Creative burnout and changes

Creative hobbies and their curse

I’ve had my content stolen and copy-pasted onto other blogs—sometimes just for ad revenue, other times with no credit at all. I’ve filed over 150 complaints, and now I’m even seeing sites translate my work and claim it as their own. Honestly, it wears on you. I bet this very article will be copy-pasted somewhere too.

I’m not quitting

The future

Bluesky or Twitter, catch me on live streams with Klamath, or check out my Moescape page.

Thank you all so much for the support over the years. This journey has been unforgettable, and I’m grateful to everyone who’s read, commented, and encouraged me along the way. I hope to find a better balance moving forward, and I’ll keep you posted.

And with that, I’m going to wrap up this article and thank you for reading it. I hope you understand where I’m coming from, and I hope you enjoyed reading it, too. I hope to be able to welcome you in another article, but until then, have a great rest of your day and take care.

Game Quicky: Spirit Hunter – Death Mark: Chapter 7 – Kaerazu’s Amusement Park DLC (Switch) ~ Spooky Park At Night

Nintendo.com microsite – Fandom wiki entry

As someone who has followed and written about every game in the Death Mark series, I’ve been eagerly awaiting any sign of a new installment. So imagine my surprise—and excitement—when, completely out of the blue, a brand-new DLC chapter dropped in April, exclusively for the Nintendo Switch version of the original Death Mark. While it’s a little unexpected that this new content ties into the first game rather than expanding NG or Death Mark II, I’m certainly not complaining. Any return to the eerie world of Spirit Hunter is welcome in my book. But the real question is—does this surprise DLC live up to the haunting legacy of its predecessors, or is it a chapter best left in the dark? Let’s dive in. (Don’t worry—I’ll keep spoilers to a minimum.) Also, feel free to leave your thoughts and/or opinions on this article and/or game in the comment section down below.

The good

Death Mark. This new chapter seamlessly continues the series’ signature blend of atmospheric horror, point-and-click investigation, and tense spirit encounters. If you enjoyed the structure and pacing of the base game, you’ll feel right at home here.

One of the most thoughtful touches is how accessible the DLC is. Despite taking place after the “good” ending of Chapter 6, you don’t need to replay or even finish the entire game to jump into this new story. That accessibility makes it easy for veterans and returning players alike to enjoy the new content without a major time commitment.

A particular highlight for me is how the jumpscares are handled. Unlike cheap “boo!” moments found in lesser horror games, the scares here are woven directly into the narrative—something NG also excelled at. These moments aren’t just startling; they serve a purpose in building tension and deepening the story’s unsettling atmosphere.

Another welcome feature is the ability to save almost anywhere outside of dialogue, giving you far more control and flexibility—especially useful when the story takes its time. Like in Corpse Party: Blood Drive, dialogue scenes can run long, so it’s wise to save when the chance arises.

A charming addition I really appreciated is the ability to talk to your partner at any time with the press of a button. It’s a small detail, but it adds a sense of companionship and immersion, making your partner feel like a constant presence rather than just a narrative tool. I’d love to see this feature expanded in future titles.

Visually, the chapter shines. The locations you explore are richly detailed and atmospheric, perfectly capturing the series’ trademark aesthetic. The spirit designs are impressively animated and genuinely unnerving. It’s clear that the development team has taken everything they’ve learned from previous entries and poured it into this new content.

The bad

That said, the chapter isn’t without its shortcomings. In terms of gameplay, the DLC leans more toward storytelling than exploration or puzzle-solving. If you’re hoping for intricate, brain-teasing puzzles or expansive environments, you might walk away feeling a bit underwhelmed.

It’s not that the puzzles are bad—they’re just few and far between. This chapter is clearly more focused on delivering a compelling narrative rather than challenging gameplay mechanics. For some, that’s a fair trade. For others, it may feel like a missed opportunity.

Clocking in at about 3 to 4 hours, the chapter is relatively short. And while the writing is strong, I did find myself wishing for a little more build-up and complexity to the mystery. Compared to the standout Red Riding Hood chapter that came before, this new installment doesn’t delve quite as deeply into its haunting themes. Of course, I could just be a bit over-eager, having waited so long for new content—I’ll admit my expectations were sky-high.

Conclusion

Death Mark II, this one is a clear step up. Short but impactful, I’d place it on par with Chapter 3: Hanayome from the original game—concise, emotionally resonant, and haunting in all the right ways.

If you’re a fan of the series, this DLC is absolutely worth playing. While it may not redefine the franchise or offer a ton of new gameplay innovations, it’s a welcome return to familiar horrors—with just enough new polish to leave you hoping for more.

Here’s hoping this is just the beginning of a Spirit Hunter revival. My appetite for ghost stories, twisted mysteries, and eerie atmosphere is far from satisfied.

I know this was a rather short article, but I have said everything I wanted to say about this chapter. I’m planning to stream it with Klamath later this year. So, keep your eye on the YouTube channel. And now it’s time to close off my article. Thank you so much for reading this article and I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. I hope to be able to welcome you in another one, but until then… Take care and have a great rest of your day.

Score: 4/5

Casual Game Banaza – Tropix, Sally Salon, Fiber Twig & Shopmania

Sometimes I enjoy playing games that are just perfect to relax. And since I was a bit under the weather lately, I needed an amazing casual game to play. So, in today’s article, I’m going to give a quick overview of some casual games I played during my time under the weather. Maybe I’ll do a more in depth review of these games later, but now… I quickly want to touch upon them. If you know any great casual games I should try, give me a comment on this article, and who knows… Maybe in the next article, they will appear. But, you can also leave a comment with your thoughts and/or opinions on the content of this article and/or the games.

Tropix … Your Island Getaway

Official website – IGN page

In Tropix… Your Island Getaway, you have to play several classic mini-games like a bubble popper, mahjong, blowing, a word making game, Sudoku…

Sally Salon

Gamehouse wiki – Bigfish games

A big subgenre in the casual game scene are the time management games. One of my favorite time management games is Sally’s Salon. In this game, you run your own beauty salon, and you have to make your clicks matter. Since, the order matters.

It’s both a management sim and a puzzle. The further you get in this game, the more hectic this game becomes.

Fiber Twig

Bigfish – RealAracade Wiki

There are a lot of casual games where you need to fill in a certain shape and don’t let the conveyor belt at the bottom get filled. But Fiber Twig does a unique twist on the genre. In this game, you have to connect tree branches, and you can only continue if the light energy doesn’t escape.

Shopmania

Bigfish games page

Shopmania is also a game like Fiber Twig, where you have to place all the items from the belt to the playing field. But the twist in this game is that you have to keep things like color, shapes and other things in mind.

The idea is, that you work for a super mega store to buy medicine for your sick hamster. And in this store, the employees shop for you. So, you have to fill the customers their carts.

Final thoughts

Honestly, playing these casual games while I was under the weather felt like reconnecting with a simpler time. Whether it was racing my sister in Tropix, strategizing my way through Sally’s Salon, getting absorbed in the puzzles of Fiber Twig, or smiling at the quirky humor in Shopmania, each game brought back a small but meaningful spark. It reminded me that sometimes, it’s okay to slow down and just enjoy a bit of playful chaos or quiet thinking.

I could go on for quite a while about other relaxing games I’ve discovered over the years—but I’ll save that for another article. Who knows, maybe the sequel to Tropix will make an appearance next time. Thank you for reading and spending this little slice of time with me. If you have your own favorite casual games or thoughts to share, feel free to leave a comment. I always enjoy hearing what others are playing.

Until next time—take care, and may your sand dollars stack high and your cart combos never break.

And with that said, thank you so much for reading this article. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it. I look forward to welcoming you back in a future article. Until then, have a wonderful rest of your day, and take care.

My favorite gaming music #30 ~ Favorite background tunes for work and writing

Previous entry in the series

Sometimes, I like to talk about other aspects in the life of a gamer. One of those things is game music. While I am not an expert in music theory, I find music a very important part of the experience. Also, music helps me focus during my day job and other hobbies as well. Recently, I found out that I often listen to certain tracks in certain contexts. I had an idea. Let’s write about that as the special for my 30th article. This article will be about my favorite video game tracks. So, this article will be very different from other articles in the series. But, I think it’s a fitting way to celebrate reaching 30 articles in this series. I hope to share some interesting music with you all. If you have interesting soundtracks you listen to at certain points, please share them in the comments. I am curious to hear them. Of course, feel free to leave a comment with your thoughts and opinions on the article and/or the chosen tracks.

Persona 5 Royal – During work

Information of the Megami Tensei wiki

I often listen to one soundtrack ever since I started playing the game. It has to be Persona 5 Royal. Before I played any Persona game, I heard quite a lot about it and how much the praises were sung. And when I was able to play the game, it didn’t disappoint at all.

The writing, pacing and gameplay. It all clicked with me. It’s an energetic jazz soundtrack. Likewise, it gets you hyped in at the right moments. It also puts some swung in the game. The soundtrack hits all the right moments and adds so much to the atmosphere of the game.

I place the soundtrack of this game on repeat more often than I care to admit, actually. Some days, I only listen to Persona 5 Royal soundtracks. I also enjoy the spin-offs like Persona 5 Strikers and Persona Q.

Cult of the Lamb – Writing

Info on the Cult of the Lamb wiki

When I’m writing more general articles, I often play the game’s soundtrack. This helps me get in the mood of that game again. It makes me remember the game even more. Since, I have a very associative memory when it comes to writing game reviews.

Not every game has a long soundtrack. Writing sometimes takes a few hours to finish an article. I find myself going to the soundtrack of Cult of the Lamb by Riverboy. It has the perfect mixture of more calm, chill, and relaxing tracks. It also has the more intense tracks for when you are in a dungeon or fighting a boss.

For some reason, and I can’t explain why, while I’m listing to this soundtrack outside the game… I find myself in the perfect trance to write. So, I think, that this soundtrack is an indoctrination tool to join the cult of that lamb. Or maybe not, maybe I’m just making a silly joke here. Right?

Story creation

I started to mess around with AI chatbots and AI art. Since then, I found an amazing outlet for all the stories I want to write. This also allows me to try to create them. While I still have a lot to learn to create the great bots, I’m learning by trail and error. I also have some fellow creators and players who give me advice and support. It’s a very welcoming community, and I’m loving every part of it.

My favorite platform is MoeScape. If you want to see what I created, feel free to take a look on my profile. But outside of bot creation, I also interact with a ton of bots. I try out certain scenarios to challenge my writing skills. It also serves as an outlet for my love of writing stories.

Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series.

I have played through all those games. I have to tell you, the moments where these themes play hit HARD. This brings my head space back to the memories I had while playing the games. And those memories help me improve my writing. Maybe it’s an illusion I tell myself. I tend to remember the sadness heavy arcs I write better when I’m listening to these tracks. Another strong track I listen to while writing more emotional breaking scenes is from the Nonary games. The track Blue Bird Lamentation kicks you in the emotional balls when you are not ready for it. I especially love the remake they did in the final game of the trilogy, Zero Time Dilemma. It has a bit more umph as they said to the still strong original.

Nonary games, the soundtrack of all three of those games is a chef’s kiss. I use it when I’m writing more tense and/or horror scenes. Shinji Hosoe knocked it out of the park with the soundtracks of all three games. It adds a more creepy vibe for when I’m writing the more tense moments. While soundtracks like the ones in Silent Hill could also work, those games fit a very specific style of horror. I feel that the Zero Escape trilogy gives you a bit more range with its soundtracks.

This is not to say that Silent Hill has a bad soundtrack, heavens no. For my writing style, the soundtrack of the Zero Escape series hits harder. It gives me more flexibility. And maybe I’m biased since I played more of the Zero Escape games than Silent Hill games. Highly possible. In case you want to listen to the soundtracks, here is a link to a playlist. It features Zero Time Dilemma’s soundtrack. There is also 999: 9 Hours, 9 People, 9 Doors soundtrack. And of course, Virtue’s Last Reward soundtrack.

Monster Tale. This old classic DS game, was a unique metroidvania.

In Monster Tale, you had to not only get stronger yourself. But you also had to raise your monster to help you fight. You had to decide your monster companion’s role. Your companion could help you fight and solve puzzles on the top screen. They could also eliminate treats and enemies on the bottom touch screen.

The soundtrack of this game is excellent. It is a great choice if you are traveling through an unfamiliar world in the story you are crafting. And maybe, I’m being a silly hopeful fan that the remake is coming. But after almost 10 years of radio silence, I don’t think it will see the light of day.

Ace Attorney… doesn’t listen to the court themes like the Pursuit themes. And then, they imagine how it would feel to break down a criminal or liar. This happens while that glorious music is playing.

And yes, when I’m playing more human characters with some bots, it often goes into a confrontation. You bet your sweet behind I’m playing part of the Ace Attorney soundtrack. I love using themes like the suspense themes or the Tell The Truth themes. Ever since we got the “The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles”, we’ve enjoyed amazing investigation themes. We also enjoyed deduction themes with the Joint Reasoning / Dance of Deduction.

Etrian Odyssey. An amazing game series that started on the Nintendo DS.

It’s a dungeon crawler RPG where you have to draw your own map on the touch screen. I’m glad that Etrian Odyssey got a port to modern consoles and even PC. These are amazingly charming games. The music is addictive and really fits the atmosphere. It works for me while I’m writing exploration scenes and cosy camping nighttime scenes. The battle themes are also quite nice for the fighting scenes.

Clint Bajakian of the western shooter Outlaws is perfect.

It’s also an amazing excuse to talk about the amazing game Outlaws. An amazing and addictive shooter was released in 1997. It brought amazing titles like Loom, The Secret of Monkey Island, and Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis.

It’s an amazing shooter where you have to reload each bullet yourself and know when to reload. Since, the higher the difficult, the more unforgiving this game becomes. I linked my review higher, so if you want to know more about this game, give it a read.

Conclusion

I could write for a long while about the soundtracks I listen to at work. I enjoy them during hobbies and while coding. They accompany me while interacting with or creating bots, as well as preparing for a live stream… Like the soundtracks of the Castlevania games on Nintendo DS. Also, don’t get me started on the use of some tracks of the Legend of Zelda series, like Gerudo’s Valley. Oh, when I’m chatting with a bot about the past, the theme song of Time Hollow inevitably comes up. When the line “wish we can change the past” appears, I somehow try to weave it into the story.

But, I’m going to stop myself here and keep other soundtracks for later. Otherwise, this article becomes a bit too long. I might keep this subject for the next celebration article in this series. To be honest, it was a fun way. It allowed me to look back at the games I have reviewed. I’ve also talked about them over the past 15 years of writing this blog.

Fifteen years of writing a blog. I deleted and rebranded my old Dutch lifestyle blog from 2010 till 2013. However, I have been writing about games since the very start. This blog is an amazing timeline and look back to all my adventures in my life. And the music associated with those games bring back so many memories. And thankfulness to everybody reading and interacting with my blog. I hope you enjoyed today’s article and also the sneaky look back to past articles. I can’t help myself. One final amazing OST I listen to while I’m coding is the one of Stella Glow.

With that said, I want to thank you so much for reading this article. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. I hope to welcome you in a future article. Until then, have a great rest of your day. Take care.

Game Quicky – Balatro (PC – Steam) ~ Running Poker Multipliers

Steam store – Official website – Wikipedia page

Sometimes, it’s the simple games that entertain me for hours. Who thought that a new spin on playing Poker could be so refreshing? It even wins several awards at the game awards 2024. Now, my good streaming buddy Klamath bought me this game for my birthday. I decided to give it a go, and I was surprised. In this article, I want to share my honest first impression. I will also discuss what I like about this game. Additionally, I will mention what I don’t like about the game. I have played Balatro on my PC. But, if this game looks interesting to you, feel free to discover it on other platforms like mobile and consoles. Before I dive into this card game, please leave a comment with your thoughts. Share your opinions on this game or the content of this article.

The good

  • The chip’s multiplier doubles. This only happens if you have spades and clubs left in your hand.
  • The gained points for a played and scored ace doubles.
  • Gain 2 extra chips per card left in your deck after playing each hand.

    • Some of these Joker cards can be a lifesaver. Especially the free chips ones. Others, force you into a certain playstyle. Each time you hit the shop, it’s a difficult decision. Should I continue with this set of Jokers, or should I replace one? You only have 5 slots. Changing one out might increase your points just enough to survive another round.

    This game is the perfect blend of strategy and luck. You need to get lucky with the cards and not use up all your discards quickly. Since, you don’t get them back easily. The rougelite elements in this game give the usual poker game should a fresh spin. How far do you get with all the jokers and how high will you score? Since, it doesn’t matter if you survive a round just barely. Survival is survival, and maybe then you can buy a new joker card that elevates your run.

    You restart with zero points and new hand and full deck each round anyway. Or you can gamble it all and skip a round for an interesting bonus. And if you loose, you reset to the start of the game for a whole clean run. Once this game clicked, it became the perfect “one more run” game. Betting with myself how far I would get this time.

    This game is quite responsive. In terms of controls, this game is quite easy to control. The UI is perfect as well. I’m also glad that there are various accessibility options in the game. Things like reduced motion and high contrast cards are important. The more people can play the game, the better.

    The save system is easy to use. You can just exit the game and restart from where you left off with ease. Also, there are three player profiles. You can also name the profiles, so you easily know which profile is which. Not to mention, you can unlock everything, but then you won’t be able to go for those sweet Steam achievements.

    The bad

    Cult of the Lamb and Slay the Princess. But only having those face cards in one suit be changed, it didn’t scratch the itch enough for me. Maybe using smaller images on the number cards of the suit would make it even more enjoyable. Then again, how could you do this? It would require massive development time and designing a whole card deck per reference. So, I can totally see why the developers made this choice.

    The conclusion

    In the end, Balatro is a fantastic blend of strategy. It has elements of luck and engaging roguelite mechanics. These features keep me coming back for “just one more run.” Its polished visuals, clever gameplay twists, and thoughtful accessibility options make it a standout experience. The game has a few minor drawbacks. These include the limited tutorial recall, the music’s slight repetitiveness, and the poker learning curve. Despite these, the issues don’t overshadow the sheer enjoyment this game offers. If you want a new take on poker, try Balatro. It challenges your planning skills and keeps the stakes high.

    I’m happy that Klamath gave me this game for my birthday. It took me quite the while to actually give this game a shot, but I’m happy that I did. I can easily play this game during short downtimes. It’s easy to pick up and play. I also think that this game might be even more fun on a tablet or on the go. During long play times, it can become repetitive. However, this is oh, so fun in short bursts. It’s also exciting if you are able to string together a long combo or run.

    I want to congratulate the team behind this game. LocalThunk and Playstack, you made an awesome card game. It has a unique spin that makes me come back for more. The praise and awards are totally deserved. I am eager to delve deeper into the game. I am excited to discover what else some jokers I haven’t discovered yet may have in store for me.

    And with that, I want to thank you all for reading this article. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. I hope to welcome you in a future article. Until then, have a great rest of your day and take care.

    Score: 95/100

    Game Quicky: Everloop (PC – Steam) ~ Did This Happen?

    Steam store page – Developers link

    You walk in a corridor and after turning the corner and see an altar and 8 candles above it. Then you turn the corner again and you see the same corridor again. You remember the note. If something looks off in the exact copy of the corridor, you need to return to the start. Then walk the other way. Otherwise, you have to continue walking through the Everloop. Will you manage to escape the looping corridor and understand its mysteries? Well, that’s what we are going to discover in this game quicky article. I invite you to leave a comment down below. Share your thoughts and/or opinions on this game or the content of this article.

    The good

    The negative

    other similar games in this style, you don’t have changes that if you touch them, end your run. This is something I feel mixed about. At one hand, it’s amazing to not have your run be ended out of nowhere. But on the other hand, it takes away some tension this game can have.

    This is a nitpick, but the game doesn’t show you a number on how many changes still haven’t been discovered. But, you can easily calculate that by looking in the codex on the main menu.

    Some people might find this a negative aspect of the game. But, I totally understand why the game works this way. When you exit the game and go back in it, you start from zero in your loop. So, keep that in mind if you think that the game saves your round progress.

    You will notice all anomalies that this game offers. After beating the game, there isn’t much replay value. This negative isn’t big. This game is only €5. Still, I rather mention it in the negatives section. Some people find it important that there is replay value in their games. But, I personally don’t mind it since it’s a lovely small experience that is a blast to play through.

    The biggest negative is that there is no easy way to reset your progress. To do that, you have to remove your save file and turn off Steam Save Cloud syncing. In various other games in this genre, there is an easy choice in the options’ menu to make that happen.

    Conclusion

    Shinkansen 0, Dead end Exit 8, Project 13 to name just a few. And I find that Everloop should be in the list of the better titles. It feels like a lot of love and care has been put into this game. Especially the codex with the small blurbs. It makes various things sound bigger and more dangerous than they actually are. It’s an amazing touch that Infinity Green Game Studio added.

    If you want a small game made in Unity, I highly recommend this one. It is a nice spin on Exit 8 with a more Brazilian twist. I enjoyed my time with this game so much. I even placed it on the long list of my top 10 games I played in 2024.

    And with that said, I have said everything I wanted to say about this game. I am curious to see if any of you give it a try. If you do, feel free to drop a comment with your thoughts and opinions. Well, I hope you enjoyed reading this article as much as I enjoyed writing it. I hope to welcome you in another article. Until then, have a great rest of your day. Take care.

    Score: 80/100

    NekoJonez’s Top 10 Games of 2024

    It’s that time of year again, a full year has passed. Normally, I publish these articles a lot sooner, but I took full advantage of my Christmas break… And after that, I had some problems with my internet connection. But now I’m back. And it’s about time I talk about my top 10 games I have played in 2024. The rules of this list state I don’t have to have beaten the game. Yet, I must have played the game for the first time from January 1st, 2024. This means that games released before 2024, but I have only started to play in 2024 are fair game. This list is my personal opinion, and I’m open to hear your opinion on my picks. Feel free to also add your own list down in the comment section. So, here we go, the big list. A list that I always have trouble in creating at the end of the year. As an editorial note, the listed platform in this article is the platform I played the game on. Not all the platforms the game released on. The date after it, is the release date for said platform.

    #10 – Persona 5 – Tactica (PlayStation 4 – November 2023)

    Persona 5 Royal and Persona 5 Strikers and I fell in love with the cast of Persona 5. And then, a new game got released with the Persona 5 cast and I jumped for joy.

    The gameplay might not be my most favorite style of playing, but the game is quite addictive. It’s basically Persona in a Fire Emblem jacket. I’m now mid-way through the game but got distracted by other games. I can’t wait to finish this game in 2025. The story is quite well written. It is an amazing spin-off story for Joker and the gang.

    Now, I won’t go too much in depth since I’m planning to write an article about this game. So, I’ll talk more in depth about this game soon. But, now… it’s time to save Joker from his forced wedding.

    #9 – Slay the Princess – The Pristine Cut (Nintendo Switch – October 2024)

    #8 – Another Code – Recollection (Nintendo Switch – January 2024)

    My first impression

    Cing was an amazing developer that sadly went bankrupt. They developed amazing games on the Nintendo DS and Wii like Another Code – R & Little King Story. But to me, the Another Code set of games is one of their best work.

    When we got a total remake in 2024, I wanted to play it right away. I convinced my streaming friend Klamath to play this game with me live on stream. I have to tell you, they did the two games justice. I’m so glad that these two games saw the light of day again.

    While I have beaten the originals, the new and improved version is just amazing. It has a strong message and is a blast to play through. Although it sounds like a boring setup, it’s a game full of surprises. It is a more relaxing and charming game. It is more grounded and keeps things realistic. The characters are well written and set in a charming world.

    #7 – Hypnospace Outlaw (PC – March 2019)

    My review

    Trying to manage a community isn’t an easy task to do. It’s a fun challenge to do in a game. That’s why management simulators are so popular.

    But, combine that with the old school internet from the time I was a young kid, I am beyond intrigued. So, we have to report and clean up personal websites and projects? As a creative, I have my own place on the internet. I can share my opinions there. This hits close to home.

    I wrote my opinion on this game in my review. If you want to know more about this game, I highly recommend that you give my review a read.

    Now, there is a sequel in development called DreamSettler. If that’s created with the same love and care for that time period, and it matches the devotion this game has for its time period, it will be thrilling. We are going to be in for a wild ride.

    #6 – Palworld (PC – January 2024)

    Wishes for future updates

    Sometimes, all that I need is a good open world game with unique mechanics. A world where you have to survive and explore. This year, Palworld brought that to me.

    At first, I was skeptical. I thought: “This is going to be a monster catching game and nothing too much more.” But the more this game got developed, this more things got added that gave more depth to the game. More fun things to do, more polish to the game.

    I have lost countless hours during this summer playing this game. It was an amazing time sink for the base game that is already here. A lot more is coming in the future. I wonder what the final game will be.

    #5 – The Legend of Zelda – Echoes of Wisdom (Nintendo Switch – September 2024)

    My first impression

    Okay, this might be an upset. Usually, I place new Zelda games quite high on my list. But, this time I place it right in the middle. This year had a lot of amazing games. I had a lot of fun with this title in 2024.

    I dropped it for now. I got distracted by other games and I forgot that I was playing through this game. I have placed it on my top 10 list. It rightfully deserves a spot on that list. I want to finish this game for real.

    Since, the concept of Echoes of Wisdom is just amazing. What I love most is that this is a totally new 2.5D Zelda game like the classic games. I hope that the reception of this game is enough for Nintendo to still make 2.5D and 3D Zelda titles. Since, both have their place in the market and with this amazing title.

    #4 – Spirit Hunter Chapter 3: Death Mark II (Nintendo Switch – February 2024)

    My review

    The Spirit Hunter series is one of the best horror visual novel series. This game ensures you don’t need to have played the original Death Mark. It’s excellent because you can still understand what’s happening in the story.

    The game takes a lot of steps forward and makes the game have more meat around its bones. Walking around in the locations is a lot more fun in this title.

    Some game mechanics are underused. For example, the jumpscares and the padding aren’t always present in this game. Things like the Soul Health are barely used. But, the battles with the actual spirits are even more amazing in this title. Especially with the randomness of your attack failing. It gives a more tense and realistic spin on battles.

    Now, I’m hoping so hard that a 4th chapter will be released. Since the concept of this game is just beyond amazing. The writing is always great and the overall mystery is built up so nice. So, if anyone of Experience Inc, would be reading this… We want more!

    #3 – Moescape (PC, 2022)

    My article

    I love writing small stories as a hobby. Since the summer of 2024, I wanted to give those AI roleplay apps a chance. And I’m happy that I did. MoeScape AI is a platform that really clicked with me and with the amazing community around it… I just feel in love.

    My brain often gets creative. When this happens, there is a fun bot waiting for me. I can play around with the idea. And if there isn’t a bot that fits the idea, it’s easy to make one. The control that Moescape gives you is beyond amazing. You can easily make a knowledge base. There are various AI models to choose from. With each update, it gets better.

    Something I really like is how open the staff is on the Discord. Like, they tell you when things are down. Or when certain decisions need to be taken. Like filtering certain things on the platform due to restrictions from Apple or Google. But, they have a less filtered platform as well. So, they have Moescape and Yodayo. If you go premium, your account is premium on both platforms, and it’s amazing.

    #2 – Indiana Jones and the Great Circle (PC – December 2024)

    Since on the streams, a lot of random and enjoyable banter is happening. And truly, if you want to see amazing speedruns of this game, check out the_Kovic on his Twitch channel. He has deep knowledge of the game’s inner workings. He shares a lot of interesting insights during the streams.

    Now, prepare yourself for an article on this game in the future. Since, I have a lot of things I still want to say and I’m keeping them all for the article.

    Honorable mentions

    This list wouldn’t be complete if I shout out various other games I have played in the past year. Not every game made the cut. I still wanted to mention those games that made the long list but didn’t survive the selection process.

    Cave Digger 2 (PC), Buckshot Roulette (PC), Refind self (Nintendo Switch), Castlevania Dominus Collection (Nintendo Switch), Death Trick: DoubleBlind (Nintendo Switch), Dragon Quest Monsters – The Dark Prince (Nintendo Switch), Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising (Nintendo Switch), Ciel Fledge -A Daughter Raising Simulator- (Nintendo Switch), New Super Lucky’s Tale (Nintendo Switch), CrisTales (Nintendo Switch), One More Dungeon 2 (Nintendo Switch), Monster Hunter Rise (Nintendo Switch), This is not my Neighbor (PC) and Tomb Raider I-III Remastered (Nintendo Switch), Everloop (PC)

    #1 – Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew (PC – August 2023)

    My review

    If there was one game that blew me away, that’s Shadow Gambit – The Cursed Crew. The way how it’s built and is the final swansong of the amazing development studio Minimi, it’s just fantastic.

    The voice acting is top-notch. The story is excellent. Several game mechanics are seamlessly worked into the game world and the story. But that’s not all, this game has a mindblowing modding tool.

    The little attention to detail this game does and the balancing is just mindblowing. The freedom you have to tackle each mission, and it just works. It’s balanced and doesn’t feel unfair. It also doesn’t feel like you made it too difficult by choosing the wrong characters. It also never becomes too easy, where one character makes sure you automatically win the game or the mission. Every character has their use. And you have 8 characters in the base game and 2 get added via the DLC.

    I can gush for a long time about this game. If you are interested in a more in-depth article, I highly advise you to read my review linked higher.

    This was 2024

    Game History – Tomb Raider On The GameBoy

    tombraiders.net) that have amazingly drawn maps.

    When you read this, you might think that beating these games without a walkthrough is almost impossible. But do not worry. These games are quite linear and straight forward. I rarely got stuck in these games by not knowing what to do next. Most of the time, I did not know I was able to perform a certain action or how to solve a certain puzzle. 

    https://arpegi.wordpress.com. I want to thank you all for reading my article, and I hope you enjoy the work of the other writers in this magazine. But for now, I am out! I hope to welcome you in another article but until then, have a great rest of your day and take care!

    Editorial note: This article has been written for a gaming magazine. Did you find this article interesting? Then you should read the other articles right here. Thank you so much Dominus for letting me publish an article. There are various articles about Ultimate Underworld Retrospective – Sin God – The Making of the Wipeout logo design – …

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