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i first played this game when i was 15 and it completely changed my life. i never felt more understood and also emotionally challenged by a game. if your someone who plays games due to their undeniably compelling ability to tell stories, this is def the game for you. the music is amazing... like wowowow, and pretty much every character in this game is like a dream blunt rotation. the game follows this girl kai leaving her life in rio for the summer to visit her dying grandpa on an island famous for being struck by a meteor. in concequence, many genetic mutations had occured creating a stigma amongst "outsiders" to their world. its so so emotional and beautiful and its like a warm blanket. honestly, i have never met anyone who has played this game but i've never wanted to exist in any fictional place more than this. if you are into games that are pretty much playable stories (cozy game isnt a lable i would put on it but it could qualify for some) please please try this!!!!
PS i think the developers, die gute fabrik, have made a new game recently with similar vibes. have not played it yet but am going to soon!
Jan 6, 2025
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if you like video games, chances are you already know about this one. if you aren't that into any games, but you like a good story and even better characters - drop everything i don't care, you have to play this. honestly it feels more like a visual novel because it's the writing and dialogue more than the gameplay that makes this thing great.
it's set in a small, deteriorating american town, and you play as mae, who has just dropped out of college and returned home to live with her parents and see her old friends. shit has truly heartbreaking moments and lines that will stick with me forever. themes-wise, we're talking growing up, family and friendship, the impact of urbanisation, community, derealisation, capitalism, nostalgia, all that good stuff. plus theres a halloween bit i know you fuckers love halloween.
i keep coming back to it and every time it has something new for me. MASSIVE recommendation especially if you're in your 20s. also the soundtrack is gorgeous and there are rhythm minigames (PLAY THAT BASS!!)
May 25, 2024
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I‘d let a letsplay of the game run in the background throughout my day and I’ve already gone through 3 of them. The concept is an awkward person’s dream: being able to rewind on a conversation until you say the right thing. But what makes me linger on it for 3 letsplays and counting is the atmosphere. I love being in the shoes of a quiet creative type like Max in an idyllic campus on the cusp of realising her artistic dreams and being able to feel again, wonder for the world and aspiration for the future suspended in time. The pause menu music alone is delicate and introspective. I also think this may be the only game where replaying it over doesn’t kill it because it’s all about going back (in time) and reconsidering the possibilities, like it would make sense to the story. Moments in the game will happen, (are) happening, (and) happened 🎶
Apr 28, 2024
In the Indonesian indie adventure/magical realism game, A Space for the Unbound, you play as Atma in his final days of high school. Turns out it is also the final days of the world.
Prepare yourself for an emotionally impactful story about loss, grief, and mental illness that is brought to you in a warm, pixel art world. I have no idea what a seaside town in Indonesia was like in the 1990s, but the game absolutely transported me to this place the developers created. The game is powerful at making you feel nostalgic, even if like me, you have no nostalgia for this type of place IRL. The original score (and an original ballad!) add to the ambiance.
Fair warning: a lot of the gameplay involves running around doing fetch quests, so if that is something you hate, you might find that annoying; however, the charming world, compelling characters, and interesting story kept me engaged through those parts of the game. There is also some mild puzzle solving and even fighting mechanics!
Reviews for this game are pretty universally glowing, and they are all right. If you heard about this game last year and didn't play it, this is your sign! If you haven't heard of it, now you know :)
PET. EVERY. CAT and prepare some tissues. I cried!
Apr 9, 2024
Top Recs from @llq
just watched this on a whim. was going through a tough time and thought it would help me, but it ended up helping me in the opposite way i thought. its heartbreaking but i think it’s important. i thought it would motivate me to have a thirst for travelling the world and experience all these things but instead it gave me the desire to fix my internal world. don’t get put off by the flashiness of whoever the fuck you follow on instagram and go to therapy. those wine bars in tuscany and clubs in rio mean absolutely nothing if you’re never satisfied. sorry for the sappiness. RIP Anthony Bourdain 🪽
Nov 9, 2024
12h ago
i had one egg, a stale english muffin and a dream. lately i’ve been getting annoyed at the fact that we buy like £30 of ingredients to make a random recipe, and i’m trying to stop doing that and since then i’ve been making up the best little recipes. this morning i had no toast and one egg, so i couldn’t make scrambled eggs on toast which is a go-to when im having a slow morning. so i decided to make a french toast out of a stale english muffin and whipped up some double cream i had lying around that was about to be out of date. not the most unique recipe in the world don’t get me wrong but it was so fucking good and cost nothing!
Nov 27, 2024