- it's considered valuable participation in the event!
Backlog Bingo FAQ
Important: All data for your Backlog Bingo card is stored on your device, not the server. Clearing your browser data will delete your card. You can use the export feature to make backups or move your card between devices.
I'm a returning player. How do I reset my previous card?
If you've already created a card and wish to start over, click the
Settingsbutton in the header to access your card settings. Then click theResetbutton, and confirm the prompt. This will irrevocably delete your present card, allowing you to start fresh.Where is my data stored?
All data is stored by your browser in local storage. There are no accounts, and nothing is sent to the server, so it's privacy-friendly by design. This does mean that you are responsible for not deleting any browser data on
wescook.ca, either manually or through automatic cleanups performed on browser close.Backlog Bingo is open-source, and licensed permissively under MIT.
What is the difference between the "Standard" and "Golf" modes?
In Standard Mode, each square on the bingo card corresponds with one single game. Duplicate games cannot be entered into different squares. A winning card would have a row of five different games that each filled in one square.
In Golf Mode, duplicates are not only allowed -- they are encouraged! The purpose of Golf mode is to try to find a single game that will fill multiple categories at the same time. For example: Stardew Valley might fulfill
You got it on sale,A solo-dev project, andHas romanceable charactersall at the same time. A winning card would have all twenty five squares filled, but possibly only six or seven different games.What is the star space in the middle?
That is the "wildcard" or "free space."
In Standard Mode, there are no requirements to fill it. You can choose any game you want! Anything goes!
In Golf Mode, it does not need to be filled. Because Golf is all about stacking up categories on a single game, any game used in Golf would fill it automatically, meaning it has no real function. As such, the square will be pre-filled for you if you play in Golf mode.
The new
Freelist defaults to having this space turned off. Because you already have full freedom in how you fill the squares, having a free space is redundant (though if you miss it or just like the aesthetics, you can certainly turn it back on!).Can I create custom bingo categories for this, or other events?
Absolutely! The Backlog Bingo app reads in simple JSON files which define the available categories. We've created a couple prebuilt lists for this event, but you're free to tweak our categories, or create completely new ones. You could even use them for books, anime, movies, recipes -- anything!
If you are interested in learning more, you can find documentation on the wiki, and use an example JSON category file. You can also ask for help in the topic!
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Comment on Not Solitaire in ~games
kfwyre Link25 wins! Loving this. It’s super slick, and I love that I can run it right in my browser on the phone. The social stuff is neat, but I think what keeps me coming back is that it’s draw two. Single...25 wins! Loving this. It’s super slick, and I love that I can run it right in my browser on the phone.
The social stuff is neat, but I think what keeps me coming back is that it’s draw two. Single draw always feels a little rote, while draw three can feel too punishing.
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Comment on Heroic Games Launcher: an open source, cross-platform launcher for GOG and Epic Games Store in ~games
kfwyre Link ParentAs far as I know, it doesn't really support emulators. I haven't tried it out on desktop, but I utterly adore RetroDECK for emulation on my Steam Deck, and they do have desktop install...As far as I know, it doesn't really support emulators.
I haven't tried it out on desktop, but I utterly adore RetroDECK for emulation on my Steam Deck, and they do have desktop install instructions, so that might be worth a look?
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Comment on Anyone here listen to NPR Tiny Desk concerts? in ~music
kfwyre (edited )Link ParentThese were both excellent! I'm also a huge clipping fan (a product of the Hamilton to clipping pipeline, lol) but never thought to check and see if they had a Tiny Desk. Thanks for putting these...These were both excellent! I'm also a huge clipping fan (a product of the Hamilton to clipping pipeline, lol) but never thought to check and see if they had a Tiny Desk. Thanks for putting these on my radar.
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Comment on Save Point: A game deal roundup for the week of October 25 in ~games
kfwyre LinkA New Beginning: Final Cut is currently free on GOG. Redeeming the game signs you up for their newsletter. If you want to change that, you can do so here.A New Beginning: Final Cut is currently free on GOG.
Redeeming the game signs you up for their newsletter. If you want to change that, you can do so here.
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Comment on Announcing the Backlog Burner event for November 2026: Shrink your unplayed games list this coming month! in ~games
kfwyre Link ParentI could never even approach Chippy's platform mastery! Chip's gaming on actual real hardware, whereas I just have like, twelve different launchers installed on my computer. Meanwhile, most of my...I could never even approach Chippy's platform mastery! Chip's gaming on actual real hardware, whereas I just have like, twelve different launchers installed on my computer. Meanwhile, most of my console-specific ones are just going to be emulated on my Steam Deck. Even my Virtual Boy is cardboard.
Cardboard.
So, suffice it to say, Chippy still reigns supreme in the platform domain (as they should).
Also it should probably be
Dreamcast (NEVER derogatory):D -
Comment on Announcing the Backlog Burner event for November 2026: Shrink your unplayed games list this coming month! in ~games
kfwyre Link ParentHi CompChris! 👋 We're happy to have you back.Hi CompChris! 👋
We're happy to have you back.
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Comment on Announcing the Backlog Burner event for November 2026: Shrink your unplayed games list this coming month! in ~games
kfwyre Link ParentYou are most certainly in the right place then. :DThe thing that is clear to me is that I’m garbage at committing to a single game and instead will bounce between games as I feel like
You are most certainly in the right place then. :D
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Comment on Heroic Games Launcher: an open source, cross-platform launcher for GOG and Epic Games Store in ~games
kfwyre Link ParentYou're correct! It doesn't work with Steam, and IIRC the devs have said they're not planning on adding that (though my memory is fuzzy and from a while ago, so I could be wrong on that). I think...You're correct!
It doesn't work with Steam, and IIRC the devs have said they're not planning on adding that (though my memory is fuzzy and from a while ago, so I could be wrong on that). I think the idea is that they want to support platforms that don't have good cross-platform support currently.
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Comment on Announcing the Backlog Burner event for November 2026: Shrink your unplayed games list this coming month! in ~games
kfwyre (edited )LinkDid you know that you can create a custom JSON file to import your own categories for Backlog Bingo? You can create a custom JSON file to import your own categories for Backlog Bingo! That's what...Did you know that you can create a custom JSON file to import your own categories for Backlog Bingo?
You can create a custom JSON file to import your own categories for Backlog Bingo!
That's what I'll be doing this time.
Some backstory
Imagine this is like an online recipe where I'm going to infodump about my life prior to getting to the actual relevant stuff. This is that portion. Feel free to skip it.
I recently changed up my gaming setup. My old Linux laptop was showing its age, and, while it served me well for many, MANY hours of fantastic gaming, I felt it was time to move on.
In fact, I stubbornly held on to it as a gaming machine far longer than I needed to simply out of an idealistic affinity for Linux. Several years ago I bought a Valve Index and needed a more powerful Windows machine to run it. So, I've actually had the Linux laptop's replacement sitting there (on the same desk, mind you), but I was using that Windows laptop only for VR and a few Windows-only games.
Moving back to Windows (something I'm not happy about but acknowledge as the best course of action at the moment given the absolutely absurd prices of computers) allowed me to set up and use the amazing Playnite, a universal launcher for all of your different games across all of the different PC platforms. Not going to lie: having all of my games under one roof is amazing, and I'm thrilled that the Playnite dev is eventually going to move it to Linux.
Anyway, Playnite has helped me realize how scattered my digital library really is. I've got games EVERYWHERE. Some libraries are bigger than others, and a few are essentially negligible, but, nonetheless, my games library is a lot more than just what I've got on Steam.
Looking ONLY at PC stuff, I've got: Steam, GOG, Epic, itch.io. But wait, I've also got a few games on EA, Ubisoft Connect, Battle.net and the Microsoft Store. Don't forget about my Humble Choice subscription which gives me access to the games on the Humble App. And that year of Indie Pass I signed up for! Oh, and my recent (begruding) Prime subscription has given me a few games on a site called Legacy Games that's going to be shutting down soon. And what about the few games I've bought directly from devs/publishers, outside of distribution platforms? Oh, and the abandonware I've downloaded! And the Flathub games on my Linux machine...
As I kept uncovering new platforms to add to the list, I realized I had the makings of a solid bingo card...
The bingo plan
I will be doing a 5x5 card, with each square being a different library/platform, going for a full blackout.
Coming up with 25 was quite easy. In fact, I had to trim it down! Flathub and Battle.net didn't make the cut, for example, because I also wanted to make sure I had some non-PC platforms in there too, which is why you'll see stuff like the Playdate, Saturn, and iOS on the card as well.
Bingo Card
Platforms Custom bingo 0/25 itch.io Light Gun Abandonware GameCube Switch 2 Android Indie Pass iOS Epic Legacy Games GOG Playdate Virtual Boy Microsoft Store VR Direct Download Web Browser Dreamcast Ubisoft Connect Saturn Steam PlayStation Nintendo 64 EA App Humble One nice thing about Playnite is that it has a HowLongToBeat plugin, so I'm able to filter my library for shorter games. I'll be targeting games that take 0 to 5 hours to beat, simply because I'm trying to get through 25 of them before the end of the month.
I generated my card without a wildcard in the middle, and I made the seed for the card
Spiralbecause I'm also going to try to work my way through the card linearly, going one by one around the edges and slowly spiraling my way to the center square.I was, of course, curious to see what would end up in that square as the inevitable capstone to my Backlog Burner journey. As the squares slowly flipped and revealed themselves, I was delighted to see that the Virtual Boy took it.
I have never played the Virtual Boy, but I thought it looked SO cool back in the 90s and have been wanting to scratch that itch ever since. Thankfully, it's surprisingly easy to do now. Most of its games are available on the Switch via Nintendo Online (which my husband subscribes to), and you can play them through this overpriced but still affordable headset which I bought back during that big Nintendo sale.
I've heard EXTREMELY mixed things about the Virtual Boy and the experience it provides, so I'm delighted that I get to build toward it over the month, fulfill a decades-long curiosity, and finally come to my own conclusions about its novel but ill-fated approach to the future of gaming 30 years ago. Will I be thrilled, or will I be disappointed? Will it give me nausea? Will I get sick of the color red? I have no idea, but I'm excited to find out!
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Comment on Announcing the Backlog Burner event for November 2026: Shrink your unplayed games list this coming month! in ~games
kfwyre Link ParentWelcome to the support group! We meet every six months. :)Welcome to the support group! We meet every six months. :)
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Comment on Announcing the Backlog Burner event for November 2026: Shrink your unplayed games list this coming month! in ~games
kfwyre Link ParentThe Backlog Burner happens every six months, but a trip to Japan is an event of a lifetime! Definitely focus that over games. I hope you have a wonderful time there. Also, I'm looking forward to...The Backlog Burner happens every six months, but a trip to Japan is an event of a lifetime! Definitely focus that over games. I hope you have a wonderful time there.
Also, I'm looking forward to the few writeups you do plan on doing. I always enjoy your perspective on what you play!
Ooh, nice! I thoroughly enjoyed it and hope that you do too!