kfwyre's recent activity
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Comment on May 2026 Backlog Burner: Week 2 Discussion in ~games
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Comment on May 2026 Backlog Burner: Week 2 Discussion in ~games
kfwyre Link ParentSubserial Network (played via the Humble App) I shifted from focusing on Indie Pass to the Humble App, in part because I wanted a new pasture to graze in and also because the Humble App seems like...Subserial Network (played via the Humble App)
I shifted from focusing on Indie Pass to the Humble App, in part because I wanted a new pasture to graze in and also because the Humble App seems like it's on life support and might not be there indefinitely, so I might as well play what I can now.
Subserial Network is a love-letter to the early internet. When you run the game, it opens three separate windows: a Netscape-style web-browser, an email client, and a Winamp-style music player. You're free to move these windows around your desktop and resize them at will. The game itself consists of following links to different web pages, searching keywords, and reading and responding to emails.
Your desktop is visible behind these windows, so they do feel like they're running on your computer rather than within a game world itself. Notably, the game doesn't have a notes feature, so I ended up opening Window's notepad as a fourth window for the collection.
The verisimilitude of the game is spot on. The whole thing hearkens back to the time where dial-up speeds made pages load in slowly; where you related sites sorted themselves into webrings; when every site had questionable font choices and noisy backgrounds and "Under Construction" banners were common. It absolutely nails this aesthetic.
Narratively, you are working for CETUS, an organization that is focused on enforcing the law among synthetics. Some synthetics have chosen to "serialize" themselves, installing a data port that lets them connect to unapproved data sources including each other. This is illegal, and you're tasked with infiltrating the subserial network and turning them in.
I'll give mild spoilers for the very beginning of the game, because I think that helps set it up well. When you first load in, you see a draft of your resignation letter from CETUS, the organization you work for, in your inbox. You can choose to delete or send it. I chose to send it.
The game immediately ended.
Okay, reboot and try again. Delete the resignation letter this time. The game now let me keep playing.
What does this mean for my character? Well, I can't flat out resign, but it's clear that I wasn't happy with CETUS if I had that resignation drafted in the first place. That gave me the framework to go into the rest of the game because, of course, you'll be given opportunities to continue to follow CETUS's directives or stray from them, depending on how you interpret your character's motivations and your responses to what you uncover.
To say more would get into spoiler territory, but suffice it to say: I really enjoyed the narrative. It's not so much a full story as it is a lot of snippets that you get to piece together into a larger picture. You'll visit forums, fanfic sites, blogs, etc. Each one gives you a snapshot of the world and the synthetics "living" in it. It'll all feel very familiar if you were, like I was, extremely online in the late 90s/early 00s.
Plus, there were some genuine curve-balls that I wasn't expecting. There's more to the game than it looks like at first glance.
The narrative asks some big questions and deals with some big feelings related to transformation. It never completes an arc, but instead gives you different things to chew on and mull over. The in-game characters often have conflicting perspectives, and there isn't necessarily one that's supposed to be the "right" one.
Unfortunately, the game might be a touch buggy.
Towards the end, the music player stopped playing, even after restarting the game multiple times (which is a shame, because the music was quite good). Also, I seem to be softlocked? There is a definite end-state that you can reach (as I found out from watching the endings on YouTube), but I'm not able to get there because I believe that I missed my opportunity to do so and can't return to it. I'm not sure if this is intended or not, but it's also not a huge deal, as the endings are abrupt. Even without officially getting an ending, I saw pretty much everything the game had to offer (because I also looked up a keyword list to make sure I hadn't missed anything!).
Overall, I think this is a quality hidden gem and worth looking into if you like reading-heavy games, have nostalgia for the internet of the 90s, and have access to the Humble App because you can play it there for free. On itch.io, it costs $8 USD, and I think it's worth that. It was very thoughtfully made.
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Comment on May 2026 Backlog Burner: Week 2 Discussion in ~games
kfwyre (edited )LinkWeek 2 is here, and my motivation hasn't flagged in the slightest! I'm still on the BLACKOUT OR BUST track! Flow Custom bingo 7/25 Ascent Happiness ✅ Assault on Proxima Niche ✅ Vartio Resistance...Week 2 is here, and my motivation hasn't flagged in the slightest! I'm still on the BLACKOUT OR BUST track!
Flow Custom bingo 7/25 Ascent Happiness Style
✅ Assault on ProximaNiche Absence
✅ VartioResistance Contrast Causality Increment
✅ Aris ArcanumDefense
✅ Cards and TowersChoice Humor ★ Wildcard Vision Slow-burn Love Simple
✅ Donna: The Canine QuestTradition
✅ Blue MaidenOrder Unlock Pride Uncertainty Transformation
✅ Subserial NetworkVerticality Chaos -
Comment on May 2026 Backlog Burner: Week 1 Discussion in ~games
kfwyre Link ParentMe: Hey, I sent you a link to a Pokemon romhack. Someone on Tildes played it, and I thought you might be interested. Husband: Cool, I’ll take a look! ::one minute later:: Husband: So, can you put...Me: Hey, I sent you a link to a Pokemon romhack. Someone on Tildes played it, and I thought you might be interested.
Husband: Cool, I’ll take a look!
::one minute later::
Husband: So, can you put this on my Steam Deck?
(He spent all of last night playing it, by the way, excitedly telling me about the Pokemon that were added from the SpaceWorld Expo (I think?) and the extra evolutions and whatnot)
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Comment on Humble Choice - May 2026 in ~games
kfwyre Link ParentHere’s a bit of info from another site on how gifting it works:Here’s a bit of info from another site on how gifting it works:
Note about Diablo IV:
There are no keys for it. You can either directly activate it on the linked account or create a gift link.
Creating a gift link can be done only if you have a Battle.net account linked (otherwise you'll be prompted to do so).
Keep in mind that claiming the game when you press "SELECT" from the membership page will instantly redeem the game on the linked Battle.net account, which obviously will not allow you to create a gift link any more. -
Comment on May 2026 Backlog Burner: Week 2 Discussion in ~games
kfwyre (edited )Link ParentThe game said NO to letting you wander freely. You have to admire its commitment to its principles! At work, some of the people I hang out with took it upon ourselves to create a...The game said NO to letting you wander freely. You have to admire its commitment to its principles!
At work, some of the people I hang out with took it upon ourselves to create a mostly-joking-but-with-a-kernel-of-seriousness “support group” (which means we really just eat lunch together) called “Just Say No.”
We’re all kind people-pleasers who are willing to help, but this means we end up in situations where we’re sacrificing ourselves for things we really shouldn’t be, or people just learn that they can take advantage of our kindness.
I think I’ve talked on Tildes before about how having a patient disposition means I often get tasked with working with the worst people, under the assumption that I’m the best fit for whatever it is that makes them awful, because I’ll put up with it or work around it where others wouldn’t. It’s a tough line to walk because I think (nearly) everyone deserves grace and kindness, but also like, it gets really old having to deal with the most difficult people all the time.
My coworkers are similar, so the “Just Say No” group is our way of trying to help each other put up healthy boundaries and push back a bit on our somewhat pathological need to be of assistance to others. It sounds like this game could be a fun therapeutic exercise for us! (I’m the only gamer in it though…)
Also, totally unrelated, but I looked up screenshots and the game looks like an upscaled Dreamcast game, and I mean nothing but praise by that (I’m a forever fan of the greatest underdog console of all time so anything that harkens back to it warms my heart).
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Comment on Tildes Book Club discussion - April 2026 - The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane by Lisa See in ~books
kfwyre LinkFor anyone who liked this book and is potentially interested in reading more from the author, two of her ebooks are on sale for $3 USD right now: Lady Tan’s Circle of Women The Island of Sea WomenFor anyone who liked this book and is potentially interested in reading more from the author, two of her ebooks are on sale for $3 USD right now:
- Lady Tan’s Circle of Women
- The Island of Sea Women
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Comment on Tildes Book Club - Have you started Pnin by Vladimir Nabokov? in ~books
kfwyre LinkI’m halfway through my current read (There Is No Antimemetics Division) which is great but also short, so I’ll be done with that soon. After that? Pnin!I’m halfway through my current read (There Is No Antimemetics Division) which is great but also short, so I’ll be done with that soon.
After that? Pnin!
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Comment on Save Point: A game deal roundup for the week of May 3 in ~games
kfwyre Link ParentI mean, the game giveaway topic will be live in a month or two. ;)I mean, the game giveaway topic will be live in a month or two. ;)
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Comment on Tildes Book Club discussion - April 2026 - The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane by Lisa See in ~books
kfwyre Link ParentThose tea cakes look fantastic! Mine was about as average an experience as you can get. It was just steeped in a mug, from a standard tea bag, from a pre-packaged pu’er that I could find at my...Those tea cakes look fantastic!
Mine was about as average an experience as you can get. It was just steeped in a mug, from a standard tea bag, from a pre-packaged pu’er that I could find at my grocery store.
I wish I did have a really cool tea setup though! I don’t drink it enough to justify it, but that honestly might be changing. After finishing this book, I’ve been having at least a cup a day, and I just ordered some other varieties to have on hand as well.
I’ll also say that, after repeated drinks, the pu’er has really grown on me. It might replace my morning low-caffeine coffee soon. That same company also has a chocolate pu’er which was part of my order and which I’m excited to try once it arrives.
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Comment on Save Point: A game deal roundup for the week of May 3 in ~games
kfwyre Link ParentNope. I’m actually all-in on waffles.Not to put words in your mouth, but it seems like you're saying that all breakfast foods matter...
Nope. I’m actually all-in on waffles.
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Comment on Proposed series of console discussion/retrospective threads in ~games
kfwyre Link ParentSounds like a smart breakdown to me. Makes sense that some of the earlier stuff could be compressed, while the later stuff gets expanded as gaming took more of a hold and gained in popularity.Sounds like a smart breakdown to me. Makes sense that some of the earlier stuff could be compressed, while the later stuff gets expanded as gaming took more of a hold and gained in popularity.
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Comment on May 2026 Backlog Burner: Week 2 Discussion in ~games
kfwyre LinkPinging all Backlog Burner participants/conversationalists: here's the new topic for the week. TEAM MOTIVATED: GO, GO, GO! FULL THROTTLE! Team Mellow: See you when you get here. Hope everyone's...Pinging all Backlog Burner participants/conversationalists: here's the new topic for the week.
TEAM MOTIVATED: GO, GO, GO! FULL THROTTLE!
Team Mellow: See you when you get here. Hope everyone's keeping it chill.Notification List
@1338
@BailerAppleby
@Bullmaestro
@CannibalisticApple
@dannydotcafe
@Durinthal
@Eidolon
@J-Chiptunator
@JCPhoenix
@kingofsnake
@ShroudedScribe
@sotix
@WesIf you would like to be removed from/added to the list, let me know either here or by PM.
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May 2026 Backlog Burner: Week 2 Discussion
Week 2 has begun! Post your current bingo cards. Continue updating us on your games! If you did not participate in Week 1 but want to start this week, that's fine! Reminder: playing bingo is...
Week 2 has begun!
Post your current bingo cards.
Continue updating us on your games!If you did not participate in Week 1 but want to start this week, that's fine!
Reminder: playing bingo is OPTIONAL.Quick links:
Week 1 Recap
⚔️🛡️ Battle lines have been drawn. 🛡️⚔️
Team Mellow
Calm, easygoing, relaxed (<3 games played this week)
- u/CannibalisticApple
- u/dannydotcafe
- u/Durinthal
- u/J-Chiptunator
- u/JCPhoenix
- u/ShroudedScribe
- u/SingedFrostLantern
- u/Wes
Team Motivated
Driven, energized, results-oriented (≥3 games played this week)
Who will come out on top? Which team will reign supreme? What metric will we even use to determine what counts as a win? STAY TUNED.
11 participants played 10 bingo cards and moved 24 games out of their backlogs!
Game list:
- 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim
- Aris Arcanum
- Assault on Proxima
- AtmaSphere
- Blue Maiden
- Death and Taxes
- DigDigDrill
- Donna: The Canine Quest
- FINAL FANTASY IV
- Hades
- Hatoful Boyfriend
- Marble Mayhem: Fragile Ball
- Not Tonight 2
- The Pedestrian
- Pokémon: Kanto Expansion Pak
- Polarity
- Princess Tomato in the Salad Kingdom
- Ravenswatch
- The Shapeshifting Detective
- shapez
- Strange Horticulture
- The Textorcist: The Story of Ray Bibbia
- Vartio
- Yellow Taxi Goes Vroom
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Comment on Woman covertly filmed for 'humiliating' social media content - then told to pay for removal in ~tech
kfwyre Link ParentIf I could be even a tenth as cool as you I would be reaching new heights in my life.If I could be even a tenth as cool as you I would be reaching new heights in my life.
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Comment on Save Point: A game deal roundup for the week of May 3 in ~games
kfwyre Link ParentEr, uh, what I mean to say is that I probably should have specified: pancake (non-derogatory) Pancakes are delicious and comforting and a foundational pillar of an entire pantheon of amazing...₳₴ ₳₦ ɆӾ₮Ɽ₳-Đł₥Ɇ₦₴łØ₦₳Ⱡ ฿Ɇł₦₲, ł₮ ł₴ Đł₣₣ł₵ɄⱠ₮ ₮Ø ₱₳Ɽ₴Ɇ ₳₦Ɏ ₥Ɇ₴₴₳₲Ɇ₴ ₣ⱤØ₥ ₮ⱧɆ ⱠØ₩ɆⱤ ₱Ⱡ₳₦Ɇ₴. ɎØɄⱤ ₣Ⱡ₳₮ ₵Ɽł₮ł₵ł₴₥ ₥Ɇ₳₦₴ ₦Ø₮Ⱨł₦₲ ł₦ ₮ⱧɆ ₵Ø₦₮ɆӾ₮ Ø₣ ₮ⱧɆ ₥ɄⱠ₮ł₮ɄĐɆ₴ ₮Ⱨ₳₮ ł ɆӾ₱ɆⱤłɆ₦₵Ɇ.Er, uh, what I mean to say is that I probably should have specified: pancake (non-derogatory)
Pancakes are delicious and comforting and a foundational pillar of an entire pantheon of amazing breakfast foods. I speak of pancakes, whether in reference to food or to games, with only the highest of esteem!
Now, to answer your questions:
- Do you set up a monitor in your play space so that an audience who aren't in the 'verse can follow along?
Yes! This helps make VR a fun group activity instead of an isolating solo one (though that can be really fun too).
I recently hosted a Taskmaster VR night with my friends where we took turns in the headset while everyone else watched and commentated. We’ve also done some hotseating of solo games. I Expect You to Die was a lot of fun, because we were all trying to solve the scenarios together all while rotating people through the headset.
- If there's nobody around to watch, do you turn the monitor on anyways?
The modern equivalent of a tree falling in the forest!
In all honesty, I have no idea what displays on my monitor when I’m playing. I think most games just show a small bit of your viewport, but I wouldn’t know as I’m in the headset.
If you are considering getting a VR headset, I’d say it’s worth waiting it out for the Steam Frame, which looks to be everything I would want in a headset and would get myself if I didn’t already have a fully functional setup.
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Comment on A screen addict on the couch in ~health.mental
kfwyre (edited )LinkI appreciate your consistently thoughtful and interesting articles, rodrigo. Thanks for taking the time to write them and share them with us. I do this thing, usually before bed, where I just sort...I appreciate your consistently thoughtful and interesting articles, rodrigo. Thanks for taking the time to write them and share them with us.
I do this thing, usually before bed, where I just sort of cycle through opening different apps on my phone for no reason. Like, Email > Three Cheers > Alarm > Fitness > Email again > etc.
It’s not that I’m looking for anything in particular, and each app is usually only open for seconds, if that. It really does feel like some sort of compulsion.
I’ve also noticed it’s worse when I’m stressed. The benign explanation I give myself is that it’s basically just a digital fidget, in the same way I might play with the wire on my headphones or click a pen while at my desk.
There’s another part of me that thinks it’s a holdover from when I was active on social media, and I couldn’t get myself out of checking the same apps over and over again. You know, closing reddit only to reopen reddit? The scary part is that, if this is true, the compulsion has persisted across YEARS. I haven’t used social media outside of Tildes in a LONG time.
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Comment on May 2026 Backlog Burner: Week 1 Discussion in ~games
kfwyre Link ParentHello kindred spirit! I too have a thing for mining games, so believe me when I say that I have played literally every single one of the games on that list. XD To me, they’re the ideal...Hello kindred spirit!
I too have a thing for mining games, so believe me when I say that I have played literally every single one of the games on that list. XD
To me, they’re the ideal relax-after-a-long-day, play-while-listening-to-an-audiobook genre.
I actually played DigDigDrill recently and did it entirely while walking on my treadmill.
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Comment on Save Point: A game deal roundup for the week of May 3 in ~games
kfwyre Link ParentStrong showing and a great price. Probably the best bundle they've done in a while. I have a lot of the "headliners" already, but given that Humble already broke my resolve to not buy games this...Strong showing and a great price. Probably the best bundle they've done in a while.
I have a lot of the "headliners" already, but given that Humble already broke my resolve to not buy games this month, I went ahead and snagged the following, which feels like a steal for under $6:
The only one of these I wouldn't play is Dawnsbury Days, but my Steam family share is full of tabletop nerds, so I got it for them.
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Comment on Save Point: A game deal roundup for the week of May 3 in ~games
kfwyre (edited )LinkHumble Creature Feature Bundle A 9 game VR bundle for $13 USD. (Note: THRASHER can be played without VR.) I have a personal rule that I buy pretty much any VR bundle that comes along, simply...Humble Creature Feature Bundle
A 9 game VR bundle for $13 USD.
(Note: THRASHER can be played without VR.)I have a personal rule that I buy pretty much any VR bundle that comes along, simply because VR titles tend to go on steep discount a lot less than pancake games.
Does this mean that I'm buying games during Backlog Burner month, which feels sacreligious?
Yes.
Yes it does. Maestro looks too awesome to pass up.
Cards and Towers (played via Indie Pass)
I love the concept of a tower defense roguelike deckbuilder.
Unfortunately, this game needs more time to cook. It feels like a prototype at the moment. Like, the bones of a good game are there with the different upgrades and whatnot, but it's very plain and by-the-numbers. It needs some pizzazz or finesse or character to bring it up a level from simple concept to satisfying execution.