Whatcha Been Playing?

[Alex79]

I tried Papers, Please last night on Vita. My god, the controls are awful. Seems interesting though.

Do you think? I played a lot on iPad before playing the Vita version and thought the controls translated to the smaller screen fairly well. It can get a little cramped, but I found myself using a note book so I didn't need to keep opening certain documents.

[Simonsloth]

I tried Papers, Please last night on Vita. My god, the controls are awful. Seems interesting though.

Do you think? I played a lot on iPad before playing the Vita version and thought the controls translated to the smaller screen fairly well. It can get a little cramped, but I found myself using a note book so I didn't need to keep opening certain documents.

That my friend is a splendid idea! I never thought of having a notebook.

[duskvstweak]

I tried Papers, Please last night on Vita. My god, the controls are awful. Seems interesting though.

Do you think? I played a lot on iPad before playing the Vita version and thought the controls translated to the smaller screen fairly well. It can get a little cramped, but I found myself using a note book so I didn't need to keep opening certain documents.

That my friend is a splendid idea! I never thought of having a notebook.

Same! I always fail due to my bad memory! Why wouldn't I keep a notebook!

[Jobobonobo]

Just started Gravity Rush Remastered. Being meaning to play this and its sequel for quite some time. Gravity controls take some getting used to but the game goes at a gentle enough pace that you are in no rush to get good with it straight away. When you pull off some of the tricks for getting around, it is quite satisfying. Also it is fairly forgiving so far. Music is just delightful, really lively, fun score. Charming little title so far.

[Alex79]

I tried Papers, Please last night on Vita. My god, the controls are awful. Seems interesting though.

Do you think? I played a lot on iPad before playing the Vita version and thought the controls translated to the smaller screen fairly well. It can get a little cramped, but I found myself using a note book so I didn't need to keep opening certain documents.

That my friend is a splendid idea! I never thought of having a notebook.

Same! I always fail due to my bad memory! Why wouldn't I keep a notebook!

If you want to go full immersion, Photoshop yourself up a few of the in-game documents and print them out! (I've not done this, only just thought of it haha).

EDIT: And play the game in a draughty shed.

[Simonsloth]

I honestly am tempted by this idea.

[Alex79]

Ellis (3) saw me playing Donkey Kong Country earlier and said he wanted to play the 'monkey game'. They play a lot on the Wii nowadays, because the games are generally quite easy for little kids to control. So, I fired up Donkey Kong Country Returns for him on there. Well, I'm so glad I did!! I immediately dismissed that game on release because I hated the controls with the Wiimote and nunchuck. Only today, probably a decade later, have I realised you can play the game on just the Wiimote - and its brilliant! What an absolute fool I am! Right, that's another DK game to add to the list for this year after I've done DK '94 and the DKC trilogy.

[KSubzero1000]

I've stopped eating.
I've stopped sleeping.
I've stopped posting.
I've stopped... whatever little socializing I was doing.

It seems like all I do these days is play Valkyria Chronicles 4.

How can a game be this cool?

MOAR

[Magical_Isopod]

I've stopped eating.
I've stopped sleeping.
I've stopped posting.
I've stopped... whatever little socializing I was doing.

It seems like all I do these days is play Valkyria Chronicles 4.

How can a game be this cool?

MOAR

That feel when you perfectly position two Grenadiers such that any enemy foot traffic gets utterly obliterated by explosive hail. That feel when you hide a Shocky behind a corner on a main thoroughfare so the enemy scouts gets chewed to bits before they know what hit them. That feel when you beast a Scout through enemy lines, nail a perfect volley of crits, and capture the point with just enough CP to get behind sandbags.

[Magical_Isopod]

Ellis (3) saw me playing Donkey Kong Country earlier and said he wanted to play the 'monkey game'. They play a lot on the Wii nowadays, because the games are generally quite easy for little kids to control. So, I fired up Donkey Kong Country Returns for him on there. Well, I'm so glad I did!! I immediately dismissed that game on release because I hated the controls with the Wiimote and nunchuck. Only today, probably a decade later, have I realised you can play the game on just the Wiimote - and its brilliant! What an absolute fool I am! Right, that's another DK game to add to the list for this year after I've done DK '94 and the DKC trilogy.

Only tangentially related, but I distinctly remember when Epic Mickey came out and the parents would come in asking for "Epic Monkey." That was up there with "Grand Theft Auto Eye-Vee" and "Call of Duty: Black Cops".

And one very confused customer who didn't understand why we couldn't find "Dance Inferno" in the system. (He wanted Dante's Inferno, but was pronouncing Dante as "Dant" ).

[Goodman Darkness]

Hello all, new poster (forumite?) here. Been a longtime listener of the podcast though.

We're still snowed in here, so I've got a lot of free time to play games. I'm in a bit of a magpie mood so I've been rotating between five different games: Red Dead II, Recettear, Diablo III, Burnout Paradise Remastered, and Opus Magnum. Every machine I make in OM would get me expelled from the Alchemist Academy for its inefficiency and high cost, but I'm proud of each one I complete, and keep the GIFs the game lets you record all stored in a folder on my desktop so that I can send them to my uninterested-but-polite friends.

[dezm0nd]

Played a lot of Prey 2017's story mode yesterday. Kinda got sucked into it again by accident.

Gonna go on a tangent tonight and do some tapas to see what sticks. The resi 2 hype is gnawing at me

[KSubzero1000]

Every machine I make in OM would get me expelled from the Alchemist Academy for its inefficiency and high cost, but I'm proud of each one I complete, and keep the GIFs the game lets you record all stored in a folder on my desktop so that I can send them to my uninterested-but-polite friends.

Oh, nice!

I'm a big fan of Infinifactory and therefore curious about all the other Zachtronics games, although I haven't played Opus Magnum yet. That ridiculously satisfying feeling of painstakingly putting together an inefficient and unoptimized, yet completely functional machine is difficult to describe, isn't it?

Let's see some gifs!

[Goodman Darkness]

Every machine I make in OM would get me expelled from the Alchemist Academy for its inefficiency and high cost, but I'm proud of each one I complete, and keep the GIFs the game lets you record all stored in a folder on my desktop so that I can send them to my uninterested-but-polite friends.

Oh, nice!

I'm a big fan of Infinifactory and therefore curious about all the other Zachtronics games, although I haven't played Opus Magnum yet. That ridiculously satisfying feeling of painstakingly putting together an inefficient and unoptimized, yet completely functional machine is difficult to describe, isn't it?

Let's see some gifs!

Yes! This is my first Zachtronics game and it's completely intoxicating. That feeling is so good, and so different from the feeling of completing a standard challenge in a normal puzzle game - which is probably why people're starting to call these games 'Zachlikes,' because they're sui generis. Infinifactory and SpaceChem are next on my list, and the aesthetic of Exapunk is right up my alley, too - and eventually I'd like to dive into the harder-looking ones like TIS-100.

Here are three of my machines: the first two I'm proud of, because for me the ultimate high in OM is creating a symmetrical machine (even at the cost of my gold, area, and cycle efficiency); the third is an alchemical train wreck.

[KSubzero1000]

This is my first Zachtronics game and it's completely intoxicating. That feeling is so good, and so different from the feeling of completing a standard challenge in a normal puzzle game - which is probably why people're starting to call these games 'Zachlikes,' because they're sui generis.

It's probably because, due to the systemic nature of the mechanical structure, solving a particularly difficult challenge isn't just the equivalent of finding the pre-determined "correct" solution like in a conventional puzzle game, but very much like your own solution that you had to build from the ground up and fine-tune for ages until you got it just right. The entire process is significantly more personal and involved than it may appear from the outside.

Cool gifs, man. I obviously can't comment on the details due to not having played OM, but it's always nice to see what people come up with. And the last one does indeed look like a total mess!

I can totally recommend Infinifactory if you can deal with the 3D elements. I even made this thread last year in an attempt to proselytize the Zachtronics goodness to my fellow forumites, if you're interested. Current success rate: 0%.

[Goodman Darkness]

It's probably because, due to the systemic nature of the mechanical structure, solving a particularly difficult challenge isn't just the equivalent of finding the pre-determined "correct" solution like in a conventional puzzle game, but very much like your own solution that you had to build from the ground up and fine-tune for ages until you got it just right. The entire process is significantly more personal and involved than it may appear from the outside.

I think you're onto it there. And there's also this element of tangible expression to it, where the end result maps out my entire thought process towards a solution in physical space. Consequently, when I start a puzzle in OM I have to try and finish it in one sitting, because if I return to it later in a different headspace I have trouble picking up the threads of my past thinking again.

As much as I wish I was one of those cool people who have known about Zachtronics for years, I'm glad to have discovered them now when they have an extensive back catalog of (apparently) awesome games. Your thread has convinced me to make Infinifactory next on the list for sure. The idea of doing these kind of puzzles in 3D is very interesting, so you can bump up that success rate report a little bit, haha!

[KSubzero1000]

Consequently, when I start a puzzle in OM I have to try and finish it in one sitting, because if I return to it later in a different headspace I have trouble picking up the threads of my past thinking again.

I have the exact same problem! Which becomes a massive issue with some of the endgame levels that require 4+ hours to solve. It happened more than once that I would just leave a puzzle unfinished as I turned off the console, only to delete everything and start over from scratch once I got back to it the next day due to sheer confusion.

Your thread has convinced me to make Infinifactory next on the list for sure. The idea of doing these kind of puzzles in 3D is very interesting, so you can bump up that success rate report a little bit, haha!

Very nice to hear that, man. Looking forward to future updates.

[Simonsloth]

I feel bad now Ksub. I actually bought the game on your recommendation but never played it. It’s low down on the backlog but it’s there and I will play it at some point for sure.

Welcome to the forum Goodman! I have no idea what is going on in the GIFs but very impressive nonetheless

[Goodman Darkness]

Welcome to the forum Goodman! I have no idea what is going on in the GIFs but very impressive nonetheless

Thanks excited to be here! And don't be too impressed, they may look nice but I promise you they're thoroughly mediocre

[KSubzero1000]

I feel bad now Ksub. I actually bought the game on your recommendation but never played it. It’s low down on the backlog but it’s there and I will play it at some point for sure.

Ah it's okay my friend, I was just joking. I know how much time you spend conscientiously playing along with the show and as such, some random low-budget puzzle game that some lone forum weirdo is gushing about probably isn't going to be on top of the priority list!

Mechanics only, zero production values, no story, no music, takes hours to get used to... It's a hard sell all right!


PS: And oh yeah, welcome to the forum Goodman!