I really appreciated what THUMPER was trying to do, and I think it was successful at it. I have felt emotionally battered by games before. I have stepped away from a gaming session feeling drained, like I had just run a marathon. But THUMPER is the only game that has ever made me feel physically battered. Assaulted. Strangely aware of my own physicality because the game in front of me is so wildly physically affecting. Playing it is a bit like purposefully standing too close to large speakers. It’s like you’re experiencing it in two ways. Like you’re experiencing it the “normal way” and also getting these shockwaves that you experience with your body.

This new game looks very fluid. Possibly also very physical.

Interestingly, there are some boardgames that do a great job of ludonarrative harmony. This is tangential, because it’s a totally different medium, obviously.

There is a lovely game called Oceans. The game is themed as an aquatic ecosystem. And what’s awesome is that the game mechanics are all about players identifying unexploited niches created by the game or other players and then exploiting those resource pools. The better they do at that, the more likely it is they generate surplus resources and that can be a niche exploited by others. Oceans does a better job of naturally simulating ecosystems than most simple models I’ve come across in textbooks.

Boardgames that have strong harmony between narrative(setting) and game mechanics just feel great to play.

I had one and I also really loved the way it sounded.

That was fascinating. Thanks!

I’m not sure about this. The only way I can make my lips touch when saying that number is if I actually say pour.

Omg! Omfg! Why have I never considered this before. That could be really fun.

Oh man, I would love a 3rd game! I started replaying the first two recently. Had to grab a pad of paper to note down all the side quest stuff I was finding. It brought me right back to the good old days.

I love Wandersong so much. I’ve tried to put into words what makes this game different to every other game. It usually goes something like this.

Nearly every game is about winning. Some are about plumbers leaping their way to the flag pole. Some are about gun-wielding heroes shooting everything. Those are pretty obvious examples of games where the primary emotion is Fiero (the feeling of pride after accomplishment). But even games about cozily pushing blocks, or doing skateboard tricks, or running a successful shop are also predominantly about fiero.

Now, I agree that not all games are about this one emotion. Horror games feature fiero, but are mostly about exploring fear. And there are lots of games that explore other emotions as their primary goal. But the vast majority of games are about winning and the emotion of fiero.

Wandersong is about happiness and not fiero. It makes that perfectly clear in its opening moments. The protagonist is made (painfully?) aware that he is not the hero. The Bard goes on to have several conversations with other characters about happiness. The plot largely revolves around increasing happiness. And, in terms of gameplay, in almost all the places a typical game would offer players chances to feel fiero, this game offers the player opportunities to experience happiness instead.

If you’re looking for it, it’s clear that the game is occasionally working to prevent fiero and present happiness in its place. The game frequently puts the player in situations where there is no opportunity for them or The Bard to “win”. Instead, they have the chance to help or to be helped. And sometimes even when things turn out well, it’s despite The Bard and the player failing at their goal.

It’s a unique game made with tons of love and I treasure it. I would recommend it to anyone with a heart.

It’s okay to disagree with people. You’re being a dick while disagreeing with people, though.

I get that you’re being practical here. You’re not technically wrong, and the people who are disagreeing with you really are arguing points of nuance.

But they aren’t wrong either. That nuance matters in certain contexts.

You can pick this hill to defend. Or you can learn something that you didn’t know about the people in your online community, and probably your IRL community too.

Embrace learning something new. It will almost never be a waste of your time.

These are called “aptroynms” and Wikipedia has a great list of them and also inaptroyms. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aptronym

Yeah, my time on Beehaw is almost always pleasant. I really love seeing people arguing in the comments of a post and inevitably after a few exchanges they go out of their way to de-escalate tensions and recognize each other as people. Real conversations, real differing of opinions, but maintaining respect for people.

How is it I’ve been alive this long and I’ve never seen this joke made before?! It’s so simple and obvious after the fact, but completely new (to me) and a delight. Thanks!