Ellie is always my go to for cozy games! I never manage to leave a video without adding something to my wishlist

Oh my gosh. I’m loving dragon quest 11s. I know it’s taking me forever to get through because I play so sporadically but I’m in act 2 and it’s just so…good! Im constantly smiling and giggling. It’s so good. I’m going to try and finish this game before the end of the year. #dragonquest #backlog

"nowadays I often gravitate towards tips or compilations of things to know before even starting a game." @lunasgaminglog.com put into words exactly how I’ve been feeling about playing games lately. I’m on a little journey to rediscover the child-like wonder of play myself.

I have a Steam curator page where I made lists for hidden indie gems, games that kept me awake at night, upcoming indie games I'm looking forward to and more. Follow if you feel you might be interested in my recommendations:

Sometimes you just need your brother @oponder.bsky.social to help you get things going. What started as a 45 min creative session to just play around with some code, has turned into a full day of work on Backlog Explorer!

Another game crossover I never expected to hear on a podcast. @nadiaoxford.bsky.social mentioning Milles Bornes on @bloodgodpod.bsky.social. Another game I used to play a lot as a kid.

I had no idea there was the @cozyquest.bsky.social showcase! It's happening right now and it's a four day showcase, with an awards show at the end. The opening showcase had a trailer for a beautiful game called The Regreening by @cozy-impact.bsky.social www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...

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I made a cozy digital zine! 💛 Level Up Journal – Save File 01 is live. Inside: a deep dive into cyclical gaming, thoughts on the games I played this month, a photo collage, podcasts I loved, and a Co-op Mode question for you. Flip through it: joanaponder.com/blog/zine-issue01 #zinepromo #zine

Please employment jelly, please

❤️ Hey Backlog Explorer users! Quick update! I’ve temporarily moved Backlog Explorer to Supabase’s free plan so I can keep costs low while I’m job-hunting. That means for now, when you sign in with Google, you’ll see a Supabase URL instead of backlogexplorer.com but everything still works the same!

Wow hello! It's been a while since I updated. My bad. I'm still here and still busy looking for a job. Meanwhile I've been cleaning up the code, which means not much front facing updates to Backlog Explorer.

DONKEY KONG BANANZA! DK DK DK! What a GAME! I love it. Finally rolled credits. My gosh.

I am still actively working on backlog explorer! Just doing a lot of clean up and refactoring because I’m also trying to find a job 😅 so no big backlog explorer updates, except things are smoother behind the scenes. Still working on making the steam import more user friendly!

Now that I completed the Pokédex in Pokémon Scarlet I think I’m going back to Pokémon Legends Arceus and trying it there. Sooo I coded a little simple companion helper app for my play through 😂

It's officially September, which means we've got SO MANY upcoming games to talk about 😍 I found 34 cozy games launching this month, so let's talk about them: youtu.be/Zs-aZBUv-Bw

I did it!! 🎉 I completed the Paldean Pokédex! This wasn’t just a game goal. This proved to me that I can follow through and actually finish games. Feeling so proud!

🍂 Backlog Explorer is ready for autumn! It’s now recommending the perfect cozy games to play this fall. Which of these would you play this fall?

@partyarlie.com ‘s recent YouTube video inspired me to boot up my OG Animal Crossing New Leaf game. I truly hope the next installment will have more of the New Leaf/Wild World charm. I don’t care much for the crafting and terraforming mechanics.

Imagine if Nintendo shadow drops Metroid Prime 4 on September 4, the same day as Silksong.

I’ve definitely caught the Pokémon bug. I finished the main storyline with 274/400 in the Pokédex and am now totally hooked on trying to complete this Pokédex. I’ve made a lot of progress too. Currently sitting at 334/400 so it feels very doable. Just can’t find a Slakoth anywhere 😅

I randomly picked up Pokémon Scarlet again, and have finally rolled credits. I think this is the first Pokémon game I rolled credits on since Pokémon Diamond/Pearl on the DS 😅 I don’t remember Pokémon stories being this good

I decided to start a new animal crossing island on my Nintendo switch 2. My life is so different today from when animal crossing first came out. No pandemic and I have a four year old son now. Crazy! And it also makes playing the game so different now. I’m doing a no terraform island.

It’s definitely past my bedtime but I am enjoying Donkey Kong Bananza so much. Finally unlocked all the Bananzas. Happy the NVC spoiler cast got delayed to next week because now I can still catch up! 🐵 #donkeykongbananza #nintendoswitch2 #backlog

I’ll always have a special place in my heart for Aotearoa 💚

Fixed up some bugs with big libraries on Backlog Explorer and your dashboard should behave now 😊 Alsooo: Smart recs are live! Let me know what you think, it's still a work in progress so feedback is super valuable! #buildinpublic #backlog

Get your backlog explorer library updated y’all! The smart recommendation system is finally at a point where I can roll it out to users! The whole thing that started this all is finally coming out this week! I’m so excited to have users try it 🥳

Backlog Explorer update 🔥 If your game has blurry cover art or no platforms to select, it’s because my app couldn’t auto-match it with IGDB data.

RIP Bibi 🛸

Okay I am so geeky excited. Got my first feedback from someone actually using Backlog Explorer! And because I haven’t updated it yet on the app itself to mention this to users: If you are trying to integrate with Steam and it’s not working, please make sure to set your profile to public.

Bibi update 🐥 They are now 5 yrs old and 30lbs. They never tell me when they’ve pooped.

This is my favorite level/environment in Donkey Kong Bananza so far. All the snow and ice crystals everywhere. So satisfying rolling around in it ❄️ Haven’t had a chance to buy any of the clothing in this sub layer yet but curious to see if they stop shivering if they wear it 🤔

Wow they grow fast. They took a nap while I biked to the baker and suddenly they were older. Bibi is now 1 years old and weighs 10lbs.

Hello lil tamagotchi 😊 My new friend. I’ll call them Bibi. They are currently 0 years old and 5lbs.

I am enjoying Donkey Kong Bananza so much. Who knew destruction could be so fun 😅 But this is just mean towards the Rhino 🫣 Not Pauline going “high five” 😂

😂 makes it so people can sign up and log in to Backlog Explorer, but forgets to hook up the Feedback submission button correctly so now people can't tell me the app has problems Sorry folks! It's all fixed now!

🚀 it’s live!!! Backlog Explorer is finally out in the wild! It’s a tool I built to help you rediscover games in your backlog...especially when you’re tempted to buy something new 👀 You can explore, track, and reflect on your games. And there’s more to come! 👉 backlogexplorer.com

I’m noticing a bit of nerves as I gear up to make Backlog Explorer public to all who want to use it. Last week was hectic personally and this week is a little busy too, but I’m definitely noticing I’m finding excuses not to work on it before the “big day”. Feels like self sabotage in the works 🫣

Being unemployed & facing job rejections made it hard to feel momentum. So I built something tiny. I reimagined the game card component from Backlog Explorer and polished it up.

I don’t have a cozy aesthetic desk setup. But I do have sun, fresh air, and a deck lounge chair 😎

I was inspired by @femtrooper.bsky.social's recent video on YouTube to create my own top 10 games I'm most excited to play/return to in my backlog. www.youtube.com/watch?v=mV0S...

It's probably really bad that I have no idea what 6 games I've added to my backlog since the last time I posted my stats from Backlog Explorer 🤦🏻‍♀️ (18 days ago! 😂)

I played Fantasy Life i online for the first time. I was so under leveled compared to the others. I regret it actually. I jumped so many levels and got so much great gear for basically doing nothing except floundering around 😅

I have been quietly working in the background, refactoring and fixing bugs to Backlog Explorer. I'm still fully planning on "launching" it on July 17. I say “launch” in quotes because… is it really a launch? I don’t know. But you’ll be able to use it! So… yeah. Cool 😅 backlogexplorer.com

I've been unemployed for 3 months, and it's hard every time I receive a generic rejection from a job application. I wrote about the frustration, the joy of building, and what it’s like when your resume doesn’t tell the whole story. joanaponder.com/blog/land-a-...

I thought I was in a reading slump but then I started reading Billy Summers by Stephen King and I can’t put it down!

I'm both embarrassed and also not, to confess that I have used ChatGPT in the past to help ship my blog posts faster. But, it ends today. joanaponder.com/blog/confess...

Yeah, I’ve added a few more games since my last Backlog Explorer stats post 😅 I also pulled out our favorite game types and how they make us feel. Mine? Relaxed. Turns out I gravitate toward flexible sim-style games—perfect for short or long sessions (hello Animal Crossing 👋).

I am loving @katbailey.bsky.social Nintenkats newsletter. As I try to reduce my YouTube usage, podcasts and newsletters have proven to be a great way to still get the kick without the eternal scrolling…anyone have any recommendations for other gaming related newsletters?

Yes! The Nintendo Switch 2 is out and you can add it as a platform in Backlog Explorer for all your Nintendo Switch 2 games! (I finally caved and bought Fantasy Life...How will I actually get any work done now!?)