Author: admin

Broken Age – Cuddle Dungeons of Doom:

Posted on by in Gaming

In storytelling, there is rarely such a thing as a coincidence. Every background detail and line of dialogue has been put there for a reason. My tabletop roleplaying group have caught onto this concept quickly. If I mention a seemingly insignificant character or detail about the weather, for example, my players will aggressively theorise until the cows come home. It does make it quite hard to hook them in for a storyline, I must admit. This detail-oriented approach can really lend itself to powerful storytelling in video games, especially of more story driven games like the topic of this week’s article – Broken Age.

Broken Age has two main characters – a young woman named Vella and a young man named Shay. As the sun and moon motifs from the game’s opening indicate, the worlds that Shay and Vella occupy are complete opposites. Although, as we find out at the end of Broken Age’s first act, they are in fact, related, much like the floating space rock and ball of gas that we see in the sky each day. However, what these two have in common is a desire to break free from their lives, from the traditions and ideals that they are expected to maintain. Which is something I think a lot of us can relate to in an ever-changing world.

Dammit, now I want cake.

Shay is an outer space explorer, living a mind-numbing routine, accompanied by his “parents” – a pair of Artificial Intelligence programs that are tasked with keeping him safe. This “safe” lifestyle has become restrictive and suffocating to Shay, leading to him searching for a change. Shay wants to break free. Meanwhile Vella, has been chosen to represent her village in a ceremony called “The Maiden’s Feast”. The feast in question is for a horrific creature called Mog Chothra, who chooses some of the women to be his sacrifices. This feast is treated as a celebration by the villages, rather than you know, a barbaric waste of human life. Vella wants to fight back.

As a point and click game, Broken Age focuses more on dialogue and puzzle solving, rather than any intense combat features or stealth mechanics. Want to avoid being eaten by Mog Chothra? Convince a nearby bird to give you a lift by using a corset as a makeshift saddle (obviously). Need to rescue some helpless yarn creatures from an avalanche? Eat the avalanche with your spoon because it is made of ice cream (why?). Some of the puzzles can be a bit complex to wrap your head around, especially when people in Meriloft KEEP TALKING ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING LIGHT INSTEAD OF HELPING YOU OUT.

I wish my missions in life were this easy.

Taking a page out of the theatre approach to storytelling, Broken Age is broken (cue evil laugh) into two acts. The first act introduces you to Shay and Vella in their own worlds and you get to see them react to surroundings they are comfortable in, as well as newer situations. You get a glimpse of how they react in times of trouble, their morals, and their ingenuity. You’d think there wouldn’t be many places that Broken Age could go to when it comes to storytelling, considering one of it’s two protagonists is in outer space but it throws you a curveball at the end of Act One.

Spoiler Alert:

It is revealed that Shay was never in space at all. He was inside Mog Chothra, a mechanical monster that is a part of something called “Project Dandelion”. In her attempts to take down the beast, Vella awakens Alex, a previous pilot of an ancient spaceship called the Malrouna, who helps her rig a laser trap for the beast. The trap works, bringing Mog Chothra down and allowing Shay to crawl out. Vella and Shay briefly see one another, before Vella falls into Mog Chothra and Shay becomes trapped on the outside. The two switch worlds and the player realise that these two stories are more deeply connected than they first appeared. Shay, for example, had a series of “secret rescue missions” that had him saving various critters using his ship’s mechanical arm. This little minigame directly mirrors the Maiden’s Feasts in Vella’s story, where the maidens are plucked from their podiums by a large arm. Suspicious.

You’ve heard of the big bad wolf right?

It is during Act Two that Broken Age takes a step from the mildly sinister undertones of it is opening act, to a much darker tale. You do not expect point and click adventure games to undertake such drastic tonal changes, but Broken Age achieves this, dragging you along for the ride. Marek, a stowaway on Shay’s ship from Act One, reveals the true purpose of Operation Dandelion. It is not to find a new home planet for Shay, who is supposedly the last of his species.

The Thrush, a species that Marek (whose true name is Marekai) is a member of, believe that the rest of the planet is infected with a horrible disease. So, they trapped a subsection of humans and governed over them, using the Maiden’s Feasts as a method of removing inferior genes from the population. Vella escaping Mog Chothra on two separate occasions, was not a coincidence. Her genetic makeup is deemed “superior” and the Thrush are planning on killing her and merging their DNA with hers, to “perfect” their bloodline and assume total dominion over the planet.

This guy looks far too like Cthulhu for my comfort.

Naturally, the game has a standard happy ending with Shay and Vella finally meeting face to face and peaceful alliances being drawn between the citizens behind the Plague Dam and those beyond it. However, what really intrigued me about this game was the connections between Vella and Shay. At first glance, they seem like utter strangers to one another. Different worlds, different situations, different people surrounding them. You do not expect to find those common threads between them, yet they are there. A bit like real life.

Something that I have discovered over my years of battling my mental health issues, is that although nobody’s journey is the same, there are some defining events and attitudes that tie us all together. Whether it is coping with sensory overload or struggling to discern hallucination from reality, mental health conditions are something that we each must live with, every second of every day. That constant battle, that constant war within yourself is a part of what makes us who we are. Why we fight for justice, why we speak up when we see wrong in the world. We stand up because if we do not, nobody will.

See you soon,

CaitlinRC

Super Mario Galaxy – The Best Mario Game Come at Me:

Posted on by in Gaming

As someone with a girlfriend, if my girlfriend was constantly carried off by a giant turtle and she did not get a restraining order taken out on that dude, then our relationship would be over faster than a Tik Tok. (Side note cannot believe I just wrote that sentence, I feel so old). So, I feel like Mario really needs to either find a new relationship or invest in some private security because come on dude, some of these kidnappings could have been easily prevented.

As baffling as the plot of the Mario games are (if it can even be called a plot), he is a beloved franchise and is 99% of the world’s first guess when asked about video games mascots. As much as I enjoy platformers, personally I never really got into the Mario games as a kid. I think my main bulk of play time in the plumber’s world was in the multiplayer minigames in the Mario Bros game for the DS, mostly because it was the one game that myself, my cousins and my sister all knew how to play.

Who knew I needed to race penguins?

We have talked about Mario Odyssey on the site before but other than that, I have not seen the need to talk about the many other instalments in the seemingly endless franchise. I do not need typing lessons or to have pills prescribed to me by someone who did not go to medical school. However, there is one set of Mario games that I have a soft spot for – the Mario Galaxy games. Released for the Nintendo Wii, these games formed a large part of my childhood and were the first games that my sister would play with me.

As much as I adore my sister, video games are not her forte. Case in point, I let her have a go playing some Spiderman a few months back and her main achievement was to jump up and down the street like a weirdly dressed frog. It was mostly to piss me off but still, the point stands. So, the multiplayer aspects of the Mario Galaxy game (although limited) were perfect for us to play together, without resorting to murdering one another.

So…. you like jazz?

Taking any series and sending it into space, can make or break the franchise. Just look at the Friday the 13th series! Why on earth would you send Jason into space? If humanity had mastered inter-space travel, you think they would be able to put down one dude with a murder fetish. Thankfully, Mario in space was worth the pocket money that I spent on it. Though if my wrists start cracking by the time, I turn 30, then maybe I played too much of it. The introduction of motion controls into modern gaming must have really boosted physiotherapists businesses.

After playing Odyssey, it really feels like Galaxy was the blueprint that they based their most successful game off. Exploring different worlds with unique themes, collecting stars/moons for completing odd tasks, trying out new powers (be that through possession or consumption of odd mushrooms), even improving your ship as your adventure progresses. Even the concept of a world changing after you beat it for the first time was seen in the various comet types in Galaxy, only to become entirely new sections in Odyssey. Thankfully, the cosmic clones have stayed in the TRASH WHERE THEY BELONG.

THESE FREAKING CLONES. I SWEAR TO GOD.

More than anything, the Galaxy games were a kind of escape. I got to explore new places, try new things, and just revel in the excitement that those goofy minigames brought me. The age that I played those games, were when my battles with self-esteem and anxiety began. To have something that I could escape into and that my big sister could enjoy with me, was a support system that I did not know that I needed.

Anyways, I will go back to writing my dissertation project now.

CaitlinRC

Animal Crossing New Horizons – Being Outside Whilst Staying Inside:

Posted on by in Gaming, Real Life

Much like every person on the planet with a Nintendo Switch, I have been playing a lot of Animal Crossing New Horizons over the last month and a half. As it’s release date was scheduled for after my show season was over (for those who don’t know, I was production manager for a play for my university’s drama society), I’d pre-ordered it as a treat, to play as a wind down from the rewarding but incredibly stressful, show weeks. Thankfully, my show went without a hitch but the other play I was doing lighting for, had to stop due to the lockdown measures. So, New Horizons became my isolation game.

WHAT A HECKIN GOOD BOI

I have talked about Animal Crossing before on the site, with it being the second ever article posted on Mind Games (mind blowing, I know). So, if I repeat myself at all, I apologise! However, in traditional Mind Games fashion – there is more I would like to say. Specifically, about how New Horizons has kept me (moderately) sane during these trying times. If you will indulge me dear reader, by enjoying what is probably the thousandth article you have seen posted about the game. I may be no Eurogamer but hopefully something I say will strike a chord with you.

More than anything, what New Horizons provides for me is a sense of normality. Even if we were not in the middle of a world-wide pandemic, my world is at a turning point. I am graduating from university, starting a new job, and moving to a new place. Everything in my life is changing and that is a terrifying thought. So, having a game with a set routine, simple mechanics, and plenty of opportunities to make the island my own, is a great source of comfort.

This guy has been my nemesis since Wild World and I swear to Isabelle, I’ll sink his ship.

When I get up each day, I get my cereal and a fresh mug of coffee. I will watch whatever YouTube videos tickle my fancy, be that livestreams that I missed or compilations from my favourite shows. Then, I boot up Animal Crossing. I will grab the four fossils, hunt down the money rock and freshly grown money tree (who knew that there was a magic money tree), check for any visitors (or invaders like Redd) and water my flower fields. If I am missing any bugs or fish then I will go for a wander, tool in hand. Afterwards, I go about the rest of my day – maybe returning to my island in the evening once my work is done.

It becomes a constant. Others see it as tedious and repetitive, a game with no real end goal or objective – not worth the time investment. To me, it is a life ring that I cling to in a storm. In the words of the Lutece twins from Bioshock Infinite, it is all a matter of perspective. What I see will always be different to what you see. It is when you accept these different viewpoints, that you see the truth value of games like Animal Crossing in trying times like this.

Who needs to wait till Halloween for true horror, when Zipper is here.

Obviously, I am not the most social individual. At university, it means that I tend to avoid the traditional activities, such as club nights, pub crawls and various raves. I would rather meet a friend for coffee and go our separate ways afterwards. A couple of my closest friends have mastered the art of co-existing with me. We could be in the same room for hours, doing our own thing and neither of us will feel the need to fill the silence with awkward chatter.

The multiplayer aspect of Animal Crossing leans into the concept of co-existing. Often, I will visit a friend’s island and we will do our own thing. Be that fishing, harvesting fruit or wandering around getting to know all their villagers (and making them love you more in two minutes than the person who has known them for WEEKS). You get to talk to and enjoy the company of those friends that maybe you are in a different country from or those you cannot see due to the ongoing lockdown. It is not as good as the real thing, but people are finding creative ways to spend time with their loved ones using the capitalist raccoon’s island paradises.

WAKE UP BLATHERS I’VE GOT ANOTHER FOSSIL FOR YOU

The terraforming aspect of the game is remarkably therapeutic. Getting to mould and change your island into something that you feel genuinely proud of, is an incredibly satisfying feeling. Plus, you get to fix those weird cliff edges and oddly shaped ponds that your island starts out with. For those who cannot leave the house for the foreseeable future and those who live in an area without much greenery to enjoy in those brief daily walks for exercise purposes, getting to mould an ideal outside world, brings a little bit of joy that may be missing in their days.

Anyways, those are just a few thoughts I have had about New Horizons. I am keeping this piece short as I have a lot of university work to finish off and I do not want to repeat myself too much! I will post some pictures of my island once I finish the grand rebuilding process (scheduled for AFTER my dissertation is finished) on my Twitter so go follow me – @OurMindGames / @CaitlinRC

See you all soon,

CaitlinRC.

Found Phone Games – Tech NO logy

Posted on by in Uncategorized

As of writing this article, I am nearing my final month at university. By the time this lockdown is lifted, I will have completed a bachelor’s degree in computer science. A terrifying concept, I know. Though after three years of study and a metric ton of coursework assignments, I still get asked the same few questions. If I had a pound for every time, I was asked one of the following questions, I would not have needed a student loan to fund my degree. What are these questions? Well:

  1. Can you set up my printer/fix my laptop/other tech support tasks (I could but I do not want to)
  2. Will computers and robots take over the world? (Only if we are stupid)
  3. Are you a hacker? Can you hack into *insert government agency here*? (No, that is illegal)
  4. Could you break into my devices and steal all my personal data? (Again, no, that is illegal)

It is this fourth question that I would like to linger on today. Growing up with technology, I have heard every story under the sun about how my online friends are a bunch of 55-year-old men hiding in bushes to spy on me. There are various TV shows dedicated to catfishing incidents and online dating horror stories, designed to act as a warning against sharing your personal information with strangers over the Internet.

Over the last couple of years, video games have started to imitate this trend. This is mostly done through games like Orwell (based on the 1984 novel) which make use of the “Big Brother” concept and found-phone games like Simulacra and Sara is Missing.

Now these games take a few liberties when it comes to what kind of information you can access on someone’s phone but ignoring those and the supernatural entities, a lot of the gameplay is accurate. Illegal, but accurate. The Computer Misuse Act (1990) forbids the unauthorised access of any individual to another’s devices that may contain personal data e.g. cell phones, laptops, secure workstations etc.

However, all that data on their social media posts, on their public blogs? That is open to the public. In the intelligence community, the investigation of this public information is known as Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT). Many of us have an incredibly strong presence online, I know I do.

For example, if you went on my personal Twitter (@CaitlinRC), and read through my tweets, you would know that I am at university in Cardiff, studying computer science. You could learn my birthday, figure out my age, find pictures of me at conventions with friends, and so on. This is all public information.

It is a scary concept is not it? There are hundreds of databases that can be accessed by the public, with personal data. For example, take a car you walk past. If you know the licence plate, you can search the DVLA’s database and find the make/colour of the car. Sites like the way back machine allow you to view what a site looked like at a specific point in time, including any information that was deleted later.

These sources of information have been crucial in solving missing person cases. Heck, I have taken part in some OSINT competitions and although the investigations are confidential, it’s a nice thought that maybe some of the information that I found, could help reunite a family or bring closure to those who need it. Found phone games try to capture that feeling. It is like an elaborate jigsaw puzzle. All the pieces begin to fit, events form a coherent timeline and you get that sense of satisfaction as it all comes together (insert Kronk meme).

Studying the contents of someone’s phone is a surprisingly efficient way to understand the owner themselves. To some, it is just a “tool” or a “screen”, but to a lot of us it is a lifeline. For those stuck in bad situations, their phone can be an escape route. I have several games on my phone that I use to calm myself down when I am feeling anxious. My phone is how I talk to my family, my friends, especially in times like these. I feel connected. I feel in control.

Excusing my obvious nerdiness for all thing’s computer science, how we choose to communicate with those we care about, is so important. No text conversation is the same. No relationship is the same. No battle with mental health is the same.

And that is okay.

Remember that.

CaitlinRC

MINIT – This Article Will Self Destruct in 60 Seconds:

Posted on by in Gaming

When a game pops up with a time limit, that aggressively counts down in the corner of my screen, I tend to panic. Any of that calm, methodical logic, goes straight out the window and is replaced with utter panic and chaos. Even the most experienced gamers can be caught off guard by a ticking clock, switching from calm professionalism to flailing back and forth, interacting with every possible object to stop the countdown. In hindsight, it is quite funny. In the moment however, it is utterly terrifying.

So, a game based entirely around a timer mechanic? It was intriguing and anxiety inducing to say the least. MINIT is a small, indie game made by Devolver Digital. An entirely black and white, goofy adventure game that requires you to find elegant solutions to puzzles within the 60 second time limit of each “run”. You have three functions in the game – MOVE, USE OBJECT and DIE. Yes, you read that correctly. The “DIE” option acts as an instant reset button. If you mess up the required items for a puzzle or realise that you are going to run out of time, then you do not need to reload a save file or lose an hour of progress.

Slightly ominous, standing behind a old bloke with a big old sword.

MINIT reminds me of the earlier Zelda games like Link’s Awakening and A Link Between Worlds. It focuses more on the top-down puzzle solving parts of similar adventure games, filtering it down to the core essentials. You have the key mechanic – the 60 second timer, triggered by picking up a cursed sword that was lying around (as they normally do). Your end goal is to go to the factory where the cursed swords are being manufactured and to shut it down. Naturally, that involves entering a haunted house, travelling to a desert island, exploring a temple, and trying not to get murdered by snakes. All in the span of 60 seconds.

What I find most fascinating about this game, is that I felt calm throughout it. Even when I failed at a puzzle, or ran out of time, I felt that I knew enough to improve on my next run. There was no creeping anxiety or shaking hands that normally accompany those timed situations. In hindsight, that is a rather sad thought to have. Regardless, we all know how impactful time restrictions and deadlines can be. Just look at the education system in most countries.

A good, pixelated doggo, to calm all your worries.

The exams that you sit in the UK, tend to be about two or three hours long, depending on the topic. Some subjects have multiple papers, like Maths, whilst others only have one or two papers, like Psychology. The dozens of hours that you have put into studying, the hundred odd hours that your teachers put into delivering the content, all come down to those precious minutes in the exam hall. Especially when some subjects do not use coursework to assess their students, your entire qualifications depend on how you perform over the course of a few weeks.

Academic exams were my nightmare. Even at university, they still are. No matter how much preparation I do, be that past papers, lab questions, aggressively staring at the content and hoping it will absorb into my skull, I always struggle. Often, I walk into the exam room, sit down and immediately panic and forget everything. My breathing grows rapid, my heart races and my hands and legs wont stop shaking. I take my exams in a smaller room due to anxiety and I do receive extra time, but these provisions only came when I was at university. During secondary school, I refused to admit that I had a problem. So, I would sit in that exam hall filled with over a hundred other students and suffer through, rarely achieving what I was capable of.

Spooky temple is spooky.

More often that not, it would stump my teachers. My performance in class and in my various homework assignments were always of high quality but whenever exam season came around, my grades would fall flat. We tried different revision strategies and calming techniques, but nothing seemed to work. Now that I am on medication and am working through my issues, my exams are not as bad to deal with, but they still are not great. I do not cope well in big action games that give me a countdown or I receive an instant game over. The number of times I have hurled a controller across the room due to failing a countdown scenario, is more than I would care to admit to on the internet.

MINIT provides the player with a list of achievements that they can aim for in the course of a initial playthrough, as well as challenges for those seeking a bit more difficulty in their gaming experiences. Some of them are goofy ones, like watering your dog with a watering can or talking to a mysterious ghost called Mary. It is a fascinating game for speed runners as well, considering the number of spawns you take has an impact on how “well” your run goes. The “Second Run” mode, only gives you 40 seconds on your timer, forcing you to think about your actions clearly.

I wonder what their rates are for an overnight stay.

As far as I am aware, MINIT is still on Game Pass for Xbox/PC so, give it a go if you are interested! It is a game that you can pick up easily and have a good time with, regardless of how much spare time you can dedicate to it! Ten minutes or an hour, I hope you will have a blast with it either way.

I hope you are all staying safe in these scary times and if you ever need anyone to talk to, reach out to me. Be that in the comments, through the contact page on the site or on Twitter @OurMindGames.

Wash your dang hands,

CaitlinRC.