March Merge 2024
Writing
Indiegames
For Ko-fi supporters my quick review of 2064: Read Only Memories, can be found here, marked with light spoilers to discuss gameplay but no reveal of specific story beats or plot lines. I really can't wait for Neurodiver now that I've had the time to dig into 2064! For those looking for a free post, I did share my curated list of demos from Steam Next Fest here, and although the event has passed I think the games are worth a wishlist any time of the year. I plan to release something similar for the upcoming women game dev event on Steam, so be on the lookout.
Board Games
I've finished the photography for the jigsaw puzzle mystery game, and just need to find the time to write the full review. Silicon Valley is finally published on Board Game Quest here, earning a score of 4.5 out of 5 from me. No new games coming down the pipeline yet but as always you'll be the first to know if I get anything in the mail!
Fiction
I finally sent out queries for the novel I wrote for 2022 NaNoWriMo as well as one submission for a short story that I had been sitting on for over a year. I was unsure if I would turn it into a full novel but I found I liked it better as it was. Overall I've got the writing bug again and will start paying attention to calls for submissions.
Video
Streaming
At this point I feel like I haven't really made up my mind on the order in which I'll be streaming games this year, aside from pushing Mass Effect Legendary to my affiliate-versary party. For a game as big as that, if I don't dedicate a big chunk of time to it at once it will likely not have a permanent spot on the schedule. Starting off strong with the usual 5-6 hour party stream would be a good way to approach it, knowing how my brain works.
This month I'll keep focusing on finishing Roadwarden, followed by Pikuniku and A Date with Death. I'm looking forward to switching all my alerts and other overlay things to my spring season at the end of the month, too.
Long Form
I have been on a recording spree for Youtube lately, mostly because of my limited availability on Twitch. My first impressions for WitchHand, Times & Galaxy, and Minami Lane were all released in February and I have probably confused the algorithm by posting so much. :)
Short Form
With taking a nice break by providing coverage for other indie games, I have some goofy moments from Bread & Fred and The Cauldron Kids: The Summoning of Mr. Vermicelli ready for Tiktok! Turns out that falling down from great heights makes for good short form hits.
Personal
Currently Playing
I still need to play Goodbye Volcano High for my next Ko-fi post, and am still planning to finish Coffee Talk 2. Time seems to not be on my side lately with everything I'm working on but I'm going to keep declaring this in my newsletter until it happens.
My comfort games have shifted to management sims, with Cat Cafe Manager and Papers Please at the forefront. There is something satisfying about watching numbers go up through repetitive tasks that soothes my soul. Sometimes I wonder if I'm actually a robot :)
IRL
The voice acting class for narration is finally happening this month, and I'm excited to get a chance to share my highlights in the next newsletter once I complete it. I think it will be a great boon to what I do on stream.
After what has seemed like a dry season in terms of sponsored opportunities, the game dev for Blueberry reached out to me via email after over two years since I played the demo, asking for content to provide during the upcoming Steam event for women game devs. This was such a meaningful moment for me as I often wonder whether what I do actually matters and this was confirmation that it does matter.
In less exciting news I'm restarting therapy; some old trauma triggered again last month so I'll need to dig into it from a different approach this time around. As if this section could be any less exciting, my physical health issues are also still a mystery, and I'm frustrated that vitals are "normal" on paper but I feel like something is wrong. I'm unbelievably tired no matter how much I sleep, among other health anomalies, and it's almost like I need to wait for things to be worse before I can get better. We've ruled out a vitamin D deficiency, so we're attempting to see if B12 is the culprit. Hoping for the best.
Picture of the Month
This cat greeted us in 2021 during a lunch at the park, and as an aspiring cat parent it was a welcome surprise. I really wish we could have pets where we live. I'm still holding out hope that we'll move somewhere someday that will open up that opportunity for me. For now, I'm sharing this cutie with you all!
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 windy thoughts for the month and I look forward to writing to you in April!