Game-A-Day 2023
September snuck up on me so hard. By the time I realized it was almost time for G-A-D, it was the final week of September. Still, this is something I’ve come to look forward to every year, so we’re doing it again! I will try to play and beat one game every day. Then I write a little blurb here about why the game is great and why you should play it. Easy as that. Let’s get started!
Day 1: Choo Choo Crossing
How Long to Play: ~5 minutes
Choo Choo Crossing is all about helping passengers reach their connecting train before they miss it. What starts off as a leisurely stroll across a bridge — akin to helping an older person cross the street — quickly becomes anarchy accompanied by a catchy song about in the background. Kind of feels a bit like how my August went, so it was definitely an appropriate game to start G-A-D with.
Day 2: Fishy Business
How Many Floors did I Finish: 1 (lol)
Fishy Business is a cooking roguelike where you use different tools to properly cut fish. The tools can range in wackiness. Even the regular knives you can have are very different. Some are small, some are wobbly, some are dull, and you never know what knife you’ll find yourself with next. Admittedly, it took me a few tries before I understood how to cut a fish without turning it into mush, but with time (and reading the instructions again) I figured it out. It’s tough (hence why I’ve only been able to make it to floor 1), but it’s really fun! I’ll probably update this more throughout the month if I get to more floors.
Day 3: Catching the Train
How Long to Beat: ~20 minutes
I fucking love Bitsy games. I love how they can feel both big and small simultaneously. The games people can make with a powerful, but limited engine is just so, so impressive to me. Catching the Train is an example of a great Bitsy game. As the title suggests, your goal is to catch the train, but there are a lot of people and places you can visit before you do that. This game feels like a compressed Animal Crossing town. It’s just a pleasure walking around each space to collect coins, donate art, or give away things someone may be looking for. Overall, great game!
Day 4: Hands
How Many Hands Did I Shake: ~30
Itch had been showing me Hands for a couple days, so I knew I had to play it during G-A-D. It’s surreal imagery was a huge selling point, and unsurprisingly, the game did not disappoint. As a walking hand, you off to navigate a confusing world for of open hands waiting to be shaken. The goal of each level is obscure, but walking and shaking hands seems to always lead you where you need to be. I’m unsure if I found everything I could in Hands, but I loved the brief time I spent in its dreamlike world where helping hands are rewarded with even more helping hands.
Day 5: Butterfly Soup 2
Sweetness from 1-10: 100
Butterfly Soup is a beloved visual novel for because of how sincere and funny and sweet it is, and Butterfly Soup 2 is no different. Watching four kids grow up and learn a bit more about themselves, their worries, and their fears really touched me. So many lines in the game touched on things I’ve experienced or am even currently experiencing now (family issues never go away). But the end of the game is filled with so much love and joy that is feels almost impossible to feel full of hope myself.
Day 6: Atuel
Atuel is an documentary game about the impact of the Atuel River in Argentina. It’s an impactful look from historians, artists, geologists and others, about the beauty of a flowing river. The game feels like a guided tour down the river’s path, with your guides as the animals that live in or beside it. It’s a beautiful game, and a great reminder of how we as humans also impact the nature around us.
Day 7: Casual Birder
How Many Birds Did I Snapshot: 22
I’d been waiting years for my Playdate to arrive, and funnily enough, when it finally did, it took me about a month before I actually played a game on it. Game-A-Day felt like the perfect reason to finally give it a go, and Casual Birder was a great introduction to playing a game with a crank. Set in a bird-loving town, you’re off with your phone to take photos of all the birds in town, and to save the townsfolk from a group of aggressive bird lovers. Turning the crank to adjust the focus of the camera was super smart. And the game itself was a delight. There’s even a handy walkthrough for anyone (me) who had a hard time with some of the puzzles!
Day 8: Mr. Platformer
How Many Levels Remain: Update: None ONE (I’m so mad I don’t know how to beat it!)
We’ve got another Terry Cavanaugh joint, this time it’s Mr. Platformer, an atari-style platformer with a few mysterious tricks up its sleeve. I don’t want to say too much just because I want to heavily encourage others to play it, but I will say I love how the simplest of graphics and game mechanics can create a sense of mystery and even a bit of dread. This was a great reminder of what you can do with the simplest of tools.
Day 9 : Venba
Hunger After Playing From 1-10: 100
I absolutely adore cooking games. Whether they’re simple action games like Diner Dash, or narrative-packed games Venba, I always have a blast. But Venba is as fun as it is emotional. It’s but a brief look into a family is navigating two cultures that are often battling with each other. But in the end, food is what brings the family together, even in the toughest of times. It’s a beautiful game. I cried at the end.
Day 10: Whitewater Wipeout
High Score: 380
For such a rainy, gloomy weekend, playing a game about riding a beautiful wave on a hot beach was exactly what I needed this morning. Am I good at Whitewater Wipeout? Nope. The highest score right now is 2,094,948 by GOONIA, so I don’t think I’ll get anywhere near that good. But it’s really fun cranking the crank, and catching a wave!
Day 11: The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog
How Long to Beat: ~ 2 hours
For April Fool’s Day this year, SEGA released a murder mystery visual novel starring Sonic and the crew. Despite loving both visual novels and murder mysteries, I had ignored it mostly because I just don’t follow Sonic that well, so I figured most of the humor and charm would go over my head. Turns out, that didn’t happen! The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog was really fun! I had like a big smarty when I could figure out some part before the game revealed it to me. The best part about the game? The music. The interrogation song had me grooving. The “Think” music had me bouncing. It was honestly a good time.
Day 12: Frog’s Adventure
Times I shouted, “That’s so cute!”: ~ 10 times
Frog’s Adventure is too stinking cute. It’s so freaking adorable. It’s also weirdly existential. You’re a frog who suddenly has a brain thanks to a mean fairy. You’ve got to travel around and look for a way to get to the fairy and ask them to be a simple frog again. Existentialism aside, desiring for a simpler life is a natural, dare I say, human, wish. Frogs probably shouldn’t have to worry about expensive stores, or fish who fish other fish.
Day 13: Three Little Pigs
Three Little Pigs is a text-based tower defense game, where you play as the fabled pigs who must protect their home from the Big Bad Wolf. Technically, I already played Three Little Pigs last month, but I never got the ending I wanted, so I decided to try it today. Ending aside, I absolutely adore how much game feel is accomplished through text, still images, and simple sound effects. Text-based games are so rad.
Day 14: Lights Out
Similar to the bitsy nights I’ve done where I play a few different bitsy games for one day, I wanted to do something similar with Playdate. I only got to two games today, but they were both really fun! First up was Lights Out, a short game about trying to get to bed late at night. The shadows both help and hinder you as you try to get to your comfy bed. It was very cute, and a really neat idea that I hope gets turned into something larger!
Day 14: Super Highschool Sports Day Crankathlon
What Place Did I get: Fourth
The second game I played today was a fun sports game called Super Highschool Sports Day Crankathon. The game features a variety of sports mini games like shot put, racing, hurdling, and others. I will admit, playing on the Playdate is not the most ergonomic. Regardless, this game was super fun, and its incorporation of the crank was super fun. I just love spinning that crank, even if my fingers hate it sometimes!
Day 15: Tetris 99
Place: Sixth
I think this has happened every year, where one day totally eludes me and I fall back on good ol’ Tetris 99 to be my game of the day. Look, I ain’t got shit to say about this game. After work today I went out to dinner and then when I got home I danced around my apartment and played Tetris. Somehow with all of that going on, I still got sixth. Dinner was delicious. Got to listen to live jazz music. It was really nice.
Day 16: Expiration Date (GBC)
Expiration Date is all about fixing a fridge’s fan before all the food (including you!) expires. It’s a short game made for the Game Boy Showdown game jam, but it’s still a really great idea, especially for a game boy game! Based off of a comment on the page, it looks like Howdy Riceball may be working to add more to the game. I’d love to see what this could look like as a larger project! It also, as usual, really inspires me to try to make my own game boy game. It’s just so neat what people can do in one week.
Day 17: Frog Detective 3: Corruption at Cowboy County
The Frog Detective series is known for being short, sweet game about an optimistic frog who just wants to solve crimes. Frog Detective 3 continues that trend — the mystery is silly, the characters are whacky, and the dialogue is fun — but has a finality to it that feels so bittersweet. I’m just a sucker for when a goofy game gets serious, even if for a brief moment.
Day 18: Folder Dungeon
Folder Dungeon is such a fun take on a roguelike. The dungeon is a series of files on a computer. I found navigating each floor a little difficult, but I actually liked how hard really know which folder you were in, because I feel like I’ve absolutely done that in real life. Once I’m nesting files within files, I’m really fucked when it comes to organization. But I digress, clicking my way through this file explorer dungeon was such a fun twist on randomized dungeons seen in that format. Super cool!
Day 19: Pick Pack Pup
Pick Pack Pup is about a simple dog that works at a fulfillment center. What starts off as an easy job increasingly becomes more stressful as more challenges arise, and a lack of worker’s rights become abundantly clear. Starting a chapter with a comic felt like an awesome reward for packing so many boxes. Especially because I got to use the crank to read the comics (turning that crank is seriously very satisfying). I quickly became pretty interested in seeing how the story would resolve itself, and it did not disappoint!
Day 20: KIDDO (Demo)
Bit of a personal (and dark) aside: I’ve been waking up every day at around 3:30 am. I can eventually get to sleep, but for about an hour or two, I am wide awake, desperately trying not to listen to my overly active brain rattle off the doomsday what-if’s that pop in my head. I think I’ve been a bit stressed lately, and lo and behold it’s been effecting how I sleep. So today, feeling sad and slow this morning, I let the Itch.io Gods decide on the game today. KIDDO’s art style caught my attention, but what made me decide to play it was the caption: “Tired of life?” As described on the site, “KIDDO is a hand drawn point & click adventure that looks into the uneasy life of Kiddo and his quest for fixing the only thing he still cares about.” Mentally, I do not think I am where Kiddo is, but navigating someone so deep in their own shit felt a little refreshing and rejuvenating. I’ve been there, Kiddo, and I’d love to help you leave that awful place. The full version is set to release some time this month.
Day 21: Milk inside a bag of milk inside a bag of milk
I’ve been wanting to play Milk inside a bag of milk inside a bag of milk for a while, but I am so bad when it comes to anything scary, so I pushed it off. Knowing the game was only about 15 minutes, I pushed myself to get through it, and I’m so glad I did. The psychedelic nature of the game feels like something is always lurking in the corner, though more often than not, the thing you fear is actually right in front of you.
Day 22: Plastic Tape
Plastic Tape is a visual that follows one person’s life through a box of bandages. From college, up to their adult life married with children, we get a brief glimpse to one person’s life, and the little scraps and bruises they encounter along the way. It’s very charming, even in its brevity.
Bonus: A Bunch of Games
That’s what I game tonight: Game!
How many games did I win: ALL (none)
I went to a game night at a friend’s house and played a few games, including Pool (not the video game kind the real life kind), Dragon Ball Z Fighterz, Darts, and another game that I don’t remember the name of. Anyway, good times! Including a game night with friends in this challenge is always a highlight, because tons of games are made better by the friends you play them with!
Day 23: Gargoyle One
This game is so cool. It’s so fucking rad. I absolutely adore when text-based games are able to feel as action-packed and intense as any other video game. I felt so tense in Gargoyle One. trying to make the right decisions based off of rolls, and my own desires for a cool outcome. So far, I’ve only gotten the B ending. I’m so, so curious to see how this story can change. Gargoyle One is beefy twine game, perfect for fans of mechs, sci-fi, and thrillers.
Day 24: Blasphemous II
This is technically cheating, because I didn’t start Blasphemous II today. I did start it this month, but also, who cares. I loved Blasphemous II so, so much. The environments, the mood, the tone…it’s bloody and yet it doesn’t feel overly done or gratuitous. It feels perfect for the world it’s trying to invoke. I loved the first one, so I did not expect for them to make the sequel even better. The changes they made felt so special and intentional. I could gush about these games forever.
Day 25: F-Zero 99
Nintendo’s been having fun exploring these battle royale games with their own IP’s. While I think Tetris 99 was their most successful stab at this, I think F-Zero 99 is just as good. Unsurprisingly, the music is really good, and somehow the races feel both chill and chaotic. It might not replace tetris99 for me, but I will be playing this more when I just want a quick game to play.
Day 26: Flipper Lifter
Once again, the Playdate’s crank continues to be the MVP, and Flipper Lifter is a great crank game. The whole point is to use an elevator to pick up penguins and move them to their desired floor. It’s so simple, and so fun! I feel so bad when I make a penguin angry, but really they should consider building a 2nd elevator, instead of just making more floors. Anyway, this game is super fun!
Day 27: Lost Your Marbles
Lost Your Marbles is a cute visual novel about a girl named Prota who gets her brain zapped during a lab accident. Now she’s having a hard time making good decisions, or you could say she now has an easier time making silly decisions. Controlling Prota’s brain requires you to move a marble with my beloved Playdate crank (I’ll never stop raving about that crank!) and hitting one of three choices. Based off of the ending, it looks like there’s a lot of ways the story can end, based off of what decisions Prota makes. I liked the ending I got, but I am curious to see how things could go more right (or more wrong!)
Day 28: Solitaire (PICO Version)
Time management was not on my side today. I knew I’d only have about an hour to find and play a game, so I decided to go to another one of my ol’ reliables: Solitaire. Then, I remembered that itch.io existed, and surely I could find someone’s cool take on a very old game. That’s how I found Brandon Keogh’s PICO version of Solitaire! Super simple and fun take on Solitaire! At the end of the day, it’s Solitaire, but hey, the images were cute as hell.
Day 29: Crimson Dunes
Finding this game felt almost serendipitous after playing solitaire yesterday. Though it’s not a take on solitaire, Crimson Dunes has that satisfying card-shuffling action, where you move your warrior toward closer cards to collect items, battle enemies, or enter new rooms. Add on its cool take on the roguelike structure, I’m absolutely smitten this game!
Day 30: Nour: Play with Your Food
I was really wracking my brain trying to think of a great game to send off this year’s Game-A-Day challenge. I knew any game would do, because the point is just to celebrate the short, weird, experimental, indie game, but I am someone who finds meaning and symbols in all things, and thus I knew the final game had to be a statement. Then I thought about Nour. I kickstarted Nour back in 2017, and it has finally come out this month. As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, I love food games of all kinds. But what I find particularly captivating about Nour is its lack of goal, objective, structure. When it says “Play with your food,” it means it. That’s all it wants you to do. Throw patties around, turn candy into noodles, make ramen to the beat, watch popcorn fly. And when you’ve had your fill of one stage, you can just move to another. It’s a game that wants you to let go of what a “game” is, and just let the cookies crumble. I think that’s a great reminder as this year’s challenge ends.