In the last few years my brain has gravitated towards gaming systems as experiences. Similar to the deck-builder Dominion, a fantastic feedback loop sometimes makes for just as compelling a game experience as the deepest story.
And then there’s Balatro: A simple card game that is already my 2024 Game of the Year. It’s also one of the most maddening gaming experiences I’ve had in a while.
Balatro, you’re perfect. Balatro, you’re the worst.
Continue reading‘Game On Reviews’ is where Will Harrison posts his most recent piece from his Associated Press Award-nominated gaming column ‘Game On,’ which appears bi-weekly in the Pulitzer Prize-winning Toledo Blade, due to The Blade’s recent decision to lock their site fully behind a paywall. For more pieces, news, and information, please visit http://www.toledoblade.com.
Death is constant, inevitable, and unfair. These three facts are no more apparent than in the year 2020 and a literal plague upon our houses.
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Spoiler warning: Life Is Strange and Episodes 1 and 2 of Life Is Strange: Before The Storm
I cringe and shout in the anticipation of pain to come at the glowing screen. The truly terrifying moments come from the build towards an inevitable end that a character can’t see coming. Like a voyeur, the audience must sit in silence, an accomplice in the plot’s attempt to ruin lives. Continue reading
There’s a classic cognitive psychological study involving a patient, a button, and a reward. The point of the trial is to leave the patient alone in the room with the button, to test how long they’ll go without hitting the switch. The test is a window into the ability — and in some cases, inability — to handle delayed gratification.
Similar trials with monkeys and dogs exist, showing that even the animal kingdom only has so much patience. Continue reading
I’ve cried two days in a row.
Call it stress, repressed nerves, or too much time to think, but I think at this point I can say that I’m not handling my post-Ohio life and current unemployment all too well. Continue reading
Tired, dripping with sweat, and feeling somewhat vacuous, three thoughts entered my mind as Kyle, Rachel, and myself shut the storage container door. Continue reading
So, how did you like my guide on Chromie? Did you find it informative?
….
What do you mean “I haven’t read it”?
Oh, right. I forgot that I could time travel and that this version of you, dear reader, hasn’t delved into the deep, dark secrets that my guide has to offer.
This means I still have to write the thing, doesn’t it? Bollocks. Continue reading
I have a confession: the Dark Souls 3 tutorial area boss killed me 15 times before I achieved victory. Continue reading
The husband and wife war rages on as Will and Rachel take their never-ending feud into the streets.
Backlog Adventures 