Hey yall, I’m gonna try to not make it a trend that I’m late on newsletters. But I’m really trying to stick with the idea that done is better than perfect. So here we are. Let’s catch up on what happened in April.
This Month’s Games
I gotta be honest, I’m not even really sure I remember April existing. Between really long work weeks, a small vacation, and the world continuing to degrade, it’s been wild. I was still able to check out a couple games, but it was definitely a lighter month for me.
On Stream
Naiad
We finally went back and finished Naiad on stream. It really was a beautifully done game. We talked a little about the beginning and tone of the game in the last newsletter. I don’t want to spoil too much about it, but there are multiple endings to the game if you really take the time to explore all of the maps.
I think that my overall favorite part of the game was finding where the guitar player was in each level and learning all of the songs from them. As I’m sure you’ve been able to tell, I’m a bit of a nerd. In the first stream I did, one of my mods pointed out that the music was diegetic. I didn’t know what that meant at the time, so in case you’re like me, it means that the music actually occurred within the context of the story. When I would learn a song from a guitar player, it would often have an actual effect in the game and that was really cool to see.
There was also a secret dragon in one of the levels and I loved the design that they went with!
If you’re interested, you can find Naiad at the links below.
Itch.io: https://hiwarp.itch.io/naiad
Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1813860/NAIAD/
Beyond the Long Night
I adore this game. It’s also been oddly nice to me in the last few attempts. In case you haven’t heard me talk about it before, Beyond the Long Night is a twin-stick rogue-lite game where you play an explorer who is trying to escape the mountain and the storm that resets time every night. I haven’t played a ton of twin-stick shooters before, but something about the art in the game drew me to it.
I finally got my first completed run, yall. It took many hours, but I finally did it. My build by the end was super goofy and overpowered and just fun. There’s still a lot to explore in this game, but I would highly recommend checking it out if you’re looking for a charming game to sink some hours into.
Itch.io: https://yogscastgames.itch.io/beyond-the-long-night
Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1730080/Beyond_the_Long_Night/
On My Own
The Plucky Squire
A friend got this for me for my birthday last year, but it doesn’t agree with my computer and OBS, so I wasn’t able to stream it. I finally had the chance to get started with it last month. I love how colorful the game is. I’m only in the beginning stages of the game still, but I’m excited to see where Jot’s newest story leads and really excited to get into the areas of the game where you leave the storybook and start interacting with the real world!
We’ll revisit this game in the newsletter once I’ve finished the game!
Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1627570/The_Plucky_Squire/
Golf Peaks
I’ve had Golf Peaks for a while, but finally made time to check it out off-stream. It’s such a cool concept for a puzzle game. You’re trying to get the golf ball into the hole using cards that determine the direction and distance the golf ball can go. I’m taking the game slowly. As the levels progress, they’re introducing new mechanics that look like they’re gonna make the game even more complicated, but I’m excited to figure it out.
If you’re looking for a very chill, but very thinky, puzzle game, I’d really recommend checking it out. I’m playing over on Itch.io but I think that it’s on Steam and mobile as well!
Itch.io: https://afterburn.itch.io/golf-peaks
Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/923260/Golf_Peaks/
Echo: The Oracle’s Scroll
I think I talked about this a couple of newsletters ago, but I’ve really been enjoying my Playdate lately. If you’re unfamiliar with it, the Playdate is a bright yellow handheld console with a crank. There’s no backlight and the games are meant to be easy to pick up and play. Recently, I’ve been making my way through Echo: The Oracle’s Scroll. It’s an exploration platforming game. Imagine 2D Zelda-style games if they didn’t have any combat mechanics and you’ll have something close to Echo.
There are over 250 levels throughout this surprisingly large game. Like many platformers, there are also different movement abilities that you can unlock to help you reach new heights across the three Kingdoms that make up the world.
This game is a great introduction to Playdate games and if you have one, I’d definitely recommend picking it up!
Playdate Store: https://play.date/games/echo-the-oracles-scroll/
TTRPGS or Board Games
I haven’t had the chance to really play any ttrpgs lately, but one project I’m really excited about is Midnight Muscadines by Pandion Games. You play as a Marmateer, an adventurer who travels through the untamed Wildernight to collect muscadines that you can turn into magical jams. It’s set in the land of Nimm, a world where magic can only be found in the Midnight Muscadines.
We’ll be able to play Midnight Muscadines solo, as a duet, or with/without a GM for a traditional group experience.
I had the chance to work through their character creator and made my own lil Marmateer who will maybe one day go out on adventures in the world of Nimm. I’m excited about this game because it focuses on exploration, discovery, and helping your community more than getting into fights. I’ve been looking for more solo games to get into for my own TTRPG journey, and I honestly can’t wait to dive into Nimm once the game releases!
My Midnight Muscadines Character!
My first character is Tala Moss (she/they). She's a forager and member of the Cloud Coven guild. Her bonded familiar is a winged stoat named Azul who loves getting into trouble. She's not at the coven often after finishing up her time at the university; she's more comfortable out and exploring different areas. She carries a Hearthkeeper Kettle with her, a gift from her moms before she went out to become a Marmateer. It's a black metal with silver inlays of small birds flying around the kettle. Their Quirk is fidgeting hands, never quite sitting still as she plays with the various little objects she keeps in her pockets while she's thinking. Her Style is firefly chaser. She's always looking for those little flashes of wonder, hoping that they'll lead her to a new ingredient to discover. They became a Marmateer after following a little bird into the Wildernight, coming across their first hearthstone, and bringing it back to the Cloud Coven where it was turned into their Jar (it looks like a dark grey mason jar with speckles of silver, blue, and purple, and has a leather strap around the middle to make it easier to hold).
You can check out my character sheet over on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/pizzayeti.bsky.social/post/3lmzhn4aexc2k
Content Creators, Take a Break
Times are tough right now. I didn’t have the chance to create a lot in April because I was either really busy or really tired. I’ve been trying to be intentional about making time to do things that refresh me, like playing games with my friends on Discord, spending time outside, and reading (I just hit 27 books read this year). My mental health has seen better times, but I’m doing what I can to make space for myself (sometimes I’m good at this, sometimes I’m not lol).
In the last couple of months, I’ve talked about how important it is for all of us to participate in showing people that a better world is possible through the things that we create. This month, I want to remind you that it’s just as important for creatives to take breaks to refresh when they need to. It’s scary to take breaks, especially if you depend on the things that you create for a substantial portion of your income. I still encourage you to find small moments to recharge and make sure that you’re taking care of yourself. We’re in a marathon, not a sprint, and I want all of us to make it through.
Ending
Not a lot of extra things from me this month. Like I mentioned, April was busy. May is looking pretty packed as well, but yall will still see me around.
See yall next month (or hopefully again at the end of May lol).
Keep telling stories. Keep creating. You are important for the world that we want to create. I look forward to continuing to build a better world and better stories for us all. Thank you for joining me on this journey. I’ll see y’all around the Internet.
Don't forget you can find my other writing at pizzayeti.com! I'd love to see you over there.
