Consume Me is an auto-biographical story of a young girl and the untenable pressures she feels to be a success, whatever that means. It is serious, but it is goofy. The game has sad moments, but it’s not somber. Far more often, it’s really funny, chronicling Jenny’s young adulthood through a series of WarioWare-style mini-games. They are chaotic and funny and messed up in all the ways that real life can often be.

• (00:00) - - A goofy game about real stuff
• (02:19) - - Consume Me's big mechanic
• (04:22) - - What even is this game?
• (06:03) - - It starts out fun...
• (08:42) - - The breaking point
• (12:46) - - The broken ways we seek control
• (16:08) - - Consume Me is extremely well-made

Music in the video is by Ken "coda" Snyder, including some music from Consume Me

Support my work at https://ko-fi.com/matthorton
Read more at https://matthorton.live

Subscribe to Flow State: https://youtube.com/@flowstatecrit

• (00:00) - - Fretless has a magic
• (01:41) - - What is Fretless?
• (02:42) - - Getting QTEs just right
• (09:15) - - The musical theme of Fretless
• (16:27) - - The game is great! And that's it.
• (19:32) - - Fretless almost didn't get made

Fretless on Steam - https://store.steampowered.com/app/2429050/Fretless__The_Wrath_of_Riffson/

Support my work at ko-fi.com/MattHorton

Read more of my writing at https://MattHorton.live

Hoard's LLC: Limited Labyrinth Corporation is a block puzzle game about a minotaur who wants to unionize his workplace, a corporate dungeon. I sat down with Cephalopod Ink, the developer of Hoard's LLC, to learn just what kind of team makes a game like that.

• (00:00) - - NO BENEFITS
• (02:09) - - Meet Cephalopod Ink
• (06:10) - - A corporate dungeon???
• (07:47) - - The inspiration for the game
• (08:59) - - The games industry is a nightmare for workers
• (11:23) - - Cephalopod's experience with unions
• (15:43) - - Scoping down to find success
• (19:13) - - Keeping it light
• (21:56) - - The art is great!
• (23:23) - - How do you market a game like Hoard's LLC?
• (25:54) - - Can games actually make change?
• (27:28) - - How will Cephalopod Ink be better?
• (31:21) - - They said the name of the show

Read more of my writing at https://MattHorton.live

Listen to my podcast at https://cantletitgo.gay

Listen to Lex's podcast - The Legend of Podcast: Trails Through Trails - https://trailspod.transistor.fm/

Expedition 33 is just one of many great turn-based RPGs released in the last 10 years. Here's a bunch of RPGs that you should play when you're finished with Clair Obscur.

0:00 - JRPGs never died
2:12 - Turn-based RPGs are killing it
4:25 - High-fidelity 3D graphics
6:11 - Art Direction
7:21 - World Maps
8:23 - Combat
11:02 - Characters & Social Sim
13:11 - A Message
14:56 - Turn-based RPGs aren't ancient history

Find me elswhere:
Support my work at ko-fi.com/MattHorton
Read more of my writing at https://MattHorton.live
Listen to my podcast at https://cantletitgo.gay
My video on the end of Expedition 33 https://youtu.be/J_gfIx5VIqY?si=bv2Uvhpjpp_uK5tC

Lex's podcast!!!
The Legend of Podcast: Trails Through Trails - https://trailspod.transistor.fm/

Credits
-----

https://youtu.be/p00EF6_b5pI?si=rl5eCMgy3MqMHQi
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i87Bk7OqAUk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8azSzG-Fls
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vkm1I7ngQb0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCuaejfDvR0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-6Aa3_86Lo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVLEPdSX8DY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6daXBKYT6N4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=asf4DmuukZA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mz0g9hxq7L8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?index=2&v=j_-dPgRy4LI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEo9rB4WmCM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gV5rIW1Qums
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jsdxLwqUH6g
https://youtu.be/LUNL-Pey7BU?si=00AE5Gf1r6vtchsQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=raWYLdIqy5A
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4Wj5bpID80
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgtBM23ltuw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPcwMFWZksQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=off7_MX4eZk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-v6DRmersc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgKMcrpvQNQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-P7obXHM3EQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxhzR5SzvRs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zF96tpchink
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JB4WyHe-HRM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T85-Obx9iE8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWWy7V9rCrA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKpSpvFCZRw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VsMvSZeiKmw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QIIPXA2A6cM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXi0yQD9F1Y
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tavPnYeFrV4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1T22wNvoNiU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=plwpzrXQoUw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQPk4cVrU_w
https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=1s&v=f5IWiqGKcQg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gd9j_NWZGG8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9XTozylrz-Q
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJL0-lDuJn8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMtDNA_kiZ4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdkyi7Myg-c
https://youtu.be/ADaRsEhTB70?si=p_GKjqgqUDcswLwf
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3dwFNq06bQk
https://youtu.be/pKRvc2HADUw?si=lR_ymsDfzwlrup0J
https://youtu.be/lgmLN1NHXyE?si=Xlk-u4Gbyxlmn-C1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fmi8KrntszI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVbqM_O2kcI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7trBUIkyO1A
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhqbNaxO82g
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWXAxOKdQ6c
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTOAd2fq740
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FeZ_Z1diuig
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-7zjsM5nQA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Goj8hyy_L0M
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KES40VdEtQg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVP_nCK0tXU
https://youtu.be/jjiyzoII06I?si=8bS0E2shLrS7O9zf
https://youtu.be/7lM8fVR_oZw?si=l45fTQsf7eXp78Ty
https://youtu.be/srvV0riIgXU?si=Qe-DWMTlZRlsb3Qi
https://youtu.be/iNwMvTVPq2E?si=HlZ1fYaCdRzxmiF4
https://youtu.be/Vofkw9-O18c?si=gzQ_ZGqawbwgIbcL
https://youtu.be/iEGniXc7Xtc?si=eh_t4hodQFix3UtZ
https://youtu.be/-1LDIPBWjtU?si=pp_KiOifoEejX2VJ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORpKwkq5z-4
https://youtu.be/qFs8-qGaoHU?si=Vj3TRiyLFQmkOFgY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wyprCbJwWsE
https://youtu.be/Woz3mS9Ao5k?si=sJGQru1pFn8iMg7z
https://youtu.be/yvSWRg_oPyw?si=nAKsR0Voifbny0JB

We've GOT to talk about the ending of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and why it's the worst part of an incredible video game

0:00 - Spoilers ahead
0:09 - The speech
0:52 - Expedition 33 is beautiful
1:18 - The endings
2:45 - We just need consistency

That sick edit by @monners5910 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bd3Zgf964k

Thanks to my writing partner, Lex, and to my friend Jason for coming up with this video's punch line in our Discord DMs.

I don't recommend Wanderstop.

Find the video of this episode at https://youtu.be/MXGSgWCv90Y
Find the written version of this episode at https://MattHorton.live

0:00 - How you make tea in Wanderstop
1:37 - Not just another "cozy" game
4:02 - I'm reminded of Indika
4:54 - Why tea?

Play Known Mysteries: https://www.solarserver.games/onnow.html

References:
More about Solar Server: https://karastonesite.com/2022/11/03/solar-server/
The Bluesky post: https://bsky.app/profile/raantuva.fyi/post/3liahynaoyx2v

More of me:
More writing at https://matthorton.live
Support my work at https://ko-fi.com/matthorton

0:00 - I'm tired of pretending things are normal
0:52 - What is Known Mysteries?

I couldn't decide which game was the best this year. So I didn't. There's a universe where every one of these is the game of the year.

Thanks to Cosmosis and AJ Fillari for being in this one!
Thanks to phloup_ for the cover of "I Will Protect You"
Find the written version of this video at https://MattHorton.live
Sudden Death on itch - https://dominoclub.itch.io/sudden-death

0:00 - The best game of 2024
0:16 - Mystery game
2:36 - Fishing game
5:25 - Fantasy game
9:16 - Spooky puzzle game
11:22 - The remake (w/ AJ)
11:30 - Tactics game
14:47 - Gay romance game
16:47 - Game from 2020
18:48 - Survival car game (w/ @Cosmosis )
20:11 - Card game
21:16 - Game about death
23:09 - Narrative game