Joel

12/12 - SimCity

I got SimCity on a borrowed floppy disk with a photocopied manual (as was the style at the time), and it was like stepping into another world of gaming. It felt like bringing my model trains or Lego cities to life, and you didn't play to win - you played to play! #365games

12/11 - Outer Wilds

Never has a game made accidentally falling into the sun such a delight. From the core time loop mechanic to the sheer detail of each little planet to explore in the game's universe, everything is pitch perfect. Just a beautiful experience from start to finish. #365games

I'll let you in on a secret: they aren't real. It's just a thing we folks in marketing say when we need an excuse about why something broke that nobody else will look into.

I don’t want to be a “consumer” of medical care! I want my doctor to see me as a person they want to help - not as their bankroll!

This sent me down a spiral of thinking about a Master of Orion 3, then remembering MoO 3 existed and was terrible.

Then remembering they remade MoO in 2016 and that was also not very good.

Then I got sad.

12/10 - Fallout

The spiritual successor to Wasteland, Fallout made everything bigger, grittier, and more interesting. From dialogue choices that actually had impact to multiple ways of solving the same problems with different skills, it felt like a new dawn for CRPGs at the time. #365games

Screenshots from Infinite Alliance, by @criticalgamesau.bsky.social

This week's #TurnBasedThursday host is an Australian indie dev with a love of jRPGs. His next game is an incredible CROSSOVER featuring characters from 13+ indies!

Always amazing what collaborations can create. Follow @CriticalGamesAU.bsky.social & join tomorrow's thread!

If I were Wart, I simply would not put a machine that generates the one thing that hurts me in my throne room.

12/8 (a little late) - Into The Breach

A strategy game where every move counts, and when you fail (and you will), you know it was all your own fault. Really shifted my thinking about how games with full information and no RNG could still confound and astound a player. #365games

“What better way to celebrate yourself than with 20 seconds of all-out burpees?”

Honestly, Nike Trainer, I can think of so, so many ways.

Yes, I think you're right the cost to the failure has to be low/unnoticeable, even if it is still technically a failure!

12/7 - Master of Magic

MoM took a formula I already loved from Civ and Master of Orion and sent it into the fantasy realm. With a slew of unique races, custom spellbooks, and an incredibly deep hero and item system, it felt like every game was an entirely new one. Cracks Call! (iykyk) #365games

And off they go!

Well, looks like someone has taken over the swing set #birdsky #birds

A regal black lab naps in a bright pool of sunlight

Was moving some things around and shifted my dog’s bed into Optimal Sunbeam Position. He seems content with it.

12/6 - Ultima 6

Ultima 6 was my first Ultima, and boy what an introduction. Here was a game that (just like Origin promised!) felt like an entire world. Every NPC felt like they lived there, every object felt like it was placed with a purpose. I wanted to make worlds like this. #365games

Please enjoy this bunny giving itself a thorough grooming in the middle of the snow.

How do people feel about tutorials you can lose? Maybe I'm just used to them from the days of yore, but I feel like it's ok to have the player have to try again if they didn't learn what they were supposed to. But, others might find it frustrating! Curious what people think! #indiedev #gamedev

We're honored to host this week's #TurnBasedThursday!✨

You have the floor, game devs! Drop your turn-based #indiegame projects 👇! Be sure to show us your store page!

❤️ & 🔁 go a long way towards spreading the word and supporting creatives! We're excited to see your work!😁

The indie of the week logo.

Over at Kotaku, we are trying to cover at least one cool indie game every week. It's called Indie of the Week!

kotaku.com/opinion/impr...

If you are an indie dev with something cool, feel free to send it to Tips@Kotaku.com!

PUBLIC VOTING IS NOW OPEN! — The Horror Game Awards The time is now! With only two weeks until The Horror Game Awards 2025, presented by Lost in Cult, voting is open on the nominees in all sixteen of our award categories. Choose your favourites, cast ...

Voting closes today! There's still time to vote for Porch Weather Games for Indie Dev of the Year! (if that's how you are so inclined to vote). And lots of other great things to vote for as well! www.thehorrorgameawards.com/news/public-...

going through my MAME library and it’s really incredible how many arcade games are the same arcade game. We just didn’t notice at the time.

12/2 - Commander Keen 4

Seeing Keen 4 for the first time felt a bit like PC gaming had caught up to consoles. Here was an incredibly gorgeous platformer running on DOS! It oozed charm from every sprite, and it's still a pleasure to play even these days. #365games

November 30th / December 1st

12/1 - Final Fantasy IV

In Dec, so busting out the big guns. Absolutely epic in scope compared to every RPG I'd played before, and with so much more focus on character. Even more importantly - the music. Uematsu's score enthralled me and made me want to write music, too. #365games

Introspection shooter.

Oh shit, I think you may have just cracked the next big Indie genre.

Beastro is a hidden roles and trick-taking game, where you play as mythical beast chefs competing to win a reality TV competition. The game is beautifully illustrated by @corachacha.bsky.social

If you are curious, there are still some copies for sale at: www.hellomountain.games/

I have seen the phrase "extraction shooter" so many times today it has lost all meaning. Going to start mentally swapping it in for new, more radical genres. Retraction Shooter. Extortion Shooter. Inversion Shooter.

Where was I? I forgot the point that I was making.
I said if I was smart that I would
save up for a piece of string
and a rock to wind the string around.
Everybody wants a rock to wind a piece of string around.