Lenka

I would never want to be asked which FF is my favorite, but if it came up, Tactics would be a candidate. An amazing story about corruption, power, idealism versus pragmatism, and how winning can sometimes mean losing. The post-credits scene really hit me. The best TRPG I've ever played in every way.

Yesterday we finished the co-op campaign of Portal 2 (DLC included) – the puzzles are even more fun than in single-player, and GLaDOS is as brilliantly sarcastic as ever. Peak level design. Teamwork-wise, probably the best I’ve played (physics-based logic with a focus on coordination suits me well).

I’ll take a look at it, thanks!

Fascinating evolution:
"Blame yourself or God."
↓
"Tis your birth and faith that wrong you, not I."
↓
"Blame yourself or the Father."

The PS1 version is the best in this case, but otherwise the remaster localization is really well done imo.

You can, but not for the story characters… I have a Black Mage named Vivi and a healer (White Mage) named Aerith :)
And thank you for the amazing podcast!

Btw, it’s great how you sometimes include snippets from the PS1 and WOTL localization.

I’m still thrilled with FF Tactics, and it will probably go down as the best tactical RPG I’ve ever played. And this podcast series is absolutely fantastic, it helps me follow the story much better. (even though the game has a wonderfully crafted in-game encyclopedia)

#PacificDrive – it’s nice to be back!
The only problem is remembering the controls after all this time. I picked up what was probably an important story-related audiotape, and instead of putting it in my inventory, I made a big swing and threw it into the woods. Never found it again.

Is anyone planning to play Whispers in the Woods (the Pacific Drive DLC that came out today)? I’m curious how much scarier it is compared to the base game.

I’m replacing skill with perseverance :)

An amazing game, one of the best of the year. I’ve got so much to say about it that it’d turn into a very long thread, so I’ll let it sit for a bit and come back to writing about Silksong later.

Constance on Steam Constance is a 2D hand-drawn action adventure featuring a paintbrush-wielding artist, striving to escape from a colorful but decaying inner-world, created by her declining mental health.

Constance
A nicely looking, colorful metroidvania with an interesting brush mechanic. It seems to be more focused on platforming and puzzles rather than combat. The controls feel good, but it didn’t grab me as much as Nine Sols or Silksong.
store.steampowered.com/app/2313700/...

I wholeheartedly stand by this.

Slots & Daggers Demo on Steam A retro-fantasy roguelike inside a slot machine. Steady your blade - and spin!

Slots & Daggers
I spent about 80 minutes in the demo, and I’m not adding it to my wishlist only because I know it wouldn’t end well with my free time. Polished, ridiculously addictive. Fans of Balatro and similar games would probably really enjoy it.
store.steampowered.com/app/3970060/...

Adorable Adventures Demo on Steam Adorable Adventures is a cozy third-person exploration game where you play as Boris, a curious baby boar who has to learn how to use his nose to reunite his family after a forest fire.

Adorable Adventures
A cute, relaxing game, but the gameplay loop is a bit too simple and repetitive – you, as a little pig, follow different scents and learn to recognize them. The camera will also still need quite a bit of tweaking.
store.steampowered.com/app/4006020/...

The Tragedy at Deer Creek on Steam Photographer Charlotte Gray travels to Deer Creek to document a long deserted logging camp for her upcoming book ”Forgotten Frontiers”. She finds not only a derelict camp, but also a mournful tale of ...

The Tragedy at Deer Creek
A classic point-and-click adventure, nicely voiced, set in Alaska. It has a great atmosphere, but unfortunately, it can’t be played with a controller (or I just didn’t figure out how). A bit spooky.
store.steampowered.com/app/2771220/...

Gunny Ascend on Steam A Roguelite Block-Stacking Adventure. Stack, Adapt, Escape!! Gunny Ascend is a high-speed puzzle game where every falling block is a chance to escape. Build clever loadouts, adapt to ever-changing haz...

Gunny Ascend
A very good roguelite variation of Tetris. It’s not easy at all, but it’s fun.
store.steampowered.com/app/2886300/...

Finally did it!
There are so many things that fascinate me about Silksong, but perhaps the most fascinating is watching how the human brain works—how motor memory improves in a relatively short time, movements become automated, perception gets better...
and also how the error cascade works.

Whispers Among the Poppies has a lot of potential for such a small experience. In terms of gameplay or polish, it’s definitely not the best game at Next Fest, but the theme is incredibly strong, and it has stunning audiovisuals.

Whispers Among the Poppies on Steam A hand-drawn narrative journey through the eyes of a child who lives through war and possesses the gift of communicating with the spirit world

Whispers Among the Poppies
A Ukrainian game clearly inspired by the current conflict. There’s plenty of room for improvement in the gameplay, but the atmosphere is incredibly chilling (I recommend finishing the demo). Excellent audiovisuals. Wishlisted.
store.steampowered.com/app/3916810/...

Hell has many forms. #silksong

Truckful on Steam Drive your pickup truck through seemingly peaceful countryside valleys, deliver much-needed goods to local townsfolk and unravel the small town mystery. Beware, the old forest is watching.

Truckful
The visuals are stunning. It’s about stacking packages on the truck and delivering them. The demo was fun, but I’m not sure it would keep me engaged for hours. Still, Death Stranding showed delivering packages can be one of the best gaming experiences.
store.steampowered.com/app/3090810/...

I want to play it because of the story :)
I first tried it on Game Pass, but I recently bought it (it was on a big sale), planning to give it another shot. This time I’ll try playing during the day — maybe that’ll help :)

I thought V Rising was mostly an ARPG, but I guess there are some survival elements in it.

I played the Resident Evil 2 demo when I was a kid, and it was pretty okay. But then something must have gone wrong with me, and I turned into a scaredy-cat. I recently tried SOMA and couldn’t handle it. But I want to give it another try...

A really good offer. If I could play horror games, I would definitely get the subscription.
V Rising is apparently good too.
And Yakuza is amazing, but I’ve already played that one.

It was a long journey, but I got to Act 3 in Silksong and I’m completely amazed. It feels crazy that Team Cherry hid something like that after the credits. An incredible game, even though it’s really hard for me—the longer I play it, the more I love it.
(random screenshots from the first two acts)

Decktamer Demo on Steam Deck-building meets monster catching in this turn-based roguelike. Recruit enemy cards to your party as you dive into the depths of the abyss. Will you kill them or will you tame them?

Decktamer
Card game mixed with monster catching. Some ideas are nice, but the UI is a bit cluttered and overall it didn’t really excite me. However, the demo reviews are excellent.
store.steampowered.com/app/2870360/...

Master of Piece Demo on Steam Embark on a journey with your expedition crew in this Roguelike Deckbuilding, Turn-based Strategy game. Build your deck of mercenaries, find powerful synergies between various traits and relics to fig...

Master of Piece
So far my favorite. A visually appealing roguelite deckbuilder that made me want to start another run immediately after finishing one. At first, it felt a bit too easy, but the boss absolutely crushed me. Added to my wishlist.
store.steampowered.com/app/3572950/...

Hermit and Pig on Steam Hermit and Pig is a story-rich, turn-based RPG where you fend off wild assailants, forage mushrooms, survive social anxiety, and stumble into a corporate conspiracy with your trusty pig.

Hermit and Pig
A turn-based RPG with pleasant visuals and brilliantly written dialogue. I highly recommend trying the demo just for the writing—it's fun. The combat wasn’t particularly impressive to me, but it does offer a wide range of customization options.
store.steampowered.com/app/2408350/...

REANIMAL Demo on Steam Welcome to the hellish world of REANIMAL. In this exclusive playable demo of the game’s opening chapters, you will venture into the abandoned Mill in search of one of your missing friends, and learn q...

Next Fest impressions:

REANIMAL
It stands out mainly for its visuals and atmosphere; I really liked the character animations. I played in co-op, the shared camera worked well, but I found the use of cooperation and the originality of the puzzles somewhat weak.
store.steampowered.com/app/4019420/...

Thanks for the detailed review — especially the part about the narrative, which was more positive than it usually is in reviews, made me happy. I still haven’t gotten around to Yotei yet (so many games, too little time), but I definitely plan to fix that.