Jan made the mistake of asking for 2022 game recommendations on things the crew might've missed, so I am here to mention a few I really love that I haven't seen come up on the site. I'll try to keep it brief (and I will likely fail).
Arcade Paradise
Management sim about converting a laundromat into an arcade, with a couple dozen original arcade-style games included. The best part is you increase each game's popularity by playing it yourself and completing achievements on it.
The Case of the Golden Idol
A 2D Return-of-the-Obra-Dinn-like about solving a series of interlinking deaths over several years. Easy to play, hard to solve, really well-written, and all of the puzzle pieces fit together perfectly. If you enjoy being a detective, this is a must-play.
Infernax (Game Pass)
Sort of a modern unofficial remake of Castlevania II: Simon's Quest but better in every way. The right level of difficulty to keep you moving forward without being a cakewalk.
Last Call BBS (Game Pass)
Another collection of fake old games, but this time in the form of 80s and 90s software being recovered from an old BBS server. Some of my favorite in-game writing of the year, no joke, and a handful of incredibly addictive puzzle games. I couldn't stop playing 20th Century Food Court or Dungeons & Diagrams.
Nobody Saves the World (Game Pass)
I know Dan played this, so maybe he put it on your internal list, but it would be a shame to miss out on this incredibly fun and silly action-RPG from Drinkbox (Guacamelee, Severed). Drinkbox, for me, has never made a bad game, and this is no exception. The variety of ways you can play keeps it feeling fresh and fun the whole way through.
Strange Horticulture
Lastly but not leastly, another game with some Obra Dinn vibes, though not as obviously as Golden Idol. You inherit a plant shop and have to help customers with their ailments. None of the plants are labeled so you have to use clues to figure out which ones are which. It's a spooky, magical world with branching (lol) paths and multiple endings.
Sounds like they have noticed people are spending a lot more money on Patreon than they are on GB for similar or fewer benefits and are trying to find a way to gradually introduce more expensive tiers here on the site. I get that, and will be fine to wait and see what that means to me, the “level 2” premium member, before I have a real opinion.
But as long as you’re taking inspiration from other ways to monetize, how about some Kickstarter-esque stretch goals? Look, really I just want to know how much money I have to give you to somehow make a Shenmue 2 Endurance Run happen with Dan, Vinny, and Alex?
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