Acquisitions
Challenge Me!
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Beyond Eyes
4.5 hours playtime
10 of 10 achievements
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Pickers
8.9 hours playtime
40 of 40 achievements
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Highway Blossoms
10.1 hours playtime
20 of 20 achievements
Beyond Eyes
A Challenge Me! and SG win that counts for the Monthly Challenge. In this game, you're a blind girl looking for her cat. It was interesting how the world would build around you based on imagination, sounds, and scents. I was often surprised by a wall or closed gate, which would pop up only when I ran into it, blocking me from getting to what the girl's other senses detected on the other side so easily. I couldn't help but wonder if the world was really so cute, or if it was just the girl's imagination and things were actually ugly.
Pickers
Archaeology At Least Somewhat Historic USA Won on SteamGifts
Steam gifts win and counts for the Monthly. Pretty fun and unique HOG game based on those picker/pawn shop shows, a theme that lends itself well to this kind of game. You scour homes, barns, and storange unites, choose what items to buy, haggle, then try to sell them. You may also find item pieces you can later put together or restore. Traditional HOG scenes do make an appearance, but they are not really the focus of the game -- and rightly so, since it's generally preferable to choose what you buy.
Highway Blossoms
At Least Somewhat Historic Good Reads Road Trips & Travelogues USA Won on SteamGifts
I played this one for Challenge Me!. It's an SG win, so counts for the Monthly Challenge. I cheated with a save file from a Steam guide to get that atrocious one based on in-game waiting. This is a VN with a fun road trip story inspired by hidden Gold Rush loot. I don't have much experience with VNs, but I think it was fairly well written. I was afraid I might cringe a lot at fan servicey dialogue, but it actually kept a serious tone for a game with an adult patch. Honestly, I have PS2 JRPGs that are more embarassing (I'm looking at you, Ar Tonelico). As a bonus, I learned a little about several national parks.
I meant to comment on this the other day but got distracted (oops). Congrats on your progress with the challenge, I’m glad you enjoyed the games overall. :) I agree with you on Beyond Eyes, I love how you never know how things “actually are”. Makes you realise the different perspectives every single person can have compared to one another and how fears/different life experiences can affect it.
Thank you for reminding me about “Beyond Eyes”; I need to put that one on my “short list”!
And great to hear about Highway Blossoms… I’m not much of a VN person either, but… something about that one intrigues me. And the national park bit sounds like a great bonus, too! :)