All in Games

Great Games Done Slow: 15-21 September

Great Games Done Slow: 15-21 September

Robert J Gannon
Event, Games

I’m always a fan of inspiration in unexpected places. There’s a wonderful organization called Games Done Quick that hosts massive speedrunning marathons to raise money for charity. Gamers register to show off their skills beating games at breakneck speeds. This gameplay is streamed live from an event center to Twitch and donations from viewers go to different charities, such as Doctors Without Borders or Prevent Cancer Foundation. They’ve even done events with a very fast turnaround time to help with disaster relief—streamers volunteer their time and Games Done Quick captures their gameplay and rebroadcasts it on the GDQ stream. It’s a fun, intense display of high quality gaming for a variety of great causes.

Kate Gray, a narrative designer, journalist for Kotaku, and streamer, joked back in January about a then non-existent event she called Awesome Games Done Slowly. “hey folks welcome to Awesome Games Done Slowly, the charity livestream where everyone just chills and plays Stardew Valley and Animal Crossing at their own pace.”

What started as a joke only took a few months to become a reality. Great Games Done Slow is an online charity fundraiser running from this Saturday, 15 September, to Friday, 21 September. The goal is mental health awareness in gaming.

Graveyard Keeper Review (Game, 2018)

Graveyard Keeper Review (Game, 2018)

Robert J Gannon
Games, Reviews

Some play games to compete and win. I play games to relax. This does not mean that the games I play are particularly peaceful or gentle. They're an escape. They're a chance to explore other worlds, try out new things, and find my own way.

This is why I'm drawn to simulator games, especially simulators with RPG elements. Graveyard Keeper is just like the original Harvest Moon, if Harvest Moon involved tending to a Medieval graveyard, preaching to the masses, selling harvested organ meat, literal witch hunts, and attempts to reverse the bizarre circumstances that took you from modern times to being a Medieval graveyard keeper in the first place.

Dead by Daylight: Scorching Summer BBQ Event

Dead by Daylight: Scorching Summer BBQ Event

Robert J Gannon
Games, News

I mentioned this in the review of the Curtain Call DLC, but I'm really impressed with how well Behavior Interactive have taken control of their game after buying the rights back from Starbreeze. They're fully invested in their new cosmetic store, coming up with fun and clever designs for all the unlicensed characters that add variety to the look of the game. The "wear the darkest clothing to hide" meta is losing out to the sheer joy of dressing Claudette in a tie-dye broom skirt or Ace in a bright pink sweater. You can still hide and look stylish.

More importantly, they are committed to constantly adding in new content to the game. The mid-season patch was only two weeks ago and we're already at a new seasonal event. This new event also patches the broken Tinkerer II bug and a few other major issues from the mid-season patch.

House Flipper Review (PC Game, 2018)

House Flipper Review (PC Game, 2018)

Robert J Gannon
Games, Reviews

I love a good relaxing simulation game. I'm always down to try out a new Sims title, or a theme park builder, or--the newest established style in the genre--a career simulator. There's a meditative quality to even the most stressful releases in this genre. You are fully in control of an immersive world where anything that goes wrong can be fixed instantly with a reset.

My favorite among these have sandbox modes, where time and money are of no value and you can build whatever you want. The artificial scarcity of earning money in the regular modes isn't even that inconvenient, as the developers tend to be quite generous with funds compared to how city building or repair work would go in the real world. Still, I prefer a simulation with no firm deadlines, just clear objectives and a lot of creative freedom. That's almost like a sandbox mode, just with a few more critical elements to deal with.

Walking Dead: Our World, Jurassic World Alive, and Pokemon Go: Comparing AR Games

Walking Dead: Our World, Jurassic World Alive, and Pokemon Go: Comparing AR Games

Robert J Gannon
Games, Reviews

I feel like I've always had an interest in more interactive games. I'm old enough that I grew up spending a lot of time in arcades. I just remember being drawn more to those games that physically simulated other activities--the motorcycle racing games that tilted as you drove, the sports simulation games where you actually kicked or punched or dodged. Shoot, I was a competitive Dance Dance Revolution player in high school (NJ had a huge scene, especially at the shore). 

It's no surprise to me that I'm drawn to this growing wave of AR (augmented reality) games that require you to get up and move. Pokemon Go has been my go to excuse to leave the house and take a nice long walk for two years now. Niantic's Pokemon trainer simulator is still the leader in these nerdy AR walk and complete minigames genre, but The Walking Dead: Our World and Jurassic World Alive are new challengers worth taking a closer look at.

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