Lucidity (PC) (2009)

Overview: Place objects to help guide a little girl named Sofi safely through her dreams.

---

20231219 Snapshot:
Achievement History:
20110103 First Steps, Firefly Collector
20110106 Wonder
20110123 Firefly Enthusiast

Steam Game Time: 5.1 hours (cumulative game time)
Last Played: 20140112

---

20231219:
Today I loaded up this game. First I tried to load up an old save file using Game Save Manager. This seemed to freeze the game and so I deleted the old files and the menu was working again. I noticed in one of the files `usernames.txt` it referred to my Steam Name differently. So I loaded up the old save file again and replaced the entry of the older `usernames.txt` with how it would be on a fresh load. Luckily this did the trick and I was able ot use my old save file which had levels finished up to right before the end of Act II. I did play a couple of earlier levels to jog my memory of what the game was about.

Setup: Used the mouse.

I managed to complete the story and then I tried some of the achievements. I'm thinking the game is too random and hectic to collect more fireflies. It would honestly be more of a grind than skill.

Steam Game Time: 6.8 hours (cumulative game time) / 1.7 hours (session game time) / 103 minutes (last two weeks)

---

Thoughts:
Pro:
+ Drawings and good art design

Neutral:
~ Overall story is mediocre, pieces of the story are okay

Cons:
- Power-ups come too randomly. While there's some strategy to piecing together different power-ups, the levels are not structured in a way that aligns itself with using multiple strategies. Often there is just one power-up needed for a particular section and it just feels bad/weird/frustrating to cycle through other power-ups. I think a hand of power-ups would be better - like a hand of five.
- Can't zoom out. At least if players had more time and space to plan where to put items. Some areas are off-screen and can't even be prepped for appropriately.
- No good checkpoint system with penalty of losing fireflies; there should be clear checkpoints and all fireflies saved up to the checkpoint should be secured

Remark: I was playing a little more to take some screenshots. Some of my complaints about and/or difficulties with the game do diminish with practice. However, it is unfortunate that the main game didn't take note of some of the bonus levels, which fed out power-ups in a less random fashion. Levels crafted around certain power-ups with those power-ups occurring in higher distribution would have made the game more skill-based and hence more enjoyable.

---

Summary:
The game starts off alright, and with not so many power-ups the randomness is mildly annoying. However, as the game ramps up in difficulty, the randomness becomes frustrating and the game concept is ruined. I think playing through the main story is okay. Completing all the achievements would be manageable but collecting all the fireflies would be a grind.*

*There's no achievement for collecting all the fireflies (over 2000). There is an achievement for collecting 1500 fireflies.

---

Lucidity (PC) (2009)

Relevant Links:
Lucidity (video game) (Wikipedia.org)
Lucidity (PC) (MetaCritic.com)
Lucidity (steamdb.info)
Lucidity (Steam Store Page)

The Misadventures of P.B. Winterbottom (PC) (2010)

Overview:
The Misadventures of P.B. Winterbottom is a puzzle platformer. Play as P.B. Winterbottom, a pie thief and collect all the pies in each level.

"The top left icon shows how many clones can exist at one time."

But that's only the beginning. Winterbottom must create recordings of himself in order to solve the different puzzles. While conceptually simple, puzzles require the player to use and interact with the recordings in a variety of ways. This includes jumping on top of them, hitting them, or having them hit you! For example, when the real Winterbottom is hit, he will be sent in an arc in front of him. When a recorded Winterbottom is hit, he will also be sent in an arc, but will cease his repeated animation.

[20150205 Assumed Entry Date][20190707 Edit]

---

Recommendation:
Because Winterbottom is a puzzle platformer, the solutions often require a lot of trial-and-error. While I was able to put some thought and planning into each level, I found the levels were solved more quickly by trying to implement a single idea - rather than mulling over the perfect solution from square one.

In addition to the great gameplay, The Misadventures of P.B. Winterbottom also has a great story to it. In fact, it's told in rhyme!

Level 2.10

I personally also like the artwork and soundtrack, albeit simple.

Overall, if you're looking for a short* puzzle game and enjoy either platforming or trial-and-error, then you should look into playing The Misadventures of P.B. Winterbottom. In terms of its merit as a game, it shares many top qualities as the minimalist puzzle platformer Thomas Was Alone (PC) (2012) (though I like Thomas Was Alone much more).

*Chapter 1 took me about 15-20 minutes, Chapter 3 took me about 50 minutes, and Chapter 4 took me about 40 minutes. There are, however, challenges for additional gameplay.

---

20101227:
I bought this game during the 2010 Steam Holiday Sale.

---

20110103:
Judging from the Steam achievements, I played through the tutorial today ("Savory Salutations").
Steam Achievements
1:15pm Hot Pie Bottom
1:37pm Hungry Bottom

[20150205]

---

20110112:
Steam Achievements
3:59pm Evil Bottom

Level 2.9

---

20140112:
I was stuck on Level 2.9 for the longest time and I basically stopped playing this fun, addicting game because of it. While checking various game saves today, I shortly revisited the game and gave the level a go. I'm happy to report that I figured out the solution to the puzzle and couldn't believe how easy it was.

Solution to Level 2.9: Start a copy at Pie #4, jump to Pie #1, and then run over to Pie #3, end the copy. Thus, despite triggering a wall when the copy hits Pie #3, it can still collect Pie #4.

Chapter selection

Interesting Observation (Made on 20150205): I only played a single level today.

[20140112][20190707 Edit]

---

20150205:
Not having played in a while, I decided to replay the tutorial (15-20 minutes). Well, it didn't start off that way. I had originally intended just to scope out the first level of it, but the game seamlessly took me from one level to the next, only stopping when the last level of the tutorial was complete.

Today in Level 3.6, I had trouble until I memorized a sequence of button presses: turn (left/right), record (shift), hit (Z). Just press each button once.

Level 3.9, like Level 2.9, required thinking out of the box. Although I was able to solve Level 3.9 much more easily than Level 2.9 (at least from what I recall of the frustration I had with Level 2.9).

Solution to Level 3.9: Record a copy that gets popped up and lands along the 1 3 2. Let him repeat that. While he does that, go over to 5 and begin a recording that goes from 5 to 6 to 7 and then (careful not to hit the see-saw) go over to the clone and after he collects 3, hit him so he collects 4 and end the recording. Your new recording will start and that will collect 5, 6, and 7.

Steam Achievements:
4:02am Ticking Bottom
4:53am Burnt Bottom
5:36am Soggy Bottom

Level 4.10

After completing the fourth chapter, I felt somewhat compelled to finish the fifth (and last) chapter of the story. However, I decided to save it for a rainy day.

[20150205][20190707 Edit]

---

The Misadventures of P.B. Winterbottom (PC) (2010)

Relevant Links:
The Misadventures of P.B. Winterbottom
The Misadventures of P.B. Winterbottom (PC) (MetaCritic.com)
The Misadventures of P.B. Winterbottom (Wikipedia.org)