blanketfort.txt

games

my palate consists of management games, visual novels, and farming sims.

Overcooked! 2

Genre: Food management, co-op
Platform: Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck
Play time: 260 hours

This was all I played in the pandemic. After dinner? Straight to the Switch to play for a few hours. I've toned down how much I play nowadays, but it's still one of the only games I frequently reach for. While most people think this game is stressful - at times it can be (if you're with the unseasoned players hahahaha) - I could never be more at peace when I play. I should note my mode of choice is online arcade. Unlike couch co-op, you can't yell at your teammates to give you a plate or throw you a hotdog - there is no voice chat. Instead, you naturally fall into your roles and find your collective rhythm, which I think is so beautiful.

If you're new to playing online, be prepared for people to end games because you can't keep up. The learning curve is not too steep, you just have to learn how different stages work and what kinds of roles there are to hold. Once you know there should be a designated chopper and designated ingredient mixer in one stage or a certain trick to another stage, you can shut your brain off and enjoy!

Spiritfarer

Genre: Management, platformer
Platform: Nintendo Switch
Play time: 25 hours

If any of the reviews I read introduced this as a platformer, I likely would not have given it a chance. Instead, I was drawn by many noting it as one of very few games that handle grief beautifully and realistically - and tbh I was having a gloomy day and needed to cry.

I didn't get my emotional release but I did get an experience that forever marked me. Aside from the tragedy I knew was waiting for me at every corner, the life lessons sprinkled between fetch quests, recipe hunting, and frustrating platform levels were what has led me to think about the game every so often.

Two Point Hospital

Genre: Management
Platform: Nintendo Switch
Play time: 25 hours

There is only one way I play management sims: once or twice year for five hours straight that results in a skipped meal and/or going to bed when the birds are chirping lol. I wish I could remember how I even learned about this game because I don't typically go for hospital-themed anything. But Two Point Hospital is far from the real thing. It's quirky, full of character, and silly. I can only imagine all the fun that went behind making such an enjoyable game. One of my favorite parts of the game is the soundtrack. The way they've done it is super clever: they have a fictional radio station that plays as you go about building clinics, upgrading treadmills, and pulling doctors out of their breaks (sorry). In between tracks, DJs will have a little chat and there are even adverts! On top of that, they've got hospital announcements that match what's happening in-game to help point you to places that need your attention, whether that's a room that's missing a nurse or your facility's lack of trash cans.

Lemon Cake

Genre: Food management
Platform: Steam Deck
Play time: 13 hours

Of my favorite management games this is the most traditional of the bunch. Feed your customers, earn points, and choose your level-up. I like Lemon Cake for its straightforward playthrough; that's all the play sesh calls for sometimes!

Coffee Talk

Genre: Visual novel
Platform: Nintendo Switch
Play time: 10 hours

My first official Switch game! The encapsulation of cozy: a quiet shift at a cafe on a rainy night with lo-fi hip-hop playing in the background and pixel art. If I could experience my first time playing this game again...

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