it's (finally!) the cohost version of the game sale rec threads! it'll work a bit differently than the twitter versions, as just adding posts for each game on here to be reblogged would clog up your dashes and be annoying as hell. instead, a large chunk of game recs will be placed into this post all at once underneath the Read More. additional recs beyond the first chunk (around 50 or so!) might be placed into a separate post for easier reading.
and as always, i focus primarily on older, obscure, and just plain weirder games, as big titles don't need the help.
so, onwards! (also, WARNING: EXTREMELY LONG POST AHEAD, THIS IS DOZENS OF GAMES WITH TRAILERS EMBED AND EVERYTHING)
El Paso, Elsewhere ($15.99) - Max Payne combat, a hip-hop soundtrack, and endless supernatural beasts to blast. Stylishly tear your way through a reality warping hotel to battle the villain you loved, the lord of vampires.
The Banished Vault ($22.49) - A strategy game featuring a heart that pulses with a desire to put you under endless pressure. Keep your exiles alive in a long, arduous journey through space within the Auriga Vault - an intersteller goth monastery.
YEAH! YOU WANT "THOSE GAMES," RIGHT? SO HERE YOU GO! NOW, LET'S SEE YOU CLEAR THEM! ($7.99) - all those fakeass video games you've seen on phone ads... only now, they're real video games. all those pin pulls to kill goblins to save the princess? all those moving around cars in a parking lot? they're all here.
yeah.
Gravity Circuit ($12.74) - Take a lotta inspiration from Mega Man X and Zero, now throw in a bucket full of new combat and mobility options that'll let you drill through levels with incredible speed and style. get punching, throwing, grapple hooking and dive kicking.
Touhou Artificial Dream in Arcadia ($7.99) - Touhou fans, classic Shin Megami Tensei fans, dungeon crawler fans in general, you want this. use a smartphone and danmaku skills to battle 'Sleepers', roaming bands of clones of the denizens of Gensokyo.
Sunshine Shuffle ($6.69) - a narrative poker game with an original ska soundtrack, Sunshine Shuffle has you playing cards to hear out the tale of an adorable crew who performed the greatest heist on the eastern seaboard 12 years ago, in trade for them not being executed by the mafia.
Dangeresque: The Roomisode Triungulate ($4.95) - the original Homestar Runner flash adventure games are now collected and remastered! Solve three mini 'roomisodes' as Dangeresque, the greatest private eye/crooked cop/celebrity pharmacist.
Fading Afternoon ($15.99) - Blood spattered yakuza violence held within a world that can be so isolating. Don't look for nonstop action; empty stretches of quiet solitude weigh as much as bullets in Fading Afternoon.
You are, after all, getting old.
The Ninja Saviors ($15.99) - this upgrade of the SNES action classic finally came to PC this year! new moves, two new characters, an arranged soundtrack, and all the rock solid beat 'em up action of the original.
Mothmen 1966 ($3.59) - the limited color palette of an old CGA game turns to sickly greens and fluorescent blues are here to present you a short adventure about the Leonid meteor shower in 1966... and the conspiracies and haunting beasts surrounding it.
XENOTILT: HOSTILE PINBALL ACTION ($12.74) - the (in early access) sequel to DEMON'S TILT, the over the top, hectic video pinball just keeps evolving here. high octane pinball action with killer music, this one can't be missed for any pinball fans like me.
Corn Kidz 64 ($5.94) - y'all who craved the return of N64 style platformers are pretty much having a renaissance and you STILL want more? well, snag Corn Kidz 64 for cheap, which locks the aesthetic down tight while being a charming breeze to play.
Forest Golf Planner ($7.19) - YEAH THAT'S RIGHT MOTHERFUCKER, KAIROSOFT GAMES ARE ON PC NOW
WHAT'S MORE NOW THEY GOT ONE WHERE YOU CAN MAKE YOUR OWN GOLF COURSE, FOR THOSE WHO ACHE FOR SIM GOLF'S RETURN
(KAIROSOFT MAKE A SIMANT KNOCKOFF SOON PLEASE)
Chants of Sennaar ($15.99) - in this world inspired by the myth of the Tower of Babel, you cannot simply speak to others - you must decipher language first to be understood at all. solve puzzles and connect deeply with strangers to bring down walls.
Automaton Lung ($7.49) - one of the LAST games released on the 3DS, developed by a single person, now on PC. this atmospheric, experimental action platformer puts you on a strange world - and tells you very little about it. you must dive deep to learn.
Loplight ($3.24) - alchemy and hermetic lore get crammed into with Zelda inspiration but twin stick shooter controls. a rabbit with patchy memories, a blade, and bullets must walk the world's ruins to find a truth that has eluded them.
Hitman GO ($3.19) - like anybody else, you've thought "man, Hitman would be perfect as a puzzle style board game", right?
no?
well, turns out, it's amazing that way. and the Electric Football style aesthetics just make it even more charming.
Garage: Bad Dream Adventure ($15.92) - "hey, colin, what IS Garage: Bad Dream Adventure?"
...that's a good question.
in this strange decaying world, you are a machine among machines. explore. fish. drink breast milk. find your shadow. escape.
Venineth ($5.99) - folks, we all love Super Monkey Ball, don't we? we love those balls, and pushing them around places, it's great.
now: how would you like Super Monkey Ball if it was also an atmospheric, mysterious, exploratory puzzle adventure game?
Save Room ($2.09) - "holy shit i just love organizing things in Resident Evil. everything feels so right when i can make an inventory click into place. sometimes i wish the whole game was that."
my friend, your wish has been granted.
Karate Master 2 Knock Down Blow ($4.49) - a deep love of karate radiates through this title. feels like a game you'd download from xbox live in 2007 on a half-drunk whim and then talk about to your friends non-stop. wildly ambitious.
Cruelty Squad ($9.99) - the vulnerability in the original Rainbow Six games + the nightmares you have while running a fever.
kill. mutate. invest in the stock market. choke on stale air. feel the world crush your skull with invisible hands.
sweat.
Ace of Seafood ($3.35) - dumb as fuck. completely unstoppable. you are the beautiful, invincible idiot god of these oceans.
now prove it, the way all marine life proves their strength: with photon torpedoes and and an Itano Circus of laser missiles.
Salamander County Public Television ($3.99) - SCP TV feels like someone from Flash's golden age was released from frozen carbonite, shown every new WarioWare since, then told to make a new game right now. a short, goofy, stupid (positive), mystery-comedy.
Forklift Load ($2.69) - for the overlapping circles of "shenmue fan", "nier: automata fan" and "euro truck simulator fan".
you are an AI forklift in a world where all humans have disappeared. help others as you puzzle over this strange, serene landscape.
(NOTE: PLAY FORKLIFT LOAD WITH A CONTROLLER. that shit gets TITCHY with a mouse.)
Card Shark ($11.99) - it's 18th century France, and you're working your way up to the elites of society by playing cards.
do you do this by being GOOD at cards? heavens, no. nothing so uncouth.
you do it by being good at cheating.
NORCO ($7.49) - a southern gothic sci-fi tale that takes you down to louisiana. first, to tie up the loose ends after your mother passes. second, to find your missing brother.
all while dragging a fugitive machine in tow. a personal fave, my 2022 GOTY.
DIVINATION ($0.99) - "The runes have been set. Show them the answer."
this future thick with anxiety and fear. which makes it the perfect time for a fortune teller.
listen to people. read their future. maybe even change it.
Steel Assault ($8.99) - take Bionic Commando, Ninja Gaiden, and Contra: Hard Corps, shake it all together with tight controls that get you pumped up like crazy once you got it on lock - you got Steel Assault.
Brendan Keogh's Putting Challenge ($4.79) - "y'know, i think i'd actually LIKE Lee Carvallo's Putting Challenge. in fact, it should be even more tedious. you should have to retrieve the balls yourself."
well guess what i have for you, friend.
Inertial Drift ($5.99) - with unique twin-stick drifting controls, this arcade style racer (with obvious Initial D influence) is sure to be a hit with anyone aching for something in the vein of Ridge Racer, or just want a pick up and play blast.
Fishing Paradiso ($11.24) - the bad news? you're capital D Dead, buddy.
the good news? the afterlife is the perfect place to go fishing.
a story driven fishing game that is both soothing and engaging; slough off stress by fishing after death.
Umurangi Generation ($11.24) - snap photos with style to pay the bills in the 'shitty future' of tauranga aotearoa, taking you from UN outposts to arcades to ????. bar none my favorite environmental storytelling i've ever seen in games. a personal GOAT.
i also HIGHLY recommend you get the Macro DLC for Umurangi Generation ($7.49 on its own, $16.86 in a bundle with the base game). adds more levels, camera and mobility tools, and makes a complete game feel complete-r. you'll know what i mean.
Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure ($12.99) - like most people, you think tactical JRPGs need full blown musical numbers, right?
"what?"
and even better if it was by the company that'd later make disgaea, yeah?
"huh?"
lucky you, there's Rhapsody!
but that's not all, friend! this year, we finally got an english translated (and voice acted!) release of the sequel Rhapsody II: Ballad of the Little Princess ($22.49), for even MORE 'JRPG With Musical Numbers' goodness...
...and we ALSO finally got the english translated (and also voice acted!) release of the final entry in the musical JRPG trilogy, Rhapsody III: Memories of Marl Kingdom! ($22.49) musical JRPGs for days for you!
FixFox ($5.99) - a cute as a button game about exploration and repair in a future where everyone has become furries (via genetic splicing, to deal with climate change). has zero combat, big worlds to explore, this game is great for parents to play with kids.
Space Warlord Organ Trading Simulator ($9.99) - you need money. the universe needs meat.
you have meat.
sci-fi bodyhorror by way of tycoon sim. never has watching lines change felt so sickly full of acidic adrenaline. (it's also playable with an xbox kinect. really. if you've still got one, you can play with it.)
Super Lesbian Animal RPG ($10.49) - Melody is in love with Allison. Allison wants to be an adventurer.
"so why not become a healer and come along with her?" thinks Melody. makes sense.
but if only relationships, and saving the world, were that simple.
Kingsway ($3.19) - this fantasy roguelike isn't just aesthetically inspired by old Windows aesthetics - they're part of the game! take your window management skills to the top to survive monstrous dungeons! master your OS, or perish!
APE OUT ($3.19) - stylish looks, sweet jazz tunes, and all of it utterly soaked in the blood of zookeepers. take your ape as far out as you can using both stealth and violence to get ahead with a dynamic soundtrack that reacts to the way you play.
Jazzpunk ($3.74) - in a VERY DIFFERENT cold war, you take a command of a Fisher Price toy-esque agent and... solve (?) problems (???) by... doing things? (?????)
...it reminds me of the most bizarre parts of Lego Island. in a good way.
That Which Gave Chase ($4.11) - an atmospheric, intentionally ambiguous thriller... first person dog sledding game.
mush your dogs safely through unforgiving cold and treacherous land, all for the promise of supposed great reward from a stranger.
Petal Crash ($5.99) - fine tuned, fast paced retro puzzling that's heavy in replay value. story modes for every character, and FANTASTIC head to head play against friends! highly recommended to Tetris Attack/Pokemon Puzzle League fans.
RPG Time: The Legend Of Wright ($11.99) - an RPG that takes place after school - your best pal kenta is a game master who can't WAIT to throw new ideas at you. turn based battles, bullet hells, and more in this RPG made out of paper, ink, and cardboard!
Rock of Ages 3: Make & Break ($4.49) - Marble Madness, meets competitive tower defense, meets... art history jokes.
...
look, watch the trailer, you'll know immediately if it's your jam or not.
Citizen Sleeper ($11.99) - in this dice and text inspired RPG, you're a 'sleeper'; a digital consciousness within a synthetic body. you used to belong to a corporation.
they want to bring you back.
do whatever it takes to stop them.
PRODUCER 2021 ($3.99) - a ~2 hour graphic adventure novella. you've been hired to "disrupt the end of the world".
it gets stranger from there.
wander a surreal yet familiar world with tunes by ThorHighHeels (who did Umurangi Generation's fantastic OST!)
subpar pool ($8.99) - a procgen roguelike game of pool that tempers its colorful art and goofy attitude with much more challenge than you'd expect. use cards to alter your runs on randomly generated tables as you try to sink the trickiest of trick shots.
Dodgeball Academia ($12.49) - you love the Mario sports RPGs? or Super Dodge Ball? or cartoons like OK K.O.? then grab this which puts all of it into one package. another great "for parents to play with their kids!" game.
428: Shibuya Scramble ($19.99) - the legendary live action dramedy VN! move through criss-crossing lives ranging from 'amnesiac part time mascot' to 'recycling obsessed ex-gang leader' - who are all tangled up in an international conspiracy that could destroy Shibuya!
WARNING: although i think 428 Shibuya Scramble is totally worth it even if you have seen it, do NOT watch the anime Canaan before playing 428 if you can avoid it, as it is set in the same universe and will have spoilers for the game.
this isn't a joke. i'm completely serious. these take place in the same universe.
INFRA ($6.89) - you're a structural analyst. the definition of a pencil pusher. the kinda job that's easy to forget exists.
and you are going to find a long running scheme in the crumbling structures of this city - if you don't die first, that is.
woof! that's a whole lotta recs! the next batch will come in a separate post of their own, probably in a smaller amount (25-30, maybe...?) just for ease of reading for everybody.
if you wanna throw me some bones for the recs and game curation, help me pay the bills (and help me work on more permanent resources for my game recs, like the Game Rec PDF and an eventual website!), i do have a ko-fi, and anything's appreciated!
and as always: enjoy video games! (and if you found something new and surprising you love from this, i love to hear about it! those kinds of unexpected connections are one of my fave things about doing these.)
