#small earthbound findings

[smallearthboundfindings]

Post remake time! I just made all of these transparent but didn't want to clutter the already long thread, so, manual art post 2.0! Use these however you wish! Aside from Paula, Jeff, and Poo, these are largely in alphabetical order now for ease of access.

(Note: Due to the image limit, these will be posted in multiple reblogs! Please check the notes for updates if you plan to share this!)

[pe4nutastic]

In the interest of saving this, beyond just my computer folder, here's a bit of a Mint redesign (unmasked but eh I know what the mask looks like so I don't need to draw it next to them), alternatively known as The Whispering Ghost/Ghost.

[the-most-humble-blog]

🛐 SHOUT OUT TO THE HOBBITS, YO

You think Hobbits were just cute?

Just background filler?

Just middle-earthy comic relief?

No.

Hobbits were the unsanctioned, untraceable, unkillable black-ops death units of Middle Earth. They didn’t flex. They didn’t brag. They didn’t even need boots.

They just showed up where legends got slaughtered and survived anyway.

🧠 Let’s Be Blunt:

If these dudes got sent after you? It wouldn’t matter if you were hiding in Putin’s panic room, in the secret compartment behind the third bookshelf, wearing a Kevlar onesie, praying to whatever gods you had left—

They would still find your stupid body draped over the tub like a jackass.

🩸 HOW I KNOW?

They ripped the most expensive piece of jewelry straight off a literal immortal super-zombie (Gollum) —who, mind you— was spitting some of the coldest nihilistic bars in literary history off the dome, in the dark, while dying of radiation poisoning, and still trying to kill them anyway.

🔥 Plus:

They bodied haters at every turn.

They carried the seduction equivalent of Satan’s engagement ring around their necks without folding.

Never wore shoes — because soft ground and sharp rocks weren’t real enough threats to register.

Didn’t even want your girl — because they had a real one waiting back home, making second breakfasts and setting tables for men who don’t break under temptation.

🛡️ And just for bonus brutality?

They didn't just topple armies. They didn’t just smoke an earthbound demon and his cultists.

They made it back in time for fourth breakfast.

🧠 But Here’s the Hardest Bar Nobody Talks About:

The literal President of Earth (Aragorn — son of Arathorn, King of Men, crown-wearer, sword-lord) the biggest swinging dick in all of human history did not puff his chest at them. Did not treat them like subjects. Did not treat them like side characters.

He kneeled.

He fucking trembled, knelt, and demanded that anyone who even thought about disrespecting them drop to their knees in submission and shame. Right there. In front of the goddamn world.

🩸 TL;DR

Hobbits were quiet Apex Predators.

Hobbits were Super-Delta-Navy-SEAL-Green-Berets of spiritual warfare.

Hobbits weren’t just survivors.

Hobbits were the grim reapers of the impossible.

And they did it:

With no boots.

With no ego.

With no TikTok motivational speeches.

While still making it home in time for fourth fucking breakfast.

🍻 FINAL WORD:

Raise your glass.

Shout out to Hobbits, yo.

The only operatives in recorded mythic history who could body Satan, body death, body temptation, body despair, and body history itself—

then stroll home like it was a casual Tuesday morning run.

💣 CALL TO ACTION:

🔁 Reblog if you know loyalty and survival don’t always wear armor. 🛡️ Save this post if you respect the warriors who didn’t need glory to win the war. 🔥 Send this to the one who still thinks size, flash, or fame means anything in the real arena. ��� Bookmark this for the day you realize the small, quiet ones are the ones you should fear most.

Or simply 🔁Reblog to keep my signal to mankind going strong.

⚖️ LEGAL DISCLAIMER: This post is Blacksite Literature™, mythological elevation engineering, cadence-driven survival psychology, and literary psychological warfare protected under the charter of the unbowed.

If you're offended: Your ancestors knelt too easily.

🛡️ BLACKSITE POST STATUS: COMPLETE. 🩸 FULL NEUROCHEMICAL MYTHIC PAYLOAD READY FOR DETONATION.

[bueckersbitch]

Earthbound - paige bueckers x oc

✴︎ chapter one : welcome home

✴︎ based off of : the 100

✴︎ characters : paige bueckers x oc (vada rivers)

✴︎ warnings : violence, mention of abuse

✴︎ word count : 1k

✴︎ authors note : hi hi hi! moving forward each season will be a chapter, i just think this is a really good way to start off before going into longer chapters, you’ll see that clarke is not in this au. neither is finn, as paige is the main character instead of clarke. no vada in this one but trust she’s otw ;) enjoy!

✴︎ taglist : @sierrale8ne @thaatdigitaldiary @pboogerswbb @lupinqs @vamptizm @rosemariiaa @d3arapril @bueckersfive @lovegalor333 @xxloveralways14 @mrsarnold @janaelalfysblunt @tndaqlwifwy

The smell of smoke lingered in the air after the dropship crashed onto earth. Another chance. With resources scarce on the ark, the leaders had run out of solutions, only one: send 100 juvenile prisoners to the ground to see whether Earth is survivable or not. Considering the fact that Paige wasn’t melting from radiation, she’d put good money on the fact that it is.

The dropship door opened, and Bellamy Blake urged his younger sister to do the honors. Paige had heard stories about her, the girl under the floor. The ark had strict rules; resources thinning throughout the years meant each family was only allowed to have one child, so when Octavia was born, her mother had no choice but to hide the girl in her stateroom, in the small space under the floor. When the council found out, Bellamy and Octavia’s mom was floated, in other words, ejected into space.

Paige unbuckled herself, standing up and grabbing her backpack. She made her way towards the dropship door.

Octavia stepped out of the dropship, taking a deep breath, opening her eyes, and shouting “We’re back, bitches!” Hollers come from those around them as everyone leaps into their new home. Leaving their past behind.

Paige diverges from the group, finding an opening and pulling out her map. Mount Weather, their source of supply, was a good 20 miles straight ahead, on the other mountain peak. “Why so serious, P?” Lillie questioned. Paige’s best friend since first grade, Lillie was like the sister Paige never had. “You see that mountain over there, Lils?” Paige pointed. Lillie nodded, “That’s Mount Weather, meaning there’s a radiation-soaked forest in between us and our next meal.” Lillie groaned in frustration, dragging her hand over her face in disbelief while muttering, “They dropped us on the wrong damn mountain.”

Paige scouts for volunteers to take the hike with her and Lillie. She can hear bickering coming from behind her: Bellamy and Octavia, no doubt. Something about Octavia not wanting to be controlled anymore. Lillie approaches Paige with two guys, thrown in jail for stealing weed. Monty Green and Jasper Jordan smiled and waved to Paige. Paige felt empathetic for the boys. Their crime was nothing like some people down here, including her. Granted, it was justified. Paige was charged with attempted murder, defending Lillie against her abusive, now (ex) boyfriend. 

“Have room for one more?” Octavia tapped Paige’s shoulder. Paige’s braided half-up-half-down hitting Octavia’s face as she whipped herself around. Octavia backed up in retaliation. “I’m sorry about that,” Paige said, smoothing her hand over her own hair. Octavia forced a smile, stepping closer. “Okay then, let's get moving.” They wandered off into the forest. Paige glanced at Lillie, nodding before following Octavia.

Paige and Lillie walked side by side, taking in all the greenery they were stripped of on the ark. The vibrant colors provided a fresh and comforting feeling compared to the dull greys of their past home in the sky.

“Soooo what’s gonna happen with you and Ivy?” Lillie broke the silence. Ivy. A girl that Paige had been seeing on the ark before she got arrested, a casual friends-with-benefits type of ordeal. Paige scoffed, holding her backpack straps as she jumped over a log. “I don’t know. We got the whole sky separating us now.” Lillie shrugged. “The sky’s the limit, I guess.” Paige rolled her eyes at her friend’s attempt at a joke.

Monty quickly shushed the girls, ushering them over. “Look.” The group watched carefully. A deer. The first sign of life they had found since crashing from the sky. They all smiled with excitement. They’d never seen an animal in real life before, let alone so close. Jasper took a step closer. A branch broke in the result, gasping, he looks up. The deer was alarmed, thrashing its head to locate the source of the noise.

Everyone stumbles backwards at the sight that's revealed to them. A second head.

-

“A result of the radiation, definitely,” Monty reasons, still shaken up by the distorted animal. Continuing to follow the map, the sound of water floods their senses before they can see it. Emerging from the forest, they see that a river separates the two forests. “Something’s wrong, there’s not supposed to be a river here.” Paige states, eyebrows furrowing. “Well, I’m not trying to find out what could be in the water, are you guys?” Lillie asks. “Yeah, I’m cool off that.” Paige says, looking around for something to use to get across.

A perfect vine, long enough to get everybody across, one by one. Paige climbs the rock, dry hands pulling the vine to check its durability. “Seems good enough to me.” Paige gets herself ready, anchoring herself to the vine, an inch away from pushing off the rock, when Jasper yells, “Wait! Let me.” Paige is puzzled, looking to Lillie for answers; Lillie nods her head to Octavia. Paige had been completely oblivious to Jasper's growing crush on the girl.

“A’ight then, try not to fall in the water.”  Paige hands off the vine to the boy, bug-eyed goggles sat on his forehead, fingers fidgeting with nervousness in his fingerless gloves. Eager to impress Octavia, he takes a deep breath, then swings.

Cheers exclaim from the group, excitement overtaking their senses. Jasper lands safely on the other side, the vine bouncing back to Paige. Once again, she grips the vine, ready. Jasper lifts something above his head, “Guys! We made it!” Paige’s eyes move faster than she can register, reading the beat-up sign, somehow having survived three generations, it read: Mount Weather. The middle area was unreadable, but the bottom clearly said: Keep Out. Paige was about to cut through Jasper's yelling, wanting to tell him about the clear warning on the sign, when something cut him off before she could. A large spear, thrown with unimaginable accuracy, right through his chest, throwing him into the tree behind him. The group called out his name in disbelief. Paige removed her hands from covering her mouth, opting to quiet everyone down. 

One thing was for sure,

they weren’t alone.

[spitefulsatanfics]

Title: “Falling, Slowly”

Setting: Season 9, Episodes 4–7 (Post-fall, Castiel learning to be human)

Pairing: Castiel x Y/N

POV: Third person, she/her

Word Count: ~2,200

Tones: Awkward!Castiel, protective!Castiel, fluffy romance, soft tension, canon-aligned

---

The motel was the kind that looked like it hadn’t been cleaned since the Bush administration—green carpet, floral bedspread, buzzing light overhead. Y/N leaned against the chipped counter, sipping gas station coffee while watching Castiel struggle with the concept of a microwave.

"Just press the thirty-second button," she said, biting back a smile as he furrowed his brows, squinting at the numbers.

"I don’t see how heating food with radiation is… safe," he muttered, poking the panel with one tentative finger. "This light keeps turning on."

"It’s not radiation—it’s... Well, it sort of is," she replied, stepping in to help. Her hand brushed his, and he startled slightly, then stilled. "But it won’t kill you."

He looked at her then, eyes wide and almost boyish in their confusion. "I’ve never been concerned with dying before."

Y/N’s expression softened. Ever since the fall, Castiel had been learning what it meant to be human—and failing, often spectacularly. He was awkward and blunt and strangely endearing in a way she hadn’t expected. Once the commanding voice of heaven, now humbled and earthbound, sleeping on a lumpy motel mattress and flinching when the coffee maker sputtered steam.

And yet... she’d never seen anyone try harder to belong.

"We'll work on it," she said gently. "You're doing better than most people would, honestly."

Castiel nodded slowly, as if storing the compliment somewhere important. "You’re kind," he said after a beat, his voice low and genuine. "I appreciate your patience."

She offered a soft smile in return, and they stood there for a moment, the air thick with something neither of them was quite ready to name.

---

They were tracking a low-level demon in Ohio, something tied to a string of missing persons that Sam and Dean had flagged before splitting up to chase another lead. Y/N had volunteered to keep an eye on Cas, though she hadn’t admitted how much she’d wanted to. The others still saw him as fragile, unsteady—somewhere between man and myth—but to her, he was just... Castiel.

And that made it easier. Somehow.

They walked through the small-town library later that afternoon, dusty shelves casting long shadows in the amber light. Cas was quiet, his gaze drifting over book spines with a kind of reverence.

“You okay?” Y/N asked, keeping her voice low.

He looked at her, then nodded. “Books are... calming. I never needed them before, but now I find I enjoy their weight. The smell. The sound the pages make.”

Y/N smiled. “You sound like a poet.”

Castiel tilted his head. “I was not aware.”

She chuckled. “It’s a compliment.”

They sat at a creaky table in the far corner, surrounded by local records and a stack of grainy photographs. Y/N worked through files while Cas silently examined a map, occasionally blinking as though the paper might suddenly speak to him.

"Do you miss it?" she asked after a while, not looking up.

He didn’t answer right away. When she glanced at him, he was staring at his hands.

"Yes," he said finally. "But I don’t regret it."

"Why?"

"Because I chose this," he said, meeting her eyes. "And I would choose it again, if it meant helping. If it meant protecting people. If it meant..." He hesitated. "Staying with you."

She blinked, breath catching in her throat.

Castiel frowned slightly. "Was that inappropriate?"

"No," she said quickly, her voice soft. "It was... really nice."

He relaxed a little, almost imperceptibly. But she saw it. Felt it.

And she smiled.

---

That night, they stayed in the same room—two beds, awkward silence, and the sound of rain tapping against the window. Y/N changed in the bathroom, and when she stepped out, Cas was still perched stiffly on the edge of the mattress, staring at the TV as though it might bite him.

"You can lie down, you know."

He blinked. “Is it… customary to remove shoes first?”

She laughed, her heart fluttering at how serious he looked. “Yeah, generally.”

He bent to untie his boots, fumbling a little. She turned away to give him privacy but couldn’t stop the small smile on her face.

The lights dimmed, leaving the room in soft hues of blue and gold. Rain continued to fall outside, steady and soothing. She climbed into her bed, pulling the blanket to her chin and watching Castiel out of the corner of her eye.

"Can I ask you something?" she murmured.

"You may ask me anything."

"Do you feel... different? I mean, now that you’re human?"

He turned onto his side, facing her. His eyes were darker in the dim light, but still impossibly blue.

"Yes. Everything is louder. Brighter. Sometimes it’s overwhelming. But other times..." His voice trailed off, then returned. "Other times, it feels good. To feel."

She nodded, her throat tightening.

"I’m glad you’re here," she said quietly.

"I’m glad you’re here too," he replied, just as quiet.

Their eyes met across the small space between beds, and neither looked away.

---

The next morning, they found the demon.

It took the form of a sweet-faced woman at the edge of town, charming locals, feeding off their energy. When she realized they were onto her, she struck—fast, violent.

Y/N was knocked back into a wall, her vision sparking. Castiel roared her name, surging forward without thought. He wasn't an angel anymore, not in power—but his fury, his protectiveness, it was celestial.

He wrestled the demon to the ground, fists flying. She reached for the demon blade, fingers numb, and threw it to him.

With a grunt, Castiel drove it through the demon’s chest, eyes burning with something fierce and eternal.

It was over in seconds.

But it left her breathless.

"Are you alright?" he asked, rushing to her side.

"I'm fine," she managed. "Are you?"

He blinked, surprised. “I… Yes.”

She reached for him without thinking, pulling him into a tight hug. His arms came around her slowly, carefully, like he wasn’t sure if it was allowed—but once he was there, he didn’t let go.

"You were amazing," she whispered into his coat.

"I was afraid I would lose you," he confessed, voice low against her ear. "And that… that was the worst feeling I have ever known."

She pulled back, cupping his face. “You didn’t. I’m here.”

Their eyes locked again, and this time, when she leaned in, Castiel didn’t hesitate.

It was a soft kiss—tentative, shy, almost trembling—but it was full of everything he couldn’t say. Every awkward glance, every quiet night, every heartbeat that was learning what it meant to be human.

And to be loved.

---

End

Enjoy :)

[justmylvr]

cosmic lovers.

keigo takami x gn reader blurb. possibly to be continued?

keigo wasn't a big fan of this; laying in the grass and watching the stars. don't get him wrong, he loves being with you, but why on the ground? he could take you into the sky, you could see them up close. though when you asked him so sweetly if you guys could just stay earthbound, he obliged.

you had always been his soft spot, all the way into high-school. he never would have imagined that you'd be lying next to him, necks marked with lovebites and hands intertwined. once he had gotten ahold of you, got the chance to call you his, he knew that was going to be the death of him.

back to the moment, soft breaths and the whooshing of cars was the only thing in the air. he wanted to say something, anything, though words always got tied up when he was with you. maybe it was a cliché, the way he stumbled over his words and how freely sweat would pool.

propped up on him elbow, his eyes studied each little detail. he had practically memorized your face, he remembered the way your face changed through the years. some scars accumulating, the fluctuating colors of your hair, the way your skin tanned in the summer. he could predict it at this point. when he looked at you this time, there was something about the way the light spilled over you. the way the moon reflected in your eyes, the ones he had no problem with getting lost in. his mind quickly trailed back to reality when he noticed the look you gave him, the one you always did when he got stuck staring at you.

"we.. you, look beautiful under the moon light. mesmerizing, even. it's why i was, ah.. staring?" he managed to say, the tension between his mind and tongue not giving away.

"thanks, kei. you look just as good." you hummed, kissing his cheek gently. it was endearing to see how nervous he got, even if it was hard to understand most the time.

you could see him visibly relax at your words, the small kiss, it brought him back. his smile was small, but definently there. he shuffled around little awkwardly, as if trying to find a perfect spot. in the end he settled with his head on your stomach, your hands tangled in his hair.

almost pulled together by an unseen force, it couldn't help but be wondered if you were cosmic lovers.

tags: @rueclfer

[anvilsims]

Been working on this for a long long time and I finally reached a point that I'm happy with it. I hope Simmers who are also big Nintendo fans like this.

Shout-out to @tomatomagica/@sims4niya for helping me out with making certain goals and just looking over the rules in general. :)

UPDATE: Slightly changed the goals in Gen 8, please reblog this version.

General Rules:

No cheats unless otherwise stated in generation rules, needed to reset a sim, or for decoration/building purposes.

Mods are okay, provided they do not give you an unfair advantage. What constitutes an unfair advantage is up to you.

Complete each generation's Aspiration

Above all, have fun. If that means continuing onto the next generation without finishing all of the previous gen goals, that’s okay.

(Generations beyond the cut)

Generation 1 Animal Crossing:

Traits: Loves Outdoors/Outgoing/Maker

Aspiration: Curator

You have moved into a new town with nothing but the clothes on your back. Well at least Mr. Nook was nice enough to give you a new home even with the work you'll have to do to pay him off. It’ll be tough but you’ve quite the knack for building and your neighbors seem more than happy to cheer you on.

Move into an empty lot and build a small house. (Optional: Make your house a Tiny Home Residential lot and choose what tier to work with from there.)

After one day, move two single townie sims into your neighborhood and become friends with them (If one of them becomes your founder’s spouse, make a new neighbor to move into their old house.)

Neither the founder nor spouse will hold a job, they will make money via at home activities like painting, fishing, etc.

Have a room to display your collections

At the end of every sim week, use cheats or mods to remove half of your household funds (to pay off your debt to Mr. Nook) until both your sim and their spouse reach the adult stage.

~~~

Generation 2 Splatoon: 

Traits: Creative/Dance Machine/Party Animal

Aspiration: Famous Celebrity 

Despite your humble beginnings, you always dreamed big. You were often found drawing outfits from fashion magazines or singing along to your favorite pop idols or doing cool poses for selfies at the pool. Once you became a teen, you started taking little steps to join that glamorous world.

Become a simfluencer as a teen

Move to San Myshuno or Del Sol Valley once you become a Young Adult

Reach the top of the Style Influencer career (Trendsetter branch)

Host a party once every sim week

Either become or marry a merperson. Heir however must be just a sim.

Max out painting, dancing, and singing skills

~~~

Generation 3 Legend of Zelda:

Traits: Good/Adventurous/Music Lover

Aspiration: Jungle Explorer

Everyone expected you to become a spoiled brat but thankfully you turned out to be a good kid with a love for music and a dream of exploring far-off ancient ruins. You make a friend who supports you all the way but you also make an enemy constantly getting in your way.

Make a friend as a child or teen, become BFFs with them, and stay that way for as long as either sim lives (friend can be a future spouse) 

As a child or teen become enemies with one sim and stay enemies for as long as either sim lives. Win at least five fights with them. (Optional: Have this sim be an evil sim)

Max out the Archaeology skill and one instrument skill

Complete the Ancient Omiscan Artifacts Collection

Get the “Brave” reward trait

~~~

Generation 4 Earthbound: 

Traits: Goofball/Active/Geek

Aspiration: Friend of the World

Because of your parent’s travels, you never lived in one spot for too long. Despite that, you still liked making new friends and finding ways to keep in touch. And you learned to appreciate the magic in every world… figurative and literal.

Live in four different worlds before becoming a young adult

Make three friends and create a club with them (Optional: Make these friends as a child and grow up together)

Max out photography and comedy skills

Become a spellcaster as a teen and work on reaching the top rank

Complete the Postcard Collection

Adopt a dog when your first kid becomes a child

~~~

Generation 5 Pokemon:

Traits: Dog (or Cat) Lover (Animal Enthusiast)/Vegetarian/Socially Awkward

Aspiration: Friend of the Animals or Country Caretaker

Ever since you were little, you were obsessed with animals and even got along better with them than people. Your friends blame your childhood obsession with Voidcritters (even if some of them weren't really animals). When you grew up, you knew you were going to surround yourself with animals.

Complete the Voidcritters Collection

Adopt at least eight pets over your lifetime including at least one stray.

Have both cats and dogs

Open a Vet Clinic (pokemon center) and get it to five stars

Max out Veterinary and pet training skills

OR

Complete Voidcritters Collection

Adopt a fox or raccoon

Have at least one of each farm animal (chickens, cow, and llamas)

Win first place in each animal fair in Henford-On-Bagley

Learn all the animal treat recipes

~~~

Generation 6 Mario:

Heir 1 Traits: Family Oriented/Bro/Loyal

Heir 2 Traits: Squeamish/Clumsy/Bro

Heir 1 Aspiration: Nerd Brain

Heir 2 Aspiration: Mansion Baron

You and your sibling were as thick as thieves growing up and neither of you really liked the idea of one of you moving away so they stuck around. But that doesn’t mean they don’t have their own adventures.

Chose two siblings to serve as Double Heirs, they do not need to be twins

Both heirs take a part time job as Manual Laborers until one of them gets married then the married one joins the Doctor career

The other heir maxes out the Medium skill and becomes a Paranormal Investigator

Both heirs max out Handiness skill

One heir unlocks Sylvan Glade and the other unlocks Forgotten Grotto

~~~

Generation 7 Kirby:

Traits: Foodie (or Glutton)/Cheerful/Childish

Aspiration: Renaissance Sim

You grew up in a very supportive environment with family members encouraging you to try a little bit of everything. You liked helping your family cook but you also discovered a love for acting from trying so many different hats. At that point, you decided that you were gonna be a superstar!

Join Drama Club as a child or teen

Max out the Cooking, Gourmet Cooking, and acting skills

Reach the top of the Actor career

Reach pristine public image

Gain the People Person lifestyle

Once you become an elder, retire from acting and open a business selling cooked meals.

~~~

Generation 8 Metroid: 

Traits: Loner/Unflirty/Noncommittal

Aspiration: Strangerville Mystery

While your parent enjoyed the spotlight, you preferred to keep to yourself with exercising and star gazing. As soon as you were able to, you moved out into your own place in a quiet out of the way town called Strangerville. However it seems your wish for a normal quiet life wasn’t meant to be.

Max out body and wellness skills

Reach the sixth level of the Astronaut career and quit after one shift.

Only take odd jobs after quitting your career

Have an alien child (feel free to cheat/mod to get an abduction or to get a female sim alien pregnant)

Gain the Techie lifestyle

Never marry

~~~

Generation 9 Pikmin:

Traits: Hot headed/Overachiever/Genius

Aspiration: Freelance Botanist

Despite your alien heritage, you adored the world you grew up in but that isn’t to say you had no interest in the stars. You enjoyed helping out at the school greenhouse along with watching for comets and UFOs on weekends. It didn’t take long before you started to wonder if there was a way to combine your love for both worlds.

Join Scouts as a child

Master gardening and rocket science skills

Visit Sixam and befriend three different colored aliens

Complete the Geode and Space rock collections 

Find all three alien plants on Sixam and plant them in your garden (Do NOT buy them in Henford-On-Bagley)

~~~

Generation 10 Fire Emblem:

Traits: Bookworm/Proper/Ambitious

Aspiration: Leader of the Pack 

Growing up, you admired stories of brave knights and kind heroes. While you eventually outgrew the fairy tales, you still wanted to help people like the brave hero kings and queens in the stories.Thus together with your closest friends, you decide to try to make a positive difference in the world.

If a sim dies, you cannot plead with the Grim Reaper nor can you resurrect them in any way

Max out Charisma, writing, and research & debate skills 

Reach the top of the Political Career (Politician branch)

Form a club (forming an army) and eventually build up to recruiting eight members

Marry a member of your club (and if they aren’t already, have them join the military career)

Write a Bestseller Fantasy book

If you give the challenge a shot, either @ me or tag "NintendoLegacyChallenge"

[catherinekal]

Giant Fucking List of Obscure Video Games I Recommend!

It's finally done!! Took me long enough, but here it is. Over 50 games I recommend. Just in time for the Steam Sale. Holy shit I spent way to much time on this.

Some of these are well known to anyone into the indie/AA gaming scene or just on the internet often, but I still felt the need to mention in case people haven't heard of them. All of these are obscure compared to any AAA game and I'm confident no one would have heard or played all of these.

They all have something I found interesting in someway. I was going to include a trailer for each game, but apparently Tumblr doesn't like that. So I have put a link to a Youtube playlist for all of them in the same order as this list. Some of these games are also on various consoles to, but I can confirm they're all on Steam beyond one.

I only picked games I've played personally. I know of many other good obscure games, but haven't tried or bought them yet so they don't get on the list. Also many games on this list remain unfished to me, but that's more due to time and other life shit then them getting bad.

There's a lot of fucking games In this list so hopefully you find something you've never tried before and give it a shot. All these games are on Steam with one exception, but that's a free game. I also organized them by genres that make perfect sense to me.

Trailers Link:

The Best Game Ever:

Outer Wilds

Fuck it let's just start with the only mandatory game on this list you need to play. You know how nearly every space game is a overpromised underdelivered fucking mess? Like all of them.

Outer Wilds is the actual good one. Don't want to say much more then that. This is very much an experience that you need to know as little as possible to get the best experience. Not even linking the trailer in the playlist.

Absolutely play this game if you had to pick only 1 thing on this list.

EarthBoundLikes:

OMORI

OMORI is a game about a group of kids who go on magical adventures and save the day. That's it. Nothing else sinister going on here.

It's a well known indie game and for good reason. It's fucking good. One of my favorite games of all time.

Art style is peak. A mix of pixel and pencil drawn art that works so damn well for me. The battle system is turn based and revolves around changing emotions and teamwork. It mixes a happy child like vibe with a darkness underneath it, which is right up my alley. A tale of trauma and grief. I'm still fucked up thinking about some story bits in there. 

All the characters are wonderful and the story is helped a lot by keeping it focused on a small group of friends.

Play it.

LISA: The Painful and LISA: The Joyful

LISA: The Painful/Joyful are a pair of games that fuck. They fuck hard.

They're morbid, tackle many taboos, and have a dark but also stupid sense of humor. The visuals are nothing groundbreaking, but this isn't a game that needs perfect pristine pixel art. The combat system is a lot of fun, but takes very clear inspiration from Earthbound. The story is just perfect though.

You play Brad whos on a journey to rescue his adoptive daughter who was kidnapped in a post apocalyptic world of only men. You meet the strangest allies and the game has a lot of odd characters in it. Want a lawyer fish in your party? This game has it.

It does not shy away from throwing punches and is not for anyone who can't handle a story that tackles themes of abuse, depression, suicide, and more. The game also has a sequel I don't want to say to much about, but it's absolutely worth it as well.

If you want a fun and fucked up 2D RPG adventure and somehow haven't played this then please do so.

Mandatory Metroidvania Soulslike Indie Game Darlings:

Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights

Ender Lilies is the first of many metroidvania's on this list. The indie scene is filled with them and for good reason. The formula works so damn well.

What I love about Ender Lilies is the concept of the player character. You play a white priestess who is also a child and helpless on her own. However, you can summon the spirits of allies and slain enemies to fight for you and those spirits are all your attacks. Gameplay is the same as any other Metroidvania, but knowing I'm this helpless child in this world infected by blight really sells me on the setting.

There's nothing revolutionary to this entry in the pantheon of Metroidvanias, but the visuals and setting are why I recommend it. This game is a slow descent into hell. Also you do get a big heavy hammer attack and any game with a big hammer weapon attack is a good game. Big bonks.

Craving a Metroidvania with a macabre setting? This will do it.

GRIME

GRIME is something else. I don't hear anyone talk about this game and it's a damn shame. I don't even know how to even describe GRIMEs setting. You play as essentially a sentient black hole on a rock body. You go through, with lore slowly revealed as is the Metroidvania stable, and absorb your enemies.

This games aesthetic is best described as fleshy stone. It's very unique visually and what made me want to try it out. As for gameplay you'll need to learn parrying as this games combat system heavily relies on it.

This game surprised me and has a entire level I never expected with one very unique boss to top that off. Also be warned. This game is very much a platformer as well. Similar to how the Ori games are, not just pure combat challenges. If you like your metroidvanias with little to no platforming then you won't enjoy parts of this game, but nothing as difficult as things in Hollow Knight.

If you enjoy metroidvanias then this is a must play. More people need to talk about it.

Salt and Sanctuary

This is where it all started. Certainly not the first Metroidvania by any means, but the first 2D Soulslike Metroidvania or at the least first advertised as such. The devs intended to make Dark Souls in 2D and they did it. Before Hollow Knight, the games listed above, or so many others that took inspirations from Souls in the 2D world, was this game. I know this game was popular with the souls community as it came out, but I don't really hear about it anymore. Hollow Knight just dominated all discussion.

The controls and combat are very much Dark Souls but in 2D. The lore is cryptic and hidden away. There's a fuckton of weapons and spells and multiple playthroughs worth of stuff. The game is hard though Hollow Knight would easily one up it in terms of difficulty.

This game also has covenants that are actually good and the mechanics around them are vastly improved over any souls game that has covenants. I won't go into detail, but I wish the souls games copied this games mechanics for that.

The setting is high fantasy with the lovely dark bloody horror underneath it all. The art style can turn people away, it's not as pretty as other 2D souslikes, but I enjoy it personally. It fits.

The game has a lot to explore and you can get lost in its world pretty easily. I remember walking into a boss room from the exit somehow and got behind the boss and it was all intended if you navigated around him.

If you can appreciate or just get past the visuals and want to see where the 2D soulslike genre began then you should play it.

Metroidvania's Before the Dark Age of Soulslikes

Dust: An Elysian Tail

Long ago there was a time where Metroidvanais didn't have soulslike mechanics defaulted in and set in these bleak post apocalyptic worlds. I have 3 of them to recommend. Starting With Dust: An Elysian Tail

This is a fun little game. A game that I'm not sure many people know about or would think to play today. Metroidvanias pre Hollow Knight tend to get forgotten when I see people about them now. It has a mix of platforming and hectic combat. I remember the game having a cool spin sword attack with a even cooler aerial attack. I liked it a lot when I played it many many years ago.

The art style is colorful and everyone is an anthropomorphic animal. More games need anthropomorphic animals beyond catgirl or rabbitgirl, seriously I grew up on shit like sly Cooper and Ratchet and Clank.

You play as Dust and are accompanied by Fidget. you got a magic sword and you kill a bunch of shit while saving the day. Just a fun little Metroidvania that doesn't overstay and go on forever.

It may be dated in some ways, but if you're a fan of these types of games and want to play a older one then here you go.

Guacamelee!

The combat in this game feel great. Another little forgotten gem of a Metroidvania. It has such a unique style to it and has a fun cartoony vibe. It's pretty fucking great.

You play as a farmer who dons a luchador mask to save his friend he loves and the world being taken over. The combat is a mix of punches, kicks, and throws which is unique from the usual swords and magic these types of games tend to default to. As the game goes along enemies will have shields that need certain moves to break and you'll be switching from the land of the dead and living in combat and platforming.

Both this and Dust before it don't reinvent the genre or anything, but have their own unique charms that I recommend them both if you're a fan of Metroidvanias.

Cave Story+

This is a old classic. The original Cave Story came out in 2004, and was released with a enhanced version in 2011. This is a must play Metroidvania and an old gem. It's the oldest game on this list technically.

This game has little to no melee combat, but instead goes all in on using guns. More Metroid then Vania in that sense. What's unique to the combat is enemies will drop experience that will level up your guns automatically. Each gun can be upgraded to 3 levels, but when you take damage you lose experiences and levels. This adds a extra layer or rewards and punishment to getting hit that I like. Your weapons are perfectly usable at level 1 so it's not like you're fucked, but it gives a greater incentive to avoid damage.

It has fun characters and and fun gameplay. It's a genuine indie gem that I think everyone should play.

Pixel Action Adventure Games With A Dash of RPG Elements to Taste:

ANNO: Mutationem

This game is a pixel art cyberpunk adventure. I adore the art style. It's a 2.5D action platformer set in a futuristic setting. You're on a quest to save your brother with the help of your hacker friend/girlfriend. A quest which leads to a far more complicated story.

The story in this game goes off the rails in ways I love, but I know it threw people off. People have compared the latter half to Evangelion and It can be confusing to follow at times. I still highly recommend it, even if you get lost near the end. A simpler story in terms of Lore would have worked better, but I say fuck it. Go all in.

To me the appeal of this game is the setting. A fascinating cyberpunk sci-fi setting shown through wonderful pixel art. Just walking around the various cities was a joy on its own. There's a lot of attention to detail and I think it's worth playing for that alone. Combat is your standard side-scrolling Metroidvaniaish kind of stuff with various weapons and upgrades and all that. I found it a little challenging at times, but this isn't a game meant for extreme difficulty from what I remember.

If you want to play as hot badass woman in a cyberpunk setting given life through detailed pixel art, then this is the game for you.

CrossCode

This is the most dense indie game on this whole list. CrossCode has so much to do. The game is expansive and slowly drip feeds you with more. You have 5 skill trees, 4 of which are tied to an element, multiple upgrade paths in them. You have a mix of melee combat with twin stick shooter mechanics thrown in. The game has multiple dungeons with puzzles that are both difficult to figure out and then execute the solution for. These aren't like a 2D Zelda dungeon where things never get to complicated, I really took a lot of time with every dungeon.

The setting takes place on another moon physically, but its actually all virtual and a MMO people are playing from all over the galaxy. Though the game itself isn't a MMO really. You play as a set character in a set linear story that's unrelated to that actual in lore story of the MMO. 

The characters are fun and the setting is a joy to explore. There's a lot of side content and I don't remember any of it being a drag. This games also challenging and I know It took me a bit to progress at various points. The pixel art is very detailed, especially with the outdoor environments.

This game will keep you engaged for a while and there's challenging DLC and even fun incentives to play new game plus. This is just all around a solid game experience.

Hyper Light Drifter

I played this game a long time ago so details are hazy, but I know I really enjoyed it. It's top down and filled with action. You got a sword. You got a gun. You go kill things and I do remember many challenging combat encounters.

I have forgotten all story elements, but even now I still remember some imagery that reminded me of Evangelion, which is always a plus. Though story was never the main draw to games for me so the setting and combat were all I needed to keep engaged.

Not the most descriptive review of the game, but I know this is one of the furthest game on this list from when I played it and I only went through it once. It's a cool game though and if the trailer enticed you then you owe it to yourself to get it. 

Phoenotopia: Awakening

I adore this little hidden gem of a game. If CrossCode is the most dense indie game on this list then this is a very close second. Possibly even more dense, I truly can't decide for sure. It's cute, funny, charming, and full of legitimate challenges.

You play as Gail who lives in a small town village. Some shit happens that I won't give away, but you end needing to travel the land and go on a fun adventure. The story is full of comedic and lively characters. It never takes itself to seriously or gets really dark which Is a nice change of pace.

This game really is an adventure. You will travel a lot and get very familiar with any hub area. There's secrets and puzzles packed all over and gives you good reason to revisit. A nice drip feed of progress is felt as you unlock more stuff.

In terms of combat it's bar far the most simplistic on this list and could even frustrate others, but like everything else in this game it has charm and I adore it. The simple mechanics don't mean no challenge though. I was stuck often, but felt so satisfying when I won.

Some of the late game areas can be bullshit and will frustrate you, but stick with it. This is a genuine top tier hidden indie gem that got no attention. Honestly just under Outer Wilds this would be the other must buy. Absolutely play this.

Vampire Survivorlikes:

20 Minutes Till Dawn

Everyone knows about Vampire Survivor and everyone knows many games came out that tried to capture that style of gameplay. This one is the only one of those I've played and it's wonderful.

You unlock multiple characters and multiple guns with various upgrade trees. Kill the horde, survive, upgrade, survive even longer. Each level only takes 20 minutes, hence the title. I appreciate that as the game would never end with how strong you end up being by the end after you learn the mechanics.

This isn't anything groundbreaking, but if you need to kill half a hour then it's a fun thing to play.

Hawklikes:

Umurangi Generation

Let's fucking go!! This game rules!

As someone who is going to pursue photography more seriously as a hobby this game is perfect. Unlike something like Pokemon Snap or games with photo modes, this game really captures the feeling of holding a physical camera and the moment to moment decisions you make with each shot.

You unlock different lenses and control each shot as you would a real camera. After each photo you can edit it on the spot purely for your own creative reasons. The visuals are low poly and very colorful.

The game has a tony hawk style of progression. A hawklike if you will. You get dropped in a level and are given a list of photos to try and take. You can of course take photos of anything. You have a limited amount of film and can find more throughout the level.

Also there's a story. There's a dark undercurrent to the whole thing and the game is very overtly political in all the right ways. Don't like politics in your games? Fuck you! This game dives right in while still maintaining the core gameplay loop. Need more games like this please.

Please buy this game and it's DLC.

Action Games:

Furi

Top tier action game. It's a boss rush game, that's it. 10 bosses with some vague story that briefly connects them. It's not bloated with bullshit and knows exactly what to focus on.

The combat is a mix of intense melee combat with parries and dodges and the like, with twin stick shooting. No upgrades. No farming. No choosing between this weapon or that. No additional moves or mechanics. You fight a tutorial boss which teaches you everything and then you go. You have the full toolkit from the start and that lets you master it slowly over the game.

It's so fucking satisfying finally winning and knowing you improved and earned that win. I like the story as well. It's not that complex, but the ending bits worked for me.

If you want a genuine good action game that has no bullshit attached then get this.

Amid Evil

There's not much to say about this one other then it's really fucking fun. It's a first person action game where you use magic and weapons to go through combat filled levels. You have health and mana that all weapons use outside of your axe. The levels are filled with secrets, you move fast, and it's just a fun action game.

Sometimes a game isn't more then that and it beats games that are stuffed with unnecessary mechanical bloat. If you want a fun first person action game that's not just a full shooter then this is the game for you.

Adventure Games:

The Cat Lady and Lorelai

I love these games. No one ever talks about them or knows about them and they will certainly linger in your mind. The devs have made 2 other games that I have yet to get to so for now I am recommending only these.

Play The Cat Lady first. It's the first one and tells the story of a very depressed middle aged woman who gets a second chance at life, at a cost.

Lorelai is about a young woman in a very abusive household trying to survive while seeing what lengths she will go to save those she loves.

Both these games revolve around deals with a devil and feature a lot of horrific violence. Fun!

The stories in both evoke a creepy disturbing feeling and you're always on edge. I won't say these are straight horror games, but they sure use horror imagery. The art style really helps sells it. The animations or character models may not be the most beautiful thing around, but it has that indie charm I love. The voice acting isn't perfect either, but these aren't negatives for me. These are passion projects and imperfections are what make any piece of art shine brighter. Real people put their soul into these games and it shows.

The gameplay is standard adventure game fair, but all keyboard controlled. So no endless mouse clicking everything on the screen. which works wonderfully. Though being pure adventure games you're here more for the story then the moment to moment gameplay.

Please play these.

Detention

Detention is probably well known due to the controversy with Red Candle Games other game, Devotion being wiped online for shitty reasons. It's available now on their own websites store, though I still have never played it. I should one day as Detention was pretty fucking good.

The gameplay is the usual 2D adventure game fair. A lot of clicking and puzzle solving with some horror thrown in. The story and setting are where it's at though.

The game is unique in that it's made from Taiwanese devs and the games setting is rooted in their cultures history. I don't want to give away any real details beyond that, but it certainly left an impact and seeing a game not set in Europe, America, Japan, or any fantasy equivalent to those was refreshing. The games also not super long and could easily be beaten in a day.

Go buy it. Play it on a long free night. Support these devs.

Rime

I love the aesthetic of this game. Cel shading indie colorful goodness. I got this for the visuals alone and was very happy the game that came with it was good to. Visuals are a major factor in me getting interested in a game and the reveal trailer was enough for me to play it.

It's very light and cryptic on story for most of it as to be expected from this kind of game. You're a kid, you wake up on a beach and go forth exploring. You solve puzzles and hide from danger and go through each of the unique levels trying to piece together whats going on.

Like the game before, this isn't a super long one. Shouldn't take more then a day or a few to get through it all. Though I do recommend you take your time and explore like I did. Let yourself be immersed in the setting.

This is another example of just a pure perfect indie game. Doesn't overstay it's welcome, tells a simple but cryptic story, and has lovely visuals.

Atominous

This is the one of the few games on this whole list that I would say is truly obscure. In fact I have no doubt this is the most obscure. If you're big into indie games then nothing on this list will honestly surprise you, but I'm confident this is the exception.

In this free game you place as a a little guy who's job is like pest control. Instead of bugs your job is to collect and protect the world from rare atoms called Atominous. Basically little atoms that can alter reality. You go into a big house and your job is to find them through the power of puzzle solving and clicking every little thing you see.

This game is all about clicking everything. Nearly every object has unique text that pops up, if not multiple. You find keys to open more of the house and slowly suck up the atominous atoms and clean up the place.

That's it. It's a fun quirky little free game that shouldn't take more then a couple hours. No excuse not to try it, it's free. It's also the only game not on steam, but instead here

Adventure Games Where You Hit Things:

TUNIC

TUNIC is a lovely indie game. You play as a little cute fox and go on a adventure to save your poor trapped mom. such a cute game :3

I adore the visuals, I love low poly stuff and the game is full of charm. Looking at this game makes me happy. The game is like a mix of a top down Zelda and Fez and it being reminiscent of FEZ was what really took me by surprise. I won't go further in how it's like FEZ, but it really elevated the game for me.

It's a fun top down game with simple fun combat. You kill enemies, find key items, unlock more of the world, and get fed cryptic lore. The perfect formula for a fun little indie game. The game is decently challenging to with it's boss fights, and overall a nice fun little experience with some neat surprises.

TUNIC is wonderful, go play it.

Kena: Bridge of Sprits

This is the most PS2 game I've played since the PS2. I mean that as a compliment. This game felt like going back in time to a simpler time.

Visually the game is not at all like the PS2. The visuals are beautiful and has been compared to Pixar. It's bright, colorful, and well polished. To me this is peak aesthetics. This game is worth playing just to see all the work that went into the game's visuals alone.

It reminded me of a PS2 game because it's a self contained fun third person action adventure. Just a fun game with no bullshit holding it down or any other purpose then being a fun adventure. The world is a joy to explore with a nice steady progression. I especially love how the Hub is mostly corrupted and you slowly restore it over the course of the game. Shit like that always feels so good.

There's a lot of unexpected challenge to. Some of the later fights and especially bosses took me a bit to beat. Just like a PS2 game you'll get random difficulty spikes that are so fucking satisfying to beat.

I highly recommend this game.

Adventure Games Where You're in the Desert:

Sable

Sable is a coming of age story presented in a very fun interactive package. This is a game about heading out into the world and exploring on your own whim to figure out what your character becomes as an adult.

You play as Sable, a young adult girl who has to leave her tribe and head into the wider world to discover herself. The goal is to find mask which representative a life path and pick one by the end. The actual game is about heading into a desert open world, solving puzzles, helping NPC's, and discovering what bits of hidden lore hide throughout. You do this all on a hoverbike you can customize as you unlock more parts.

As always the art style is important to me and this game has something really unique. The characters animation is low framerate and it can be off putting to some, but of course I loved it as I love any odd creative choice. I love the lighting and colors to. It's hard to describe just why I was so mesmerised by the art style, but I can safely say it's one of my all time favorites.

The only negative goes to technical issues. The game ran like shit on my PC and my PC isn't bad. Even people with far better PC's then me ran into frame rate issues and others didn't have any. Sometimes games aren't optimized well, but this game was so magical to me that I loved it, despite the tech issues.

It's a very chill game. You want to explore a cool world at a slow pace and get lost in it? Sable's the game for you.

It Comes In Waves

This is a short game where you have to start over if you die. A penalty I feared, but truthfully this isn't that difficult of an experience. You start on one end of a desert and have to carry something to the other end as it grows inside a tank on your back.

As you wait for whatever your transporting to grow you will explore minimalist environments with some unique imagery that speaks of a wider history you just have to wonder about. The whole time you have to watch out for raiders and watch your water level. It always depletes and you will need to explore and refill it as you journey on. I also love how you have a map, but the map is like an actual map. It doesn't show you on it, but just the overall area.

This game will take you a hour at best and is unlike anything else on this list. There's something about just slowly walking across the desert, not knowing what's ahead, and hoping you can make it to the next water tank. Just a little experimental game about a harsh journey.

Platformers With 2 Entire Dimensions:

MO: Astray

Ever wanted to play as a little blob? No? Well you should because this game was a hidden gem. I was thrown off by this game at first and then pleasantly surprised by the whole experience.

This game feels like it should be a metroidvania. It's 2D and you're on a broken down ship or facility or something. Nope. This game is fully linear and at first I didn't think I'd like that and was disappointed, but it works so damn well.

You play a slime essentially and you have the magical power to read the last thoughts and minds of corpses by settling on their rotten fleshy head. With this power and other little story tidbits you learn what's going on, your purpose, and so on.

There's no combat in this game really. You move by shooting yourself in any direction you can see and you can stick to surfaces. There's danger. There's enemies. There's boss fights. All without the usual fair of attack/dodge roll, that's standard for 2D metroidvanias now. This game is something different and that alone makes it worth it.

Also a note on the boss fights. All of them felt very unique from each other I prefer having a few well crafted unique bosses then having a bunch of the same type of fight over and over again.

Another genuine hidden gem you should try.

Platformers With 3 Entire Dimensions:

Frogun

Frogun is adorable. It's like a N64 game and I love it.

You have a frog grappling hook and go through little short levels that ramp up in difficulty. There's optional challenges in each one. The art style is absolutely going for that early 3D low poly vibe that is starting to become more popular.

This is a perfect example of just a fun video game for the sake of being a fun video game. No serious story or message or intense complicated gameplay mechanics. Just a cute 3D platformer reminiscent of a older time.

Also I played this back when I used to stream and a Frogun speedrunner showed up in chat and helped me pull off a couple speedrunning tricks so that was fun.

If you want something simple and fun then here it is.

Cyber Hook

The ultimate speedrunning game. You have a gun, a grappling hook, and the ability to slow down time. This is a pure platformer. You enter levels with the goal of getting through as fast as you can.

I never got great at it, but the few times I really got going fast and flew through a level felt awesome. It's so satisfying finally doing things right after many failures and you will fail a lot.

There's really not much more to it. Neat visuals with satisfying and simple mechanics. If that sounds fun to you then check it out.

Marble It Up! Ultra

Platformers really are just the perfect mechanic to make fun mindless games with. Marble It Up! Ultra is another simple 3D platformer that's just purely focused on being fun.

As always it's not that complicated either. You're a marble and you try to reach the end of each stage with a time limit. There's items to stop time, make you jump higher, and go faster. Just all about building up speed and there's tons of ways to skip past parts of levels. Like the two games before, this one is perfect for speedrunning.

It's fun, go buy it.

RPG's:

Roadwarden

I was going to make a big post about why I preferred this to BG3, but scrapped it. BG3 is fun, but the story just bores me from the get go. Where BG3 failed for me Roadwarden succeeded. All story and all fantastic.

This is a text based RPG. Very simplistic visuals which show just enough to let your imagination handle most of the work.

You play a roadwarden who has the lovely job to travel the dangerous roads and help the townsfolk all while working on your greater goals. You pick between 3 starting classes and those do change how you approach things quite a bit. You have a time limit and that will force you to prioritize things over others. You can't do everything in a single playthrough. Your decisions matter and you aren't going to figure everything out.

You have to manage your health, money, hunger, and cleanliness. You will never have enough money for everything and that helps create more interesting choices. You have to manage what you do in a day. You meet a lot of people and forge allies or enemies and it's all told with stellar writing.

If you want a well written fantasy interactive story then you must play this game.

RPG's With Intense High-Octane Turn Based Combat:

Epic Battle Fantasy 5

A long time ago in times forgotten there existed these ancient relics called Flash games. Maybe one day I'll talk about old flash games I was into, but for now I'm only talking about the latest instalment in one of them. Epic Battle Fantasy is a series of games made by Matt Roszak. They started as little flash games, but have since turned into bigger games that are on Steam. 5 is the latest one and also the best so I'm recommending this one.

I've gone through this game multiple times. This game fucking rules. The game is easy to control, satisfying, and has my favorite turn based combat system period. No seriously, this is my favorite turn based combat system. I could go on what I like about it so much, but I'll spare you all most of the details. I'll say it gets rid of mana entirely and put all your abilities on cooldowns which changes based on what you're using. This just fixes balancing and helps you from spamming heals and all that. I love this system. It's easy to control, intuitive to understand, full of options, and can have a chaotic randomness I enjoy.

In this game you explore the overworld, solve puzzles, and fight enemies. The story is not at all serious or anything like that. It may not be a Flash game anymore, but it still has the older internet spirit of not taking things to seriously and being a little juvenile. There's also a lot of post game challenges that still are impossible for me to really do well or at all.

You can change the difficulty anytime and another thing I love is the entire game can be controlled with just a mouse. You can use a keyboard to, but a mouse covers everything which I think is neat.

This is such a wonderful combat system and the game I've beaten most on this list. If you want legitimately challenging turn based RPG combat and don't care about story or characters to get that then this game is a must play.

Shadows Over Loathing

Want a lovecraftian mystery RPG injected with a dose of comedy where everybody is a stick figure? Yes? How very specific, but luckily there's a game just for you.

Shadows Over Loathing is a turn based RPG where you search for your missing uncle in a area full of strange locations and characters. I never did play their other game West of Loathing, and I was pleasantly surprised by this one. It was a lot of fun, creative, difficult at times, and had a world I really wanted to explore.

It has a lighthearted comedic tone throughout and the silly art and stick figure characters help with that. The actual turn based combat is fun to. Nothing to complicated but could be challenging to which is needed to help this style of combat really shine.

There's really not much more to it. If this sounds like something you'd enjoy then please check it out.

RPG's Fused With A Light Novel:

Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of DANA

AA games still exist! I finally get to talk about Ys. I've played 3 Ys games and I'm going to talk about my favorite one because of the fun gameplay. This is a very unknown franchise that has existed since the 80's and even now the 10th instalment is set to release later this year.

As for why I'm recommending Ys 8, it's because it has some of the most fun gameplay. The combat is fast paced, encourages good timing, and full of that anime over the top stylish action. You control up to 3 characters and can easily switch between them. Each character plays differently and has their own special moves and everything just feels so satisfying.

You play as generic light novel anime man, Adol. Tagging along is generic tsundere light novel anime girl and other light novel anime characters. Like edgy boy with a gun, loli raised in the wild, and blue haired girl. You crash land on a island and have to survive and find survivors. Much like LOST the story goes off the rails and of course in classic JRPG fashion you need to stop the end of the world somehow. Unlike LOST characters are generic and the usual anime fair.

Despite the lackluster story this game still fucking rules because it's so goddamn fun to play. It also solved crafting forever by making it so you can convert common items into rarer ones making anything you find useful potentially. Seriously it's such a nice feature and all crafting systems without it are lesser.

If you want some fun action combat and don't mind anime bullshit then really, check out the entire franchise. Any of them will do, but this is the one I'd recommend the most.

RPG's Fused With A Light Novel and A WW2 Textbook:

Valkyria Chronicles 1 and 4

Picture this. WW2, but with anime and magical girls. Japan just never stops with these incredible ideas.

I adore these 2 games. I haven't played 2 or 3 as those are PSP games and I don't hear great things. However I can confirm 1 and 4 are fucking fantastic.

These games are tactical RPG's where you command troops one by one in missions. Most are usually about capturing a enemy base, but there's a lot of variety beyond that in both of them. You lay out your troops at the start plus your commander who's in the tank. You get a set level of CP per turn and each CP is used to control a unit. The actual game is probably piss easy for experienced tactical game players, but I'm not that at all. I found it legitimately difficult, both games.

What sets it apart is the game turns into a sort of third person shooter when controlling the units. You can freely move up to your AP and get one action to do. If it was just top down the whole time I'd find that not that interesting, but actually moving around and taking cover unit by unit is very engaging. There's 5 classes in the first game and a 6th added in the fourth game. Each class can be upgraded as well along with weapons, equipment, and the tanks.

The stories in both are nothing special truthfully. It's anime WW2 with silly dumb anime characters. I don't mind that and had a lot of fun, but if you can't stand something like Persona then these games will infuriate you. To me stupid anime characters in games can be a lot of fun, like Raz in 4, the dumbest but somehow most entertaining character for me. Expect some silly anime cliches and tone changes and the usual fair for these kinds of games. Even if the story is a big nothing for you, I still think both games are worth it for the gameplay.

Another aspect that I really love is all your units have personality traits that can trigger as you control them. What caught me off guard was that they're both positive and negative ones. There's ones like a woman having man hater and fancies woman as traits, aka the lesbian. There's straight up a guy with misogynist as a trait. Some are lonely, frail, daredevils, have crushes or people they hate, even one with the masochist trait. All these good and bad traits translate into potential buffs or debuffs that can happen in the game.

Sadly these side characters don't get much story in the first game. Just a unique design with some personality traits and maybe a couple in battle lines of dialogue. However, the 4th one introduced squad stories. Essentially little side stories that revolve around the non important squad mates. They were always fun to do and the missions for them are more unique because they are designed around only using those 3 characters.

I recommend both of them, but if you had to play one I'm not sure. 1 has the better story, the overall lore itself establishes in 1, and the gameplay is still fun. 4 has the better gameplay, more unique missions, and the squad stories which were a highlight for me.

Just pick which one sounds more like your thing if you only want to spend the time with one of them. Both are fun.

RPG's About the Harsh Reality of Capitalism:

Recettear: An Item Shop's Tale

I adore this games concept. It takes the common NPC seen in these little RPG adventures, the shopkeeper, and puts you in their shoes. You're father has a big debt to pay off and you now have to sell items out of your house to help pay it off before the deadline.

You lay the items out and then have to haggle your way to a profit. Finding the line of when to haggle and how much is the key to success and I failed miserably. I never did beat this game, but I haven't beaten many games on this list and that won't stop me from telling you to play them. I think the concept alone is enough of a reason to check it out.

The game does have combat as well. You can hire an adventurer to go with you into a dungeon and fight enemies for treasure. I like how you hire someone from the Adventurers Guild, just another cool concept as a typical game would have you play as the character being hired instead all the time. I also like how dungeons are high risk high reward. If they die then you lose most of what you gather and essentially just wasted the day.

It's just a cool concept and a nice change of pace from how a game set in these typical fantasy settings would go. You aren't some savior of the world, but just a shopkeeper trying to pay off debt.

Spooky Games:

Yuppie Psycho

Do you want a game about a corporate building being haunted by dark forces and being a badass fighting your way through it all? That's Control. You just want Control.

Unlike Control which bored me to death after a while. Yuppie Psycho is about a haunted corporate building, but you play a new lowly worker who's been tasked with something far above his pay grade. Brian Pasternack is a new hire who's in way over his head. What should have been a normal corporate jobs turns into a witch hunt, literally.

You aren't a badass and will have to sneak your way to victory, uncovering the buildings hidden secrets along the way. For me that's part of why this works over Control as a effective story. You're kind of a fucking nobody who has to be extra careful and is reluctant to even do this. Far more relatable honestly.

The joy of this game comes from exploring this building and uncovering the secrets and horrors. Each floor is unique and this game gets creative with the corporate horror vibe. I love some of the designs of things and how it blends comedy and horror together. It also has branching paths and even limited save slots which seemed frustrating at first, but wasn't really a big deal. Not saving every chance you can really adds to the tension when sneaking around.

It's not a true horror intense experience, but as someone who is a baby with horror I found a lot of genuine tense moments. It's a real indie gem.

The Complex: Found Footage

Kane Pixels backrooms videos are honestly pretty fucking great. I'm not usually a fan of horror at all, but there's something about these videos that just work for me. Then pgWave decided to make a video game creating the experience of exploring these kinds of spaces.

This is a creepy game where you slowly move through liminal spaces and just sort of get lost in it. There's no jumpscares or anything intense happening, but as a baby with horror this game was tense to go through for me. Honestly I appreciate it's not a more traditional horror game with a monster or something. Just dropped in a space that's inherently unsettling and leaving it up to you to explore.

If you have a free night and want to get lost exploring spaces only games could deliver then play it. It's literally free.

Games Where You Gotta Go Fast:

Distance

This game fucks. I actually remember when playing the first version of this game back when it was a student project. Students at DigiPen made a game called Nitronic Rush and it was (maybe still is?) available to download for free from the schools website. That game fucks and they announced a proper full game called Distance and it was one of the rare instances I actually bought a early access game.

Distance is a car game about going fast as fuck. The levels don't put you against anyone and instead just getting to the end is the challenge in itself. You have a boost that can overheat, a jump, and even wings when needed. The levels will require you to weave in and out of oncoming danger. They have jumps where you'll need to turn the car 90 or 180 degrees to land on a new track. All while giving you a wonderful sense of speed and accomplishment when you pull things off right.

It's not a easy game either and levels will get challenging. There's a ton of levels and challenges and if you get sucked into the gameplay then there's a lot to keep you there. This game seeks to deliver the thrill of going fast in a dangerous track where everything is out to kill you, and making it to the end. There's really not much more to say. It has a specific vision and fully realizes it.

Games Where You Trust the Heart of the Cards:

Foretales:

This game is very unique and nothing quite like what I've played before. The entire game is card based. Each of the characters have their own decks that are all mixed together in your hand. You have 4 resources you can collect, gold, food, fame, and infamy. You can get item cards as well. The board has various location cards you need to move through to move the story along. What's unique about this is the cards can be used in battle or on locations.

It's hard to really go into details how this all works, but you don't have a separate hand or anything for when combat begins.

Some cards have uses in locations and battles and others don't, but there all mixed together which adds to you planning ahead and making the best choice. You can use a eavesdrop card near a guard post to get a juicy secret which can be used for blackmail later. You can forage for food and obviously a forest will give you more then a mine shaft. There's a lot of really cool little interactions and creativity put into this systems that's just to complicated to type out and explain.

One thing I can get into is the best feature of combat. The fact that you can get through it without fighting or with less fighting then needed. Those 4 resources can be used in locations for story or optional reasons, but they can also be used in combat pacify enemies. Bandits can be bribed with gold or food for example. Fame and infamy can be used as well in certain circumstances. They are a constantly growing resource that always have uses. I'm sure it's possible to do a full pacifist run, though I imagine it would be difficult.

The game also has multiple paths for the story to go and lots of optional stuff. Multiple characters to use down the line but only 3 party members so there's more choice as well. Also everyone's an anthropomorphic animal because why not.

I just like how it's a card based game that's not just a battle between opponents or a roguelike or how cards are typically used in video games. If nothing else this game should be played for it's game design alone. If you want a really unique interactive story experience entirely dictated by cards then this is about the only game I know of like it.

One Step From Eden

I'm very bad at this game. So bad I still have never beaten it once. It's really fun all the same though.

It's a deckbuilding roguelike set on a grid. As the formula goes you fight your way through, choosing your path, collecting cards, and seeing if you can win. In my case that's a no.

The game is set on a grid where you have to manage what spells you currently have, dodging enemies, and somehow making sense of the chaos. You can unlock other characters that have their own unique mechanics to help freshen things up. Also the game just throws you in the deep end and lets you learn through playing. No tutorial or anything, just have at it.

If you're itching for a roguelike that's very fucking challenging then enjoy. 

Inscryption

This is another game I expect many others to know about, but if not then honestly just play it.

It's a rougelike card game set in a wonderfully crafted creepy setting. You're alone in some mysterious persons shack forced to play a really well designed card game. Of course if it was just that I'd not be recommending it.

The mechanics are well thought out and slowly learning the mechanics feels nice. You will fail, a lot, as is the case for roguelikes, but keep at it. The game is filled with secrets and puzzles and mysteries that you'll just have to figure out for yourself.

Much like with Outer Wilds way back at the top, I don't want to say much more. If you have somehow not played this or don't know anything about it then you should.

Tainted Grail: Conquest

This is still the only proper deck-building roguelike in the same vein as Slay the Spire. While I haven't played much of that and honestly couldn't get into it, this game I did.

It was described to me as Slay the Spire meets Dark Souls by some poor soul who's brain is forever lost in soulslike hell. In reality it's just a cool deck building game where you fight creepy monsters and slowly build up the village to make each run easier. There's characters to find and NPC quest you can make little progressions on each run. It's just enough story and context to give this game a sense or purpose and progression outside collecting cards.

What added more replayability to me beyond the quest was having 9 classes to work with. In truth it's really 3 broad classes with 3 variations on those broader class types. You have the fighter, archer, and summoner as the broad classes. They use similar cards, but their strategies vary with each subclass. A summoner is more about making their summons powerful, bloodmages use their own life to summon minions that get stronger and die on their own, and necromancers sacrifice their minions to turn into a Lich. The fighter and archer subclasses are as varied and it's a good way to use similar cards across different playstyles.

I had a lot of fun with this one. It's a fun deck building game. 

Thinking Games:

Manifold Garden:

I love the space this game takes place in. This is the shit only games can truly deliver on. The world is basically always looping. Each level repeats in all directions when your in open space. If you fall anywhere, you'll be ok. You can just fall endlessly even, it's very mesmerising and freeing once you get used to the fact that you can just jump off anywhere, and even needed to solve the level sometimes.

The other fun mechanic the puzzles primarily revolve around is the ability to walk on any surface and change gravity as you do it. Essentially you turn the wall into the new floor and is the main mechanic for puzzles in enclosed spaces. This game uses blocks of various colors and the simple task of putting them in the right slot is made complicated by having to altar gravity and matching them up. There's other mechanics introduced of course, but you'll need to discover those yourself.

The game can be beaten in a day give or take your skill at puzzles. I appreciate that it doesn't overstay it's welcome and uses it's mechanics in interesting ways. Also this reminds me I still need to play Antichamber someday.

If you like exploring spaces only games can deliver on or puzzles then this is the game for you.

FEZ

FEZ! This is such a fun interesting little game. It's probably well known given who the creator is, but if you haven't checked this out before, then you should.

The trailer makes it appear to be more a platformer then a puzzle game and that's half right. Similar to another game on this list, FEZ goes much deeper then a mere platformer. It has some esoteric puzzles. As I understand (could be wrong) one puzzle still hasn't been solved legitimately, but had to be brute forced and even now the community has no concrete answers on how you were supposed to get the solution.

The good news is the harder puzzles aren't technically required to just finish the game. You could still enjoy this as a fun platformer. The way the world works is you see the game world on a 2D plane. Like any other 2D platformer. However, the world itself is in 3D and you can switch the perspective to change where platforms and other things are. It's really fun moving about this world and in a sense each level is it's own puzzle to figure out how to get through it with these mechanics.

I highly recommend this game.

Thinking Games for DJ's

FRACT OSC

This is another game I would be shocked if anyone knew about. No one talks about this game ever and I don't even remember how I found out about it wayyyy back in college. This is also the oldest game on here I've played. I haven't touched this is years, but know I enjoyed it a lot.

What i remember is it's filled with music based puzzles. I also remember being very fucking confused and having to look shit up, but the real joy is just the vibe. Everything makes sound and the whole game revolves around music. I slowly explored as much as I could and just took it all in. It's a fun space to be in and I'm a sucker for being dropped in a unusual place only games can delivery on.

If you don't know shit about music production like me you might have a hard time or maybe I was just a fucking idiot and needed help. Either way I still recommend this to everyone.

Vibing with the Beat Games:

Sayonara Wild Hearts

This is basically a interactive album. It's a rhythm game that's not to difficult, which is good as this is more about the flow and vibe. There's not much more to say about it. It will take an hour and every bit is lovely. It's a visual and auditory feast that has some clever ideas packed in. I think everyone should experience it.

Soundodger+

This game won't be on the Steam store for much longer sadly. Warner Bros being shitty and taking cool shit down. I haven't played any other of the Adult Swim games that are being taken down, but I encourage you to find the list and get anything interesting while you still can.

The game itself is a fun little bullet hell rhythm game. The song plays and you are a circle in the middle of larger circle. Obstacles are thrown out into the middle timed to the music and you simply have to dodged them. I don't remember it being to hard, but I know there are community levels and I just have to assume those are going to be tough.

It's a cool game to vibe to and it's going to be gone soon. Don't miss your chance to get it.

Artsy Games That I Don't Know Where Else To Put Them:

The Beginner's Guide

This a narrative experience about the relationship between the narrator and the game dev who's games are being played. That may not sound like the most interesting premise, but trust me it's very engaging. This game has a unsettling feeling underneath it all and it's really hard to go into more without just spoiling things.

The actual game is you going through a series of small little games made by a Dev named Coda as the narrator Davey speaks to you about various things relating to the game and Coda himself. It's explores a character who's frankly caught up in a unhealthy obsession with someone else and quite the journey.

It will only take a hour and half to get through and I think it's worth a playthrough if you like narratives only video games can deliver on.

The Static Speaks My Name   

This is the shortest game on this list. It's also the most depressing. If you struggle with dark thoughts and depression and really need something happy to distract you, then do not play this little free game.

It's a sad and unsettling little experience that has a lot of room for interpretation. I'm a fan of little strange pieces of art like this and if this sounds interesting to you then it's free. Check it out.

Minimalist City Builder Games:

ISLANDERS

This such a cute game. It's a simple city builder where the goal is to keep building things correctly and move on to another island. You start on a randomly generated island and are given a set of buildings and a number to reach. Buildings will get bonuses based on whats near them and as you unlock more buildings the number to reach gets higher.

That's really it. It's easy to understand and a nice little relaxing game about building a cool island town. Pretty cheap and pretty fun.

Multi Genre:

The Hex

This is multi genre because it quite literally has many different gameplay modes packed in it. A bunch of old video game characters stay at a Tavern where a murder may take place. It's a murder mystery! Also so much more.

In truth it's a narrative video game about exploring these characters past lives and revealing a larger narrative underneath it all. This was made by Daniel Mullens who's latest game I recommended earlier. Much like Inscryption, this game slowly draws you into it's setting and drop feeds you it's secrets slowly.

The Hex was pleasantly surprising as I didn't really know what I was getting myself into. It's worth playing.

That's it. That's the list. Over 50 more games to add to your Steam library which means over 50 more games you'll get to, eventually.

[starmendotnet]

RETURN OF THE EARTHBOUND FUNKTASTIC GAMEPLAY SUMMER

Hello everyone! It is with GREAT ENTHUSIASM that we would like to announce the:

But first… what IS a Funktastic Gameplay Summer?

Us Starmen.Netters are bringing back a long-beloved sitewide tradition! The Earthbound Funktastic Gameplay Summer is an event that dates back to 2001, wherein the community collectively plays through EarthBound over the course of several “Gameplay Points” (GPPs). Everyone is encouraged to play along, and our team of stream hosts will be broadcasting their own gameplay on the StarmanClub Twitch channel. In addition, we will be celebrating MOTHER’s 35th and Earthbound’s 30th anniversary!

Maybe it’s been a minute since you’ve returned to the game. Maybe you’ve never played before! The idea is to get fans, new and old, engaging with Earthbound. With introduction out of the way, let’s move on to the deets:

THE SUBMISSIONS

An integral part of Starmen history is fan submissions, where the community creates fanart about the stream events, and just EB in general. As per usual, here are the categories:

Categories!

Writing: Stories, poems, theories… if you wrote it, it belongs here! Handart: Charcoal, paintings, sculptures… if you made it with your hands, it belongs here! Compart: Digital illustrations, 3D models, pixel art… if you made it with a computer, it belongs here! AudioViz: Music, videos, fangames… if it pertains to audio/visuals, it belongs here!

Prizes!

Winners will receive shiny badges on the forum to show off their mastery of Earthbound funk, as well as forum ranks and avatars!

Of course, opening up the floor to fanworks doesn’t come without its fair share of ground rules. Don’t worry though, it’s pretty simple stuff.

Rules!

Submissions must be related to Earthbound/the Funktastic Gameplay streams

If your submission contains content that would require a trigger warning (violence, sensitive subject matters, etc.) please put it in a spoiler box with a warning.

You may submit as many pieces to one category as you like, but only one can place

You may submit to as many categories as you like

Any submission must’ve been made for this event. No previous works!

THE STREAM SCHEDULE

Keep an eye out in our Event forum for the schedule drop, but livestreams won't be the only thing we've got going on!

THE ADDITIONAL EVENTS

If you can’t catch the streams, don’t worry! The streams are only a small part of our summer programming. In addition, there will be other events to keep the party goin’! These being:

Eagleland Scrapbook (July 15th – August 24th):

Get your cameras out and your bug spray on! This summer, we’re running a collaborative photo book! At the end of the event, your photos will be assembled into a digital booklet for your viewing pleasure. So, where to start? Well, we’re limiting subjects to four categories; birds, flora, fungi, and insects.

A couple notes; you’re more than free to submit multiple photos if you’d like, and there is no judgment on the quality of the photos. Just try your best to keep the camera as focused on the subject as possible. The event ends on August 24th, so get snapping! And most of all, have fun!

EB No Natsumatsuri (August 1st – August 24th):

Our highly calibrated MoonWatch Radar indicates that activity coming from the Annual Gift Man’s base is already approaching usual December levels, and climbing! That can only mean EB no Matsuri has come early, and that can only mean one thing: time to prepare a feast for the Gift Man’s arrival! The beloved Starmen.Net tradition returns, but in a brand new form! Instead of gift giving, we would like to encourage everyone to come up with or find a MOTHER-series themed recipe, make it, and share the recipe and pictures of your delicious dish with everyone! It’s a virtual potluck, and everyone’s invited. (Can’t think of what to make? Make Your Favorite Food, of course, whatever it is!)

And now for our final announcement at this time… prepare yourselves for something very special!

A NEW AND EXCITING OPPORTUNITY

This message is brought to you by PorcBanc™

The savvy investors over at PorcBanc™ have very graciously offered all Starmen.Net members EXCLUSIVE and PRIVILEGED access to a cutting edge, Earthbound-themed surprise to our Funktastic Gameplay Summer events! A special surprise will be released to the public on July 21st, 2024. Be sure to stay tuned for more details on all your favourite Starmen.Net media channels! Remember folks:

“With PorcBanc™, we guarantee profits HAM over fist!”

Guarantees or promises made by PorcBanc and its affiliated subsidiaries are intended for marketing purposes only and do not hold any legal value.

An event™ by PorcBanc™

[probably-mae]

Hi, its 2am and i spent the last 2hrs writing this out of pure boredroom

Sources : wikipédia, french and english version+fandom and another website i forgot for infos abt touhou

Who is Toby fox?

Hi and wellcome to m'y rant about the creator of 2 of m'y hyperfixations, Toby fox this zbsolute legend

Toby fox is a game developer and a music composer for his own games but also for other "small projects" like fucking pokemon.

Background

He originally studied enviromental sciences while working on music for the web-comic homestuck in 2009 and touhou fan music on Tumblr (he has his own touhou oc btw the name's Apple Girlington) (when i said he was a legend i wasnt joking, this guy has been in fandom culture he knows what were made of hes one of us) from what i've read he also made an album on mpreg called 'the baby is you'. His first game, or well first full fledged project in dev that we know of is a rom hack for Earthbound on the occasion of halloween 2008 .

Undertale

Ofcourse when i say Toby fox and you reconise that name the first thing that comes to mind us probably Undertale or Deltarune his biggest projects and most well know ones and also the reason im writing this at midnigth on a sunday (sue me, i cant sleep) anyways, if you infact didnt reconise the name or simply do not know WTF im talking about well let me give you a quick run down : Undertale is a game about a child falling into the underground, the place where monsters were banished many years ago and now has to find a way to escape it alive. Undertale's first kickstarter started in 2013 and the final game was published in 2015. It got really popular real fast gaining a lot of attention and praise for its originality in gameplay and amazing music making Toby a name for himself in the world of indie gaming.

Deltarune

So, deltarune, Deltarune is toby's secound game and is still going on rigth now and by that i mean that the game is stuctured with chapters, as im writing theres only 2 out of the 7 planed chapters out and 3+4 are getting released soon (June 5). This game was actually inspired by a dream Today had in 2011 he actually begane working on it after that while also beginning to work on Undertale, from what i understood Undertale was sort of a test to know if he could bring his idea to life, taking ideas from deltarune into Undertale, Resulting in the two games to have some of the main cast beeing the same while different due to a different setting and story, they are describe as beeing alternate universes of eachothers (does thqt make the other aus canon in a way?) anyways, on the contrary of Undertale who had a funding deltarune was put out there with for only warning a twitter post from Toby a few days before its release in 2018. A small rundown : Kris, a human teenager who lives in a monster village goes to class with his adoptive mom, she waves you goodbye and you enter class, the teacher runs out of chalk and asks you and Susie, the local bully, to get more from the suply closer, there you and Susie fall into what seems to be another dimention called a dark world and you have to get out of here alive. The game was released for free on most Platforms for the 2 first chapter (starting from 3+4 they'll have a price but you just gotta pay like 25 once to get all future chapters too when they release).

Nintendo

So, remember when i talked about pokemon ? Yeah well from what i gatered after his games got released on the switch, the guy got some connexions in nintendo and got to meet smash's creator, they played against eachother and ended up having a similar level, im not sure if its due to this but gamefreak did Ask him to make a remix of megalovania (one of undertale's most know songs) and the permission to implant sans as one of the mii's costumes in Smash Bros after. Later on he got to make a music for the batlle tower in 'sword' n' 'shield' and compose for 'Little town hero' all beeing gamefreak games and in 2022 he anouced working on pultiple song for 'scarlet' n' 'violet'. He also worked on various other project such as voice acting in 'we baby bear' or as a composer in multiple songs over the years. Bro even remixed ed sheran's song for pokemon wich i find hilarious.

This guy's work facinates me and i will forever be happy while enjoying it. Yippers

Some infos may be incorect, if you spot any, tell me! I'll correct it

Goodnigth Tumblr !

[smallearthboundfindings]

Did you know that in EarthBound’s Dusty Dunes Desert there is a random mole near the entrance that is nearly impossible to avoid? This mole is intended to be encountered on purpose to activate a flag that allows the sunstroke condition to start after you enter the area instead of on the road!

Here’s a cool video on the matter for all your mole needs.

[randomthefox]

Based on this

How much in your opinion should a fan want to change about source material before they aren’t a fan? Because wanting one scene to be different and wanting a character to be different are drastic two things but one didn’t necessarily mean you want source to be completely different

I will answer your question by flipping it in reverse

How much passion and investment in a piece of media does someone need to have to be considered a fan of it? How much does one need to engage with it to be considered a fan of it? Consider the earthbound fan meme.

CAN someone who has never actually played Earthbound be considered an Earthbound Fan?

In my opinion, no, they cannot. Fan is short for Fanatic. You cannot be considered to be FANATICAL about something you have never actually interacted with on any level.

You aren't a Taylor Swift fan if you've never listened to her music. I don't care how many posters of her you have taped up on your bedroom walls. You aren't a Star Wars fan if you've never seen ANY of the movies. I don't care how many times you've watched Clone Wars. You aren't an Earthbound fan if you've never played Earthbound. I don't care how much fanfiction you've read. You have never engaged with the source material. You aren't a fanatic.

A fanatic is someone who, in small or large ways, is CONSTANTLY thinking about the thing they're fanatical about. It is always in the back of their mind. It creeps into everything they interact with. You can never stop, never get it out of your mind. That's what the word fanatical MEANS.

If you have never even engaged with the source material

Then you aren't a fan. End of discussion.

Why people want to insist that they are fans when they aren't is beyond me. Why do you get out of calling yourself a fan of something? What medal do you win for being a fan? I don't understand why people want to claim to be a fan when they obviously fucking aren't. I like the first three Star Wars movies just fine, I find them to be enjoyable movies. I do not consider myself a Star Wars fan.

Why can't people just say that? Why can't they just say "yeah, I like it fine enough." Or "I appreciate the idea of it in general." Why do they NEED this title of "fan"? I legitimately don't understand the obsession with wanting to be seen and labeled as a fan of something that you aren't FANATICAL about. Just admit that you're not a fan. What's the big fucking deal about that?

Would you consider someone who wants to change ANYTHING about a character or the media that character is from to be FANATICAL about it? I sure as fuck wouldn't.

There's a difference between wanting to change, and wishing it to be expanded upon. Saying "I really wish this character had more screen time" isn't saying you want anything to be changed, it is saying you wish there was MORE of the thing you liked. THAT is fanatical.

Saying "I wish this character didn't do that thing he did" is not fanatical. You aren't a fan. A real fan would be saying "well WHY did this character do that thing he did?" and use their fanatical obsessive knowledge about that character to make sense of their IRREFUTABLY CANONICAL behavior and actions within the source material. If you are looking at THE SOURCE MATERIAL and saying "he would not fucking say that" then you aren't a fan, because obviously he would because as we can see that he did.

Why somebody would interpret being told they're not a fan of something as an insult is beyond me. I do not understand people's obsession with being acknowledged and recognized as a fan. Especially when you clearly have so little affection for the thing in question that you refuse to even consume the source material itself.

[here-there-were-dragons]

places you are most likely to find dusthides

earth

i mean, obviously

fire

some have ended up there as workers. not sure how many though. there's not many cliffs, so they live in the black hills and the mines.

wind

might find some in earthbound cave lairs on the surface, but they do NOT like the flying city zones

water

no????? where would they even live??? the only dusthides you'll find in water are travelers and the breedchanged. outside of maybe the tsunami flats and the inner lands of the peninsula, but even there they would be incredibly rare.

ice

their burrowing nature and habit of spending all their time underground has them adapting surprisingly well to the harsh eternal winter of the southern icefields, carving out rare occasional warrens among the low hills of the tundra countryside.

lightning

is desert. has canyons.

there are few colonies here seeing as how it is on the opposite side of the world and rather diametrically apposed to everything their home flight values, but there are a very small few tiny dusthide clans hidden among the cliffs of the carrion canyon regions. in recent times they have been known to integrate into lairs of ridgebacks with some difficulty.

light

it's on the other side of the planet and doesn't bear any particular resemblance to their preferred habitat so pretty damn rare. some might go their for scholarly or administrative bookkeeping reasons though

shadow

similar issues to light and lightning. however you will find some individuals and small clans hidden in the bramble in tunnels of their own make, very well hidden away from the outside world.

nature

here, they tend to integrate fairly well into the cultural landscape as storytellers and highly specialized gardeners, and are usually seen in mixed-species lairs rather than as dusthide clans alone. however there's still not many of them because it's the other side of the planet. and is very much not a desert, much less one with any cliffs.

plague

surprisingly one of the most common places to find them outside of dragonhome, though not by any means common compared to moderns. a dusthide here is still a nearly unseen novelty in most areas, and an at least relatively uncommon sight in others.

arcane

some moved into the crystalspine reaches and became floating pillbugs, other than that i have no idea. not super common, probably? but geographical proximity probably lends a bit of a population boost.

[suppermariobroth]

Super Mario Sunshine illustration from a 2002 issue of the Japanese Nintendo Dream magazine, drawn by Benimaru Itoh, character designer of Earthbound.

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[nerdy-bumblebee]

i am having emotions about mother/earthbound and i am making it everyone else's problem

infodump under the break

fuckin okay people clamoring for a mother 3 localization dont understand the fact that we already have one. its called the mother 3 fan translation. why the fuck does it need to be on an official nintendo console in order for it to be anything. the translation already exists! you can play it now! literally right now you can go and find the mother 3 rom and the fan translation patch and a copy of mGBA and play the entire thing. it is not that hard! you can even put it on a GBA flash cart or buy a reproduction cart with the fan translation on it to play it on original hardware. i have fully done this!!

there is nothing about an official mother 3 localization that could not be gained by sending your friend that wants to play it a patched rom and a copy of mGBA. it can run on most modern laptops, and quite literally is the most accessible fan-translated video game i think i've ever come across.

you know what would happen if nintendo officially localized it? it would be declawed. all of the slightly more nuanced weird adult shit would be in some way undercut or flat out removed. i can think of one and only one instance in which this would benefit the game and about ten thousand in which it would hurt the game. what we have is a rare chance to play the game in as uninhibited a state as we physically could without NoA's corporate meddling which is lowkey exactly what the third game in the mother series needs.

and even further; to those wishing for a mother 4: It's Called Undertale. Mother 5 is Deltarune. I know i sound like a cringe baby tumblrina about that, but those games are the only ones that actually capture the exact vibe of the original three mother games, but update them for modern audiences. the pop culture references become internet memes and jokes about that particular culture. all the quirky one-off gags and minigames are still present, and most importantly, the narrative is EXTREMELY personal. the benefit to having a dev team is that you get the game done quicker, but the downside is that you need to make a lot more concessions. toby fox making a relatively small game by himself gave him a unique opportunity to create his exact vision without many barriers. Now that he's making a comparatively much larger project (basically 7 undertales in a row, each a sequel to the last), he is enlisting help.

what i'm trying to say is that the mother game series is not the name, nor is it the series, but the ideas. it takes the vibes inherent to the franchise of earnest love and tongue-in-cheek wackiness and runs with it without stopping to wait for the player. it doesnt need nintendo for that, and it doesnt need the name "mother" for that either

[tributedreference]

Anyone remember the first Don't Forget demo? With the whole Gaster-vengeance plot and the corrupted timeline? Remember that? Shame it's been scrapped, but to be fair, the direction Don't Forget has been going in recently is very, very different from their first demo, so it is completely understandable. But a few years ago, I had some ideas as to where it could’ve gone (drawing more on the Earthbound Halloween Hack than I should’ve), but never did anything with it and have also forgotten several details. I’ve put together the remainder of my memories of the story I thought up here. I’ll probably never revisit it, so have a free concept. For backstory, Gaster and Sans find Determination and build a machine that lets them hop timelines. They both take doses of DT to remember. Gaster plays around with various possibilities in these timelines and does the thing all players inevitably do and start killing. Sans explains that he destroyed the machine while Gaster was still mid-travel between timelines to stop him, which ended up corrupting their home timeline and rebuilt a new one around them, one without Gaster in it. But Sans still remembers everything. Don't Forget royally starts after a TP route with you and him rebuilding the machine to try to bring Gaster back, only to get stuck in the other corrupted timeline itself. Sans sets off to find Gaster to fix the machine again, while you attempt to catch up to your friend. A bunch of lore drops imply Gaster blames Sans for his problems and has a nice surprise for him when they meet again. The game ends with Sans exploring Gaster's old lab and you standing in front of the lab's door. In one of the later Don't Forget demos, a machine exists where it puts you into stasis and has you live inside of your mindscape, which is also a thing and plot point in the Halloween Hack. Was wondering if the surprise Gaster has for Sans is something like that, only leaning more into the "Halloween" aspect of it. As you explore the lab yourself, you find Gaster hooked Sans up to this machine and help him out. To stop Gaster, you'd have to do the same to him, find a way to hook him up into his mindscape. You suggest going inside his mind to clear out the extra LV Gaster has accumulated to bring him back to who he used to be. Sans is hesitant, but the you go with it anyway. You go through Gaster's mind, pacify the figments of LV, until finally Gaster wakes up, setting him back to how he was, and booting you out of his mind. Gaster has himself a "god what have I done" moment, but still insists on calling Sans a monster. You ask why. Gaster points out that a new timeline was built without him, but since this is the Sans from the original timeline, there should be an extra Sans somewhere. You CHECK Sans. ATK 2, DEF 1. He insists it's from destroying the machine and corrupting Gaster. Gaster says otherwise. This leads to Sans stealing the blueprints to fix the machine to get home, something about wanting to keep his happy ending. I've no ending figured out. It could go two ways; the small bit of LV Sans has really is from the machine previously, and the other Sans is in stasis or something, away from the plot of the original game. Your Sans never attempts to actually do you harm, but he tries to slow your roll as much as possible. So you'd have to find another way home and go save the other Sans and convince yours to stop before doing something he'll regret. The other ending is that Sans did kill the other Sans to ensure he keeps his life untouched by his past and is a little less forgiving (or forgivable) when you try to stop him. Is this what the Don't Forget developers probably envisioned? Probably no. Is it out of character for many players involved? Yes, very much so. Could it use a lot more work than I have time to give it? Absolutely. Could this be viewed as a free writing prompt? Basically.