June Boon 2024
Writing
Indiegames
I finally finished Kentucky Route Zero and the quick review for it is available to supporters on Ko-fi. I had such an interesting journey figuring out my own feelings about this game so I hope that the post helps you either refine your own thoughts if you played it or provide some evidence on whether it should be added to your playlist soon. Next up in the queue for supporters will be a blog post about 1000xRESIST, which was bundled for press and content creators during Ludonarracon. At the time of writing this I have a few hours of gameplay logged and even more questions. I guess I can’t help but keep playing fever-dream games lately :)
Outside of games I’m playing off-stream, I may do a free roundup of games that have eye-catching trailers during the Summer Game Fest, namely Devolver Direct, PC Gaming Show, Wholesome Direct, and other events this month. It helps my overwhelm just as much as it is useful for readers so be on the lookout for those posts.
Video
Streaming
We finally finished Lil’ Guardsman on May 27th! That stream went a lot longer than I had anticipated so if you plan to catch up with the VOD please do take your time with it. Overall I was really happy with the gameplay and although I got the best ending, I felt like there were some decisions I wish I could do over again. Like I’ve said before, I almost always just stick with my first playthrough when choices matter and this game is no different. I may check out some gameplay on Youtube to see what other endings exist, just to satisfy my curiosity.
I’m hoping to have Dave the Diver streams done before my one-day fundraiser on Juneteenth (Wednesday, June 19) as we will be starting In Stars and Time that day while benefitting mutual aid. Then, for one day only due to my birthday I’ll finally get to play Journey on June 29th. From what I’ve read, I should be able to finish the game in one sitting so I’m excited to see what the hype has been about. Hopefully I get a magical experience without that much multiplayer traffic as the game has been out for years and from what I hear the gameplay is even better with others around.
Long Form
The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood summary and review is up on Youtube! I had a fun time recording gameplay and editing the video for this but be warned that it does contain spoilers. If you have already played the game, I think you’ll enjoy seeing some of my major decisions and my overall thoughts. This format is working much better for me energy-wise compared to Let’s Plays so we’ll be keeping it for a while. Next up in this summary and review series will be Thirsty Suitors, which was nominated for the 2024 Game Beyond Entertainment BAFTA award.
Personal
Currently Playing
A friend gifted Card Shark a while back and I’ve been enjoying the story and tricks featured in this game so far. I’ll admit that it’s made me wonder how many of the cheating and tricks are actually used in real life…
When I’m not conning people with cards I’m enjoying date nights with my partner in Baladins and it has been a joy to get some casual RPG adventures in for an hour or two while spending time together. The story and dialogue in this game is lighthearted so it’s very easy to pick up and put away at any point.
IRL
It’s my birthday month and while I know things have been tough in the world in more ways than one, if you do have the wiggle room to support me for the start of my next year in life I would be so appreciative! If you have room for sending gifts safely, my wishlist is here. If you can support with funds, I am saving up for Japanese language lessons here.
This month also marks my fourth year in the video games industry and while it has been tough in this field I'm fortunate to be in a department that has been safe so far from the layoffs. To be honest though, I’m not feeling very great about it long term based on some of the financial data I’m aware of. My plan is to wait on a promotion to go through and if it doesn't I’ll be keeping an eye on my next adventure. I would ideally stay in the industry because I think games have impact but that isn’t really in my direct control. All I can do is watch for openings and apply — the rest is up to the universe.
My health journey also continues, this time with trying to get a handle over stress and cortisol levels. Pandemic times have not helped with that and I let that stress take over for too long so in between continuing to take safety precautions and masking, I’m taking more walks and relaxing with some more tea and yoga to get my body to return to baseline. The goal is to be in a steadier state throughout the day so that my body isn’t constantly in fight-or-flight mode, which has been wrecking my body composition and my metabolism.
Picture of the Month
During a walk in Half Moon Bay we came across this gnarled tree, and it’s hard to figure out if it is one tree bent around itself from the weather or if it is several trees that found themselves entangled. Either way I found it interesting to look at and wanted to share!
Feel free to reply directly to this email to let me know your thoughts, or perhaps any content that you'd like to see or questions you might have. Otherwise, sending you all my sunny thoughts for the month and I look forward to writing to you in July!