Hi. Happy end of 2017!

When I started this project back at the end of 2016, I didn’t really know what I was getting myself in for. I mean that in the best way; I knew the outline of what I wanted to do but not the specifics of how it would shake out.

It shook out pretty well! I learned so much about games and writing and my personal tastes. Though sometimes tiring, investigating, uncovering, and showcasing these games was always a pleasure.

Thank you to all of you who enjoyed the journey with me. Honestly I’d’ve done this purely for myself, but having people reach out and tell me that thy appreciated the games and how I wrote about them was very touching. 

Thanks are also due, of course, to every person whose work I touched on here, and everyone’s that I played but didn’t get to write about. There’s such an abundance of creativity and talent in this space and I’m honoured to be able to experience it.

Before we wrap up here, I want to address a couple of questions folks have asked:

Which were your favourite games?

When I was writing my Game of the Year post, I went back through the archive and there were so many games that I thought were outstanding that it feels unfair to even highlight any.

Having said that, The Zium Museum, Bonzen, The Great Palermo, Exit 19, ?, Dead Horizon, Gloompuke, Where the Goats Are, Like Roots in the Soil, Electric Sleep, Konbini, Succulents, One Small Favor, Flower Park, Beneath Floes, Sacramento, Feeding the Forgotten, and Mediterranean Voidland were all really special to me.

Plus The Last Days of Our Castle and Move On were both in my favourite ten games that I played this year.

What’s next?

This blog and its Twitter will stay how they are now, so that you’ll always be able to take a look through the games.

As far as my work goes, I showed this blog to my editor at Cliqist, a site dedicated to indie games (hi Greg!), and he was enthusiastic for me to do similar work there. My initial plan is to create 1-3 posts per week that are similar to these, though perhaps with a little more depth owing to the lower time pressure, and I’m really excited to find the happy medium that works for me.

You can follow me and Cliqist on Twitter if you’d like to keep up with that!

Thanks again for your support this year; I hope you have a wonderful 2018.

Jay <3

365 - Time Omelette

Time Omelette is a mystery set at the turn of the year.

The egg from which each new year hatches has been stolen, and it’s up to you to find it and ensure that time itself can go on.

Explore the hub where old years retire, and meet some of them. Each is a suspect, but also has their own character and opinions on history and its progression, so speaking to them is fascinating in its own right. Can you figure out who took the egg and why – and what will you do after you find it?

Though made last year, this game feels pretty relevant today.

Time Omelette is available to play in browser for free on itch.io; donations are also accepted.

364 - A Cozy Winter Walk

A Cozy Winter Walk is about appreciating the little things.

It’s snowing out and you’re going on a trip with your cat to meet a friend.

Along the way you’ll see a host of tiny things to be appreciative of, before finally making it to the warm home of your friend for a bowl of soup by the fire.

A Cozy Winter Walk is available to play in browser for free on itch.io.

363 - Sea Glass

Sea Glass is about collecting.

Spend just 20 seconds picking up smooth, colourful glass from the shore, listening to the waves and the birds. and relaxing.

There’s something satisfying about clearing up a whole stretch of sand, or perhaps just selecting the prettiest pieces to brighten up your collection.

Sea Glass is available to download for free on itch.io.

362 - The Idle Divination

The Idle Divination is about an oracle.

Not much visited anymore, they live in a cave alone, with only their scrying fire for company, until a young girl comes to ask her fortune.

What unfolds is a brief but heartwarming tale of love and friendship told with great writing and beautiful illustration.

The Idle Divination is available to play for free in browser on itch.io; donations are also accepted.

361 - Quadrupet

Quadrupet is a cuteness generator.

Watch this endless cycle of randomly generated animals and pause occasionally to see what you get.

Watch these sweet babies wiggle and try to imagine what kind of game they might fit into.

Quadrupet is available to download for free on itch.io.

360 - Imaginal

Imaginal is about catching fireflies.

Set against a gorgeous indigo backdrop of the night sky, these lightning bugs flutter in and out of sight, lighting up for the briefest moment to allow you to catch them.

Some fireflies give a short snippet of text; part of a conversation about nature, people, space, and any number of other beautiful things.

Imaginal is available to download for pay what you want on itch.io.

359 - Yule Log

Yule Log is a warm fire.

Build up a crackling campfire with logs of all different sizes, and watch the flames flicker and burn them up.

There’s even a slider that runs from “thrilling” to “soothing,” for whatever kind of fire experience you want.

Yule Log is available to download for pay what you want on itch.io.

358 - Storyseeker

Storyseeker is a journey.

Set out across the desert into a vast world with strange, colourful biomes. Meet people and creatures and find a place to settle and draw out your map.

Each area has its own feel, complete with gorgeous music, and while there are some rough guiding lines to explore, it can be wonderful just to set out and see what you might find.

Storyseeker is available to download for free on itch.io.

357 - Toy Box Metropolis

Toy Box Metropolis is about building an adorable city.

Build up a bustling town by placing various landmarks, buildings, and infrastructure down. Upgrade them to bring more benefits (and drawbacks) and to see them grow into little bouncy animations.

There are several goals that you are offered to pick from, depending on whether you’d prefer to see your city become cultured, green, rich, and so forth, or you can just build as you’d like and enjoy yourself.

Toy Box Metropolis is available to play in browser for free on itch.io; donations are also accepted.

356 - The Bazaar

The Bazaar is a place for trade.

Explore this vibrant marketplace and work your way through a series of exchanges to get the plant that you want?

This game’s little details are beautifully written, evoking a sense of a bustling, colourful marketplace with something new to see around every corner.

The Bazaar is available to play in browser for free on itch.io; donations are also accepted.

355 - Open the Window

Open the Window is a view to the world.

Take a look into four different cities and cycle through their offset days and nights while changing their synced up weather, giving it all a sense of connectivity and togetherness.

It’s extremely beautiful to look at, with soft ukulele music to keep you company while you watch a while.

Open the Window is available to download for pay what you want on itch.io.

354 - Wish You Were Here

Wish You Were Here is a hot air balloon ride.

Swoop over these procedurally generated islands, looking down on the birds and trees from your high altitude perch.

And come down to explore, finding strange messages in bottles and all kinds of other secrets.

Wish You Were Here is available to download for free on itch.io.

353 - Temple

Temple is about dying.

Explore this strange, dark place until, inevitably, some tragedy befalls you. Luckily, this is a place of gods and your sacrifice is seen as worship.

It’s an atmospheric and beautiful space, with many potential deaths leading to the discovery of new gods that you’ve worshiped and new characters unlocking.

Temple is available to download for pay what you want on itch.io.

352 - Moonbeam

Moonbeam is a beach.

Explore this pastel sandscape while dogs play in the waves and relaxing music plays.

It’s small but densely packed with things to see and a wonderful atmosphere.

Moonbeam is available to download for pay what you want on itch.io.

351 - Saito’s Transgression

Saito’s Transgression is a wizard’s story.

This wizard just wants to live with his bird in peace, but the power keeps going out. Venture out into the forest to try to fix it, and stumble on larger problems.

This game is gorgeous to look at and makes incredible use of both colour and sound.

Saito’s Transgression is available to download for free on itch.io.

350 - Last Moments Under the Ice

Last Moments Under the Ice is a swimulator.

Slowly float through this cold, kelp filled world, taking in the strange noises and the bright blue of the ice above.

You may run into some strange things down here, where the light doesn’t quite reach.

Last Moments Under the Ice is available to download for pay what you want on itch.io.