A Short Hike and 20 Minutes Till Dawn
Played these in the last few days. A Short Hike is SO LOVELY. I remember trying to play it some time ago and not really understanding it (in particular I got extremely lost). But now I'm like, what could be more wonderful than playing a meditative game about hiking, exploring a mountain, slowing down your life, and interacting with lots of cute anthropomorphized animals??? The characters are so goofy. Some of them poke fun at stereotypes like rock climbing bros. Some of them just really like breakfast foods. Some of them remind you (or need reminding) that sometimes you should take a step back, enjoy all the little things around you, and not think so hard about how other people will think of you. And the game was clearly made with love — the developer paid attention to little details, like how in beachstickball (my new favorite game), the characters' heads track the movement of the ball and you create little footprints in the sand, or how you tell Aunt May about all the side activities you did when you get back from Hawk Peak. I didn't even get lost! I followed the hiking trails properly and read all the signs and managed to navigate around without a map :) While I did not 100% the game, I had a great time and am looking forward to fishing with Bill.
20 minutes till dawn: roguelike shmup in the spirit of vampire survivors. Obviously, the power trip from ripping through hordes of enemies with your overpowered build is great, but I'm a little disappointed at how...easy...it is??? I mean, I know if I played more, I'd unlock higher difficulty levels, but honestly I'd rather play something that makes me feel like I'm struggling more with progression. Sorry. I'd recommend it if you're into roguelikes or shmups though. The ability synergies are quite badass.