Tag: One-handed Games Page 1 of 3

On July 10, 2024

This is the one hundred ninety-third entry in the Scratching That Itch series, wherein I randomly select and write about one of the 1741 games and game-related things included in the itch.io Bundle for Racial Justice and Equality. The Bundle raised $8,149,829.66 split evenly between the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund and Community Bail Fund, but don’t worry if you missed it. There are plenty of ways you can help support the vital cause of racial justice; try here for a start. Lastly, as always, you may click on images to view larger versions.

Our one hundred ninety-third random selection from the itch.io Bundle for Racial Justice and Equality is bouncing into view on little cubes of goop. It’s Goopty Goo, by Dylan Brown, and its tagline in the bundle reads:

Stomp goop cubes and avoid the floor.

Pesky floors. I try to avoid them whenever possible.

Scratching That Itch: The Sword And The Slime

On January 19, 2022

This is the one hundred fifth entry in the Scratching That Itch series, wherein I randomly select and write about one of the 1741 games and game-related things included in the itch.io Bundle for Racial Justice and Equality. The Bundle raised $8,149,829.66 split evenly between the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund and Community Bail Fund, but don’t worry if you missed it. There are plenty of ways you can help support the vital cause of racial justice; try here for a start. Lastly, as always, you may click on images to view larger versions.

This next random selection from the itch.io Bundle for Racial Justice and Equality has left a faint, sticky trail behind it. It’s The Sword and the Slime by Possum House Games, and its tagline in the bundle reads:

The buddy cop movie no one asked for.

Reader, I can confirm that I did not ask for it.

Scratching That Itch: Walking Tourist

On January 14, 2022

This is the one hundred fourth entry in the Scratching That Itch series, wherein I randomly select and write about one of the 1741 games and game-related things included in the itch.io Bundle for Racial Justice and Equality. The Bundle raised $8,149,829.66 split evenly between the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund and Community Bail Fund, but don’t worry if you missed it. There are plenty of ways you can help support the vital cause of racial justice; try here for a start. Lastly, as always, you may click on images to view larger versions.

Another random selection from the itch.io Bundle for Racial Justice and Equality has just walked past. It’s Walking Tourist, by August Junkala, and its tagline in the bundle reads:

A game about walking through crowds.

CHALLENGE ACCEPTED.

Scratching That Itch: Space Duet

On December 7, 2021

This is the ninety-eighth entry in the Scratching That Itch series, wherein I randomly select and write about one of the 1741 games and game-related things included in the itch.io Bundle for Racial Justice and Equality. The Bundle raised $8,149,829.66 split evenly between the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund and Community Bail Fund, but don’t worry if you missed it. There are plenty of ways you can help support the vital cause of racial justice; try here for a start. Lastly, as always, you may click on images to view larger versions.

We’re going to space for our next random selection from the itch.io Bundle for Racial Justice and Equality. It’s Space Duet, by Matthew Alan Estock, and its tagline in the bundle reads:

Duel in space with friends

But what if you don’t have any friends? No worries, there’s also an arcade mode that lets players duel against AI ships, which meant I was actually able to play this one!

Year One Of Scratching That Itch

On June 17, 2021

The Scratching That Itch series is where I randomly select and write about one of the 1741 games and game-related things included in the itch.io Bundle for Racial Justice and Equality. The Bundle raised $8,149,829.66 split evenly between the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund and Community Bail Fund, but don’t worry if you missed it. There are plenty of ways you can help support the vital cause of racial justice; try here for a start. Lastly, as always, you may click on images to view larger versions.

One year ago, I started Scratching That Itch as a way to simultaneously cover games from the massive itch.io Bundle for Racial Justice and Equality, and keep the conversation about systemic racism and racial justice going. That conversation reached the international stage after the murder of George Floyd by (now former) police officer Derek Chauvin in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The murder was captured on video for all to see, and spurred an unprecedented discussion of institutionalized racism against Black people and other people of color in America and around the world. A year later, Derek Chauvin has been convicted on all charges, and we’ve seen some progress towards police reform, as well as inevitable backlashes that only highlight how much work is still to be done.

I also randomly picked and wrote about 69 games (and other things) from the huge bundle, just under 4% of all the entries. I’ll be continuing the series for the forseeable future, but I decided to round up some of my favorite entries from year one here. Read on below.

Scratching That Itch: Orison Of Mercury

On December 12, 2020

This is the thirty-ninth entry in the Scratching That Itch series, wherein I randomly select and write about one of the 1741 games and game-related things included in the itch.io Bundle for Racial Justice and Equality. The Bundle raised $8,149,829.66 split evenly between the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund and Community Bail Fund, but don’t worry if you missed it. There are plenty of ways you can help support the vital cause of racial justice; try here for a start. Lastly, as always, you may click on images to view larger versions.

What will the random number generators select this time, from the itch.io Bundle for Racial Justice and Equality? It’s Orison of Mercury, by .. Yes, the developer is, apparently, known as “.”, although the game page says that Orison of Mercury was made jointly with Mint for the Antholojam. Its tagline in the bundle reads:

The lonely work of finding a new home.

I am intrigued. It sounds like it’s aiming for a meditative, affecting experience.

Scratching That Itch: Space Mayhem

On September 29, 2020

This is the twenty-third entry in the Scratching That Itch series, wherein I randomly select and write about one of the ~~1704~~ 1741 games and game-related things included in the itch.io Bundle for Racial Justice and Equality. The Bundle raised $8,175,279.81 split evenly between the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund and Community Bail Fund, but don’t worry if you missed it. There are plenty of ways you can help support the vital cause of racial justice; try here for a start. Lastly, as always, you may click on images to view larger versions.

Interesting. This next random selection from the itch.io Bundle for Racial Justice and Equality is — like the last one — about space. It’s Space Mayhem, by Chronic Vagrant. And, also like the last selection, it has no tagline in the bundle. I guess when you’re caught in the midst of some space mayhem, a few things slip through the cracks.

Going Inside

On May 21, 2018

As always, you may click on images to view larger versions.

Inside is Danish developer Playdead’s follow-up to Limbo, which was released way back in 2010. I wrote about Limbo in the early days of this blog. Looking at that now, I see that I honored the stylized all-caps naming for that game, but I cannot bring myself to do so here, for Inside or Limbo. Sorry.

Inside has obvious similarities to Limbo. In both games, players control a small boy in a dangerous and creepy environment, presented through highly stylized art. Inside has evolved that artistic style, translating the visuals into a 3D, flat-shaded style that is predominantly — but unlike Limbo, not entirely — monochrome. The boy is also more realistically proportioned this time around, without the exaggerated large head from Limbo. But the art is similar enough to be recognizable, and in both games the boy begins in dark woods, with no explanation. Players can move left or right, jump, and perform context-sensitive interactions with the environment, and must use these simple controls to explore and survive.

The Future Sound Of Mushroom 11

On April 29, 2018