PREAMLBE

Over 2021 I cataloged every piece of decent-to-good media I consumed in my phone’s notes app.

I mean everything. Podcasts. Movies. TV shows. Music. If I didn’t hate myself for wasting time afterwards, it went in the list.

Starting January 1st, 2022, I began writing little reviews concerning each piece with the intention of turning my thoughts into a simple 10 minute video. But the more I went on, the less and less interested I became in actually making the video itself. It was fun to write the list, reminisce on the past year, but I didn’t really want to edit everything down into something consumable for other people. It was just, kinda, for me?

So around February I ditched the whole idea of making a video, and here we are.

I’ve decided to share my thoughts with you dear reader, but in order to get to the good stuff, you’re going to have to READ! Mwhahahahaha!

Thank you for giving even a half ounce of care in regards to my opinions on these things. And here we goooo!

Deltarune Chapter 2

Deltarune is a brand new RPG developed by Undertale’s creator Toby Fox. You play as Kris, a silent protagonist destined to save the world after being sucked into a mysterious dimension. Dodging bullet hells, talking to the residents of “The Dark World”, and becoming friends with your childhood bully along the way.

Chapter 1 was one of my all time favorites video games. It has characters with personality and wit, fun mechanics that are deeply tied into the world building, and boss fights that are challenging but not have-a-mental-breakdown challenging.

And there's certainly a lot of that flavor in chapter 2 as well... but I feel like there's also a dash of something else. But I can't really get into it without spoilerinos so stop reading now if you haven’t played it yet.

Where chapter 1’s ending is shocking, chapter 2 is much more mysterious, keeping the tension up by giving players tiny peaks behind the curtain and subtly increasing the character’s sense of dread.

I couldn't help but become consumed by unspoken lore questions. What's the nature of the fountains? Is Kris actually Kris or are we controlling them outside of their will? Why can Railsie travel between worlds when Lancer turns to stone? Is it because he's evil? Because I'M TELLING YOU PEOPLE NOW RALSEI IS EVIL! I feel this in my bones! Nobody is that nice and that mysterious at the same time without being evil!

Anyway… Here’s hoping we don't have to wait another 4 years for a sequel.

Badland

I got this during the steam summer sale not realizing its basically an iphone game they ported to PC... but the puzzles are really fun! Badland is basically a side scroller where you control these little puff ball creatures and try to get them to the end of the stage. Think flappy bird but the controls aren’t terrible and you don’t hate yourself after playing. It’s a really good to turn your brain off title. Soothing music. Cute characters. Yay! :)

Later Alligator

As a kid I used to play point and click adventure games all the time. Putt Putt, Freddi Fish, Spy Fox, etc. After a solid block of Saturday morning Dino Thunder reruns you KNOW I was popping in a Pajama Sam disc and playing for a full hour of parent allotted time.

Later Alligator hits me with those MAJOR nostalgia vibes.

In the game you play as an unnamed protagonist who is trying to assure the mega paranoid Pat the alligator that his family is NOT going to murder him on his birthday. Talk to pretty much everybody in Alligator New York City and solve the mystery!

Its wayyyy cute to be sure - but with jokes that would go over the head of most grade schoolers and minigames that require a BIT of dexterity - you can tell this was made for readers 12+. Complimented by bouncy animation, jazzy tunes, and a unique artistic perspective, how have you not already fallen in love with this?

Going Under

Going Under feeds my soul. One half hilarious parody of corporate dystopia and the other half imaginative dungeon crawler - I'm shocked more people didn't flock to this indie gem.

I myself found out about the game from the developer's TikTok, AggroCrab if you're interested in following. And from the second I saw you could throw a potted cactus at a goblin man, I was in.

My Friend Pedro

This is basically a Deadpool videogame without being licensed as such. Snarky humor, hyper violence, and a bit of that early 2010s lul Randomz is he’s talking to a banana wtf?

BUT

The smart level design, cinematic movement options, and well-balanced shooting mechanics make My Friend Pedro an exceptional indie side scroller. I mean this gameplay is SILKY smooth. Just when you start to feel confident in your abilities BOOM new enemy type, new weapon type, new thing to interact with in the world - and its fun every single time.

My Friend Pedro isn’t exactly breaking the mold with any of this. It owes a lot to games like Max Payne and Sonic the Hedgehog - but it wears those influences on its sleeve and executes everything with love and attention to detail.

There are way worse ways to spend 6 hours and $20. If you’re into the bullet time heat this trailer is bringing, definitely go for it.

A Short Hike

Ever play Breath of the Wild? Well, what if a game was made ENTIERLY around the gliding mechanic? A Short Hike is basically that. You play as Claire, a young bird who comes to Hawk Peak Provincial Park to spend some time with her aunt over the Summer. After finding out the only cellphone reception lies at the pinnacle of the summit, our young hero makes it her mission to get to the top!

Flying/running/climbing around the islands as Claire is an absolute blast. There are no time limits, no enemies, no pressure. Just calming challenges that emphasize the fantastic movement options and delightfully flowy soundtrack. You’ll meet all sorts of adorable NPCs with spunky attitudes and collect cool little trinkets along the way. The open world feels big with all sorts of fun biomes to explore, but its still small enough that I never really got lost. This game is all substance. No fat whatsoever.

My only gripe with A Short Hike is that…we’ll its too short! I beat it in 3 hours but they were the most peaceful 3 hours of my entire year. 100% worth checking out.

They Bleed Pixels

An unnamed teenage girl arrives at the Lafcadio Academy for Troubled Young Ladies. Each night, the girl is plagued with nightmares. In her dreams, she opens a grimoire and transforms into a monster with long clawed arms and purple skin. Forced to navigate a hellish landscape and murder everything in sight, she starts to question… are the dreams real?

I'm only part way through this one BUT I LOVE IT! Super satisfying mechanics and a soundtrack that's out of this world. Plus the combo of eldritch horror and spunky YA protagonist hits a level of campy fun that's just *mwah* so good. Apparently there's a sequel too so I’ll probably get to that in 2022.

Legend of Zelda Link's Awakening

The games in the Legend of Zelda franchise are, generally speaking, some of the most polished and beloved games in all video game history. And although it's true that Link's Awakening may not be the most revolutionary title to come out of the franchise, it's definitely one of my favorites.

Everything about this game just screams fun. Swinging your sword is fun. Getting a new items are fun. Charging up the sprint is fun. EVEN THE DELIVERY QUESTS ARE FUN!

Sleeper aka Fantasy Football

I joined a fantasy league at work this year and spent so much time in this freaking app THAT I WON! Against people who have been watching football their entire lives! I started out just going with players who had funny names and I won the whole thing! It's untenable!

To the non sports folks, you play Sleeper basically the same exact way you'd pay Pokemon. Pick the ones with good stats, kick em off your team if you realize they suck, and battle other trainers to be the very best like no one ever was. Except unlike Pokemon these monsters are real and you can watch them use tackle every Sunday.

Is that unethical? I dunno. I had lots of fun with it and vaguely knowing football teams makes it easier to talk with people I'd otherwise have nothing in common with! Yay for social skills!