Now Playing Cthulhu Saves the World

From Cthulhu's Steam page:

The lord of insanity, Cthulhu was all set to plunge the world into insanity and destruction when his powers were sealed by a mysterious sorcerer. The only way for him to break the curse is to become a true hero. Save the world to destroy it in an epic parody RPG journey of redemption, romance, and insanity!

So when I say Cthulhu Saves The World is already one of my favourite games of 2011 you can be sure I've not been swayed by its astonishingly precise pastiche of early 1990s JRPG cliches, strident synth music, chunky menus and all. It's simply a really clever, hugely enjoyable game, and it's as much honest tribute as cheeky spoof.  -Eurogamer

It's rare to find a game that is both entertaining and genuinely funny, and so far Cthulhu Saves the World is both.  -Joystiq

Scheduling an RPG as a game club game makes me a bit nervous because of the genre's generally intense time commitments, but I think this game could inspire much nostalgia-filled conversation about the RPGs of days past, so it's worth a go.  HowLongToBeat says 7 hours.  7 hours seems manageable.  Are you ready to laugh?  I'm ready to laugh!

Cheers,

Danny

A Smartly Scoped Auto-Runner

The Button Affair is a side-scrolling platformer where the player-controlled character, Enzo Gabriel, is constantly running to the right.  As a player, you have limited control over Enzo's positioning on the screen, but you are in control of actions that allow Enzo to overcome the many deadly obstacles that litter his path to freedom.

I generally don't care for auto-runners.  I can't count how many endless runners on iOS I've abandoned.  I played and enjoyed BIT.TRIP Runner, but that enjoyment was fleeting, and I put it down after playing it for less than 90 minutes.  I loved the ways in which the music was so intimately tied to my actions in BIT.TRIP Runner, but the levels quickly became frustratingly hard, and the game lacked any kind of checkpoint system.  When I died, I was forced to play the level from the beginning.  I died often.

To me, The Button Affair is a less interesting game than BIT.TRIP Runner, but unlike BIT.TRIP Runner, The Button Affair did not outstay it's welcome.  The game consists of only three levels, and each level has a generous checkpoint system.  To a certain extent, all auto-runners not utilizing random level generation require some amount of trial and error from the player.  The Button Affair is no different, and I died numerous times before I was familiar enough with the level to progress past it.  When I died however, I was dropped back to the last checkpoint terminal, and was spared the frustration of having to commit the entire level to memory.

The Button Affair does experiment with a few novel features as far as auto-runners go.  First, the player has some amount of control over Enzo's velocity.  Pressing the right arrow speeds Enzo up, pressing the left arrow slows Enzo down, and in certain situations, releasing the right arrow stops Enzo completely.  Second, when Enzo reaches a checkpoint in a level, the player must input a specific pattern of keys to progress.  Neither feature is revolutionary, but they added enough variety to the gameplay to keep me interested through to the end.

Finally, the level of quality this game exhibits for being a free download is impressive.  The art and animation are great, the story is funny and genuinely enjoyable despite being so simple, and the gameplay is smart and expertly tailored.  The only complaint I can leverage against The Button Affair is the completely artificial choice the player is presented with at the game's conclusion.  I was given the choice to either save the girl who had been my partner in the heist or walk away with the jewel I so desperately wanted to steal.  I played this final sequence twice to see the consequences of both actions, and the game very clearly presents one choice as the "correct" choice.  Enzo was a fine protagonist, but as a result of the game being so brief, he was a character who lacked depth.  As a result, I thought it was strange that the developers expected me to know whether Enzo truly desired the girl or the jewel.  On my first playthrough, I got the "bad" ending because my vision of Enzo differed from that of the developers.  I did not like being punished for making the choice I honestly thought Enzo would've made in that situation.

I enjoyed playing The Button Affair, but this experience does not change my opinion of auto-runners.  Had the game been much longer, I believe I would've either grown frustrated, similar to what I experienced when playing BIT.TRIP Runner, or grown bored.  As it exists however, The Button Affair was smartly scoped, fun to play, and did not suffer from any kind of tedium.

Cheers,

Danny

Experience It And Derive Your Own Conclusions

Much of Kentucky Route Zero is dependent on players' interpretation of the game's events along with the dialog choices players make while playing.  Because of this heavy reliance on player interpretation, I'm not sure spoilers impact this game as severely as they do other narrative-driven games.  However, I will be discussing a few specific events that occur in Act I of Kentucky Route Zero, so if you're on a media blackout for this game, come back and read this post after you've had a chance to experience it for yourself.

Otherwise...

Kentucky Route Zero moves at a very deliberate pace.  Like the game, main character Conway travels along the backroads of Kentucky without urgency.  All through Act I, the game's pacing has been nothing but slow, a stark contrast when stood next to most of the video and board games I've been playing recently.  This slow pacing is a thing I quickly grew to love.

My favorite moment in the game occurred when Conway had to walk up a large hill with a busted leg.  Conway stood at the bottom of the hill, I clicked once on the landing at the crest of the hill, and Conway began his slow, beleaguered trek up.  As a player, there was nothing more for me to do until Conway finished climbing.  Many games actively avoid presenting players with lulls in interaction with the game's systems for fear of losing player interest.  The developers at Cardboard Computer obviously do not share this fear.  They never shy away from design decisions that force players to slow down, and I think the game benefits because if it.  As Conway limped up the hill, I paid a special attention to the spectacular environment art and equally spectacular ambient soundtrack that had been working so hard to create a setting I enjoyed exploring.  I actually had time to digest what I was experiencing.

This game, at least what Act I had on display, is a game with little player agency.  The only decisions I was allowed to make were dialog decisions, and these decisions had absolutely no influence on the arc of the main story.  However, while the main story barreled along a set path no matter what input I provided, the dialog decisions I did make had a HUGE affect on my perception of the story the game was trying to tell me, or rather, the story I was imprinting upon the game.

A perfect example of this was an encounter Conway had toward the beginning of the game.  Here, a man at a gas station asks Conway about the dog he is traveling with.  The three choices I was given in response were:

• "His name is Hunter."
• "Her name is Blue."
• "Just some dog: I don't know his name."

Right away when presented with these choices, I knew Blue and Conway had been together a long time.  Conway is a private man of few words, but he has always opened himself up to Blue.  For 11 years, Blue has been at Conway's feet for every story he's told.  She may be old, but Blue is the most vibrant thing in Conway's life.

This is the story I chose to tell, but another player's Conway might be traveling with a strange dog he picked up off the side of the highway only hours before the encounter at the gas station.  Again, the dialog choices I made had no impact on the overall story, but given dialog options that are so disparate, something I've never seen in story-driven games, helped me craft a very vivid and personal narrative.

More than anything else, Kentucky Route Zero feels authentic to me.  The setting, events, and inhabitants are unbelievably strange, but everything included in the world feels like it has purpose.  Admittedly, Kentucky Route Zero does not offer much gameplay in the traditional sense, but it has given me a welcomingly weird (I'm talking Twin Peaks weird!) interactive world that I want to explore more of.

Cheers,

Danny

Humble Bundle 8

The Humble Bundle 8 is live!  As of Friday afternoon, for $6 you can net 7 well-received indie games, 6 soundtracks, and Steam Keys for all 7 games!  The games bundled this time are Hotline Miami, Proteus, Little Inferno, Awesomenauts, Capsized, Thomas Was Alone, and Dear Esther.  If any of these games make your insides tingle, speak up, buy the bundle, and I'll be sure to cement part of your purchase into the club's schedule of upcoming games!

Cheers,

Danny

Let's Discuss

The Omaha Game Club was started to bring together Omahans who love video games, and to provide structure to play and discuss games together.  We're three games into the summer, but thus far, few conversations about these games have taken place on this blog.  More than one member has pointed out this lack of conversation, and I agree it's an area that needs some loving.  As such, the club will not be playing a new game this week.  Instead, if they haven't already, I hope that members will write about the game club games they have played, post about them, comment on other members' posts, and incite some thoughtful discussion about Monaco: What's Yours is Mine, Kentucky Route Zero, & The Button Affair.

If you haven't played one of the three games the club has already played, this week is your chance to go back and delve in.  There are no rules or restrictions to what you write, so don't hesitate to post whatever you feel like typing up.

Next week, we'll start playing a new game as usual.  Hopefully by then we'll all be a bit more comfortable posting content on this blog, and discussions about the games we play will not be so uncommon.

Thank you to the members who have voiced their concerns in an attempt to make the Omaha Game Club something worthwhile.

Cheers,
Danny

What do you want to play next week?

I hope you all enjoyed The Button Affair as much as Marcus did!  I purposefully (and selfishly) chose a simpler, shorter game to play this week b/c my schedule was stupid full.  Next week, I've got some time to dedicate, so the beautiful people of the Omaha Game Club are deciding what we play!

Cthulhu Saves the World

Don't Starve

Kerbal Space Program

Since the club is currently still small, our process of voting is going to be a little different.  Rather than simply naming a game, name a game & include your reasoning for wanting to play that particular game.  Every valid & well-thought-out reason you provide counts as a vote for your selected game.  So, if you can rattle off 100 reasons, you can cast 100 votes.

I'll tally everything on Sunday night, and post a little something about the game that emerges victorious.  Go forth and vote in the comments!

Cheers,

Danny

Now Playing The Button Affair

We're playing a freeware title this week!

The Button Affair is a super stylish auto-runner revolving around a thief as he attempts a heist to nab the priceless Button Jewel.

Download the game here.

Cheers,
Danny

Now Playing Kentucky Route Zero

Welcome to week 2!

From Monday, May 13 to Sunday, May 19 we will be playing Kentucky Route Zero.

From the developer's Website:

Kentucky Route Zero is a magical realist adventure game about a secret highway in the caves beneath Kentucky, and the mysterious folk who travel it .  Gameplay is inspired by point-and-click adventure games (like the classic Monkey Island or King's Quest series, or more recently Telltale's Walking Dead series), but focused on characterization, atmosphere and storytelling rather than clever puzzles or challenges of skill.

The game is developed by Cardboard Computer (Jake Elliott and Tamas Kemenczy).  The game's soundtrack features an original electronic score by Ben Babbitt along with a suite of old hymns & bluegrass standards recorded by The Bedquilt Ramblers.

Kentucky Route Zero is episodic, and will release in five acts to tell its story.  Currently, only the first act has been released, but the second act is set to release in the next couple of weeks.  After that, Act 3 will release in July, Act 4 in October, and the final act will release in January of next year.

The game is available for PC, Mac, and Linux.  You can pick up all five acts on Steam for $25, or you can buy it all DRM-free directly from the developers.  Buying directly from the developers also nets you soundtrack mp3s, Cardboard Computer's private monthly newsletter, and a Steam key for the game.

Damn this game is pretty:

See you on the roads of Kentucky!

Cheers,

Danny

Monaco Co-Op

What times this week can you log into Steam to bumble through meticulously planned but hilariously executed thievery in Monaco: What's Yours is Mine w/ your Omaha Game Club brothers and sisters?

Leave a comment w/ all the times you're free, so we can get our group planning on!

Also, the club is currently experiencing an alarming dearth of sisters.

Cheers,

Danny

Now Playing Monaco: What's Yours is Mine

It has been decided!  The Omaha Game Club's inaugural game shall be Monaco: What's Yours is Mine.    Monaco won the 2010 Seumas McNally grand prize at the 2010 GDC Independent Games Festival, and was just released for Windows on April 24.

Monaco is a top down stealth/heist game with a retro aesthetic that is designed to be played cooperatively.  The Omaha Game Club will be setting up games of Monaco so members can play together and get a taste of that sweet, sweet co-op!  Also, there's a Monaco four-pack available on Steam, so members should coordinate their purchases to save some cash.

Andy Schatz, Monaco's lead designer/developer and founder of Pocketwatch Games, actually Skyped into an Omaha Game Developers Association Meeting in March 2012, and gave a great talk to Omaha's aspiring game devs.  That talk lives here!

Also, the Schatz man gave a kick ass presentation at GDC titled "How to Win the IGF in 15 Weeks or Less."  The presentation is free to view courtesy of the GDC Vault.  Highly recommended.

Brandon and Taylor (and any as-of-yet uninitiated members), get ready to heist some shit!  The games begin on Monday!

Cheers,

Danny

Danny's Proposed Games To Get The Club Started

I want to play Little Inferno because one of its developers created World of Goo.  Also, Little Inferno was nominated for Technical Excellence, the Nuovo Award (an award that honors unconventional game development), and the Seumas McNally Grand Prize at this year's Independent Games Festival.

I have a bad habit of reading about video games before I make any attempt to play them.  This game was released with some high praise but mostly middling reviews.  I consistently heard that Papa & Yo's gameplay mechanics were not particularly fun or satisfying in the best cases, and were broken in the worst cases.  However, many people compliment the game for its autobiographical storytelling and the daring ways it presents the complex emotional relationship the lead game designer had with his alcoholic father growing up.  People often complain about poor/safe storytelling in games, and the unconventional storytelling found in Papa & Yo seems like something unique worth checking out.

I haven't put a significant amount of time into an RPG since I played through Final Fantasy X in 2003.  I think I like RPGs, but I don't play them consistently enough to know for sure.  I want to test those waters with Cthulhu Saves the World.  Plus, I love its retro aesthetic.

Resonance was developed by Vince XII right here in Omaha, NE.  I want to support local developers, and buying, playing, and discussing their games seems like the optimum way to do that.  Any fans of the old Lucas Arts or Sierra adventure games will want to check out Resonance.

I know the combat in Fallout plays like a turn-based strategy game.  I'm imagining Fallout is like Final Fantasy Tactics Advanced if the bright and jaunty world of Ivalice was replaced with a bleak, post-apocalyptic wasteland.  I think that sounds awesome.  Fallout is an often discussed game by people enthusiastic about game design, and I'd like to be able to join some of those conversations by experiencing Fallout for myself.

Frozen Synapse

Frozen Synapse looks like an awesome strategy game.  The gameplay is simultaneous turn-based.  If that piques your interest, go watch a gameplay video because I'm not sure how to succinctly explain it.  I have to admit that I already have this game sitting in my Steam library.  I haven't played it yet, but I fully intend to.  The thinking man's choose-your-own pace nature of this game seems right up my alley.  As a nice bonus, when this game is purchased from Steam, it comes with two copies.  This purchase model make Frozen Synapse perfect for game clubs.

Cave Story

It's been a long time since I've played Super Metroid.  I think Cave Story can fill my brain with wonder like Super Metroid did when I was 6.  That's high praise.

Like Papa & Yo, I haven't played The Cave yet because of my bad habit of reading about games before I make any attempt to play them.  While I was very excited about The Cave before it was released, it received a lot of middling reviews upon release that have caused me to postpone making the purchase.  I know I will eventually play The Cave because I love all the previous games led by Ron Gilbert or developed at Double Fine.  Making The Cave a game club game will push me to play it sooner than I probably would if I were to tackle it alone.

Whenever people talk about Sleeping Dogs, they always mention how surprisingly good the game is.  I like when games defy expectations, and think these kinds of games should be supported.

Dark Souls

This game looks hard as fuck, and is equally as intimidating.  If I start playing Dark Souls, I know I'll struggle with the difficulty of gameplay every step of the way.  Misery loves company, and I want to play this one with people I know struggling beside me.

Psychonauts has grown a substantial cult following in the years since its release.  I've always enjoyed 3D platforming games, such as Spyro, Ratchet & Clank, and Rocket: Robot on Wheels.  I've also been watching and loving 2 Player Productions' documentary series on the making of the Kickstarted Double Fine Adventure game (now known as Broken Age), and I'm in the mood to absorb all the Double Fine/Tim Schafer content I can.

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That's my list.  Right now, these are the non-platform exclusive games I want to play more than anything else.  What do you think?  Do you see anything listed here that you're dying to play as well?  Do have reasons for not wanting to play any of these games this summer?  If you're a member of the Omaha Game Club, leave your comments below to help me decide which of these games should be included on the roster!