Community Backlog Blitz Season 10 - Runs January 1 through March 31 with a raffle at the end

Wibblewozzer

Robot on the inside
Dec 6, 2018
1,095
1,646
113
We just finished a successful ninth season of the Backlog Blitz. You know what that means? This is the tenth blitz! We made it into the double digits! Now our next goal is triple digits! We had 20 participants with 100 game goals set and 61 of them were completed. Congrats on clearing out those backlogs! Knurek was the big winner this time with winning the first draw of the prize for completing God of War (2018). Make sure to congratulate them here or at the previous thread!

It's a brand new year. We're in 2022 and everyone is thinking, "This will finally be the year, right?" As long as you mean the year to potentially clear out some backlog games you still haven't gotten to? Yes, it will be! So make those New Year's resolutions to complete twenty backlog games, five at a time per quarter, and let's hop to it.

The spreadsheet has been updated, the prize pool has been reset. We'll start with the usual $20 but chipping in is always welcome. The details to do so will be posted separately within the thread soon after we get started.

Pick your games accordingly!

What it is:

It's a simple way to clear out some backlog games. You select a number of specific games you want to complete and if you complete them in a set time frame you have a chance to pick a game of your choice within the prize limits.

Rules:

First off, there is no time limit on when you can join. If you come in late and only have a month left please feel free to join. Even one completed game will get you entered into the raffle detailed below.

Everyone shares the same rules so an agreed amount of time would be set (three months this time) and then a set amount of games you want to complete in that time (been using five games). You then pick your specific five games with the intention that you don't go changing it all the time. The idea isn't that once you beat some game you go and list it and mark it complete. Instead, you pick five games to complete at the start of the Blitz and ideally you complete them as well as anything else you want to finish in that time.

Prize:

In the end, I suggest a prize pool and a simple raffle done. I always chip in $20 to start it and accept any other additions. Raffle winners must use at least half but can go up to the full price of a game (capped at $60 if the prize pool gets large enough). Leftover goes to the next drawn winner until it gets down to $0 (or close enough at which point I'll just add it to the next Blitz).

Thoughts?

There's no entry fee or anything so there's really no loss for taking part or starting it and then ignoring it. It's just a fun way to clear out backlog games and have discussion about what you're completing. And commiserate if you pick a game you don't enjoy and sour one of your spots on your list.

I created the Google Sheet so feel free to add yourself and games:

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I changed to a hide until replied as I think some people had issues with the hide until reacted. Ask any questions and sorry for those that already posted their new lists in the previous thread. Feel free to just post it again here as we continue for the next three months here.

Good luck, everyone!
 

BlueOdin

Dec 3, 2018
995
2,665
93
Didn’t get to play much in the last week of December so something is taken over. Like, half the list:

Looking at:

  • Bloodborne
  • Eastward
  • Great Ace Attorney Chronicles
  • Phantasy Star
  • need to think of something
Should be doable this time
 

Kurt Russell

SUPREME OVERLORD OF EVIL
Sep 6, 2018
981
2,120
93
35
Mar del Plata
I didn't do that well in the past blitz :surrenderblob:

My tentative picks for this one are:

God of War (2018)
Halo Infinite (campaign) (carried over from the previous blitz)
Dishonored 2 (same as above)
Northern Journey (same as above)

and the last spot, I don't know yet. I was thinking of Witch Queen, but I dunno if that could be a form of cheating :D since it's pretty much the one thing I'm sure I'll beat on time.
 

Deku

Just nothing
Oct 19, 2018
4,261
8,615
113
20XX
www.seikens.com
Current picks:
Project Wingman
Stardust Galaxy Warriors
Valfaris
Grime
Narita Boy

Going for shorter games this time. Grime is from previous Blitz
 

Valdien

✵ Chaos! ✵
Mar 26, 2020
1,254
2,727
113
Toronto
I only managed to finish 3 games last blitz, which were all done early on during the session.

My picks this time around are:

1) - Final Fantasy 7 (Steam) + Reunion Mod + Satsuki AI Upscale. This will be my first time playing FF7. I didn't get into JRPGs until the mid-ish PS2 era, so never got around to playing any of the PS1 FF games. Currently 17 hrs in. Just got Cid's plane.
2) - Final Fantasy 8 Remastered
3) - Age of Empires 4
4) - Nier Sqrt
5) - Yakuza 5
 
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Parsnip

Riskbreaker
Sep 11, 2018
3,028
6,669
113
Finland
Finished all 5 of my games last round and plan to do so this time around as well. :longswordblob:
My picks are these, at least for now.

Supraland: Everyone seems to like it, so time to play it.
Binary Domain: I have the impression that this one is much better than people generally give it credit for.
Sunless Sea: No idea about this one really. Some folks talked about it recently in discord and I figured I'd give it a shot too since I own it.
Grow Home: This also came up not too long ago, and reminded me that I also need to play it.
Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet: Been meaning to get around to this one for ages, now is the time.
 
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Wibblewozzer

Wibblewozzer

Robot on the inside
Dec 6, 2018
1,095
1,646
113
My Blitz choices are the following:
  • Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves
  • Mega Man X6
  • Atelier Rorona DX
  • Assassin's Creed Syndicate
  • Kara no Shojo
I have my normal game tracking spreadsheet I use and last year and this year I set a bunch of themed gaming goals (based on stuff like genres, series, etc.) so my selections are all from my list of goals. Many carried over from last year while some are new this year. I probably will continue to pull Blitz games from that list.
 

Futaleufu

Laughing Chojin
Mar 14, 2019
679
1,119
93
I don't know if I'll have the same available time I had last season so I'll start with just one game: Risen 2
 

Cacher

Romantic Storm
Jun 3, 2020
4,133
12,610
113
Well I totally bailed out from the last blitz after the release of Halo and Fights in Tight Spaces haha. My aim this year is to complete more games from the backlog. And I am playing some huge games right now (ie. Wild Arms alter code f and Super Robot Wars) so going to include some relatively shorter titles this time.
  • Syberia
  • Rollers of the Realm
  • Tell Me Why
  • Shadowrun: Dragonfall
  • Hammerfight
 
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Involution

Junior Member
Aug 24, 2020
96
65
18
Picking new games, plus 1 carryover:

  • Persona 5 Strikers
  • Final Fantasy 7R + Intermission
  • Yakuza: Like a Dragon
  • Castlevania Lords of Shadow
  • Open slot, TBD within the month.
 
OP
Wibblewozzer

Wibblewozzer

Robot on the inside
Dec 6, 2018
1,095
1,646
113
Picking new games, plus 1 carryover:

  • Persona 5 Strikers
  • Final Fantasy 7R + Intermission
  • Yakuza: Like a Dragon
  • Castlevania Lords of Shadow
  • Open slot, TBD within the month.
Maybe something shorter for that last game? Those top three are quite long. I think I spent like 70-80 hours just in Like a Dragon!
 

Involution

Junior Member
Aug 24, 2020
96
65
18
Maybe something shorter for that last game? Those top three are quite long. I think I spent like 70-80 hours just in Like a Dragon!
Crap you're right, I forgot yakuza was basically a jrpg before like a dragon and now it's basically a full on jrpg. I'm considering Mega man X7... It's where the X series died for me but I feel like I should finish the series this time.
 
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Wibblewozzer

Wibblewozzer

Robot on the inside
Dec 6, 2018
1,095
1,646
113
Crap you're right, I forgot yakuza was basically a jrpg before like a dragon and now it's basically a full on jrpg. I'm considering Mega man X7... It's where the X series died for me but I feel like I should finish the series this time.
I mostly was kidding around simply because you have three really long games, but you wouldn't be the first person to plan like 200 hours of games for your Blitz!
 

kio

MetaMember
Apr 19, 2019
1,447
4,656
113
I never participated in any of the previous rounds but I'd like to join from this round forward.

My picks are:
  1. Yakuza Kiwami 2
  2. Relicta
  3. Murder by numbers
  4. Aragami
  5. TOHU

I just have on question: What happens if I don't enjoy any given game and want to drop it. Can I remove it from the list and add it's replacement?
 
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gabbo

MetaMember
Dec 22, 2018
3,506
5,542
113
Toronto
Finished 3 of 5 last time, but moving in November and starting a new job totally killed any gaming I wanted to do.
For the next three months, I hope to get some more gaming in. With that in mind, here are my next 5:
  1. Unlock the Cat
  2. Maneater
  3. Metro Exodus
  4. Pumpkin Jack
  5. Call of Juarez - Bound in Blood
 
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Wibblewozzer

Wibblewozzer

Robot on the inside
Dec 6, 2018
1,095
1,646
113
I never participated in any of the previous rounds but I'd like to join from this round forward.

My picks are:
  1. Yakuza Kiwami 2
  2. Relicta
  3. Murder by numbers
  4. Aragami
  5. TOHU

I just have on question: What happens if I don't enjoy any given game and want to drop it. Can I remove it from the list and add it's replacement?
Yeah, feel free to adjust your list right up until the end. The only rule I don't police but I ask people to try to follow is to not just list games they've already completed in the period or leave blank spots to fill in with stuff that they complete. The overall idea is you pick games as goals. I don't mind listing stuff you've already started or are some portion of the way through since it's still setting a goal to finish it.

But otherwise there's really no rules on what can be listed. Some people list games they just bought, will be coming out, or they haven't bought yet but had been thinking about buying. I figure in a way those would otherwise be backlog games if not set as a goal to play through so it all works out.

Edit: And this season after the prizes were purchased there was $0.42 left over so the prize pot is currently at $20.42.
 

Spamlynguist

I can never decide on an avatar
Dec 31, 2018
1,022
2,846
113
25
As per usual, I only beat one game last Blitz... I will try to do better this time I hope :ROFLMAO:

Going with:
  • Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion (GOG)
  • Guardians of the Galaxy (PS5)
  • Hidden Folks (itch.io)
  • Kathy Rain - Director's Cut (Steam)
  • A Hat in Time (Steam)
 

Involution

Junior Member
Aug 24, 2020
96
65
18
I mostly was kidding around simply because you have three really long games, but you wouldn't be the first person to plan like 200 hours of games for your Blitz!
It's a good point regardless lol, with work being as busy as it was and me only finishing 3 games because I took a 3 week holiday in the last round. I'll put in a shorter game to round out the list so I have a good variety to pick from in terms of clear times.
 

ganmo

My Neighbour Totoro
Dec 10, 2018
350
408
63
New year new games to clear from my ever increasing pile of backlog :D

For this round I'm going to start of with Endzone which is a game from HBC December 2021

  1. Endzone - A World Apart
  2. TBA
  3. TBA
  4. TBA
  5. TBA

Since it is kind of a city builder, the point to finish this game is when I finished all the scenarios from the base game I guess :whistle:

As for the other games I will figure it out later
 

C-Dub

Makoto Niijima Fan Club President
Dec 23, 2018
3,992
11,886
113
New year, new (old) backlog.

Decided on my 5:

  1. Judgment (PS5)
  2. Timelie (PC)
  3. Sam & Max: Beyond Time and Space
  4. Marvel’s Spiderman (PS5)
  5. Resonance of Fate
All pick-ups since October.
 
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Spamlynguist

I can never decide on an avatar
Dec 31, 2018
1,022
2,846
113
25
Beat Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion! in one sitting earlier today. Really liked it, it was a nice and short 2D Zelda-like game.
 
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ganmo

My Neighbour Totoro
Dec 10, 2018
350
408
63
Beat Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion! in one sitting earlier today. Really liked it, it was a nice and short 2D Zelda-like game.
it is easy 100% game too if you haven't already gotten all the achievements ;)
 

Deku

Just nothing
Oct 19, 2018
4,261
8,615
113
20XX
www.seikens.com
I already finished Stardust Galaxy Warriors, which is pretty much a very short game. It's a horizontal shmup game with ten levels. You don't have to play through the entire game in on sitting as the traditonal shmup games.

Right now I am playing Project Wingman. I don't know the genre of this game :D You take control of air plane and shoot down other planes and also ground units
 

Valdien

✵ Chaos! ✵
Mar 26, 2020
1,254
2,727
113
Toronto
I already finished Stardust Galaxy Warriors, which is pretty much a very short game. It's a horizontal shmup game with ten levels. You don't have to play through the entire game in on sitting as the traditonal shmup games.

Right now I am playing Project Wingman. I don't know the genre of this game :D You take control of air plane and shoot down other planes and also ground units
It's an arcadey combat flight sim game, similar to the Ace Combat series. The game was developed by AC fans and was originally announced as a Kickstarter campaign a few years prior to Ace Combat 7's announcement. It plays more like the older PS2/PS3 AC games. Personally, I'd only recommend it if you're a fan of the AC games. Thankfully, there's a difficulty settings, so don't be afraid to lower it if things get too frustrating, which they will in some of the later missions.
 

Deku

Just nothing
Oct 19, 2018
4,261
8,615
113
20XX
www.seikens.com
It's an arcadey combat flight sim game, similar to the Ace Combat series. The game was developed by AC fans and was originally announced as a Kickstarter campaign a few years prior to Ace Combat 7's announcement. It plays more like the older PS2/PS3 AC games. Personally, I'd only recommend it if you're a fan of the AC games. Thankfully, there's a difficulty settings, so don't be afraid to lower it if things get too frustrating, which they will in some of the later missions.
I haven't played any of the Ace Comabt games before, but I still find that Project Wingman is fun. Chasing other air planes is kinda annoying. I am half way through the campaign now. Might be able to finish this week or next
 
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Wibblewozzer

Wibblewozzer

Robot on the inside
Dec 6, 2018
1,095
1,646
113
Done with my first game. Plowed through Kara no Shojo 2. It's really good but I preferred the first game. In my head I was thinking it's nice to get my longest game of the Blitz out of the way but then remembered Atelier Rorona is likely a fair bit longer and Assassin's Creed Syndicate could be if I get wrapped up doing side stuff.

Anyhow, good to get that one completed. Now I just need to learn Japanese so I can play the next game in the series!
 

Theswweet

Dirty Weeb
Mar 12, 2019
984
2,163
93
Gonna do at least Guardians of the Galaxy this quarter and Final Fantasy VII, for sure.
 
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Wibblewozzer

Wibblewozzer

Robot on the inside
Dec 6, 2018
1,095
1,646
113
Got a bit of time in all my Blitz games now but digging into Atelier Rorona now. I remember liking Atelier Iris back on PS2 so I'm not new to the concept of the games (though I don't remember that one too well), and I've known about all the Atelier releases, but I'm surprised just how much this style of game hooks me. Having time management, pushing myself to get as much as I can each trip out into the world, and then come back and just spend time in crafting and all that? Fun times. Still making early mistakes (like reporting too many town quests and running out of supplies for other stuff) but I finished the first quarterly goal and have a better idea on how to prioritize things better.

My overall goal is to play through at least the first Arland games and maybe do the fourth or skip it and play in chronological order to knock out the first of the Dusk series. Probably end up having one Atelier game in each Blitz this year.
 

Futaleufu

Laughing Chojin
Mar 14, 2019
679
1,119
93
Enjoying Risen 2, it's polished enough to not deserve the "eurojank" pejorative.

Added WRC 4, it's really fun.
 

Valdien

✵ Chaos! ✵
Mar 26, 2020
1,254
2,727
113
Toronto
Finished FF7 OG. Good game, still holds up very well overall. But man, the pacing of original vs the remake can't even be compared. I figured the remake wouldn't possibly have more than 3 parts, but after finishing the original, I don't see that happening. Plus, Square Enix is gonna milk FF7 for all its worth. I am looking forward to see how they handle the other characters in terms of combat though, particularly Caith Sith & Vincent. And I think Sonon sorta gives insight on how Cid will behave in combat minus all the ninja/synergy stuff.

The only side quest I didn't bother doing are the last two weapon bosses. Not interested in grinding.

Anyway, onto FF8 Remastered & Nier!
 

kio

MetaMember
Apr 19, 2019
1,447
4,656
113
Finished Relicta and overall I had a good time with it. It's a first-person puzzle adventure like Portal or The Talos Principle although not nearly as good as both of them. You manipulate the magnetic polarity of objects to solve puzzles around several lunar test courses that get increasingly more complex and longer. The plot is nothing to write home about, it's quite basic actually and you can see all the twists coming from a mile away.
I would have enjoyed it more if the objectives and exits were better signposted as sometimes was quite hard to figure out where to go but overall it's a solid 6.
 
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Wibblewozzer

Wibblewozzer

Robot on the inside
Dec 6, 2018
1,095
1,646
113
As mentioned earlier I decided to try out Atelier Rorona next and I'm in the proper swing of things in the game now. About 1/3 of the way through the story and I'm having a pretty good time. I wasted some time when I was worried I'd ruin my town popularity due to accidentally taking a couple requests I couldn't get to (didn't realize there was a ten-day skip due to the story so I lost too much time) but tonight I should be able to keep zooming forward. I imagine I'll continue speeding along since I have a really good rhythm and admittedly I eyed a guide on the requirements for the true ending and a few sort of gameplay systems things I didn't have a great grasp on. I'm not necessarily focused on how to trigger all the different endings (there are 14 of them) but I figure I'll aim for the true ending at least.
 

Futaleufu

Laughing Chojin
Mar 14, 2019
679
1,119
93
Finished Risen 2, so far the simplest Piranha Bytes RPG (haven't played Risen 3 or Elex yet). Everything is streamlined and after the difficult 10 first hours the game becomes almost too easy. Recommended.
 

BlueOdin

Dec 3, 2018
995
2,665
93
Finished Bloodborne. I like it but I wish I like it more. The level design after the first area is hit or miss for me. There is some great stuff, some okay but unexciting stuff and some outright bad stuff. The worst offender is I think the majority of the DLC. Which is the thing I would probably skip if I would ever go through the game again even if it has some of my favorite bossfights in all of recent From games. Or just run past everything.

What I do love however is the aesthetic design however. So above everything else. Like, even if there are games out there that on a technical level look better they don't hold a candle to the designs in this game. Artistically they went for something and they went hard for something. And it pays off. Same for the soundtrack. The boss themes in this game are incredible., Listening to some tunes while typing these words.

In general I appreciate that the game pushes you to be more aggressive than the souls game. A thing that didn't get when I tried to play it back in the day (together with the performance coming from Souls on PC with a higher framerate). In a weird way I needed to play Sekiro to click with Bloodborne to know what they expected from me. At the same time however having played Sekiro before fully finishing Bloodborne keeps me from liking it more because I love Sekiro so much more.

Anyway, enjoyed my time with it. First souls game I entirely beat on my own without summoning help even if it would've shorten some fights. Proud of myself and I am eager to go back DS2 and DS3 at some point and play them with their DLC, Maybe that will make me appreciate Bloodborne more after all.
 
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Wibblewozzer

Wibblewozzer

Robot on the inside
Dec 6, 2018
1,095
1,646
113
Second game complete! Finished Atelier Rorona tonight after around 30 hours and most the endings unlocked. I feel like I did most things other than the few really specific endings and missed one character ending trigger since I wasn't using a guide and if I hadn't prepared for something 2/3 of the way through the game you simply miss out on it. Oh well.

Probably start up Assassin's Creed Syndicate tonight or this weekend.
 

Cacher

Romantic Storm
Jun 3, 2020
4,133
12,610
113
I have been playing Rollers of the Realm lately. It is a fun pinball game with RPG elements. There is a surprising interesting main story, characters (balls) to recruit and equipment to improve the stats of each characters. Now I am at the final battle. and honestly the late-game portion is bloody hard (although I play in the higher difficulty). I will go back to some earlier levels to grind some money and get more equipment before tackling the final battle.
 
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Wibblewozzer

Wibblewozzer

Robot on the inside
Dec 6, 2018
1,095
1,646
113
I have been playing Rollers of the Realm lately. It is a fun pinball game with RPG elements. There is a surprising interesting main story, characters (balls) to recruit and equipment to improve the stats of each characters. Now I am at the final battle. and honestly the late-game portion is bloody hard (although I play in the higher difficulty). I will go back to some earlier levels to grind some money and get more equipment before tackling the final battle.
Did you already play Creature in the Well or intend to? You may also want to give Yoku's Island Express a shot but it's a further step away from proper pinball.
 
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Cacher

Romantic Storm
Jun 3, 2020
4,133
12,610
113
Did you already play Creature in the Well or intend to? You may also want to give Yoku's Island Express a shot but it's a further step away from proper pinball.
Nope, but I plan to play it in the future. Played Yoku's Island Express before. The main game is great but I remember that the collectibles are pretty frustrating to get. I may replay it later just for fun.

Edit: Beat the game. Really enjoyed the final battles. Short review here.
 
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ganmo

My Neighbour Totoro
Dec 10, 2018
350
408
63
Finished all the scenarios in Endzone - A World Apart. Quite grindy game especially the last senario where I had to endure 250 seasons which took some time even with speed at the highest. It was quite easy game though as long as you overcome the first hurdles to setup an establish a stable economy.
 
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Wibblewozzer

Wibblewozzer

Robot on the inside
Dec 6, 2018
1,095
1,646
113
I started up Assassin's Creed Syndicate the other night. Having a really great time with it. I know the games can be finished in like 15-20 hours with some side stuff completed but I'm really enjoying doing side stuff and have been neglecting the story. We'll see how long I get until I suddenly decide I've had enough and focus on the story, though.
 

Derrick01

MetaMember
Oct 6, 2018
1,037
3,129
113
Think I'll enter after all but I'm struggling to think of 2 more games to round out the 5. May include one of the february games.

Right now it's looking like rome TW remaster, chorus, and death stranding.

edit: Going to include dying light 2 and phantom doctrine, a game I preordered and still haven't played lol
 

Futaleufu

Laughing Chojin
Mar 14, 2019
679
1,119
93
I just completed Resident Evil Revelations 2, which for some reason I stopped playing back in 2016. I don't know why this game reminds me more of an Evil Within game instead of a RE one.

It's funny that this game is called Revelations
when it never solves or reveals anything, only adds more questions and ends on a cliffhanger that has not been resolved

The first DLC adds more combat, which is actually the strong part of the game.

That's 2 out of 5.
 

Ascheroth

Chilling in the Megastructure
Nov 12, 2018
5,119
11,978
113
Don't think I've posted my list yet.
  • The Surge 2
  • Control
  • Yono and the Celestial Elephants
  • Legends of Ethernal
Haven't decided on a 5th game yet.

I finished Yono over the weekend. A very charming game that comes close to being great, but has a few missteps that prevent it from that.
Some of the late puzzles are just bad, and the "tackle" mechanic that is used for combat and activating some switches in the final dungeon is horrendously glitchy. I don't know if that's just how it is, or if it's an issue with high refresh rates messing up the physics or something, but there were a few times where things just didn't work half the time until I quit the game and booted it back up.

Currently going through Legends of Ethernal. It's okay. Looks quite nice, music is good, gameplay feels polished, but it's not doing anything that makes me go "wow, this is great". Don't really know what to think about the story yet.

Also started up Surge 2, not really far yet, but so far it's been very good. I'm probably misremembering, but for some weird reason I think it looks worse than Surge 1, which I don't think should be true, but it's kind of throwing me off a bit, lol.
 

C-Dub

Makoto Niijima Fan Club President
Dec 23, 2018
3,992
11,886
113
Finished Judgment (loved it) and I’m moving over to Timelie now. Also been doing episodes of Sam & Max Season 2 here and there.
 

Spamlynguist

I can never decide on an avatar
Dec 31, 2018
1,022
2,846
113
25
Beat my second Blitz game: Hidden Folks! Enjoyed it but man, the things you need to find in later levels are maybe a little too cryptic and some maps are too huge for their own good :sweaty-blob:
 

kio

MetaMember
Apr 19, 2019
1,447
4,656
113
Finished Murder By Numbers (game #2) and it took me ~34h, which is a mix of VN with picross.
Never would I have thought in the beggining it would take this long. The game isn't bad but it's not exactly good either, mostly because I'm not a fan of visual novels and the game has a heavier focus on it than I imagined. The puzzles themselves are fine although I wish they were a bit harder because, as it stands, I only found a couple at the very end to be headscratchers.
It's a weird mix that I'm not sure who it's target audience is because I think VN fans will be annoyed by the puzzles and puzzle fans, like me, will dread the amount of nonsensical dialogue they'll have to skip through. Final score: 5.
 
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