January Wrap-Up
One of my goals for 2023 is to write a monthly summary of all the things I’ve done to help spark my imagination and curiosity. Basically, anything I’ve read, watched, played, or listened to counts here. These aren’t reviews; rather, these are small summaries of the things I enjoyed this month. That way I can share some cool stuff, and have a handy archive for myself! Anyway, this is all the stuff I did in January:
GAMES
Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope
I had to start the year of the rabbit with Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope. It was a great to play after work. It’s a chill, low stakes turn-based strategy. The Rabbids feel whacky but also quite restrained. They are trying to save the world, after all. I also love that the story is simple enough that I can play it in Spanish and still understand the major plot points.
Tet
I love cooking games. Tet is a short and cool cooking game where you’re quickly trying to prepare a meal for the Vietnamese Lunar New Year before your dinner guests arrive. I always love how active cooking games can feel. From peeling carrots to flipping fried bananas in a pan. I also love the hand-drawn art. Tet feels super comforting and warm. and it even comes with recipes for the food you cook in the game!
Sludge Life
I knew I’d love sludge life when I saw the trailer for it a few years back. This is one of those games that unfortunately fell through the cracks, so I didn’t play it until this month. And I’m kicking myself for it! Sludge Life feels like stepping into a different world for exactly one day. The culture feels so thick and vibrant and surreal. I was so sad when I finished Sludge Life because I didn’t want it to end.
Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider
My favorite retro style games are ones that are reminiscent of Contra. Short burst shooty games with little room for error. Moonrider feels like a mix of a lot of retro games for modern times. Even the frustrating moments feel short-lived. I could play games like this over and over.
Google’s Bubble Tea Game
A few days ago, the Google Doodle featured a cute little game about a dog making Boba for his animal customers. Another cooking game? Yes please! I’ve been wanting to write an article about why the best mini games are cooking games, and this month might finally push me to do it. This game was very cute and I didn’t stop playing until I 3 star’d everyone (it only took 4 attempts).
Albums
Visions of a Life, Wolf Alice
I’ve always loved the song “Beautifully Unconventional,” but I never sought out more of Wolf Alice’s music. So finally I decided to just listen to Visions of a Life, the album that “Beautifully Unconventional” is on. I’m happy I did, because I feel like I totally missed a great album. It requires another listen, though. Some of those songs were strange in the best ways.
BOOKS
A Memory called Empire, Arkady Martine
This book has a lot going on. Political intrigue, murder, newfangled sci-fi technology, and poetry. I knew I was going to have trouble with this book when I had to read the prologue twice, though once I realized there was a glossary in the back, I had a much easier time. I found the story really compelling and packed with so much culture. It’s clear that the author spent a lot of time thinking about the world. The murder mystery could have been mysterious for a little longer, though.
Old Heart, Stanley Plumly
I’ve felt so distant from poetry for the past few years now. It’s never truly gone from me — poetry really is my first love when it comes to writing. But I haven’t written a poem in a long while. I guess this is a form of writer’s block, though it feels more like a clog. And once I get the clog gone, everything will flow. Reading poetry always inspires me, so I decided to start the year with poetry by my former grad school professor, Stanley Plumly. The first poem I’ve written this year is about him.
Bonus
Sakurai Movie Marathon
When Masahiro Sakurai started a YouTube channel about making video games, I instantly subscribed. His bite sized videos give a cool and informative look into his world of making Kirby, Smash Bros., and other games. I was watching them regularly until I fell behind and had about 30 videos to catch up on. So one Saturday I watched them all like a movie. It was a bit exhausting, but super fun.
Writing for Games: Theory and Practice, Hannah Nicklin
I started this book this month but have not finished it yet. I’ll have more to say next month, but I wanted to add that I love how many books on game writing are set to be released soon. This one came out last year, and I’m excited to learn more about the theory behind games writing.