#Standard event of pixel

[verdantwyrm]

In Defense of Curly (Again)

This post is not about absolving Curly of his “sins” or anything, Curly is not an innocent angel that has done no wrong, no, he is morally grey as they come. But I will not stand for slander on my wife NO MORE. Curly is not as guilty as you would think, but neither is he Innocent. Anya is so much more than a victim, Curly is so much more than a bystander, and Jimmy is so much more than a rapist, they are multifaceted characters in a very multidimensional game. They’re all characters that have been individually crafted to tell a story, and everyone is avoiding that by reducing them to a singular note of events rather than their entire personality and even going as far to twist their dialogue and character to fit their own bias, ignoring whats actual factual and canon for the sake of projection.

So with that out of the way, let us begin.

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A sense of timeline for better understanding.

Curly's Psych Eval (and by extension, Jimmys) was 7 Days before the crash. Curly does not know Anya is pregnant here. 

The birthday Party is 6 Days before the crash. Curly doesn't know here either. 

The Dead Pixel scene is 2 Days before the Crash. Curly doesn't know here either. 

Anya stealing the gun is 1 Day Before the Crash. Curly Finds out Anya is pregnant here and that Jimmy is responsible. Anya tells Jimmy about the pregnancy and tells Curly about it. 0 Days before the crash (The Same Day)

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Pony Express’ Abuse

As for the first subject, I want to make it very clear about Pony Express’ Failure to comply and have any standard safety measures (most noticeably in the lack of locks) and the fact that they very often penalize their employees by taking from their pay and that they’re extremely lazy and known to cut corners for everything. The poster in-game tells us a lot about this if not backed up directly by the dialogue.

"Proper preparation prevents accidents, it is your responsibility to keep yourself and the crew safe. Medical expenses will be docked from person credits."

"Punctual delivery is our pride and promise- No matter where you are! Late deliveries will be docked from personal credits."

"Teamwork is the soul of success! When you have completed your tasks, always check on other tasks! HR complaints about poor team synergy may result in collective punishment"

"Sleep is the best rest after a long day of work, earn that rest! Don't overdo it or fall behind! Do not indulge in over 5 hours of forest, including leisure time. Sleeping over the allowed budget will result in disciplinary actions."

Neither Curly nor Jimmy are getting anything close to the required amount of rest for such a demanding job, with only 5 hours compared to the IRL guidelines for pilots to get an average of 10 hours of rest between shifts with 8 hours of sleep, it's also implied by Anya and Curly's own dialogue that he struggles to sleep. Which all together implies that they're both working 19-hour shifts every day. Every. Single. Day.

We see them both on shift at the same time multiple times during the game and Curly is the only one with clearance to make certain extremely important navigation decisions (like turning off the autopilot) and we can easily come to the conclusion that they are both extremely overworked, Curly Especially.

We can easily see that Pony Express are not shy to punish their employees and even goes as far as to routinely engage in collective punishment, and this is shown to be the drive behind a lot of Curly's decisions in particular, especially with how he reassures Anya that her stealing the gun case will not go on the performance log and reducing the chances of her being punished at all and to probably put the pressure onto himself in case Pony Express does find out. Given her precarious financial situation, she literally cannot afford to have her pay docked and Curly knows this.

Pony Express is known for its laziness, negligence and its ability to cut corners, they are also seen to not trust its employees by making everything have to go through him from axe usage to making a cake. To not supplying enough medical equipment, a fifth cryogenic pod to account for Daisuke or even to account for him at all. Curly himself even commented on how he should have made a bigger “stink” about the situation of Daisuke being thrown on the Tulpar last minute, which implies that he did raise this as an issue and a safety risk and was ignored.

I'm not going to take this as seriously but it is worth mentioning regardless because it is just absolutely Kafkaesque levels of absurd, They actively make it borderline impossible to report anything, so even if Curly or Anya were able to get ahold of Pony Express to send in a report, they never could due to the requirements and the prerequisites. It also implies that if you apply for a job there but refuse the medical evaluation, they can fine you despite the fact that you don't even actually work there yet.

Another classic example of Marx's theory is of the alienation in capitalism, wherein workers are estranged and separated from the products of their own labour. The crew had absolutely no idea what they were delivering, and judging by how much was put in place, they were never supposed to.

Marx's theory, the implementation of automation would negatively impact workers by depriving them of job opportunities that could have been filled by humans. This is strongly suggested to be the primary reason for the downfall of Pony Express and why the crew was fired.

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Anya’s Assault

Anya being assaulted is never outright said, with an intentional layer of vagueness layered over the top with how she talks about it and how she mentions it to Curly. The words “Assault” “Rape” or even “Attacked” are not mentioned at any point, we only learn this through visual imagery and subtext of Anya mentioning the lack of locks on the doors, how unsafe she feels around Jimmy, and she would rather him not have the gun at all—fawning at his every response in a panic of upsetting him or escalating the situation. The words are never explicitly said as many other victims can sympathise with, saying the words out loud can be very difficult sometimes, and Anya’s vagueness was intentional on the happenchance that Curly did take Jimmy’s side. She was trying to put distance between herself and that possibility by being as cautious and as vague as she could, in hopes that Curly would pick up on the signs himself and come to that conclusion himself instead of Anya babying him and dumbing down the situation.

This is a believable reaction, especially when your abuser has any kind of power over you or other people, and he isn’t the only one either. Curly has just as much power, if not significantly more over her, which adds more to the fear of even mentioning such a thing, as mentioned earlier in my section of Pony Express' Abuse towards them, the possibility of being penalized with her– and everyone else –pay being docked because she made a simple complaint, was a very real threat, and even more dangerous after finding out about the whole crew being laid off. Jimmy tears her down every chance he gets, makes her feel little and even compares her to Polle in his hallucinations. And Anya knows that he and Curly have a very lengthy history, so her caution and anxiety about even mentioning the incident, let alone saying the word “rape” is borderline impossible for her. It’s a manifestation, it’s a verbal acceptance and confession that it’s even happened. Something she has been trying to avoid coming to terms with.

And when she does eventually tell Swansea what happened, as much as you want to think she told him- she most likely told him to not do anything, to try and keep the peace for as long as possible.

Again, her vagueness is not her fault, nor is it her responsibility. It was Jimmy’s responsibility to not abuse and rape her.

It’s also very present that Jimmy is verbally abusive to her, putting her down at every opportunity by ignoring her very talented medical skills by saying Pony Express only hired her to cut corners in an attempt to reduce costs because she failed Medical School and that she’s not a “real nurse” because of that, and how he constantly questions her skills despite keeping Curly alive for such a long time in such a state.

After being insulted by him multiple times, she fawns to get him to actually do something beneficial because she knows he responds well to praise, and he complies, all while still insulting and belittling her for being "weak" and "sentimental"

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The Dead Pixel In The Room

Going to immediately preface this with a very big obvious “Curly did not know Anya was raped” warning sign to hopefully weed out the weak that don’t want to actually read this. You can leave now if you’d like, no hard feelings. This scene is supposed to be your first clue as a player, as well as Curly's. It's intentional to be like that, it makes the most sense chronologically as well because up until that point, we don't even know.

Okay, we can start now. First, off the bat, I want to talk about that dead pixel scene. And how both Anya and Curly have their own individual meanings behind It, and how both play into each character’s relationship with Jimmy. With Anya’s being a constant reminder of Jimmy’s presence, how it affected her and how it’ll always be there no matter what. And Curly’s is something that he knows exists, but cannot see for himself, because he’s too busy looking at the bigger picture. Even if he knows it's fake, even if he knows it’s an illusion.

He doesn’t doubt her here either, and even though he admits he cannot see it. He believes that it's there, despite this, and that it doesn’t ruin the image. Choosing to see the good, the beauty, of the bigger picture. The Dead pixel scene isn’t just about Anya, it’s about the both of them. And you’re probably asking how Curly hasn’t gotten the point Anya is trying to make, and thats again because she’s being intentionally vague here, and her comment about the lack of locks ties up pretty well with the previous two conversations she’s had with Curly directly. Complaining about Jimmy being weird during the psych evaluation and then her pithy comment about Pony Express’ cutting back expenses on their food and the comment she makes about the code scanner during the birthday party.

All of her previous conversations with Curly have been about their work or something going on in the ship or even with Pony Express directly. So it’s not unusual for her comment about the lack of locks on the sleeping quarters, it’s not random, it’s pretty on theme with the direction of how their conversations go, Curly wouldn’t pick up on that alone because it’s not a strange thing to say.

It's also very much shown that Anya trusts Curly, trusts him enough to not only confide in him first about the pregnancy but also allow herself to be open and friendly with him, even going as far as to try and get him to open up to her during his psych evaluation. She is also hiding behind his seat when she steals the gun. She feels the safest when she is with the real captain and how uncomfortable she is listening to Jimmy's orders to strip Curly of that title.

Every single time that Curly and Anya speak directly, he is always reassuring her, attempting to calm her down and her safety is the first thing he's concerned about when he finds out she's taken the gun.

And once she mentions the pregnancy, his priorities flip, again to her safety, reassuring her that she won't get punished for this. Once again telling her that everything is going to work out, that WE will fix this, WE WILL figure this out TOGETHER. He and Anya.

A key important word here is "what would you have done"

Would. Not, what will you do, no she's asking in past tense. The assault has already happened, she is reassuring herself here before telling him about the pregnancy that he is on her side, that he believes her and that her trust in him isn't misplaced.

And when he does find out she's pregnant, he still doesn't know exactly how. And it's important because it reflects back onto how Curly does ultimately behave when he does approach Jimmy. He doesn't know he's confronting a rapist, and his dialogue here proves that he does just think it was ultimately her choice, her decision. And the most painful part Is the very blatant unwanted pregnancy, not anything else.

Anya is still being intentionally vague here as well, as mentioned earlier. Curly did not actually know that Anya was raped, as the only thing that's mentioned is the pregnancy and that Jimmy is involved. Which is absolutely something to be worried about, regardless of how it happened, because they're on a ship. In the middle of Space.

Someone who knew would not react like that. Curly never once doubts Anya's words or her truth. And after Anya tells Culy about how she told Jimmy about her pregnancy, Curly says that she should have waited for him because he wanted to be there just in case.

Curly even does it literally. The most important part that everybody overlooks is how determined he is to get to the cockpit as the ship is crashing. He knows it's crashing but all he can do is try, he could have run away, but he didn't.

Curly took responsibility multiple different times which is easily overlooked because so much happens in such a short time span that people literally think he had months between knowing about Anya being raped and then the crash when it was barely a day. Just like how people easily overlook the dead pixel scene and how it also represents something to Curly as well, and just like how people overlook Anya's "I told you so"

Curly's kind, forgiving and trusting nature is not inherently bad. It was how it was used against him in an extremely difficult situation, which is exactly what Abusers do time and time again. He failed Anya in such a delicate way and in such a difficult situation, but it's something to understand that Pony Express failed her first, failed her in all the most important ways by even allowing a situation like this to happen. It was Jimmy's responsibility to not be a rapist, but it was Pony Express's fault for even enabling that in the first place.

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Curly's Trauma

A very common thing that people tend to overlook, and this is either because they subconsciously forget that men can be victims of abuse, or simply because they don’t care enough to consider Curly to be one– his relationship with Jimmy and what we can glean from is very abusive, emotionally and verbally and then soon later on physically. Curly is just as much a victim of Jimmy's mistreatment and abuse as Anya is, in their own unique and parallel ways, they both had everything taken from them. We can tell in Jimmy’s behaviour and the way he intentionally isolates Curly in the Birthday scene and the Psychological evaluation in the cockpit, Jimmy takes Curly’s weakness and anxieties and twists them around to isolate him from receiving any help or support from others.

Curly’s biggest weakness is his forgiving nature. We all talk about how Anya is a victim of Jimmy, and she absolutely is, but so is Curly. His first immediate response Jimmy's reaction to Anya announcing her pregnancy is met with immense fear and anxiety with the added soundtrack of what could be equivalent to the sound of Curly's heart racing. He freezes, he fawns, he panics.

Curly's good-natured heart, being lax, trusting and a constant mediator isn't inherently a problem. It was the circumstances that turned that so volatile. If Jimmy wasn't who he was and so readily abusive then Curly's character would not be that detrimental, and his actions would not have such a catastrophic impact. And everyone immediately boiling down those harmless traits and villainising them does much more harm than good, especially since the character they should be targeting is Jimmy, not Curly.

He is beyond terrified, and when he does finally get to Jimmy, he immediately fawns and freezes. He makes absolutely no mention of Anya or anyone else because all that mattered in that panicked situation was easing Jimmy down and resolving the situation. There was truly, absolutely nothing that Curly could have done that wouldn't have resulted in either direct consequences or collective punishment. All of Curly's thoughts, behaviour and actions were as carefully thought out as he possibly could in the short 24 hours or so that he was made aware of Anya's pregnancy and Jimmy's involvement.

He is trying to eliminate all potential problems in the situation so Curly can take the full front of Jimmy's rage. This again furthers the point of exactly why Curly wouldn't recognise the signs of Anya being abused as well because this is all so normal for him. He’s terrified of Jimmy, and an abuser's main tactic is to make sure that their victims never feel confident to speak up against them, or to ever seek out help from others. It’s why he never rushes to defend himself, he just lets Jimmy do and say all of these horrible things.

And Jimmy immediately stabs back putting him down. Twisting the blame and putting it into Curly. Like he somehow was a part of it all and that it was his fault.

Curly was and has been a victim of Jimmy's abuse for a very long time on an emotional and mental aspect that clouded his judgements and perceptions in the scenario which devolved into physical and medical abuse very quickly once Jimmy got his chance. And it is also true that Curly had a responsibility to protect Anya as a crew mate and Captain that he failed due to bias towards his abusers, and his kind and forgiving nature of simply wanting to see the good in Jimmy, which is also another aspect of what victims believe. Curly enables Jimmy's behaviour towards himself and even goes as far to completely blame himself for everything that happened in How Fish Is Made.

A lot of victims tend to surround themselves with excuses of why they’re abused, that it’s somehow their fault and that he’s done something awful to deserve it, that this a normal thing that happens, that Jimmy has his reasons to be like this and it isn’t his fault. People argue that Curly should have done more and that he "failed" in any regard is putting a huge expectation onto a victim like him of someone like Jimmy's relentless abuse and how it takes such an impactful toll on someone like Curly. Everyone who plays or watches the game looks over the very easy and subtle warning signs of this abuse and is too busy claiming Curly to be the antagonist here and holding him responsible instead of Jimmy.

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Conclusion + Other Comments

Curly is not perfect, but he is not as guilty as everyone wants him to be. If you go into mouthwashing anticipating Curly as a cruel, selfish monster, of course, you're going to interpret him that way and twist everything he ever does or says to fit your narrative although he very obviously isn't that way at all and get upset when someone tells you you're wrong. You need to remember that he had a whole crew to think of, Curly is not judgement, nor is he the executioner. His hands were absolutely tied and for one reason only: Because Pony Express does, did, and will not care. Pony Express has it explicitly like this so you cannot do anything. So people like Jimmy who manipulate the vulnerable can prey upon his co-workers and get away with it.

The situation on the Tulpar is not as straightforward as people would like, I understand it's extremely cathartic to think of a situation where Jimmy gets what he deserves but it isn't realistic, and thats what this game is trying to say. Abusive corporations, exhausting capitalism, this environment breeds Abusers like Jimmy and victims like Anya and Curly. There was nothing that could be done. Pony Express is what doomed them all, they're the catalyst.

At some point, you have to understand and accept the fact that certain scenarios are simply just cathartic fantasies that simply couldn't have happened. They were all doomed, right from the start. It wasn't just Jimmy's actions (Although they significantly influenced the outcome), and it sure as hell wasn't Curly's inaction. It was Pony Express. I think something that a lot of people get mixed up in their interpretations of Curly is that he's not us, and we're not supposed to be him. Constantly projecting your own fears and experiences onto him to sway your interpretation of his words takes away from the already written-in-stone character he is. You saying "He didn't mean it" when talking about Curly saying he cares about Anya is not only incorrect, but it's YOUR projection onto a character that is already extremely upfront and honest about his intentions and kind personality. He is not malicious, evil, cruel, selfish or misogynistic, so saying that because you interpreted his words to be half-truths or him lying through his teeth to Anya and that his kindness is fake is literally obstructing his character.

Everyone wants them both to be perfect examples of victims and refuses to understand or even believe Curly's situation. Curly DID fail Anya but not for the reason everyone thinks he did.

They're both victims to the same man, they both believe in the best of people (although to their own detriment in a way) they want to find peace, and fulfilment in their career and life. They're so alike in such delicate and intimate ways, that trying to constantly paint Curly as this great, horrible oppressor over her does way more harm than good.

Curly's character is painfully obvious, very very upfront and honest. He is kind, constantly weighed down by guilt and anxiety about his future and career and is being abused by his so-called friend and the company he's working himself to death for that he absolutely hates that just discarded him like he was nothing. Like a lame horse.

Thank you so much to the Mouthwashing Mania Discord server for helping me with this thread! Specifically Mogs for their amazing analysis on Capitalism which can be found here!

Thank you for reaching the end of the thread, please don't be scared to share your thoughts in the tags or in my inbox, I'd love to hear them! good job! (っ˘з(˘⌣˘ ) ♡

[greenymeeny]

About Curly (Mouthwashing)

This could be controversial, but I want a more nuanced conversation about Curly. I’ve seen what people have to say on TikTok and it makes me froth at the mouth. It’s either “He’s just a baby,” or “He’s a monster who never cared about his crew,” OR, which actually aggravates me the most, “He’s morally gray,” with NO further elaboration.

So here: A deepdive into Curly’s character, intentions, and actions.

Before I begin, I want to talk about what I see as a misconception in the Mouthwashing community.

This game is masterful at subtlety. There’s a lot of specifics that we as the audience don’t know. What infuriates me is that we pretend we do.

Something I hear often is, “Curly didn’t do anything when Anya told him she was assaulted.” There’s merit to this claim, but the situation is more intricate than that and it’s contingent on one very important factor: We don’t know what Anya told Curly. All we know is that she told him something, and it had to be something that would implicitly imply Jimmy as the father, but would still shock Curly at the idea of Anya being pregnant. While this could be interpreted as Anya outright having told Curly, I don’t buy that. His response isn’t just irresponsible, it’s initially palpably ignorant.

This implies to me that Anya said something mildly vague, but still extremely concerning. Something like:

“I’m scared of Jimmy.”

This as a statement, said by your crewmate to you, as captain, cannot be ignored.

As we know, he ignored it.

More than that, he rationalized it. He ignored the signs of something more sinister in favor of feeding his idea of Jimmy just being a gloomy, down on his luck guy- more than anything, his friend. He should have listened to Anya when she said she didn’t want him in the medbay, when she said she didn’t want him near her. But he’s “known him for a long time.” He wanted to believe his instincts about Jimmy over Anya’s.

To Curly, the signs could have meant a lot of things. Anya simply being afraid of Jimmy could have meant that she just felt off about him; She just didn’t like him. A mere character clash. Of course, it was more than that. But Curly’s blindness was a mixture of ignorance and faith. He didn’t believe Jimmy was a bad person, he didn’t think he was scary. He trusted him.

In regard to the events of the game, a lot of people place a good chunk of the blame on Curly, which I do think is somewhat deserved. But I think it’s better to recognize his responsibility and how he failed.

The claims and reprimands of what Curly should or should not have done can only come from the omniscient presence we as the audience have. There’s inconsistencies in modern moral standards. The verdict of how good a person you are in a situation in where you must choose to trust or distrust a good friend is dependent on whether or not that friend is actually a good person or not. The idea that Curly knew Jimmy was dangerous is entirely baseless. Curly put all his cards on Jimmy, dismissing Anya’s discomfort as being a mere clash of character to his detriment. There were signs of his degeneracy, but Curly above anything wanted to believe in Jimmy with the standards of being “a good friend.” It was personal feelings clashing with his responsibility to pay attention as captain. To find the dead pixel.

Again, these assumptions are contingent purely on my theory of what Anya told Curly. The game not showing us what was said in specifics is intentional because they want us to know this and only this: Curly did something wrong. He has to have for the themes of the game to work. He works as Jimmy’s foil. He has to do shit wrong, not taking Anya’s fear seriously and not stopping Jimmy immediately from crashing the ship (which is also an effect of his trust- with a mixture of his own feelings of doom and failure,) to take responsibility where Jimmy cannot.

What substantiates that to me is Anya’s line, “I have to believe our worst moments don’t make us monsters.” It’s a line in relation to Curly. We’re meant to believe that this is her thinking he crashed the ship, but she’s actually talking about how he failed her. That was Curly’s worst moment. And Anya, in that statement, forgives him for it, or at the very least, doesn’t see him as a monster. Jimmy takes both “Our worst moments don’t make us monsters” and “I’m taking responsibility” and tries to reflect them on himself, but really they are statements bound to Curly. Curly is everything Jimmy wishes he was and because of that, Curly’s character shines a light on everything Jimmy isn’t. Curly ran into the cockpit in an attempt to salvage the ship, even when he knew it would crash, while Jimmy sat in a fetal position outside the door, weeping. Contrast.

That’s really all I have to say. I needed to get this off my chest, because Curly is probably the most interesting character to me in Mouthwashing, but gets a lot of one dimensional character analyses. I think a lot of it stems from the subject of SA being touchy, which I understand. People want to see it in black and white because it’s comfortable to them, but it gets complex with other people involved like Curly, who has good intentions and still ends up enabling Jimmy.

I would love to see what other people have to say about this because there’s probably a lot of things I missed. Thanks for reading all this if you did.

[mimi-fy]

Anya + her relationships with the crew full analysis (tw j*mmy/18+/sensitive topics mentioned!!)

Brief description/personality

Anya is a young woman, her parents aren’t mentioned and she has no support and she works at a job that pays high and abit dangerous but she still works there nonetheless. She most probably is in debt and her parents don’t support her and she tried to get into medical school eight times but failed which explains why she is distraught after she is fired and she admits she has no savings. She took the job on the tulpar for its high pay and not for dangerous environment not to mention the lacklustre supplies and the fact that she would be the only woman on board on a ship with all men for a year, men she didn’t know. Anya is a sweet woman who does her best which is a lot as she saved curly with only a standard medical kit depite not actually getting into medical school and only taking the nursing classes the pony express provided. Before ‘the incident’ Anya is seen as lively and carefree joking with others who are even above her status. Before the indecent she was close with everyone maybe even jimmy before the incident. But after the incident Anya is quiet and reserved. She watches her tounge and only speaks in metaphors, she is overlooked by jimmy and curly who are the ones in charge.

Relationships

In the ultrasound scene we see how Jimmy perceives Anya. He doesn’t see her as a living being. He sees her as mearly as a pile of flesh, her womb, vagina, eyes and her ability to have a baby ‘that he tries to ignore’. The signs that he is an abuser start even before the tulpar crashed. When Anya says that he doesn’t take her seriously and he jokingly says ‘i have found myself sexually attracted to horses’ is a form of r*pe itself. Forcing her to listen to his desires and kinks just because it’s her job. And it is possible that jimmy made Anya drink one of his ‘cocktails’ he fed Swansea. Meaning that jimmy possibly drugged Anya and took her by force. Jimmy is larger than Anya older and has a better status than she did. As curly tried to believe that jimmy was still a good guy after what he did. Even knowing that Anya was harming herself or killing herself when she locked herself in medical. Jimmy did not give two shits. He is more concerned about curly and the rest of their medical stash inside the room and offers no comfort and doesn’t try to calm her. And he only cares about saving curly with daisuke who is naïve to the events and why Jimmy doesn’t give two shits about Anya. When jimmy looks over her body there is no importance of her death in jimmys eyes. Even when he spirals to insanity and each person gets some scene or way of guilt tripping jimmy. Anya has no place or mention or any symbol her id is blacked out and there is no symbol of her. There is only the place of her child (the pony showed as polle but malformed and grouped where you see it chasing after jimmy and jimmy running away and stopping jimmy from running away at the start of the game long with the babies cries heard). He only saw his mistake. The baby in her. He didn’t see Anya.

Curly who doesn’t take her seriously and tries to ignore the problem, as Anya told him that he knows who the father is but, he just wanted to ignore it. As in the nighttime scene jimmy is the broken pixel curly does not see. He mearly cares about the whole picture (the tulpar) he tried to talk to jimmy but he shrugged it off. And could’ve possibly plotted to kill Anya so that she couldn’t live to tell the tale. When curly has a delusion where he is walking through a sea of blood and ladders. He sees the warning signs and ignores it. (The warning signs were jimmy. Anya warning him about jimmy and him ignoring it) meaning that curly is an enabler (which is just as bad as the do-er!!). And is as guilty as jimmy as he saw the signs. And he didn’t help Anya at all didn’t let her have the gun for safety, and didn’t give jimmy any form of punishment.

She tries to take charge and confront jimmy herself because curly had failed to do anything. And he mearly tells her to ‘take care of it’ which later becomes ironic. Because jimmy cannot take charge. For those who said that ‘Anya should’ve went to the father figure Swansea!’ No. She shouldn’t have. She went to someone authoritive instead. Because she wanted someone in charge. Swansea would’ve gone in rage and murdered jimmy which could’ve escalated everything. She mearly wanted it to be dealt with quietly, she either went to curly because of that or that he was the closest one to jimmy and wanted to figure out why. Even if anya didn’t trust curly she still would’ve went to him, because most of the time curly took charge and he ‘is responsible’ and he is the captain, and the captain takes care of his ship.

Swansea and Anya were relatively close, the game doesn’t go too far about their relationship but they care for one another. Anya was worried when Swansea started drinking the mouthwash and was visibly nervous showing that she cared for him. Swansea saw Anya as mature and later on when they were talking in the cockpit, Anya then revealed to him about the assault and they were close enough that Swansea believed her. Anya only told Swansea when all hope was lost and they were in a bad situation she then told Swansea who was visibly upset and having a tight grip on his axe when jimmy came in. Meaning he did escalate when he found out but kept cool because of Anya. Most believably Swansea would be the one ranting his ear off to Anya and complaining. But he saw something off about Anya and sat his ass down and listened to her, and despised Jimmy. And most probably comforted her after she started crying.

Daisuke and Anya are close as they are the youngest on the ship, Anya could admire how young and youthful he is. As daisuke and Anya share sticky notes with drawings on them. And Anya cherishes them and puts them on a cork board in the med bay, they also occasionally play a board game and Anya gets quite competitive. They share a little brother and big sister relationship and daisuke is very worried when Anya locked herself in med bay and is confused and oblivious and wants to ignore what she could do. As he was the only one on the tulpar who didn’t know about the incident and was kept in the shadows by Anya wanting to protect his innocence that she lacked. Anya hated her youthfulness, while daisuke loved his and it was his personality. As possibly jimmy r*ped her because he saw her as a fragile thing and youthful. Anya and Swansea both probably agreed on having daisuke being the one saved instead of him or Anya. And daisuke is pressured by jimmy to ‘save’ Anya/mostly curly and instead of jimmy going to save her himself he mearly didn’t care. Daisuke cared deeply about Anya and is horrified when he stumbled upon her body.

Death

Anyas death is expected in their situation, she wouldn’t want to put a baby through this world to suffer. Which explains why she said ‘I’ll take care of it’ it, referring to the baby in her stomach and referring to jimmy telling that same line to her. Ironic. She possibly knew she would’ve died eventually, as giving birth in space while the risk of jimmy being onboard would be very risky. She is the only medical personal on the ship, and she cant abort it safely. she chose to die willingly rather than make her baby suffer. She cared for the child even though it led to her demise and the crashing of the ship. Eight months pregnancies are usually eight months. Carrying a baby in an unsafe environment and being forced to be with her r*pist. She locked herself in medical and took the pills because it was the swiftest way to death. She locked herself with curly as she trusted him. Even is he was an enabler and let everything happen. She still saw him as captain and didn’t consider Jimmy as captain and saw him as someone she could go to. Even in death. Curly saw everything. And decided to not take action. So he saw everything and was unable to take any action.

Thx for reading pls tell me who u want next!! :)

[dykedvonte]

In the article, when Kasurinen mentions that irl people like Curly can and do cover up perpetrators- do you think that implies Curly would have kept Anya’s SA under wraps?

Curly is such a conflicting character AHHHHH. He’s my favorite but makes me very uncomfortable sometimes. He’s ignorant and mitigated at a very wrong time, but I hoped he at least had the decency to let the story slip out post-delivery. Jimmy doesn’t wanna face responsibility but does Curly not want him to either?

I think what people are missing about that line is the intentions part. What is specifically said is “good intentioned downplaying” and the belief he was taking the right steps. It’s phrasing is important: the discussion of escalation and the idea that it’s not intentionally malicious are idea you have to keep in mind when taking to the problems at play with Curly’s choices.

I do not think he was gonna cover up the assault but his actions during the events of the pre-crash sections were likely fueled by ignorance, disbelief and his own issues. His inability to outwardly address it lead to it being downplayed and covered to an extent but it’s not something he didn’t want to deal with more accurately he didn’t know how to approach and when he tried to came at it from the completely wrong angles.

When people see these they conflate them with him being willfully ignorant, refusing to believe Anya and self absorbed. It’s such a one note bad faith interpretation imo that it doesn’t acknowledge that in a lot of cases people genuinely think they are doing good in the mean time. Good intentions don’t mean he did good, or didn’t cause harm but the point is that he never intended to to Anya. The sad fact is he was trying to find a happy ending for both parties because he still thought he could. He thought he was doing something where everyone would win and in the end it was a total loss.

I say it again about Curly but so many people take the dead pixel conversation as a refusal to look closer when it’s more like a comment to on rose tinted glasses and Curly personally. Him moving on is not his saying “it doesn’t matter” but saying he still wants to try and apprixate the parts that aren’t bad. It’s a misguided and unintentionally dismissive comfort toward Anya. You can see she realizes that he doesn’t really understand but it’s not from a lack or trying. It’s a lack of being ready. Doesn’t excuse when she becomes more direct with him but it helps us with his insights.

The issue with Curly and Jimmy and responsibility is that Curly takes too much responsibility and blame for many things that aren’t his responsibility and/or fault. I think tow reflective scenes are right before the crash and in the cockpit when he blames himself for Anya not getting a psych evaluation and letting Jimmy blame him for his actions. It is not his responsibility to provide that eval to Anya, that is the companies negligence to allow one of their employees to go with out one. You can argue he could’ve fought for it, but you can also argue that P.E held that standard in the first place and you can’t patch cracks you don’t see. With Jimmy, none of what he did is Curly’s fault outside not punishing him for the act after. Even then punishment is vague but he should’ve taken more precautions. He did not force Jimmy to crash the ship, to rape Anya, to lash out and misconstrue his words. His responsibility is the crew not their individual actions and that’s a very hard point to discuss.

When Daisuke gets caught in the foam he is upset because that action got him hurt or could’ve damaged something vital to them. He is not responsible for the action but he is in ensuring Daisuke, under Swansea, doesn’t cause anymore damage to himself or the ship. That’s what I’m trying to get at despite the difficulty. Jimmy’s speech is gaslighting, conditioning to make Curly believe it’s all his fault: The firing, the assault, the tragedy of it all when those all link back to things that were over his head or actions/choices of others.

There’s a lot of debates on what Curly as the individual was at fault for, should be blamed for and what where outside factors. I personally think in the end he wanted Jimmy to take responsibility but he himself can’t tell what’s his responsibility to take vs Jimmy’s. A key point of this is when Curly is about to run in and starting saying what he should’ve done, or could’ve before screaming at Jimmy and asking what did he do. He realizes all too late what is his responsibility and what isn’t in terms of their dynamics and the blame/guilt he takes on for Jimmy but as I said again it’s too late.

If he was gonna cover up the assault than Jimmy would’ve never felt the need to do something so drastic. He would’ve known Curly would’ve helped and I think his uncertainty of that was a driving force but also to give us that uncertainty in terms of what Curly would’ve actually done.

He makes us all uncomfortable and conflicted because we all want to say we’d do better, we’d know better but in the end we could all make the same mistakes thinking that our good intentions were enough. He’s fun to roll around in your head and this specific topic gets a lot of unsettling things rolling.

[clangenrising]

Welcome to RisingClan!

This is a Warrior Cats Fan Project based on the game ClanGen (@officialclangen ), basically my take on a warrior cats story inspired by a pixel game's events! Below are a list of resources for you, the reader. Please look over these resources before asking a question. Thank you for coming along for the ride, I hope you enjoy yourselves and feel welcome.

You can also find my on my main, @rowanfalls, and my art blog, @ashleyrowan

Chronological Order

If you'd like to start at the beginning, you can do so here. Every Canon Post now has a set of links that look like this: "Prev | First | Next" that you can use to navigate through the story.

You can also find a complete list of all Canon Posts in chronological order, sorted by month and year, here. This doesn't include asks, memes, or fan art, only pieces that contain canon story content.

Tag Lists and Trigger Warnings

RisingClan is proud to employ Trauma Informed Storytelling. As a safety tool, I use a series of tags to warn readers about upcoming triggering content as well as a system called Heavy Content Alert, all of which can be found explained in detail here.

As well, a list of tags that I use to categorize content like AUs, advice, and so forth can be found at that same link.

Patreon and Ko-Fi

RisingClan is free and will always be free, but if you'd like to support me financially, you can do so on my Patreon and my Ko-Fi! This support is greatly appreciated and helps me continue to create great work for RisingClan. Keep in mind that if you use the Patreon or Ko-Fi apps, there will likely be a cut of your donation/subscription taken for the appstore and that using the desktop sites will ensure that I receive the full amount as intended.

Allegiances

A list of characters and their allegiances, like those listed at the beginning of every Warrior Cats book, can be found here. This list stays up to date with the most recent piece so beware of spoilers.

FAQ

Below the cut is a list of some of the questions I frequently receive and their answers. Please read this whole list before sending an ask as any questions already covered by the FAQ will be deleted.

Q: What happened to the Real Time gimmick? A: In October 2024, I had a mental breakdown because I was trying to do too many things to unrealistic standards. I took a hiatus for my mental health and, when I was ready to return, my readers voted that I should start posting as soon as possible rather than wait all year so I could resume the Real Time gimmick. From January 2025 on, posts are no longer posted on the day in canon when they happen.

Q: What are your ClanGen game settings? A: I play the Stable Version, Expanded Mode. I do not allow mass extinction events, romantic interactions with former mentors, or first cousins to be mates or have romantic interactions. Pregnancy does not ignore biology but same-sex adoption is increased. Cats are allowed to breed with cats that aren't their mates. Experience based graduation is turned on (although some of the story was played before it was an option), cats will never retire due to a permanent condition, and warriors and elders are able to choose to become mediators.

Q: Do the other Clans have safe files in your game? A: Yes, although I don't follow the events of those games as strictly as I do RisingClan. They are here to support RisingClan's story so if something that happens in another Clan would distract from the story or changing an event might better tell the story then I will change that event. However, the City Cats do not have a save file as most of them are created specifically for plot purposes. I have a save file I use to help generate sprites/design ideas for the City Cats but I don't follow the events or relationships in it at all.

Q: Will you show us the character sprites/relationship tabs? A: No, I won't. I was more open to the idea when I started this blog but as things went on I realized that I preferred the freedom of not having to stay strictly to the sprites in my designs, especially now that I'm making RisingClan genetically accurate. As well, some sprites contain spoilers like missing limbs that I don't want to share. I also play so far in advance that it isn't possible for me to show you everyone's relationship tabs since that data is no longer accessible once a cat dies. Also I got a new computer and now I can't get ClanGen to work so I couldn't access my files if I tried. :(

Q: How are the RisingClan cats genetically accurate? A: I have a spreadsheet that keeps track of the genotypes of every cat in RisingClan (and some of the cats outside of RisingClan) and whenever kits are born I make sure that the kits are possible given the parents involved. Because ClanGen is not genetically accurate, I will be deviating from the sprites when necessary but I also intend to edit my save files to be genetically accurate when I have the time so that we don't drift too far from the sprites over the generations.

Q: What art program do you use? A: I use ClipStudio Paint (a friend bought me the full version a while ago) and I love it. Highly recommend if you have the money (or if you can find it um.. second hand, as it were).

Q: Why hasn't my ask been posted yet? A: All answered asks are put into the queue and spaced out to pad the space between writing pieces. If I am receiving a lot of asks, it may take a couple weeks for your specific ask to get posted. If that time goes by and I still haven't answered it, I probably deleted the question because it was already answered by the FAQ, it made me uncomfortable, or it was needlessly antagonistic.

Bonus: You made a typo in the last piece! I appreciate people pointing out typos for me since I don't have any beta readers but I also don't like posting those corrections very much. If you see a typo, please send it in an ask but know that once I see it and fix the typo, I will delete the ask. This means that if there are any questions or comments you want me to see and post, they need to be in a separate ask from the typo correction or I will delete them. I don't want to delete your lovely comments so make sure you send a separate ask!

Do you have a question that isn't on the FAQ? It might be in the FAQ tag, try checking there too!

[kittycatcrackhead]

shane x farmer headcanon

TW: Alcoholism, EDs and body dysmorphia, and mentions of being suicidal.

Here's some headcanon stuff before i get to the depressing shit

Leon is 5'5", and Shane is 5'6" (funnily enough, leon was made to be short because i wanted him to be slightly shorter than shane, and i've always headcanoned shane as 5'6")

Neither one can cook. Leon has literally burnt down his kitchen before.

Leon is 27, and Shane is 34

Leon is horrible with kids, but Shane is surprisingly good with them (it's cause he tries to be a good uncle to jas)

Leon doesn't understand a thing about gridball, but it's fine cause shane loves to ramble and explain it.

Shane is transmasc, and uses he/they pronouns.

Leon uses he/him pronouns.

Shane wears exclusively crocs, even at work. It drives leon insane (he despises crocs).

Leon and Shane are both slobs, and it drives Leon's bodyguard Phillip (who also lives with them) fucking nuts. (phil is a part of their relationship, but i want to focus on leon and shane's dynamic here. i'll eventually make a post about a phil x shane dynamic)

Leon is somehow still a certified accountant (even after getting fired from his last job for accused fraud. he was set up tho), and handles the finances for the farm, and deals with tax stuff. He often rambles about accountant stuff to Shane, who doesn't understand a lick of it.

Leon is allergic to cats, but they still keep a cat around the farm.

Leon's full name is Leonard Valentine Locke. DO NOT call him Leonard, he despises his full name.

^ This is leon :3

^ this is his sdv sprite i made :3 (pixel art is a pain in the ass in procreate btw T_T)

ok sad shit below this, read at your own risk.

So shane has always been a big influence on my oc, Leon (it was mostly subconscious, I didn't realize Leon was so similar to Shane until a couple of months ago)

They're both suicidally depressed and alcoholics, and both struggle with their sense of self-worth.

I believe that Shane drinks because he lost two close friends who meant a lot to him (Jas' parents), and didn't know how to deal with the grief. He'd already had a bit of an issue with alcohol before, but nothing like it would become.

Leon drinks because he had a shit childhood and a shit life. He hates himself, and struggles with major depression. He's on antidepressants, and meds for bipolar 2, which react poorly with the alcohol, worsening his symptoms, and making him heavily suicidal. He always had a problem with alcohol, but it became significantly worse when he shot and killed his father. While it was self-defense, his now boss, Zalu Merriweather, used it against him to get Leon to work for them. That sent Leon into a downward spiral, and he ended up nearly dying multiple times.

He ended up in Stardew Valley with his bodyguard, Phillip, because of some lore thing idk. what happens in stardew valley isn't canon to my story, so i haven't put too much though as to why Leon ends up there lmao

But Leon finds shane, and they are two drunk peas in a pod. They get along well, (perhaps too well), and are both worsening the other's alcoholism, since Shane now has a drinking buddy, and leon thinks shane's hot af, but leon prefers to be drunk when he sleeps with someone.

Then shane's six-heart event rolls around, and leon doesn't want to shane to end up like him. Shane decides he's going to get his shit together.

Leon doesn't get sober yet, tho. He's still drinking and struggling, but with Shane now being sober, he doesn't want to be a bad influence.

Eventually, shane and phil are able to help leon give up alcohol.

Leon gives it up entirely, but Shane is able to have a few beers every now and then.

Leon gains weight after quitting alcohol, and it really fucks with him. He had an ED when he was younger, and has bad body dysmorphia. Seeing his body become "ugly" by his standards almost makes Leon relapse, but he works through it.

[lowpolynpixelated]

The Great Divide

What is an Indie game? Is it the literal definition? A game developed and distributed by an independent developer and/or publisher. Is it a connotation of style? Pixel or simplistic graphics, cozy vibes, outlandish mechanics. Is it a representational title? Small development teams, smaller experiences, cheaper games. It is, in a way, all and none of these things. During what I would call the “true bloom” of the Video Game Landscape in the late 90s and early 2000s, such a term was seldom common nomenclature. No in those days it was “enthusiast titles” or “hobbyist” releases. Nothing like the Indie-Directs we see now. So what happened? And why does there seem to be such a clear divide in people’s minds between what’s Indie and what’s Triple A, and why can’t they explain it very well?

Part One: Where did it start?

To say that it started in the early 2000s would be incorrect. Ever since video games began being made people have taken it upon themselves to let their creativity flow through their digital catalyst of choice. The interactive medium was, and still is, unlike anything that came before. Video games are far more than “movies you can play in” they’re art pieces. Statements. An entirely unique way to engage with and experience a work of art, music, writing, and digital wizardry all packaged onto something that fits in the palm of your hand. Video games are magic. And so its no wonder that people wanted to make them. Look at such a famous game like DOOM. Ids smash hit originally had its first level freely distributed via mail-in receipts or at electronic stores, and was sold by Id itself before it took off to a nationwide scale. Developed and distributed by just a few people in an office. Sure there’s always more logistics to it than that, but doesn’t that fit a few of the definitions already? The 80s and 90s were truly the “Wild West” of video games. Because of the market’s fresh growth and upwards trend it took very little to get your game onto a console. Just look at all the titles on the original NES/Famicom systems. Before the advent of the term “Shovelware” it was quite common for such experiences to flood a library. Though this fell out of fashion more in the 90s during the SNES/Genesis era of things in favour of more well tuned and marketable competitive experiences. Such varied scales of polish and concept were doubly so if you look at the Computer Game community from the time. Developing your own games was a passtime. A trick to learn on new fangled devices. So what happened after? During the 3D revolutionary period in the 5th generation of consoles there were more standards. Sure, there were still some more shallow experiences around, but if you wanted to be known in the mainstream world video games you needed to be on a console. And so this is where I think began the true form of what most modern standards would call an “Indie game”.

My favourite examples of such titles include games like “Katamari Damacy” and “Okami”. Both games were developed by either a much smaller studio or in Katamari’s case, just a few select people. They were indeed published by established names, Namco and Capcom respectively, but they have much more in common with the Indie titles of today in that regard as well. In this era it was quite common to find games made by smaller studios, or even sometimes smaller teams within larger studios, given a run on the most popular hardware because the idea was fun. Or for perhaps a more clinical point of view, the idea could be sold. So I ask again, what happened? If you could find such games on consoles for six entire generations of video game consoles, why is there now this “Great Divide” between the Indie and the Triple A? Let’s go back to PC gaming during this time for a bit more information.

In 2003 something very important to this conundrum happened. This event would forever change the way digital distribution of video games would happen, and eventually, in my opinion, lead to where we are now. In 2003 Valve Software launched Steam as a software client meant to manage and deliver updates to their catalog of games. In 2005, only 2 years after its launch and the same year as the launch of the 7th generation of games consoles, they began using the client as a digital storefront to sell and distribute 3rd party software. Before Steam digital distribution of games was spread quite thin due to its relatively new nature. The early 2000s saw internet speeds both fast and stable enough to properly facilitate said distribution, and Valve were hardly the only ones to try and jump on the train as it began to speed up. Storefronts like Stardock stand as earlier examples of attempts to sell games over the web. Steam would be the one to not only take off, but to stick the landing as well.

In the year before Steam’s foray into offering 3rd party software, the 6th generation of consoles had an early adopter of this online storefront model. In 2004 the Xbox Live Arcade as launched on the original XBOX. This allowed owners of the console to purchase additional titles directly to their console, granted they had Xbox Live and the hard drive space to spare. These two factors, Xbox Live Arcade and Steam, would become the catalyst for the explosion of digital purchasing as well as ground zero for when The Great Divide would begin to form. When Xbox Live Arcade was in its prime it was offering games more frequently and successfully than any other console at the time. The Wii’s Wii Shop did a decent job keeping up and was a delightful experience in purchasing old Nintendo Software, and the PlayStation Store was no slouch either. Xbox, however, had an edge. As a part of many of their events such as “Summer of Xbox Live” it would offer alongside many well known console titles, smaller titles made by small and often independent developers. Games such as Castle Crashers, Super Meat Boy, The Binding of Isaac, Splosion man, and many others joined the ranks as “Xbox 360 experiences”. Meanwhile on the other side of the coin, Steam was offering these independently made games as a part of its online marketplace. But of course, as we discussed, it was common to find these in the PC space.

So why was Xbox a big deal? Because suddenly, offering these “Indie” games for smaller price tags was wildly successful. It had precedent, certainly. In it’s infancy the Xbox Live Arcade offered games at smaller price tags, anywhere from 4.99-9.99. It wasn’t just a way for smaller games to get recognition on consoles. On the other side of the coin, it was a marketing tactic. “Indies” were hot ticket items all of a sudden. Bolstering your library with indie games meant that the Xbox was the place to go for smaller developers who wanted a life on console, it meant that Xbox was supporting the wider gaming community, it meant that Xbox had video games at bargain prices. I’m sure the executives had dollar signs in their eyes the whole time, and perhaps that is a bit of a cynical way to view it, but it worked out that way. The ramifications of this tactic would continue on and its consequences felt for years to come. Some good, some bad, all very frustrating to categorize.

Part Two: The divide widens

After the massive uptick in the marketing of “indie games” via the pushing of the label in the late 2000s and early 2010s, the gap between what people considered “Triple A” and what was considered “Indie” only got wider. Indie games were small, quaint, not to be judged on the same rubric as those big budget releases that sold consoles. Criticism towards these titles was usually relegated to things like length and price. People were more forgiving to games made by two person teams on aspects like music, gameplay, and graphics. But if you dared to think that your game was worth 30$? Now you’re pushing it. Criticism levied at independently made video games grew more and more harsh in these realms. Why is your 6 hour game 25$? Why does a game with graphics like this cost more than 5$? Pixel art is easier and cheaper, right? This type of criticism was the bread and butter of judging the value of an indie title. If you packed in all the polish and fun of a “triple A” release and sold it for 15$, you were perfect. If it was your first title that you worked on for 5 years straight and DARED to think it was worth 20$, or even 30$, you weren’t experienced enough to ask for that. Every rough edge, every bug, every glitch was now ammunition to say how your game was a “flawed masterpiece that just costs too much” or “A surprisingly fun hidden gem held back by a few things”. The softer “fun little game” approach wore off quickly, and what was left in its place was criticism and judgment just as vicious as those reserved for big name releases.

This was also the time in which some of the more glaring flaws of the “triple A” sphere began to rear their heads higher into the light. The mid 2010s saw the data size of big name releases double or sometimes triple in size demanding more and more storage space for consoles. Some of the time the responsibility was put on the owners of the consoles, with external hard drives being common for the ps4 and Xbox One even more so than they were with the PS3 and Xbox360. A big reason for this was that larger games were steadily getting worse quality wise. Rushed development cycles, overbearing crunch time for developers, and corner cutting development practices encouraged by executives were making AAA games into buggy messes that didn’t go down in price and needed day one patches. Criticism did keep up with these factors, but not in a very popular light. Voices in the gaming landscape who had been advocating for people to pay more attention and demand better from larger companies with resources to do better (a prime example is Stephanie Sterling, who is a longtime video game journalist and extremely vocal about the myriad issues plaguing the industry), and were often ignored in favour of hype and “just wanting to enjoy things”.

All of this amounted to a market with a clear divide. Indie games were small and shouldn’t be judged as the bigger stuff is, but the bigger stuff is also getting worse and deserves more criticism. Indie games were their own genre by this point. Anything that could be called cheaper or less impressive than a standard console release was an indie game. Anything that could be called WORSE than a standard console game was compared to an indie game. They became both a standard that triple A games should outdo, and an insult to be hurled when the game didn’t. The passion, skill, and artistry of hundreds upon hundreds of developers and artists became nothing more than what the Nintendo Switch was using to boast “hundreds of new games every day!”, with most of said games being shovelware and phone apps being hocked onto the console at inflated prices. Still, with how games had come to be categorized, Hollow Knight and Calculator App 412 are worth the same.

Part Three: What does it mean?

So what relation does this have to indie games? Well, the issue with the way criticism was being levied against big name releases was that the criticism effecting independent releases stayed the same. The late 2010s and early 2020s saw some of the worst triple A launches in gaming history, but when a game made by a few people sold for 15$ does all the supposed highest level of the industry can and sometimes more it’s only “surprisingly polished for an indie game”. I ask you, reader, what are we comparing these games to? When most so called “triple A” releases are half finished, rushed to release, or just barely functional, how are games that meet their own goals or even surpass them still a surprise? My argument here is that the terms “triple A” and “indie” no longer apply as much as they used to. In more recent years (I’m writing this in 2024) a middle step has been gaining traction among popular gaming news and review sites, the AA game. “Double A” games, as they’re being called, are supposedly indie games with much higher levels of polish, but not enough to reach the supposed heights of “triple A” games. A more apt description of how the term is being used though, is a way to justify big name releases, floods of half-baked remakes/remasters, and substandard work being pushed by the heads of the industry. Saying a modern big name release is “about as polished as a double A game”, is less inflammatory than saying “it only plays like an indie game” but is no less insulting.

What even IS a double A game? A previous example, Hollow Knight, has often had this new classification applied to it due to its level of polish and apparent higher value than other independently made games. All this label has done is create yet another step for independent games to never achieve unless they get popular enough. There is no inherent value to a video game. The circumstances of its development and skill of its developers do not make it worth more or less than another. So without labels like indie, double A, and triple A, what do we call video games? The answer lies in the question, Video Games. This isn’t to say you can’t judge the quality of a video game. That quality, however, will vary wildly from person to person. Call of Duty Modern Warfare is a classic masterpiece to some, and a boring military shooter to others. The same can be applied to all “classic masterpieces”, and all modern works as well. Horizon Zero Dawn and Hollow Knight exist on different levels of developer and artist intent. They exist in different genres, in different dimensions of art, in different modes of gameplay, but they’re both video games available for the PlayStation 4 and will have their fans and detractors just the same. Hollow Knight was priced as its creators thought they could value it, but price is not quality. Quality in art cannot be discerned as fact. Art does not exist in such cut and dry terms and circumstances. What is inspiring to one might be mundane to another.

There ARE inherent things on which to judge a video game. To exist within the art medium certain factors MUST be up to snuff with what the developer wants the game to be. Core mechanics and gameplay, graphics reading well for what they represent, audio functioning correctly within the expectations set by the game. A game must be playable to be enjoyed, after all. But this is a baseline. You can’t call a calculator app a video game. That just isn’t what its meant to be. It doesn’t meet the base of what a video game is as an interactive experience. What you actually judge and criticize within a video game is the developer’s skill to make it what it says it is. Its price, and more often than not its length, do not determine that. Neither does an arbitrary category created to split the market into “standard and premium” video game experiences. You, the player, do.

Part Four: Thanks and future thoughts

Hello, and thank you for reading my article. The Great Divide is a theory and thought process I’ve held about the gaming landscape as a whole for quite a while, and it feels good to put those thoughts to digital paper. I do have more thoughts on the subject, but am electing to leave this here for now and return to it later in the form of another article, or perhaps an extension or video companion piece to this one. This piece is an opinion, and though it states true facts about video game history I do not offer the whole as fact. These are the ways I feel, and I hope that if you read them you might feel the same. Thank you for reading.

[skyflyinginaction]

Shin Megami Tensei IV FINAL Official Setting + Shinwa Sekai he no Tabi translations 

I don’t own the raw scans or the translations in this post all credit for the translation belongs to Miel who did a wonderful job on it. The Nanashi bio was already translated by Dijeh and the rest are translated by them.

Asahi

In the early scenarios, she was supposed to be a tomboyish character who often used foul language. As you can see, she ended up the complete opposite (lol). Asahi was designed as a child whose parents had lovingly raised, and had her life planned out for her to survive in this destroyed world. They were hoping that she would one day be able to see the light of dawn, hence she was named Asahi. We based her design off themes of the sky, hence the goggles, hat and the blue color scheme to make a pure, orthodox heroine.

Navarre

A harmonious, all-green presence… Actually I just came up with that after (lol). But I think the meaning of Navarre's scarf color was shown pretty well in the game. His ghost form and the fact that he would be a partner was decided from the very beginning. I wanted him to be able to run around the map following the MC, so I suggested a mascot-like design that could float alongside the MC. I'm glad he was able to re-appear as a likeable character (lol).

Nozomi

In the previous game, she was an event character with only pixel art, but in this game, we decided from the very beginning that she would be a partner along with Navarre. We tried to keep the same imagery she had from the previous game but designed elements unique to this game. After she became one with Danu, I wanted a change in both mind and body. Her hair and eye color, as well as her physique are all mixed with Western features, and when compared to the main characters who are all children, she looks like a mature adult lady.

Hallelujah

We had planned to create a mixed-race child who would show what kind of world setting it was in this game. His brown-colored skin was the only thing that still remained of his initial draft; every thing else about him was totally changed from the initial planned scenario. We gave him a Ashura-kai styled outfit, as well as a school jersey to make him look like a child delinquent. The pointy ears and black nails were to give him a demonic feel. When he transforms, he changes color, and I think it perfectly represents the devs’ ideal image of him.

Chironnupu

When Chironnupu was created as a demon, I was requested to make him a mascot-like character. They did not want a standard cutesy character, but rather something that had a “Megami Tensei" type of cuteness. There are very few legends about the Chironnupu, so I got ideas from keywords such as Ainu, fox, divine spirits, and hunting, and instead of simply drawing a fox, I made him a young spirit that wears a carved wooden mask.

Gaston

When I first heard that Navarre’s younger brother was going to be in the game, I laughed… and I was very surprised. Of course they must have the same hairstyle and facial expressions to live up to the family name (lol). Since he is an elite member of the newly established Samurai group, I put his Samurai uniform over his inner wear, so that he looked like a medieval musketeer but set in modern day. The cross symbol represents God and the four archangels. Michael's spear was originally meant to defeat Lucifer, so I based its design off Lucifer’s motif.

Toki

Out of all the characters, this character had the most changes and was the most difficult to design. In the early designs, she was made to look like a miko (TN: shrine maiden) who served Lilith, so I wanted her design to emphasize her young age when compared to Asahi and Nozomi. That design later evolved into a tall, ephemeral type of girl, and then later, finally settled into the design of an assassin. She’s designed as a member of the Ring of Gaea, and her unmasked face has the cuteness of a Japanese doll but also a beauty that exudes an exoticism. 

Nikkari

This is a character that appears right at the beginning of the game, but we did not originally plan to have an illustration for him. However, there was a request for a illustration to show the worldview of this hunter from Tokyo, and how the world and the people he cared for were being overrun by demons. Thus we created illustrations for the 3 of them: Nikkari, Manabu, and Master. The name Nikkari is based off a famous sword, but you’ll just have to find out whether or not his sword is the real deal by playing the game.

Manabu

As a more senior hunter, he has become a unique character. Like Nikkari, we had initially only planned to have pixel art for him, so we made sure to exaggerate that reggae-like feel to convey his love for reggae, even if it's a tiny pixel art. Compared to veteran hunters, he didn't have much experience yet, so we designed him to still look a little naive. Having designs for the sub-characters was not initially planned, so I only had a short amount of time to design them, but I was able to take a breather and had fun while drawing them.

Master

When I was making drafts of his design, I borrowed the design of the adult form of the protagonist (lol). Since the character is a former hunter of an inhabitable society and a master of the company, I gave him unshaven stubble and thick arm hair to give him that rugged feel, but also gave him the outfit of a bar waiter to give him a sense of tidiness. Anyway, it feels like a strange coincidence that the pilot-style outfit worn by the original adult protagonist ended up being worn by Asahi instead. I wanted to see how well he would do.

Swordsman Hunter

During the idea stage, there were many variations for a non-human hunter. This is a lightly armored female hunter whose main weapon is a sword. Her personality also seems outgoing.

Professor Matsuda

This was the initial idea draft for Matsuda. Back then he was planned to be a NPC that you can speak to but didn’t have a character portrait. His facial expressions can’t be seen clearly from the small portrait, but you can see his hunched-back posture.

Elite Hunter

An elite hunter who has a high rank and is well-dressed. It's the type you don't see very often in the underground world of Tokyo, but it seems there’s actually some hunters who are living a privileged life out there.

Punk Hunter

A female hunter that catches the eye with her standing hair and studded clothes. Strong female hunters who live by fighting with demons are all cool-looking. The same goes for Nozomi. It’s no wonder Asahi admires them.

Child Hunter

The boy with the spear is an NPC you can talk to. During the designing stage he was made to be a little child hunter but the final version of the NPC seems to be older in appearance.

Gaea Elder

An old man who was created as a member of the Gaea. Compared to the fierce male members and cold-looking female members, he’s more of a good-natured old man character.

Asurakai Member

Most of the Ashurakai members were thugs in suits, so we had the idea for a man who actually looked dangerous because he had a drawn knife in his hand. Might’ve been a change after Tayama’s death.

[mariacallous]

When a new episode of AMC’s Interview With the Vampire aired the Sunday before last, a particular sort of fuse was lit in online conversations around the show. The fifth installment of the second season, “Don’t Be Afraid, Just Start the Tape,” was an impeccably written and acted horror film in miniature—the sort of thing you watch with your mouth hanging open, before pointing at your TV and saying, “Are you seeing this, too?!?!”

Yet when thousands took to social media to ask that very question, much of the commentary was underscored by confusion, even concern, that people were, in fact, not seeing it, too—that they weren’t seeing Interview With the Vampire at all. For a show so good, many said, it was criminal that more people weren’t watching and discussing it, and that more critics weren’t covering it. “This is the best show on TV right now,” New York Times culture reporter Kyle Buchanan wrote in one widely shared tweet. “I feel gaslit that you’d all rather talk about mid or bad shows rather than watch the golden standard!”

Some fans had already noticed the diminished critical coverage compared to the first season, which was met with near-universal acclaim and earned the show and the performances of its lead actors, Jacob Anderson and Sam Reid, places on many end-of-year best-of lists. If anything, the show’s sophomore season had received an even higher percentage of glowing reviews, but the big splashy event coverage that other lauded shows often receive (and are receiving as we speak) was absent from notable mainstream outlets.

Plugged-in fans had also noticed a drop in viewership from the first season, at least according to publicly available metrics, and in advance of the June 9 episode, Slate published an article titled, “Interview With the Vampire Is the Best Show Almost Nobody Is Watching,” which laid out the those numbers plainly. Word started to spread—especially on up-to-the-minute platforms like X but also fanning out to places like Reddit, TikTok, and even my home base, Tumblr, which is far more likely to host gifsets, shitposts, or graduate-seminar-level analyses of the show than discussions of terrestrial television ratings.

AMC had announced IWTV’s second season before the first even aired, but halfway through the second there hadn’t been a peep about a third—and with a narrative brewing about “the best show nobody’s watching,” especially in the wake of an episode that so many were raving over, fan anxiety started to ratchet up about its fate. On X in particular, that groundswell quickly started to focus on AMC’s marketing efforts—and fans’ accusations that the network wasn’t doing enough to promote its own show set off a firestorm that brewed for days. “The marketing choices AMC is doing with Interview With the Vampire is self destructive,” one fan wrote. Or, in the words of another: “So mad they got me googling who is head of marketing at AMC.”

There can be a huge range of reasons why a show in 2024—this one or any other—doesn’t have the reach it deserves; endless pixels have been spilled on streamer fatigue and fractured audiences in the past few years. AMC, a darling of the prestige-TV-on-cable era, is in an especially strange position: Even when Interview’s first season was a hit on its streaming service, AMC+, it was still held up as an example of a troubled industry in transition. Two years and two Hollywood strikes later, the situation is even more complicated. As the industry restructures and changes who can watch what where, a disconnect has emerged between what viewers like and what critics do. At the same time, social media platforms—the loci of 21st-century word of mouth—continue to implode, fracturing the conversation of an already dispersed audience.

Amidst this, IWTV faces specific hurdles due to the nature of the show. An adaptation of Anne Rice’s 1976 novel that pulls heavily from the many Vampire Chronicles books that followed, the show racebends many of its leads—its titular vampire, Louis du Pointe du Lac, is now Black—and goes all in on the queerness of the books. And it is, of course, about vampires—specifically, vampires who do terrible things. “IWTV has so much that a modern audience could want from a series but, unfortunately, some people won’t receive it solely because it’s a queer horror show with majority BIPOC leads,” says Bobbi Miller, a culture critic who recaps the show on her YouTube channel. “Genre TV is always going to have to jump through more hoops for success than a standard drama.”

For the converted, the idea that more people aren’t watching Interview is maddening. One could certainly argue that the show, with its dark, twisted Gothicness and emotional maximalism, isn’t for everyone. But in an era of unceremonious cancellations—even of shows that execs touted as hits—and with an absence of information about the show’s future, it’s understandable that its most dedicated fans would be pushing for more viewers. Interview isn’t the only show whose fans question its marketing efforts; it’s a common accusation leveled at streamers of all sorts, especially when a show is canceled. But in this conversation, Interview fans pointed at specific decisions made by the network that many feel have made this season’s rollout feel so much more muted than the last.

“It’s been a conversation that fans have been talking about for a while now, but I think what really set them off was the comment made by Film Updates,” says Rei Gorrei, a fan who dubs herself the “Unofficial Vampire Chronicles Spokesperson.” A pop-culture aggregation account with nearly a million followers, Film Updates revealed they had been denied interview requests with the show’s talent—and since fans were worried no one was hearing about IWTV, they couldn’t understand why that reach wasn’t being capitalized on. “I think the combination of these things along with little marketing leaves fans in a word-of-mouth scenario where we now feel like it’s up to us to campaign for the season three renewal,” Gorrei says.

Many questioned the promotion the network had been implementing, too, like the decision to never have Anderson and Assad Zaman, whose characters’ romance is one of the main focuses of the season, interviewed together. Episode five in particular, with its explosive fight scene between the two, would have been a prime opportunity. (AMC did not respond to emails seeking comment for this story.) Other fans raised concerns about the unceremonious cancelation of the widely admired official podcast, whose Black female host, Naomi Ekperigin, felt like the perfect interviewer for a show with Black leads and nuanced racial storylines. Then there was the fact that too few episodes would air in time for Emmy consideration—not the fault of marketing, but yet one more source of fan worry.

As the conversation directed at the official X account got heated, the AMC social team replied, sparking a dust-up that evoked the heady days of mid-2010s Twitter fandom, which regularly saw official accounts (remember Teen Wolf?) doing battle with—and sometimes capitalizing on the rancor of—contentious fans.

To be clear, AMC’s team did not engage the way those accounts once did—they instead wound up spinning it as a joke, poking fun at itself with a series of memes riffing on a line from the latest episode. But some fans continued to make comments about wanting to “take away” the show from the network, invoking one of the common paradoxes of modern fandom, where fans seek to divorce the thing they love by from the thing they think is harming it, like a showrunner, a director, or a network (the people who are, of course, the reason the thing they love exists).

“It is complicated,” says Bobbi Miller. She understands both sides of the equation: She's a fan, but she has also worked on social campaigns for film and TV. “I do think some of what the fans want from social [media] for this show is not always realistic.” Based on her experience, she says it’s likely that posts are part of a specific plan with approval processes—and it’s usually done by a whole team, not some lone intern as people on social media always suggest. “Not to mention that some things,” she adds, “especially ones that involve talent directly, aren’t always possible.” And in the flurry of conversation about the show’s promotion, many fans did acknowledge this—suggesting the social team was being stymied by the network itself.

Even with her sympathetic eye, Miller has also been confused by some of the decisions—though she stresses it’s all still a part of this balancing act. “Ultimately, no one’s ever going to be happy with the social coverage of the show because the objectives of a social campaign for a series are different than the objectives of the fandom,” she says. “I do want the show to get the major social and promotional push that it deserves and I’m not totally sure why that hasn’t happened, but I hope the network is taking note that the audience does want to see this show and its cast everywhere.”

That sort of symbiotic relationship between marketing and fans—where acolytes essentially act as ambassadors for their thing—is a thorny part of the fan labor conversation. But while some of Interview’s devotees worry that there’s too heavy a reliance on word-of-mouth, a lot of fans are still spreading the word—some even treat it like a full-time job. A lifelong Vampire Chronicles fan, Gorrei had watched AMC’s struggles with The Walking Dead fanbase and some of its smaller franchises, and decided to do whatever she could to help IWTV succeed. “I had basically made my own personal marketing strategy for this show,” she says.

But even the most enthusiastic evangelists don’t actually work for the shows they love—and the entire push and pull of this situation underscores one of the biggest things plaguing television fandoms in 2024. Amidst the chaos of the industry and without the transparent signals of earlier eras like ratings or the seasonal calendar, fans don’t know the levers they need to pull to try to keep their favorite thing on the air—and sometimes, there aren’t any levers to pull at all. Long gone are the Bjo Trimble letter-writing campaigns of yore.

The broader atmosphere is one of fear and panic: After a decade of having the streamer rugs pulled out from under them, fans—and audiences more broadly—are afraid of getting invested in a show. Once invested, they’re always waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Despite all the furor at the start of last week, fans did get some strong signs of hope by the end of it. While there still hasn’t been word that the show will be picked up for a third season, showrunner Rolin Jones re-upped a multiyear contract with the network on Friday. The next day, AMC announced a deal with Netflix to offer several of their titles on the streamer, Interview included. The show has always been framed as tentpole of a broader interconnected universe based on Anne Rice’s work, and despite the mixed signals of the past few weeks, it also seems like AMC is still all-in on that bet—the network also recently greenlit a third series based in the “Immortal Universe,” alongside The Mayfair Witches.

Miller agrees that these signals are very encouraging—and notes that AMC is famous for giving high-quality shows it believes in multiple seasons to find audience footing (see the eventual popularity of Breaking Bad or the continued renewal of Halt and Catch Fire—notably both projects of IWTV’s executive producer, Mark Johnson). And these sorts of investments go hand-in-hand with the dedication and commitment of long-term fans. “IWTV’s greatest allies,” Miller says, “are a dedicated fan base and a network that seems committed to giving the series time to blossom,” Miller says.

[stevebattle]

NET-BORG "Inquire Robot" (AKA BN-8) by Bandai, Tokyo, Japan (2001). NET-BORG is a telepresence robot that can be remotely controlled via the internet. A built-in web-server serves real-time video over wi-fi from a camera mounted in the robot's head. A web interface enables the user to pan & tilt the camera, and drive the robot around on its caterpillar tracks. Bandai anticipate applications such as "remotely looking around events and museums, viewing them from the perspective of the robot." This might include a function to clip captured images and send them via e-mail to mobile phones and PCs.

NET-BORG or BN-8, "is a robot that can be remotely controlled via the Internet. It is equipped with a camera, and the user operates "BN-8" using a browser from a general PC based on the video through this camera. Since there is a built-in webcam server on the main unit, there is no need to install special software on the PC side. The camera has three resolutions: 640 x 480, 320 x 240 (standard setting), and 160 x 120 pixels. The frame rate is 15 frames per second at the standard setting. Movement is achieved with a caterpillar track attached to the lower part of the body. The forward and reverse speed is 20 cm per second, and the turning speed is 10 degrees per second. The operating time is about 1.5 hours, but it extends to 6 hours when the optional battery is installed. The total length is about 41 cm and the weight is about 4 kg (about 6 kg when equipped with an optional battery). The browser used for operation is Internet Explorer 5.0 or later or Netscape Navigator 4.7 or later." – Bandai, a camera robot that can be remotely controlled via the Internet, Exhibit "BN-8 (tentative name)" at "ROBODEX2002."

NET-BORG was exhibited at the 2001 International Robot Exhibition, and at ROBODEX 2002. It also appears on the cover of Bandai's "Robot Research Book", summarising the history of robot research and development at Bandai, that comes with the Doraemon "My Communication Robot" MD 01A.

[journalsouppe]

Stardew Valley!!! I love a lot about this spread but I wish I didn't use so many pen colors. This is another game I played before I even started journaling so I had to recall a lot of my older thoughts. Sebby's little corner might've been even bigger 😅 (Y'all might even guess where the name PumpkinSouppe came from, but it is also my favorite dish irl)

The Sebastian sticker is by ArcaneGoldArt! They have a whole collection of all the love interests.

Writing typed below!

Rating: 9.3 Played: Fa 2021 Port: PC (steam) Favorite? Y Replayable? Y Recommend? Y

Comments:

Name: Beans

Farm: Soup

German Shepherd

Beach Farm

Spouse: Seb <3

The Junimo are SO cute

only talked to like 7 characters lol I'm so introverted

had so many wiki pages open

LOVE the dungeons and enemies + the hunter log/achievements

It's sometimes pretty creepy

You can put hats on the horse and children lmao

don't like Shane at all (skull emoji)

stopped playing when I got the child, not the biggest fan [but I'm also against sacrifice]

#1 Krobus fan, love him

love my crazy animal names

made a little statue garden

so many eggplant parms

so much fun catching all the legendary fish!

the movies are so pretty and fun

The Sebastian corner: (DO NOT SAY ANYTHING)

(List of his favorite and liked gifts) Frozen tear, obsidian, pumpkin soup, sashimi, void egg, flounder, quartz

motorcycle kiss T^T

LOVE his theme

when he hid behind the tree lmao (I accidentally planted a tree right in front of where he would stand and I thought he would just disappear once a week and I could never find him)

quit smoking for me

he loves Jasmine tea!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

you can kiss him <3!!!

Frog Sanctuary

Game Dev notes:

really good day/night + seasonal cycle with relation to player mechanics

great progression of unlockable events -- well paced

great long term achievements

amazing cooking mechanics and storage

no definitive objects, very choose your own adventure!

easy controls, nothing memorable

beautiful pixel art and boundaries

Summary:

One of my all time favorite games. It is the gold standard of farming games and even has one of the best fishing mechanics. I played this during the beginning of my health problem during senior year and it really helped me cope a lot. Although I didn't play multiplayer, my friend and I played at the same time. This game has so many cherished memories especially when I got to compare gameplay with my friend. Made by one man, this is such an unbelievable game. There's unlockable events after x amount of years that entice players to continue playing.; There's also no one way to play, for example I was a lot more introverted and only talked to a few characters whereas my friend played more socially. Maybe someday I'll continue playing to complete more achievements. My one gripe is there's a lot of responsibilities to get back into, so it's a little hard to get back into. It's one of the games I can recommend to everyone. It's hard if you makes it hard, cozy if you make it cozy, etc. Excellent designs, animation, gameplay, story, choices, etc. My worry is that this game is so well crafted I'm worried playing other farming games won't live up, I am so excited for ConcernedApe's new game. He is a major inspiration to start making my own games. I have also heard modded Stardew is really good and really worth checking out. All in all, a superb game loved by so many fans. Highly recommend.

[cyberpunkonline]

The Best Halloween-Themed Games on the Commodore 64: 8-bit Terror You Didn’t Know You Needed

Alright, retro fanatics, it’s time to take a nostalgic trip back to the 80s with none other than the mighty Commodore 64! Yes, that beige beauty with the clunky keyboard and weird load times is back in the spotlight for our #CyberSamhain event, because even 8-bit graphics can give you chills if done right. The C64 had more than its share of bizarre, spooky, and straight-up terrifying titles that make it the perfect console for Halloween nostalgia. Get ready to pop a cassette in (oh yeah, tapes, baby) or load up your favorite emulator, and dive into the scariest 8-bit games that’ll haunt your dreams—or at least give you a good laugh at how far we’ve come.

1. Ghosts 'n Goblins (1986) Let's kick this off with an absolute banger. Ghosts 'n Goblins on the C64 is a pixel-perfect blend of spooky vibes and hardcore difficulty. You play as Arthur, a knight who spends most of his time running around in his underwear after his armor is knocked off (classic). You’re up against zombies, demons, and all kinds of monsters on your quest to rescue the princess. Now, the graphics aren’t as fancy as their arcade counterpart, but hey—it’s the Commodore! And don’t let those chunky pixels fool you—this game is brutally hard, so be ready to die a lot. Repeatedly.

Resource: MobyGames has a comprehensive breakdown of Ghosts 'n Goblins on the C64, just in case you need more convincing that this game is the OG nightmare fuel.

2. Cauldron (1985) If you’re into witches and classic side-scrolling platformers, then Cauldron is your jam. You take on the role of a witch on a quest to defeat a pumpkin-headed beast (yep, Jack-o'-lantern vibes, y’all) and claim the title of Pumpkin King. It’s a mix of flying around on your broomstick and hopping through deadly platforming sections, all while collecting ingredients for some cursed spell. The spooky, witchy atmosphere makes this a perfect Halloween game, even if the difficulty is pure 80s platformer insanity. Timing those jumps just right? You’ll need some magic of your own to pull that off.

Resource: The geeks over at Lemon64 have an epic catalog of games, including Cauldron, so give them a peek if you need to relive the magic.

3. Forbidden Forest (1983) Want an 8-bit horror experience that'll straight-up give you the creeps? Forbidden Forest on the C64 has you playing a lone archer facing off against terrifying enemies in, well, a creepy forest. From giant spiders to skeletons, everything about this game screams "Halloween." The eerie music and grotesque, by-80s-standards, graphics give it a legitimately unsettling vibe. Seriously, for a game made in 1983, this is some straight-up pixel horror gold. It’s like Blair Witch Project meets Robin Hood—with a lot more blood than you’d expect from an 8-bit game.

Resource: The Retro Gamer magazine ran a retrospective on Forbidden Forest, so if you want to know just how this game haunted a generation of C64 players, go check it out.

4. The Last Ninja (1987) Alright, so The Last Ninja isn’t your typical horror game, but it’s got enough spooky vibes to earn a place on this list. Set in medieval Japan, you’re up against shadowy ninjas, booby-trapped temples, and deadly assassins. The eerie music and atmospheric levels make it perfect for a darker, more brooding Halloween vibe. Plus, this game’s use of isometric graphics was a game-changer back in the day, showing the C64 could do more than just blocky pixels. Bonus points for making you feel like a total ninja badass while sneaking through graveyards and creepy shrines.

Resource: For a deep dive into The Last Ninja and its spooky aesthetic, Indie Retro News has you covered with some excellent nostalgia-filled articles.

5. Chiller (1985) Now, we’re diving into the weird side of C64 horror with Chiller. Think of it as a creepy, haunted house simulator where you run around trying to save your girlfriend, trapped in some of the strangest, most twisted levels ever. From grim reapers to floating heads, this game feels like a fever dream, but one perfect for Halloween. The puzzles are bizarre, and the difficulty ramps up quickly, but it’s got all the right spooky vibes to keep you hooked. Also, that eerie soundtrack? Guaranteed to leave you with goosebumps—or at least with a feeling that something ain’t quite right.

Resource: For more on Chiller, head over to Lemon64—they’ve got a solid collection of C64 games, including this quirky, spooky classic.

6. Elvira: Mistress of the Dark (1990) It wouldn’t be a proper Halloween list without mentioning the queen of campy horror herself, Elvira! This game, based on the iconic horror hostess, has you exploring a haunted castle, solving puzzles, and battling all sorts of creepy monsters. The C64 version does an impressive job capturing the spooky, gothic atmosphere of the original PC game, though of course, you’ll need some patience to handle those infamous C64 load times. But it’s Elvira—we make sacrifices for greatness, right? This is one of those titles that perfectly blends horror and humor, making it a must-play for any fan of the spooky season.

Resource: MobyGames strikes again with a killer article on Elvira: Mistress of the Dark, so head there for all the juicy details.

7. Nosferatu the Vampyre (1986) When it comes to classic horror, you can’t forget vampires. Nosferatu the Vampyre is a game that lets you explore a spooky, Transylvania-inspired castle in search of Dracula himself. It’s part adventure game, part puzzle solver, and all about that chilling atmosphere. The pixelated graphics and the minimalistic soundtrack create an eerie, oppressive vibe, which makes it perfect for a late-night Halloween playthrough. It might not be the most action-packed title, but if you’re into creepy castles and slow-burn horror, it’ll definitely give you the chills.

Resource: The ever-reliable Lemon64 has a full rundown of Nosferatu the Vampyre if you’re looking to take a bite out of this spooky classic.

Final Thoughts There you have it—the best Halloween-themed games to haunt your Commodore 64 this #CyberSamhain. Whether you’re slaying vampires, casting spells as a witch, or running around in your pixelated undies while fighting zombies, the C64 had a unique way of making 8-bit terror fun. Sure, the graphics may seem a little chunky compared to modern horror games, but don’t sleep on these classics—they’ve still got the power to send shivers down your spine.

So, power up that C64 (or emulator, no shame in that) and let the spooky retro gaming marathon begin. Halloween has never been more pixelated—and we wouldn’t have it any other way.

[starknightgirl]

MCC Party Krimson Kraken Skins!

I missed MCC Twitch Rivals skins because I just didn't have enough time to make skins. Obviously, I didn't have that problem this time. Although to be fair, it was a non-canon event. But so is this one.

If this is the first post you’re seeing of mine, hi! I have made a lot of CaptainSparklez’ team’s skins, ever since MCC14 (links: MCC15, MCC16, MCC17, MCC18, MCC19, MCC21, MCC22, MCC23, MCC24, MCC25, MCC28, MCC30, MCC31, MCC32, MCC33, MCC34). On occasion I’ve also made skins for other teams, such as the Red Rabbits of MCC Rising. Feel free to share this, just tag this post so that it links back to me. Thank you! Ok, more below the cut.

I’m using my reddit username as the signature, don’t worry I’m not stealing from anyone.

So the backstory for this is that they're cake pirates! I don't know how well I managed the cake part, but I thought that would be a fun party themed thing for them to be instead of like, presents.

I thought my last Krimson Kraken skins were good (MCC21 obviously) but now I'm looking at them in comparison with these and well. The shading might be better for the last ones, but these ones are much better in terms of colors.

The krakens on the back are ever so slightly smaller this time. But not much. It's hard to make small krakens. Ok, onto individual breakdowns.

Starting with Krtzyy, and there's not really much to say here. The shirt is pretty much the same just in brown instead of blue and aqua. The necklace is gold now and added a sash because those are pirate-y. The most interesting part is that I made the backwards hat a bandana this time instead of a tricorn like I did last time.

Next up, KaraCorvus, who has a long skirt this time. Did you know that corsets are hard to convey with only four pixels across? I think I managed. The feathers in the hair remain this time, although they are frosting splattered. Oh and I shortened the hair again, but that's just standard at this point.

I made Krinios red again. I think I actually managed to make the color stand out more this time. Last time the red almost make the skin tone blend in with the coat. Also, this time, Krinios has the tricorn.

And finally KaptainSparklez. I'll admit the pants are very derivative from last time I made the Krakens. Hey, don't fix what's not broken. I think this might be the record for the most amount of colors in the glasses? It's four. Anyways not much else to say really.

Here's all the skins if you want them for yourself.

[linuxgamenews]

Dungeons & Degenerate Gamblers: A New Frontier in Blackjack Gaming

Dungeons & Degenerate Gamblers blackjack roguelike adventure game launches on Linux, Mac, and Windows PC. Thanks to the creative talents of developer Purple Moss Collectors. Available with a discount on both Steam and Humble Store with Positive reviews. Get ready to roll the dice and deal some cards because the blackjack Dungeons & Degenerate Gamblers launches. Brought to you by Yogscast Games and the creative minds at Purpose Moss Collectors, this blackjack roguelike adventure is finally hitting Steam. It's also packed with action, strategy, and a whole lot of cards. After a fresh coat of paint from a recent graphical overhaul and a wildly successful Steam Next Fest demo, Dungeons & Degenerate Gamblers blackjack is ready to welcome you to the table. With over 50,000 new players already taking a seat. This title is gearing up to be the most exciting card game you’ll play on Linux this year.

Dungeons & Degenerate Gamblers Launch Trailer:

Dungeons & Degenerate Gamblers isn’t your regular blackjack card title, though. With over 300 unique cards at your disposal, you won’t just be relying on a standard deck. Expect to find everything from birthday cards to tarot cards. Due to give you endless ways to outsmart your opponents and rise to the top. The combination possibilities are as wild as they come, making every hand you play feel fresh and volatile.

What’s in Store for You:

Unique Card Play: Your strategy will depend on the suits you draw, but with a twist. Each suit brings its own play style, so you’ll need to stay sharp and adaptable.

Endless Replayability: Every time you beat Dungeons & Degenerate Gamblers, you’ll unlock new starter decks, giving you even more ways to tackle the blackjack challenges ahead. Keep climbing — or descending — the ranks of the tavern with every run.

Game-Changing Synergies: Discover wild card combos that let you break the rules and tilt the odds in your favor. Beat the house edge and come out on top.

300+ Unique Cards: There’s no shortage of variety here. Dungeons & Degenerate Gamblers has over 300 cards, you’ll always have new blackjack strategies to explore and new opponents to conquer.

60 Tough Opponents: The tavern is full of characters looking to take you down. Can you defeat them all?

Special Chips: Use these to gain an edge in tough spots or activate special cards that can also turn the tide in your favor.

Mini-Games and Events: Earn more chips and power up your deck with exciting mini-games and random events that keep every run exciting.

Grimy Pixel Art: The title’s gritty, pixelated look adds to the seedy casino vibe. It’s all the fun of a shady gambling den without any of the real-world risks.

If you’re up for the blackjack roguelike adventure challenge, head over to the Dungeons & Degenerate Gamblers Steam and Humble Store pages and pull up a chair. Priced at $13.49 USD / £11.51 / 13,31€ with the 10% discount. Who knows? You might just hit the jackpot. Since it's playable on Linux, Mac, and Windows PC.

[luxlightly]

Me, watching Bob's Burgers seasons 1-8: "Haha. Funny handyman Teddy. Love that silly guy. He's a sweet guy who lets people take advantage of him too much so I'm glad he has good friends like Bob and Linda :)" Bob's Burgers season 8 episode 5: "Teddy is a handyman because of the fact he took on the role of 'fixer' in his broken family very early in life, going as far to sit between his parents at every meal to try to keep them from fighting. He compulsively hordes broken items to fix, even if they're clearly beyond repair, because he sees himself in them, along with seeing it as his purpose to fix things. He sees himself as damaged goods and so everything done to him is therefore his fault, including his wife cheating on him heavily and then leaving him, saying that his 4-5 day work schedule gave her no choice but to cheat on him. He doesn't want to "give up" on the broken items because he feels that when he was hurt and needed support, those he loved instead gave up on him. As soon as the realize that this is the case, Bob and Linda help return the items they forced him to throw away to his apartment, realizing that they had a lot of emotional significance to Teddy that needed to be worked through slowly and carefully, not just by discarding the items he clearly is using as a coping method for his issues of self worth and that they forced him to move too fast in the process. Because they don't see Teddy as damaged goods. They appreciate him and care about him as he is. Even if they find certain things about him aggravating, they don't see these things as insurmountable flaws that need to be fixed or they'll abandon him. They're there to help HIM with his dinner, not because they need him to help them. They then have Thanksgiving dinner(an event that is a running gag in the show to always be a disaster in some way despite Bob being obsessed with it) together and, for the first time in 8 seasons, Bob is able to make it exactly the way he likes and it turns out perfect, even to his extremely high standards when it comes to Thanksgiving." Me:

[id: Pixel drawing of a crying cat leaning against a wall with the text "wait. hold on a minute. i think i need a moment wait. wait, wait. hold on. i need a momen. i need to sit down i think wait. wait. old honh on, wait, please i am breaking down. hold on, wai" end id]

[emeraldcatears]

Character Creation (graphics)

While MZ gives you some starting actors you'll probably want to make your own. There are a few ways to do that, but the easiest is probably by using the built-in character generator.

The generator that comes with MZ is intuitive enough. I've made a halfling with the child model that you may have seen in some of my screenshots before now. I'm going to make a new character for this example. It's Dracula season again, so let's go with a vampire.

Whether you randomize or carefully craft a character, there are a few things you need to do to get them from being a pretty face in the generator to becoming a member of the team (or an enemy, or a custom NPC).

Save Settings might seem like the intuitive way to go, but that just saves the settings so you can pull the character up again in the generator to make it easier to adjust them in the future. You'll actually need to save the character in separate parts as png images to use them in the game.

Clicking the Face Image button isolates the face I've created and puts it in a set of up to 8 face images. You can then Export the image...

... and the game will prompt you to save it in the faces folder. Convenient!

Now, you can save up to 8 faces this way so you can put together a set of eight characters or...

... you can save the same character with different expressions so you can change their image in text boxes based on how they're reacting to the events around them.

To add another image to an existing sheet, simply Import the image you want and click to move the newest face to the slot where you want it. Then Export it again and repeat the steps until you have a full set of eight faces.

You can also make your own in any art program, of course, rather than using the generator to make faces. Each face is 144x144 pixels and as long as they're placed into two rows of four columns the game will know how to divide up the individual faces.

Next is the Walking Character.

This is the character as they'll appear walking around on the map. The generator automatically puts them together in a way that MZ knows how to animate. Unlike XP, which used 4 poses across and 4 down, MZ animates with three across and four down.

The middle column is the character standing and the right and left columns are the animations of the character stepping. The game will alternate between the middle and side frames to show a walking character. The four rows are divided into the directions the character can face down, left, right, and up in order from top to bottom.

Whether you've got a humanoid character, an animal, a chest that opens, or a puff of smoke all animations pretty much work by "turning" down, left, right, and up and cycling between stepping animations. This is why you'll find stuff like fire animations in the Characters folder. Looking at the example images that come with MZ will give you ideas about how to create the effect you want. Here we're just making a "human" character so we'll just use what the generator gave us as export it to the right folder (img > characters).

You'll also notice that, like the face image, the walking character only takes up a small portion of the whole png that you create. You have room to add other characters (or different outfits for the same character) on a sheet like this. The game will divide the png image into 96 evenly sized sections so it understands that whatever you put in the character folder has eight characters with twelve poses each.

It'll do this with any sized png file you put together as a character, btw. If you're building a character completely from scratch rather than using the generator you can make them way taller/shorter than the generator's standard size. It divides the png into 8 characters with 12 poses unless you specifically tell the game otherwise.

The Big Monsters are examples that come with MZ for how to make a single character on an image instead of eight. Putting a $ in front of the file name tells MZ that this is an image of a single character (easy enough to recall - a dollar sign is an S shape for Single).

(note that for the big monsters that come with MZ, "turning" directions will change the image with one of the other monsters since the samples are made of four forward facing monsters).

Damaged character poses work more or less like the walking character in that they're saved in the character image folder and are read by the program the same way as described above.

The Battler, as saved in img > sv_actors, is a bit more involved.

MZ allows you to have side-view battles with animated battlers, and the character generator is kind enough to make these super easy to just export into the right folder with a click. But if you're making your own images from an art program instead of using the generator you'll want to have a better understanding of how all this is broken down.

As the asset standards page describes, the battler sprites are read as one character with several poses. You can't stack multiple characters together in one image like the faces and walking sprites.

The battler is made of 54 evenly divided images to make the animation frames in 6 rows and 9 columns. These display eighteen different motions that the game will play in battles.

You can probably intuit from the way the poses are laid out that these are also split into main and stepping frames for each pose with the three poses in a row being frames of the same "motion".

That's a lot of art if you're using the side-view battles and want to draw completely original sprites for everyone!

Regardless of whether you're using the generator or making your own sprites, making one of these guys into a character is a relatively simple matter once the files are all saved to the right places.

Open the database and go to Actors to add your custom character to the game. You can replace an existing actor with your own images, of course, but you can also just add a new actor by increasing the maximum number.

(Also the eight characters that come with RMMZ spell out RPG MAKER with the first letters of their names. Cute!)

From there just fill in the blank images with the actor you made. You can also name them and change their class and the like (which will be it's own thing and this post is already quite long).

I think he'd be a good Sorcerer.