This is fair, I have no issues here. If purchasing a game doesn't take care of the people who made it, then why bother?

I really, really did not want to vote for Graham Platner in November but it seemed like I was stuck with it. I was planning on grumbling the entire time and giving him my vote, despite many, many, many reservations. That's obviously off the table now.

While there’s a while rant to be had about America as a failed country let down by greed and laziness, everyone knows already. Ignoring all that, today was a great day spent with family, food, and fireworks (and apparently alliteration) so I’m actually really happy with it.

Oops, just realized it looks like I’ve done nothing in terms of writing recently seeing as I haven’t posted anything. They were embargoed, scheduled articles last week so I just forgot.

A bit over a month to go before Doloc Town hits its 1.0 update. I don't do a lot of farming/life-sim games but Doloc Town slipped past all my defenses. hardcoregamer.com/chill-post-a...

Mushroom arc, it’s safe for the moment.

Ok, fine! *purchases* Don't have to overwhelm all defenses that hard...

Max is feeling picturesque today. And every day, for that matter.

There we go, finally! Been meaning to pick up Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma since the Switch 2 launch. Hated to order off Amazon but I couldn’t find it anywhere locally.

Apparently Portland is determined to be interesting today. This little beastie is known as the Twinkie Bunny, because he’s just about that size.

Well that’s just a sad sight.

Ah, the good old days. www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWSI...

From the department of Where Have You Been All My Life, coffee cream sandwiches.

Well that's fun. Day-job company just filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy. I'm still employed but now it's time for worry and uncertainty. Yay.

Ok, I'll skim the @pcgamer.com Tim Sweeney interview for the full in-context quote! And there it is, in which Sweeney manages to somehow not see that everything he's complaining about is a positive. www.pcgamer.com/gaming-indus...

Ooh! Been looking forward to Sandustry!

Turned to the right and looked out my office window-

It's kind of nice, having no skin in the Grand Theft Auto VI game. I can just sit back and watch it all go by, if I decide I'm curious about the current foofraw/hullaballoo, or not pay attention at all. $80 for stripped down, $100 for full? No disc in physical edition? It's all $0 to me!

Nice to see new traditions taking root.

Quite enjoying the demo for the automation game FluxWerks but it did make me realize something- automation games without some type of goal are basically more complex versions of cozy build-a-diorama games. Which isn’t a put-down of them, of course. My cozy diorama just has lots of moving parts!

‘Shroom. No clue what kind, but it’s not like I was planning on eating it anyway.

60% drop in reviews if people even smell AI on your game - full supports the investors, developers, and publishers that took a hard "no gen-AI" stance, despite grifters' proclamations that they were "going to be left behind".

The real GTAVI question I'm not seeing asked is how pointed the social satire will be. Do we get to sabotage a media-owned theme park because its politics doesn't align with the governor's? Do we bury the ex-wife of the former (at the time) president on a golf course? These are the missions we need!

Excellent work, @sonyplaystation.bsky.social. Enhance that PlayStation experience and improve productivity with the thing everyone loathes and has been proven time and time again to save no time whatsoever, but sounds great to investors.

I can't do everything individually so here's a whole list of demos I've been playing from Steam Next Fest- Over the Hill, FluxWerks, Hyper Detonator, Desolus, Spanky Bat-A-Swing, Blood Dungeon, Lazy Kickers, Moonbrella. Plus a pile of others mentioned in passing. hardcoregamer.com/a-small-sele...

Well, guess I don't get the Adventures of Elliott review and instead get to play it on my own time with no rushing. Darn. Next up, is this a Switch 2 game or a Steam Deck game? Hmmmm.....

Thanks, WalMart. Found a copy of Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma in the Switch 2 section racked with the Switch 2 games, $30. Picked it up, brought it home, realized this morning I'd missed it's the Switch 1 version. WalMart employee missed it too, seeing as I specified Switch 2 when asking. Bah!

It's nice when not everything is terrible, or for that matter just a "grit teeth and accept the dystopian future" level if demoralizing. Poncle reviewing the Vampire Survivors/Fortnite collaboration due to gen AI usage is exactly what I'd hope to see from anyone suddenly stuck in that dumpster fire.

Played a couple rounds of this and am at 2:21 survival time. I can do better!

Only one of the best soundtracks ever, from one of the best music games ever made.

Soooo... Anyone played any good demos lately?

Ok, this one is fun! Biohorror tentacle Katamari Damacy mixed with building up to GTA's 5-star mode. Devour humans, grow bigger; take damage, grow smaller. And like all good arcade games, you need to find the letters of its name for a bonus that I have yet to see what it does.

Ooh, this one had a fun demo! One more survivors game can't hurt, right?

Looks like it’s the luna moth time of year.

It took a bit longer to get to than planned but the demo for @zymartugames.bsky.social's Fields of Aaru made me sad it's only a demo. Comfy survival in the Egyptian afterlife, crafting, harvesting, and building a new home to spend a sun-drenched eternity in. hardcoregamer.com/no-rest-in-t...

Really impressive run-based not-roguelike with @madmushroom.gg's Cursemark. Each run lets you choose a base loadout while the random runes act as modifiers, but the hand-designed map and permanent map unlocks let you plan an evolving course through the horde. hardcoregamer.com/fighting-thr...

Step 1: Oh damn, @sega-west.bsky.social nailed the Crazy Taxi World Tour trailer with the song selection! Step 2: Oh damn, forget it.

Ah, that was a good ending! Non-spoiler score-only comment on The Amazing Digital Circus, I’d give the series a good 4 out of 5. The final episode may not have been perfect but it still was a really solid conclusion. Great stuff all around.

-looks through press releases- Ok, my decision to not bother with today's gaming event and catch up later looks to have been a good one.

...and if you read todays GOG email symbols as the Nazi SS that's on you for not understanding Polish culture! Should be a interesting days ahead for GOG, the official gaming platform of Graham Platner.

Oh, I'm loving the look of Fields of Aaru. Off to download a demo!

Ooh! Guess I know what I'll be playing later today.

Had a short period being interested in the new Tomb Raider this morning. First I watched the trailer and thought that it looked pretty good. Then an hour or so passed. Then I learned it's being made with genAI. Sure, "early exploration" and AI assets being replaced. Fully believable, I'm out.

Factory Town 2 is going to be a good one. Go play!

Well, I guess you do see something new every day.

Finally got around to playing the demo for @finitereflect.bsky.social's Mouseward and it's currently my most anticipated soulslike. Fantastic level design plus collectathon goodies make a great addition to the genre, and the difficulty level is just right. hardcoregamer.com/small-rodent...

Holy whoa! I was just the other day looking at (game) that I got a preview build of before its hands-on embargo was rescinded, way back in 2024. Anyway, I figured the poor thing was dead and buried and it just got an update. Nice! I'd been hoping it might get a second chance some day.

Just spent a nice evening poking at @soerbgames.bsky.social's Ignitement demo. Those fire effects are excellent, and it does a great job of not accepting the genre tropes of survivors games and putting its own spin on them instead. hardcoregamer.com/setting-it-a...

Nice! Counting 3 lady slippers so far this year.

Well that's cool that this exists. I don't do social-sim gaming so it's not for me, but still great to see out there for those who do- store.steampowered.com/app/4555050/...