| Brian – Was the “The Matrix: Path of Neo” as good as I remember it? Abandoned! Fell through the cracks of Shiny Entertainment during the selloff |
| https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GiKOLa4wRjI |
| THE BOOPING NEWS / THE WISH LIST |
| https://boopshow.reddit.com |
| Discussion: Share your favorite Wholesome/Cozy indie game |
| https://www.reddit.com/r/BoopShow/comments/pnfk4c/wholesomecozy_games/ |
| ___OUT NOW___ |
| Webbed (Sept 9, 2021) |
| DEVELOPER: Sbug Games / PUBLISHER: Sbug Games |
| Steam ($9.99) |
| Swing through the trees, spin sticky webs, and make friends with bugs! Be the adorable spider you’ve always wanted to be. Webbed is the first commercial release by Sbug Games, a small up-and-coming indie studio based in Queensland, Australia with Lead Developer Riley Neville and Level Designer Noah Seymour. The game tells a daring story of a happy little spider on an adventure to save her boyfriend from a big mean bowerbird. A wonderful 2D physics pixel art adventure game, set in a fantasy Queensland. From humble beginnings in local gamemaking community Squiggly River, Riley and Noah have swung from playtesting with mates, to releasing one of the most highly anticipated games of 2021. Overwhelmingly Positive Reviews Doug say “It’s like Spiderman except you’re not a man” Floating Goat says “you had me at laser spiders” |
| https://store.steampowered.com/app/1390350/Webbed/ |
| ___RELEASING THIS WEEK___ |
| Flynn: Son of Crimson (Sep 15, 2021) |
| DEVELOPER: Studio Thunderhorse / PUBLISHER: Humble Games |
| Steam / Xbox Game Pass (Day One) |
| Help Flynn and his mythical companion Dex save Rosantica before the evil from The Scourge claims his home. In Flynn: Son of Crimson, you’ll go on a journey of discovery and conflict as you learn to master the power of Crimson Energy. The Peace of Rosantica is Threatened Once Again The peaceful and beautiful island of Rosantica is under threat once more by a relentless evil. The magical barrier between Rosantica and The Scourge has started to crack, allowing dangerous creatures to slowly seep back in to try and take over the island. Flynn stumbles upon this invasion and discovers he must stand up against The Scourge to stop its spread into Rosantica. Accompanied by his mythical companion Dex, Guardian Spirit of the Land, Flynn will be challenged by the evil from The Scourge and its powerful overlord. Classic 2D Action Platformer Flynn: Son of Crimson is a handcrafted 2D action platformer that will take you on a journey of discovery and conflict as you learn to master the art of Crimson Energy. Help Flynn and Dex save Rosantica before the evil from The Scourge claims his home. Flynn and Dex Summon your mythical companion and protector Dex in times of need and fight alongside her as you work to save Rosantica. Dex will excel in crushing tough walls and slashing/biting her way through hordes of enemies. She’s the best doggo a boy like Flynn could hope for! The bond between Flynn and Dex is one of friendship, mutual protection and love for one another. With the imminent threat coming from The Scourge, Flynn and Dex charge snout-first into battle. Explore Rosantica and The Scourge World Explore Rosantica and its unique regions, each filled with ancient mysteries to be discovered. Collect relics along your journey and uncover new paths as you fight your way to victory. The Scourge is a dark world, filled with hate, trying to infest and destroy the beauty of Rosantica. You will need to enter this sinister world to take on Zealock, Lord of this dimension, and his mysterious dagger wielding warrior, Rozia. Become a True Master of the Elements Elemental Magic in the form of fire, ice, and lightning will be unlocked through a natural mutation with the flora of Rosantica. |
| https://store.steampowered.com/app/737520/Flynn_Son_of_Crimson/ |
| SkateBIRD (Sep 16, 2021) after a few delays |
| DEVELOPER: Glass Bottom Games / PUBLISHER: Glass Bottom Games |
| Steam, Xbox Game Pass (Day One), Switch |
| Grind on bendy straws, kickflip over staplers, and carve killer lines through cardboard and sticky tape parks. Above all else, skate birds try their best! You’re a lonely lil’ bird, and your Big Friend has hung up their board for good. Their job sucks, and lately, they’re barely ever home to play with you. You’re gonna fix all that with the power of being a chill little skateboarding bird. You may be tiny, but the more you skate, the more friends you’ll make. Birds will come check out your park, help you find more parks, and together you’ll (somehow) fix Big Friend’s life! Above all else, skate birds try their best. Explore lots of bird-sized parks, with simple controls familiar to any pro skating tiny hawk. Find fancy clothing, secret mixtapes of new music, birds that need your help, and more! Skate to an original low-fi birb-hop soundtrack – or drop in your own mp3s! And if you bail, you just get back up – because above all else, skate birds try their best! |
| https://store.steampowered.com/app/971030/SkateBIRD/ |
| Eastward (Sep 16, 2021) |
| DEVELOPER: Pixpil / PUBLISHER:Chucklefish |
| Steam ($22.49), Switch |
| Welcome to the charming world of Eastward – population declining! Journey through a society on the brink of collapse. Discover delightful towns, strange creatures and even stranger people! Wield a trusty frying pan and mystic powers on an adventure into the unknown… Eastward is a beautifully detailed and charming adventure game, from Shanghai-based indie developers, Pixpil. In the near-future, society is starting to collapse, and the human population is at an all-time low. A deadly toxic presence has spread across the land, destroying and devouring everything in its path. Those who could escape the miasma flocked to underground villages to start a new life. But for a hardworking miner and a mysterious young girl, the hope of a thriving outside world beckons… Escape the tyrannical clutches of Potcrock Isle’s subterranean society and join Eastward’s unlikely duo on an exciting adventure to the land above! Discover beautiful yet bizarre settlements and make new friends as you travel across the world by rail. Bop along to a wonderfully upbeat soundtrack composed by Joel Corelitz (Death Stranding, Hohokum, The Unfinished Swan), with sound design from Irish studio, Hyperduck Soundworks (Dust: An Elysian Tail, Kingdom Rush) Contains adult humour and some mature themes. |
| https://store.steampowered.com/app/977880/Eastward/ |
| Lake |
| DESCRIPTION |
| It’s 1986 – Meredith Weiss takes a break from her career in the big city to deliver mail in her hometown. How will she experience two weeks in beautiful Providence Oaks, with its iconic lake and quirky community? And what will she do next? It’s up to you. |
| PLATFORM |
| PC/Steam |
| Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 |
| DEVELOPER/PUBLISHER: |
| DEVELOPER: Gamious PUBLISHER: Whitethorn Digital, Gamious |
| RELEASE DATE: |
| 2021-09-01 |
| VIDEO |
| https://youtu.be/I-b-wrz964U |
| Me Playing – Do you think you could play the audio (at low volume) to the game when we play the video for the stream? It is muted enough that I think the podcast listeners would enjoy it as background music and may help set the mood. |
| AUDIO CLIPS |
| https://studiom80.com/brian/boopshow-302-lake-part-1.mp3 |
| ^ Launch Trailer Audio |
| https://studiom80.com/brian/boopshow-302-lake-part-2.mp3 |
| ^ Game Play Audio |
| HOW LONG TO BEAT |
| 6 to 8 hours |
| https://howlongtobeat.com |
| IS THERE ANY DEALS |
| $16.99 on Fanatical ($19.99) |
| https://isthereanydeal.com/game/game/info/ |
| EXPERIENCE: |
| The year is 1986 and I just completed a huge project for the company I work for in the big city and it’s time to head back to the small lake town community where I grew and deliver the mail for 2 weeks. Why I can’t take a vacation like a normal person has yet to be revealed…but hey…who cares I get to GTA this postal van in this 3rd person choice driven game. Wait…I can’t run over anyone and collisions mean nothing! and the cops won’t even chase me! Are there are least hookers? No! Ok fine. |
| Boop’s Patented 10 Point Rating System |
| Art/Animation: Simplified cartoony style. Animations are serviceable like my postal vehicle. |
| Music/Effects: I didn’t really listen to the radio because of copyrights. |
| V/O: Some of the best everyday voice acting of any game I have played this year |
| World Building: Pretty good slice of life story. |
| Currency/Loot: Goodwill |
| AI/NPCs: No real AI here. Just choices. NPCs are on rails but interesting. |
| Controls: It works pretty well…with the occassional button confusion on my part. Oppsie fast travel |
| Interface/HUD: No real HUD |
| Replay/Endgame: I am sure a second playthrough may provide a few chuckles. Seems limited though |
| Pros – Compelling story telling really draws you in and makes the choices feel like they have meaning – Makes delivering mail seem like fun. (most of the time) – Nostalgia hit…mmm..yeah…tight roll pants. |
| Cons – No functional difference between walk and faster walk – Not a lot of depth in consequences (safe choices?) I guess that is life? |
| Score: |
| 7 bad life choices of 10 nostalgic memories |
| LINKS |
| https://store.steampowered.com/app/1118240/Lake/ |
| https://store.steampowered.com/search/?term=Lake |
| https://www.igdb.com/search?type=1&q=Lake |
| LEARN MORE |
| https://whitethorndigital.com/lake |
| Tags: Adventure,Indie,Choices Matter,Story |
| SCOTT GUESS MY GAME |
| HINT: 1993, Arcade |
| BRIAN GUESS MY GAME |
| https://brian.studiom80.com/boop302-thegamename.mp3 |
| hint: 1994 |
| Next Week (optional) |
| SCOTT: I THINK it will be Wrath of The Righteous |
| BRIAN: Flynn: Son of Crimson |
