Games you're thinking about playing

[mtvcribs]

I just finished Raw Danger!

Which reminds me; should i play another ps2 game? Or actually start, like start start, on Ys X?

[Death_Strandicoot]

Okay then, the results are in!

I think it’s pretty obvious that the next game I’m going to play is…

Cloudpunk!

…so that @Tom lets me have a proper poll next time instead of having to make my own spreadsheet.

…but also immediately after that,

GOD HAND

Of course, יָד (or “yod”) is the Hebrew word for “hand”. So another name for this game would be “Yod of God”. I’m just spitballing here.

Is there anything I should know before jumping in to either of these titles? God Hand is back from the era of instruction manuals, so I’ll probably read that before playing, but anything else? Paging @Gaagaagiins here.

[Tom]

Glad I could be of service for your next game

[Gaagaagiins]

@Death_Strandicoot

Is there anything I should know before jumping in to either of these titles?

Most things I would classify as “best known before playing” are documented within this 11 minute Youtube video by GOD HAND Grand Master miek kobe:

How to get good at God Hand - Redux tutorial

[Gaagaagiins]

Also if you get to this part of the manual, these moves are extremely important and powerful, especially for guaranteeing juggles and especially crowd control, and the manual does not really do a great job of explaining them. miek kobe’s video up there I think mentions them by name but doesn’t exactly explain what they are or how to do them:

Should be noted that the Dash Attack is actually three dash attacks, each face button does a different one, and they have different properties too. For example the X dash attack is a sweep, I think the Square button has some kind of Launch properties too.

This video shows them off a lot better:

God Hand Tutorial: Moves you didn't know you had

The overall secret to crowd control is to figure out the different move properties (mainly Juggle and the two kinds of Launches) and how those interact with the different enemy states (Guard Break, Stunned, and Counter) and how to manufacture situations where you can juggle and thus launch enemies at a moment’s notice, since enemies launched into each other always smash through them all and thus every combat encounter is a game of 5 pin bowling where you’re also just hucking pins at each other.

[Gaagaagiins]

Finally, you may have heard me say this on this forum already, but make sure you hit an enemy with a Barrel Roll Kick as soon as possible, that will communicate more about the game’s majesty than words ever could. Then also understand that, of its class of high risk guaranteed Launch moves, it’s perhaps the worst in the entire game.

[kowloonwalledcity]

i…am playing marvel rivals

[NoJoTo]

the ellipsis made me think this was the confession thread

[adashtra]

I got a bunch on My List that have been added as the IC crew prepares for its GOTY episode next month.
Off the rip:
1000 x Resist
Indica
UFO 50
A suite of Strange Scaffold games including I Am Your Beast/Clickolding/Life Eater
Cryptmaster
If any of yall have any indie games released last year that are worth considering for this project let me hear 'em.

[rejj]

from my personal goty picks:

@rejj

Xenosphere (2024), PC, itch (free)

Here’s my candidate for “absolutely wild game that nobody has heard of or played”. I recorded my entire playthrough of this game, and the file is 31 minutes and 8 seconds long.

This is the sort of game that is more of an experience than anything else, and also it is the sort of thing that could not have existed via any other medium nor at any earlier point in history until now. Absolutely wild. It is free on Itch. Go play it.

Xenosphere by Nifflas

I’d love to hear what everyone else thought about it. @Death_Strandicoot also tried it and liked it, if that helps!

[Death_Strandicoot]

I did, and I’d also like to hear some discourse!

[Tradegood]

I had a great time with Botany Manor – it’s a short and sincere environmental puzzle game. It’s a much more restrained take on something like Myst or The Witness, and has some creative plant-based puzzles and tells a nice story about women and science in the Victorian era. It’s very low-key and subtle, and a nice game to wind down with.

You could join us to check out the social game of the year - webfishing!

[adashtra]

Oh! heard good things about Botany Manor! Will check it out.
And that reminds me to add lorelei and the laser eyes to the list.

[Magnanimous]

There were a lot of great indie games under five hours long, if you’re working with limited time. I’d recommend checking out Judero, Arctic Eggs, The Dark Queen of Mortholme, No Case Should Remain Unsolved, and The Operator.

Also, Crow Country and Between Horizons are both seven-ish hours and I enjoyed them quite a lot.

[Death_Strandicoot]

@Magnanimous

Judero, Arctic Eggs

Strong second on these two. They’re both great.

[Death_Strandicoot]

Have you heard of our Lord and savior, Nine Sols?

4 people on this forum think it is the best game of 2024, including me.

Here’s what I said about it:

@Death_Strandicoot

1. Nine Sols 九日

The movement and combat are pitch-perfect. The story is simple, but emotionally impactful. The masterful blend Taoist philosophy, furries, and a surprising amount of horror gives this game a unique, refreshing identity.

Lady Ethereal may just be one of the best boss fights in all of gaming. Truly a jaw-dropping moment.

Here’s what others have said:

@Magnanimous

1: Nine Sols
Hollow Knight but with Sekiro’s parry-based combat system. This is like mathematically the perfect video game. Some of the best boss designs I’ve ever seen, beautiful and creative environment art, a large cast of characters with interesting writing, and a huge metroidvania world to explore. My only complaint is that it starts off a little slow, because the game doesn’t really come alive until you unlock some of the movement/combat techs.

@Synchronise

1. Nine Sols

Just a fantastic package of gameplay and narrative. I’m gonna copy-paste something from the review I wrote for it. It’s a more direct comparison to Hollow Knight, but despite the two games sharing certain aspects…even if I would maybe put Hollow Knight over Nine Sols in “which do I like,” I would definitely put Nine Sols over in “which is better.”

not big spoilers, just HK and NS comparison

I am hesitant to compare this game to similar ones in the genre, as it’s so easy to fall into traps of calling something a “whatever”-like, but I think it’s apt to contrast Nine Sols with another action platformer, Hollow Knight, because I think there will likely be comparisons drawn. The key difference here is that Yi is not simply dropped into this world and forced to uncover its history. Yi is, literally, uncovering his own history, his own actions, and the bosses you encounter are actors within that world as well, in a way that the Knight, effectively a vessel only for the player, is not (for the most part). Characters, enemies, and environment are so tightly intertwined with the narrative here and feel alive–or, at the very least, attempting to survive. Hallownest is dead, but New Kunlun is asleep.

I am 100% going to buy this game again on Switch. Probably twice, if a physical release comes around. I am no stranger to buying indie games 3+ times.

@freakscene

I played a staggering five new games this year and I think the cat samurai game was the best.

[roamunit]

I picked up RE4:Remake and Indiana Jones briefly this last week and immediately felt stressed out by them! I think my brain just doesn’t enjoy immersive action games the way it used to, and I’m trying to relax more in 2025.

That, combined with watching the restored Riven making-of doc that the VGHF put out (thanks guys!) has me thinking about contemplative, mysterious puzzlers. I’ve got a relatively deep backlog of GOG releases, including:

• Zork Nemesis (played, never finished)
• Zork: Grand Inquisitor
• Obduction
• Starship Titanic
• Murders in Space
• The Colonel’s Bequest
• A variety of early 00’s shovelware
• Hob’s Barrow and some other Wadjet Eye stuff

… but if folks have intriguing suggestions hell I’ll add to it!

INSERT CREDIT FORUMS: are you contemplative enough dudes to help me make a good choice here?

[yeso]

I’d de-prioritize Obduction

Hob’s Barrow I would give a solid rec (just an fyi it’s not a Wadjet game mentioning in case that was an important expectation)

Colonel’s Bequest is very good you’ll just have to roll with old Sierra design. There’s also the recent Crimson Diamond in the same style that’s very good as well

Not on your list but take a look at The Invincible too great game: engrossing and suspenseful at times but steadily paced and no shooting or action stress

[roamunit]

@yeso

Not on your list but take a look at The Invincible too great game: engrossing and suspenseful at times but steadily paced and no shooting or action stress

“… set in a hard sci-fi world by Stanislaw Lem.” Can’t believe this flew completely under my radar, extremely up my alley. Thanks!

Sad about Obduction, though I kind of feared that’d be the case with the whole VR angle. Something about new technologies really raises the risk factor on something just… not working.

[rejj]

@yeso

Hob’s Barrow I would give a solid rec

Seconded. A strong entry in the point-and-click adventure genre, one of the best of the recent years.