Thread by @spacetwinks

you already know what's up

as ever, i focus primarily on older, obscure, and just plain stranger games that wouldn't get as much attention otherwise, as big names don't need the help.

onwards!

Moonglow Bay ($19.99) - it's about communities, in all its forms - family, friends, neighbors, loved ones... and fishing. pull fractured relationships back together while also angling for the biggest catches you can. store.steampowered.com/app/1361400/Mo…

Overboard! ($10.49) - an interactive fiction whodunnit where YOU are the one who dunnit - and must use every trick and lie you can think of to avoid suspicion and get away scot free by avoiding being caught when the ship makes port! store.steampowered.com/app/1546920/Ov…

10S ($2.50) - wander an alien planet. fight monsters. and deal with endless waves of bullet hell - not by guiding a ship or a witch. but by playing tennis. owch.itch.io/10s

Tooth and Tail ($5.99) - an incredibly smooth, stripped down RTS, one optimized for controllers. it's intuitive, it's fast, and it hits hard. if you played General Chaos for the Genesis, you'll love this. store.steampowered.com/app/286000/Too…

Space Funeral ($PWYW!) - the bizarre RPGmaker legend can now be downloaded from itchio! you must guide Philip and Leg Horse to the City Of Forms and discover the secret of Space Funeral while doing a lot of... other... things.

it's hard to summarize. thecatamites.itch.io/space-funeral

Space Warlord Organ Trading Simulator ($16.99) - people want meat.

you need money. you have meat.

sell them meat.

conquer the market of meat.

is kinect supported! i'm serious. you can play this with a kinect. store.steampowered.com/app/1507780/Sp…

Ace of Seafood ($2.39) - dumb as fuck and completely unstoppable. take to the ocean and command marine life in combat with one another, using all their weapons - plasma beams, missiles, lasers. you know. the usual. store.steampowered.com/app/450500/Ace…

Forklift Load ($2.69) - exactly what it looks like, but not at all. an AI forklift lives in a future where humans have disappeared. help other AIs as you puzzle over this strange, serene world. for fans of nier:automata, shenmue, and euro truck simulator. store.steampowered.com/app/1392490/Fo…

(that really) BOILS MY PISS ($PWYW!) - a microphone activated game where you literally shout everything apart. destroy the world with your own voice in the ways you can't IRL! still in development. helo100.itch.io/that-really-bo…

Diaries of a Spaceport Janitor ($2.49) - a personal fave. some people adventure in space - you burn their trash. deal with daily sci-fi mundanities and clean a spaceport to pay rent, while also being followed by a screaming skull you were cursed by. store.steampowered.com/app/436500/Dia…

Pizza Express ($0.69, nice) - Cook, Serve, Delicious fuses with restaurant sims, tosses in a full on story mode, and a bopping soundtrack! take your pizzeria to the very top in this addictive little jam! store.steampowered.com/app/375250/Piz…

Treachery in Beatdown City ($8.99) - a semi-turn based beat 'em up by people who have studied, dissected, and reassembled the genre to make a truly special combat system in this retro styled brawler. FIGHT SOMEBODY! store.steampowered.com/app/762180/Tre…

Overgrowth ($9.89) - wuxia inspired hand to hand combat by the same team behind Receiver. lightning fast one on one acrobatic duels will flow from your hands in this (incredibly bleak) tale of violent combat. store.steampowered.com/app/25000/Over…

Starship Titanic ($2.09) - Douglas Adams of Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy fame returned to video games to work on this comedy adventure with an incredibly robust text parser, tasking you with saving the titular Starship Titanic. store.steampowered.com/app/467290/Sta…

DEMON'S TILT ($5.99) - video pinball inspired by classics like Devil's Crush, doing all sorts of game mechanics that wouldn't be possible with a physical table. the lowest price i've ever seen it at, too! store.steampowered.com/app/422510/DEM…

alright, that's just a lil over a dozen recs, i know, but will cap it off there for the night. more to come tomorrow and throught all the lunar sales! enjoy video games!

guess what time it is

Short Creepy Tale: 7PM ($2.49) - as it says, this is a short horror story of a game. taking place during the malaysian ghost festival, three children end up facing more than just stories to spook each other thanks to the new kid in the apartment block. store.steampowered.com/app/1266420/Sh…

7PM is described as an episode, so you might go looking for the next one after finishing and wonder where it is. the devs, Cellar Vault Games, are currently working on The Plight, which is still in development, and is worth keeping an eye on. store.steampowered.com/app/1081820/Th…

Sable ($18.74) - run, jump, climb, fly, ride... it's all part of the rite of passage called the Gliding for the titular Sable. the journey truly is as important as the destination, here. store.steampowered.com/app/757310/Sab…

Spark the Electric Jester ($4.39) - inspired by a bevy of platformer classics, from Sonic (especially Advance) to Kirby and Mega Man to mash it up into something new. fresh and fast, great for those looking for a classic platformer fix! store.steampowered.com/app/601810/Spa…

Shadowhand ($3.74) - a solitaire RPG (!) positioning you as aristocrat turned highwaywoman lady cornelia darkmoor. cut through traitors and conspiracies... all with this fast paced variation of solitaire by racking up huge combos! store.steampowered.com/app/427490/Sha…

OR! you can get the Superb Solitaire Bundle ($9.24), which has THREE fantastic solitaire games from the same devs: Shadowhand, Regency Solitaire, and Ancient Enemy! i highly recommend all three! store.steampowered.com/bundle/6129/Su…

The Big Con ($8.99) - a love letter to 90s TV that's so dedicated it even has a toggle for audience laughter and a theme song by Rockapella! lie, cheat, and steal your way cross country for all the money you need to save your mom's video rental store! store.steampowered.com/app/1139280/Th…

Record of Lodoss War: Deedlit In Wonder Labyrinth ($15.99) - a razor sharp, rock solid metroidvania for most - and it's that AND the sudden, inexplicable return of 90s anime fandom wunderkind Deedlit for those who grew up with Suncoast Video tapes! store.steampowered.com/app/1203630/Re…

Hylics ($2.00) - from the steam page: "Hylics is a recreational program with light JRPG elements."

fuck dude it sure is store.steampowered.com/app/397740/Hyl…

Hylics 2 ($11.99) - oh yeah, my dude. yeah. i know exactly what you mean.

yeah store.steampowered.com/app/1286710/Hy…

The Flower Collectors ($9.99) - it's the late 70s in barcelona - and you're a disabled ex-cop who has witnessed a murder. team up with a young journalist to unravel the mysteries outside your apartment. Rear Window turned into game mechanics! store.steampowered.com/app/1034750/Th…

Dys: Eternal Space Jail RPG ($PWYW!) - a roguelike dungeon crawler that brings fresh energy and style to the genre. fight your way through space jail as classes ranging from Riot Queen to Wedding Ninja to Brain Wizard! reincarnate, mutate, ESCAPE DYS! lovegames.itch.io/dys

Post Void ($2.39) - SINCERE WARNING: i cannot recommend playing or even watching this game if you have any light sensitivity at all. hyperfast sweaty FPS with a ticking clock and Liquid TV style, keeping you constantly on your toes. store.steampowered.com/app/1285670/Po…

X-Com: UFO Defense ($1.24) - the original x-com is v. different from the reboot - instead of feeling like well tuned tabletop combat, original x-com is like someone wanted to make The Thing into squad tactics, making you feel isolated and weak. i love it. store.steampowered.com/app/7760/XCOM_…

warning though, original x-com is capital H Hard. i don't mean that as a 'git gud' thing, i mean you're going to run into 'jesus fucking christ they killed 90 percent of my squad!'

that happens to everyone. it's supposed to happen. stress is a crucial gameplay factor.

Artifact Adventure ($1.39) - if you've been itching for old school JRPG, and I mean Dragon Quest 1, FF1 old school, this is what you need. narratively weirder, and much bigger - no, bigger than that - than you'd expect, too. store.steampowered.com/app/359440/Art…

alright, gonna pause there! more game recs to come later tonight and throughout the lunar sales in general!

hope you found something new and unexpected to love, and enjoy video games!

hey who wants more game recs [dumps them on you before you can answer either way]

Creature In The Well ($7.49) - dive into the inner works of the last city, plumb its mysteries, and bring its engines back to life - all by playing hack and slash pinball! store.steampowered.com/app/852300/Cre…

Jazzpunk ($3.74) - a bizarre comedy adventure game set in a VERY alternate universe, where you solve (?) mysteries (???) maybe? (????)

could be described a bit as like "Lego Island, but being weird on purpose" store.steampowered.com/app/250260/Jaz…

Umurangi Generation ($10.49) - my GOTY back in 2020. snap photos to complete bounties in the "shitty future" of tauranga aotearoa, vibing while the pressure of a crisis bears down on you. the best environmental storytelling i've seen in a game. store.steampowered.com/app/1223500/Um…

i also HIGHLY recommend the Macro DLC, which you can get on its own for $6.99, or as a bundle with Umurangi Generation for $15.73. takes an already complete game and makes it even more complete-r. those who have beaten it know what i mean. store.steampowered.com/bundle/20901/U…

Commune Corvidae ($4.00) - you're the descendant of a long deposed leader, and you're coming back to your family's old home. fly, talk, and connect with others in this community turning away from the damage of your family's past to a brighter future. magresta.itch.io/commune-corvid…

Mouth Sweet ($PWYW!) - in this short, tense horror title, you're being hunted by invisible monsters that can tear you apart... in an office where you're just the latest temp worker. the boss knows the halls are filled with beasts. the boss doesn't care. lovegames.itch.io/mouth-sweet

Dodgeball Academia ($18.74) - love the GBA Mario sports games? or Super Dodgeball for the NES and beyond? or cartoons like World Of Gumball and O.K. KO? or ideally all of the above? then this, my friend, is the game for you. store.steampowered.com/app/1422420/Do…

Rock of Ages 2: Bigger & Boulder ($3.74) - marble madness meets tower defense meets... art history? look, it's hard to describe in a tweet. the video will do a better job of letting you know if this is your jam. great fun with friends especially. store.steampowered.com/app/434460/Roc…

Hypnospace Outlaw ($11.99) - in an alternate 1999, there's an internet that can be accessed only while you sleep - and you're a moderator for it. a screamingly funny and beautifully bittersweet internet mystery that's far more than a nostalgia trip. store.steampowered.com/app/844590/Hyp…

Bug Fables: The Everlasting Sapling ($12.99) - do you live every day thinking about Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door and desperately craving more of that, cursing nintendo's name while also pleading for their mercy?

if so, buy this right now. store.steampowered.com/app/1082710/Bu…

Later Alligator ($11.69) - visual novel mixed with plenty of minigames in this highly animated comedy adventure, where you are tasked with protecting the (probably) innocent Pat in alligator new york city! great for parents to play with their kids! store.steampowered.com/app/966320/Lat…

Trackless ($6.99) - Myst-style puzzle solving tossed in with text parser commands, all wrapped in a warm and highly stylish package. you're on a pilgrimage to see The Object - whatever The Object is. you don't know. nobody does. but it's important. store.steampowered.com/app/586660/Tra…

Strong Bad's Cool Game For Attractive People ($4.49) - dear strong bad,

how do you make a point and click comedy adventure game with boxing gloves on? especially one that holds up surprisingly well to this day?

sincerely,
colin, ME store.steampowered.com/app/8340/Stron…

The Friends Of Ringo Ishikawa ($5.84) - the combat of River City Ransom, the time pressure and exploration of shenmue, and a group of japanese delinquent teens having a slow, quiet existential crisis in their final year of high school. a personal fave. store.steampowered.com/app/846110/The…

gonna take a small pause here! more recs to come later today!

hey guess what

it's time for more video game sales recs

Frog Detective 1 & 2 ($6.28) - two short (hour long) comedy mysteries for one low price. the mystery of the Haunted Island and the Invisible Wizard await you in this charming series - great for a weekend destress, and for parents to play with their kids! store.steampowered.com/bundle/12873/F…

also to further sell the Frog Detective series and just bc i love it, i wanna include my favorite screenshot from them. it's so good. i love it

EXAPUNKS ($9.99) - the year is 1997, and a former hacker is about to ditch the 'former' part of that title in order to stay alive. do actual programming to hack your way into anything and everything in this puzzle game loaded with great world building. store.steampowered.com/app/716490/EXA…

MEMENTO ($1.19) - clear skies and gorgeous oceans offer you no safety in this horror story. a class trip to a museum brings the students face to face with the restless spirits and echoes of war - and they refuse to be forgotten. store.steampowered.com/app/437030/MEM…

Cthulhu Mythos RPG - The Sleeping Girl of the Miasma Sea ($4.19) - a love letter to Capcom's Sweet Home, this retro-but-modernized survival horror RPG will have you digging through a haunted mansion while trying desperately to keep your everyone alive. store.steampowered.com/app/938240/Cth…

The Beast Within: A Gabriel Knight Mystery ($3.89) - a supernatural murder mystery in munich, germany! werewolves! incredibly thick homoerotic subtext! incredibly homoerotic werewolves! this FMV adventure has everything you (i) could want! store.steampowered.com/app/496760/The…

Heaven's Vault ($12.49) - a sci-fi tale of an archaeologist who has found a lost history in a nebula, and must decipher the language behind it. for Outer Wilds fans aching for another fix even after that DLC, this is what you need! store.steampowered.com/app/774201/Hea…

King of Dragon Pass ($3.59) - a legendary game! part RPG, part strategy, part VN, take control of a clan in the world of Glorantha and make them survive and thrive, by deciding everything from farming to how to re-enact myths for blessings from above! store.steampowered.com/app/352220/Kin…

Jenny LeClue - Detectivu ($4.99) - jenny is a whiz kid detective, able to solve any crime. she's also the creation of arthur finklestein, an author whose editor is pushing for his work to get darker, more mature. navigate two lives while solving a murder! store.steampowered.com/app/319870/Jen…

Yoku's Island Express ($3.99) - a pinball metroidvania, where you guide yoku, the cutest dung beetle alive, and also the newest postmaster of mokumana island! deliver mail, launch rockets, and more, all via (utterly charming) pinball! store.steampowered.com/app/334940/Yok…

The Shivah ($1.49) - a short mystery about down on his luck Rabbi Stone, who has suddenly come into a deeply suspicious windfall. he must dig into the source of it - and confront his own past. a personal longtime favorite. store.steampowered.com/app/252370/The…

one little bit i especially love about The Shivah - frequently in dialogue trees you can choose a "rabbinical" option, where you answer a question with another question.

Heart&Slash ($3.89) - a roguelike 3D brawler with a highly Mega Man Legends inspired aesthetic, you'll play as Heart - an innocent awakened robot, fighting his way to escape the crushing gaze of the machine known as QuAsSy. TONS to unlock! store.steampowered.com/app/326840/Hea…

"what is E.Y.E: Divine Cybermancy ($2.99)"

a highly ambitious FPS with rpg traits that lets you hack just about anything. tons of systems to use

"does it play well and is easy to understand"

no

"so why rec it"

you gain brouzouf store.steampowered.com/app/91700/EYE_…

Invisible, Inc ($4.99) - an incredibly tightly balanced tactics game set in a cyberpunk world of corporate espionage. frequently challenging, but almost never feels unfair, the satisfaction of a mission well done in Invisible Inc is unreal. store.steampowered.com/app/243970/Inv…

Dandara ($3.74) - a gorgeous brazilian metroidvania, with a unique approach - there's no running. not even any walking. you can only flip from surface to surface to move, and to dodge.

travel the salt and bring back balance between creation and intent. store.steampowered.com/app/612390/Dan…

Signs of the Sojourner ($13.99) - taking over your late mom's caravan route to stock the store she left behind, you build decks to navigate conversations with friends, sellers, strangers - everyone. not all conversations can be "won" - nor should they be. store.steampowered.com/app/1058690/Si…

Where the Water Tastes Like Wine ($3.99) - you gambled against a wolf - and lost. to pay your debt, your skeleton will travel across depression-era america, spreading stories like seeds, watching them grow, tending them, and seeing them change, too. store.steampowered.com/app/447120/Whe…

additional pitch for Where the Water Tastes Like Wine - the wolf you gambled against? is voiced by none other than singer, actor, and crush of moms all across america, Sting.

Neo Cab ($4.49) - Lina is the last human taxi driver in Los Ojos. she's searching for a missing friend. but to do so, she also has to keep up her five star rating so she can keep her job as she shuttles people around and try to ferret out clues from them. store.steampowered.com/app/794540/Neo…

Heaven Will Be Mine ($7.49) - a mecha VN, featuring 3 different girls to choose from. make the choices between having them fight and/or make out with each other, all along coming to redefine themselves - and perhaps redefine the nature of war itself, too. store.steampowered.com/app/836450/Hea…

The Horror Of Salazar House ($2.99) - retro horror in the vein of Uninvited. young journalist Elisa has come to the mansion of Jaime Salazar, who disappeared in 1986.

things, obviously, do not go well from there.

(has a free demo!) store.steampowered.com/app/1405440/Th…

Butterfly Soup ($PWYW!) - queer asian girls, baseball, and the trials and tribulations of queer asian girls playing baseball and falling in love. with each other. just 3-4 hours long, and worth every single one of them. brianna-lei.itch.io/butterfly-soup

gonna pause here for now! more recs to come until the end of the lunar new year sales! as ever, i hope you found something new and unexpected to love!

and if you wanna throw me some bones for the recs, i do have a ko-fi! regardless, enjoy video games! ko-fi.com/spacetwinks

hey who wants a couple last minute sale recs okay good

Doraemon: Story of Seasons ($14.99) - it's doraemon! it's harvest moon! it's harvest moon featuring doraemon! you can probably tell pretty instantly if you want this! store.steampowered.com/app/965230/DOR…

Strange Telephone ($2.99) - a girl has awakened in an almost total void; there's a mysterious floating door there, which she can't open. and there's also the living phone Graham, which she can use to 'dial' into other universes. yume nikki fans, check this store.steampowered.com/app/705290/Str…

The Corruption Within ($5.99) - a first person psychological thriller, hearkening back to inspiration from games like Uninvited and Shadowgate. dig into the conspiracies and secrets of victorian aristocracy - and try to stay alive yourself. store.steampowered.com/app/1395400/Th…

and, although i know that was just a few, think i'll call it for the thread there! gotta take care of some other things today, just glad to have added a couple more yet. hope you found something new and unexpected to love, enjoy video games!