kfwyre's recent activity
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Comment on May 2026 Backlog Burner: Week 3 Discussion in ~games
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Comment on What has changed as you've gotten older? in ~talk
kfwyre Link ParentThis is acutely relevant to me right now. My dog snuggled up to me in my sleep on Saturday night, and I instinctively adjusted to accommodate him, putting me into a slightly weird position for the...This is acutely relevant to me right now.
My dog snuggled up to me in my sleep on Saturday night, and I instinctively adjusted to accommodate him, putting me into a slightly weird position for the rest of the night.
The next morning, Sunday, I woke up with a crick in my neck and could barely turn my head.
It's now Tuesday, and my neck is only like, 80% recovered. It's still a touch stiff, and I don't have full range of motion back yet.
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Comment on Updates to store tags: additions, removals, and edits in ~games
kfwyre Link ParentI was about to post the same thing! Two more games that I can think of that also include real-world info and experiences: 1979 Revolution: Black Friday Attentat 1942I was about to post the same thing!
Two more games that I can think of that also include real-world info and experiences:
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Comment on Updates to store tags: additions, removals, and edits in ~games
kfwyre Link ParentWe’re (thankfully) (mostly) out of the listicle age of the internet, but back then I had a running theory that whenever publishing any sort of list, the “best” thing you could do was to include...We’re (thankfully) (mostly) out of the listicle age of the internet, but back then I had a running theory that whenever publishing any sort of list, the “best” thing you could do was to include some engagement bait. Leave off a super obvious item; add in a controversial one; etc. Do something that gets people stirred up and talking.
The cynical part of me thinks that the inclusion of
Capybarasis just this sort of phenomenon — an attempt at making this far more buzzy than it would be on its own. If it was, it’s certainly working!The less cynical part of me thinks it’s just fun. I admittedly played and enjoyed Hidden Capybaras with Orange, and part of what made it nice is that the capybaras themselves are, in fact, very cute (especially when they have fruit sitting on their heads). I could see people wanting a way to find more of that specific type of cuteness.
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Comment on The 100 best novels of all time published in English in ~books
kfwyre Link ParentYou’re right about the “published in English” aspect, as “English-language” was something I added to their original title (which was just “The 100 best novels of all time”). I edited the title...You’re right about the “published in English” aspect, as “English-language” was something I added to their original title (which was just “The 100 best novels of all time”).
I edited the title here to fit better with the list’s contents.
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Comment on The 100 best novels of all time published in English in ~books
kfwyre LinkFrom their how we made it + have your say page:From their how we made it + have your say page:
This week, we reveal our list of the 100 greatest novels published in English, as voted for by authors and critics around the world. We polled 172 authors, critics and academics for their top 10 novels of all time, published in English, and asked them to rank their choices in order of preference. We scored the titles according to how often they were voted for, and then added a weighting based on individual rankings to produce the overall list of 100 greatest books.
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The 100 best novels of all time published in English
22 votes -
Comment on Updates to store tags: additions, removals, and edits in ~games
kfwyre LinkBullet Heaven is FINALLY official you guys, gals, and non-binary pals! Up until now we've had to make do with the intersection of Action Roguelike and Bullet Hell which was a rather clumsy way of...Today we've made some changes to the set of official store tags available on Steam, adding 17 new tags, removing 28, and merging/updating a handful of others. These changes are made with the goal of helping players identify the games that best fit their interests, and helping Steam generate appropriate recommendations.
Each year, we typically add a few new tags based on community feedback, but it has been a while since we last did so (Most recently in 2024 when we added Dice, Dwarf, Boomer Shooter, and Elf tags). In the time since, we've built up a list of tags to add, remove, and update.
Bullet Heavenis FINALLY official you guys, gals, and non-binary pals!Up until now we've had to make do with the intersection of
Action RoguelikeandBullet Hellwhich was a rather clumsy way of highlighting the genre. They've had multiple "Bullet Heaven" sales events, but no official tag, to the point that the Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor devs tried to get a social campaign going to push Steam to adopt the tag.Maybe this means it worked?
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Updates to store tags: additions, removals, and edits
23 votes -
What has changed as you've gotten older?
Could be something about you, your thoughts, priorities, health, etc. Could be something about the world, the way things work, etc. Could be anything really. What has changed, and how do you feel...
Could be something about you, your thoughts, priorities, health, etc.
Could be something about the world, the way things work, etc.
Could be anything really.
What has changed, and how do you feel about it?
35 votes -
Comment on May 2026 Backlog Burner: Week 3 Discussion in ~games
kfwyre Link Parentu/cheep_cheep ✨⭐️ Distinguished 🧐 Honoree 🏆 of the Ⓜ️🅰️✌️2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣6️⃣ Backlog 📋 Burner ❤️🔥⭐️✨ (I'm so glad we get to use it again!)u/cheep_cheep
✨⭐️ Distinguished 🧐 Honoree 🏆 of the Ⓜ️🅰️✌️2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣6️⃣ Backlog 📋 Burner ❤️🔥⭐️✨
(I'm so glad we get to use it again!)
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Comment on May 2026 Backlog Burner: Week 3 Discussion in ~games
kfwyre Link ParentI played and loved that game way back in the day. Your spoilered insights (specifically the second level block) do a great job of capturing the rich complexity of the game’s narrative, which is...I played and loved that game way back in the day. Your spoilered insights (specifically the second level block) do a great job of capturing the rich complexity of the game’s narrative, which is especially noteworthy given that it’s quite short (especially by VN standards).
My husband didn’t play it himself, but he was around while I did, and to this day he still affectionately calls the game
Spoiler
“Korean Space Lesbians”
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Comment on May 2026 Backlog Burner: Week 3 Discussion in ~games
kfwyre Link ParentDo I ever hear you on the jargon. I tried to read Neuromancer, that foundational pillar of cyberpunk fiction, and stopped halfway through because I genuinely had no idea what was going on. It just...Do I ever hear you on the jargon.
I tried to read Neuromancer, that foundational pillar of cyberpunk fiction, and stopped halfway through because I genuinely had no idea what was going on. It just throws a bunch of terms at you and asks you to roll with it. The subreddit has a full on glossary for the book!
I was quite put off by this. I talked to my friend who loves the book, and he said that it's more about the vibe than fully understanding what's going on. Your description of Gamedec seems very similar. It's not my preference, but I can see how someone would like it.
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Comment on May 2026 Backlog Burner: Week 3 Discussion in ~games
kfwyre Link ParentDeckRoulette looks fantastic. I've been using a phone app called DeckFilter to achieve something similar, but having it right on the device is so convenient. I could see myself installing this at...DeckRoulette looks fantastic. I've been using a phone app called DeckFilter to achieve something similar, but having it right on the device is so convenient. I could see myself installing this at the beginning of my summer and just hopscotching my way through my library.
My only concern about it is, well, Decky. Has it gotten more stable? I tried it a while back (maybe a year or two ago?), but ended up getting sick of it repeatedly breaking.
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Comment on May 2026 Backlog Burner: Week 3 Discussion in ~games
kfwyre Link ParentI probably read the same post as you, because I also bought the game back then (I can't find the post though -- it might have been over on reddit's hidden gems topics rather than here?). Have I...I probably read the same post as you, because I also bought the game back then (I can't find the post though -- it might have been over on reddit's hidden gems topics rather than here?).
Have I played it?
Of course not.
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Comment on May 2026 Backlog Burner: Week 3 Discussion in ~games
kfwyre Link ParentSteam says I sunk 15ish hours into Breakneck back during the COVID. It was a perfect turn your brain off, listen to an audiobook, stay on the hook because of the dripfeed of rewards kind of game....Steam says I sunk 15ish hours into Breakneck back during the COVID. It was a perfect turn your brain off, listen to an audiobook, stay on the hook because of the dripfeed of rewards kind of game.
What's weird is that I have little to no recollection of any of the specifics of the game itself, and the same goes for most of the stuff I played during COVID. I don't know if it was anxiety-driven, or my brain was just focused on the unprecedented nature of everything, but I gamed a lot during those times and have little to nothing to show for it because I honestly don't remember most of what I played.
My husband and I played through all of Borderlands 3 on co-op, and I can't really tell you anything about it. Another friend of mine and I played a ton of Risk of Rain 2, but the space it occupies in my mind is mostly blank. I apparently played Breakneck for 15 hours, but reading your description of it was like rediscovering it because nearly none of it stuck for me.
Odd. I suppose it isn't all bad though -- I could easily return to any of the games I played back then and enjoy them like it's the first time!
Also I think you make a great point about PC releases of mobile games liberating them from some of their scummier mechanics. I actually like the mobile-style "always have three short-term goals to fulfill" checklist that tries to keep you on the hook, despite it being a transparent engagement mechanic.
I have played some where they simply cut out the microtransactions, but the game's progress was effectively dependent on them, so it ends up being a slog and not worth the time. Breakneck wasn't like that though.
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Comment on May 2026 Backlog Burner: Week 3 Discussion in ~games
kfwyre Link ParentMotivated Rapid Fire Round These are all games that I played enough to count for the Backlog Burner, but not enough that I have very strong feelings on them. Blast Rush LS (played via Indie Pass)...Motivated Rapid Fire Round
These are all games that I played enough to count for the Backlog Burner, but not enough that I have very strong feelings on them.
Blast Rush LS (played via Indie Pass)
A scrolling shooter where, instead of shooting, you can only launch bombs (note: there is also an option to turn on shooting too?). So, it's essentially aiming at a niche within a niche for its audience. It was originally a mobile game that got polished up for a full desktop release, with one exception: there's no way to exit the game from within the game. You have to force-kill it.
Bubsy 3D: Bubsy Visits the James Turrell Retrospective (played via direct installation on Steam Deck)
Mentioning Arcane Kids earlier reminded me that I still hadn't played this and it's been sitting on my Steam Deck for years now.
The game is essentially a high-effort shitpost that left me uncertain about how to feel about it. Bubsy 3D is infamous for being a bad game with bad controls, and this game mimics that directly. It does eventually do some things that play around with your expectations, which I liked, but I can't exactly say that I enjoyed or even really appreciated the experience, but I also think that's exactly what it's going for? It feels much more like an art think piece than an actual game.
Elephant in the Room (played via the Humble App)
This is another endangered game, though it feels much more like an early beta build of something rather than a full-fledged game. You're an elephant trying to escape a house without getting seen, and you can use your trunk to grab and throw things so that you can incapacitate people which lets you get by them.
The controls are deliberately clunky. Your elephant moves very slowly. This feels like the kind of game made for humorous purposes for people to stream on Twitch, where the fun comes from watching someone clumsily work their way through things rather than executing tight gameplay. I did a few runs of this and then moved on.
Mr Rescue (played via Flathub on Steam Deck)
This is a cute, old-school firefighting game where you have to save people in a burning building and constantly ascend floors to look for more survivors. Controls and gameplay are dead simple and the game works perfectly on the Deck.
I think the game is good at what it does, but it's not the exact kind of game I want. I have a soft spot for firefighting games, but in this one your goal is to save people, not fight fire. Fighting the fire is only a means to an end -- you have to carefully select which ones to put out in order to save people because you'll never be able to get everything extinguished.
I'd much rather play a game where my goal is to put out the whole blaze itself. Having that as an alt mode or a mod for this one would be great, as the game itself is well-made and I can't really fault it on its own terms, only on mine.
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Comment on May 2026 Backlog Burner: Week 3 Discussion in ~games
kfwyre Link ParentWoten (played via Humble App) The best way I can describe this is that it feels like a game jam graduate. You know: somebody had a neat idea that they threw together quickly, realized they had...Woten (played via Humble App)
The best way I can describe this is that it feels like a game jam graduate. You know: somebody had a neat idea that they threw together quickly, realized they had something good on their hands, and then fleshed it out for a full release.
It’s a puzzleish-platformer that feels like it would fit right in with the Game Boy Advance library.
Levels are single screen, with the main limitation being that your little adventurer in a cute horned hat can’t jump very high. Instead, he’s reliant on other things to help him with his verticality, including his bat friend who can fly him over large obstacles.
Initially I thought that this was going to be included in the game mechanically, letting you call on the bat (and feed him his favorite fruits) in certain circumstances, but it turns out all the bat scenes are predetermined. They’re chapter breaks, essentially.
Instead, the game is all about using your limited movement set, the environment, and deeper-than-expected movement tech to navigate the world. It reminded me a bit of Leap Year in that regard. There were times where I was stumped on how to get a collectible and just decided to move on, only to, in a later screen, realize that there was something I could have done to get it because I uncovered a new way to do something.
The world is linear and contiguous and doesn’t let you backtrack, so you have to either get things the first time or replay the game (even after beating it, it doesn’t have a level select option). This isn’t too big of an imposition — I think it took me maybe 2 hours to finish, and I could certainly do it faster on a second go-around.
I’m not planning on doing a second playthrough for the Burner, but I am going to keep the game installed — partly because it’s endangered but mostly because I genuinely might go back and try for a 100% run. I got a bad ending 😭 and I’m thinking maybe there’s a better one if I get all the things.
If you’ve got the Humble App, then I’d say this is worth a playthrough (provided you like the genre, of course). It’s a cute little hidden gem.
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Comment on May 2026 Backlog Burner: Week 3 Discussion in ~games
kfwyre (edited )Link ParentKaamos (played via Indie Pass) This takes place in the same universe as Vartio and features the same unsettling atmosphere conveyed with well-done minimalistic pixel art. I almost picked Vartio...Kaamos (played via Indie Pass)
This takes place in the same universe as Vartio and features the same unsettling atmosphere conveyed with well-done minimalistic pixel art.
I almost picked Vartio for slow-burn but ended up choosing absence instead, so I'm glad that I can circle back to that square and fill it with this game. The game is almost a match 3 game, but instead of swapping tiles, you can move an entire row or column as many spaces as you want. The board is made up of different symbols based on your equipment. Match swords, and you attack. Match shields, and you block damage. As you progress in the game, you gain new equipment that changes the composition of your board. The boots you get might add more sword symbols, but take away shields.
The resulting game is a simple, elegant mix of match 3, RPG, and roguelike. I say it's a slow-burn because the progression is very gradual. You don't suddenly find a sword that makes you super powerful, you have to slowly shift the tile allocations in your favor in pickup after pickup.
I played through two rounds on my computer and enjoyed it, but the game is clearly a mobile game that has been ported. I like it enough though that I ended up buying it for my phone and will continue to play it there.
There's nothing fundamentally wrong with playing it on PC, but it's clearly intended for phones first. It's got a portrait orientation, a touch-intended control scheme, and would work well with small sessions where you pick it up and put it down frequently.
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Comment on May 2026 Backlog Burner: Week 3 Discussion in ~games
kfwyre (edited )LinkI’m still repping Team Motivated, still going for that full blackout, and still trying to do it entirely with games that aren’t on Steam. Flow Custom bingo 16/25 ✅ Mr Rescue ✅ Heeey! Park-Boy ✅...I’m still repping Team Motivated, still going for that full blackout, and still trying to do it entirely with games that aren’t on Steam.
Flow Custom bingo 16/25 Ascent
✅ Mr RescueHappiness
✅ Heeey! Park-BoyStyle
✅ Assault on ProximaNiche
✅ Blast Rush LSAbsence
✅ VartioResistance Contrast Causality
✅ Forgotten 23Increment
✅ Aris ArcanumDefense
✅ Cards and TowersChoice Humor
✅ Elephant in the Room★ Wildcard Vision Slow-burn
✅ KaamosLove Simple
✅ Donna: The Canine QuestTradition
✅ Blue MaidenOrder
✅ THOR.NUnlock Pride Uncertainty
✅ Bubsy 3D: Bubsy Visits the James Turrell RetrospectiveTransformation
✅ Subserial NetworkVerticality
✅ WotenChaos
Forgotten 23 (played via Indie Pass)
With Steam finally adding new tags, I'm hoping they'll finally acknowledge one of my favorite subgenres of games:
so you want to explore a derelict spaceshipYou know: System Shock 1/2, Dead Space, The Station, Prey, etc.
Forgotten 23 is another entry into that space, being made entirely by a solo dev.
The game is based around a time loop. The orbit for the abandoned space station you wake up on is decaying, and after 23 minutes, it crashes into the planet below. Strangely, however, you wake up again in the same spot, in the same way, with another 23 minutes to go. As you can expect, the game is going to play around with causality as your player knowledge from previous loops can affect current ones.
Because it's a solo dev project, the time-loop structure is a really clever way of having a small, contained environment and scope. The dev did a good job with the vibes and overall focus of the game.
Unfortunately, the game isn't actually a pure time-loop game. It is structured as such, and you will go through many different loops to complete a playthrough, but the loops are essentially individual chapters. There will be items on later loops that weren't there on earlier ones; areas that you can reach in later ones that you were locked out of on previous ones.
In theory, once you know what you're doing in a time loop game, you can skip a lot of the intermediary stuff because player knowledge lets you access and advance things you didn't necessarily know about at the beginning. With this one, however, you have to go lockstep with the specific objectives that the game wants you to do in each loop.
Additionally, every time you complete the objectives, the game abruptly ends the countdown no matter how much time you have left and gives you a T-0 message regarding the impact of the space station. I learned over time that this is how the game signals that you've "finished" a loop, but early on I legitimately thought I was hitting failstates instead of successful completions.
On top of that minor design concern, the game itself is quite buggy. I ran into lots of issues with it, including having to play it on mouse and keyboard because controller support existed but was so glitchy as to be effectively unusuable. I had to restart certain loops because stuff disappeared out of my inventory, or certain flags in the game didn't get set as they were supposed to. It got to a point late in the game where I couldn't tell if I was doing something wrong or if the game just wasn't behaving as intended.
I ended up sticking with it through to the end because, well, I think the dev has a solid seed of a game here. It's got some neat ideas, and it's clear a lot of time and care has gone into it (it even has full voice acting!). Unfortunately, I ended up playing it almost in spite of itself because it's very rough around the edges. For example: all the doors in the game open automatically when you're in proximity, but when your character is running they don't open fast enough and you get caught on them. This happens all the time because you have to run around the ship all the time to complete the various tasks you need to do.
With some bugfixing and polishing up, I think this could be a neat little hidden gem, but at present I can't really recommend it.