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    1. Is there a tool/method to find games you have in common with someone else?

      My nephew and I like to play games together, and we're always looking for games that we can play together. I was manually looking through my Steam library today and wondering how to go about...

      My nephew and I like to play games together, and we're always looking for games that we can play together. I was manually looking through my Steam library today and wondering how to go about finding stuff that we may already own that we could play together. Is there a tool for that? Or maybe something that could suggest a game for purchase that we would both enjoy based on our history?

      Also feel free to drop any general game library organization tips here. I found this tildes thread from a couple of years ago and I've already seen some cool ideas and tools.

      13 votes
    2. Save Point: A game deal roundup for the week of November 17

      Add awesome game deals to this topic as they come up over the course of the week! Alternately, ask about a given game deal if you want the community’s opinions: e.g. “What games from this bundle...

      Add awesome game deals to this topic as they come up over the course of the week!

      Alternately, ask about a given game deal if you want the community’s opinions: e.g. “What games from this bundle are most worth my attention?”

      Rules:

      • No grey market sales
      • No affiliate links

      If posting a sale, it is strongly encouraged that you share why you think the available game/games are worthwhile.


      All previous Save Point topics

      If you don’t want to see threads in this series, add save point to your personal tag filters.

      13 votes
    3. Meta Quest 2 - For someone in a wheelchair

      Ok, so my partner has gotten the recommendation from one of his spinal cord injury groups that a Meta Quest 2 would potentially be really good for him as way to feel less "closed in" this winter...

      Ok, so my partner has gotten the recommendation from one of his spinal cord injury groups that a Meta Quest 2 would potentially be really good for him as way to feel less "closed in" this winter and that many of the games can be played stationary (he has essentially no control of his legs and uses a power wheelchair).

      I don't know anything about any VR games, so I'd love thoughts on the system, what to look for if we buy secondhand, if a different system would be better (money is a barrier, so I don't want to spend it all on a new system and not be able to afford games), and what games would meet his needs?

      Thanks y'all

      13 votes
    4. November 2024 Backlog Burner: Week 3 Discussion

      Week 3 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 3 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 2 Recap

      14 participants played 13 bingo cards and moved 36 games out of their backlogs!
      There were 0 bingo wins.

      • 6 people played Flow bingo cards
      • 7 people played Flux bingo cards
      • 1 person played free choice

      Thus far, a total of 53 games have been played for the November 2024 Backlog Burner.

      Week 2 Game List:

      Week 1 Recap

      11 participants played 10 bingo cards and moved 17 games out of their backlogs!
      There were 0 bingo wins.

      • 6 people played Flow bingo cards
      • 4 people played Flux bingo cards
      • 1 person played free choice

      Game list:

      19 votes
    5. Helldivers 2 Tildes squad interest thread

      So I've been playing a lot of Helldivers 2 recently, and was wondering if there would be much interest in the community for a Tildes LFG / Discord situation to find pick up games. Anyone else have...

      So I've been playing a lot of Helldivers 2 recently, and was wondering if there would be much interest in the community for a Tildes LFG / Discord situation to find pick up games.

      Anyone else have an interest in the game still?

      EDIT: Apologies for the slow response / organization to this thread. Life is busy.

      I have generated a permanent invite link to a 'HELLDIVERS' channel on 'The Oak', my personal use Discord server: https://discord.gg/sqepxdu7dK

      Join that and say something in the helldivers chat channel, and I'll tag you as an HD2 player for general pings.

      Or if you'd like to add me on steam: https://steamcommunity.com/id/Acorn_CK

      My rarely used twitch is the same name, twitch.tv/Acorn_CK

      EDIT 2: My timezone is PST, although I play late (generally 9pm-~1am)

      23 votes
    6. Churchil Solitaire - The game that turned me off from buying mobile games

      Churchill Solitaire is a mobile game that you can play on Apple or Android devices. It came out in 2016. I found out about it in 2018. It had some very good reviews. It was mentioned that the game...

      Churchill Solitaire is a mobile game that you can play on Apple or Android devices. It came out in 2016. I found out about it in 2018. It had some very good reviews. It was mentioned that the game is difficult to beat. At the time I was playing some different solitaire games on mobile so I decided to try another. I paid $4.99 to unlock "all deals and free play".

      The game is pretty good. $5 was a little expensive to pay for a game that only had one variation of solitaire. For example, I had the game Solebon Pro which has 160 variations. That game cost $10.

      So Churchill Solitaire is not a great value. Not all games have the same value of course. But the reason I stopped playing it is because it charges you to get hints and undo moves. A game that is this hard just wastes your time if you can't undo. You can get quite near the end of a session and need to completely restart because you had several choices earlier and picked the wrong one.

      Here is the In-App purchase list that is currently on the App Store in 2024. I don't remember if these prices were the same in 2018, but they are the current prices if you want to unlock any of the features:

      • Undos - 15 Pack $0.99
      • Hints - 15 Pack $0.99
      • Undos - 100 Pack $5.99
      • Hints - 100 Pack $5.99
      • Unlock All Deals & Freeplay $4.99
      • Game Pack 1 $0.99
      • Daily Game (Monthly) $4.99
      • Game Pack 2 $0.99
      • Game Pack 3 $0.99
      • Undos - 50 Pack $4.99

      I understand that the developer should get paid money for unlocking the basic game. I understand that making additional winnable deals may take developer time (most deals are unwinnable in this game, but there is a "campaign" that has winnable deals). I understand that having a daily game may cost the developer to maintain servers and create winnable deals.

      But I don't understand charging for hints or undos. I mean, I understand it from a greed perspective. But not from an "I respect the people who paid money for my game" perspective. Yes, I know about Candy Crush and all the other super addictive mobile games that are pay to win and farm money from whales. But this one just pissed me off in particular. This is the mobile game equivalent of heated seats in a BMW.

      Since 2018 I've only bought 2 mobile games. So sorry other game devs, I don't even check the app store for games anymore.

      Edit: It has been rightfully pointed out that this is a bit of a cranky post. I didn't make clear my intention. Maybe someone can recommend some recent small mobile games, like card or sudoku or something, that aren't pay to win. I am aware of one: Good Sudoku.

      12 votes
    7. D&D session report, 24-11-16

      The game is AD&D 1e. I'm happy to discuss any mechanics behind the report if anyone asks. The party: Iskandar, human Magic-User 7 Jurgen, human Ranger 6 DeBeaux, half-orc Cleric 1 / Fighter 1 /...

      The game is AD&D 1e. I'm happy to discuss any mechanics behind the report if anyone asks.

      The party:

      • Iskandar, human Magic-User 7
      • Jurgen, human Ranger 6
      • DeBeaux, half-orc Cleric 1 / Fighter 1 / Assassin 1
      • Bite, half-orc Fighter 1
      • Rowan, human Magic-User 6
        • Henchman Freya, human Fighter 4
        • Henchman Rikka, human Fighter 4
      • Vortigern, dwarf Fighter 6 / Thief 6
        • Henchman Ingrid, human Ranger 4
        • Henchman Runa, human Magic-User 4

      The location: an underwater facility inhabited by aquatic elves who are currently suffering from a wasting disease of the mind that's been spreading amongst them. Those affected have been forcibly sent to the lower levels. A faerie elf (C6/F6/MU9) named Alfred has enlisted the party's assistance.

      The plan this evening was to delve into the third floor of this facility. They left the safety of the first floor and quickly navigated through the second, back to the lift that would take them down to the third.

      The party wanders through the halls, checking each of the iron doors for traps before attempting to pry them open. During one such attempt, a few dozen elves (and then some), horribly mutated into beings with sightless orbs but exceptional hearing, approaches from behind. The party was not caught unawares, and one fireball from Rowan later, they finish up with the door and loot the bodies of any loose coin. It's noted that many of the coins were destroyed in the blast.

      They make their way through a kitchen and eventually come across a dead-end hallway with seemingly no purpose. Before they can do much with that information, another group of a couple dozen mutant elves shows up, but the party catches them by surprise and manages to shock & awe in a way that led to the mutant elves fleeing.

      A few members of the party spread out to start checking the walls, and Rikka stumbles through one of the walls with a shout. An illusory wall hid a room with an elven corpse in full battle gear and another lift to a fourth floor. Rowan begins unstrapping the armor from the corpse and then he stops, now unresponsive and non-verbal. Seeing his ally struck with a feeblemind curse, Jurgen does the most sensible thing and tries to loot the sword off the corpse, falling prey to the same curse.

      Iskandar borrows some rope and creates a leash for his allies, leading them along. The party decides they should leave and see if Alfred can fix this. He can, and does, for a total sum of 5200 gold. During this, Vortigern's player began feeling unwell and stepped away for the evening.

      The party goes back down and decides to try a different direction, bringing them to a hallway filled with razor wire, thickly enough that passage would be both slow and painful. After some discussion, Iskandar uses levitate on himself and creates a tightrope above the wire, along the wall, utilizing some rope and door spikes.

      They follow the hall to another couple of doors, one straight ahead and one to their left. Their attentions turns to the left one, which has been locked from this side and welded shut. DeBeaux unlatches the door as Bite moves forward to force it open with his exceptionally high strength. The party moves into the room, seeing a number of effigies fashioned from elven flesh placed around a bone ramp that ends at an altar with a large marble bowl resting on it. Iskandar approaches and sees text inscribed in Elvish within the bowl, so he casts comprehend languages and runs his hands along it. 'The rowan wand lies in blood'.

      Unsure of how to proceed with that, he steps away as Rowan approaches, dagger in hand. Rowan cuts across his palm and bleeds into the bowl, at which point an unseen force pulls his hand within, drawing yet more and more of his essence into it, the blood forming and solidifying into a wand. Upon inspection, it has inscribed 'fir-aga' on the bottom.

      The party moves into another room through a stuck iron door and sees a big cylinder of glass holding a mass of slime, vegetation, and refuse. Laid around said cylinder is a small hoard; silver, jewelry, scroll cases. Iskandar rushes forth to the scroll cases, Jurgen and Bite close behind, which angers the shambling mound in its glass container. Breaking forth from its cage, the shambling mound strikes at the lot of them, landing hits on Rikka and Bite. Many attacks fly towards it as Iskandar carefully backs away from the creature, and Bite is struck by one of its limbs, going down with broken ribs. Iskandar follows up with a magic missile, which is sufficient to kill the creature. Jurgen applies healing to Bite via a potion of light healing, the party gathers all the loot they've found, and then they all leave for the first floor.

      Notable magic items found

      • ivory goat trio figurines of wondrous power [sold]
      • scroll of protection from earth elementals [sold]
      • scroll containing three cleric spells [sold]
      • wand of fireballs [kept]
      • scroll containing seven magic-user spells [kept]
      • frostbrand [kept]

      Current player-kept map of the third floor.

      11 votes
    8. Tildes Minecraft Survival Weekly

      New Thread Server host: tildes.nore.gg (Running Java 1.21.1) Dynmap: https://tildes.nore.gg Playtime Tracker: https://tildes.nore.gg/playtimes.html Tildes website extension (shows online status &...

      New Thread


      Server host: tildes.nore.gg (Running Java 1.21.1)
      Dynmap: https://tildes.nore.gg
      Playtime Tracker: https://tildes.nore.gg/playtimes.html
      Tildes website extension (shows online status & location): Firefox (Desktop and Android) - Chrome
      Verification site: https://verify.tildes.nore.gg
      Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TildesMC

      Plugins and Data Packs Data Packs:
      • Terralith - Overworld terrain upgrade
      • Nullscape - End terrain upgrade
      • Armor Statues [Vanilla Tweaks]
      • Bat Membranes [Vanilla Tweaks]
      • Cauldron Concrete [Vanilla Tweaks]
      • Husks Drop Sand [Vanilla Tweaks]
      • Mini Blocks [Vanilla Tweaks]
      • More Mob Heads [Vanilla Tweaks]
      • Player Head Drops [Vanilla Tweaks]
      • Silence Mobs [Vanilla Tweaks]
      • Wandering Trades [Vanilla Tweaks]

      Plugins:

      • Clickable Links - Makes http URLs in chat clickable (only for registered players)
      • CoreProtect - Records all block/container/mob changes (Anyone can look up changes with /co inspect)
      • Dynmap - Adds a live web map
      • Hexnicks - Enables Tildes usernames to be displayed
      • LuckPerms - Locks down unregistered users
      • Rapid Leaf Decay - Increases the speed of leaf decay by 10x
      • WorldEdit - Used for occasional admin stuff
      • WorldGuard - Prevents unregistered users from changing anything in the world

      The server operates on a soft whitelist. Anyone can log in and walk around, but you need a Tildes account to gain build access.


      New Thread

      27 votes
    9. Save Point: A game deal roundup for the week of November 10

      Add awesome game deals to this topic as they come up over the course of the week! Alternately, ask about a given game deal if you want the community’s opinions: e.g. “What games from this bundle...

      Add awesome game deals to this topic as they come up over the course of the week!

      Alternately, ask about a given game deal if you want the community’s opinions: e.g. “What games from this bundle are most worth my attention?”

      Rules:

      • No grey market sales
      • No affiliate links

      If posting a sale, it is strongly encouraged that you share why you think the available game/games are worthwhile.


      All previous Save Point topics

      If you don’t want to see threads in this series, add save point to your personal tag filters.

      17 votes
    10. November 2024 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

      11 participants played 10 bingo cards and moved 17 games out of their backlogs!
      There were 0 bingo wins.

      • 6 people played Flow bingo cards
      • 4 people played Flux bingo cards
      • 1 person played free choice

      Game list:

      16 votes
    11. Satisfactory tips and tricks?

      I'm completely hooked on this game. My buddy and I have been sneaking in some Satisfactory at night when our families are in bed. If it makes it funnier, you can picture it like a secret love...

      I'm completely hooked on this game.

      My buddy and I have been sneaking in some Satisfactory at night when our families are in bed. If it makes it funnier, you can picture it like a secret love affair. Late night messages, slipping in and out bed trying not to wake the wives, and mid-day texts about our big plans (with our factories). Friends, I literally play this game in my head when I'm not able to play for real. And it's just as good since most of it based around planning.

      Anyway, I'm surprised by the depth. A lot of it is intentional while a lot of the rest is the natural result of players kind of hacking the build mode to do things you can't normally do such as curves and 1 meter vertical conveyers.

      What are your favorite tips and tricks for this game?

      29 votes
    12. What are your favorite “chore” games?

      A loose definition of a “chore” game would be: A game in which you repeatedly do relatively unexciting tasks to work towards a larger goal. The fun often comes from: A sense of progress/completion...

      A loose definition of a “chore” game would be:

      A game in which you repeatedly do relatively unexciting tasks to work towards a larger goal. The fun often comes from:

      • A sense of progress/completion that builds over time
      • Fighting entropy/restoring order
      • Converting effort into currency
      • Unlocking quality of life features over time that make the tasks easier/more engaging

      A perfect example would be PowerWash Simulator. In fact, these games are often called “simulator” games or have the word in their title (though not always, and not all “simulator” games are specifically “chore” games).

      Which ones are your favorites? What do you enjoy about them?

      28 votes
    13. Some highlights from the Warcraft Direct broadcast (the Blizzcon replacement)

      Live broadcast just ended, but it's available to watch in full here. And here is the full article about the Warcraft Direct broadcast - I have not read it though as it is very long and in depth....

      Live broadcast just ended, but it's available to watch in full here. And here is the full article about the Warcraft Direct broadcast - I have not read it though as it is very long and in depth.

      So here are the highlights and headlines:

      Warcraft RTS games news

      Warcraft III Reforged to be updated with a patch 2.0

      • Updates including new models, environment, and more - but players can choose whether or not to use the original or new ones.

      Warcraft II: Reforged announced

      • Similar to III, will be updated graphically and UI

      Warcraft I: Reforged announced

        • Same type of updates as above.

      Warcraft Battle Chest available right now.


      World of Warcraft news

      WoW: Classic to receive fresh start servers

      • These servers will follow the same release pattern as the 2019 WoW: Classic release, including expansions. Burning Crusade expansion will also follow.

      • WoW: Classic Hardcore fresh start servers will launch at the same time as the above

      • WoW: Cataclysm Classic to continue its releases with Firelands and Dragon Soul raids.

      • WoW: Mists of Pandaria Classic announced.

      WoW: The War Within

      • Patch 11.0.7 "The Siren Isle" now available on PTR.

      • Features a small island zone with the mysterious Harranir race.

      • Adds some main campaign quests/storyline content.

      • Patch 11.1 "Undermined" revealed, to launch in early 2025.

        • Season 2.
        • Undermine is the new zone which will visit an Goblin area - an underground zone similar to most of the other ones in TWW.
        • Car mounts (lol) called "D.R.I.V.E." (loln't) revealed, but only available in this zone.
        • New dungeon called "Operation: Floodgate".
        • Two new delves, and more versions added to the existing eight delves.
        • New eight-boss raid called "Liberation of Undermine".
      • At the end was a small teaser about the upcoming Midnight expansion about player housing but more news will come next year.

      Here is the full roadmap for WoW: Classic.

      Here is the full roadmap for retail WoW.


      Most of this was going by memory from the broadcast so I'd recommend the links above for more details and whatever I forgot. Also, there was a ton of corporate nonsense fluff but I think nobody here really care about that.

      There was also news about Hearthstone but I hope someone in the comments can expand on this as I don't know enough about it and also didn't really listen lol, so I can't properly write anything about it - same goes for news about Warcraft Rumble.

      7 votes
    14. D&D session report, 24-11-09

      The game is AD&D 1e. The party: Jurgen, human Ranger 6 Aeliana, elf Fighter 3 / Magic-User 2 / Thief 4 DeBeaux, half-orc Cleric 1 / Fighter 1 / Assassin 1 Iskandar, human Magic-User 7 Henchman...

      The game is AD&D 1e. The party:

      • Jurgen, human Ranger 6
      • Aeliana, elf Fighter 3 / Magic-User 2 / Thief 4
      • DeBeaux, half-orc Cleric 1 / Fighter 1 / Assassin 1
      • Iskandar, human Magic-User 7
        • Henchman Thorgisl, Fighter 1
      • Vortigern, dwarf Fighter 6 / Thief 6
        • Henchman Runa, human Magic-User 4
        • Henchman Ingrid, human Ranger 4
      • 6 crossbowmen and 2 infantrymen

      The location: an underwater facility inhabited by aquatic elves who are currently suffering from a wasting disease of the mind that's been spreading amongst them. Those affected have been forcibly sent to the lower levels. A faerie elf (C6/F6/MU9) named Alfred has enlisted the party's assistance.

      This is not their first foray into the dungeon, but they have their first encounter with the affected elves here. The ten elves are immediately suspicious and eventually attack once they learn the party was sent here by Alfred. One successful sleep and a decent set of rolls later, the remaining three elves flee. The sleeping ones were tied up, and the party attempted an inquiry, but the elves decided a forever-sleep was preferable, though their movements prior to that were oddly jerky.

      They wander the halls of this facility, eventually encountering a gelatinous cube, which two magic missiles from Iskandar & Runa took care of.

      In one chamber, they solved a puzzle and activated a Shrine (from the TSR Diablo supplement for 2e) that opened town portals back to the safe floor. Through trial, they discovered what these do, but only two (Aeliana's and Iskandar's portals) remained.

      The highlight of the evening was the party coming across a set-up they'd seen in another room; two ceremonial masks kept inside a glass case, framed with iron, and watched by nearby metal torches that would loose blasts of arcane energy at any that got too close. Aeliana and Vortigern attempt to disarm the trap. Vortigern succeeds, but Aeliana fails significantly enough to accidentally trigger the trap, forcing a save vs. breath for 15 damage. She fails, and with her maximum HP of 8, she is incinerated on the spot. Luckily, her gear remains. They travel back to the portals activated earlier and send a hobilar in with Aeliana's corpse while the rest of them found their way back up. They petition Alfred for a revival, and he does have a scroll with a couple castings of raise dead on them, and the party can certainly afford the price for it, but he gently reminds them that elves are soulless, requiring more powerful magic to revive than he has access to.

      After some discussion, Runa rests a while before casting invisibility on herself and her horse so that she might make a trip to a town some 35 miles out to grab:

      • Rowan, a human MU 6
        • Henchman Rikka & Freya, both human Fighter 4

      Rowan uses invisibility, 10' radius on everyone relevant and they travel back to the elven city to continue exploring. In doing so, they encounter another set of 15 elves, but dispatch them quickly and decisively due to surprise, though Ingrid took a heavy amount of damage (10 damage to her maximum of 22 HP).

      We stop shortly after the group finds the lift to the lower level, whereupon their crossbowmen and hobilars refuse to go any deeper, indicating a dungeon floor of at least DL 4 difficulty.

      11 votes
    15. Tildes Minecraft Survival Weekly

      New Thread Server host: tildes.nore.gg (Running Java 1.21.1) Dynmap: https://tildes.nore.gg Playtime Tracker: https://tildes.nore.gg/playtimes.html Tildes website extension (shows online status &...

      New Thread


      Server host: tildes.nore.gg (Running Java 1.21.1)
      Dynmap: https://tildes.nore.gg
      Playtime Tracker: https://tildes.nore.gg/playtimes.html
      Tildes website extension (shows online status & location): Firefox (Desktop and Android) - Chrome
      Verification site: https://verify.tildes.nore.gg
      Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TildesMC

      Plugins and Data Packs Data Packs:
      • Terralith - Overworld terrain upgrade
      • Nullscape - End terrain upgrade
      • Armor Statues [Vanilla Tweaks]
      • Bat Membranes [Vanilla Tweaks]
      • Cauldron Concrete [Vanilla Tweaks]
      • Husks Drop Sand [Vanilla Tweaks]
      • Mini Blocks [Vanilla Tweaks]
      • More Mob Heads [Vanilla Tweaks]
      • Player Head Drops [Vanilla Tweaks]
      • Silence Mobs [Vanilla Tweaks]
      • Wandering Trades [Vanilla Tweaks]

      Plugins:

      • Clickable Links - Makes http URLs in chat clickable (only for registered players)
      • CoreProtect - Records all block/container/mob changes (Anyone can look up changes with /co inspect)
      • Dynmap - Adds a live web map
      • Hexnicks - Enables Tildes usernames to be displayed
      • LuckPerms - Locks down unregistered users
      • Rapid Leaf Decay - Increases the speed of leaf decay by 10x
      • WorldEdit - Used for occasional admin stuff
      • WorldGuard - Prevents unregistered users from changing anything in the world

      The server operates on a soft whitelist. Anyone can log in and walk around, but you need a Tildes account to gain build access.


      New Thread

      23 votes
    16. Mindless games, preferably mobile

      I'm looking for something to keep me busy / focused on with minimal actual concentration, planning or learning required. Things that you can't look away from while playing or you lose what you're...

      I'm looking for something to keep me busy / focused on with minimal actual concentration, planning or learning required. Things that you can't look away from while playing or you lose what you're doing. Nothing that involves interaction with other people.

      Things that have worked for me for this in the past are Bejeweled 3 lightening mode, Insaniquarium, driving around mindlessly in Forza Horizons.

      I'm kind of terrible at anything that requires twitch reflexes, so anything that punishes you for slowness isn't great. Bejeweled it's not a problem because the game is basically identical no matter how you score.

      26 votes
    17. November 2024 Backlog Burner: Week 1 Discussion

      The blaze has officially ignited! The November 2024 Backlog Burner is officially live. Use this topic to post about the games that you play. Quicklink: Backlog Bingo Etiquette: It is fine to make...

      The blaze has officially ignited!

      The November 2024 Backlog Burner is officially live. Use this topic to post about the games that you play.

      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 playing Backlog Bingo, you can share your table either by markdown or through screenshots.

      Gameplay guidelines:

      • Goals for this event (if any) are entirely individual and self-determined.

      • Playing Bingo is optional and not required.

      • 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 irrecoverably delete your card.

      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 Edit Rules button in the header to access your card settings. Then click the Reset button, 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, and Has romanceable characters all 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.

      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!

      14 votes
    18. Games with complex-required-supporting-real-e2e logistics?

      I've long enjoyed Foxhole and X4 and was wondering what other games has similar logistical systems. Both give the same satisfying feeling when you look at the big picture of how the games are a...

      I've long enjoyed Foxhole and X4 and was wondering what other games has similar logistical systems. Both give the same satisfying feeling when you look at the big picture of how the games are a complex interplay between the immediate gameplay, and what is being simulated "behind the scenes" to enable it.

      The descriptor in the title is a bit of a mouthful, so let's break down what I mean.

      Complex
      To exclude typical resource game mechanics, where you "just" mine resources which gives you resource points that you can spend directly.

      Required & Supporting
      In Foxhole the main objective is to push the front and win the war. And players can focus on that and never have to really think about how they get their weapons and ammo. But at the same time the logistics is the entire reason they even can fight.
      In X4 you can fly about and do stuff and acquire ships while relying on the AI empires economies. But there has to be some alive economy for the game to not go to a standstill.
      In short, logistics systems that are required by the game, but not necessarily by the individual player.
      This excludes games where the logistics system is the game, like Factorio, Dyson Sphere Program, Satisfactory, etc.

      Real end-2-end
      To specify that there should as little cheating as possible. Though obviously there is always some cheating in games. Both in X4 and Foxhole, every resource is tracked right from harvest, to refinement, to the end product. And all steps require real moving of goods by AI (X4) or players (Foxhole) between factories, other intermediaries, and end users.

      So what other similar games are there? I was thinking of EVE Online, but I think only the player orgs in null-sec have real economies in that game, and you could still play it if they all suddenly stopped.

      20 votes
    19. Save Point: A game deal roundup for the week of November 3

      Add awesome game deals to this topic as they come up over the course of the week! Alternately, ask about a given game deal if you want the community’s opinions: e.g. “What games from this bundle...

      Add awesome game deals to this topic as they come up over the course of the week!

      Alternately, ask about a given game deal if you want the community’s opinions: e.g. “What games from this bundle are most worth my attention?”

      Rules:

      • No grey market sales
      • No affiliate links

      If posting a sale, it is strongly encouraged that you share why you think the available game/games are worthwhile.


      All previous Save Point topics

      If you don’t want to see threads in this series, add save point to your personal tag filters.

      8 votes
    20. Humble Choice - November 2024

      November 2024's Humble Choice is now available with the following eight Steam games. Steam Page Opencritic Steam Recent/All Operating Systems Steam Deck ProtonDB Warhammer 40,000: Darktide 74...

      November 2024's Humble Choice is now available with the following eight Steam games.

      Steam Page Opencritic Steam Recent/All Operating Systems Steam Deck ProtonDB
      Warhammer 40,000: Darktide 74 83/69 Win ❌ Unsupported 🟨 Gold
      Persona 4 Golden 88 95/97 Win ✅ Verified 🟨 Gold
      The Lamplighters League 71 93/72 Win ✅ Verified 🟨 Gold
      Cassette Beasts 86 94/95 Win, Linux ✅ Verified ✅ Native
      The Bookwalker: Thief of Tales 69 91/92 Win 🟨 Playable 🕙 Awaiting Reports
      KarmaZoo 77 90 Win ✅ Verified 🎖️ Platinum
      Hexarchy N/A 66/83 Win, Mac 🟨 Playable 🎖️ Platinum
      Garden Life: A Cozy Simulator 65 77/78 Win 🟨 Playable 🟨 Gold

      Does anyone have experience with any of the games and, if so, would you recommend them? Is there anything in here that you're particularly excited to play?

      11 votes