Howdy itch.io Blog faithful. You seem well, is that a new haircut? Are you doing something new with your teeth? Haha, we sure do have fun here, right? I tell jokes, you laugh at jokes (I hope) and then we all share some games together. This week is no different as we’ve got a whole stack of wild new games and ones that I’m super excited for y’all to check out. Without further ado, let’s talk about games.
At this point I feel obligated to feature anything that Hundred Rabbits I put out. Each time they publish something it is wildly different to everything they’ve made before and somehow just as smart each time. Honestly it’s amazing and frustrating how they’re able to work across so many genres and forms and make each project this polished.
This time the rabbits have crafted a MUD although if it helps, you can think of it as interactive fiction with the openness of an RPG. I’ve never been a huge fan of MUDs, but something in Paradise just clicked with me. Typically I spend most of my time in MUDs getting lost and not knowing what to do or how to make any sort of progress. Paradise updates the traditional MUD UI in a really clean and beautiful way. Paradise also solves the problem of sense of self in MUDs. Normally I have a hard time really knowing who I am in a MUD, but Paradise removes the problem by making you a force of nature rather than a human, robot, or goblin. Paradise is a smart and fresh take on a genre that I didn’t know I needed.
Let’s continue our theme of “smart people making thoughtful things” with the 4th issue of Heterotopias. For the uninitiated, Heterotopias is a semi-regular zine that collects critical essays that center on the intersection of architecture and games. While this may sound esoteric, the essays are consistently insightful and provide angles on games that I never quite expected. If you have any interest in immaculately designed zines or possibly the world’s only critical essay on Lego Island, you should pick up Heterotopias 4.
Strap in gang, because it’s about to get weird. Knuckle Sandwich is an upcoming murder mystery RPG with the design sensibilities of Earthbound, and the narrative influence of Fargo. It’s also one of the most charming and curious games I’ve played in quite a while. Experience the thrill of job hunting in a new city while investigating a cult and trying to make friends.
Knuckle Sandwich isn’t out yet, but it has a free demo available now. I was pleased with both the size of the demo and how absolutely funky the soundtrack was. Knuckle Sandwich is one of my most anticipated games of 2019 and I’m sure it’ll be yours too once you play the demo. If you want a little more Knuckle Sandwich in your life after you max out the demo, the game is on Kickstarter now.
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No Steam Marines 2?
There's a lot in Steam Marines 2, and didn't get to dig into it as much as I would have liked before writing this. There's a good chance it'll be on the list next week. (Also it's very good and everyone who sees this should check it out)