Gaming Goodness – EightBitBlonde

2010 didn’t seem that far away until I started looking at how many games have been released since then. Hundreds of games from teams across the world, spanning a myriad of platforms and genres. Some of which I devoured, others I merely scratched the surface of and many that had never even made it on my radar.

While I haven’t even put a dent in all the games that have come out since 2010, narrowing down 10 years of games to one favorite game per year still wasn’t an easy task (especially when there are so many left unplayed in my backlog), but here are my picks and their runner-ups.

Fallout: New Vegas (2010)

Runner-ups of 2010: Alan Wake, Fable III and Halo: Reach.

Continue reading “A Digital Decade: Top 10 Games of the Past 10 Years” →

Gaming Goodness, Out and About

My 10 Favorite Games @ PAX West 2019

September 10, 2019July 22, 2020 Alicia 'EightBitBlonde' Alexandra

After 4 busy days, PAX West 2019 has drawn to a close and after a full weekend of picking up controllers, demoing builds, chatting with passionate developers and actively avoiding the PAX pox: I’m ready to round up my favorite video game finds from the weekend.

Here are 10 different projects that stood out to me on the show floor, ranging from dog-themed dating simulators to creative takes on dungeon-crawling adventures.

Project Witchstone (Spearhead Games)

Isometric RPGs have been having a renaissance over the past few years, and while many strive to capture the best parts of tabletop gaming, they sometimes fall short in terms of achieving the player freedom found in tabletop games. That’s the gap that Project Witchstone is trying to bridge, with their robust AI “game master” approach to NPCs, skill checks and investment in player agency. With no overarching questline to embark on, players are free to integrate themselves into factions, frame the local blacksmith for murder or forge onward of their own volition.

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Gaming Goodness, General Geekery, Waypoint Washington

Visiting the Indie Game Revolution @ MoPOP Seattle

August 20, 2019August 20, 2019 Alicia 'EightBitBlonde' Alexandra

Games made by small teams of dedicated creators and born of non-traditional production ventures have won hearts and minds all over the place in the gaming community, but it’s safe to say that not everyone that passes time with play is aware of the second thriving ecosystem growing alongside the wonderful AAA games currently at the forefront of popular culture.

20190810_135858 — (via Alicia Alexandra)

As someone who works in the industry, I know first hand the blood, sweat, and tears that go into bringing such a personal thing to life. As someone who works directly with independent studios, I know how much more blood, sweat, and tears can be spilled when you’re doing it all indie-style.

That’s why I was so excited to check out the Indie Game Revolution exhibit at Seattle’s Museum of Pop Culture. An exhibit dedicated to the beautiful gems that are independent games, the players that appreciate them and the talented folks that make them.

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Gaming Goodness, Raves and Reviews

Chicken Coops for the Soul – Review of Farm Together

February 8, 2019September 25, 2019 Alicia 'EightBitBlonde' Alexandra

I love farming simulators so it’s no surprise that Farm Together immediately caught my eye with its adorable graphics and multiplayer prospects. And it turns out, this isn’t developer Milkstone‘s first foray into the fields of farm simulators. They’re the developers behind the fan-favorite 360 game, Avatar Farm, and their experience with the farming genre put them in the perfect position to bring engaging, fun farm gameplay to the current console generation.

Customization is king in Farm Together. Working to level up your character will unlock new outfits, hats, backpacks, pets, and even tractors, while leveling up your farm unlocks new crops, animals, flowers, buildings, decorations, and more to give you a wide assortment of ways to keep diversifying your yields and bring a personal touch to your farm.

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Gaming Goodness, Raves and Reviews

How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Leviathan – Review of Subnautica

December 13, 2018September 25, 2019 Alicia 'EightBitBlonde' Alexandra

For as long as I can remember, water levels in video games have made me feel uncomfortable. While I’m not scared of water, I do find myself… cautious of what lurks in the deep, dark depths just outside of my character’s vision.

Given my fear of the watery unknown, it’s surprising that I’d ever willingly find myself playing a game like Subnautica, a game all about exploring and surviving in a water-covered planet with a seemingly endless depth filled with strange creatures (both big and small, hostile and friendly).

But, after playing through the game’s 3-hour trial on Xbox, I knew I’d be back for more once it had exited Game Preview. Somehow, Unknown Worlds has managed to leverage my curiosity and make me face my fears through a series of smart gameplay decisions, eye-catching biomes, and intriguing story.

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