Audiogames.net Monthly Digest - November 2022
Welcome to the November edition of the audiogames.net monthly digest! Halloween has come and gone, Christmas is right around the corner, while the community has been busy discovering new releases. In addition, we have some notable updates especially to do with mainstream games, as well as some sad news to report at the end.
And as always, if you like what you’re reading, please tell your friends that they can get these digests delivered to their email or RSS client too!
New Releases
Evidence 111 (iOS, Android)
Close your eyes and let yourself be immersed in mysterious audio sceneries of this detective fiction.
September 13, 1985, a small town of Farnham, England. Just like every Friday, Chief inspector Alice Wells is on duty. An ordinary night shift is suddenly interrupted by a mysterious phone call - an anonymous caller knows something about the chief inspector that none was supposed to find out.
What will you do in this situation? Will you choose to be kind, curious, courageous or relentless? How the story of chief inspector Alice Wells plays out is solely in your hands!
What is the secret of the long-forgotten file containing Evidence No 111? Decide on the progression and outcome of the detective story!
Indulge yourselves in outstanding voice acting performances by Zoë Robins, Rosamund Pike or Mike Bodie and experience Alice’s story in immersive 3D audio.
- Interactive story created in binaural audio
- Intuitive controls utilizing swipe gestures
- Optimized for visually-impaired audience
- Branching decision-based story
- Up to 10 alternate endings
- Download a free demo, full game unlock with an in-app purchase
Breu: Shadow Hunt, an Interactive Narrative Audiogame (Windows, Mac)
Breu is the second audiogame from brazilian developers Team Zeroth, and the first multi-language supported fully voiced by actors in both Portuguese and English. In the game, you'll play as Marco, who's looking for his missing grandpa on the woods. People've been talking about creatures roaming in the woods, and your grandpa has been involved in something. Find clues left by your grandfather, discover what these creatures are all about and reach the truth behind everything. To play the game use the keyboard arrows to select options in each area and enter to select. The areas are connected in a grid fashion, and you can navigate between them and check what each one hold. There are 50 different areas with a lot of events, NPCs, objects, stories, clues. There are also chasing sequences, where you need to run away selecting directions fast not to get caught. Try and get all the memories, clues and interactions distributed in the game. Features: Full NVDA support for game menus; Over 3000 lines of dialogue recorded; More than 2 hours of voiced dialogue available in the game; Expected time of experience to clock around 3 hours for a first gameplay; Almost an hour of original soundtrack recorded with live musicians for a higher standard of sound experience; Options to change language while playing with no need to exit your game; Sound options to mix the sound to better suit your tastes; You can download the full game for a 13$ price, or just the demo to try it out, on the itch.io page: https://breu.itch.io/shadowhunt https://www.audiogamebreu.com.br/ Questions will be regarded by Team Zeroth's members. Feedback, as always, is welcome.
Together in Spire released with accessibility support
Multiplayer comes to Slay the Spire!
Together in Spire is a mod that allows you to Slay the Spire with up to 10 friends! This mod provides a multiplayer lobby where you can join your teammates and kill monsters, working together to achieve crazy combinations!
The mod is being actively worked on with new features coming all the time, and there's always bound to be a few bugs.
I intend to keep the mod as vanilla as possible by avoiding adding new content and making the game multiplayer, while still including some unique mechanics expected from a MP environment such as: - Custom UI - Card, Relic, Gold and Potion Trading - Reviving - Game Saving - and much more to come!
The latest version of the mod has introduced full compatibility with the SayTheSpire accessibility mod, making it possible to create and Join multiplayer lobbies. More information can be found in the forum thread linked above as well as the developer’s Discord.
Artesnaut - text-based fantasy rpg for ios
Description and notes from Warcat:
In this game you lead a party through different dungeons to collect better loot (mostly equipment). Each dungeon has a chapter, so this game is actually a storygame. I don't know if there are any new episodes or if this is already complete. Like I said, in this game you fight through dungeons and try to do harder dungeons. You can then equip the loot you collect, and most of the time it is better, but you can also enhance equipment to make it stronger. Most of the game is accessible, except for a few screens - party movement is not accessible. this means you can't move party members to different positions - equiping party members is also not very accessible, but for this there is an auto-equip feature, so i always do that to make sure I have the best equipment equiped before embarking on the next dungeon. The game is originally in japanese, but from what i've gathered the game is now fully translated to english. you can find more about the game on the app store page.
description from the appstore: Experience a deep story of adventure with characters YOU create! Select from myriad jobs, races, and skills to build your perfect party! A hack & slash idle RPG in a captivating fantasy world! Build a party of unique characters and conquer dungeons! Progress even when you can’t play! Start a quest and return later to reap the rewards and make the most of your time! With classic, text-based gameplay, complete dungeons and unlock the next page of your epic adventure in Artesnaut! Four Key Features - Unique “Epithet” system gives characters their own unique personalities! One of Artesnaut’s most standout features is its flexible character creation. Create a character by choosing a job and race, then create their epithet by selecting various adjectives (Blazing, Righteous, Fearless, etc.) and nouns (Contender, Alchemist, Executioner, etc.) to gain stat bonuses! Make a brutal attacker, hearty guardian, savvy treasure hunter, or whatever you want, then pit your perfect party against perilous dungeons! - Diverse, intertwined narrative that captivated 93% of Japanese players! New pages of Artesnaut’s story unfold as you progress through dungeons, then read those stories to unlock new dungeons Main Story chapters chronicle the protagonists’ adventures, and interwoven Side Story chapters provide intriguing new perspectives to enrich the world. We hope you find yourself deeply immersed in Artesnaut’s authentic medieval fantasy world! - A text-based, idle RPG! Dungeoneer during your downtime! Exploration and battles occur automatically, and characters return after a set time. Watch events unfold in real-time, or see how your party fared afterward. Did your brave adventurers return with rare loot, or did the dungeon’s perils get the better of them? Forge equipment, earn experience, and learn uncanny skills to grow your favorite characters as they venture into ever-deeper dungeons, teeming with evermore perilous foes! Engrossing character progression that is easy to enjoy! Randomly generated loot means you can keep questing for the perfect gear! Strengthen and combine equipment to create items as legendary as your adventures. - Deep lore in every dungeon and piece of loot breathes life into the world of Artesnaut! Over 600 pieces of equipment, each with their own story to tell! What is it? Why was it made? The answers to these questions take you deeper into the world of Artesnaut! Each dungeon is packed with lore as well, tying together the intricate narrative. Delving into dungeons may reveal short passages related to their origins. What you learn may give clues to help you on your adventure, or offer more context to characters’ stories. We present to you a vast, detailed world, rife with text to discover and enjoy!
Haunted Party! (Windows)
Have you ever played Crazy Party? This isn't just crazy, it's haunted!
Haunted Party is a spinoff of Crazy Party's minigame The Zombies Mansion. However, it isn't just about killing zombies with your sword, a lot more has been thrown in. Are you up for the challenge?
Highlights:
Tons of entities to deal with, that all behave and act like they are from Crazy Party. From zombies, to ants, to hedgehogs, to mosquitoes, to wasps, to bats, and lots more, you will be occupied no matter where you try to hide.
Jumping could never be so useful. Prepare to leap over casms, pits, fireballs, arrows, cannonballs, and others in order to survive.
6 unlockable modes let you challenge yourself even further, with each mode having its own unique challenges. From switching forms, to collecting bubbles, to dodging butterflies, there is lots to do.
Get ready!
Hansel and Gretel, the revenge, a text rpg with music and sfx by Corax (Web)
This is another game from the developer of Port Mondes. Like his other games a translator may be needed if you don’t speak French. Here’s Dark with a description:
This one is a rather fun offering, slightly more advanced than tower of Orestre, though taking the form of a partly puzzle based, partly combat rpg themed around the classic grims fairy tale. Set in the modern day, the start is what you'd expect; Hansel and Gretel find themselves abandoned in the woods at the instigation of their new arms merchant step mother! Yes arms merchant! A ginger bread house, an oven baked witch and a slightly fatter Hansel later, they return home, expose their step mother's dirty dealing and pinch all her weapons! Having a stock of firearms and a facility for disposing of witches, the two teenagers decide to try and track down the hole coven! Gameplay changes between story sequences, point and click adventure, and turn based combat, with a full html interface. the game is played online, however every time you recover a memory fragment in the game; which give you special powers, you gain a new code. The codes can be saved into a text file, and then copied into the game to start at the same point you finished on. Combat is particularly interesting, since it's fought on a sort of 1d arena with a grid of so many squares, with you able to use action points to move, shoot, and change weapons, giving combat an interesting tactical edge. . reading it can be a bit weird, but you should be able to understand what is happening, especially if you take the time to open and close the combat log. The game can be played Here on Corax's site
Fruitpot 2 on Testflight (iOS)
Posted by Eduardo, the game’s developer on Applevis:
Hello there, As many of you helped me a lot in the past, I gladly present you FruitPot 2 beta test. The finished game should be on the iOS App Store in the next few weeks, but now you can test it beforehand and help me again. FruitPot 2 is the new version of the loved fruit machine FruitPot, with similar gameplay and already with 15 mini-games that you’ll unlock by buying the items from the stores of the mall. The theme of the game is the 80’s, with corresponding graphics, items, songs, etc. The game should work seamlessly and allow you to progress through the game, there are still some minor elements missing and also some of the effects sounds are provisional, and for the moment, only in English. Although being almost ready to launch you’ll probably find some minor bugs. We need to know all kinds of errors that you can report as well as any suggestions. Besides the gameplay errors and crashes, we also need some feedback regarding the playability with VoiceOver, the game should be 100% enjoyable with accessible technologies, please tell us any incongruence or anything that’s not clear at the first try, like voices that overlap, missing information, unlabelled buttons, etc. Thank you so much for your help. Best regards, Eduardo
You’ll find the testflight link in the Applevis thread linked above if you’re interested in testing the game out.
Lifeline: Beside You in Time (iOS, Android)
After a lengthy radio silence, Taylor returns at last! This brand new adventure finds the hapless astronaut on the other side of a black hole, relying on you alone to help make life-or-death decisions in a playable, branching story of survival in the depths of unknown space.
But this time, there’s a twist: Players can also choose to communicate with T2, Taylor’s time-warped, alien-infected “evil twin,” helping or hindering as they see fit. Throughout the story, seemingly simple decisions can have profound effects. Make choices using your iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch, and face the consequences alongside the desperate astronauts.
Writer Dave Justus (Fables: The Wolf Among Us) returns to pen this fourth Taylor adventure -- the seventh overall in the acclaimed, multi-million-selling Green Series. Whether this is your first interaction with Taylor, or you’ve been a diehard fan from the beginning, you’ll discover a deep, immersive story of survival and perseverance, with many possible outcomes.
The original Lifeline took the App Store by storm -- reaching #1 Top Paid Game on iPhone and Apple Watch in 29 countries -- while pioneering a new narrative experience enabled by modern devices. This story plays out in real time as the astronauts work to stay alive, with notifications delivering new messages throughout your day. Keep up as they come in, or catch up later when you’re free. You can even respond to Taylor or T2 directly from your Apple Watch or your iPhone lock screen, without launching into the app.
Or, dive in and jump back to earlier points in the story, and discover what happens when you make a different choice. Complete any single path to restart the story and unlock this mode.
The story contains no in-app purchases and no ads. An internet connection is not required.
Praise for the original Lifeline:
“I’ve played many games that I find engrossing, but Lifeline may be one of the first that changed the way I thought about my daily routine, which leapt off the screen and became a part of my lived experience.” - Eli Cymet, Gamezebo
“I felt an immediate attachment to a fictional character pinging me from a strange galaxy to my wearable.” - Luke Hopewell, Gizmodo Australia
“For a few brief hours I cared – really cared – about the fate of a completely fictional character. I don’t think any other game I’ve played has made me feel that way before.” - Matt Thrower, PocketGamer
Lifeline: Beside You in Time was created by: Dave Justus Mars Jokela Colin Liotta Crystal Silva Matt Burchstead
Music by Rose Azerty
In loving memory of William Justus, my lifelong lifeline. Hope you dig this one, dad.
Though the link above leads to the applevis page for the game, which says it’s fully accessible with VoiceOver, there is also a version for Android on Google Play.
Farm RPG (iOS, Android, Web)
Farm RPG is a light-weight farming game where you farm, fish, craft and explore. Come enjoy a chill, relaxed farming game with a simple UI and tons of RPG elements. Farm RPG is a simple, text-based, mobile-friendly farming RPG / MMO game where you start a farm, plant crops, fish, craft and explore. Features: - No limit to playing, farm all day if you want! - Mostly text-based to reduce data usage and plays fast - No ads or annoying popups - Solid community of friendly gamers - Help Needed Requests with NPCs - Friend System and Mailboxes - Item Mastery Progress - Dark Mode in Settings - So much more! What is Farm RPG? Farm RPG is a game you can play on desktop, mobile and tablet. What kind of game is it? It's a simple MMORPG, where you farm, fish, craft and explore. You can play it solo or become a part of the excellent community we have. There's not many graphics, but it's still a lot of fun. It is simple on the surface, but very complex and strategic behind the scenes. How much Silver can you make? Is it free to play? Yep! You can 100% the game without spending a dime, but you can also buy Gold to support the development and hosting costs of the game... totally optional. Oh also, it's ad free! YES, 100% AD FREE and there's no limit to how much you can play. Hang out with us for 20 minutes or all day long. What else should I know? Not much, give it a try! Maybe you'll find it fun and become a part of the community.
According to the game’s Applevis Page there are currently a few accessibility issues that require workarounds that have been described in the comments under the entry. The developers also appear to be receptive to feedback and accessibility updates may be in the works.
The link above will take you to both the game’s official page/desktop browser version, but there are also iOS and Android versions.
Game updates
- Pokemon Access in version 3.1.0 now supports Pokemon Emerald version. THis means that now you can play the first 3 generations of Pokemon games as well as user created RomHacks using a single script
- Periphery has reached beta status. Version 1.0 has added more text artifacts that can be found throughout the world of Side A, which has now been completed, with more worlds to come in future updates.
- the SoundRTS Ancient War Mod received a number of updates in early November which tweaked game balance and added upgrade options for archers.
- Alter Aeon updates throughout November and Late October focused on more crafting refinements, as well as adding a weekly game of trivia.
- Microsoft Flight Simulator just got its biggest update of the year - Sim Update 11 just im time for the game’s 40th anniversary. In addition to adding a lot of additional content, the game’s narration and keyboard navigation support has been significantly improved. Though some issues still remain the latest flight simulator is quickly becoming a viable and more accessible replacement for the previous entries in the series.
- Though not strictly a game, recent updates to Steam have made significant improvements to the accessibility of the login window. If you log into Steam through the desktop command line parameters, it may be worth removing them except no-dwrite, and then logging in using the web interface that pops up. Another recently introduced command, -gamepadui changes Steams interface to look like the new gamepad optimized UI of the steam deck which as it turns out is also displayed as a web page that may be more accessible for some tasks.
Other News
We are saddened to hear that Jason SW, former owner of XLStudios and creator of classic audio games like Self Destruct, Danger City and Giftanum, has past away. Though XLStudios as a company didn’t exist for long, Jason’s games have left a mark in the history of audio games and will be remembered for years to come. Our condolences go out to Jason’s family and friends.
Authors
This addition of the digest was written by
- Piotr Machacz (@pitermach on Twitter and @pitermach@dragonscave.space on Mastodon
- Other contributions come from members of the audiogames.net forum where noted.