#endless scroll

Day 2 - August 27th, Saturday

GAME - Endless Scroll

AUTHOR - Cecile Richard (https://haraiva.itch.io/)

GENRE - Interactive Fiction

On starting this game, I didn't know what I was in for. It is an interactive fiction with pixel art illustration and soothing colors. However, the plot and the music makes up for most of the experience.

There were events in the game that I related to, (which made me tear up a bit) and the conversations in the game felt real. My high school phase had not been the best since I was always excluded or left alone. The character in the game also had similar experiences and recounts few random instances in regards to it. They seem to be living in the past always wondering what if?

The real theme of the game is forgiving and forgetting.

Is it easier to forget our past or reconcile with it and move on? The game gives a lot to think and put into perspective.

rating : 9/10

Rapid-fire Recs; or, everything I never got around to

I don’t know if you’ve looked at my activity recently, but it turns out writing video game recommendations is takes time!! What a surprise! But that means when I write one of these, a lot of good games fall to the wayside. Oh no!! So, to mitigate that a bit, here are five (5) good good games that I will try to summarize down in three (3) sentences.

Cactus Blue Motel

1. Interactive fiction about three friends who stumble upon a mysterious, slightly magical motel out on a last-summer drive. 2. Deals with themes of stagnation versus growth in a magical realist setting. 3. Works well as a more-advanced introduction to hyperlink interactive fiction.

Specifications

Browser

Free

~45-60 minutes

Vignettes

1. Fidget-toy like game about changing objects into different objects through perspective control. 2. Limited-palette, open-ended interactivity, and simple treasure hunt for secrets lends a sense of child-like playfulness. 3. If that piques your interest, watch the trailer - like Fez, it’s a game that can be most easily expressed through video.

Specifications

Windows, Mac, Iphone, Android

$2.99 - $7.99 USD

~2-3 hours

Other Things

Guide to finding the Secrets (disclaimer: shameless self-promotion)

A Normal Lost Phone

1. You come across an abandoned phone, and going by the most recent texts, the owner seems to have mysteriously disappeared... 2. Using the various information and apps on the phone, unwravel the story behind it. 3. (Warning: some mild spoilers) Contains themes of self-exploration and queerness.

Specifications

Mac, Windows, Linux, IPhone, Android

$1.99-$2.99 USD

~1-1.5 hours

Other Things

Another Lost Phone: Laura’s Story (Spiritual sequel)

Endless Scroll

1. Bitsy game about a conversation over social media. 2. Dialogue and narrative choices work to immerse the player into the atmosphere of the tiny world. 3. Deals with themes of memory, regret, and self-improvement.

Specifications

Browser

Free

~15-30 minutes

A Museum of Dubious Splendors

(Originally this issue ran without an image and a short jokey statement about Mac locking out 32-bit apps.)

1. A mysterious museum, and the mythologically mundane objects it showcases. 2. Pure discovery and curiosity in exploring the game and a delightfully surreal world. 3. A uniquely beautiful aesthetic central to the studio’s visual style.

Specifications

Mac, Windows, Linux

Free

Did you just remove the ability to disable endless scroll on the dashboard?

Could you... not?

I like to browse on my tablet and it can’t handle more than a few pages of content at a time. Hell, even at my PC I don’t like having my scrollback reset every time I restart my browser.