Shatter (PC) (2009)

Game Mechanics:
Shatter is a brick buster that implements a couple of additional mechanics such as a push and repel mechanism, boss battles, and stages which are horizontal or circular instead of vertical.

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20120930:
Going by the Steam Achievements, I played this game for the first time today. [20170318:] The existence of a screenshot history reinforces this hypothesis.

Steam game time: approx. 15 min

[20161004 Quick Edit][20170318 Edit]

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20160825:
I remembered playing this game once before, but didn't remember if I liked it or not. Also look for a short game, I decided to boot this game up and check it out.

Steam game time: approx. 38 min (session), 53 min (total)

[20161004 Quick Edit]

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Thoughts:
Pro:
+ It's a reasonably good-looking game

Neutral:
~ While there are some extra twists, the game mechanics failed to hold my attention

~ I dislike the nature of games for which I feel there is either little strategy (for winning) or that the strategy is hard to grasp*

Con:
- The controls never became intuitive for me

*An example of the opposite is League of Legends where there are pages after pages of strategies to be read and consumed in order to improve at the game. Pokemon is another great example.

[20161004 Quick Edit]

---

Shatter (2009)

Relevant Links:
Shatter Website
Shatter (video game) (Wikipedia.org)
Shatter (Steam Store Page)

Pokemon GO (Android) (2016)

20160712:
Seeing as how video games make up a big part of my blog and I played several versions of Pokemon when I was younger,* I decided to download Pokemon GO and give it a try.

Tip: The best chances to catch a Pokemon is when the shrinking ring is the smallest. Smaller is better. XD
Tip: While initially fun, turning off AR will make catching Pokemon easier.

Catch a starter Pokemon!

Tip: Don't raise the CP of weak Pokemon you catch when you first start the game. It'll just be a waste of resources.

Bug: While the game has a camera feature, I also wanted to take several screenshots of the game interface itself. However, screenshots within an encounter had the tendency to freeze the game.
Bug: As a separate issue, every once in a while, the game will freeze after the Pokeball engulfs the Pokemon and falls to the ground. Sometimes the catch will register, sometimes it will not.

Choose your "style."

*Pokemon Red (?) (GB) (1996), Pokemon Yellow (GBC) (1998), Pokemon Silver (?) (GBC) (1999), Pokemon Ruby/Sapphire (GBA) (2002), Pokemon FireRed/LeafGreen (GBA) (2004), Pokemon Diamond/Pearl (NDS) (2007).

[20160717]

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20160713:
Today I took a walk around my neighborhood and to some extent it wasn't any safer than walking around the parking lot. At times it felt weird, because at least in a parking lot there were Pokemon out in the open.

It's a Nidoran (male)!

In a neighborhood, getting close to a possible Pokemon location might require awkwardly approaching someone's home.

[20160717]

---

20160716:
Servers were down this morning. Apparently it became news because some group supposedly DDoSed the servers.

Fact: Today I realized it's possible to run into Pokemon which are not shown as being nearby.

Staryu!

Unknown: Reading some information, it remains unclear what grass represents, because sometimes walking to grass doesn't necessarily trigger a Pokemon encounter. Though most of the time it does.
Tip: Sending a Pokemon to Professor is like releasing it, but you will be given Pokemon candy (for that specific Pokemon) in return. For example, send a Pidgey, get Pidgey candy.

[20160717]

---

Initial Thoughts:
Pros:
+ Possibly social: potential to meet other players; encourage going outside.*
+ If walking, then exercise. If in a car (as a passenger!!), then not.

Servers are down...

Neutral:
~ Room for improvement
~ Nostalgic
~ Currently crappy AR, but the game helps carve out the beginnings of AR to a world of smart phone users who would never have heard of the term "Augmented Reality" for several years.
~ Free-to-play.**

When a real-life gym isn't a Pokemon gym... ;_;

Cons:
- A slight pay-to-win vibe.**
- People living in urban areas have an advantage over people in suburban/rural areas.***
- Still buggy.
- Game requires internet access and GPS; eats battery life
- Lacks more than basic instruction on how to play; lacks transparency

A Rattata in the supermarket!

- Dangerous: Pokemon GO will undoubtedly have players crossing the street at a higher frequency than the average person. Some players are going to play the game while driving, and if texting while driving is bad, playing Pokemon GO while driving will be terrible.

Recommendation:
Overall, I would prefer to revisit the older RPG games in the franchise where paying a flat fee of $30-$40 resulted in around a hundred hours of consistent game time.

Professor Willow

In contrast, with Pokemon GO, I've thus far played between a half hour to an hour per session before getting bored.

*The game sells an item which will lure Pokemon to the user's location. Thus, walking isn't required, but still encouraged (the lure is more effective when covering a distance).
**I've yet to be exposed to the gym component of the game, but if pumping money into the game results in winning a gym, then the game would almost surely be pay-to-win. In contrast, you can pay to unlock a champion/hero in League of Legend/Heroes of the Storm, but that doesn't mean you'll win by doing so.

***From a business standpoint this is a win/win. Players who want to play, but don't have a good selection may spend money on items. The majority of business is where population is most dense: in the city.

[20160717]

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20160717:
Fact: CP stands for 'Combat Power.' The half-circle represents a Pokemon's progress towards its max CP.

A little customization.

Tip: According to a Reddit post which analyzed the game values for the incense item, more pokemon will spawn by moving: standing spawns a Pokemon once every five minutes, but movement of more than 200 meters per minute will spawn Pokemon once every minute. Remark: A person would have to be in top shape to make full use of moving; 200 meters per minute is equivalent to a pace of one mile per eight minutes (over 3.8 miles).

Fact: Pokemon move.

---

Pokemon GO (Android)

Relevant Links:
Pokemon GO Website
Pokemon Go (Wikipedia.org)

Time Clickers (PC) (2015)

20160709:
This clicker game seemed like it had the potential to be fun. However, having played Clicker Heroes (PC) (2014) to a certain extreme,* I just couldn't handle going through the gruesome resetting process and optimization process. It's just the same thing again and again.

From snippets I read, the game throws in some new mechanics, but the underlying structure is like Clicker Heroes (and most likely like any other clicker game).

Look, it's the shape of a bomb.

Steam: 3.8 hours (including time spent idle)

*Attempting to account the actual number of hours spent for Clicker Heroes would be tough, but it's still a lot (~200 hrs). Other games with record time investments on my part consist of various MUDs I played in middle school, Cleft of Dimensions (a MUD which I played in college), League of Legends (~1000 hrs, also $$$), Dungeon Defenders (PC) (2011) (~225 hrs), Terraria (PC) (2011) (~200 hrs), Heroes of the Storm (PC) (2015) (~120 hrs), Plants vs. Zombies (PC) (2009) (~90 hrs).

---

20160710,11,16,17,18:
Unfortunately, there's some sort of inherent appeal to clicker games. Whether it's the simple achievements, the flashing special effects, or perhaps the feeling of progression, I found myself putting more time into Time Clickers (despite my earlier opinion that I would be uninterested to play more).

The gruesome first run continues...

To further describe the feeling, every time I think about moving on to do something else, I would often decide to do just one more run. The next thing I know, I've done several runs with no end in sight. Of course there's some exaggeration and the great thing about most clicker games is being able to let the game play itself.

With that being said, upon realizing that I have probably spent more active hours on Time Clickers than a game I recently designated as a being great (The Book of Unwritten Tales (PC) (2011), 3.5 hours), I have decided to stop playing.

After reaching level 100, it's time for Time Cube upgrades!

Of course, it actually makes sense: simplicity is easier to consume than complexity. Just like watching three comedies is easier than watching one drama, or drinking a six-pack of Bud Light is easier than drinking a bottle of Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA, passing time with a clicker game is easier than an epic RPG or point-and-click adventure.

Steam: 16.5 hours (including time spent idle) (total game time)

[20160718 Assumed Entry Date][20190724 Edit]

---

Thoughts:
Pros:
+ Conceptually simple, has a layer of strategy
+ Decent idle mode

Testing out the "Overpowered" feature. Unfortunately, it's still to soon to run an "Overpowered" build.

Neutral:
~ Clicker game: addicting, time sink, various ways to trivialize the game (e.g., scripting, loading save file, auto clicker), repetitive

Minor Con:
- When purchasing abilities, the ability descriptions are hidden behind previously purchased abilities. While this is ultimately inconsequentially as all abilities should be purchased as they are available, it shows the game lacks polish.

Bug: the tooltip doesn't lie on top of other items

---

Recommendation:
Someone should do a psychological study on what makes clicker games and similar Facebook applications* so addictive, at least on a short-term basis.

As the rate of progress in Time Clickers seems to proceed at a faster rate than Clicker Heroes, I would lean towards recommending Time Clickers for anybody looking for an addictive game to play. I would, however, recommend caution as hours of your life will seemingly flash before your eyes.

*I suddenly remember the amount of time I put into Mafia Wars and Happy Aquarium.

---

Remark:
If I were to make a clicker game, I'd parody clicker games by having a built-in auto clicker and scripting interface. But perhaps an actual auto clicker and script would have to be written to use the built-in auto clicker and scripting interface.

---

Time Clickers (PC) (2015)

Relevant Links:
Time Clickers (Play Online)
Time Clickers (Steam Store Page)

The Book of Unwritten Tales (PC) (2011)

20160707:
Stumbling upon and deciding to play The Book of Unwritten Tales was a bit random, but I'm glad I did. While I only played two segments, The Book of Unwritten Tales exceeded my expectations.

Wilbur Weathervane (gnome)

Instant Comments:
Haha. She hums the Indiana Jones tune after she uses the whip.

First Impressions:
During the first scene, I was ready to question the animation: the developers had MacGuffin repeatedly writing the same line over and over. This was an interesting choice considering they have his model do so many other things soon after.

Regardless, the animation was pretty good. This was despite the fact I later realized I was playing on medium quality instead of high. I have yet to play with the quality on high.

Ivodora "Ivo" Eleonora Clarissa (elf)

Steam: 39 minutes

About an hour or so later I try to squeeze in a little more game time with The Book of Unwritten Tales. Unfortunately, I began to grow tired and was on the verge of getting stuck - I collected a helmet and map, but had yet to make/find a parachute.

Instant Comments:
References Star Wars. "Try!? There is no try! Only DO."
References Lord of the Rings. "Just think about it. When has anybody ever given an important ring to a little being like a gnome?"
References Psycho. The Psycho theme plays when Wilbur pulls out the scissors to cut the Master Brewer's beard.

Wilbur and his grandfather, "Colonel Grandad."

Steam: 55 minutes (session game time); 94 minutes (total game time)

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20160708:
I almost didn't think I would play any more of this game, simply because I have an overall goal to play most of my games (though I should set milestones). However, my experience with this game had been so good thus far that I just had to play more of it.

Does that make video games like dating? Many games which come in many genres. Sometimes we try something new, but we generally prefer one type over another. Some experiences are good, others are bad. Some were great, but we eventually moved on from them. Some weren't as great, despite spending a lot of time and/or money. Well... it's never good take an analogy too far.

Let the pop culture references run wild.

Instant Comments:
References Lord of the Rings. "Take good care of your ring. It's your precious."
References Braveheart. Something about being a free gnome and ending with "Will you fight?"
References Lord of the Rings. "No, that was thrown back into the fire from which it was forged."
References Felix the Cat and Harry Potter (twice). "Felix, Crookshanks, Jess, or Mrs. Norris?" [In a Google search for famous cats (named Jess), I found a cat named Jess belong to a British stop-motion cartoon character named Postman Pat.]
Answer choices reference Star Wars (I am your father) and The Godfather (an offer you can't refuse).

Steam: 1.8 hours (session game time); 3.4 hours (total game time)

---

Graphics quality at med. (lt) and high (rt). Slightly increased dynamic range; best noticed in the dragon's wing.

Thoughts:
Pros:
+ Humorous dialogue (including some pop culture references - perhaps common for point-and-click adventures)
+ Some of the humor lies in self-acknowledging cliches of the fantasy genre
+ Great animation
+ Great story (thus far)

Neutral:
~ Point-and-click; fantasy

Cheep-Cheep and Ivo outside MacGuffin's home

~ Most objects which aren't needed will no longer be clickable. This makes getting through puzzles easier, but sometimes I would misclick and accidentally skip dialogue. Then when I want to hear it again, I can't. There are, of course, some exceptions. Like the chair sitting in the living room of Wilbur's home.

Recommendation:
Within a busy work week, I squeezed in 3.4 hours of playtime on this game and I have a strong inclination to play more of it. As such, my experience thus far with the game would definitely be classified as positive.

While there are times where I wish the graphics and waypoints were a notch or two better, there are other times where I am pleased with the graphics.*

Ivo and a (hilariously) demented mummy

A more extreme example of this longing would be wishing that Final Fantasy VII (1997) got a graphics update: we love the game as it is, but it would be way cooler with the latest graphics.**

Overall, while it wouldn't be the best of the best, I'm happy to give it the "great video game" label. Highly recommended to fans of the point-and-click genre.

*From the trailers and screenshots, the sequel The Book of Unwritten Tales 2 (PC) (2015) appears to deliver on this front.
**Apparently a remake for the PS4 is in the works (announced in 2015 at E3); same story, different fighting system.

Wilbur and his boss, Master Brewer (dwarf).

---

The Book of Unwritten Tales (PC) (2011)

Relevant Links:
The Book of Unwritten Tales Website
The Book of Unwritten Tales (Steam Store Page)
The Book of Unwritten Tales (Wikipedia.org)
The Book of Unwritten Tales (PC) (MetaCritic.com)

Surgeon Simulator (PC) (2013)

Overview: Control a doctor's hand and interact with tools and organs in order to perform surgeries.

20160707:
This game was... interesting.

Controls:
Mouse for planar movement.

Why hello there, Bob.

Press left button to lower hand. Press right button to use mouse for rotation of the hand. The keyboard buttons A, W, E, R, and space control individual fingers.

Controller Setup:
I haven't used my Steam controller in a while and thought it would be worth trying with this game. Starting with the most popular community configuration and then trying the second most popular configuration, I was unsatisfied with any possible advantages and decided to use my keyboard and USB mouse (the laptop touchpad would surely spell disaster).

I aCcidEntALLy duRggeD mYSsself. BuTT it'S oKayy. I'm a DOCtor.

Basic How-To (Spoilers):
After several attempts, I gave up and watched a video. This is an overview of a heart transplant:
1) Remove the ribs (break or cut them)
2) Rip out the lungs*
3) Possibly pull out other organs as necessary. Might need to cut some arteries.
4) Pull out the heart.
5) Drop in the new heart (inside the container)

We'll need some glue after this heart transplant is done.

*I had gotten here on my own and tried, but I guess I didn't pull hard enough.

Thoughts:
Pro:
+ Funny

Neutral:
~ Requires self-discovery; this is almost a con for me, I don't expect this sort of game to require self-discovery

~ Difficult, but on purpose.

Con:
- A little glitchy

Comparison:
I like challenging and difficult games, but I like the difficulty more when it is encompassed by a level, not by the mechanics. While I'm not going to lie, I probably spent an hour or two one afternoon playing QWOP with my friends, at least the goal was simple (to get as far as possible).

Operate on Heavy from Team Fortress.

In contrast to the above, Surgeon Simulator's difficulty lies in its controls and it's goal is complex (requires trial-and-error).

Recommendation:
For me, the difficulty of the game was frustrating and not fun. Combined with a lack of instruction, I eventually gave up displeased.

With that being said, the game can be fun, especially for those who enjoy the specific difficulty involved.

---

Surgeon Simulator (PC) (2013)*
*Surgeon Simulator 2013 (PC) (2013)

Relevant Links:
Surgeon Simulator 2013 (PC) (MetaCritic.com)
Surgeon Simulator 2013 (Steam Store Page)
Surgeon Simulator 2013 (Wikipedia.org)

The Great Jitters: Pudding Panic (PC) (2014)

Overview: Navigate a pudding through a haunted house ride, using power-ups to keep it from getting scared and successfully reach the exit.

20160706:
Initially I thought the controls were horrible (especially because the game was obviously made for a touchscreen device and later ported to PC), but as I played a couple of games, it wasn't as bad.

With that being said, the game was still childish and/or uninteresting.

---

Thoughts:
Pros:
+ Good concept/theme

Cons:
- Max. resolution is 1024 by 768; dimensions is 4:3.
- Obvious port of a touchscreen game
- Poor game mechanics (fun in theory, but failed execution)
- The game is childish, but the game requires command of camera, power-ups, and timing; by the time someone is old enough to play the game, they are too old to like it

Recommendation:
I wouldn't recommend you play this game even if it were in your gaming library. You might, however, consider playing it if you already had it for your iPad.

---

The Great Jitters: Pudding Panic (PC) (2014)*
*The Great Jitters: Pudding Panic (iOS) (2011)

Relevant Links:
Pudding Panic (The Great Jitters Website)
The Grat Jitters: Pudding Panic (Wikipedia.org)*
The Great Jitters: Pudding Panic (iOS) (2011) (MetaCritic.com)**
The Great Jitters: Pudding Panic (Steam Store Page)

**There are seven critics which rated the game at a 90 or 100, with an eight at 80. All the Wikipedia page consists of is quotes from those eight reviews. Smells fishy.

Escape Goat 2 (PC) (2014)

20160704:
Like choosing films on Netflix, I spent a while thinking about which game I should play next - though it does get tougher after having played two. In any case, after skipping several games, I end up choosing this platformer, Escape Goat 2.

You're a wizard!

Setup: I decided to play with my Logitech Rumble Gamepad F510, I didn't need any bells and whistles of the Steam Controller. I had to close the game and reopen it for the Steam screenshot shortcut to work.

Playing straight for a little over an hour, I almost couldn't put it down. Of course, that was in part due to the sentiment that I was getting close to betting the game. However, when I began to get the feeling I had reached about the halfway point, I decided to stop.

This is especially good since there's always the chance that there's some sort of plot twist which would cause the game to double in length.

Note that some of the game time is from me replaying a level and determining the fastest way to complete it. This game would be decently fun to speedrun, though I personally wouldn't want to figure out all the optimal solutions.*

Steam Game Time 74 minutes (cumulative game time)

One mice to rule them all.

*There's a video of someone doing a 100% speed run in just over 45 minutes (RT: 56 minutes). There were many clever tricks. For example, in 4-4, my "quick" solution was to turn off the two beams on the right. The speedrunner's solution was to fall parallel to the falling block!

---

Thoughts:
Pros:
+ The controls seem responsive
+ Variety of puzzle mechanics keeps the game fresh
+ Original gameplay (I'm not sure how it compares with Escape Goat)
+ Puzzle mechanics are taught progressively; easy to learn

Neutral:
~ Puzzle Platformer

Progress after first run.

Con:
- Lacks an appeal, particularly in the aesthetic department

Recommendation:
I love whenever I'm exploring my game library and find something fun and worthwhile. Escape Goat 2 is a fun puzzle platformer and I look forward to completing it.

While it lacks the atmosphere of puzzle platformers like Braid (2009) or Limbo (2011), Escape Goat 2 has strong and enjoyable gameplay. As such, if you like puzzle platformers, I would definitely recommend it.

---

20160706:
As I suspected, I was only about halfway done in terms of completing the game, but less than a quarter of the way done in terms of a 100% map completion. Today after finishing the game I went on to uncover some of the map.

Like any good puzzle platformer, you'll occasionally have to try again.

Steam Game Time: 3.5 hours (cumulative game time) / 2.3 hours (session game time)

---

20221002 (AM Hours):
Last night I downloaded Hyperdimension Neptunia, but there was a cloud sync issue and so I loaded this game up instead. This game lacked a save file but I felt okay playing it from the beginning. Eventually there are many actions to keep track of:
- Double jump
- Trigger switched
- Dash RT
- B FOR mouse
- Down B to have the mouse stand
- Up B to throw
- Mouse avoids concrete
- Eventually unlock X to switch with mouse

Steam Game Time: 4.0 hours (cumulative game time) / 0.5 hours (session game time)

---

20221002:
Gameplay Log:
- Made progress.
- Knocked out some achievements (nine to be exact)
- I attempted "Hat Trick in the Library" ("Beat 4-6 without obtaining the Magic Hat") achievement and could not do it.
- Ended the night (20221003 AM Hours) in room 9-2. Had Completed X-11 for all lower levels.

Remark: this skeleton enemy in 9-1 and 9-2 seems familiar. I wonder if I've played these levels before.

Steam Game Time: 9.7 hours (cumulative game time) / 5.7 hours (session game time)

Too many doors in the puzzle room.

[20221002][20231020 Edit]

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20221003:
Gameplay Log:
- Triggered the ending. Seems like an homage to Castlevania. At least from endings I know. (on a cliff watching castle collapse)
- Continue with remaining 9-X levels (the ending happens in 9-6)
- After all X-11 levels, completion is 88.43%...
- Tried searching around for hidden rooms. No luck.

Steam Game Time: 12.0 hours (cumulative game time) / 2.3 hours (session game time)

---

20221005:
I took a naive shot at the "Speed Escape" achievement ("Beat game in under 30 minutes without loading from save"). I definitely wasn't prepared for it. I later watched a speedrun to acquire some skips. I'll probably spend an hour practicing such tips.

Steam Game Time: 12.6 hours (cumulative game time) / 0.6 hours (session game time)

---

20221006 (Part 1):
After practicing, I did a run and I forgot which level is best skipping. I managed to finish in 31 minutes. As such, with some small improvements and skipping level 7, I could probably get the 30 minute achievement in under two tries.

Steam Game Time: 15.9 hours (cumulative game time) / 3.3 hours (session game time)

---

20221006 (Part 2):
I did it. I completed the run in 26:20 (that's in-game time). I died 19 times; there are four hidden achievements, and I imagine one of them involves a no death run. I imagine another hidden achievement would be to uncover 100% of the map.

Steam Game Time: 16.4 hours (cumulative game time) / 0.5 hours (session game time)

---

20231225:
Today I was looking to ensure that my Steam Deck save files were backed up. However, when I loaded up the game, I had loss a bulk of progress - and there was only one save file. I then opened up the game on the Steam Deck and the progress was the same but there were four saves. Returning to PC, there were now also four saves (main game and three speed runs). At the time, despite having lost progress, I had decided to play some of the levels again (on the main game save; 0.7 hours). However, later in the day I decided to compare the actual save files. Luckily, SyncThing had an older version of the files and I loaded up the first save on PC. Luckily, this worked! This file had my full progress. Reflecting on my observations, I suspect the main save file from my PC was older, yet somehow took dominance and overwrote the main save file on my Steam Deck. Note that each save file is contained in its own file "Stronghold.s.#.save"

Steam Game Time: 17.1 hours (cumulative game time) / 0.7 hours (session game time)

---

Escape Goat 2 (PC) (2014)

Relevant Links:
Escape Goat 2 Website
Escape Goat 2 (PC) (MetaCritic.com)
Escape Goat (Wikipedia.org)

Air Forte (PC) (2010)

20160704:
Air Forte is a simple and casual game by Blendo Games where the aim is to collect all the bubbles of a particular category.

At first the category will be finding multiples, e.g., multiples of 5. Afterwards, the player will encounter various parts of speech, e.g., collect the verbs. Finally, the player will be tasked with identifying countries within a continent, e.g., countries of Europe.

While not an amazing game, it actually has an enjoyable little story (more story than certain games which take longer to play).

Steam: 28 minutes (after the story mode I also played a round of the challenge mode)

---

Thoughts:
Pros:
+ Educational
+ Good Story

Neutral:
~ This game and Atom Zombie Smasher share a common art style and music for their narratives.
~ The math multiples were easy for me, but I majored in math...

Cons:
- The controls aren't great, but it's such a short game, it almost doesn't matter.
- Short game

Recommendation:
This game is too simple to recommend buying. But if you have it, you should definitely play it. It wouldn't take more than half an hour.

---

Troubleshooting:
Problem: Steam Achievements aren't working.
Solution: Rename "steamwrapper.dll" to "steamwrap2.dll"

---

Air Forte (PC) (2010)

Relevant Links:
Air Forte (Blendo Games Website)
Air Forte (Steam Store Page)
Air Forte (PC) (MetaCritic.com)