January 2024 Favorites

The first month of the year is over already. And I'm sick. Again. After about 4 years of avoiding it, I finally succumbed to Covid. Ugh. (Good thing I usually write favorites in advance.) Other than that, video games dominated my January.

Palia: Palia is a free game that's a mix of MMO and farm sim. The thing that keeps me from MMOs is usually the pressure of the subscription price. But Palia has more going for it than the fact that it's free. I really like the characters and the world, and I enjoy the mechanics for the most part. Problem is there's horrible lag on Switch, so play it on PC if you can!

Blanc: I played this short but sweet game with my bestie and loved it. It follows a fawn and a wolf cub trying to find their families. You work together to solve puzzles. (Though you can also control both in single player, if you prefer.) And though it was a little glitchy at times, I appreciated this artistic game. 🥲

Paranormasight: This is a spooky mystery visual novel that I absolutely loved! I don't want to give away too much about the plot, but the style of this game is top tier for visual novels! (Even my more cynical bestie said it should be the "gold standard".) And the character designs are fantastic... save for some odd lip movements with a few. 😆 Also, I love Mio Kurosuzu. Quick warning: the game is not visually gory, but there are some pretty disturbing descriptions in a few situations!

Quantum Break: This game is about time travel and choices. Two of my favorite things in games! I loved the story and the unique ways it was presented, in both game and TV show form. Beth's part of the story was fascinating to me, as someone who has written some vaguely similar stuff regarding time travel. And I have a soft spot for Charlie, too. 😆

Mario RPG: I'm back to playing this and trying not to be sad that I'll eventually finish it. 😅 I struggle with favorite things ending, okay?

Honorable Mentions: Return of the Obra Dinn & Homebody.

Music Favs: My Photo in the Newspaper (Kate Miller-Heidke), 400 Lux (Lorde), The Girl (Woodes), Pale Lung & My Hand (Robyn Sherwell), Castles Crumbling (Taylor's Version), Artangels (Grimes), Heart to Hand (Lemolo).