Been a while since I updated, so I really should. Truthfully, I did play something and thought about writing about it, but… it was perfectly average. Nothing good or unique enough worth positive words, but nothing bad enough for me to make cringe content. Uninteresting and thus unexciting to write about.

But instead of being one of those nerds making videos like “oh, gaming today doesn’t bring me joy anymore,” I set out to look at a few things that interest me, no matter how small.

Hymn to the Earless God

Normally, I don’t write about Kickstarters. It’s worse than thinking of something to cover for the site which is usually a question of “is this interesting to write about,” because now it’d also be a question of “is this a project that will pay-off in the future?” But this one? This is definitely a game I personally believe in.

Kasey Ozymy, or Housekeeping, developed a bunch of RPGs, but his biggest game till now has been Jimmy and the Pulsating Mass. It’s one of my favorite games made in RPG Maker, and honestly it’s criminal that it isn’t held up on the same pedestal as LISA and OMORI. He’s entering the indie RPG scene once again with the newly formed Starseed Games, consisting of himself and programmer Jason Vanderslice, with the commissioned help of artist Cubesona and animator Innosaryn.

Together, they launched the Kickstarter for Hymn to the Earless God. Hymn to the Earless God takes place on Gloom, a hostile monstrous world that faces multiple calamities. Four separate main characters present four different storylines, with a wide variety of possible party members to recruit to their side. With a turn-based combat system that puts emphasis on controlling turn order, modifying weapons to experiment with playstyle and corpse eating, the gameplay aims to be as interesting as the world around it.

Hymn to the Earless God currently has a demo out, so if you’re wondering if this is a project to support, consider giving that demo a whirl. The Kickstarter primarily aims to continue commissioning the game’s artists, but there’s hopes for the developers to be able to work on the game full-time if funding exceeds the goal of $120,000. The Kickstarter is currently 1/3rd funded halfway to go, and I’m really hoping for its success.

And also, uhh, Jimmy and the Pulsating Mass is currently half off till the 15th on Steam, so consider checking that out.

Angeline Era

If I’m talking about upcoming stuff by people I enjoy, I figure I should also talk about Angeline Era, the upcoming game by Analgesic Productions. I’ve played… pretty much everything they’ve put out. The studio continues to show a flair for experimenting, stepping away from the narrative 3D platformer-puzzle mix of Sephonie to do an action RPG.

You’re Tets Kinoshta, an ex-GI on a quest for truth in a world defined by Irish and Christian mythos. And that quest is defined by the mighty skill of bumpslashing. The game simplifies action-RPG combat by having Tets slash when he’s bumped against a vulnerable surface, encouraging the player to focus on dodging. As such, it’s a game that puts more emphasis on movement.

The game’s slated to release next year, and I’d love to check it out like the rest of the studio’s work. It’s an interesting direction from the previous game, and maybe this won’t make me feel bummed out like Sephonie did (complimentary).

Super Auto Pets

But speaking of simplified combat, I also must talk about Team Wood Games’ Super Auto Pets. There have been a bunch of updates since I last talked about it here, and it had a pretty big update on the 4th.

Before that update, I barely touched the versus mode. I played a private lobby with my partner, but that’s pretty much it. But now, the competitive spirit shines more brightly in the hearts of men. Besides introducing a ranked versus mode to pit you against players of roughly the same skill, there are now asynchronous lobbies. You can run in multiple, checking in every now and then to make moves and go back to whatever you were doing.

It’s relaxing. It fills me with bloodlust. The trumpets bellow out to call a golden retriever, the big last line of defense. My team is ripped apart by someone that spectated my team and built a counter to it. I feed an African penguin waffles. My ELO rises and falls, keeping me at equilibrium – but one day I will escape that flow. Much like the animals I command, I am a beast. My hands continued to hurt. I feel like I’ve been spiraling for the past six months so I will take down as many animal emojis down with me as much as possible.

Anyway, still a nice multiplayer sensation.