Wow, games used to play differently. I'm no stranger to platforming/adventure/puzzle hybrids with very stiff movement and level design. This was all the rage in the 90s. Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine was my first dose of this kind of gameplay, and that game itself was copying Tomb Raider. Games in the 2d space, … Continue reading Steam Cleaning #16: Oddworld: Abe’s Oddysee

Celeste is one of my top three games of all time. When I saw a devlog about making an 'Excellent Platformer' featuring an artstyle kinda like the one in Celeste, it was an instant click. I followed along in the video, enjoyed the analysis of what makes platformers tick, and proceeded to by the game … Continue reading Steam Cleaning #15: Finding Xavier

Platform fighters have long been my favorite multiplayer genre… okay, Super Smash Bros. Brawl has long been my favorite. The rest are pretty good. When I found Brawlhalla in my library with only six minutes played (and no memory of playing it), I wondered what stopped me. Was six minutes even long enough to experience … Continue reading Steam Cleaning #14: Brawlhalla

Dicey Dungeons is a roguelite game of chance and strategy with a sense of humor and a short, pick-up-and-play style. In other words, it's right up my alley. As someone who has over a hundred hours in popular roguelite game Slay the Spire, this game immediately spoke to me. Turn-based battles with a random array … Continue reading Steam Cleaning #13: Dicey Dungeons

Dandara is a game about movement. It controls differently from any other game in existence, as far as I'm aware, sending the titular character rocketing through zero gravity to connect to magnetic-ish surfaces. Angling my control stick and taking rapid-fire leaps from surface to surface looks and feels amazing; the feedback from the screen and … Continue reading Steam Cleaning #12: Dandara: Trials of Fear Edition

I wanted to like Metal Gear Solid V. In the past, I'd already tried and bounced off of The Phantom Pain, but it's been a while. Maybe this time would be different. It was not. MGSV is an amazing game. Graphics are phenomenal, the stealth gameplay works perfectly, and I never feel like I'm fighting … Continue reading Steam Cleaning #11: Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes

Ever since I was in my mid-teens, I've dabbled in game development. I've entered more than half a dozen game jams, created dozens of game prototypes, and finished one long-term game project. Whenever I have an idea for a game I could feasably create, I write it down for later use. One such game idea … Continue reading Steam Cleaning #10: Wizard of Legend

I kneel in an alley, surrounded by mist and dead men. Eye to the scope, I hesitate, then squeeze off a powerful sniper round. The gun kicks in my hand, and suddenly I am following the bullet, time frozen as it barrels toward my foe. The shot enters my undead foe through the eye socket, … Continue reading Steam Cleaning #9: Zombie Army Trilogy

Underhero, the game I almost quit… twice. And yet, the game that kept me coming back to see what came next. I came into this game with low expectations. The platforming felt floaty and uncoordinated, and the text intro and animation for the prologue could have used some polish. Just some indie game, right? I … Continue reading Steam Cleaning #8: Underhero

Sid Meier's Ace Patrol Some (many) years ago the Humble Bundle shop offered every Civilization game from III-V in one cheap package, along with some other Sid Meier creations. Most if not all of those games have been on the shelf till now. Without any cutscenes or even so much as a menu stopping me, … Continue reading Steam Cleaning #6-7: Sid Meier’s Ace Patrol (and Pacific Skies)