Random Thoughts

🎮 Gris (Steam, Switch): This game is visually stunning. It's almost more of an interactive art piece than a game, but it is a game nonetheless - an platform-adventure game, per Wikipedia, same as Wandersong - and I'm enjoying it a lot. There's a plot, but it's being told through deep metaphor (no words).

🎮 Ori and the Blind Forest (Steam, XBox): This game is very beautiful in a modern 3D-rendered style, although it's a 2D game play-wise. It's the first Metroidvania game I've played (to the best of my knowledge), and I'm finding all these features like "maps" and "ability tree" and "multiple attacks in combat" very hard going on the decision-making front. I'm enjoying it but so far the plot seems a bit superficial - there's emotion there but I'm not really feeling it.

🍓 Celeste: I finished the main story! Of course, there's also a lot of post-game content I'm slowly working my way through. If you're interested in my progress, I document it in this Twitter thread (beware spoilers for what post-game content exists). I'm working on a post musing about how I flailed my way through a precision platformer with nothing but the force of my own stubbornness determination.

📖 On a Sunbeam: fred_mouse linked to this beautiful webcomic, set in space and with a wonderful cast of characters. No men, queer relationships, and very fantastical space imagery. I really raced through it online, and am looking to buy the print version if I can. It's on the Hugo shortlist for this year! ( A few spoilery thoughts. )

🧵 I've been cross-stitching again! I did Madeline from Celeste on 10ct plastic canvas, which is now providing determination and encouragement on our fridge, and also made a pixel art rendering of the bard and Miriam from Wandersong, which we mounted on a 4" square canvas. I like the look of the mounting a lot better than the traditional hoop framing, although I needed to leave a lot more overhang. Tips for making the corners less bulky appreciated! I'm now working on a much larger project I started over 20 years ago and haven't touched in years - it moved to Canada with us in 2009, and back with us in 2016 without a single new stitch.