Sigh.

Welly welly well well

So.

The new updates to BLAEO's code grabbed a pile of poo-poo and threw it at my home fan at such an angle as to spread the feces all over my tabs. That means my tab codes are now ghastly. Yes, most of my code just turned into a funky mess which I simply won't bother to clean up any time soon.

I'm quite joyous. Anyone else sharing the mirth?

The elucidating bubbles were taken and then 'modded' from Night In The Woods, a brilliant game.

Too busy and lazy to properly update

Just came back from a 11-day Steam hiatus, as I've been studying and working a lot.

I hope everyone's doing alright! Also, I've finished and completed a considerable amount of games since the last update – as always. Hope the same applies to you. (:

P.S.: Was mandrill the one in charge of the code porting to the new domain? I’d like to get in touch with someone with knowledge of the whole the change log.

• OneShot</li>
• Night In The Woods
• The Swapper
• Volume
• The Curse of Monkey Island!
• Food for thought
</ul>

oh hai there no one will ever find me





I II III IV V














“This place was never worth saving.”




OneShot is not only hands-down one of my favorite games, but also one of the best games I've ever had the pleasure of playing. It is an intense, edge-of-the-seat experience – like the slow-motion clip of a racing car about to crash – while simultaneously being as tender as mother's embrace before a good night's sleep. Above of all, it is innovative and creative in ways that don't fit into words – or gameplays! – and has moments reserved only for one's consciousness to judge or cowardly pass up on.

I strongly recommend OneShot for its narrative, its out-of-the-box thinking and fourth-wall smashing and its captivating characters and world. OneShot left an impression on me, a dent that was only deepened by a second playthrough.

In a few hours, on March the 20th, OneShot will receive a special update to further expand its world and better explain its story. I can barely wait.

Huge thanks to my friend – and our fellow assassin – Lion AKA Shax for giving me the pleasure of his company during my playthroughs. You've made what was already enjoyable even more so. I hope we can find out the secrets of the new update together as well.

Thanks are also, once again, in order to Jori, the one who gifted me this amazing gem in a time I didn't even know I needed it.

Niko, this one's for you:




Milky Chance - Blossom

“You have to trust in someone

Cause the truth is

All I need is to see you

Blossom out”




• OneShot
  

  10 hours playtime

  11 of 11 achievements

Screenshots by me. The digits in the last screenshot represent a countdown set for March the 20th, the day of the big update. Screenshot taken on 18/02/17.

only that perhaps they will





I II III IV V VI VII VIII IX X
























“At the end of everything you can hold on to something.”




I have no idea how long I had been waiting for NITW. To me, it felt like decades. As my friend Trevor pointed out, NITW is "my kind of game world". I felt at home at Possum Springs, found a dear friend in Bea (Bea is bae weather you admit it or not), quoted NITW to death and took more classy screenshots of it than I could have ever expected – and boy, did I expect.

Some people didn't feel fulfilled by NITW. I get where they're coming from; too many people were excited for this game for it to manage to please every single one of those people. It wasn't going to and, deep down, I felt it was sort of unapologetic on that regard. Night in The Woods takes off effortlessly with great style and soars through the sky without turbulence and even sports flashy moves to compliment, but it does slip on its landing, granting it a bumpy ride in a sure-fare way to not please all those who undertake it.

I was absolutely smitten by NITW. So much so that I'm having trouble putting it into words. I'm craving a second playthrough for weeks now, and I feel like after the second or third playthroughs my brain and heart will reach some sort of an agreement on the overwhelming experience that NITW proved to be. No one's ever safe while in Possum Springs.

Thanks to my dear friend little'bird AKA adina astra for gifting me this on the day of release, when I was saving money to eat. I probably wouldn't have played NITW yet without her generosity.

The following song made me think of NITW, both vibe and lyrics, so I figured I'd share.




Stwo - Haunted ft. Sevdaliza

“We’re just humans, nothing more

I wish it wasn’t looking

‘Cause we’re haunted

For the next, and the best

And for something”




• Night in the Woods
  

  11 hours playtime

  12 of 31 achievements

Gotta get all those achievements! Or sit and wait for the community to figure them out and then just tag along... doing it #MaeStyle

pancakes





I II III IV V














“Why does the other mind scream inside?”




The Swapper is overwhelming. It's overwhelming because it's a story about human relationships, the unknown and the sheer beauty of life all paired up with the human need for survival in a place where one's breathing gasps are the only sounds to be heard. The Swapper is maddening because it not once offers its hand to ease your confusion, to explain puzzles, or to guide you through its backstory. The Swapper is just as hard on its truths with you as the harsh environment is with the character on-screen.

The Swapper is essentially an atmospheric story-driven puzzle game made with love, even if its story is not driven by it.</i>

I'm yet to finish this game, but please know that I didn't give it pause due to lack of interest, it was just a matter of lack of time. I can't wait to finish it.

My favorite piece from the soundtrack actually made me pause the game and just stare at the screen in sheer awe. Bellow is a link of a video in which it is played in all its magnificence by the composer himself:




Recreation – The Swapper Soundtrack – Carlo Castellano




• The Swapper
  

  4 hours playtime

  6 of 10 achievements

“Not just beautiful, though—the stars are like the trees in the forest, alive and breathing. And they're watching me.” —Haruki Murakami, Kafka on the Shore

cookies and pancakes











“We chose to think, we chose to study, we chose to find a new role in the world he's trying to create.”




In one word, Volume was a disappointment. In two words, it was a huge disappointment.

If you recall my last post, you know I had a little challenge going on with our fellow assassin Joe. Well, if it was a win or lose scenario, I most certainly lost. I lost my time to a game I honestly couldn't enjoy, I failed beating it because I couldn't face it and I had my completion rate dragged down by one point because of my stubbornness and anger.

I don't want this to sound like I'm attacking Joe for his suggestion – because I'm not –, I'm attacking a game for having one of the absolute worst Steam Controller "supports" I've ever seen, for filling me with humorless dialogue, for picking voice actors just because they're famous in something other than video games – a different market and medium – and for tampering with my patience by handing me half-assed tutorials dampened in a bunch of purposeless dialogue that wished me to emphasize with a being I couldn't even stand the "robotic" voice of. Oh Andy Serkis, the unexplainable forces of the cosmos know how I adore and respect you. In movies.

Well, glad to get that out of my system. Don't take my harsh judgment too seriously, however. I'm a human fueled by rage, and I know a few fellow gamers who did enjoy Volume. So, you know, eventually try it.




• Volume
  

  77 minutes playtime

  3 of 24 achievements

Who's idea was it to make the killing machines talk? Weren't they supposed to just kill? I mean who are they talking to when they repeat, for the 100th time, "target is down"? Not me, I'm sure.

flying porpentines





I II III IV V














“Look behind you, a three-headed monkey!”




Allow me to let you into a super tight secret I bet you didn't know because it's totally not written on my profile or anything: The Curse of Monkey Island is my favorite game ever. I played it ALL THE TIME when I was a cub. This and Heart of Darkness. However, I lost the CD some ten years ago, and not having my favorite game around broke my heart every time I was reminded of it by my nasty brain.

My birthday is in a few days, on March the 22nd. For a while now, I had been considering purchasing a physical copy of The Curse. The problem? It would cost me around USD60+ to buy it from Amazon and ship it to Brazil. In Brazil it would cost me R$250 + shipping (around USD81).

Imagine my surprise and glee when I got home absolutely exhausted one day and found some of my plushies surrounding said object on my bed. I flipped. My dad found it, by ABSOLUTE ACCIDENT, on a thrift shop. Best birthday gift ever? I think so. Only my dog was a birthday gift too, so...

Weirdest bit? My dad bought it for R$4. Yup. It is as cheap as you think. People are stupid, handing out the best game in the whole wide world just like that...

I can't wait to revisit it, in Mega Monkey difficulty. If only my college would allow me some respite.

PS: Look, Lenor! Look!!!




• The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition
  

  76 minutes playtime

  no achievements

• Monkey Island 2: Special Edition
  

  0 minutes playtime

  0 of 12 achievements

No, The Curse of Monkey Island is not available on Steam. But hey, perk up: it's roughly pointless to play it without playing the previous two installments, and those you can get, REMASTERED, on Steam! Avast, matey!

if you dislike hidden blob, use "br"





I II III










“Time is a created thing. To say ‘I don't have time,’ is like saying, ‘I don't want to.’”




I don't have time for Steam and games. Actually, Lao Tzu got me with his quote. I'm just dedicating my time to more important things. Not to say games aren't important. It's just to say that my dream career of becoming a psychologist and helping those in need is a far more pressing matter in the grand scheme of things.

And it hurts my heart that it is so.

With that in mind, I've attached a few screenshots to strike my point. 0.0 hours in the last two weeks, "last online 13 days ago" (screenshot from 13.03.17 (later replaced by "last online 7 days ago")). Sigh.

I hope you guys are well; I didn't read a few texts for this week in order to do this little check-in, because I do care. You're all endlessly kind, bright, overwhelmingly fun individuals. I miss you guys.

Hey, assassins? Inhale, exhale. Chill:




Treasureseason - Exhale



Built up blues of the horizon seem to glow

Here I’ll watch the day break and the night end

See the haze form as I deeply exhale

Slowly rising, slowly falling




PS: I'm super sorry I didn't reply to some of your messages from a month ago. I was going to do that after this post, but now it's 11:11PM (jinx!) and I gotta go to bed. Dudders, I've been working on this post since... I woke up. I need help. I'll try my best to reply to all your new messages, and I do L-O-V-E hearing from you all.

</div>

• GWENT</li>
• THE TRADER OF STORIES
• THE LION'S SONG
• ONE SHOT
• ASTRONEER
• ETC
</ul>

oh hai there no one will ever find me

---



I II III IV V



Gwent closed beta!... & other card games

These past few days I've been indulging on a new addiction: Gwent. I wouldn't say Gwent, in itself, is new – my love for it, on the other hand, is a newly blossomed flower.

I had a closed beta invite of it sitting on my e-mail for a couple of weeks. You know how it is, the endless cycle of receiving e-mails and forgetting to routinely check on their existence, rotting in your inbox begging to be read and clawing at the loneliness and boredom of the lowliest of fellow unreads: forgotten spam.

After digging my invite code out, I downloaded the heck out of it on GOG and dived into the lore and madness contained within such a presumably simple concept as paper cards. Only I also doubt these particular cards would work as paper, seeing as some times they catch on fire, get toasted by thunder, get blown magically a few rows back, get zapped by a gorgeous sorceress with raven hair... Yeah. I'd say Gwent is a very special card game, not only for its strategy, lore and variety, but for its ability to adapt itself to each and every single one of its players. That, and catching on bloody fire.

So... am I liking it? Hell yeah.

It is true that to completely understand and fully appreciate the story behind Gwent one needs to be acquainted with Andrzej Sapkowski's universe. However, I'd say it is untrue that one needs to be into the universe to be into Gwent. If you enjoyed drawing cards as Geralt, you'll love doing it as yourself in this standalone version. It is more polished, richer, better animated, even more intricate and, I'd dare say, even more fun than the Gwent we all know and love. It is revamped!Gwent, and it s a jewel.



Got GOG?

If you have a GOG account, see if you can sign up for the beta and add me (I'm "coralinecastell" there as well!) so we can destroy one another's decks. I'd love to play with anyone willing to face me and my Skellige skills! jk u guys i suck please have mercy on my soul

What card games do YOU enjoy?

Personally, I've never been a huge fan of card games, save for a few exceptions, such as Gwent, good ol' Solitaire and some actual card games that you play with fellow flesh and bones friends in the real world. Like, you know, normal human beings. Once in never. And then you lose because you suck.

Two Steam games that have their very own concept of cards are Hand of Fate & Reigns. I recommend them, therefore I'd check them out if I were you! *wink wink*




• Hand Of Fate
  

  8 hours playtime

  9 of 53 achievements

• Reigns
  

  2 hours playtime

  1 of 13 achievements




Yennefer art done by @akreon for Gwent. The handsome fella smiling at you on the header is the sole reason why you'll be coming back for more cards at the Gwent shop. Not because you need cards, but because he's cute, and he's always happy to see you browsing through merchandise. He also farts. It's adorable.







ooops sorry i dropped this

only that perhaps they will

---



I II III IV V VI



The Trader of Stories Universe

Another non-Steam delight, The Trader of Stories, chapter 1 is a game I had been eagerly awaiting for. It is the sequel to another game by the Rudowski Brothers: A Grain of Truth. A Grain of Truth was published in mid. 2012, and five years later the Rudowskis continued their point-n-click bonanza with Trader of Stories, chapter 1. Both games take place in the same faraway universe, and both follow a female lead through gorgeously drawn adventures and simple enough puzzles, opting to focus on the story behind these peculiar characters rather than the puzzles they involve themselves – and therefore you – in. If that got your attention, I'd also suggest checking out what I believe is the Rudowski Brother's first point-n-click game set in this universe, Bell's Heart. It is much shorter, way less ambitious project. However, that isn't enough to discredit the game, seeing as the brother's abilities to make believable, well developed characters seems to be innate.

The choice to focus on a rich universe and their inhabitants is a wise one on the brother's part, and all three games end up being charming, gorgeous, quirky and inventive. I bow to both of them on their ability to balance fantastic art direction and character development in ways that make you care for the story you follow, without overwhelming yourself and being drawn away from the puzzle-solving elements.

All in all, I strongly recommend The Trader of Stories' universe to anyone who enjoys a good story, well developed characters, artistic eye candy and light puzzle solving. The Rudowski Brothers simply don't have it in themselves to disappoint.




The picture depicts some of the art by the Rudowskis. If you want more, just click the numbered tabs above and delight yourself – oh, and check out their blog.











the only certainty in life is that i like cookies

---



I II III IV V VI



The Lion's Song, Episode 2: Anthology

This is the valley of tears of my newest BLAEO post. Not because the game is bad, quite the contrary. It is outstanding. It's the valley of tears because I started a guide on it that I can't bring myself to finish.

I don't know if I lack the patience, or the brain or the style or what is it, but this The Lion's Song is a very difficult game to write guides for. I took myself up for the challenge a couple of weeks ago, and I'm simply clueless on how to get many of the game's achievements or how to make it clear to others how to get those I know how.

It makes me sad.

About the game

The first chapter of The Lion's Song is free on Steam. Check that out, it's masterful. Then, if got the guts and the hard earned cash, purchase the season pass. The second Episode, I think, is even better than the first, and I'm sure the other upcoming two will also be fantastic. To keep it short, it's my sort of game. It fails in a few regards (like making Freud too out of character), but those are slight slights that can easily be overcome by the high standards it imprints and excels at.

Episode 2 features both Freud and Klimt! Such a delight.




• The Lion's Song
  

  5 hours playtime

  31 of 41 achievements




Check out the screenshots I've 'attached'. Klimt's the one that claims that "the young artist is like a lion".
If you don't know who Klimt is... try this.











cookies and pancakes

---



I II III IV



OneShot

OneShot is a game I decided to dive into blind. As in I didn't read reviews, I didn't look for screenshots, I didn't read its store page nor did I watch game plays. I just played it. So far, I'm pleasantly surprised. At the time of writing, I had played roughly 30 minutes (some offline, hence the discrepancy) and felt that I hadn't wasted those 30 minutes, but relished in them. I have no direct objective simplistic idea of what this game is about, but here's what I've gathered so far:

You guide Niko, a girl just as clueless as you are. She wakes up in an eerie house having no recollection of ever being there in the first place. As you aid her through the prologue, a computer kindly informs you that the world is a mess – you're too late. But wait, don't give up! You are hope itself and, as the first few minutes will tell you, Niko needs your help. Yes, your help. As in the ball of meat and bones sitting behind the computer screen.

Slowly you come to understand the first layer of what makes the world a mess. I won't spoil it for you, but know that this game plays a lot with the concept of shattering fourth walls and bringing you into its universe seamlessly – just check out one of the screenshots I put here. I mean, who's Capivara? *wink*

So far, it's adorable in every single possible way... but I know that must be a facade to fool me and lure me in. Oh OneShot, what the hell do you have in store for me? Have mercy.




• OneShot
  

  18 minutes playtime

  0 of 11 achievements




This delightful game was a surprise gift from my friend Jori. She gets my taste for games so so well it's almost scary – 'almost' because firstly and foremostly, it is a refreshing sort of understanding.
The girl in the black background to your right is Niko herself.



Art done by one of OneShot's creators, @NightMargin, to promote her game in 2014.





if you dislike hidden blob, use "br"

---



I II III



ASTRONEER!... & other nonsense

ASTRONEER's in pre-alpha. Know what that means? Losing save files, getting literally stuck, witnessing your items explode and failing at the most simple of functions like walking. Occasionally. With that being said, ASTRONEER is not only a charming game about outer space, exploration and crafting. It is, as of the time of writing, also a game of patience. The up side is that patches are just as abundant as the rocks you collide against, the downside is that you might reload your save to see it has broken itself to pieces while you slept.

But let's talk about happy things. ASTRONEER is probably the definition of "potential" in the whole of the early access part of Steam. It is constantly moving forward, at the right pace and direction, with patches, bug fixes, new items and all that jazz. Recently, is has received a new experimental build, that I might sign up for and test myself, along with all the super duper early goodies that come with beta testing a pre-alpha game. Heh. Well, after I stomp bugs and rage, that is. Breathe in, breathe out.




• ASTRONEER
  

  2 hours playtime

  no achievements




Do you play ASTRONEER? What are your impressions so far, and will you test the experimental builds?

Talking about updates... Kitty Powers' Matchmaker got a new patch!




• Kitty Powers' Matchmaker
  

  15 hours playtime

  6 of 31 achievements




Why am I the only one squealing? Guys, Kitty Powers did a full VO for the game. Seriously this is the best thing that has happened to me in any of my Valentine's ever. Oops. Did I just say too much? Well Live and Let Die.

If you haven't checked this one out yet, I strongly recommend it. It's one of those... fun games, you know? I guess we all try too hard to kill backlogs and amount achievements at times. Kitty Powers might be the break you need from all that Ghoul murdering as handsome Geralt of Rivia.




Happy Valentine's, kittens! I hope you have a wonderful time with your loved ones. Remember: they are lucky to have you, because you are awesome. And if you'll be spending it all by yourself, know this: no one's more deserving of you than yourself. So put that gorgeous smile on! A hug from your friendly black cat neighbor.



Art done by a very capable individual from System Era's concept art team.



or roll with it :D

---



I II III IV IV



Completed

During my extensive period of silence, I managed to complete a few short games. Let's break them down, yes?




• A Date in the Park
  

  42 minutes playtime

  9 of 9 achievements

• Carpe Diem
  

  25 minutes playtime

  1 of 1 achievements



• True or False 2
  

  2 hours playtime

  100 of 100 achievements

• Moirai
  

  10 minutes playtime

  no achievements




The Good

Moirai was a short (15 min) free game that left an impression. You live in a village, and a woman has gone missing. So it's up to you to go into the isolated mine and find her, of course. Take this knife and a pat on the back. I'll be here when you return. Poke the sheep on the way!

A Date in The Park was pretty neat! If you enjoy point and click adventures, give it a shot! It's free as well. If you speak Brazilian Portuguese, you just have to play it. You'll understand when you do. Have fun on your date!</p>

The Bad

True or False 2, in itself, isn't bad. I just dislike shallow knowledge, replaying for achievements and sourceless material. It makes me feel too lost and upset. Get it cheap, play it for the achievements.                                                               Look, behind you! A three-headed sheep!

& The Ugly

Just read my absurdly short review of Carpe Diem. For once, I don't care it's indie, or made with love, or whatever. It pissed me off. Even the name is a presumptuous piece of horse fart.



Beaten

From one of the creators of Stanley Parable (a game I neither own nor have beaten) comes a cool game with the longest title ever. Yes, it too breaks the fourth wall, utilizes some outside of the box thinking and has fantastic voice acting. I giggled from beginning to end. Don't forget to get the tape recorder; listen to all the tapes on your second playthrough!

The Tiger is also free. It's also captivating and quick. The only downside is that the achievements are a pain in the ass x100. And don't even think about reading guides! If you alt-tab, you erase your achievement progress. *sigh*




• Dr. Langeskov, The Tiger, and The Terribly Cursed Emerald: A Whirlwind Heist
  

  83 minutes playtime

  3 of 6 achievements




Seriously. Don't forget the tapes.



Amazing gifts!

I happen to have the coolest Steam friends, and I was super giddy with all the nice gifts I got this past month. I've tried most of them out, and loved them all! You guys know me too well.

Shout-out to Treabhair for Stardew Valley, ENSLAVED, ASTRONEER & The Lion's Song. All in good fun, you're the best sugar daddy.

A virtual hug to Mendel for the never-ending patience, 'wiseness' and for gifting me The Secret World. Once I can free some GBs, I'll dive into it!

A fist bump and one of those cool handshakes to Adam for being a sweetheart and dropping me a Krautscape never know how to spell this crap key! I'm honored to be remembered.

A kiss to Jori's cheek for OneShot, even though I've already mentioned how grateful I am.




• Stardew Valley
  

  12 hours playtime

  1 of 40 achievements

• The Secret World
  

  0 minutes playtime

  no achievements

• Krautscape
  

  32 minutes playtime

  2 of 23 achievements

• ENSLAVED™: Odyssey to the West™ Premium Edition
  

  0 minutes playtime

  0 of 58 achievements




Even though you all know I don't have the time to play all these awesome things right away and I hate you for it, I still think you guys are pretty cool, and I've never hated Steam keys' region locks more than I do now.



A challenge & the failure of the monthly theme

A while ago our fellow assassin Joe proposed a little challenge to me. Or an agreement, depending on how you look at it. I'm to play Volume by the end of February, and he's to get a move on and play Botanicula. Joe, I haven't started. I won't lie to you, dear. But I'll play it! Don't you doubt me. Also, I'm watching you with cat-like eyes.

About that monthly theme....

Alright, you guys all realized it by now. 'Monthly theme' is just not something I do. But I have to say... I was eager to finally both start Mass Effect and beat Dust. I feel like a loser, because classes will soon be recommencing and I just can't afford the commitment this very month. I haven't given up yet, but I find it unlikely to be touching any of those two so soon.




• Botanicula
  

  5 hours playtime

  53 of 53 achievements

• Volume
  

  0 minutes playtime

  0 of 24 achievements

• Dust: An Elysian Tail
  

  3 hours playtime

  11 of 30 achievements

• Mass Effect
  

  0 minutes playtime

  no achievements




Did I mention I still am not even close to finishing The Witcher 3? Yeah, that big of a loser. I need professional RPG help. Also, you guys don't wanna know when was the last time I played Dust. Trust me, you don't.



Thank you!

I hope that by now you've realized the insane amount of code that went into doing this post. That's why you guys can't have nice timely things. Either they're nice, or they're sharp on their hour of coming. Can't have both.

I spent two days making this post, and the only reason I finished it is because of the constant interest you guys show in keeping BLAEO up and running. I love to read your progress, to laugh at your disgrace (let me schadenfreude in peace) and I'm so glad it's mutual.

As always, thank you for waiting on me, and I hope I'll catch you all next month with more games if college doesn't eat my dead carcass whole.

Some names

Arbiter Libera, thank you for allowing me to use your mosaic idea. It inspired me greatly. I couldn't use Fotor, though, since they were too limited on their free 6 image templates. So I just up and did it myself. send help

TopDeer, I saw something on your feed eons ago, long story short it inspired me to do those side images. Your coding rocks, you rock. You are truly the top deer among us. top dear as well if i'm allowed some puns

Thanks to Downward Concept for using that cool numbered button tab thing. I stole it, hope you don't mind.

A fact

Did you know that when your BLAEO post has 38k+ characters it lags and chokes horribly? It would be funny if it weren't so sad.




The image is from Why Am I Dead At Sea. One of my favorite games from last year, alongside INSIDE.

• ♤</li>
• ♡
• ♧
</ul>

*

---



INSIDE and its sad little boy.

Recently Completed




• The Average Everyday Adventures of Samantha Browne
  

  2 hours playtime

  5 of 5 achievements

• Evo Explores
  

  3 hours playtime

  8 of 8 achievements

• Abandoned
  

  47 minutes playtime

  no achievements

• To the Moon
  

  6 hours playtime

  1 of 1 achievements

• Neverending Nightmares
  

  4 hours playtime

  4 of 4 achievements

• INSIDE
  

  5 hours playtime

  14 of 14 achievements

• Refunct
  

  66 minutes playtime

  4 of 4 achievements

• Miniature - The Story Puzzle
  

  49 minutes playtime

  no achievements

• Pythagoria
  

  4 hours playtime

  5 of 5 achievements

• The Room
  

  81 minutes playtime

  5 of 5 achievements

---

SPOILER-FREE INSIGHT




• The Average Everyday Adventures of Samantha Browne: A short FREE indie game that dwells on anxiety. Very pertinent and done with a lot of love and good sense.
• To The Moon: I guess it'a safe to say that this is one of those life-changing games. It is above like or dislike, above critique. It is a league of its own that swims in its player's tears.
• INSIDE: This game has got to be one of the best games I've played in recent years. The atmosphere is so well done it's unbelievable – or, rather, too believable. The level design is also outstanding. Really deserves all the awards it got.
• Refunct: My review speaks for itself.
• Miniature – The Story Puzzle: So sad this game doesn't get more exposure (that was pun). My in-depth review can tell you more.
• The Room: It puts the vast majority of other puzzle games to shame.



</li> </ul>

*

---



Ryse: Son of Rome and its Roman paragon.

Recently Beaten




• ABZÛ
  

  4 hours playtime

  9 of 12 achievements

• Ryse: Son of Rome
  

  9 hours playtime

  29 of 73 achievements

• Rusty Lake Hotel
  

  2 hours playtime

  no achievements



• Orwell
  

  7 hours playtime

  14 of 27 achievements

• The Detail
  

  6 hours playtime

  25 of 55 achievements

• Why Am I Dead At Sea
  

  8 hours playtime

  26 of 27 achievements

---

SPOILER-FREE INSIGHT




• ABZÛ: It's a gorgeous game. I personally thought it was great. However, I was a bit disappointed: I thought it was going to be even better.
• Ryse: Son of Rome: It's an epic, too-short, gorgeous, too-easy, amazingly-setted game. I had loads of fun playing Ryse, and I don't care about some reviewers that take its down points so seriously to the point of not realizing how cool it is that we have a solid Rome-situated game. I have no idea about the multiplayer, though. It's probably empty.
• Rusty Lake Hotel: Boy did I like this game. Such a well-balanced point-n-click, disturbing, gorgeous and memorable. It's the whole package! I cannot wait to buy the second installment.
• Orwell: "It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen." Thoughtful game. I'll need to replay it before I'm able to say more.
• The Detail: Finally bought the last DLC! A great finale, I thought Ch. 3 was better than Ch. 2! Sadly it requires loads of replays to 100%.
• Why Am I dead At Sea: Why indeed. If you like a good whodunnit, go ahead and play this one! It really struck a cord with me and the characters were so well built and remarkable! If you wanna know what it's like, check out a free browser game by the same developer: Why Am I Dead.



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Kingdom: New Lands and its soon to die princess.

Currently Playing

• Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning™
  

  89 hours playtime

  36 of 61 achievements

• Reigns
  

  2 hours playtime

  1 of 13 achievements

• Renowned Explorers: International Society
  

  11 hours playtime

  65 of 148 achievements



• The Talos Principle
  

  81 minutes playtime

  2 of 40 achievements

• The Turing Test
  

  5 hours playtime

  6 of 15 achievements

• Kingdom: New Lands
  

  3 hours playtime

  5 of 34 achievements

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SPOILER-FREE INSIGHT




• Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning: Still stands as one of my all-time favorite RPGs.
• Reigns: A funny game that is both longer and thougher than you think.
• Renowned Explorers: A gift from my friend Jeff that has been keeping me seriously entertained! There are many options in regards of formations, treasures, maps, items... highly recommended for strategy fans!
• The Turing Test: Gorgeous and good puzzle game that could be so much better if it didn't rely on so many different mechanics for puzzle solving to the point of making it a mess at times... especially when timing is key.



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Long Time No Update...

I have been gaming, a bit. I’ve just been too lazy (and too busy) to post here – I’m sorry.

Complete Since Last Update

A huge boost to my AVG Game %.

Since my last update, I've dedicated some effort into raising my AVG Game %. Therefore, I've focused on completing new, quick titles and completing games I've only before beaten.

I recommend all these games if you're looking for a quick challenge and a boost to you completion rate. Above of all, most of them were really fun to beat too. I strongly recommend Year Walk, The Last Door and The Lion's Song (the last of which I beat only the first chapter, the only one that is available for now – and for FREE).

Meaning to beat these for a long time.

I had been stuck on both games until very recently. Between Me had an outrageously clunky inventory interface that made it very hard to play on a 360 controller. Ever since acquiring my Steam Controller, I was able to play it and beat it. I'll have to revisit is soon for all the achievies. As for Fox & Flock, I was just dumber before and couldn't get past one puzzle level. In the end, it proved to be quite simple – with a fantastically executed soundtrack.

I've Been Addicted To...

A "place of power" in The Witcher 3.

...The Witcher 3!

During the recent Witcher franchise sale, a couple of weeks back, a Steam friend of mine gifted me with one of the best games I've ever played, The Witcher 3. The friend in question goes by little'bird, and I've got so much to thank her for! I've been having heaps of fun.

If you're fond of a great storytelling, RPGs and/or lore, it's past time you give TW3 a shot! However, I believe most of you already had the pleasure.

This is my first look into any Witcher game and I'm playing on the "Story and Sword" difficulty. It's chill enough, and I'm loving all the exploration bits. Gotta kill those darn "?s"!

Source of polygon art: www.citrograph.com

Succeeding!

I've had a considerable avg. game completion rate increase since I last prowled about in here! That is a good indicator that I've been beating and completing many of my games, and succeeding on the path of the true Backlog Assassin.

A cold body.

An easy, short and free game was all I needed to waste some time. But beware if you intend to play it: it contains one absolutelly annoying puzzle.

They went limp, so according to the third rule, the fight was over.

Void & Meddler was amazingly good. I only beat the game once, and on 'normal' mode; now I'm striving to get all the achievements and endings. As for Party Hard, it gets old fast, but at least I finished the main campaign.

I've been absolutelly re-addicted to Papo y Yo's soundtrack, after a fellow assassin mentioned the game in a post. Cheers, Shax!

A varied selection of worthy of your time time-travel movies.

Title: Twelve Monkeys (1995)

Synopsis: "In a future world devastated by disease, a convict is sent back in time to gather information about the man-made virus that wiped out most of the human population on the planet." –IMDB

Original title: Toki o kakeru shôjo (2006)

Synopsis: "A high-school girl named Makoto acquires the power to travel back in time, and decides to use it for her own personal benefits. Little does she know that she is affecting the lives of others just as much as she is her own." –IMDB

Title: Primer (2004)

Synopsis:"Four friends/fledgling entrepreneurs, knowing that there's something bigger and more innovative than the different error-checking devices they've built, wrestle over their new invention." –IMDB

Personal warning: Although Primer is one of the best when it comes to time travel, it's also one of the most difficult movies on the subject to grasp. That being said, don't dream of trying to grasp every detail on a first watch; you won't.

I recommend a short story, "All You Zombies", by Robert A. Heinlein, one of the masters of Sci-Fi. It's only 9 pages long, and guaranteed to make your brain noodles knot.

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Quick Update

~The one I actually should have uploaded a couple of days ago.~

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New addtions!

• Void & Meddler
  

• Sid Meier's Civilization V
  
• Mafia II
  
• Spec Ops: The Line
  

A gift from my friend Crow's Eye and gifts from my friend Danish ~dberlin80~, respectively.

This past week two of my friends gifted me with amazing games! All of them were on my wishlist, and I very excited to get to play them as soon as I can.

Although I had already played a couple of hours of Spec Ops at a friend's house, I really want to dig into it this time. Plus, with Mafia III coming up, nothing better than to recede to the old but gold classics with the second installment of the series. As for Civ V, I'll take care, for I quote: "Once you start playing Civ V, you never stop." Yikes!

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What have I been playing?

• Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning™
  

  62 hours playtime

  28 of 61 achievements

• The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition
  

  76 minutes playtime

  no achievements

An easy RPG and a piece of my past, respectively.

My dad and I finally got around to playing the Monkey Island remakes together. That's something we planned on doing for years, and it's been super cool to remember my young years playing Monkey Island with him.

As for Kingdoms of Amalur, it is now my most played game on Steam, with meek 62 hours. I'm making a huge progress in it, but perhaps way too much in one go, so I'll be backing off to the quick indies in no time.

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A little bit late because I got angry at HTML and left this one in the oven for around 5 days too late.

Now dead.

Last week I made a trophy out of two souls: The Purring Quest and Spoiler Alert. Both were annoying platformers with much room for improvement, albeit the love purred (pun intended) into the former does grant it some merit. The targets were found and killed in one day each. The payment was a significant increase in my avarage killing rate.

All in all, I recommend both games for those who enjoy and are good with platformers. If not, they might be too unforgiving to be hunt down.

Laying on the floor bleeding.

This week I went after a few targets in order to beat them. I succeeded at knocking out Lume (the quickest one to surrender), Puzzle Agent and Tales of the Orient: The Rising Sun. I still have unfinished business with Tales, however, but I shall leave that for some other time.

Puzzle Agent ended up being a lot more fun than I had anticipated, and I strongly recommend it. I can't wait to purchase the second installment. Lume was far too short and I didn't like the puzzle style. I still recommend it for its aesthetics, though. Tales of the Orient I played as much as I did for the achievements, it wasn't much fun in itself, nor innovative in its mechanics. Take that as you will.

Prey.

I finally moved past only one achievement in Terraria after playing it with one of my best friends, Sam. I finally get what it is about and why it is so much fun. He'll help me slit this one's throat in no time.

Hand of Fate is proving to be an engaging challenge, even for a casual gamer like myself it is still not more than what I bargained for. I finally reach 50% on story mode this week, killing half of the nasty bosses and another one.

Viridi I decided to kill this one by prolonged exposition to Mercury. Likewise, it's taking forever. Months, even. Oh well, if mercury could kill the amazing Amadeus Mozart in time, I believe so can I with Viridi.

Last but not least, Borderlands is a blast with my great friend, Arthur (~ Smoke Mid Everyday ~). We finally reached level 25 together, finished all Arid Badlands missions and some other cool stuff! Only took us a little over 10 hours. Whew.

One of many stunning views in Firewatch.

Playable characters in Blizzard's Overwatch.

At my friend Sam's house. Since we share Steam libraries, I'm hoping to play more Firewatch at my own house (if my computer can run it) and figure out what the heck is that game about. Seriously, it's a puzzle to me. I'm not ashamed to say I spent around 10 minutes laughing and picking stuff up and throwing on the ground much to my friend's dismay. It was worth it.

As for Overwatch, I don't think I'll be buying it any time soon (if ever). I mean, it is great fun, but far too expensive and computer demanding for me to acquire it. The characters are amazing, though. I enjoyed playing with D.Va and Soldier 76 especially; I strongly recommend watching the Overwatch shorts and digging into its backstory, I found it to be very very rich.

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Obviously Borderlands.

Hello, it's me!

And who am I, you ask? Well, being very direct, just someone else hoping to murder a few games that, honestly, have been begging for it.

I'll try to make my logs creative and varied, keeping the old "today I beat X and Y" locked away in a drawer, for my own sake if no one else's.

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Music



Snow White and Bigby Wolf, from The Wolf Among Us.

I'm a music lover, and like such I'm contastly listening to and making playlists. A few days ago I heard Don't Wanna Fight by Alabama Shakes for the first time and I instantly thought of Bigby Wolf's complicated background. So, if you're insterested, give it a listen.



Chloe Price and Max Caulfield, from Life is Strange.

Often times, when you travel in time a lot, you're the only one that truly remembers all the experiences you've had. Do You Remember by Jarryd James has an interesting beat and reminds us not to be scared about the things {and people} we force ourselves to forget.

.:.:.:.:.:.

Here I'll add songs I find relatable to video games and that I listened for the first time near the update date.

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One hell of a creepy dealer that's not here to read your tarot cards for you, from Hand of Fate.

Currently Playing

Right now I find myself addicted to Hand of Fate, an interesting card game that mixes a lot more in the batch than cards. It involves luck, persistance and skill. It was gifted to me during the Steam sale by my friend CLU.

I'm also playing:

• Puzzle Agent
• Tales of The Orient
• KNIGHTS
• Borderlands
• Fox & Flock
• Hexcells Plus
• Party Hard
• Plese, Don't Touch Anything

Of which some have also been gifts (thanks Mendel and Smoke Mid Everyday)!

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A plane, from The 39 Steps.

What have I recently killed?

• I've recently gotten 100% in: The 39 Steps, Hook, Zenge and Hexcells.

• I've recently finished the main story of: Type: Rider and The Detail: Episode Two.</li> </ul> </div> </div> </div>