Wednesday, June 12, 2024

The Video Games I Played - March 2024

Well, I guess this is version two of my new games post plan. Jinja has been super useful for automating a lot of my games played information. I'm now able to put up a little article for each game, including some basic info, which months I played it in and some notes.

There are a few things that aren't really set up right / well yet. One is the months played list is a little messy. I think it looks neat, but I think it's probably awkward for screen readers. I'm not totally sure how to fix that right now, so I'll beg forgiveness and promise to make that cool in every way once I can.

I've also had to prey to the Google gods a bit, because I've uploaded those montly circles and had to link deeply into their weird Blogger file storage. This is probably going to fail at some point, but I think it's more of the bailing twine than the spit for right now. (That's a saying right, that's got to be a saying).

The last thing that's a little weird, at least in this post, is that I kept some notes on the games I played (I'm not sure these make sense, but I kept them). I didn't do that much in January or February so it looks a little sparse and weird. I'm also missing pictures from several of the games I've played, so they didn't get pictures this month.

Thank you for coming along on this weird, largely unnecessary journey in recording what I play. I'm having fun learning skills that I probably don't need and I'm also enjoying (poorly) hand crafting a corner of the Internet.

A view of a beautiful walled city with white spires in a pastoral setting. A smaller more earth toned walled town sits in the front.

The Games I Played in March

The Games


A deamony kid, in a black smith shop says'Come in! I'm always yelling that out. It's just in case you're the Vampire, poor kid can't come in unless he's invited.'

Dicey Dungeons

  • Platform: Steam
  • Publisher: Terry Cavanagh
  • Published: August 2019

Played In:

January Not February Not March Not April Not May Not June Not July Not August Not September Not October Not November Not December

Tags

 Random   Hard   Engaging    


Europa Universalis IV

  • Platform: Steam
  • Publisher: Paradox
  • Published: August 2013

Played In:

January Not February Not March Not April Not May Not June Not July Not August Not September Not October Not November Not December

Tags

 Strategy   Absorbing    


Four bland people stare at the camera. The caption reads 'We may now know what it is that Cid searches for.'

Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age

  • Platform: Nintendo Switch
  • Publisher: Square Enix
  • Published: March 2006

Played In:

January February Not March Not April Not May Not June Not July Not August Not September Not October Not November Not December

Tags

 RPG   Story Time Game   Grind    

Notes

  • February

    I had planned to focus on playing Final Fantasy XII, as the game I'm playing to enjoy the story and chill out with. The problem with this is that I'm finding FFXIII to be profoundly boring. I just don't really want to play it and it doesn't seem to have a ratio of story-to-gameplay that pushes me to keep playing. (I'm not sure what the ratio of story-to-gameplay is nor where it pushes me to play games, but it seems like a workable metaphor, is there something good enough to make you want to play even if something else makes you not want to play.)



The bug knight ... vessle ... bows to Nail Master Mato.

Hollow Knight

  • Platform: Switch
  • Publisher: Team Cherry
  • Published: February 2017

Played In:

January February Not March Not April Not May Not June Not July Not August Not September Not October Not November Not December

Tags

 Lovecraftian   Adventure   Gameplay    

Notes

  • February

    I trailed off Hollow Knight, as I often do. Honestly February was not a month where I wanted to play games much.


In a blasted acidic landscape, our team of military green robots faces off with some greenish bugs.

Into the Breach

  • Platform: Steam
  • Publisher: Subset Games
  • Published: February 2018

Played In:

January February March Not April Not May Not June Not July Not August Not September Not October Not November Not December

Tags

 Brain Candy   Tactics   Puzzles   Gaining Skill    

Notes

  • March

    Crunching through the achievements has been an interesting way to keep playing. There are a lot of interesting ways you can play and uses of mechanics and the achievements bring them to light and I've gotten pretty good (at least at the easy mode).


Invisible, Inc.

  • Platform: Steam
  • Publisher: Klei Entertainment
  • Published: May 2015

Played In:

January Not February Not March Not April Not May Not June Not July Not August Not September Not October Not November Not December

Tags

 Tactics   Roguelike    


A tower with a blue banner and white lion crest, just as the snow starts to fall.

Kingdoms and Castles

  • Platform: Steam
  • Publisher: Lion Shield
  • Published: July 2017

Played In:

Not January Not February March Not April Not May Not June Not July Not August Not September Not October Not November Not December

Tags

 Building   City Walker    

Notes

  • March

    In response to Sunless Sea, I'm hunting for cozy world building and adventure. This has a bit, although I feel like I keep topping out the economy a little early. Maybe I should add more conflict, but just making a town is nice.


Rosalina, in first place, flows down towards a neon dance floor dance track.

Mario Kart 8 (Deluxe)

  • Platform: Nintendo Switch
  • Publisher: Nintendo
  • Published: April 2017

Played In:

January February March Not April Not May Not June Not July Not August Not September Not October Not November Not December

Tags

 Game feel   Vroom   Gaining Skill    

Notes

  • March

    The "Internet" started showing me tips about how to get better at Mario Kart 8 and ... I'm starting to get better.


Minecraft

  • Platform: MacOS
  • Publisher: Mojang / Microsoft
  • Published: November 2011

Played In:

Not January Not February March Not April Not May Not June Not July Not August Not September Not October Not November Not December

Tags

 Building    

Notes

  • March

    Wanted to build something and this *is* a good old fashoned game I can build things in.


A pink winged pikmen floats in a dark cave. It's looking at you.

Pikmin 4

  • Platform: Nintendo Switch
  • Publisher: Nintendo
  • Published: July 2023

Played In:

January February March Not April Not May Not June Not July Not August Not September Not October Not November Not December

Tags

 Gameplay   Colours   Adventure    

Notes

  • March

    "Finished" for the second time. Really loving how it feels and how much interesting things they've included. I'd really like a few more areas and activities (like the Olimar stories), but even as it shipped this is a lot of good Pikmin. As I mention a lot, I think the feel of Pikmin 3 is a little more charming, but Pikmin 4 is a much more solid game. (Also how did a decade pass between these two games...)


Prison Architect

  • Platform: Steam
  • Publisher: Introversion Software / Paradox
  • Published: October 2015

Played In:

January Not February Not March Not April Not May Not June Not July Not August Not September Not October Not November Not December

Tags

 Building    


Our heros look out over a sea of sand and clouds. No stars in sight.

Sea of Stars

  • Platform: Nintendo Switch
  • Publisher: Sabotage Studio
  • Published: August 2023

Played In:

January Not February Not March Not April Not May Not June Not July Not August Not September Not October Not November Not December

Tags

 RPG   Canadian   Chrono Trigger   Colour   Adventure 


Junimos cheerfully repair a bus.

Stardew Valley

  • Platform: Steam
  • Publisher: Concerned Ape
  • Published: February 2016

Played In:

Not January Not February March Not April Not May Not June Not July Not August Not September Not October Not November Not December

Tags

 Cozy   Farming   Simulation 


Sunless Sea

  • Platform: Steam
  • Publisher: Failbetter Games
  • Published: February 2015

Played In:

Not January February March Not April Not May Not June Not July Not August Not September Not October Not November Not December

Tags

 Adventure   Lovecraftian   Entropy 

Notes

  • March

    I really wanted to build economy and make the world better, but that's very much not alligned with how this game actually works. I very firmly put this down, since the end-of-the-world feeling was just not where I wanted to be. Hunting to find an economy builder that really feels like growth.


Mario puts bright green moons into the Odyssey in the Sand Kingom.

Super Mario Odyssey

  • Platform: Nintendo Switch
  • Publisher: Nintendo
  • Published: October 2017

Played In:

January Not February Not March Not April Not May Not June Not July Not August Not September Not October Not November Not December

Tags

 Game feel   Movement   Colours 


A town celebrates being rebuilt with fireworks.

Unicorn Overlord

  • Platform: Nintendo Switch
  • Publisher: Vanillaware / Atlus / Sega
  • Published: March 2024

Played In:

Not January Not February March Not April Not May Not June Not July Not August Not September Not October Not November Not December

Tags

 Ogre Battle   Tactics   Strategy   Autowalk   Fighting   Grey 

Notes

  • March

    If you've seen how I've written about Ogre Battle in the past, you'll note that it's a game I love without necessarily feeling like it's great from a mechanical point of view. Unicorn Overlord catches the feeling of Ogre Battle that I love and actually seems to be pretty action packed and fun to play. I think the name is a little dumb, but I guess so is Ogre Battle.


Wildermyth

  • Platform: Steam
  • Publisher: Worldwalker Games
  • Published: June 2021

Played In:

Not January February Not March Not April Not May Not June Not July Not August Not September Not October Not November Not December

Tags

 Tactics   Story Telling   Family 

Notes

  • February

    Wildermyth I played a bit of and think it looks interesting, but I think it's a think I could play with my partner and we could have a lot of fun with it, so I've been holding off looking closer.

The Books I Read - November 2024

November was a bit weird. The Hands of the Emperor is long, but excedingly good. I'm continuing to find Anna Lee Huber a very engagin...