Trade ins. Dear lord, trade ins. Don’t get me started on those sports games that come out at the same time every year, like FIFA, NBA, Madden, etc. Folks would want to trade in last year’s Madden game and FREAK OUT when they saw the trade in value, having not realized that games depreciate like anything else.
Like, bruh. I’ve got 20 drawers of games back here behind the counter and FIVE of them are FULL of MADDEN, and then I have another shelf of them in the back room on top of that. I could literally put out a dumpster fire with the amount of Madden copies in this store — just dump them in to smother the flames. No one would miss them, and we would still have dozens left! Dozens!
The Red Strings Club is a fantastic little point and click adventure game by Devolver Digital that can be completed in one sitting. Running about three to four hours long but with great replay value, The Red Strings Club provides a quality, succinct cyberpunk package fortified with superb dialogue and sprinkled with the tendency to make your question your own opinions.
Gwent! I used to play it a lot, the stand alone Witcher CCG. I have been admining a large gaming community Discord for two years that originally started as a Gwent group, then eventually branched into general gaming of all kinds. It’s called the Lodge of Sorceresses and we provide a woman-focused, LGBTQ friendly environment in which video game players of all types can improve their game and connect meaningfully with other gamers.
I wanted to extend a invite code to my new friends and readers in the video game blogging world. The Lodge of Sorceresses Discord community has a great base of friendly, active core members, with around 600 in the Discord total (only around 100 are active at once). We’re multicultural, international, and love intellectual discussions. The mod teams never censors controversial or sensitive topics as long as everyone is discussing civilly and respectfully with an open mind. Please note the server is 18+.
The Gwent cards and playing board I custom ordered for giveaways and spectator entertainment at a Gwent tournament I helped admin in Philadelphia last year. It was a blast! The maker is WolfSchool on Etsy, whom is a wonderful craftsman.
Why a Sphinx for the community logo? “It is who we are. All of us belonging to the Lodge, we are like the sphinx. Silent, strategic, perilous, hidden, mysterious, wise and occult. Strong and brave. Fearless, timeless and powerful. Yes, the sphinx should be the symbol of our Lodge.”
– Assire’s thoughts on the Lodge, The Tower of the Swallow
Originally released on the Xbox 360 and PC in 2007, BioShock has blown many minds with what is widely considered one of, if not the best narrative twists in video game history. It features the most well-integrated explorations of philosophy, morality, and ethics in a video game story to date. If BioShock is still on your to-play list, beware of the MASSIVE SPOILERS ahead. It’s time to revisit Rapture!
Also, I’ll be in Hawaii for two weeks starting on Saturday. Yay for being on a plane for 11 hours! That’s a lot of time to get some Switch games and reviews finished. My posts won’t be as substantial while I’m gone, but I have a few posts scheduled that I think you’ll like. Did anybody used to watch Zoids on Toonami back in the day?
I just wanted to thank everyone who follows my blog so far. You’ve help kick off Backlog Crusader to a great start! In only 5 weeks, it’s managed to earn over 130 WordPress and email subscribers, over 3,600 unique visitors, and over 7,700 views. That’s crazy, right? Thanks so much!
I used to play a lot of competitive Overwatch. Like, a lot. I’ve lost track amount of times I’ve been harassed in a game of Overwatch (not to mention in other games) while the other four people on my team quietly listen to a fifth person say absolutely vile things to me, completely unprovoked. It feels awful that bystanders often don’t seem to bat an eye as they observe what is essentially verbal assault. It always makes me wonder, How can they listen to this and say or do nothing?
Correcting the toxicity in competitive gaming communities will be an ongoing, group effort. This guide will teach you how and why you can and should help when you encounter harassment in one of your games.
Playing Koral left me feeling ambivalent. It is safe to say that Koral is best approached as a “zen game” in that it is a visually appealing yet simple game good for relaxation. Its dazzling graphics and mundane puzzle gameplay co-exist in discord. This game will only be a good fit for some and that’s okay.
Thank you to Hannie who nominated me for this one a few weeks ago when I was brand new to blogging! I’m terrible at these sorts of posts, but I’ll try my best!
– Thank the blogger who nominated you and link back to their blog. – Answer the 11 questions the blogger asked you. – Nominate 11 new blogs to receive the award and write them 11 new questions – List the rules and display the Sunshine Blogger Award logo in your post and/or on your blog.
Get ready for some culture studies and anthropology jargon with this one. I’ve tried to soften it up, but a lot of support for this piece came from my past academic writing, so please bear with me!
The identity of video game culture is shifting thanks to a relatively recent, positive change in mainstream perspectives about the value of the gaming as a pastime, profession, and about video gamer stereotypes. As a gamer you’re immersed in the culture, you’re used to it, but have you ever taken a step back and and looked at the big picture? What exactly is video game culture these days and how is it changing? Here’s your crash course!
Hyper Light Drifter is the game that finally won me over on pixel graphics. For a long time I thought it was just a modern gaming fad (“Retro style is so cool, bro!”). I had a hard time empathizing with pixel characters due to the lack of facial feature details. I understood the difficulty of pixel art design, but I was unaware of the depth and nuance that could truly be achieved with this medium– Until I met the Drifter.
Backlog Crusader 