Game-A-Day 2024
It’s time! It’s time! Time for what? Why, my Game-A-Day (G-A-D) challenge of course! For the entire month of August September, I challenge myself to complete one game every day. This means I’m playing a ton of short, indie, experimental, weird games — my favorite games to play. It’s something I look forward to every year, and I’m excited to be back at it again! So let’s get started!
How long to beat: ~10 minutes
Starting G-A-D with Funny Business turned out to be incredibly appropriate because the challenge has barely started and I’ve already goofed. Forgetting what month I hold my own challenge, I played Funny Business on August 1st. I wanted to start the month with laugher, and silliness, and well, mission accomplished. In Funny Business, you play as a new employee at a joke factory, and luckily, you’ve got Junior manager Stone Jones to help you learn how to make jokes. Funny Business is a short game packed with laughable (and slightly unsettling) moments. I find it so interesting how much comedy can sometimes dip into suspense. There were a few moments where I was quietly cowering while chuckling. Stone Jones gave off an unsettling aura. I loved it! Highly recommend!
How long to beat: ~25 minutes
Crockpot, by Emily Koonce and Blake Andrews, instantly took me back to passing the time with friends in malls, in pet stores, in parking lots waiting for our parents to pick us up. The dialogue weaves between the silly, and heartbreaking — it’s so funny how kids can talk about everything and nothing at the same time. Kids are so resilient and powerful; they can find times to laugh and play, even when their lives are filled with conflict and violence. Crockpot is a beautifully bittersweet look into growing up, and wonderful reminder of how we survive the day-to-day.
How Many Levels Did I Beat?: 3 (SO FAR)
Oddwood is the type of game I could just play over and over again. Your character is constantly moving, and your actions are controlled by dice, so the only control you really have is when to shoot your bullets. It’s chaotic and frenetic, but in a way that feels controllable and understandable. So far, I haven’t gotten past level 4, but every time I play, I feel like I understand the game a little bit more, which is such an awesome feeling! Turns out a full version is currently in the works. I’m always impressed by the things people can make in 48 hours, so I’m very excited to see how this game will develop with more time.
How Long to Beat: A couple minutes
I watched Late Night with Conan O'Brien well before I could even understand any of his jokes. I have such fond memories of sitting down a night with my sisters, watching them watch Conan and interpreting how I should respond. Admittedly, I always wanted to go on Conan’s show because I thought it’d be fun to talk to him. But Conan Throwbrien poses a valid question: why talk to Conan when you can be Conan? Conan Throwbrien is a turn-based dice roller where the success of Conan’s jokes are based off of how well you roll. It feels a bit like blackjack, except in this case you don’t want to exceed 13 instead of 21. You’ve got three rounds to turn the crowd over and get them stomping in their chairs from laughter. I love a good game of luck, and I do think comedy (though it can be crafted and honed) is still loosely based off of how lucky you get with the crowd. Definitely take a couple minutes to play this if you’re interested in donning Conan’s chisled chin and Wendy’s frostie-style hairdo.
How Long to Beat: ~ 20 minutes
Like the internet itself, Into the Deep Web has a little bit of everything. There’s deck building, roguelike randomness, some strategy, and dice rolling auto-battling combat with a little bit of minesweeper sprinkled on top. The art style feels reminiscent to the early aughts, reminiscent of old-school Windows style browsers and Microsoft Paint. The game is fun as hell to play and really cool to look at. The music is great too! I won on my first attempt, but I’m more than willing to play again just to have an ATM beat my ass.
How Long to beat: ~10 minutes
The Silly Little Knight has a lot of my favorite stuff: cartoonish hand-drawn graphics; classic Point-and-click puzzles that make me feel like a genius when I figure them out; a good amount of humor; and an unexpected twist that almost got me. This is a game I would have played over and over during my Shockwave / Addicting Games era in the early 2000’s because it feels like an episode from your favorite cartoon, one that is always a treat to watch, even when you know every word. I look forward to playing the full game one day!
How Long to Beat: ~10 minutes
Apollo is a short but sweet game about a bird traversing through a dungeon and learning a few new tricks along the way. Apollo thrives in its simplicity. As a budding game developer myself, it’s so easy for me to overly complicate a game I’m making. Apollo’s execution is so well done because it sticks to its premise. It’s a great reminder to keep things simple, because getting the basics down will make a spectacular game, like this one! As an aside, this is why I love game jams so much. Having a short window to make a game forces you to think of ideas that can only be executed in a few days.
Day 8 - Solitaire (and Spades)
Solitaire / Windows
How Long to beat: ~ 1 hr
Without a doubt, there is always a day or two during G-A-D that just feels difficult. During those days, I rely on my go-to games for the day, like Solitaire or Tetris. Today, I started the day with Solitaire because I knew my day would just be too weird to fit in a different game. But just out of luck, I was able to play a game of Spades with some loved ones too! So I guess today was just a card game kind of day.
How Long to Beat: Couple Minutes
Happy Cat Tavern is addicting as hell. I had only planned to try normal mode, but wound up trying hard and mirrored as well. To be honest, I’m probably going to keep playing this until I get all the achievements. As much as I love long, narrative games, I’m also a sucker for games that give you short bursts of energy, like this one. I love a game about typing as fast as you can. It’s simple, it’s quick, and it’s stressful (but in a good way), though if you do get too stressed, you’ve got some adorably fluffy cats in the background to raise your spirits.
How Long to Beat: (I played for Hours)
Near Mint is super cool idea for a deck-builder. The cards are ripped into pieces, so players have to piece their cards together to make new actions. It’s definitely a toughie, but I love the strategy involved in thinking about how to form your cards. It’s super creative, and I can’t wait to see how this develops further!
How Long to Beat: ~ 20 Minutes
This here’s another Dazlog joint (see Apollo from Day 7) and as usual, this game is incredibly well made and fun! Aglobo is a turn-based puzzle game, similar to Baba is You, about a little fish simply trying to get through the ocean. The pixel art in this game is so beautiful, and the sound effects are incredibly satisfying. I love puzzle games, but I find I don’t have the right amount of patience for them. As much as I adored Baba is You, I actually never finished it, because it just uses a lot of brain power! Aglobo, though, was the perfect amount of brain power and time. I beat it and felt amazing afterwards.
How Long to Beat: ~ 2 hours
I am a huge fan of murder mystery visual novels, so when I stumbled across Mirage Noir’s demo, I just knew I had to try it. The atmosphere in this game is so cool. The art and music give off such a smooth, effortless vibe to it. The demo showed a small glimpse of how Yunie, the detective and protagonist of the game, will uncover the mysteries of the murder, and I’m already so excited to see more. There will be a Kickstarter for Mirage Noir starting soon, so definitely check it out if this looks like a game you’d enjoy.
How Long to Play: As long as you’d like (I played for ~30 minutes)
I’ve been aware of Tiny Glade for a minute now. I remember seeing a video on Twitter/X showcasing the game, and I was incredibly impressed by its smooth-like-butter graphics. Tiny Glade is a relaxing simulator where you build cottages, ranches, ruins, and gardens all at your own pace. The goal is simply to chill out and make a pretty structure, however you see fit. The demo alone was incredibly soothing. I was busy laying flowers to the ground (pictured above) when I noticed a few sheep had spawned in. I loved them instantly. I wanted to take care of them immediately. Tiny Glade officially comes out September 23rd, so definitely check it out (and the demo) if you need something quiet and calming to play.
How Long to Beat: I’m still playing this to be honest, but I’ve gotten so close!
Knowing I’d be very busy this weekend because of a road trip, I knew I’d have to rely on some very simple and quick games to play during my little bouts of downtime. I decided to play Zipper by Bennett Foddy because it seems ridiculously quick. And while it is, I wouldn’t exactly say it’s simple. Zipper is a tactics puzzle game where you play as a swordsman, slashing your way through your enemies. However, you can’t just walk up to them and hack away. You must figure out the right way to navigate to kill them, or run away. Every room feels like a tense showdown between you and your enemy. The amount of times I’d screamed when I died really shows you how much I got into it. I’m still playing it, but I’m so close! I can’t wait to master this game.
Day 15 - Minesweeper
Minesweeper / Microsoft
How Long to Beat: ~ 10 minutes
Day two of the road trip…I’m exhausted. I had a wonderful time, but now I NEED a game that requires very little of me. For some reason, I’ve chosen another puzzle game. I guess when my body is tired, I look for something to keep my brain a little more engaged. Anyway, I love Minesweeper. I used to play it as a kid without having any idea what the rules were. Now, as an adult, I know exactly how Minesweeper works, which is why I get so pissed now when I lose! I KNEW there was a mine there, why did I click it?! Day 14 and 15 of G-A-D had me screaming, but both in good ways!
How Long to Beat: ~ 30 minutes
A group of inmates are assigned promised a shortened sentence if they continue to mine out different substances on a foreign planet called Saharion. All is going well until, eventually, it is not, and all the inmates die. You play as one of the dead inmates. You wander around Saharion in an attempt to learn what happened to you and all of your friends. Saharion is a beautifully atmospheric, quiet mystery. You wander and pick up cups, mysterious barrels, old books, and shovels. I really enjoyed getting a glimpse into the day-to-day as a miner, and the roles each person played. Honestly, I’m still feeling sluggish from my little road trip, so a quiet saunter around a mysterious planet felt perfect for me. But even without my fatigue, I’d absolutely enjoy this game regardless.