#White creatures from indie games

[yourcrazygirlokris]

After much consideration, it has become apparent that the original image is slightly outdated due to the discovery of a new species and advancements in technology to research cellular life. Therefore, we have determined this new species, the space niche, is an offshoot of the transitional and aquatic niches. It is suspected this is due to the similar facial structure and anatomy of the aquatic niche, as well as the adaptation to combat shown in the evolution from the transitional forme to the underground niche, as well as the agility and dexterity capabilities shown in the former. As for the shared ancestor, shared similarities have been found between it and it’s offshoots, as well as having the capability of life that can adapt to new environments.

[theresattrpgforthat]

Hello! I’ve been following you for a bit now, and all of your recommendations have been super cool and interesting! If you don’t mind me asking, do you have any recommendations for really long indie ttrpgs? One that could match the length of dnd or CoD books, I mean. The specifics don’t matter as much, I just really like sinking my teeth into long game books like that.

THEME: Long Indie Games

Hello friend! Fear not, I have a multitude of long indie games to recommend for you!

Chuubo’s Marvelous Wish-Granting Engine, by Jenna Moran.

Length: 578 pages.

The Chuubo’s Marvelous Wish-Granting Engine RPG is the diceless RPG from Jenna Katerin Moran, author of the well-regarded Nobilis and an important contributor to Eos’ Weapons of the Gods and White Wolf’s Exalted RPG.

Chuubo’s is a special beast. I personally don’t know how one actually plays this game, but the book itself is fascinating to read. It has recognizable parts such as character skills, Health Levels, and XP, but I think I’d want to sit down with a physical copy to be able to properly read it and get a handle on how you play through a story. If you enjoy a challenge, or even just something enchanting and evocative, I’d recommend Chuubo’s.

Part-Time Gods, by Third Eye Games.

Length: 318 pages.

The gods of today are shadows of what the old gods possessed. Their power has been heavily diminished, and many choose to live a regular, mortal life, revealing themselves as gods only when absolutely necessary. The reason for this is twofold. First, fate doesn’t like it when the gods share their secrets with a mortal. Unless they are the god’s worshipper, terrible events and horrific accidents have a way of happening to the people closest to the god. Secondly, divine works attract creatures and monsters called Outsiders, created by the Source (after its capture) to destroy any god they encounter.

This is a game that’s on my TBR shelf - and it might stay there for a while, because this is another pretty lengthy book. I am very grateful for the index at the back of this book, because I think this would be pretty difficult to navigate. Part-Time Gods is set in the modern-day, but the premise behind your god-hood is very unique, so one of the first chapters is dedicated to telling you what exactly it means to be a part-time god, part-time taxpayer. The book also contains small pieces of prose set in the world, meant to give you a flavour of the genre and tone intended by the designer. I’m really interested in the concepts expressed in this game, and I hope I have enough brain space to read it in the future!

We Are All Mad Here, by Shanna Germain.

Length: 226 pages.

Jack climbing the beanstalk. The little mermaid finding her voice. Alice struggling with the madness of a place unruled by the laws of reality. The queen. The child. The woodsman. The knight. When you think about fairy tales, who do you become? Where does your imagination take you?

We Are All Mad Here is a tabletop game about fairytales and mental health, providing you with new options for the Cypher System while also creating a setting about visitors to a magical land called the Heartwood. In the fiction, only those who have had some kind of struggle that affects their mental health are able to travel to this magical land. Germain intends this to be a way to tell a narrative about mental health using allegory and metaphor. The Cypher system itself is pretty complex, and you probably won’t be able to play a game of We Are All Mad Here without the core rulebook, so it might be worth it to take a gander at the Cypher System Rulebook while you’re at it.

Coyote & Crow, by Connor Alexander.

Length: 484 pages.

More than 700 years ago, a massive disaster changed the course of history. The world was plunged into centuries of darkness, but the event also introduced the Adanadi — the Gift — a strange mark that appeared on all life. This mark would have an enduring impact on humanity. Centuries later, the Earth is healing. New, advanced nations have risen. Ancient legends stir.

Coyote & Crow is a pretty extensive and unique game, using pools of d12s pulled from your stats, as well as narrative beats such as character motivation, Gifts and Burdens to help give your character a personality. Because it introduces an alternate history and a drastically different future, the core book as a decent amount of lore to acquaint you with the city of Cahokia and the world that surrounds it.

This game has quite a bit of support out there, with adventures such as Stolen Heart, Laughter Lost & Found, and The Case of the Great Underwater Panther.

Impulse Drive, by Adrian Thoen.

Length: 242 pages.

Play a crew of misfits and scoundrels living a life of danger and adventure as they explore space and try to make their ship a home in a technicolor sea of stars. Fight dangerous organizations, investigate unnerving mysteries, and find trouble in a game that rewards you when your characters face their shortcomings. Grow your characters and ship with new gear and abilities as you discover and create the universe together, as a group.

For a PbtA game, Impulse Drive feels pretty substantial. It provides a quick primer on Powered by the Apocalypse games, and includes advice for the players as well as the GM. This might be because the game includes a lot of details about gear and vehicles, as this is a space game that cares what your party has on hand and what their ship can do. There’s also advice on changing the game, extra moves, and a roll table for mutations! If you’re looking to see how to play out a space adventure in a more narrative-focused system, you might want to check out this game!

The Shrike, by Alice the Candle.

Length: 162 pages.

The Shrike is a game about fantastical voyages aboard a skyship. It's inspired by Avery Alder's The Quiet Year, John Harper's Lady Blackbird, Italo Calvino, Ursula K. Le Guin, and utopian and dystopian fiction. It features four complete adventures (two multiplayer, two for solo play). 

This indie game is on the short side of this list, but it’s definitely long by indie standards. The author has provided 4 different adventures that you can read through, which will likely spark your imagination along the way. Interestingly, the voyages are placed in the first half of the book, while the information about Solo, Co-operative. and Guided Play embody the second half of the book. I’m not sure how I feel about this layout choice, but if you’re mostly looking for a book that you can read, flipping through the voyages might be more interesting to you than the rules of play.

Games I’ve Recommended in the Past

Lancer, by Massif Press. 431 pages.

The Wildsea, by Felix Isaacs. 364 pages.

Exceptionals, by Sahoni. 253 pages.

Gubat Banwa, by makpatatag. 399 pages.

Monster Care Squad, by Sandy Pug Games. 176 pages.

[familiaralien]

Giant monster tamer megathread

Decided for the sake of education and my own neurodiversity to make a post including every video game series or stand alone title I know of that focuses on creature capturing competitions that isn't Pokemon.

One big exception: the game has to be a reasonably playable state. So no games that are effectively or literally lost media (like Micromon) or games that only playable state is currently a short demo (like Bestieball). With that in mind here we go:

Digimon

This one is pretty obvious. While more of a multimedia franchise it has tons of games to its IP. The one that probably would appeal most to Pokenerds is Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth and its sequel as they're turned based RPGs with a monster capture mechanic.

Monster Rancher

Another one I think a lot of folks have heard about or least millennials would remember. I haven't personally played any of these titles myself but from what I gather they're raising sims with tournament combat. For a while their availability was mostly limited to emulation but Monster Rancher 1 and 2 have been ported to modern systems like the Switch.

Yo-kai Watch

A mid 2010s franchise that had a whole lot of initial success in Japan. Its an RPG series that doesn't take itself very seriously with cute and goofy monster design based on the Japanese folklore creatures called... well yokai. Has real time combat instead of turn based and more luck based capturing mechanics than Pokemon.

Palworld

Brand new game that's only in its alpha release as of now. Its effectively a parody of Pokemon where you're stuck trying to survive in the wilderness so you must build a base and farm resources to survive. Game did have some initial controversy due to some of its designs stepping a little TOO close to being outright ripoffs of existing designs. Also you can capture and enslave humans which may not vibe with some folks.

Temtem

Basically Pokemon meets a MMO lite. The game can be played mostly as single player campaign but does unfortunately still require a constant internet connection. Battles are turned based but 2 versus 2.

Shin Megami Tensei

What could be consider the original monster tamer game. The series is aimed at a somewhat older audience and the plots tend to be more philosophical then like "gotta be the best *insert title here* ever". Focuses a lot on fusing monsters as well as trying to convince them to join you. You actually battle alongside your monsters.

Dragon Quest Monsters

Monster Capturing mechanics do exist in the mainline DQ games as well (at least since DQ5 I think?) but its these games have them as the main gameplay. Much like SMT it focuses on fusing monsters as one of the main ways to expand your library off available species.

Nexomon

Franchise that started its life as a mobile game but has since gotten ports to other systems. Its very similar to Pokemon in terms of creature designs and combat but the worldbuilding is quite different as is its tone being a lot more comedic.

Coromon

Indie game with visuals similar to Pokemon Black and White. Its story was originally kinda so-so and its ending pretty abrupt but its since gotten a free patch that smoothed that out quite a bit. Also has a sorta unique "shiny" system where alternate colors are associated with higher potential which can actually be altered once. Also has a built in randomizer and "nuzlocke" mode.

Cassette Beasts

A pretty recent indie game. Unlike all the others you don't capture or hatch monsters but rather record them to transform into them yourself. Battles are always between you and a companion which there are multiple to befriend throughout your journey (including a dog!). Has some really interesting quirks with its type chart that adds a lot of extra depth. Will soon be releasing a mutiplayer update for anyone that's into that kind of thing.

Monster Crown

A game with visual based on the Gameboy era. It has some pretty fascinating breeding mechanics and a somewhat darker tone than Pokemon. WARNING: DO NOT GET THE SWITCH PORT! For whatever reason its especially glitchy and I have genuinely gotten entire save files ruined by game breaking bugs (such as my player character getting stuck in walls or clipping out of a bounds). As far as I'm aware the PC version is not nearly as much as a mess though.

Monster Sanctuary

Monster collecting meets metroidvania. Has a really fun skill tree type move learning system that allows for quite a bit of strategy. Also the monster designs are way less Pokemon and more inspired by traditional roleplay monsters (so there's like Goblins and stuff). My only gripe with the game is how you get monsters involves getting specific scores in battle which makes getting 1 of each monster way more tedious than it needed to be.

Fossil Fighters

Franchise is maybe dead since there hasn't been a new entry in it since the 3DS but its still easy enough to these games. Anyway this series involve reviving dinosaurs (and some other ancient animals) into new lifeforms called vivosaur and using them in 3 on 3 combat. Vivosaurs are obtained with a fossil digging minigame which is kinda neat.

Spectrobes

Another franchise that's been pretty dead for a while (it last entry was on the Wii). Spectrobes has a more sci fi like setting with its monsters being aliens you revive from fossils. Combat is real time and you participate alongside a couple of your monsters. I'm btw describing only the first game because I haven't played either sequel!

Evocreo

Mobile only monster game with a style similar to Pokemon Black and White not unlike Coromon mentioned above. Has a lot of focus on split path evolution. The devs are apparently going to release a sequel soon but its been in development hell for years so I'll come back and edit this if that actually happens.

Monster Hunter Stories

I have not played nor watched gameplay of this one so I can't really describe it that deeply all I know is its a spinoff of Monster Hunter involving befriending and using the titular monsters in combat.

Telefang

Its sad this game series is most famous for being badly translated and repackaged as a Pokemon game. Anyway these are Japanese only titles though fan translations exist. The gimmick of this game is that you call monsters up on your cellphone to get them over to participate in combat. This series this sprout out when cellphones were consider newfangled and hip so it makes sense.

Anode Heart

Pretty sure this one is PC only. Takes some inspiration from the Digimon World games and is semi open world. Sadly this one I don't know much about outside of that though it does have a free demo on Steam for anyone that wants to try it for themselves.

Ooblets

Extremely wholesome monster catching and farming game. Battles are actually dancing competitions instead of violent confrontations and monsters are recruited simply by beating them in a fight. Thing is monsters will only fight you if you offer them their favourite food so that's where strategy comes in.

Moonstone Island

I know very little about this one except its also a monster catching and farming game. I've heard that its really good though and I believe its PC only right now but has a planned Switch port.

Timenet

Probably the most obscure ass monster tamer on this entire list. This is a Japanese exclusive set of Gameboy games featuring very cute monster designs... and Hello Kitty. Yes Sanrio made a monster tamer back in the late 90s. I only learned this even existed after scrolling down a comment section on a random YouTube video.

Abomi Nation

I'm mostly excluding roguelike games due to most having nothing but battles an 0 plot but this one does actually has a story! You play as the actual monster as you make your way through somewhat randomly generated maps with lots of other randomized elements. The game allows for a lot of customization including turning off permadeath if you're not a fan of that. The visual style is a bit crude but its still a pretty cute game.

Jade Concoon

Another somewhat obscure entry but at least this one got an English release. Anyway its an old RPG for the PSX with monster capturing and a very fascinating monster fusing mechanic that uses an algorithm to determine the appearance of the fusion. The player character can also participate in battle and the plot is very complex. The game also has a sequel on the PS2 but I know even less about that one.

Robopon

Now if you thought Palworld was bordering on some copyright infringement this game is basically nothing but "Pokemon but the designs are robots". Still worth bringing up I think!

Ni No Kuni

Not sure how I got to mentioning several obscure titles and somehow didn't mention something that really isn't. Ni No Kuni is real time battles between you and 2 party members. You can both battle as the actual human characters or switch into a monster. Wrath of the White Witch's visual style in particular is very whimsical and even has some animated cutscene done by Studio Ghibli. I haven't played any other game in the franchise.

Siralim

I haven't played any entry in this series yet (there's apparently 4 games + a spinoff) but from reading up on the most recent entry these are basically procedurally generated dungeon crawlers with an insane level of depth. The story is apparently not that great but the games themselves apparently also make fun of it so it seems its an intentional dev choice. Battles are 6 on 6 and there's over 1000 monsters to collect.

Disc Creatures

A monster tamer with a visual style similar to the Gameboy and Gameboy Color. It has 3 on 3 combat. Impressively I'm pretty sure it was developed by just one person in the RPG Maker engine (I'm honestly surprised this is the first indie game made with ya know... an engine meant for turned based RPGs).

Monster Harvest

A Dungeon crawler mixed with farming. Its a bit shorter than anything else I've mentioned here and its a bit glitchy but its a cute little game worth picking up on sale at the least. Notably also only about a 1/3 of the monster in the game are combative with the rest being either used for farming resources or as mounts.

Loomian Legacy

A Roblox monster tamer.... yes there's 2 of those in this (I could even have added 3 but I think one is in still a pretty early state). Pretty sure this started as a Pokemon fangame and become its own thing later. It has your typical 1 on 1 turn based combat and all that. I think its free to play and there's like several hours of content on it so maybe worth a gander.

Tales of Tonorio

Pretty sure this is the same basic deal as Loomian (Roblox game, started as a Pokemon fan game, etc etc) though its has its own world building and creature designs since I'm pretty sure its made by a completely different team.

So yeah that's all of them I can think of right now. If I learn of others and/or there's new releases I may expand this.

PS: There is almost certainly numerous typoes in this. This post is way longer than anything else I've ever made on Tumblr so I can't be arse to fix them you're just going to have to deal!

[almoststedytimetravel]

Everything I learn about that stupid Palworld game makes me loose more and more faith in gamers. Because everyone was saying it looks good.

But it doesn't.

This game is ugly as fuck.

The menus have zero stylisation, it's just a semi transparent black box with plain white text. While the overworld and the Pal's are in completely different art styles.

There's the obvious plagiarism, ripping meshes directly from pokemon models and designs from fan made fakemons. This isn't the studio's only plagiarised game. There's the well known among us rip off that uses Ai art. Their game Craftopia asks the bold question, is everything people thought Genshin Impact was going to be (a lazy botw rip off). While their up coming Metroidvania game rips directly from hollow knight.

Everyone is saying that this is what people want from pokemon but, is it? When it comes to the games that get praised it the ones with the better story and game play. But Palworld has no story and it doesn't really have gameplay comparable to pokemon.

This isn't a creature collector, it's not a turn based rpg, it's a survival crafting game with a shitty gimmick they only did for attention. It's completely soulless. At least modern Pokemon games have some soul. No matter what crunch they were under someone at game freak wanted to make a good game worth playing, even if it runs like genshin impact on my old potato phone.

You can put sleek graphics over a soulless husk of a game and gamers will act like it's the best thing since sliced bread.

If you want to play a good pokemon-like by an indie studio that doesn't commit gross plagiarism, play Cassette Beasts.

[halluciniwaynia]

one thing that kind of bugs me whenever ppl talk about hylics 2 “perfecting” jrpg combat and arguing that viewpoint from a purely mechanical perspective (hp, the meat system, the lack of weaknesses, etc) is that most ppl don’t give credit to the system for being as insanely streamlined as it is. simplicity in rpgs goes a long way to immersion when the rpg mechanics aren’t so removed from the characters and the overall pacing of the story. the biggest complaint many people have with old school jrpgs is not actually focusing on how “grindy” they are but rather how the bells and whistles of their core systems bog down down the actual experience and take away from the idea that your characters are growing in an organic and natural way. that is what breaks immersion and what pivots away from the core gameplay loop interacting with the game in a meaningful way.

Because, at the end of the day, people have always been roleplaying in games to some degree. DnD is perhaps the most famous example but LARPing and other forms of role-based play have been around for millennia with humanity in some shape and have always served as a method of telling a story and immersion in its most basal form. The many micro-managing elements of many jRPGSs have always served as a stop-gap between a rock and a hard place for more strategy based games and games that simply use units to tell some kind of cohesive narrative, and when said micro-managing elements become detrimental to the immersion of a player and the ease at which they can engage with the world, that’s when you start getting problems.

Simply put, hylics 2’s simple JRPG elements have never “redefined” combat. The game is simply not asking the player to engage with the combat as a means to its own end. In Hylics 2, every battle is a kind of spectacle, some kind of obstacle yes, but the limited enemy encounters streamline the pace of the game’s functions and how the player is interacting with the world around them. In its most basal form, Hylics 2 is using turn based combat to take players from setpiece to setpiece, contextualizing much of the game’s world within its mechanics as the terms “role” and “play” can be split apart and discussed in their most prescriptivist senses.

I think a good way to put this analysis into a bit more perspective is to compare Hylics 2 to Ultrakill, but placing them both on different ends of the same scale. While both are heavily stylized indie games with a unique artstyle and musical soundtracks, Ultrakill takes the maximalist approach with its gameplay loop and sense of immersive entanglement with its world, barraging the player with noisy and overwhelming stimulus to simulate the same kind of terror being experienced by the creatures within the game, while Hylics 2 does the opposite. It’s minimalist approach to sensory white noise comes from the abstraction of symbols, the lack of crystal clear visual cues and symbols often associated with games of its ilk, or even just the world in general. The game is meticulously designed such that (just like ultrakill is) it evokes the same kind of immersion in a slower, more deliberate way. Getting into the world of Hylics 2 is done via a drip feeding of barely legible (at first) information until the bigger picture finally arrives at the end and the lights, sounds, artwork and world finally come together in something that is halfway understood just as the characters in game experience it.

tldr I like the combat in hylics 2 it feels like real life. if I punch and kill a guy there is no respawning

[obscurecharactershowdown]

Round 6

[image ID: the first image is a gif of Gary, a man outlined in simple, animated red lines against a black background. the only other color is the white of his eyes. he has a short beard and he's wearing a hooded robe. the second image is of Granger, a girl with green eyes and short, wavy or curly black hair. in her hair is a red hat or ribbon. she's wearing a black turtleneck sweater, blue overalls, and a green coat. end ID]

Gary

I've seen John in ONE poll but I haven't seen Gary at all. Gary is the main antagonist in the games and is a normal human being just like you and me. Actually he's a demon, and trying to summon the antichrist. He can also summon spiders! Over and over again. And remember, Gary loves you! [additional propaganda 1] [additional propaganda 2]

Granger

so granger is the main character of the indie game "NeverHome" Chapter one, which is only $1 on Steam, is called NeverHome: Hall of Apathy. if ur a fan of young protags being put in RPG maker horror games, then this is the game for you!! so granger is just that… she wakes up to find herself in a strange, hostile world. she, along with the friends she makes, must solve the various puzzles before them while creatures are out to kill them… and along the way they can uncover the secrets of these never ending halls… her dynamics with the cast is also super fun… each character gets their moment or moments with granger. and what's so cute is that there's unique art for each pair that highlights the fact you cant get through these halls alone!! she also has her own theme song!! here!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_vwtmIj5cw it's called cyclical tragedy AND HERE IS AN ANALYSIS OF THE THEME!! MUSIC THEORY!!! written by my good friend @HIEMIOLA "cyclical tragedy" embodies the protagonist, granger, through the music theory behind the track and ties itself back into the main track as well. to begin with an overview of the track, the key is D minor and hte time signature is 3/4. the piece begins with a broken minor third starting from the tonic. that is, it begins on the main note and moves along the main chord, D to F. the next set of notes are C to E, which is shifted down a step. the phrase repeats again, this time D to F, then G to E, which is an inverse movement from the original sequence. even in this first part, we could tell that the protagonist begins from square 1 with a simple pattern, then tries it again when it works. however, the inverse breaks that expectation of repetition, thus showing the diverse variations of solutions she comes up with using just the tools she has (the two notes moving in thirds). just like the game, she is given a handful of objects as well as a knife to defend herself and solve the mysteries of the world she exists in. with her creative uses of the items given to her, she continues on her way through the plot. we will keep moving. the melody begins. true to the title of the track, the melody cycles around the same beginning note, D, that she always returns to at her square 1. this is a nod to the save states she is allowed to keep to make sure that we the players don't lose the game, but it also references the health bar that appears as a circle around her avatar. the melody, mapped out, is also moving in an up-down wave movement across the sheet music. granger is creative with the knife she has and the quest items she obtains throughout the story, but she is not entirely reckless. rather, she knows when it is time to return to the safe rooms to rest. to time her returns requires skill because she must run to cover without being caught by varying her path so the enemies don't corner her as she tries to return to the room. most of the time, she is successful, shown through the consistent return to the beginning note. let's keep going. i would like to turn your attention to the main theme briefly. in the bass notes, you can hear arpeggios and outlined chords. this makes up the bulk of the accompaniment in the main game theme. [mod note: the rest of the essay, and some more propaganda, is continued under a cut because tumblr will not process more text than this in an indent. sorry to split it up, please continue below for the rest of the essay and additional propaganda!]

the third variation of granger's theme also has arpeggiated chords in the accompaniment while the melody features broken chords. at this stage, the pattern switches to eigth notes instead of the quarter notes at first. with greater movement and heightened senses, she runs throughout world and befriends other people, thus interacting further with the environment. while she isn't exactly someone we would call open, she is respectful to the people she first meets and has no problems with asking them for help when she needs it. because of her openness to working together, she speeds up her progress by asking for aid at obstacles that would be too difficult for her to overcome on her own, such as asking a teammate to break things, move things, or reach into smaller holes. fusing the main theme elements with her own theme marks this step as the inciting incident that sets her on the path to escape from this world. we'll continue.

continuing the same part, we hear some secondary fifths. i'm not entirely sure if this is what you call it, but it is a nod to the parallel key, D major. depending on what theory class you take, this could also be considered the other half of the key. i dont know how else to describe it, but i digress. these are glimpses to different dialogue options she could take, glimpses to a different key or a different ending. because this game only has one chapter ending so far, we are unsure of what other paths granger will end up in; we only know that there are certainly other endings she will experience, only to begin the cycle again when the save state is loaded for players to reach another ending. both A major and G major are chords that signify different choices that may lead her elsewhere only for her to return back to the tonic or main note, D. despite this, she keeps going, as will we.

at the midpoint of the track, we see a quick shift in patterns. instead of upward leaps in the notes, the melody falls in stepwise motion. true to the plot, this is another turning point of the game when she is forced to make a choice: continue or stop. after facing the spoiler event, her once determined personality is challenged as she struggles to keep herself and her team together. despite being the headstrong protagonist who spearheaded solutions, even now she finds herself doubting and taking smaller steps, smaller risks.

even after all of this, she rises to the challenge as the melody returns to its beginning sequence. true to a protagonist she gets up again despite the events that transpired and keeps her team moving in their lowest points. the thirds return as she finds more objects to solve more puzzles to open more rooms to save more friends. this repeating part of the track only solidifies her resolve as the piece ends with a broken chord in the main key, her key, of D minor. despite everything that transpired, she stayed true to herself."

the game is also so, so charming with the art, music, and story made by the same person… its so clearly loved and full of passion!! i love listening to the game's ost on occassion!! since it's all on youtube!

ok one last thing thing!! on may 8th, the game hit 100 downloads (on both steam and itch.io). you can see the creator of the game celebrate that with this lovely drawing of granger: https://twitter.com/NeverHome_Game/status/1655761270694633472

so at most, only a bit over 100 people have played the game… id like to say that makes it obscure!!

anyways granger and neverhome!! we love to see our protagonists put in horrific situations and isn't she super cute with a lil bow on her head? she is my daughter…

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[teecupangel]

Random idea BUT Desmond as Trico from The Last Guardian in various timelines...

Okay, okay, so I like Team Ico's games and this makes me happy because just imagine Desmond being this oversized puppy/kitten/chick:

What if… he wakes up in this dark gloomy place with white lines all around the floor, ceilings and walls being his only source of light.

So he follows the light but they start going in different directions… different rooms…

With a single door that’s just big enough for him to squeeze to.

One would lead him to the vault underneath the Temple of Jerusalem just as Altaïr, Malik, and Kadar infiltrate it and because he’s not used to how to move in his current form, he trips on his way out and accidentally drops on Robert’s knights, splattering them. The three Assassins would definitely be saved by an unknown creature who may or may not be connected to the treasure they were sent to retrieve (and, to make this funnier, Desmond accidentally eats the Apple because of his clumsiness and it fell from its ‘box’ and his mouth was open at the time and… now the three have to wait for Desmond to ‘expel’ it because no one wants to cut him open)

One would lead him to the vault underneath the Vatican where he accidentally plays Minerva a few seconds before Ezio gets inside so when Ezio finally gets inside, he’s treated to a glowing woman talking about the end of the world to apparently some kind of large creature and then she says “The rest is up to you, Desmond” while looking at the creature so he now believes that the creature is the key to saving the world from the sun while Desmond is just charading what may be “… uuuhhh… sureeee? You’re… technically right…”

While we always put Desmond in the Grand Temple during Ratonhnhaké:ton’s time, let’s change it up a bit. The entrance to Ratonhnhaké:ton’s timeline isn’t in the Grand Temple… it’s in the Observatory in the West Indies. And this could totally work for Edward’s timeline (and Desmond becomes like the Jackdaw’s mascot) but the main point is that Desmond would have to find a way to travel to America to find Ratonhnhaké:ton. But how the hell was he going to do that when his wings are pretty banged up for some reason? The best he could do was glide… So… either Desmond gets to America by the time Ratonhnhaké:ton has already started his missions as an Assassin OR Ratonhnhaké:ton actually finds him while sailing the Aquila. And it would take a few hours before Ratonhnhaké:ton realizes that Desmond is just one big lazy cat/dog/bird/something like that and he’d take Desmond would him because Desmond kept letting out pained anguished sounds whenever Ratonhnhaké:ton tried to leave him behind.

In the end, Desmond just ends up chilling somewhere safe like Villa Auditore or Davenport Homestead. His time with Altaïr is the only one where he shakes his head furiously and refuses to go to Masyaf which meant the three of them needed to be creative in finding Desmond a ‘hiding’ spot.

[sekhithefops]

The Best Games I Played in 2024

So, its been a crazy ass year huh? Great year to say "fuck this, I want to find a good video game and basically hide in it until the real world is less fucked up than the one with monsters and wizards and shit."

Well, as the year draws to a close and with that thought fresh in our minds now, here's my favorite ten games of 2024. A few ground rules.

This is in NO particular order of best to worst, this is just the ones that stood out in my memories this year.

This is for games I personally played in 2024. Some came out before 2024, but I didn't play them until now so it counts.

These are for the games I liked. Some will be Triple-A, some will be Indies, some will be full release, some will be Early Access.

There MAY be spoilers for some games. If this is an issue, exits over there thank you for stopping by.

Ready, here we go then.

Final Fantasy XVI

Having literally just finished this game at time of writing, I can say that it may well be one of my favorite entries to the series now and I cannot for the life of me work out why the fuck this game was so divisive among the fanbase.

I will say this is the darkest Final Fantasy has been story wise since the infamous Type 0 which literally opens like Anime Apocalypse Now, but it also has plenty of moments of levity to balance out the darker spots.

Its not Turn Based Combat, but it is combat directed by Ryota Suzuki, whose name you may recognize if you're familiar with a certain red-coated white haired swordsman with a fondness for pizza. Thats right, same guy who did Devil May Cry V's combat. If you enjoyed beating the everloving hell out of everything as Dante, you might want to consider this one.

But yes, I genuinely consider this one of my favorite entries out of the FF series now. I mean, it literally ends with you punching God in the face.

I'm not kidding, I screenshotted it.

Personally, I really had fun with it and I'm interested to see what the Seventeenth installment will bring... in about 4-5 years give or take.

Metaphor ReFantazio

Good year for RPGs from our friends across the Pacific wasn't it? Metaphor is a story about a young man named Will (or whatever name you gave him) who travels the world on a quest to become elected king because of a giant floating face in the sky telling everyone thats how it works now, while beating up monsters based on the works of Dutch painter Hieronymus Bosch that, as it turns out, are the mad remnants of humanity following a war that ended the old world.

Yeah its a weird game... and basically Persona. But still a decent one.

Only complaint I had was that they didn't stick the landing and the final dungeon was such an ordeal I just said 'screw this noise' and went off to do something else. Sorry Will, looks like your country is screwed. Good luck with that.

Resident Evil Village

Yeah, I know. I just now got to Lady Dimitrescu and her big Mommy Milkers. Theres a lot of games out there and only so many hours in the day okay?

Still I'm glad I got there eventually. While I played through VII as well I found the villains from that one ultimately forgettable and the game itself... not bad but I'd played better.

Village however was absolutely the shot in the arm the series needed. The perfect mix of disturbing horror with the monster baby, the puppet creatures, and the like, and the campy batshittery with bombastic villains like Karl "Hillbilly Magneto" Heisenberg who is now a personal favorite of mine.

Outstanding job on this one Capcom, please don't fuck up RE IX okies?

Enshrouded

If you know me you know I'm a sucker for a good survival crafting game. Mix in RPG elements and set it infront of me and five weeks later the police call off the search and give me up for dead.

Enshrouded is a great title, still in early access mind but with a ton of wonderful ideas behind it and I'm very eager to see where the devs are going with all this.

A high fantasy game where you can focus on being a big burly warrior, a cunning rogue with daggers and bow, a mighty sorcerer, or a little of each as you try to rebuild the world and create your own happy little village to survive the apocalypse... with an actual village infact. Normally I don't like survival games with NPC supporters (I find they get in the way as often as not) but somehow Enshrouded did it right. Good job guys.

SPEAKING OF SUCH GAMES...

Nightingale

If Enshroued fits me gameplay wise, this is a game that fits me perfectly in terms of genre and theme, and potentially gameplay eventually.

I am a massive massive massive geek for anything fae-themed. Changeling the Lost/Dreaming? Hell yes. Seanen McGuire's October Daye series? Gimme. Pan's Labyrinth? Wunderbar!

I love survival crafting games as I mentioned above.

And anything with a unique clothing aesthetic has my attention immediately. MMOs get me with this all the time with WoW's transmog and FFXIV's glamour system.

So a game that's dripping with fae lore, a survival crafting title, and set in the Victorian era?

(art by @xhyperwolfx )

Yep, if I'm abandoned by the authorities for Enshrouded, then for Nightingale I'll be off with the faeries and won't reappear for a century like Rip Van Winkle.

Its not perfect yet, but the dev team is doing their damndest and after the last major update I'm very interested to see whats coming next.

Aces & Adventures

This one I had almost forgotten about, but just seeing it in my Steam list again makes me want to play it.

A card game RPG where you take a deck of 52 poker cards and, indeed, go on adventures using them. Pick one of five classes and sally forth to see the world with a lovely narration and a story that appears to be looping on itself with each retelling.

I'm best with the mage myself, but I'm kind of wanting to try other ones too. I can definitely say it's a favorite of mine now and one I recommend for gamers on a budget.

Palworld

And as far as I'm concerned Nintendo is just being a little bitch because PocketPair did so many things fans have been asking them to do for years that they had to pull out a bullshit lawsuit.

Palworld is an explorative game with survival crafting elements and collection RPG elements (yes collection RPGs like Shin Megami Tensei, Digimon Story, and ALL THE OTHER ONES THAT NINTENDO IS CONVENIENTLY IGNORING DO THE SAME THING POKEMON DO YES I'M SALTY) where you wash up on a beach, find a tablet, and then say 'eh, may as well catch 'em all.'

Then team up with them all, have them all help you build a base, have them all let you ride them around the world, have them all even pick up a gun themselves and watch a magical squirrel bust a cap in someone's ass.

Still in early access as well, but I have high hopes that they'll weather the storm of Nintendo's little 'waaaaah we wanna be king shit' tantrum and come out the other side better than before.

Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous

I didn't really get into this one until 2024 and bigods I'm sorry to Owlcat for taking so damn long. An outstanding CRPG with a downright dizzying number of possible character builds with around two dozen classes and a dozen archetypes for each, a story based on the Pathfinder Adventure Module of the same name, and a well imagined Mythic Path system where you can literally play god by the end of the game.

Want to be an undead gnome? Well oogity boogity m'lads!

A half orc bard who is becoming a fae lord? Why the hell not!

A dwarven herbalist who rides around on a wolf because of his crippled back and makes healing salves out of magic plants? Godspeed ya mad bastard!

I kept starting over because I kept getting new ideas for new characters to be and come up with stories for and if you've ever glanced at my writing projects like Adventures in Azeroth...

... read my godsdamn fanfic... o_o

Anyways, point is, if something grabs my story brain that thing is basically going to live rent free in my head for the rest of my life.

Their follow up to this, Warhammer 40k Rogue Trader, wasn't bad at all... but Pathfinder was a lot more fun and I do hope Owlcat return to the world of Golaria someday.

SandLand

Out of all of Toryama's properties (miss ya big guy) I would never have thought SandLand would have gotten more than maybe a tiny mobile game tie in.

Instead it got a huge explorative action RPG with some great voice acting (though they could stand the option to tone down the tank chatter,) a bright colorful world, and an interesting story that actually continues on AFTER the end of the short-lived comic series he did for Shonen Jump back in the day.

A surprise I had not expected, but a title I grew to love. I never got around to finishing it and I feel like I should really do something about that someday soon.

Pacific Drive

Easily the most unique and surreal game I've played in the past several years. You wind up in a bizarre exclusion zone where reality has gone all wibbly wobbly on you, bound to an apparently sentient station wagon, and now you have to customize and prepare it to drive across the ruined wastelands in the hopes that you can escape back to civilization.

And... thats it. Drive around and explore, avoid reality warping insanity, and keep your car in one piece as it is your only means of protection and conveyance.

Sounds simple, but its anything but. Hazards will do tons of hurt to your little four door (and indeed may reduce the number of doors entire,) you have to constantly scavenge for bits to repair the car, build tools, and new gear, and there's areas where if you stay out too long you run the risk of a rather unfortunate fate... though whether thats death via radiation sickness or being transformed into a rubber duck is a detail the game never goes into.

An outstandingly imaginative title that I recommend to anyone who loves exploration, or just always wanted to customize a car.

And thats my 2024 in review. Thank you for joining me, and here's hoping I get to do a 2025 in review before the downfall of western civilization due to a combination of climate change disasters, social unrest, and having re-elected an orange clown to the White House.

Happy new year everyone!

[mister-faltine]

DBD X Something Is Killing The Children: My Dream Chapter.

Warning: The arts on this blog belong to their respective creators, such as Werther Dell'Edera and Miquel Muerto.

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• What is "Something Is Killing The Children (SIKTC)"?

"Something Is Killing The Children" is a comic book series written by James Tynion IV and illustrated by Werther Dell’Edera, published by BOOM! Studios. The series follows the story of Erica Slaughter, a member of an order of monster hunters who specializes in killing supernatural creatures that prey on children.

• What Is "Dead By Daylight (DBD)"?

Dead by Daylight is a 4v1 asymmetric Action Survival Horror Game developed by the Canadian Indie Video Game Developer Behaviour Interactive and available on multiple platforms after its initial release to PC through Steam on 14 June 2016.

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• New Killer - The Cutter.

Charlotte Cutter was born in England and trained since childhood by the "House Of Cutter". During her various missions, she has always shown herself to be a professional assassin and still manage to ensure that no loose ends are left alive, including children. However, despite her profession being focused on killing monsters, she was sent to America to hunt down and kill Erica Slaughter, a fugitive hunter from the "House Of Slaughter". Fortunately, when Erica and Charlotte were about to kill each other, a mysterious fog appeared out of nowhere and they both woke up in a completely different place. Charlotte smiled and knew that her fun with Erica would never end.

• Killer Power - Black Mask:

When you press your ability button, you enter Cutter's "Black Mask" mode. While in this mode, you are Undetectable and walk a little crouched, but nothing that compromises your movement speed. The noise from certain actions is also reduced, you break generators, pallets and breakable walls more silently. While in Black Mask mode, you can see Survivors' footsteps up to 10 meters behind walls and have the ability to enter closets to surprise your victims. However, Black Mask mode has a duration and cooldown of 30 seconds. If you enter a closet, your ability duration remains frozen until you exit the closet. If you are stunned, blinded, or use a basic attack in Black Mask mode, your ability is canceled and goes on cooldown.

》"Undetectable" hides the Killer's Aura, Terror Radius and Red Stain.

• Special Attack - Cutter's Whip.

When you click the special attack button, Cutter uses her whip to grab Survivors within 5 meters of her. If you hit a Survivor with the whip, they will be pulled towards you and you can use a basic attack on them. However, if the Survivors are on the other side of a pallet, Cutter can jump/climb the obstacle and perform a basic attack. There will be a visual sound for the Survivors when Cutter uses her whip and the Survivors have a chance to dodge the attack. Cutter can use the whip when Black Mask mode is on or off.

• Cutter's Perks:

1 - HEX: MONSTROUS RAGE:

You hate it when people steal what's yours.

When the first generator is completed, Hex: Monstrous Rage activates and transforms a Dull Totem into a Hex Totem.

When Hex: Monstrous Rage is active, you gain a 50% speed bonus when jumping windows, kicking generators, breaking pallets and breakable walls until the Hex Totem is destroyed or blessed.

2 - SCOURGE HOOK: CHILDREN'S SCREAM.

You're good at your job, but you have fun doing other things.

At the start of the match, 4 Hooks become Scourge Hooks and are revealed with a white aura.

When you hook a Survivor into a Scourge Hook, all Survivors outside your Terror Radius scream, revealing their positions for 5 seconds. Survivors who scream suffer from Blindness and Oblivious status effects for 30 seconds.

》"Blindness" prevents Survivors from seeing auras.

》"Oblivious" prevents Survivors from hearing or being affected by the Killer's Terror Radius.

3 - INVISIBLE MASSACRE.

You caused death and misery in several cities, but you always managed to keep everyone unaware of your actions.

When a generator is completed you earn 2 tokens up to a maximum of 5.

When you click on this Perk's special button, you consume 1 token and gain Undetectable for 25 seconds.

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• New Survivor - Erica Slaughter:

Erica was born in the United States and her childhood was normal, but that changed when a monster was created inside the house and killed Erica's parents, including one of her best friends. However, she survived and was later found by a hunter from the "House Of Slaughter", Jessica Slaughter. Since then, she was raised and trained by Jessica, until Erica gained her "Black Mask" title and became a huntress. Unfortunately, a lot of things happened, and Erica is now running away from her own House and being chased by Charlotte Cutter in Mexico. Well, that is until a fog brought Erica and Cutter to a new location. Erica Slaughter is no longer in familiar territory.

• Erica's Perks:

1 - TREPANATION.

You see things that other adults can't, all thanks to the House Of Slaughter rituals.

When you repair 30% of a generator, the perk will be ready to be used. Click on the special perk button to activate it.

When Trepanation is active, you can see the Killer's footsteps up to 24 meters away from you, even when the Killer is Undetectable. Trepanation has a duration of 60 seconds.

2 - SLAUGHTER SURVIVAL.

You have been trained to survive several different encounters.

When you fully heal a Survivor, this ability activates. You will be able to heal yourself without the need for a med kit and the healing speed will be the same as when you healed the other Survivor.

If your healing is completed or interrupted, the perk is disabled until you heal another Survivor to use again.

3 - LOCAL EQUIPMENT.

You use any type of tool to defeat your targets.

You see the auras of chests 32 meters away from you. You open chests 50% faster.

When the Killer is within 8 meters of an open chest, his aura is revealed to you for 3 seconds.

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• Extra Information:

1 - Charlotte Cutter's Short Bio:

Name: Charlotte Cutter.

Gender: Female.

Origin: British.

Weapon (M1): Dagger.

Movement Speed: 115% | 4.6 m/s.

Terror Radius: 24 Meters.

Height: Average.

2 - Skins for Erica:

<> Jessica Slaughter.

<> Cecília Slaughter.

<> Aaron Slaughter.

<> Maxine Slaughter.

3 - Cutter Add-ons:

Tea-Cup (Brown) - Survivors caught in Cutter's whip suffer the Blindness status effect for 60 seconds.

Heel Boot (Brown) - Cutter's movement speed increases by 3% in Black Mask mode.

Hunting Gloves (Brown) - Reduces Black Mask mode cooldown by 5 seconds.

Needle for Dolls (Brown) - Landing a basic attack on a Survivor while Black Mask mode is charging reduces the cooldown by 3 seconds.

Fake Interpol Badge (Yellow) - Increases the duration of Black Mask mode by 5 seconds.

Sunglasses (Yellow) - You cannot be blinded by flashlights or flashbangs while Black Mask mode is active.

Charlotte's Bag (Yellow) - While carrying a Survivor, Black Mask mode's cooldown is 10% faster.

Needles for Children (Yellow) - Landing a basic attack on a Survivor while Black Mask mode is charging reduces the cooldown by 5 seconds.

Albie's Information (Yellow) - Your detection of Survivor footsteps in Black Mask mode increases by 6 meters.

Big Gary's Cell Phone (Green) - When you are stunned by any means while Black Mask mode is active or on cooldown, the ability is instantly recharged.

Bag of Gummy Worms (Green) - When you hit a Survivor with the whip or a basic attack in Black Mask mode, the auras of Survivors within 10 meters of you are revealed for 5 seconds.

Big Gary's Computer (Green) - Survivors who were caught by the whip and then injured by a basic attack suffer the Broken status effect for 30 seconds.

Mirrors for Duplicitype (Green) - When you hit a Survivor with the whip or a basic attack in Black Mask mode, your recovery time from successful attacks is reduced by 15%.

Bill's Coffee (Green) - Increases the duration of Black Mask mode by 10 seconds.

Sheriff Thomas' Gun (Purple) - Survivors who were caught by the whip and then suffered a basic attack drop their items on the ground. If the item is recovered, the Survivor screams and suffers the Oblivious status effects for 30 seconds. The item also loses 25% of its charges.

Charlotte's Bandana (Purple) - When you enter Black Mask mode, you can no longer see Survivors' footsteps, but you can see their auras through the same detection range until the ability ends or is interrupted.

Poisoned Arrow (Purple) - Survivors who were caught by the whip and then injured by a basic attack suffer the Mangled and Hemorrhage status effect for 90 seconds.

Cutter's Dagger (Purple) - When you catch a Survivor with the whip and perform a successful basic attack, you gain 1 token, up to a maximum of 15. If you manage to reach 15 tokens by the time the exit gates are powered up, Cutter will be Undetectable for the rest of the match and your movement speed increases by 5%.

Iridescent Whip (Pinky-Red) - Survivors who are captured by the whip suffer the Exposed status effect. However, Cutter can no longer jump over pallets if she catches a Survivor from the other side with her whip. The Survivor will not be injured when Cutter releases him.

Dolly the Doll (Pinky-Red) - You are not Undetectable during Black Mask mode. However, the ability will not be interrupted if you are stunned, blinded, or land a basic attack. During Black Mask mode, you gain a 50% speed bonus when jumping windows, breaking pallets, destroying breakable walls, kicking generators, grabbing Survivors, and opening lockers until the ability ends.

》"Broken" prevents Survivors from being able to heal from injured to healthy.

》"Mangled" causes Survivors to heal 25% slower.

》"Hemorrhage" causes Survivors' healing to regress if there is no active healing.

》"Exposed" causes Survivors to drop from healthy state to dying state with a basic attack.

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We have reached the end of this "small concept" that I have for DBD and SIKTC. I hope you enjoyed it and read until the end (if you can). If you want, you can comment your opinions on the concept. Comment if you would do something different too.

Fin...

[digitalcactusblog]

Trick or treat! 🧛

TRICK OR TREAT!!!

okay so. not to bring up the elephant in the room that is my still as-of-yet unfinished Hades-inspired ff7, but when i first came up with the idea, i had a little idea-friend to it that also came with, that came out of the thought process of "huh, what other indie games could i crossover ff7 with?"

spiritfarer is a very pretty indie game where you play as a ship captain trying to help the spirits who come aboard your ship address their past and, eventually, cross over into the afterlife

with this idea in hand, my brain immediately derailed off the deep end, and so the snippet i have that i'm actually still really goddamn proud of has no boats or anything, because this is genesis' side of the story (angeal gets to have the actual spiritfarer side of things because he's dead as a fucking doornail)

under a readmore because it's about to get long XD

Genesis does not know where to go.

It’s not an altogether unfamiliar feeling, these days. Living in a world where Shinra is but a figment of a nightmare of the past, where the exclusive apartment allocated to him in Shinra Tower as part of the benefits of being a SOLDIER First has long been destroyed, first gutted out by perfunctory cleaners after his desertion, then thoroughly, utterly wiped out alongside Midgar during what the quaint survivors are now calling Advent Day. Genesis is, at this point, no stranger to directionless, purposeless wandering, of being at a loss as to what to do in the face of a reality that has no need of him anymore; a reality that he has never, in his wildest dreams, conceived of.

The circumstances now, however, are very, very new.

He does what most of the denizens of this broken-down, rebuilt city of Edge do, when faced with something beyond their normal ken.

He goes to find Cloud Strife.

Later, he will argue that he should be forgiven for forgetting the time of day; that most people don’t tend to be up and about at four in the morning.

The joke is on them; Genesis simply never sleeps.

He’s slept for long enough.

For now, he slams his fist against the door, over and over, just on this edge of not being strong enough to dent it. Again and again, especially when there’s no response. Because he knows Strife can hear him.

“Open up, you little–!” he cuts himself off, with a glance at his newfound cargo.

Then the door swings open.

“Usually when you’re asking for someone’s help,” Strife says, wearing an off-white, oversized t-shirt and faded chocobo boxers, “you don’t try to insult them right off the bat.”

“And usually when you knock on a door, you get a response,” Genesis replies.

“It’s four fucking AM, Genesis. What’s so important it can’t wait–”

Strife’s eyes zero in on his arms. At the small creature in his arms.

At the small, silver-haired creature in his arms.

Cloud Strife, hero of Gaia several times over, announces, “Nope,” and slams the door shut–

–on Genesis’ boot. He’ll kill the man himself if he finds scuff marks on them later. For now, he leads with his shoulder and forces the door open, and pretends that Strife is jumping back out of his way because the man holds at least some amount of respect for his superiors.

“Absolutely fucking not,” Strife continues, pointing a sword—where the fuck did that come from—at his arms. "Why did you come to me.”

Do I look like someone who knows what to do with children?” Genesis demands, half-hysterical because it’s four in the morning and his beloved Goddess has apparently seen fit to gift him with a baby, a baby he is far beyond woefully unprepared to deal with.

[nataliaheels]

TAG GAME

Tagged by: @y2ktruther I’ve never done one of these before!! Ty for tagging me <3

Last movie seen?:

Freaky with vince vaughn 😭 It was cute tbh girl boss vibes but the way the wrote the gay character was absolutely terrible. #twinkphobia /j

Last song played?:

-vanilla by flipturn. My bf shows me all this male indie music I never listen to and it’s really growing on me tbh feels good to branch out from my pop girly obsession

Latest show seen?:

Yellowjackets on showtime. *Really graphic* but it’s really interesting. Lord of the flies but girlboss vibes. Let women be cannibals!!! Also really interesting way of story telling- I usually hate inconsistent timestamps/breaks but I think it’s really watchable and done well.

Latest obsessions?:

White eyeshadow on my inner corners 💀 Its such old news to most ppl that wear makeup but I just discovered it and I’m obsessed.

Gel glitter! Love putting it right under my eyes and doing euphor*a inspired makeup. If you have a dupe or GOOD diy alternative to lemonhead cosmetics, pls comment down below.

Super smash bros!! I’ve been playing a lot lately and trying new characters and winning more against ppl that are really good so? I’m obsessed.

Sandwiches. Don’t underestimate a good sandwich made with ur fav ingredients!! I like this vegan smoked gouda cheese, with vegan turkey, spinach, mayo, with bread and butter pickles on wheat bread. Feels like I’m eating the sandwich magic man stole from Jake in adventure time

Last small creature spotting?:

- I saw this cocoon for what I’m pretty sure is a Polyphemus moth in my neighborhood and it hasn’t emerged yet. Really excited kinda wanna put it in an enclosure and help her.

- I also saw these huge wolf snails in my yard the other day that I’ve never seen before!! They had these long conical shells that kinda looked like marine shells. I thought they were invasive at first but they’re actually native to North America!!

Ty for reading I’m tagging @fruitteay @throwingshiteverywhere @rockysherwin @eartha-zipp @findmethroughthegrey @brendalamour1 @moldbone @yoshi @dataxavyer @zelltronic @g-spotss @fabulesbian @kevinjonashateblog

And everyone else who wants to do one <3

[jcmarchi]

Creature Feature – Capturing The Curious Story Of Palworld

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/creature-feature-capturing-the-curious-story-of-palworld/

Creature Feature – Capturing The Curious Story Of Palworld

Three words come to mind when looking at Palworld: Pokémon, absurdity, and ambition.

Since its official reveal in June 2021, Palworld has raised eyebrows with its vibrant, expansive world teeming with dozens of monsters ripe for catching but in greater fidelity than Pokémon’s recent entries. In addition to capturing them and harnessing their abilities in battle, you can also wield realistic firearms and other weapons to blast them apart or, more hilariously, arm your cuddly critters with some serious heat.

“Pokémon with guns” has become the shorthand description of Palworld, but the experience packs in survival mechanics, base-building, a central narrative, and other bells and whistles. With so many promises, some have deemed Palworld too good to be true, a sentiment its Tokyo-based developer Pocketpair finds puzzling.

Chief Dev Hiroto Matsutani (right), Founder/CEO Takuro Mizobe (middle), Chief Artist Daiki Kizu (left)

“Palworld is not a ‘fake game,’” Pocketpair founder and CEO Takuro Mizobe tells me over email. “We are really surprised that some people say that.”

Palworld hits Steam Early Access in January, giving skeptical players a chance to see just how real the game is. But despite Pocketpair releasing numerous gameplay videos, an air of mystery still surrounds Palworld. How does its sizable feature list blend into a cohesive experience? Where did this wacky idea come from in the first place? Perhaps most importantly, just who the heck is Pocketpair?

The answer to the last question begins with Mizobe. A lifelong fan of video games, the NES ignited his childhood love for the medium before he graduated to the Super Nintendo. Mizobe says the turning point came when he discovered free games available through the internet in elementary school, which allowed him to sample a variety of genres easily. His broad palette is evident in his short list of all-time favorite games, which range from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time to Age of Empires to Serious Sam to Soldat, a free multiplayer action game. This exposure set him on the path of becoming an indie developer; he created his first game at 11 years old, which won awards at his school.

Fast-forward some years, and Mizobe, now a university student at the Tokyo Institute of Technology, got his first taste of professional game development by participating in the Nintendo Game Seminar. From 2005 to 2014 (with a break between ’11 and ’12), the yearly event invited Japanese game design students to learn the tricks of the trade and then work in teams to create an original title. The cream of the crop would then be released as free downloads on platforms like DS Download Play or the Wii U eShop. For the 2010 edition, Mizobe and his college friends created The Tentai Show, where players use black and white holes to absorb incoming meteors before they strike Earth. It was released as DSiWare in Japan in 2011.

In 2012, Mizobe graduated from university. He would spend a few years working “normal” jobs like JP Morgan Securities before founding Pocketpair in 2015. The team released its first title in 2019: Overdungeon, a real-time tower defense card battler that garnered a generally positive reception from players. For its second game, Pocketpair tackled something a bit more ambitious. Enter Craftopia, a game that feels like the precursor to Palworld. It, too, is a sprawling open-world survival game boasting features such as farming, crafting, dungeon crawling, base-building, pet breeding, and multiplayer. Craftopia has been playable in Steam Early Access since 2020, so it’s technically still in development. Despite this, Pocketpair is tackling perhaps its most ambitious title yet in Palworld.

Mizobe tells me Pocketpair develops games in a style that borrows ideas from others the team enjoys playing. Overdungeon takes clear influence from Slay the Spire and Clash Royale, while Craftopia has elements of Zelda, Harvest Moon, and a litany of survival games. Palworld draws from games like Pokémon, Age of Empires, Grand Theft Auto, Elden Ring, Valheim, and Fortnite to create what Mizobe calls a “unique gaming experience that is different from existing games.”

Palworld unfolds on the Palpagos Island in the Pacific Ocean. Strange monsters called Pals, of over 100 varieties, occupy this tropical land undiscovered by humankind for generations. That eventually changed, and now various factions have set up shop in pursuit of their own interests. Players control an explorer who washes ashore on the island following a shipwreck. Thus, survival is your primary goal, and you need the Pals’ help to accomplish this.

Pals are based on real animals and cultural myths from places like Europe, China, and Egypt. They come in several attributes: Neutral, Flame, Water, Grass, Electric, Frost, Earth, Dark, and Dragon. Resistances and vulnerabilities follow the rock/paper/scissor format of Pokémon: Water is resistant to Flame, for example. However, Pals can learn attacks opposite their types, so you can teach a Flame move to a Water Pal. Players can also breed Pals to create new species. This opens the door to a plethora of possible combinations, and while not all of them result in a completely new creature, others carry the traits of their parents. Mizobe says designing so many uniquely talented Pals, including the long list of breeding offspring, has been the most formidable development challenge.

Pals roam freely, with players catching them by blasting them with weapons, like guns, to weaken them. After that, you toss a blue spherical device to capture targets. Pals can then be used in battle, and the number you can use at a time varies depending on the situation. You can let Pals handle combat by issuing commands or picking them up and using them like living firearms. Pals also come with their own unique partner skills and abilities.

Your non-living arsenal includes clubs, bows, and spears to heavy gun weapons like shotguns, ARs, miniguns, and rocket launchers. As effective as these killing machines can be, some Pals can’t be beaten using conventional weaponry. Pocketpair doesn’t elaborate, only teasing that these sturdier Pals require more clever methods to defeat them.

Outside of battle, you can put Pals to work farming crops to cook beneficial dishes and constructing buildings and factories to create settlements. In fact, some Pals are better specialized for labor than fighting. Trailers have shown assembly lines of cute critters building weapons and looking decidedly unhappy about it. This plays into the game’s dark humor. You’re free to be a jerk by, for example, illegally poaching them in forbidden zones, attracting the attention of a corrupt police force that monitors the island. Mizobe tells me morality doesn’t factor into the storytelling, so if you want a (mostly) consequence-free excuse to be a monster, go right ahead.

Regarding survival mechanics, Palpagos features a day/night cycle and changing climate, meaning you need to cope with uncomfortably hot or cold temperatures. With all these spinning plates, Pocketpair tells me the general gameplay loop looks like this: You craft vital tools, gather resources, build a base, explore some more, perhaps fight a boss along the way, and repeat. In between that, you catch Pals since they’re necessary for almost every facet of play.

Additionally, multiplayer allows players to explore Palworld together. Up to four friends can play normally, but dedicated servers support over 20. With so much going on, Mizobe tells me feature creep has often reared its ugly head. Thus, cutting ideas to prevent Palworld from becoming bloated and unfocused has been an ongoing challenge. “At the beginning, we thought about having a huge underground world and the ability to live in outer space, but we decided to give up on these for the time being,” says Mizobe.

According to Mizobe, Palworld carries lessons learned from the studio’s previous efforts. Mainly, simply mashing together disparate genres isn’t enough and should be done carefully. Pocketpair had trouble defining the rules of Overdungeon because it was so focused on replicating the RTS elements of Clash Royale. Craftopia had so many ideas that some mechanics clashed, which the team is still correcting.

“Palworld is being made with the awareness that ‘we are working through difficult game design problems in order to keep the consistency of each genre,’” Mizobe writes. “We try to not tackle too much at the same time while being focused on meeting the players’ expectations. We’ve made a lot of mistakes along the way, but overall, we think it turned out well in the end.”

We can only hope that the team continues to zero in on what makes Palworld click, even if they still have some more tough decisions to make in the long road ahead.

“We recently noticed the potential for a PvP mode in this game and are now reconsidering if we should expand on it,” says Mizobe. “That has us facing a difficult challenge again. Game development is always difficult.”

This article originally appeared in Issue 360 of Game Informer.

[airasilver]

This Iconic Indie Comic Is Perfect for a TV Adaptation

BY

TIMOTHY DONOHOO

PUBLISHED 20 HOURS AGO

With comic book and fantasy novel adaptations prevalent on streaming services, a similar TV series for a fantasy comic can finally make it mainstream.

SUMMARY

* Elfquest is a beloved fantasy comic book that has yet to receive a major adaptation.

* The fantasy series is perfect for a streaming TV show that can properly adapt all the source material.

* Conversely, an Elfquest show can expand comic book adaptations beyond superhero properties.

Comic book adaptations are still all the rage, especially when it comes to superhero properties. Beyond capes and cowls, however, several other comics have been translated to the big and small screen in the past few decades. With the success of streaming services as a platform for prestige adaptations, now is the best opportunity for one beloved independent comic book to finally jump beyond the printed page.

Elfquest is one of the most notable and beloved indie comic book franchises, with the series being a major success of the "underground" comic book scene in decades past. Sadly, this hasn't translated into similar victories in outside media, namely TV shows or movies. Though it's yet to be truly used in this capacity, Elfquest can easily succeed in the same way as other fantasy shows.

Elfquest Is One of the Most Beloved Fantasy Comics

Beginning back in 1978, Elfquest (also spelled as ElfQuest) was created by Wendy and Richard Pini. As the name might suggest, the characters are also elves, with the main elves hailing from the Wolfrider tribe. They're actually the descendants of aliens who came to the "World of Two Moons" long ago, with this seemingly science fiction backstory belying a medieval fantasy setting. The main elf at the beginning of the series is Cutter, with several other tribes and creatures seen throughout the stories. Wendy and Richard Pini's comic has had many publication homes, including their company WaRP Graphics. It's currently being released through indie company Dark Horse Comics, though the series' material from before 2014 is available online (in black and white) for free.

Elfquest was revolutionary in many ways, with one of them being the fact that a female creator was the main driving force behind the title. Likewise, it saw major success as a very independent comic book at a time when such popularity was only achieved by the publications of Marvel and DC Comics. The series also utilized themes such as sexuality, race, religion and other concepts in ways that mainstream comics were only grasping at during that time period. Sadly, this has only truly manifested in the realm of comic books, with nary an adaptation of Elfquest ever truly doing the material justice.

There's Yet to Be a Major Elfquest Adaptation

Back in 1982, there were plans for an Elfquest animated movie that was tentatively aimed for a 1984 release date. Of course, this didn't come to pass, and the same happened with the scheduled 1994 movie a decade later. In 2008, it was revealed that Warner Bros. was going to finally make an adaptation of the comic book, though it wasn't known if the project was going to be in live-action or utilize some form of animation. So far, this hasn't manifested either, and it's unknown if WB Discovery still has the rights to do the project.

A potential Elfquest animated TV series wasn't made either, with this project last being explored in 1992. There has been success in the form of tabletop games/RPGs, however, with the medium being perfect for such a fantasy world. Sadly, fans haven't been able to sink their thumbs into an Elfquest video game, with even official toys eluding the series. The biggest outside adaptation was the crowdfunded ElfQuest: The Audio Movie. Between this and the several "filk music" songs geared toward the series, it's proof of how big a fanbase the franchise still has. Thus, it would definitely have a built-in audience if an Elfquest TV series was ever produced.

Elfquest Is Perfect for a Streaming TV Series

In the past few years, epic fantasy has found a new home through various streaming services. These and specialty channels have become the homes of prestige television, which features the kind of storytelling budget and quality largely confined to major movies or classic miniseries'. The first major example of this is inarguably HBO's Game of Thrones, which was based on author George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire book series. Now, it's been followed up with the prequel series House of the Dragon, which is only one of several similar shows that have become varying degrees of successful on modern streaming services.

The Witcher, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power and The Wheel of Time are other examples of how this genre has found new life on Max, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and other streaming venues. The main reason is that, unlike movies, this medium can actually do justice to long-form storytelling. Instead of having to cut material from the book to make space in the movie adaptation, these shows can adapt as much of the book as the showrunners choose. When added alongside the higher budgets and increased popularity of these sorts of works, it's easy to make a fantasy show that both looks good and garners a sizable audience. Likewise, utilizing comic books as source material is seen as fairly trendy, though there might need to be a change of pace with these adaptations.

Elfquest Can Expand Comic Book Adaptations Beyond Superheroes and Horror

For the most part, Western and American comic books are largely associated with superheroes. This has especially become the case due to the popularity of superhero movies, namely those in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Those films have turned once obscure superheroes and villains into household names. Amid this success, however, there's been a growing distaste for the genre, including a sentiment of "superhero fatigue." Ironically, darker, more mature superhero shows such as adaptations of the comic books The Boys and Invincible (both seen on Amazon Prime Video) have become all the rage, showing that there's a taste for more adult material.

Long before those shows did so, this sentiment was somewhat proven with the success of The Walking Dead. Adapting Robert Kirman's zombie comic book, the series has been turned into a major television hit for AMC. Needless to say, there's an audience for darker comic book stories that don't involve superheroes, especially if it's a genre that otherwise hadn't had much spotlight as a TV show. This is where Elfquest can thrive, as it's a concept that most don't automatically associate with comic books. By touting this comic book source material, the series can be more easily positioned for success than if it's promoted as simply a generic fantasy series.

As mentioned, the last known home for the Elfquest adaptation rights was at Warner Bros. Now known as Warner Bros. Discovery, this studio has the Max/HBO Max streaming service app. It already has success in the form of House of the Dragon, but another fantasy series (perhaps one that's animated) can use that show's popularity to catapult itself into a sort of "sister" brand for the company. Likewise, adult animation has also become a major draw, especially as anime has reached new heights of international popularity. Elfquest has the potential to become a killer app or at least a beloved series in the same vein as Invincible or Netflix's recent Blue Eye Samurai.

Decades ago, when Elfquest was at the height of its popularity, the idea of more mature audience-oriented animation was borderline unheard of. With anime and other shows breaking these walls down, an animated fantasy series about elves finally has a potential audience. It can finally be the breakthrough adaptation that brings the property into the mainstream, with 45 years being too long for it to remain in relative obscurity. Superheroes may be somewhat old hat, but comic book adaptations are clearly here to stay. Thus, it's time for the Wolfrider elves to finally journey into their own TV show and give audiences a look at what made the series so beloved in the 1970s.

As long as they don't ruin it...

I love the audio movie voice actors. Get them to play the characters and it be perfect.

[cangrellesteponme]

Today's Imagined Scenario is brought to you by.. My Brain. Just my brain, that's it. No inspo outside-

Ciel and Finny are just looking for fun indie games maybe on Switch or something to get into.. And notice a cute 2d game with cartoony black and white skeletons and other creatures.

Ciel decides to ask friends on messenger and twitter: "hey is Undertale still a good game in 2023 for anyone whose never checked out that type of RPG game?"

NekoBlueDragon (LAU) retweets with:

Ciel replies: Wtf Lau

And then Mey immediately jumps on with:

Again Ciel is like: Omg I knew it was popular for a while but WHAT are we getting into???

I'd go on with more but I can't think up specifics but I'm sure there's more like Soma and maybe Siggy almost spoiling it for them and overall them all trying to come by in person to WATCH XD

lmaooo that would be amazing

soma probably still has trauma from trying to do a genocide run (he stopped after papyrus. simply could not keep going. did a pacifist run right after.) so he's like "dON'T THIS GAME WILL BREAK YOUR HEART"

ofc sieglinde has played the game like thirty times and cannOT keep the spoilers in. must talk about the special interest.

anyway yes everyone will try to show up and backseat the hell out of ciel and finny's first playthrough. they try to stay quiet but once they see ciel just rip the controller out of finny's hands to just kill toriel and get it over with so they can move on, MULTIPLE people are shouting a bunch of very different stuff. it's pure chaos.

[screen-universe-official-thingie]

An intermediate guide to the Fictionals and their Realm: Subspecies and Subtypes

The Fictional kind come in two main subspecies: Animated and Programmed. Their subspecies determine what they are made for, their artistic medium, what are they made of, and how are they made. Both of them have distinct biological make up and even how they express themselves such as their reactions.

They also come in multiple subtypes: Median, Indies, Internet Originates, and Creepypasta. Their subtypes determines their creators, their resources to keep projects going (such as wealth), how big they are, and where the Fictional is put into once their creation process is done.

Subspecies

Animated: They are those who are made specifically for shows, a movie, or a short animation film. Their skin is smooth and soft (if they don't have a shell or a harden coating), leaving behind a smudge of ink or dust if you were to touch one.

They can contort their faces or manifest things like floating flowers or purple swirls to express themselves. It is drilled within their nature to exaggerate their expressions with magic. They are very expressive creatures after all. Whenever they regenerate, they usually grow sketches around the wound and it'd patch itself in no time most of the time.

Programmed: Unlike their Animated counterparts, Programmed Fictionals have very rough skin and somewhat sharp skin from the pixels. They are coded for video games of all sorts. Their way of expressing themselves with magic is somewhat different from an Animated one.

They don't contort their faces as much, but they still express themselves with speech boxes with a symbol in it above their heads. They can also manifest dialogue boxes if it is required for their acting work; they can hold and bash things with them too. How they regenerate is different as well, instead of sketches, white glowing pixels and code will patch them up.

Sub types

Median: They are those who are created by a huge collective of mancers. They are from well known companies such as Disney and Nick. medians of the same company live in huge groups and form territories such as megapolises, empires, and kingdoms; usually named after their mancers' companies.

Due to their very exposed reputation, they are targeted by toxic Weblings the most out of the others. As a result, technical advancement for certain territories have been held back or in rough shape to some extent. Some look more outdated than the others. Fictionals such as SpongeBob and mickey fall into this category. Indies: Unlike their huge, popular cousins, Indies are made by smaller collective of mancers with limited resources for the project. Instead of forming big cities and taking up large lands, Indies of different smaller companies form towns and smaller cities, usually named after a digital distribution site or app (eg. Steam village). A majority of the time, they have not been targeted by weblings as often, it only happens if one were to achieve peak popularity and become famous. This allows them to develop their technology in a smooth and steady pace. Fictionals like Flowey and monika fall into this category

Internet Originates: They are Fictionals that may (parodies, satires, fan animation, etc) or may not (OCs of a web animated series) take on appearances of the medians. Their projects are exhibited in the media regions instead of broadcasts and stations. Thus, they ended up being born from the Internet realm instead of the Fictional realm. They are more accustomed to how the Internet realm works and their way around it compared to medians. They sometimes migrate to the Fictional realm by choice and live around the Indie and Creepypasta towns with their residents. A median Fictional encountering an IO is not common, but never 0. Thus certain territories start to be very thorough and specific when it comes to documents and identification, as duplicates start to become more and more common.

Heed of warning: implied massacre and genocide, and mention of blood. Be warned.

Creepypastas: This Subtype is a very interesting and sad case all around with a very sticky situation. Their origins are just like the Internet originates and are a rather recent subtype. However, they have been set apart by them for two reasons. A myth started by a con man states that their "special, mystical blood", commonly known as "Hyper Realistic Blood", can help enhance a caster's powers to an immense degree. Because of this, they have be constantly hunted for it and even milked dry from their blood with the harshest methods. Over the recent past years, they decrease in original numbers and certain Creepypasta Fictionals have to be replaced for future projects whether they have been presumed permanently dead or not.

Another is that they are very different from the other sub types. Unlike everyone else, Creepypasta Fictionals always have pale gray skin (like Lost Silver/Creepypasta Gold) or bright, pure white skin (like Slendy and Jeff). There have been variations where their skin tones are paler than their other counterparts. They see the world a tad different from the other subtypes as they can only see shades of black, white, gray, and red and naturally have night vision regardless of what creature they are based on. They also have a condition where they cry, sweat, and cough blood since creation. Another notable feature they have is that they typically have red glowing irises and black sclera. However, there has been exceptions. They are the weakest Fictionals when it comes to using magic as using their powers can drain them easily and make them bleed more than usual.

They have been difficult to find then, they've been difficult to find now. Though, it is not impossible for Medians to run into one without actively searching for them for whatever reason.

[ay-chuu]

Hello! I hope you are doing well and you are looking after yourself as much as you can.

I was wondering if I could do the match/ship event, if you can ofc, you don't have to and hopefully you won't pressure yourself to doing it either, if you don't have the time/energy to do it then that's perfectly understandable and you don't have to do it.

So my name is Azrael or you can call me Az.

I have blond, curly hair about medium length, I have blue-grey eyes which sometimes look green depending on the light setting (aperantly, I don't see how they look green), I'm white, Eastern European to be exact, I wear a lot of black and grey because I like the colours.

I'm an aquarius, intp. I also have asd (autism spectrum disorder), dyslexia and sometimes I have troubles with my mental health.

My three favourite hobbies are drawing, cooking/baking and crocheting although I also enjoy reading and writing.

The three things I hate the most are the sound of people eating, when people see me as less than I am (for instance thinking I don't know anything or treating me as a child etc.) And when people actively damage the earth/other peoples' mental/physical/social health / animals etc.

Favourite game: chess, checkers

Favourite movie: Perfect blue, The graduate, Pianist, the land.

Favourite music genre: soft rock, hip hop, classical, jazz, Polish rock, what ever Kilar has going on, Indie, Opera and many more.

Favourite musical artist: Kilar, Will Wood, Tom Lehrer, Engelbert Hamperdinck, Chopin, John lenon, Gilbert O'Sullivan, Frank Sinatra, Leonard Cohen, Kult, Republika, Perfect, Mozart, Phil Collins, Foreigner, Arthur Andrus, Dmitri Shostakovich and, again, many more.

Favourite artist: Carl Vihelm Holsøe, Claude Monet, Fyodor Petrovich Tolstoy, Fyodor Vasilyev, Nikolai Galakhov, Vasily Vereshscagin, Isaak Levitan, Yu Feian, Hu Yefo, Jakub Schikaneder, Luigi Loir, Ilya Repin, Edouard Leon Cortes, Abbott Fuller Graves, Eugene Petit, Abraham Pether, Albert Bierstadt, Margaretha Roosenbom, Salvator Rosa, Yu Zhizhen, Shen Zhou, Dong Yuan, Ni Zan, Li Cheng

And the fandom: bsd

Take care of yourself and don't forget to hydrate, have a nice day.

Hello honey, thank you so much for your wishes for myself, your understanding and your so kindly stating it! ( ◡́.◡̀)(^◡^ )

I match you with... (っ＾▿＾)💨

KUNIKIDA DOPPO!

VIRGO AND AQUARIUS ARE ONE OF THE MOST SENSITIVE COUPLES CHANGE MY MIND. Ahem, I think Kunikida would fall in love with you after playing a round of chess with you LOL! Because he's very attracted to intelligence and you have a pretty attractive one (; The beginning of your relationship was a bit awkward because you both found it awkward to be comfortable with someone else, but things definitely got sweeter as time went by. INTP and ISTJ are a pretty harmonious couple, they're really diplomatic. By the way he's so in love with your eyes <3 -like me-

I definitely see Kunikida as someone who donates to people with disabilities or health problems and tries to help, even if he's emotionally naive. (": That's why he's pretty good with your health problems, always supports you, and if you ever feel bad or depressed about any trait you have, he will always be there to remind and support how wonderful you are by your side. He's the perfect husband material.

You love that his feelings are extremely pure and sincere. He never sees you down on himself/anyone alse, on the contrary, he always makes you feel like best creature even if it is wrong. He loves that you are quiet and intelligent, but also compassionate and understanding. You look like an old married couple to a lot of people LMAO IKSDFLADHLLFSDKH Ahh he's so goofy, I love him <3

All in all, he's pretty happy with you! Here are some of the memories I dream of for you: Helping children together who are having difficulties, chess tournaments that are played sometimes until the morning and always involve giggling, dinner prepared while listening to a playlist that goes from soft rock to hard rock, and finally, the afternoon's you do business side by side with your non-dominant hands clasping each other. <3

Hope you'll like it! <3