SPEAKER_00 0:00

Welcome back to the Blurred Spectrum Podcast. Everyone who is listening to the sound of my voice, we are back with an interesting episode today. It's not really well, no, it is actually very interesting. Um, we decided to go about doing this particular episode because we've been noticing that there hasn't been much talk about gaming. Um, and as a part of the Blood Spectrum, one of the things we must do is be a gamer. Whether you're playing the game, uh, what was that, Rod Van Dam? Yes. Or if you're actually playing a game, uh, you know, gamers, tournament players, card players, things of that nature. Uh everything you say, what?

SPEAKER_01 0:35

No, no, nothing. Just a sign of affirmation and put in support. I don't want to be us over here.

SPEAKER_00 0:40

Don't mind everything from mobile games to card games to board games to console games, platformas and the like. Um yeah, all of those things. Uh, we're here to talk about well, no, we're not actually here to talk about all of those things. We're specifically here to talk about indie games. Um, uh, and of course, you know, before I go diving into what an indie game is and what we're talking about, let me actually introduce our panelists for this beautiful topic. Uh, starting with one that is the doctor.

SPEAKER_05 1:10

What's good?

SPEAKER_00 1:12

Then, of course, we have. I mean, I I guess I shouldn't call him B Dizzle, but that's with the name he gave me. Uh, Kaze Shinryu. Hola. Then, of course, we have, I mean, you keep using the same account, so I have to keep saying Felicia, but by Felicia, it is in you, Sailor Alchemist.

SPEAKER_02 1:33

I hello.

SPEAKER_00 1:37

And then, of course, myself, your of course, myself, your moderator, Suchi knows Shogun. So, first off, you know, uh, what I've done is I've asked our panelists today to kind of give us a list, a uh a short list, because you y'all know we talk, uh, but a short list of uh titles of indie games that they are interested in that they have played and they want to share with our listeners. Yes. Uh, but first, before we dive into the individual list, what I would like to do is ask our panelists what do they believe? And this is off the top of your head, don't go googling, type in and all that other stuff, but what in your head constitutes an indie game? And I will start with the most studied of all of us, the doctor. You know, we ain't got all the degrees and certifications and licenses and shit. So we'll give it to the doctor. What do you think of the indie game?

SPEAKER_05 2:33

Um honestly, it's pretty simple for me, just an independent developer. So not like this massive AAA studio or you know whatnot, but um, literally that's it. So, you know, I think we often think of indie games as um lower profile, and that's often true. You know, I think indie games or indie games often give rise to some really great games that may not be as high profile but are very well critically reviewed and just excellent quality all around. But um, some are very high profile. You know, it's you know, some indie developers really rise to the top in that way. So yeah, um, that's literally just it for me.

SPEAKER_00 3:12

Okay. Uh Kazay Shinryu, what would you say constitutes an indie game?

SPEAKER_03 3:20

Uh yeah, nope, similar. Uh definitely just a small, small studio, no, no huge, no huge uh uh publisher. Um yeah, most of those things together. Because I know some uh I know some indie games, like if you know it's made by like an independent studio, but but then you know it's it's like a hundred niggas in there. I'm like, oh, okay, you you you independent, but you you got damn near Pokemon screw. But um, but uh, but yeah, so yeah, so and and and my and it will what comes to mind when you say it is definitely like smaller independent studios.

SPEAKER_00 3:57

Okay. And uh in you, what would you say?

SPEAKER_01 4:01

Oh my gosh, all the above. So no, uh yes, I like those. Uh I mean for me, uh I would just say like, you know, this it's a small same thing. Yeah, the piggyback on what was heard, just a small team of development. You know, sometimes you have games out there that are made by one person, made by five people, uh, that they don't have the they don't put the money into advertising their game. They just say, hey, like we made a game, it's out, you let's see if you guys enjoy it. And you know, that's how cult followings get. There's a a lot of uh games that are uh of just like development teams that are bigger than a lot of mainstream, but it's just because just the way how they move around the game industry, they're just declared as an independent game. Also, to key in, I want to say they uh teams that don't have or are not supported by consoles like Sony or Microsoft, like if they don't have a contract with them, I also would like kind of classify them as indie games because sometimes they would uh you know give them promotion for certain uh games to like you know advertise on their platform. You know, teams like that. So that's what I would think will be an independent, you know, definition or definition for an indie game.

SPEAKER_00 5:24

There you go. I was about to say independent definition. Okay, all right. No, I I definitely agree. I mean, indie, as we know, indie, as uh the doctor said, indie is for independent video game. Um, and you know, for lack of better words, it's just a studio group of individuals, developer uh that may not have either the backing or the money, uh the finances, uh, or the bells and whistles that an developer or a game has, if they were with, as uh ENU said, with the larger corporations or the larger platforms like a Sony, like a Microsoft, um, which kind of trickles into a question I was gonna ask later, but I'll go ahead and ask it now. Um one of the things that I've noticed over the years is most, not most, but a lot of the games that we might classify as an indie game or even as labeled as an indie game will appear on the Nintendo market. Um, so would you consider uh any of the Nintendo consoles as a an indie platform? And um I'll throw that to Inu first.

SPEAKER_01 6:30

I mean, I I for sure would say so because I think Nintendo, I think out of all the three like big head honchos that have consoles, I would say like Nintendo kind of uh makes it viable for independent games to get their foot and uh get their foot on like on Switch because it's such a mobile, like handheld game and it's like a low to the brow console compared to the others. I would say like, yeah, those are definitely um there are some independent like game developers that you know have contracts with uh Nintendo to like push their game on their systems.

SPEAKER_00 7:09

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 7:10

So yeah, I would definitely say that as well. Okay, the doctor.

SPEAKER_05 7:15

Yeah, so I completely agree. Um, in fact, I know for my list, every single one is also available on Switch. Like they've been quite good about um really opening the door for some indie games to have like more a more expanded platform and reach a new audience. So yeah, yeah, I think they've done quite well with that.

SPEAKER_03 7:33

Okay, Kaze. Uh yeah, no, similar. I mean, this is definitely a newer thing. Uh Sony and Microsoft have definitely had uh better initiatives in the past as far as like focusing on uh indie stuff and because I'm I mean because uh Nintendo's never really had a platform before. Right, so they would there was they didn't have anything to go and download infinite indie games, you know, onto. But yeah, definitely with the yeah, with with the Switch. With Switch here, um yeah, that the all them all them bitches are just in there. Like that stores built to the brim. Um and also and also not just that, uh Nintendo, uh like they their their like core, their like core page is uh is is is is well made to where if you want if you want a Nintendo product, it's there and easy to see. But once you just start going through games, they're not like pushing the lower titles to the bat. Like you gotta sort through the motherfucker.

SPEAKER_00 8:29

That's true.

SPEAKER_03 8:29

Um, so that's so that's good for the lower, for uh, for the lesser known things, too.

SPEAKER_00 8:34

Okay, awesome, awesome, awesome. All right, well, this is um the part where we came for, which is to get the lists. What are these top five? Well, maybe not top five, found five. I'm gonna call them the found five because each of our panelists have said that they have hundreds of indie games that they've played over the years, and there's some that they played that they forgot about. So we're just gonna say the the easiest found five indie games that they have on their lists. And who are we gonna start with? Let me see. Uh, I should probably flip a coin, but there's three of you, so there's no coin that's like pick one.

SPEAKER_01 9:08

I guess like we pick one and we just rotate.

SPEAKER_00 9:12

Maybe that will be easier. Sure. Now the problem with doing that is you know, some people like to start tying this. Oh, this one's just like this one. So I'll talk about this one next. I was like, okay, I'm if y'all gonna agree, I'm gonna trust y'all. So we're gonna start. I don't uh we're gonna start with the doctor. Or go ahead, give me your first one, and then we'll go to the next first one, second, first one, then we'll go to the second one, and so on and so forth. So the doctor.

SPEAKER_05 9:34

Oh, yeah. So my list, and I tried to pick some that were a range as far as um how well known they are. Some of the games are like really obscure but still really good, and some are really well known.

SPEAKER_00 9:45

So I wait, wait. Well, are they really well known and terrible? Or are they really terrible? No, no, really well known and amazing. And in fact, just making it sure.

SPEAKER_05 9:52

I'm gonna start with one that's probably one of the most revered and best well-known indie games of all time, maybe, and it has to be Hades. So Hades is a fantastic, wonderful game. Um, and I don't want to give it like too many spoilers because I would love for you to play this if you haven't. Um, it really is truly a gem. But um, it's a roguelike genre, so it's a game where you essentially go through kind of an isometric style, um, almost like dungeon crawler beat-em-up, um, where your Hades son who's escaping the underworld. That's the spoiler-safe plot I'll give. But um, along the way, the combat is really well refined. Um, have a great upgrade system when it comes to your weapons. Uh, it's very, very skill-based, almost to a fault in some ways, where um it can be a little bit tough for, especially if you're new to that type of genre, to grasp, but um it really does, it is it is a game you can learn, and it's a game that you can really get progressively better at. Um you know, it's uh the narrative and the story is just excellent too. Um, it does a really good job at giving you uh pieces of relationships with other mythological figures like over time, and you can like build relationships between these figures as well. Um, it's uh integrated really, really well. So, you know, without uh going on and on too long, I've probably seen the phrase of this game forever. Um I would say it is uh probably one of the quintessential indie games for me. Um, I think it's just it does what indie games do best um in the best possible way. Um I love it. I recommend you get it. It is on many platforms at this point. Yeah, sure. No, so yeah, it's um definitely at the top of my list.

SPEAKER_00 11:42

All right. Uh I was about to say Felicia, but in you I'm sorry, it's just glaringly. It's okay, it's fine, it's fine.

SPEAKER_01 11:54

Okay, no problem. Uh, I actually am going to take it back on this super giant games uh bandwagon because on my list I actually picked Transistor as a game that I think people can tie into. It's also made by the people who made Hades. Um, and I have in my notes I just said after a failed assassination attempt, you play as a singer named Red who has lost her voice in a future in a futuristic city called Cloud Bank. Uh, she utilizes a sword called the Transistor, which also talks, in parentheses, I said uh its consciousness came from a dead body of a man. And that is not spoiler because that is the first scene that opens up as you play the game. So it's already like they throw you in it, and it's kind of cool how they do it. Um the gameplay is like real-time combat, but it's also turn-based because that's what the sword does, it kind of like freezes time for you to plan. And it it's like if Garage Band was a battle game, that's what Transistor is. Yeah, because you like implement actions and she does it hyper speed, and then it's this moment where it's normal real time, and you gotta have to like run around, and it's kind of like you're not necessarily vulnerable, but you don't have access to all your skills, kind of like a like a cooldown leader, but it kind of uh it switches between that. So it's it's really cool. You got like upgrades, it's called functions, uh, that implements these different abilities that you can put on the transistor, and you fight against this these like robot-like monsters called uh the process. So it's it's cool. It has that super giant game spill where like the music slots, it's so intricate in detail. There's always like lore that you want to like find out in the game. It's awesome. I highly recommend it. It's on uh I believe it may be on Switch. I'm not sure, but I I played it on PlayStation and I know it's on Steam, so yeah.

SPEAKER_00 13:53

Awesome, awesome, awesome. All right, Kaze, your first indie game. Alrighty.

SPEAKER_03 14:00

Um, okay, well, uh first is not to appear too off too far off that bandwagon since you know we're doing all the super giant. Uh I'll say also go play bastion. Say, same kind, this display, display, display all of them except the one where they play like basketball. You can also play that one, but don't don't don't hold that. That was pretty good. That was pretty good, uh low key. I don't think they make bad games, but I also didn't hear too much about that one. So I'll don't blame you. Don't blame me if you don't like. But no, but my uh my pick is actually a uh it's a game called uh Fail Sill Arbiter's Mark. It's a game made by uh Six Eyes Studio, came out in 2019. And this is so one of my favorite games of all time, like definitely like top five is Final Fantasy Tactics. And and we are definitely like in a in a in like an indie renaissance of of games that are trying to just like in that genre and trying to capture, recapture that magic. And and I out of all of them, I think the one of the best like love letters to Final Fantasy Tactics is is Fail Seal, uh Arvismart, like the like this the hand, like hand-drawn sprites. I'm not I'm not actually all the way in love with the art style, but you know, it definitely grows on you. It definitely has it definitely has like so much heart put on put into it. It's what is well done. The story was uh mostly pretty good, but the the sheer like depth of play, like the um also this the like just the dynamic like uh play like things that like this is it's especially when the game like has you thinking like, oh, I wonder if this works, and then that works, and then you just keep doing that. And like it's kind of like how many, like, how many things did the developer like actually think of to like actually like let you like this capture your imagination? And that game is like really good at uh at uh doing that. And and oh, and there'll be I guess give more details if you haven't played Final Fantastic Tactics. It's a it's a you know, it's a you know, I you know, isometric turn-based, uh tile base, uh tile-based like RPG. So you have, you know, you had you pick you pick your squad of units, uh, and then there's and then it's enemy set about the map, and every unit has like their own stats, their own movement. Uh there uh who goes is based on whose uh CT bar fields is the fastest, and there's a speed stat like uh assigned to that. And it's just so many, it's like ooh gobs are classes, then you get you get to set a subclass, so you can be, you know, you can be a wizard knight, you can be a night lancer, you can be a samurai, geomancer. It's it's so it's so many, there's just so many different uh special special ways to play the game. And it's uh and it's like just surprisingly well done. It was really well supported. It came out with like two uh really cool uh DLCs. I think one of the DLCs was like was almost like a roguelike uh mo. Nope, nope, that's Kingmaker. Uh different any game. Uh but but no, but no, really uh uh really cool if you like uh if you like uh yeah, tactical turn-based uh type games. That's definitely that's definitely a uh highly highly rated one.

SPEAKER_00 17:23

Awesome sauce. All right. Uh do you know what platforms it's on?

SPEAKER_03 17:28

Uh I played it on Steam and I haven't looked elsewhere. Actually, I have it. It's open on Google.

SPEAKER_00 17:36

It's on all platforms. Oh, there we go.

SPEAKER_01 17:40

Which is wonderful. I can't. This is just to interject, it's great that we're doing this and I'm on this episode because do you understand how extensive my wish list is gonna get after this? Great, great things, great things are happening.

SPEAKER_00 17:56

All right, uh, the doctor, circle back, number two of your indie game list.

SPEAKER_05 18:02

Yeah, so number two, and this is actually the indie game I've spent the most hours in. Um, it might be my favorite indie game. Uh oh wow, and that has to be Celeste.

SPEAKER_00 18:13

So yeah. Oh, I've I've watched some of these hours.

SPEAKER_05 18:17

Oh Celeste is such a beautiful game. So this is a precision platformer, you know, where think of like platformers like Mario, you know, jumping to get over obstacles and whatnot, it's like that, but with an additional dash mechanic and some other mechanics through levels. But it is both extremely precise, and with very good, well-done controls. Um, in fact, some people call it the dark souls of platformers, you know. Wow. It is very difficult. Um, and the difficulty does spike pretty hard, but it is, again, like something that is learnable. Um, but you know, I love the mechanics of it. Uh, I love the the way a lot of the maps are designed, you know, they kind of teach you how to solve different problems and whatnot. Um, but also it has a really beautiful story. So a lot of it deals with uh the protagonist of Madeline's like mental health, you know, and struggling with depression, or um in the DLC, it actually deals with grief quite a bit. Um and it really does this in a pretty nuanced way, and one that's uh both works within the game itself as far as it aligns with the mechanics well and the levels, but it also does tell this really compelling story. So um, yeah, it is a fantastic game. Um, you can definitely get it on Steam, Switch, and PS4 for sure. Right. But um, yeah, I would highly recommend it.

SPEAKER_00 19:40

Yeah, and for our Microsoft brethren, it is also on the Xbox One, but you know nobody talks about your Microsoft. No disrespect to the doctor, just telling the truth.

SPEAKER_03 19:49

Uh, one more, what one other really good thing about Celeste is the uh ooh, the word's not coming to me. What's the uh what's that word when you like uh help other people do what you're doing? Co-op the the the the the the difficulty and accessibility oh oh yes in Celeste are absolutely insane. Like the like they like they don't they don't have like a regular like difficulty slider, like they just give you giant lists of things. So any particular thing you're not good at at the game, you can just be like, oh, uh let you know let me tune the damage down. Like, oh let me like jump further. Oh, let me uh like you know, let me like pause it. I don't know, I I just make that. But just like just stuff, stuff like that. You can find it.

SPEAKER_01 20:32

It's like quality of life for a platformer.

SPEAKER_03 20:34

Yeah, that's like whatever you're not, whatever you're not good at, whatever you like maybe you don't, you know, maybe you're like you're getting frustrated, maybe you don't want to, you know, practice, maybe you don't enjoy practicing, uh, you know, banging your face against the wall and practicing hours and hours and hours. You can you can fine-tune the game to like to match your perfect level of like comfortability and enjoyability. Whereas like it's just it's it's just like uh in a lot of in a lot of these indie games, uh Dead Cells have similar uh options, but a lot like they it's not it's not it's nothing like having just like easy, hard. Um, because most most easy and hard and most difficulty settings are not well done. And and fillest and fales is just like re revolutionary almost.

SPEAKER_00 21:17

Revolutionary words. Okay, your second title.

SPEAKER_01 21:25

Okay. Wow. I would say I will do the next game that I played it because the gameplay threw me off, and I continue to play it because of the gameplay, even when I completed the story. Uh, I would say this game is called 13th Sentinels Igus Rim. It's made by Vanillaware. Uh, but I believe Atlas produced it, but they developed it. Um, it's part time, it's like part visual novel, part active time battle going on, part scrolling, like side. Scrolling adventure. It has like three different things that it kind of like tickles for me as a gamer that loves those aspects. And it's kind of like a love letter to everything sci-fi. Like the story, it has aliens involved, it's time travel involved, androids, giant decks, like everything that you like that sci-fi and stranger things, it's that saturated, but it's so well done and it's so well drawn. But the story per se, it revolves around like 13 high schoolers. Um, like their involvement in well, they well, their involvement in trying to like avert annihilation of humankind because it is like very anime, but at the same time, it's uh yeah, they they it's their involvement and like how they interact with each other that I think makes the game shine really well. And it's non-linear, it's like a non-linear linear like narrative, I can say it narrative in the game. So it's like you can't progress certain people's stories without fitting a criteria or doing a uh criteria in the game or certain missions because it's trying to like tell you a story uh in its own way, and as you like play the game, uh you'll have more freedom in like exploring other people's like independent like stories. But yeah, it's about it's it's it's it's it's a great, awesome game. And I think I've never played a game like it because it's kind of like a tower defense thing going on, but at the same time, it's like time pauses so you can implement action for each person, but also after you're done doing the actions for everyone, it's real time again. And uh yeah, it's the students, they get in giant robots, they try to fight these uh monsters, they're called the demos. They're also they they also time travel to different air uh eras like the monsters do, hence the time travel aspect of the game. Uh, in my notes, I put one of my favorite quotes in the game. I'm not just the schoolgirl, I'm a schoolgirl with a giant robot. Great. It was great. Such a but it's it's I highly recommend it's on um all platforms. Uh you can find it on Switch, you can find it on PlayStation, you can find it on Steam. Uh yeah, it's something that is very, very unique. Like, I don't think I've ever played a game that had these different elements. And I think the blessing of it also is that they give you a time, uh like a little uh timeline to tell you how the plot actually goes in chronological order. So like when you're done playing the game and you like fountain out the secrets, you can actually like read it for yourself. Like, okay, what really happened? Because again, like you start the game at the end essentially, and you kind of have to like figure out why it why are things the way they are. So great game, one of my favorites.

SPEAKER_00 25:00

Awesome sauce, awesome sauce, and we are sure that it's on all platforms.

SPEAKER_01 25:04

Absolutely, because I know you know why I know because I bought it on multiple platforms.

SPEAKER_00 25:11

Just make it sure. All right, uhze, your third, sorry, second titles. Um I'm writing these down.

SPEAKER_03 25:23

I have the name of this video, correct? Bada bada ba.

SPEAKER_04 25:33

Come on.

SPEAKER_03 25:35

There it is. I knew it. Alright, my second game is uh Little Diddy called Darkest Dungeon.

SPEAKER_05 25:43

That's a good one.

SPEAKER_03 25:45

And oh boy. Uh uh, yeah, hope, you know, hope you love yourself. Uh Darkest Dungeon is Love that game. It's so it's like it's it's gonna put you it's gonna put you through something. Like, like, like honestly, like Dark Dark Darkest Dungeon is one of those games that kind of make you recontextualize what fun is what is happening. Like, you know, it's it's all you know, it's all it's kind of like you know, you working, you're like when you're working out and you're like, oh, I hate this. This feels awful. This is terrible. That's how you will feel sometimes while you're playing Darkest Dungeon. But when you come out on the other side, oh no, the the the the satisfaction, the the uh just the the way it draws you in. The um so so one uh uh along with Bastion, Darkest Dungeon has some of the one of the best, like it's it's like one dude talking. And and that man, and that man needs like a Nobel Peace Prime, because his his his voice is so just like sinister and like uh like like you know, sometimes he's like he's like you do something good and and like and if and it feels like he he physically came and patted you on the head. And like, you know, if you have if that's your thing, that's that's cool. Um but no, but like yeah, so Dark Dungeon is a uh another it's another uh term term-based um uh you know, it's also it's also uh you you take you're taking units through all these uh different areas and um and you're just you're um you're using lots of lots of you're managing your resources and you it's really uh at its core it's a it's a town. It's a town manager. Uh cuz you can uh because if you get if you get uh if you get attached to these people, uh you're gonna be in a rough you're gonna be gonna be in a rough time. It's like watching Game of Thrones. Like don't you you can like them, don't, don't, don't love them. But um, but it's uh but no, yeah, and and uh and but I the probably the most interesting thing is you have to manage these you have to manage these people's sanity. And that's uh and that's tightly woven into the uh the light, the light, dark uh mechanic they had. So the uh the darker, the darker it gets, the more loot you get, but also the more dangerous the monsters get, and also the greater impact they have on your sanity. Because when you uh so pretty much when your sanity bar fills up the first time, the uh you uh you get a you get like a status effect. And it and it's pretty much like you, you just like you're slowly just starting to go crazy in this myriad of different ways. And uh, and you know, and sometimes like you you just you become a klepto. Uh sometimes you just you just get super uh you just get super anxious and distrusting, you start attacking your teammates. Uh sometimes you just you're just a Debbie downer and you just start talking shit about your other teammates, and then they get depressed and they stay and their bars start going up. But uh but if this bar fills up a second time, that person gets a heart attack and they die.

SPEAKER_00 29:06

So you guys vaguely remember you explaining the gameplay of this. Yeah. Because I'm going through the same type of mental stress. I'm like, I don't want to play this at all.

SPEAKER_03 29:22

Yep, you're welcome.

SPEAKER_00 29:26

Okay, well let's let's not dive too deep into it. We still want people to play it. Uh I mean, I'm sure that's gonna excite somebody.

SPEAKER_03 29:33

Uh yeah, yeah, yeah. But no, no, but it's definitely um uh yeah, you're definitely managing like all these different resources, all these different stats. The uh the the gameplay is just so interesting, dynamic, uncovering the story, um, learn, you know, the learning the different things about the units getting uh in the town and just getting better. It was just it's it was really, really well done. I think the sequel actually came out earlier this year, so I still have to go uh check that out once my computer starts aging. But yeah, Darkest Dungeon is made by uh Red Hook Studios. Um, and that uh in Darkest Dungeon is more or less on everything. I own it on Steam and PlayStation, and I'm pretty sure I've seen it on Switch.

SPEAKER_00 30:19

Yep PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and of course Steamboat.

SPEAKER_03 30:25

Oh, I would love to play that on a Vita. Oh, that's great.

SPEAKER_00 30:28

Let's go to Japan.

SPEAKER_02 30:30

We gotta go to Japan and get a Vita Lord.

SPEAKER_05 30:32

All right, the Doctor, number three. Alright, so my third one on the list, and I put in almost as many hours in this as I have with Celeste.

SPEAKER_04 30:42

What the fuck?

SPEAKER_05 30:44

Glenspire. So this is one of my favorite indie games.

SPEAKER_01 30:49

Repeat, you said Glenspire?

SPEAKER_05 30:51

Oh, Slay the Spire.

SPEAKER_01 30:53

Oh, Slay the Spire. I've heard of a you know, yeah.

SPEAKER_05 30:56

Forgive me if I'm a little congested. My winter allergies are starting to hit, so uh Oh no, you are fine.

SPEAKER_01 31:02

I just needed to make sure it's added to the list. I was adding to the list. I got the word right. Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 31:09

No, but it's it's a fantastic game, and it's a card-based combat roguelike.

SPEAKER_01 31:15

So I'm I'm sold already.

SPEAKER_05 31:20

And I guess we probably haven't mentioned what a roguelike is, but basically, whenever you start a run, um, certain core elements are randomized. So in this case, um the maps are randomized where you find treasure chests versus combats versus elite combats, what the elites are. Um the boss for each act is randomized between one of three choices. So ever no two runs are going to be exactly the same. And in this, you can pick one of initially one character, but you get up to four as you unlock them by completing runs. And you can get new moves and abilities that you can use to create synergies for this type of combat. So, like my favorite character, the silent, like she uses a combination of like deadly like steeds, almost like um, almost like a ninja style archetype in that way, but she also has like poison as one of her big synergies. So she can, you know, get cards that attack a bunch of poison and then exponentially multiply that as a good boss cover. And each character has a bunch of packages like that that create all these different unique playstyles, and you get relics along the way, which can give you additional bonuses that work with your kit. And even it's really there's so many complex builds you can create. I think that's the thing that I really love about this game. Um, I have to have done at least definitely over 200 runs of play this bottle. Um, and clearly, I don't think any two runs have been exactly the same.

SPEAKER_01 32:48

You know, and we love that.

SPEAKER_05 32:50

And yeah, just that replayability is just fantastic. Um, so yeah, would highly recommend it. I believe it is megacrit games. Let me double check that. Uh yes, you are right. Mega Crit Games, yes, and I know it is on um Switch, PC, and uh mobile, both you know, Android and iOS. So, you know, and I have it on, I think all three at this point. Uh so yeah.

SPEAKER_00 33:15

Correct, Doctor. It's its own Switch, uh PC uh theme, of course. Uh it is on PlayStation 4 as well as the Xbox One. I you know, thank you for catching that. I did not have that. Oh no, I'm I'm I'm just following up. So anybody who wants to know where they can get it, sometimes people just got the Xbox, they won't give it up. So they gotta know they have the options in indie games as well. All right, all right, and you uh number three on your list.

SPEAKER_01 33:42

All right, uh I love this because I can just piggyback on things that were said. So we're gonna continue this roguelike train and bring out a game, which has also surprised me because I didn't know what I was getting into when I bought it. I just bought it because it was like ridiculously cheap. It was like on sale. Like I uh it was called uh Risk of Rain 2. It is a roguelike game where you choose essentially uh it's a roguelike third person shooter and you uh explore different zones uh while dealing with like waves of alien-like enemies, and you can pick up you're like you're exploring and you're picking up gear to like make your character stronger. And the thing about it is like the gear stack. So, like if you got a gear that's like a double jump mechanic, you can like keep getting those gears until like you have a character that can just like jump like 10 times. It gets pretty insane. Um, but yeah, it's it's it's it's pretty fun, it's pretty simple. I played it with my friends, and we played it until like we it we lost so many hours in the day where it was probably like four o'clock in the morning, and we're like on the last level of it on like a a certain like a difficulty. And the beauty about the game is that it has so many secrets, like there's ways to unlock more characters in the game, there's ways to unlock different areas, there's ways to unlock different artifacts that overall like change the gameplay of the game. Like it's it it it's it's so great, but it's such a simple premise. Like it's it's and like it that's it. But yeah, I believe it's developed by uh HIPAA games. I think the publisher was Gearbox that uh pushed it out. Um it was on PlayStation when I played it. I believe it's on Switch 2, and I know you can play it on Steam. And I heard that they are dropping a Risk of Rain 3. I'm not sure if it's gonna be called that, but they they said it was like a trailer that they dropped that they're working on it. So who knows what that one will be. But yeah, I would definitely recommend uh that game. It's very fun and you can lose hours in it.

SPEAKER_00 35:52

Perfect, and yes, you are correct. Steam, switch, PlayStation 4, of course, once again Xbox One. Um, and if anybody remembers it, it was also on Stadia. Oh, wow. So uh Kaze, your third title. Righty. Oh shit.

SPEAKER_03 36:15

Which one are we picking for number three? Actually, uh before my third title, I just wanted to uh because I think we've like named three, like three of them so far, so I wanted to distinguish a uh a uh a rogue uh like versus a rogue light. Uh so uh, you know, uh but both both genres are all about games that where they have different uh where they're the whole the whole runtime is generally short and the games are meant to have really dynamic gameplay and be uh repeated. Most of the games we mention are roguelites, l-i-t-e, and they and that and they're usually and they're usually uh defined by some type of uh out of out out of run or uh or like a meta progression. So you're so you're slowly getting better and building and building towards uh you know getting further in the game and doing better. Where an actual an actual rogue like is that that the the every everything you do in that first run is your your first run is the same as your thousandth run, except for what you learn. Uh so just so and and also they're generally much harder and more punishing. And I don't think we've actually mentioned actual roguelike. Right. Oh, okay, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah. Like dead cells. My God. That's also light. It's just just right, it's just hard as hell and be and wonderful.

SPEAKER_05 37:38

Oh, yeah. I think like modern or by modern game design standards, almost any true roguelike is probably gonna be considered bad game design with how like punishing some of the deaths are. Like um, NetHack is a great example where like you can have an event that just kills you instantly for no reason, you know? Thankfully, we've grown past this.

SPEAKER_03 38:01

Yeah, yeah, we we've learned many wonderful lessons from Rogue. That's that's that's why why there's actual actually a game called Rogue where where it started all this. So, yeah, I'm I'm glad. Yeah, I'm glad some games are learning the right lessons, and then other and other games hate you. Absolutely. Uh, but um so my next game is gonna be the game called uh Skull the Hero Slayer. Actually, I didn't I didn't let me make sure that's the rest of the title. Make sure I'm not making shit up. Because I just wrote Skull on the He's making shit up! All the Hero Slayer. I'm I'm good for it. My my brain was filling some real, real good shit, and then it sounds really good. But anyway, so Skull. Also roguelike. Uh Skull the Hero Slayer is basically um uh it's kind of like this uh the word the word is uh escaping me. But you're you're pretty much you're playing a skeleton and your uh and your kingdom was was bes was beset like by heroes. Besieged. Um I'm gonna beset, but yeah. Um but uh but so pretty much like so it's a bunch of it's a bunch of people who kind of put forth to be to be good guys, but on but you but you the skeletons and all the monsters really just there minding your business. But uh so but you you find you you find out that um uh actually it's funny because it's kind of like the opposite of Dead South, but uh you you kind of find out that you're you're you're a body, and then but you you kind of find out that you can switch switch your head with different skulls, and different skulls are different classes. And uh and uh and this is another uh action, uh this is uh it's another uh 2D uh action one, so similar, similar to Hades, but this one, this one uh has a different uh camera angle. So it's uh so it's more just straight ahead like a regular 2D platformer game, whereas Hades has like a three-quarters upper, you know, above the shoulder type type deal looking looking down. But uh, and uh and the really in the and uh and the other interesting thing about Skull of the Heroes player is that you can uh you can swap, you can uh you can rapidly swap between the uh two classes at the same time. Matter of fact, the most powerful move a class has is the skill you use when you swap to that class. So the uh so the uh the really uh the the game the game really uh incentivizes you to uh to find different good combinations of different of this different uh different items, different classes. And it's just it just it just feel it just feels really really nice. Really is the the uh finding like different finding out what all the different uh classes do is really cool. Finding out how you unlock them is really awesome. It's not it's less it's uh has a lower difficulty summon than like say like a Haiti. Uh uh and way lower than like a Dead Sub. Um but uh but no, but really, really action-packed, really uh really sharp, really sharp controls, um, just really well uh well designed. I definitely, I definitely um yeah, suggest people uh check it out.

SPEAKER_00 41:22

Awesome sauce. Seems really dope. Really excited to potentially try that one. It's a little bit less um um traumatizing than your first two. Um but uh yes. Uh The Doctor, your fourth title. Uh my fourth one is Oh, I'm sorry. I'm sorry, before you say that, I've completely forgot. Yes, so um Skull the Hero Clayer can be found on all platforms. Sorry, PS4, Xbox One, Switch, and Steam. My apologies. Gotta keep the pattern going. Oh, sorry, the doctor.

SPEAKER_03 41:54

I know it was on PS4. I'm about to look right now.

SPEAKER_05 41:57

Oh Lord. Yeah, so my fourth one is Bloodstained Ritual of the Night. Ooh. So if you love Castlevania, and specifically, you know, I compare this and maybe you'll compare it in many ways to Castlevania Symphony of the Night, which is a hell of a bar, but this game really does like do exceptionally well. Um, it's an action RPG, very much in that 2D side-scrolling style, um, has a lot of great gothic horror elements, um, you know, really interesting bits of storyline here and there. And it does feel like, you know, you're progressing through this castle and these dungeons, and you know, you're getting upgrades, um, much like you know, any other Metroidvania. Um, yes, and for those of you aren't familiar with that term, um, it's a genre of game where you essentially gain power by getting upgrades that lets you explore more of an existing map. So rather than having like, oh, this is a level one, and then you can do something that's level two, like you get something maybe in a room down away that lets you go back to an area you previously were, but now you can double jump and you can get to a new area there. And that's how like the map works. Um, and it's just allows for different kinds of exploration that's really satisfying. And this game does this really, really well. Um, I will say it's got a lot of really good and interesting mechanics. My one minor gripe is that it does get a little grindy at times, uh, especially for some of the rarer items. Um, no one likes that 1% drop rate, but that's uh with uh a lot of the more desirable-weaked piece of equipment, but yeah, it's got like a really interesting crafting system, um, a cooking system too, and some other like nice little mechanics there that you know really keep things um it basically combines a lot of unique things. Um so yeah, really would highly recommend a great game. And yeah, if you love really the Castlevania type of genre, you will absolutely love this. Um, this is one I know that is on Steam. I have not actually Check what other platforms it's on. Um and it's on Switch. I know that too, but um correct.

SPEAKER_00 44:05

Steam, Switch, once again, Xbox One and PS4.

SPEAKER_03 44:10

All right. People have been bad. The other thing about Bloodstain is that it's actually made by Koji uh Ichirashi, and that's that's a guy who made Sempine The Night and all the uh DS games who was trying really hard to beat Sempia in the night. Um so like that this is actually becoming more popular in the indie game space, but uh there's been there's a lot of developers who who who who had to kind of escape the umbrella of of their original publishers and developers and and and just had to go indie just to re just to recreate the games they wanted to make. And this is so so Bloodstains is much as of much of a spiritual successor as you can be. It's the same, it's the same guy.

SPEAKER_05 44:52

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 44:54

Correct. Alright. Number four. Yes, number four in you. Okay.

SPEAKER_01 45:02

Um this one is probably one of the different games that I've played when I heard today, but I want to give it its spotlight because it's actually really good. Um, Disco Elysium. Oh yeah, it's developed by Zaun, I believe. And I believe it yeah, Za Um, I'm gonna say that. I think that's yeah, that's the name. And uh, how can I put this? Okay, so you play as a detective or a police officer, whatever, a person of the law, but you wake up with like drug-induced amnesia, but at the same time, you have to like solve a murder at the same time. But the game kind of like opens up with so much ideology of isms that I've never like played a game that taps into that level, like you got commonism, communism, fascism, deliberism. Like, there's so many isms in this game, and it's just kind of cool because it's like it's open world, but it's also like very heavily uh like a text dialogue adventure type game. Uh in my note, I said it's like Dungeons and Dragons, but it's drugs and decisions instead because the game, yeah, the game gives you this option of like you can be the hero that you want to be, or you can just be an alcoholic and drink all day. It's kind of like uh if um it's this old game called Fahrenheit Indigo Prophecy that came back like a while back that actually gives me a lot of like like this Golesium gives me notes from that game when I play it. So it's kind of cool and it's just rich with like compelling characters and even more uh even more of a compelling voice cast like the narrator in that game. Oh my gosh, like it and when they I think they actually have an edition called the Final Cut where a majority of the narration is voiced, so you can follow through by just hearing it. But I think the thing that also that I kind of liked about the game was you can it's like a character sheet of like 21 different senses, if you will, that like the that your player character has, and depending on which ones are stronger, that's how you perceive the world in its best way. Like I remember uh my playthrough, I played as a cop that was like on more of the emotional side, so the he he had dialogue where his own necktie was talking to him when he when he was like interrogating people, so it was just like depending on you know your character sheet, that's how you perceive the world, and you can do what you want in that world, but it's so great to just like go in a game and uh to actually just see how extensive the world is in Disco Elysium. Oh, and as a fun fact, I'll actually say that the writer uh he fell into alcoholism and depression before this game was made, so it's very like in terms of how they describe it in the game, it's very like uh you can you can tell that it came from someone that dealt with that too. So it it's a it's it's really great, it's really extensive. But yeah, you can find it on uh I played it on Steam originally, but then I found out that it was on uh PlayStation, so I was able to get it on there too. So you can get it on PlayStation, I think you can also get it on the Switch. Uh I wouldn't be surprised if Xbox doesn't have a you know a uh a way to play it. So I think you can test in the way to play it.

SPEAKER_04 48:57

Yeah, I don't know.

SPEAKER_01 49:01

Fun fact, I don't have an Xbox, I'll only get Xboxes for certain games, so kind of get over that habit. Yeah, it's terrible. Beautiful gowns, beautiful gowns somehow. They all have beautiful gowns. Yes, yeah, great game. Recommend.

SPEAKER_00 49:19

The final cut can be found on Steam, PS4, the Switch, and Xbox One. That that that would be the way that they can play it. Um Kaze, your number four.

SPEAKER_03 49:32

Uh, my number four is I'm not dying this up again. Uh is uh this is uh this might be slightly it's it's not cheating, but because it was true at the time. But my number four is uh Divinity Divinity Original Sin. Uh made by many people's new new phase. Like I was, you know, I was here before it was cool, but you know, it's just because I'm old though, so it's cool. But uh, but no, Divinity, uh actually uh Divinity is a really really old series. It's been around, I think, since the 90s. Um they've been, you know, they've been working on like their this uh this universe and and the type of game they wanted to make for a really long time. But uh yeah, Divinity Brother Original Scent is uh I you know old old school, like bar like bartersgate, uh planescape, like isometric, uh term uh uh actually you can dynamically uh uh change from uh term based or uh or real time. Uh just just make sure if you hit real time that you're ready, because it's shit, shit, shit's popping. Um but um but no, they uh they learn their they they their attention to detail, their the the the amount, this the amount of attention they they the amount of work they just put into their crap. You can you can tell like this is uh every game they make is a labor of love. And like, you know, and they love the genre. They uh you can tell like they grew up doing this and they wanted to like recreate that for like you know the new generation and they've and they've definitely and this is this is definitely like again like Divinity is a really old series, but uh original Sin was uh was kickstarted, like actually they was actually about they was actually going close, like close down if this game didn't work out. Uh so like they uh they they they definitely literally like put they put their all into this thing. But no, the the the writing, the dynamic, uh gameplay, the the it's uh endless, endless hours. It's like one of the uh uh it's definitely one of the uh one of the first uh recent recent RPGs that allowed you to do uh that allowed you to do co-op and really get that like DN D like uh experience. Um they actually I think I think they even had like a mode where you can like create modules and uh create little adventures. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 52:11

A lot of mods.

SPEAKER_03 52:13

Oh man, the mod the mods face. Like it's it it's like you know, it's uh it's similar to like uh Skyrim to where the base the base is so open that the the uh like the sky the sky is literally literally the limit is with the mods. Literally do and play whatever whatever you want. Um but but yeah, and they um and they also uh and and they do this with all their games, but they came back with a definitive edition and like and almost the whole game was like voiced, like thousands, thousands of lines of voice work. Um just it's it's just a really really special um experience. Uh like and you don't and you know and you don't have to play the first one to play the uh you know the one or anything like that. But but like it all the all the all the Dominic games are connected. So you're you're so for you probably better you probably better off this just getting you a drink and listening to a nice long YouTube video. Get all the because this is uh this this is a this is a lot of content. This is like you can you can drop hundreds of hours into each and every one of things. Um but uh yeah, if you like isometric turn-based RPGs, part, you know, you know, party, partying class, class base, uh, yeah, definitely, definitely check out Divinity Originals.

SPEAKER_00 53:37

All right. And of course, go ahead.

SPEAKER_03 53:40

Uh oh, I was just gonna repeat, Larry is made by Larry and Larian Studios, and and I think available on on just about everything. Uh I don't know about Switch.

SPEAKER_00 53:50

You are correct. Uh Divinity Original Sin, uh, the first one is available on everything but the Switch. Um but then two, well, the Definitive Edition is available. Well, sorry. Divinity Original Sin is provided on PC, and then the Definitive Edition Um is available on the PS4 and the Xbox One. Then when two came out, they unveiled it on all the platforms, including the Switch. So don't be fooled by these people on eBay trying to charge you $250 for the first version on the Switch. It does not exist. Alright. So now, wrapping it up, our fifth and final title of today. No honorable mentions because we were wrapping up the time. The Doctor Fifth title, give it to us.

SPEAKER_05 54:35

Yeah, so it's interesting. Everything else on my list so far has been kind of these games you can sink like hundreds and hundreds of hours into and lengthy, but really enjoyable. But I think another strength of indie games is a lot of indie games are very short and sweet where you can like do a run in maybe 10-15 minutes. It's a ton of fun and it has a lot of replayability. And this game is like that. Um it's a lesser known one, but uh, I've shown it to Succi, you know, played it recently. Yay! You know what it is. This is luck be a landlord.

SPEAKER_00 55:07

I love it. I'll be honest. He presented this game to me. I was completely against it. I was like, I don't want to play another indie game. And then I got by like the second or third turn, I was engulfed. Oh yeah. And then the bullshit started fucking landlord. I'm sorry. Go ahead.

SPEAKER_05 55:25

Yeah, so this is made by Trampoline Tales. Um, and it's a game that basically you play as you have a slot machine, and this slot machine you add symbols to every turn, and you roll different symbols and you get a certain amount of gold. But symbols energize with each other. So, for example, um, like if you add milk, you know, you start with a cat as one of your symbols. Um, you can add milk. If the milk rolls next to the cat, it drinks the milk and you get a bigger bonus. Um, some symbols, like if you have cultists, um, for every cultist you have, each other cultist gets one more value. So you encourage you encouraged to get a lot of them. And the game is all about leveraging uh trying to build these synergies while also meeting your immediate needs for rent. That's every 10 turns you have to pay a rent payment. And if you have it's uh it can be uh pretty harsh if you haven't um can't meet that fast enough. And it's just it's a super interesting way to approach synergies in games. Like it's probably for me the game that has the most pure question of do I solve my immediate problems now to get some an extra payment, or do I build into a synergy that I think will benefit me long term? Yeah, you know, and that's the balance that you really have to play with. Um, you know, also it takes many jabs at capitalism, which are hilarious. All of them I think my um my favorites of the game tells you over and over that billionaires don't have souls. Oh my god, it was hilarious. Oh yeah. What was it? Um I had a run where like there's a shrine relic that causes humans to release spirits um if they're destroyed, and that spirits are worth a lot. But the billionaire is the only human that doesn't give a spirit when released. I lost a run because it's um, but no, it's a super fun game, and it's added to the wish list. And it is short and sweet. So sometimes, like you can play it right now on uh mobile and on um PC. Yep. Um I'll just play it like you know, in bed for like 15 minutes before going to sleep. You know, it's a very nice quick run. Um, and it is in development for Switch. Uh it's not on Switch yet, but um, yeah. Great game, uh, would definitely recommend.

SPEAKER_00 57:43

I would also add that all like I said, I was not trying to play any games or that type of game, but it turned into a game that I think would be even fun for like a game night type of scenario, because it was just like with at least one person knowing how the game plays and kind of just feeding in instruction and explanations into the group, I think it could turn into something that everybody in the room is like, oh, do this, do that. Like it's it's really interesting how the game progresses as you get to the different turns again. And and then, of course, I'm not gonna spoil anything, but then the people who come in and help you, like in this day and age, will fuck you up mentally.

SPEAKER_04 58:20

Because I was like, nigga.

SPEAKER_00 58:23

Anyway, not gonna spoil it, but play it. It was fun. Um I almost said Felicia again.

SPEAKER_02 58:33

That's terrible. Uh our last one, I don't know what to say. I don't know which one I want to do. Okay, let's see.

SPEAKER_01 58:48

Uh, I would definitely say, okay, I'll do the one, I'll do the board game. So there's a board game that I got that I played with my family, and it was really, really enjoyable. It's called Betrayal at the House on the Hill. It's made by Avalon Hill. It's a towed-based board game. So every time you play the game, it's always a different experience when it comes to the map of the game and also the story. The uh first part of the game is exploration, where you explore uh a house and everyone starts like at the beginning of like the stair, but like there's no other piece of the game board, and when you move a character off the board, let's say like you like walked off on like a door or to a doorway like on the map, you have to put a tile down that represents like that was a room that was like in the living room, or like the living, the ground floor, or like a room in the basement, depending on like what floor you're on. So there's always a different map that the house is uh getting created as you explore with uh you know you and like the players of the game. But they have these symbols called omens, where there's something that happens to your character when they like go into that room, and from there you have to like make a dice roll to see like one, if your character doesn't get fucked up, and two, uh it's called an omen roll, where you have to roll higher or equal to the amount of omens that were discovered. And if you fail the role, the second part of the game becomes the betrayal art, and that's when one or more players have to turn against the other people, and like there's actual goals in this game. For example, when I play it with my mom and my brother, she found a ring and she failed the omen role. So turns out she was trying like the story turned to, and it's like these booklets that tell you like what's the new rules of the game. So every like omen actually leads to a different second part of the game where there's a different type of playstyle, like it's very extensive, but it's fun because it's it it scratches that like dungeons and dragons like itch, but it's like like you're in this weird B horror movie type game. It's kind of cool, but anywho, yeah, it turns out like she was trying to like uh like she was royalty and we had to protect her because there were like these assassins that were like in random rooms, so like we had to like escape with her with the ring and like on her character, but like we could get killed at any moment because there were just like assassins in certain rooms that we had to go into. So it was it's it's it's pretty fun when it comes to uh the replayability of it as a board game. But yeah, you can find it at your local game store uh on Amazon. It's easier to get game boards online anyway. Um, I know GameStop, they do sell it too, so I will say look at if you uh have a group of people you want to play with that are like-minded in that genre, and you know, or like on a spooky night or like around Halloween, holidays, it's a great game to dive in.

SPEAKER_00 1:02:09

No, I'll pass.

SPEAKER_01 1:02:11

It's a vibe, it's a vibe. You you like it. You'll you like it.

SPEAKER_05 1:02:14

I love it. Like it sounds right up my app for sure.

SPEAKER_00 1:02:17

Yeah, it's great. I have it's why I feel like somebody's about to buy it, and I'm gonna have to end up playing it in a couple weeks, which is why I'm quite obsessed.

SPEAKER_02 1:02:24

It's okay, just call me.

SPEAKER_00 1:02:25

I got the I got the board game. I got it.

SPEAKER_01 1:02:29

Yeah, a couple of weeks.

SPEAKER_00 1:02:32

Oh, don't you do this to me. Don't you do this to me? Anyway, thank you.

SPEAKER_03 1:02:45

Yep, my final die. Okay. Um I've I've I've changed my final game three times now. Oh wow. Nice. But uh, but uh, but yeah, yeah, no, you you you picking that one definitely helped help me pick this one. Uh I I'm going with uh Doki Doki Liter Club. Oh heartbeat. We love a heartbeat heartbeat. This is a uh a uh visual novel that uh that's uh very uh the say inspired by dating sim uh type uh type game. And uh I'm not not gonna go into uh a lot of detail. I think this is made by like mainly one guy. Uh it's uh it's it's a hell it's a hell it's a hell of an experience. If uh if if if you like um uh if if you like really uh kind of alternate uh genres of uh see I would see even saying that's almost a spoiler. Uh I almost want to say take my word for it. It's free. Uh just like it's I don't I don't I don't know if Doki is Doki on pla on on game platform?

SPEAKER_00 1:04:08

Uh Doki Doki is on absolutely everything.

SPEAKER_01 1:04:11

You can play it on PlayStation, you can play it on the street.

SPEAKER_00 1:04:14

You can play it on PlayStation 4 and 5, you can play it on the screen Xbox One, Series X and S, PC, theme, it's everywhere.

SPEAKER_01 1:04:21

They have a following.

SPEAKER_03 1:04:22

Yes. Gotcha. Gotcha, gotcha. So so if you're really determined, you have like an LG fridge, probably get on that too. But um, but no, yeah. Uh yeah, I'm not. I'm literally just gonna say it's uh yeah, if you like I mean it's definitely a visual novel.

SPEAKER_01 1:04:43

So if you like visual novels.

SPEAKER_03 1:04:44

Yeah, yeah, it's definitely a visual novel if you have any concept of what what that is. And that's the thing, like you don't even have to like visual novels to play it, yeah. To to play this game and really get I I will say like go go try out Donkey Donkey Lecture Club and and stick and give it give it stick with it a bit. Because uh it's it's gonna you you know you you wanna hit a point kind of like uh oh okay, then not then I just uh I I I guess but uh it's it's it's uh it's a hell of a it's a hell of an experience. I think I think uh I think every I think everyone should uh at least go attempt to go play this game. It'll definitely change how you look at games. Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 1:05:24

Yeah, 100%. And I'll add without getting spoilery, um, make sure you do at least two playthroughs. Um you'll probably want to do more, you know, but at least two, you know, because that's um you'll see. Yeah, you'll see.

SPEAKER_00 1:05:42

How the hell are you gonna end this episode by giving the most vaguest non descriptive I know I don't know? You can't talk about it though, that's a bag. All the other titles that I know you have access to.

SPEAKER_02 1:05:56

I mean the trailer the trailer does say what it is, but the trailer doesn't show what it is.

SPEAKER_03 1:06:04

So tell them who watch the trailer. Go watch go watch the trailer. Yeah, watch the definitely watching the trailer. Yeah, watch it. Take your ass to YouTube. Go check out the colour. It's like it's like it's the but don't don't watch too much on YouTube. Oh no that's true. Okay, no, not YouTube.

SPEAKER_01 1:06:19

Stick to the official whatever, you know, it is definitely a game where you want to go in blind to get the absolute like allure of it. You have to go in blind.

SPEAKER_03 1:06:30

It's like Fight Club. You can't talk about it. Oh my God. But you want to be there anyway.

SPEAKER_00 1:06:35

All right. So we got our five titles per panelist. What I did want to do, um the doctor already said that of the five his favorite was Celeste. Uh so I did want to ask uh both in you and Kaze of the five that you gave what would be your favorite of those five?

SPEAKER_01 1:06:52

So uh in you you gave Transistor 13 Sentinels uh Risk of Rain 2 Disco Elysium Betrayal at the house on the hill of those five what would be your favorite uh title um I would say the favorite of those titles will have to be 13 sentinels because I again did not know what I was getting into so it won me over like just the delight at what it is and also because I did want to say this but I didn't say it when I uh when I talked about it it is a game that has representation that matters so like for all my for all my people out there that are in the LGBT community like it's our game. I like you split. Okay.

SPEAKER_00 1:07:38

And then uh Kaze of your five titles well five titles you have uh Fell Seal Arbiter's mark darkest dungeon skull the hero slayer divinity the origin original sin sorry and dokie dokie which of those five would be your favorite gotcha uh so I'm looking uh I'm looking at my Steam to see which one of these I played the most and uh and and also it's not it's not one of my five but I played 500 hours on Slave Spire which is hilarious. It's really good yeah yeah but uh also let's say about 30s I was all asleep but uh yeah fails up there with 679 hours but seventy nine hours six seventy nine hours in failse no no lie that was like the game that and what what game was on Alicia's that that that that the doctor said two of those games I was like okay after this I'm buying them like I have it yeah uh darkest dungeon has 778 hours not surprised um and and actually not in the lead between those two the uh between all those is uh divinity original sin is at 628 I think I'm gonna pick Divinity Original Sin especially since Divinity is definitely gonna lead you kind of on that that it's gonna breadcrumb you through the rest of the Blairing games uh Divinity Original Sin 2 I have 1500 out 1580 hours in two uh yeah divinity original sin two I have 1500 hours in the store um so uh some origin stories bro what uh man yeah you gotta get all the origins you gotta get all the stuff you gotta you gotta do all the things and there's it is is whatever you can imagine there there's that to do in these games so uh yeah especially especially somebody who's trying to get uh you know time times are tough and you trying to get banged for your buck uh yeah you definitely you that you can't you can't you can't lose with the Vinny original set okay well I had other questions but Jesus Christ 1500 hours I can't even possibly um so that would be uh the end of the this particular indie game episode did any of our panelists have anything to add uh I think in you already did the doctor did you have anything you wanted to throw out there about any of these titles that you want to say at the last minute um nothing I haven't already said just um definitely you know give indie games a shot like if they were a genre they would be my favorite genre there's so much amazing you know gameplay so much amazing storylines everything fantastic anything to throw in there uh nah yeah I'll just say uh if you if you uh follow the doctor's suggestion and go play Slay the Spire I'll I'll follow that up and go play uh uh Monster Train right after that because if you love that you'll probably love love the other one and if and if you like uh Hades or Skull the Hero Slayer uh definitely check out that that sells as well because definitely another one this top top of his class wonderful sharp gameplay lovely lovely visuals just yep beautiful gowns beautiful gowns actually yeah all right wrapping up this episode first off thank you panelists all for participating in this lovely piece of media history uh of course I have to allow you all I'm saying allow you all the ability to uh tell our listeners how you can be found how they can talk to you how they can ask for your own maybe you have more well I know all of you have more extensive lists so if they want to ask about your extensive list where can you be found how can they talk to you and we will start with the doctor I am lightningrt777 on Instagram in you sailor alchemist go hi uh instagram clumsy attacku underscore steam saint underscore elsewhere 95 Genshin Impact I said it last time for that oh no uh Videll that's what it is yeah find me on there what about that other one oh Hunky Starwell there you go uh it's the same thing yeah let's chop it up you can use luche he's on there you can use my luche yep's a three uh you can find me at uh Barrett3b uh on the gram all right and then of course myself I can be found on Instagram I G Suchi no shogun or rather Suchi underscore no underscore shogun Suchi is spell t s u c i uh also the podcast can be found at the Blurred Spectrum on Instagram Facebook YouTube Twitter and Twitch yes and then um of course please if you have any recommendations for indie games that you think our panelists can play that maybe they haven't played before or that you want us to talk about uh feel free hit us up on any of these platforms or uh our mailbag theblurred spectrum at umbralstarcade.com uh or if you would like let us know and maybe we can have some of our panelists play live on uh Twitch on one of our platforms either umbrellst arcade or the blurred spectrum otherwise as I always say to wrap up these episodes Sayonara