What are you all playing right now?

[Angrboda]

Garden Paws on PC. This seems like a real hidden gem in the Stardew-esque 'cozy' game genre... glad I stumbled upon it. It's a cute 3D farming, mining, fishing, gathering, building, and exploring game set in a beautiful lush and verdant open world. I'm totally addicted now, as it has that grindy, incremental achievement feel that I love about these sorts of games... endless fetch quests and that sense of gradually working towards multiple goals, building up your business empire, whatever it may be.

Compared to other games of this genre it has a few USPs. One is it's take on the whole 'shipping bin' concept familiar in these sorts of games... a bin in which you dump anything you want to sell and it would sell overnight... in this game there is no shipping bin but instead an actual shop... or more like a stall... where you have to lay out a limited number of items for sale, then open and close the shop and physically man the cash register, or pay by commission an assistant to do it. I appreciate this as a much more involved take on the shipping bin that makes you really have to think about what to sell to make the best use of your time and space, as well as giving you plenty to grind towards in the sense of saving up to buy a bigger shop or a more convenient hiring post for the assistant. Another USP - for me at least; I know some people like it - is that it has a lot less dialogue than most games, and no relationship mechanic which personally I always found a bit tiresome in these sorts of games, so in this one, no need to run around giving everyone gifts to improve your relationship with them.

I think this game's gonna keep me going for months, there just seems so much content. So highly recommend this if you're looking for a very relaxed and chill, go at your own pace and choose your own adventure kind of game. The cutesy graphics might be a bit offputting to some... ie your character and the NPCs are all cute animals... but beyond that there is a very rich and vibrant game as far as I can tell so far.

Disney is coming out with a Stardew Valley like game, called Dreamlight Valley. It's basically Stardew Valley with Disney characters and it's only $30. I'll probably wait for a sale, but I'm tempted. I never got into Stardew Valley or the similar Graveyard Keeper, but slap a bunch of Disney on it and that's a different story.

[emjay]

Garden Paws on PC. This seems like a real hidden gem in the Stardew-esque 'cozy' game genre... glad I stumbled upon it. It's a cute 3D farming, mining, fishing, gathering, building, and exploring game set in a beautiful lush and verdant open world. I'm totally addicted now, as it has that grindy, incremental achievement feel that I love about these sorts of games... endless fetch quests and that sense of gradually working towards multiple goals, building up your business empire, whatever it may be.

Compared to other games of this genre it has a few USPs. One is it's take on the whole 'shipping bin' concept familiar in these sorts of games... a bin in which you dump anything you want to sell and it would sell overnight... in this game there is no shipping bin but instead an actual shop... or more like a stall... where you have to lay out a limited number of items for sale, then open and close the shop and physically man the cash register, or pay by commission an assistant to do it. I appreciate this as a much more involved take on the shipping bin that makes you really have to think about what to sell to make the best use of your time and space, as well as giving you plenty to grind towards in the sense of saving up to buy a bigger shop or a more convenient hiring post for the assistant. Another USP - for me at least; I know some people like it - is that it has a lot less dialogue than most games, and no relationship mechanic which personally I always found a bit tiresome in these sorts of games, so in this one, no need to run around giving everyone gifts to improve your relationship with them.

I think this game's gonna keep me going for months, there just seems so much content. So highly recommend this if you're looking for a very relaxed and chill, go at your own pace and choose your own adventure kind of game. The cutesy graphics might be a bit offputting to some... ie your character and the NPCs are all cute animals... but beyond that there is a very rich and vibrant game as far as I can tell so far.

Disney is coming out with a Stardew Valley like game, called Dreamlight Valley. It's basically Stardew Valley with Disney characters and it's only $30. I'll probably wait for a sale, but I'm tempted. I never got into Stardew Valley or the similar Graveyard Keeper, but slap a bunch of Disney on it and that's a different story.

Yeah, thanks for the heads-up. I noticed that game and wondered if it might be this genre but hadn't looked into it yet, but it was next on my list to look at. I hope you like it if you do get it... it's very hard to put into words what's so special about these sorts of games, I guess you just need to play it to see, but then I guess you could say the same about any game.

[Angrboda]

Picked up Nier Replicant for $26. This is a game that's been on my list, but it never goes on sale for less than $30 usually.

[emjay]

No sooner than I started getting into a groove with this game, my controller's developed stick drift and so my character keeps moving forward when I'm not pressing anything why did it have to start now? I hate xbox controllers... even the top of the line ones are not a patch on basic PS ones imo, but it's the only one I had spare to permanently connect to my laptop... but this might be the perfect excuse to switch to using a PS controller from now on (not that that's any less prone to stick drift, but at least none have it atm). Sorry for the rant.

[Angrboda]

[Silver]

Restarted Valhalla.

Doing the Fallen Tomb puzzles, because honestly the Fallen Hero gear is the best light weight armor in the game, especially with its pulse explosion ability when you get hit.

[Silver]

Progressed to the point in Valhalla where the DLCs should be available, but they aren't. I'm guessing they were removed to be worked upon. Which means it's back to Forbidden West until an update pops up for the former.

[Jackalope]

Went to see Roger Waters perform in Portland with my wife last week. The show was so good, we saw it again in Tacoma tonight with my siblings and one of her adult kids.

[Angrboda]

I'm too preoccupied and stressed at the moment to play anything. That should pass within the week, but I'll likely be a wreck until it does.

[Pat Mustard]

Currently the EitB modmod for Civ 4, a fork of the Fall from Heaven 2 mod; HoI4 and the original MOO.