#Bundle of Ukraine
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Arlo The Rabbit
by Joshimations, Crooked Beaker
Price (US): $2
Included In: Bundle for Racial Justice and Equality, Bundle for Ukraine
Genre: Platformer
Pitch: A beginner-friendly platformer inspired by the classics.
My expectations: Mechanically, I'm not sure what to expect, but tonally, Arlo shouts Kirby. The cute protagonist, the visual style of the backgrounds, the HUD; they're all Kirby.
It's fairly common for indie games to emulate the monochromatic, low-resolution, dot-matrix Game Boy. Arlo has the Game Boy aspect ratio, with appropriately scaled sprites, but its resolution seems to be arbitrary. It has four-shade graphics in gray, not green, evoking nostalgia for Game Boy Pocket rather than the older model.
Am I looking at a deliberately loose riff on Game Boy platformers, or am I just overthinking a sloppy, naïve copycat?
Review:
Arlo the Rabbit combines one half Kirby and one half Super Mario Bros. 2. The result is less than the sum of those parts.
Kirby provides the attitude and aesthetic. It’s an easygoing, nonthreatening platformer for all ages. From the interstitial scenes between levels to the way Arlo gets launched into the background to the dance after defeating a boss, every part of the presentation points back to early ‘90s Kirby…which serves as a constant reminder that you could be playing the real thing instead of this drawn-freehand-with-a-mouse imitation. It’s a shame that the homage hasn’t been seasoned with other references or better yet, some original ideas.
Arlo’s only means of attack is grabbing single-use rocks off the ground and chucking them at enemies,similar to the way turnips and radishes were used in Super Mario Bros. 2. While carrying a rock, however, Arlo’s maximum jump height is cut in half. It’s a neat idea, or it would be if the level design ever took advantage of it.
Stage layouts are uninspired and repetitive. All enemies behave identically, shuffling slowly back and forth across set paths. Bosses offer a nice reprieve, but they’re predictable pushovers.
+ An inoffensive and functional game that can be completed in one sitting.
+ Walk, jump, throw—just the right level of complexity for anyone who's just learning to play action games.
+ The chipper soundtrack captures that Kirby feeling.
+ Pos
– Not much design in these levels. Secrets, dead ends, and bottomless pits all look the same as the critical path. Enemies, rocks, health-replenishing items, and 1UPs are just sorta tossed wherever.
– Platforming is only ever tricky because the camera is locked to Arlo's vertical position. Jump, and the camera jumps with you. Here, I have a visual demonstration:
– Boring enemies. Some move on the ground. Some move in the air. Some move up and down. But they're all slow, and they're all completely oblivious to the player's actions.
– Crummy hit detection. Or maybe they're just serious about COVID prevention protocols. Get within six feet of an enemy, and watch your health drop.
🧡🧡🤍🤍🤍
Bottom Line: So simple that it might actually be more beginner friendly than Kirby. With only a fraction of the charm and attention to detail, however, Arlo the Rabbit isn't likely to inspire a life-long love of platforming in anyone.
#JakeReviewsItch is a series of daily game reviews. You can learn more here. You can also browse past reviews...
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#Arlo The Rabbit#Joshimations#Crooked Beaker#Game Boy#Kirby#Super Mario Bros. 2#Doki Doki Panic#Neo-Retro#Platformer#Beginner-friendly#Computer Game#PC Game#Video Game#Indie Game#JakeReviewsItch#Itch.io#Game Review#Bundle of Ukraine#Bundle of Racial Justice and Equality
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Game 244 - Welcome to Elk by Triple Topping
I picked up this game through the itch.io Bundle for Ukraine. I chose to donate 10 dollars, and I found about 38 games in the bundle that I was actually interested in. So, the consideration for this game will be if it was worth the 26 cents (rounded up) that I paid for it and the hours that I played it for. The bundle has since ended, but I still encourage you to make a donation to the organizations listed here.
What did I think it was at first? This was recommended in some kind of Facebook Gaming Article out of the Ukraine bundle. It had been on my Steam wishlist for a while so extra double bonus!
How was the character creator? None, you just play as Frigg, a carpenter. You don't really get to make choices for Frigg, but you play as her in minigames and you can decorate her house.
How was the game? This is a game that will be tough to talk about without spoiling it - but mostly, Welcome to Elk is about stories.
You arrive at the island and are immediately swept into community with a rich cast of characters. One thing I really enjoyed about the game is that you get to take quick breaks from the story with minigames that keep you involved and invested.
Throughout the whole game, a mystery about the island is hinted at - there are a few fourth wall breaks that work very well to develop this mystery. The game also uses perspective changes (third person to first person) to make particular scenes a lot more visceral and emotionally heavy.
I also really like the soundtrack!
What did I not love? There are a lot of darker moments in the story, from sexual harassment of the main character to a variety of types and methods of death. The tone swings wildly, which isn't helped by the cartoonish art style and walking animations. It was a little jarring for me to leave an emotional scene with Frigg's cute Cartoon Network smile looking out the screen at me.
In order to enjoy this game, you have to be ok with the lack of a narrative payoff. There are a lot of loose threads left at the end of the game for the player to contemplate, but ultimately the game builds toward a climax it doesn't deliver. And that's ok? I still really enjoyed it, but I remember finishing it and then trying to reload in because I expected there to be more.
At 3 hours and 26 cents, was it really worth it? If you don't like story games, Welcome to Elk may fall flat for you. However, if you're looking for something reflective with light gameplay and humorous moments, this might be a good fit for you. I really enjoyed this game.
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You're so cool!! and i wish i could engage with you more but i dont know much about Fate and im too shy to talk to you 😅 But everytime you post about him im like "yes!!! wahoo!!" But yeah i think you're cool and you seem super nice i love seeing you on my dash
Anonymously tell me how you feel about me. I can’t reply, I just have to read it and post it.
#😊#thanks for the ask!!#(also breaking the rule again to say: i highly recommend checking out dnt!!)#(its probably going to go on sale on steam soon since the release anniversary is coming up)#(and if you bought the big ukraine aid bundle on itch last year you might already have it)
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Brain Teasers Awaiting Your Discovery: Unparalleled Puzzlers Holiday Encore
Unparalleled Puzzlers Holiday Encore game bundle launches mostly Verified for Steam Deck, Linux, via Windows PC. Thanks to the ongoing support from good folks at Humble Bundle. Available now as a pay what you want bundle.
I'm going to tell you about something happening in the world of interactive entertainment. It's the Unparalleled Puzzlers Holiday Encore bundle, and it's a collection of challenging and fun titles that will test your thinking in new and exciting ways.
First, let's talk about what this bundle is. Imagine a set of digital puzzles and challenges, each with its unique world and rules. You get to explore these worlds and solve puzzles that make you think outside the box. It's a treasure chest of brain teasers that are mostly Steam Deck Verified, so they work on Linux as well.
One of the best things in this Unparalleled Puzzlers Holiday Encore is the native game, Baba Is You. It's an award-winning puzzle where you can change the rules as you play. Think of it as being in a maze where you can move the walls and paths to find your way out. Another one, "Dorfromantik", is more laid-back. It lets you piece together beautiful village landscapes, like putting together a peaceful puzzle.
You'll also find intriguing titles like "Creaks" and "The Last Campfire". Each of these brings its own unique flavor to the Unparalleled Puzzlers Holiday Encore bundle, offering you a variety of challenges and stories.
Now, here's something important. This bundle is a special, limited-time offer. It's like a rare event in the gaming world that won't last forever. Once the set amount of bundles are gone, that's it. You won't be able to buy it anymore.
Unparalleled Puzzlers Holiday Encore includes:
Baba is You
Dorfromantik (with Proton) Verified
Creaks (with Proton) Verified
The Last Campfire (with Proton) Verified
Monument Valley: Panoramic Edition (with Proton)
Monument Valley 2: Panoramic Edition (with Proton)
DARQ: Complete Edition (with Proton) Verified
25% Off Humble Choice - Only eligible to new subscribers.
Buying this Unparalleled Puzzlers Holiday Encore is a bit different from just picking up a single game. The total value of these titles is around $100 USD, but with Humble Bundle, you get to choose how much you pay. The minimum is about $10 USD, but you can pay more if you want.
All the games here are available on Steam for Windows PC, and some are also available for Linux and Mac. Most of them are Verified, or at least offer Platinum Proton support.
Here's another unique part. When you buy this bundle, you're also helping a good cause. Part of the money goes to support Razom for Ukraine, an organization that's doing important work. You also get to decide how the money is split between the publishers and the charity. And if you really like what Humble Bundle is doing, you can leave them a tip too.
So, this Unparalleled Puzzlers Holiday Encore is a great way to challenge your mind, explore new worlds, and help a worthy cause, all at the same time. It's a win-win situation for everyone involved, all in a pay what you want bundle. Again, mostly Verified for Steam Deck, Linux, via Windows PC.
#unparalleled puzzlers holiday encore#puzzle games#linux#gaming news#humble bundle#razom for ukraine#ubuntu#steam deck#windows#pc
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oh yoooo fatum betula is in the games for gaza bundle. the aesthetics of that game are so nice, i think about cherry nightmare all the time it’s so striking
#i don’t have my switch so i don’t have my screenshots#maybe i’ll play it again#funny little atmospheric adventure horror#the ocean and suburbia were really striking too#oh damn it was in the ukraine bundle too and i didn’t even notice#god it’s pretty
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Working through more of the Bundle for Ukraine games! Here is Co-Open - a game that's about going to the grocery store. Sort of.
You play as a bird/kid who is going to the grocery store for the first time by themselves, and end up doing a bunch more than that.
There's a lot more things to do and weirdness than you would think
Also there are cats.
It was fun and I don't think I found half of what I was supposed to, even thought I looked at every little thing. I'll have to do a replay sometime.
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It is over and everything is lost. This is the refrain repeated by Armenian families as they take that final step across the border out of their home of Nagorno-Karabakh.
In just a handful of days more than 100,000 people, almost the entire Armenian population of the breakaway enclave, has fled fearing ethnic persecution at the hands of Azerbaijani forces. The world barely registered it. But this astonishing exodus has vanished a self-declared state that thousands have died fighting for and ended a decades-old bloody chapter of history.
On Saturday, along that dusty mountain road to neighbouring Armenia, a few remaining people limp to safety after enduring days in transit.
Among them is the Tsovinar family who appear bundled in a hatchback littered with bullet holes, with seven relatives crushed in the back. Hasratyan, 48, the mother, crumbles into tears as she tries to make sense of her last 48 hours. The thought she cannot banish is that from this moment forward, she will never again be able to visit the grave of her brother killed in a previous bout of fighting.
“He is buried in our village which is now controlled by Azerbaijan. We can never go back,” the mother-of-three says, as her teenage girls sob quietly beside her.
“We have lost our home, and our homeland. It is an erasing of a people. The world kept silent and handed us over”.
She is interrupted by several ambulances racing in the opposite direction towards Nagorno-Karabakh’s main city of Stepanakert, or Khankendi, as it is known by the Azerbaijani forces that now control the streets. Their job is to fetch the few remaining Karabakh Armenians who want to leave and have yet to make it out.
“Those left are the poorest who have no cars, the disabled and elderly who can’t move easily,” a first responder calls at us through the window. “Then we’re told that’s it.”
As the world focused on the United Nations General Assembly, the war in Ukraine and, in the UK, the felling of an iconic Sycamore tree, a decades old war has reignited here unnoticed.
It ultimately heralded the end of Nagorno-Karabakh, a breakaway Armenian region, that is internationally recognised as being part of Azerbaijan but for several decades has enjoyed de facto independence. It has triggered the largest movement of people in the South Caucasus since the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Azerbaijan has vehemently denied instigating ethnic cleansing and has promised to protect Armenians as it works to reintegrate the enclave.
But in the border town of Goris, surrounded by the chaotic arrival of hundreds of refugees, Armenia’s infrastructure minister says Yerevan was now struggling to work out what to do with tens of thousands of displaced and desperate people.
“Simply put this is a modern ethnic cleansing that has been permitted through the guilty silence of the world,” minister Gnel Sanosyan tells The Independent, as four new busses of fleeing families arrive behind him.
“This is a global shame, a shame for the world. We need the international community to step up and step up now.”
The divisions in this part of the world have their roots in centuries-old conflict but the latest iterations of bitter bloodshed erupted during the collapse of the Soviet Union. The Karabakh Armenians, who are in the majority in the enclave, demanded the right to autonomy over the 4,400 square kilometre rolling mountainous region that has its own history and dialect. In the early 1990s they won a bloody war that uprooted Azerbaijanis, building a de facto state that wasn’t internationally unrecognised.
That is until in 2020. Azerbaijan, backed by Turkey, launched a military offensive and took back swathes of territory in a six-week conflict that killed thousands of soldiers and civilians. Russia, which originally supported Armenia but in recent years has grown into a colder ally, brokered a fragile truce and deployed peacekeepers.
But Moscow failed to stop Baku in December, enforcing a 10-month blockade on Nagorno-Karabakh, strangling food, fuel, electricity and water supplies. Then, the international community stood by as Azerbaijan launched a 24-hour military blitz that proved too much for Armenian separatist forces. Outgunned, outnumbered and weakened by the blockade, they agreed to lay down their weapons.
For 30 years the Karabakh authorities had survived pressure from international powerhouses to give up statehood or at least downgrade their aspirations for Nagorno-Karabakh. For 30 years peace plans brokered by countries across the world were tabled and shelved.
And then in a week all hope vanished and the self-declared government agreed to dissolve.
Fearing further shelling and then violent reprisals, as news broke several Karabakh officials including former ministers and separatist commanders, had been arrested by Azerbaijani security forces, people flooded over the border.
At the political level there are discussions about “reintegration” and “peace” but with so few left in Nagorno-Karabakh any process would now be futile.
And so now, sleeping in tents on the floors of hotels, restaurants and sometimes the streets of border towns, shellshocked families, with a handful of belongings, are trying to piece their lives together.
Among them is Vardan Tadevosyan, Nagorno-Karabakh’s minister of health until the government was effectively dissolved on Thursday. He spent the night camping on the floor of a hotel, and carries only the clothes he is wearing. Exhausted he says he had “no idea what the future brings”.
“For 25 years I have built a rehabilitation centre for people with physical disabilities I had to leave it all behind. You don’t know how many people are calling me for support,” he says as his phone ringed incessantly in the background throughout the interview.
“We all left everything behind. I am very depressed,” he repeats, swallowing the sentence with a sigh.
Next to him Artemis, 58, a kindergarten coordinator who has spent 30 years in Steparankert, says the real problems were going to start in the coming weeks when the refugees outstay their temporary accommodation.
“The Azerbaijanis said they want to integrate Nagorno-Karabakh but how do you blockade a people for 10 months and then launch a military operation and then ask them to integrate?” she asks, as she prepares for a new leg of the journey to the Armenian capital where she hopes to find shelter.
“The blockade was part of the ethnic cleansing. This is the only way to get people to flee the land they love. There is no humanity left in the world.”
Back in the central square of Goris, where families pick through piles of donated clothes and blankets and aid organisations hand out food, the loudest question is: what next?
Armenian officials are busy registering families and sending them to shelters in different corners of the country. But there are unanswered queries about long-term accommodation, work and schooling.
“I can’t really think about it, it hurts too much,” says Hasratyan’s eldest daughter Lilet, 16, trembling in the sunlight as the family starts the registration process.
“All I can say to the world is please speak about this and think about us. We are humans, people made of blood, like you and we need your help.”
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Biden Finally speaks to the Nation
Joe Biden gives his FIRST State of the UNION 13 months after his Inauguration
Biden’s speech comes amid the biggest military crisis in Europe since the Cold War as Russia continues its assault on Ukraine after launching an unprovoked attack on the nation. It also comes amid record inflation and spiking consumer prices, and as many Americans feel fatigued during a pandemic that has stretched into…
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#Bundle Planetary Mundane Pattern#Libra Rising#March Events#North Node in Scorpio#Putin Invades Ukraine
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steam why are you like this
#i have spent like an hour trying to buy the bundle#which i was able to do with the help of my amazing mutual <3#i tried multiple times to go though with the purchase but it freezed at the bank account authentication#i tried to log into my account from the web version instead of the app but steam guard didn't let me sing in#i kept trying over and over again#my browser crashed multiple times for some reason???#the store kept switching from ukrainian to irish versions#i had to fill in my bank account details over and over again but it just wouldn't go through#until i realised that my billing address is tied to my card and my factual address has nothing to do with it#but i wanted to switch my account to ireland so it doesn't get banned#which i couldn't do because my billing address is in ukraine#ughhhhhhhh#i got it for slightly cheaper but now there's a chance my steam account will get banned when i finally get a laptop and try to play#oof#well now i officially can no longer say that i have never gave bioware money L#i'm so happy tho :^)
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Got the general opinion that "bundling shit together in bills is nothing really to complain about" but the Ukraine/Israel/Tiktok ban bill is testing me there.
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#JakeReviewsItch
An Outcry, prelude
by Quinn K.
Price (US): $1
Included In: Bundle for Ukraine
Genre: Interactive Fiction, Visual Novel
Pitch: The story of what happened before Outcry, which appears to be a spooky RPG.
My expectations: It claims to be 10 minutes long, and it costs $1. I got it in a bundle, but who is buying this at full price? Outcry fans who couldn't get enough, or people who want a taste of Outcry, but aren't ready to invest $10? Do either of those people exist?
I feel like I'm about to play a demo from a couple developers who think they're the Hideo Kojima of indie visual novels.
Review:
“...they got a visit of terrific birdness.”
That is An Outcry, prologue. It is the story of a formless lump of clay getting a visit of terrific birdness.
A person who seems to be wearing a face on his face (à la Hannibal Lecter) says, “Kekekaykaykikikoo,” by which I mean you hear a recording of writer/actor Quinn K. speaking as if each of those syllables is a complete sentence, before talking about some bird things. You know, beaks and feathers. Their delivery is ponderous, leaving space for a bathroom break each time he reaches a comma.
Hannibal lets Clayface know that the world is poo, everyone stinks, and the only recourse is to embrace birdness. Clayface (voiced in a slightly higher, weaker register by Quinn K.) is given two “choices” over the course of the conversation, and neither affects so much as a single line of dialogue.
Wisps of fog and a droning tone set an unsettling mood, and the credits music sounds like a filthy rave, in a good way.
I don’t know what else to say. There’s a visit of terrific birdness, several minutes of inscrutable bird talk happen, and then it’s over. Don’t play it.
+ A visit of terrific birdness.
+ A visit of terrific visual elements. (Not a lot of them. Could be birdier.)
+ A visit of terrific music.
+ Kekekaykaykikikoo
– I have no idea what any of this is, and it's done nothing to pique my interest in whatever Outcry might be.
– Allergic to apostrophes.
– Fake choices.
– No, seriously, what is this?
🧡🤍🤍🤍🤍
Bottom Line: Bird is not the word.
#JakeReviewsItch is a series of daily game reviews. You can learn more here. You can also browse past reviews...
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• By rating
• By genre
#An Outcry#an outcry (game)#An Outcry prelude#A visit of birdness#Birds#Visual Novel#Quinn K.#Jack King-Spooner#Bundle for Ukraine#JakeReviewsItch#Computer Game#Video Game#Indie Game#Itch.io#Game Review
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Game 232 - co-open by lowpolis
I picked up this game through the itch.io Bundle for Ukraine. I chose to donate 10 dollars, and I found about 38 games in the bundle that I was actually interested in. So, the consideration for this game will be if it was worth the 26 cents (rounded up) that I paid for it and the hours that I played it for. The bundle has since ended, but I still encourage you to make a donation to the organizations listed here.
What did I think it was at first? Maybe it's a game about running a store!
How was the character creator? None, you're just a lil guy (gender neutral). The character design was pretty cute and everyone has pronoun tags next to their character - I wish I got to make one!
How was the game? Ok, so the first time I played I was like "what's the fuss about?"
You're on your very first shopping trip alone, so I...did the shopping and left. The blocky art style is cute and the music is inoffensive. The art for the little items is cute. Overall, the game took me about 30 seconds.
Then I watched the credits and was like hmm? Until I remembered that my grandmother had encouraged me to adventure!
So, the next time through, I decided to be a lil guy on an adventure. No following societal norms. Do whatever I want.
I went into the stockroom and discovered an icy portal to a snowy wonderland. I climbed a fence and made friends. I ran through the air vents and met an amorphous spirit of consumerism.
The more you explore, the more fun you'll have!
What did I not love? Once I got the gist of the game, I was able to really figure out what the gameplay was - however, it was hard for me to tell when I had seen everything I could see? It's also hard to put things back on shelves if I didn't want to pick them up. I think a little more user interface or like a hint system would be a cool addition here.
At 2 hours and 26 cents, was it really worth it? This was very cute and I quite enjoyed it. I'm sure there are more secrets I wasn't able to find. Worth it for finding it in a bundle, for sure!
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To fast-track the bipartisan legislation, House Speaker Mike Johnson combined it with a bill to allow the US to confiscate Russian assets, then bundled it into a package containing aid bills for Taiwain, Israel, and Ukraine, which have all been delayed for months amid congressional infighting.
20 Apr 24
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Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene
NO, I am NOT voting for the rule on Johnson’s bundle of funding bills for billions more to Ukraine and other foreign wars.
When Joe Biden signs HR2 into law and Schumer holds the Mayorkas impeachment trial in the Senate, I will agree to vote for the rule only.
The United States Congress swore an oath to America and Americans and our country is under a daily deadly invasion and the Cartels are at war against our country,
The Biden admin is giving aid and comfort to them.
Speaker Johnson is not holding Democrats accountable nor leading our Republican majority, he’s actually giving in to Democrats every demand. And he’s using dirty swamp tactics to push through the America Last agenda.
It’s time to STAND FOR AMERICA!!!
For everyone at home:
Voting for the rule allows the actual bill to move forward for a vote. You can still vote no on the actual bill after voting yes on the rule. They are two separate votes and commonly the way the House passes bills. However, the Speaker can suspend the rules and force the actual bill to the floor for a one time yes or no vote, which is what Johnson did with other major funding rules. Strategy will change if that happens.
CALL YOUR REPS
202-224-3121
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Can anyone who speaks Russian translate this? UNITED24 says Russia will charge you with treason if you download some World of Tanks bundle that I presume benefits Ukraine in someway.
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Okay, I gave The Lost Art of Innkeeping another go.
Cat friend! And I like the little themed days at the inn
Got the railway! (Much easier than Fallen London)
And I did it right this time, yay!
Although I did something wrong this time with the Rudolph storyline I think, so I missed out on that ending. Will definitely give it another try sometime because I'd like to see that guy get run out of town, haha.
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