#story-rich

[artsekey]

A Spectacular, Spooky Spectacle!

I feel like I always preface these little game recommendations with, 'I'm not a gaming blog, but...', so I'll spare you this time.

(This post is not in any way sponsored-- I just like highlighting games that really knock it out of the park!)

Beacon Pines is a well-paced choose-your-own-adventure game with a compelling narrative that delivers at every turn. You step into the shoes of 12 year old Luka only a few months after his mother goes missing. Armed with nothing but the help of his good friend Rolo, the sly wit of his newest neighbor Beck, and the power of Charms, it's up to him to unearth the truth behind their quaint town... and save it from catastrophic ruin.

Without spoiling anything, Beacon Pines is gameplay light. Instead, it takes it's cues from the visual novel genre... with a twist. The story unfolds as a narrator guides you through the various chapters, and through your journey you'll encounter branches where one word makes all the difference. That's where you come in! Using the collection of terms you pick up by exploring the world, you can radically alter the course of fate. You'll rarely get everything right on your first try, but don't worry-- even failure is rewarded with new clues, new threads of the mystery, and new hooks that will draw you further into the story.

Sitting at a runtime of 5-7 hours, Beacon Pines is short but satisfying. The art is bright, fun, and well-rendered. The characters are all well written, and the music perfectly encapsulates whatever mood the story demands-- whether it's the comfort of a slow morning or a warning of danger in the dark.

However, the thing that really sets Beacon Pines apart from other visual novels is the writing! The mystery is a fun romp that keeps you guessing, the "multiple paths" mechanic is executed so well that you never really feel like you've made a bad choice, and best of all, the characters and their interactions feel sincere. I found myself smiling, laughing, sometimes stunned silent, sometimes teary-eyed... Though the game is short, the world is just deep enough for the story and it's characters to swim.

Beacon Pines is really just... sweet and genuine. I think that's the best way to describe it. If you need something to whittle away a few hours and get away from it all and like story-driven games, give Beacon Pines a go! It was recently on sale for $4.00, but it usually retails for $20.00.

For reference, other games I love that I'd put in a similar category (note, not the same-- I'm mostly looking at high-quality narrative games here! I'm providing this so you can decide if my taste aligns with yours!):

Firewatch

Oxenfree

Disco Elysium

TellTale Games (Tales of Monkey Island, Tales from the Borderlands, etc)

Inside

Night in the Woods

Slay the Princess

[gamemaster-redrobin93]

One of the things I found most fun about developing Mersia Muses was in creating the visual aesthetic that permeated both the world and the UI. A big fan of skeuomorphism and something I find almost essential in games I created the quest system to mimic ticket stubs in the real world where a completed quest would become a memory when the stub was 'ripped' and the reward received.

Because of the rhythm element of the game and story elements encouraging; 'gigs', 'battle of the band' and 'gathering music inspiration' I felt the ticket effect works well but let me know what you think!

[dmdarius]

Let's Play Ebenezer and the Invisible World |14| A Merry Christmas! | FINALE

After yet another anxiety inducing climb to the top of a tower, we finally find Casper! With the letters, the map and with his mother we can… we can… just what IS his invention supposed to do, anyway?

#ebenezer #metroidvania #xmas

[meanderforth]

Chapter 2 Complete!

Chapter 2 of Meander Forth is COMPLETE!

I plan to have a preview build available to patrons VERY soon, as well as a proper demo of the game before too long! Up next on the agenda is the Teak's Tall Tale prologue stage, however!

I'll keep you posted!

[bogglle]

Introducing my StansCo AU (AKA Stan and Ford invent the Dyson)

[achamocha]

english is not my first language please have mercy

[peartea-and-gaming]

Upgrading garage. Matter Deconstructor, Expanded Locker, and Detailing Station.

[egophiliac]

bring your son to work day

[mimimar]

witch hat atelier doodles from the past month ♡

[ayo-edebiri]

A Cinderella Story (2004) dir. Mark Rosman

[gamemaster-redrobin93]

The front and back overworld sprites are now available for the first 24 muses. I was finally able to redownload Aseprite and give the muses the attention they deserve. Next steps are side sprites along with idle and movement animations.

I know my art isn't perfect but I hope to improve it and continually update it over time. At frequent intervals I will be updating the Itch page with free downloadable assets. Please feel free to use for game jams, placeholder art or just to enjoy.

[dmdarius]

Let's Play Ebenezer and the Invisible World |13| Hot Time In The Old Town

With the map in hand, it’s off to the factory! Where there is just SO much molten metal that you’d think Casper was building a whole army! I suppose with how geared up the troops I have been facing are, that might just be the goal.

#ebenezer #metroidvania #xmas

[mikeywayarchive]

Instagram story by yallhavingbirthdaycake

[Jul 28, 2024]

[astromechs]

never forget that i am, first and foremost, a star wars prequels apologist

[bunabi]

I kinda wish the AMA didn't happen.

It's easy to lay Veilguard out and point out its issues, but with DA4's development being such a rollercoaster it was easy to chalk most of it up to time constraints and move on.

But being told upfront how much of it was intentional is hard. Like no matter how many posts I could write dissecting DAV to get my thoughts in order it just doesn't matter. It's meant to be this way. Or at the very least I'm supposed to believe it's meant to be this way. And that's hard.

You haven't seen any 'veilguard critical' from me because I find it useless to engage DAV from a critical perspective. What could be fixed won't be. What feels like a mistake isn't. Literally all I can do is take it at face value and enjoy its fun parts the best I can. And that hurts fr. But it's that or drive myself crazy. 😭

[peartea-and-gaming]

Murphy's first quirk.