Category: Gaming

Game Chuck – Trip A Little Ark Fantastic:

Posted on by in Gaming

When I was at EGX, my first press meeting was probably the one that has stayed with me the most. It was with a company called Game Chuck – a group of hardware and video game developers that are based in Croatia. Although it did take me a solid half an hour to find where their stand was in the massive convention centre, I ended up staying and talking to the team for a good hour. Their games fall under three categories and the passion they bring to all of them is astounding to see.

First up, is their interactive comics. Inspired by the Dilbert comics and Lucas Arts point and click adventure games, the team combine gorgeous hand drawn panels with clever and amusing storylines – such as an Ape in space that vapes to gain more intelligence. No, I didn’t make that last bit up – it’s a real game called Vape Escape that you can try for free. The conversation paths you take, the moral choices you make and the eventual ending you reach are all saved to a PDF file that you can print out as an actual comic book to relive your playthrough at any time you would like!

Look at how talented these people are!!!!

Next, their arcade style games that will be playable on their own arcade system that they are building! I got to see a test build of their upcoming fast-paced game, Speed Limit, which is a beautiful homage to the arcade era of action-packed pixel art games. From being chased down a train carriage by a never-ending swarm of heavily armed policemen, to stepping on the accelerator as you race down a faux-3D road on a motorbike, the level of detail that went into each level is astonishing to see.

Game Chuck as a company design their games to be simplistic but enjoyable. They reward the player for trying weird and whacky combinations of actions. If you attempt to combine two items that aren’t meant to be together, you get a custom response, instead of a general “that doesn’t work” placeholder line – which makes you want to try and mash everything together like a toddler discovering Lego for the first time. Dead ends are a thing of the past in their games, with character’s actively reminding you if you’ve already tried something before, which allows you to really immerse yourself in the experiences and stories that Game Chuck are trying to tell.

Look at cute little Charles ;-;

Why am I mentioning Game Chuck then, considering EGX was a couple months ago now? Well, earlier this week, they reached out to me to let me know about their new project – Trip the Art Fantastic. The first trailer is out on YouTube and you can go watch that here:

Planned for release in 2022 for PC’s and consoles, Trip the Ark Fantastic is a role-playing adventure game set in the Animal Kingdom. The kingdom is on the brink of social and industrial revolutions, with the future events to be decided by the player’s actions. You play as Charles, an adorable hedgehog scholar who is tasked with saving the monarchy. However, depending on the choices you make, you could end up helping topple the monarchy!

Instead of combat and boss battles, you must tackle the kingdom’s problems through logic, evidence and scientific analysis. From disproving other’s theories, to swaying public opinion in favour of the crown, the conclusions you draw will have ripple effects on the community. Finding the right evidence, choosing whether to publish a problematic argument and changing the course of history are all tasks that you must tackle if you wish to be successful.

Eat your heart out Disney, this is a Lion King.

The entirety of the game is hand-drawn by the talented artists, with each frame taking inspiration from the early animated classics that we all know and love. Through the eyes of Charles, they hope to explore the various types of society and their impact on the citizens of the kingdoms. Using fables and mythology as a launchpad, I believe that Trip the Ark Fantastic will start important conversations about how society is shaped by the past and what a powerful influence those in a position of power can have on the world.

The game won’t be out until 2020 but I think it’s something we should all keep an eye on. Check out Game Chuck’s existing games and upcoming projects, as they are such a talented group of people who I think will give even the AAA game companies a run for their money when it comes to producing quality games and stories.

Till next time,

CaitlinRC.

PHOGS – WOOF WOOF:

Posted on by in Gaming

Anyone who has spent more than ten minutes with me, will know that my attention can be easily distracted by any form of fuzzy animal – be that in video games or just while walking down the street. I’m a sucker for animals, to the point where my default in any game is to pet anything and everything that will let me. I’ve always had more of a connection with animals than I have with people, partly due to my struggles with understanding the intentions behind other’s actions and partly due to my heightened empathy, which can overwhelm me to the point of breakdown.

Cats hold a special place in my heart. Amusingly, I’ve often been described as more of a cat than a human. This is often because I have an uncanny ability to befriend the more skittish felines. Much to one of my best friends’ confusion, I managed to get his extremely shy cat who wouldn’t stay in a room with him for long periods of time, to rub herself against my feet within a day of meeting her. Praise be CaitlinRC, the cat whisperer. Hence why my only flaw with Assassins Creed Syndicate is that you can’t pet the cats that wander around London’s streets. LET EVIE CUDDLE A CAT YOU COWARDS. Thankfully, video games will often let you pet the dogs. If they didn’t let me praise these good boys and girls, then I’d probably be in prison under arson charges. #NoRegrets

Row, row, row your BORK.

Any game that has you controlling animals, immediately skyrockets to the top of my “to play” list. PHOGS, the game we are talking about today, has been on my radar for a while now. I got a chance to play it back at EGX Rezzed last year, with my good friend Ellie. In PHOGS, you and a partner play a pair of goofy dogs, attached to one another through a very stretchy belly. One of you plays Red and the other plays Blue, so you must work together to solve a variety of puzzles in order to progress through the bright and colourful world that you find yourself in. Though you can play PHOGS solo, I’d recommend playing it with a friend or a family member, as a lot of the joy comes from the interactions you have, the havoc you wreak on one another and the inevitable bark off that arises when you realise that you can press a button to bark.

Although it is a puzzle games, the puzzles themselves are not ridiculously difficult. By keeping the mechanics simple, PHOGS encourages you to be creative with your solutions, to try out new things and see how far that doggo can stretch. If you stumble across the answer whilst doing it, then great! The game itself is a very calming experience. There are no real “enemies” in PHOGS. Sure, there’s a few creatures and bits that your doggies don’t particularly like, but they aren’t major setbacks. This makes it a great game for parents to play with their children, especially for kids who have a lot more trouble focusing than others. It teaches them about cooperation, logical thinking and puzzle solving, without punishing them for getting things wrong.

Hardworking pups need their beauty sleep.

One thing that the game gets 100% right, is its colour palette. Colourful, vibrant and pretty but not overwhelming. When chatting with Jack at the PHOGS stand during EGX, I discovered that a lot of parents spoke very highly of the game, especially when they got to sit down and play it with their kids. For the parents of children on the autistic spectrum especially, the number of video games that they can play together without worrying about overstimulation, anxiety or frustration can be counted on the fingers on one hand. So, having a game like PHOGS, where the art style, music, gameplay and puzzle solutions are tailored to be accessible to all, is a breath of fresh air for all it’s players. Personally, I found PHOGS calming, providing me with a sense of peace and relaxation that I rarely get to experience for a prolonged period. For someone with anxiety, that can be a game changer.

Having games that are accessible, is majorly important. We touched on this in a bit more detail during our article about the gaming charity, Special Effect, last week. When chatting with Jack, it became clearly obvious that PHOGS is a massively accessible game that they hope that anyone and everyone can enjoy. When asked about further accessibility options, Jack was brilliant and told me about their plans to implement options for those who are red-blue colour blind. Being able to adapt, improve and open your game to every type of player, is a sign of a good developer. CoatSink, the company behind PHOGS are also behind Cake Bash, another colourful local coop game that has you take control of sentient desserts that fight one another to become the “most delicious”. (Bit dark when you think on it too much)

Me when I put too much spice in my curry.

PHOGS isn’t out yet, with an estimated release date in early 2020 on basically every platform. Being able to watch its development and growth as a game has been a joy and I genuinely can’t wait to see how everyone reacts to it. The initial feedback from various game journalism publications such as Eurogamer, Rock Paper Shotgun and GameSpace, have been outstandingly positive, so if you don’t believe me, go check out their pieces about PHOGS.

Anyways, I’ve got to go do more coursework, so look out for another piece soon and leave any feedback, suggestions or personal experiences in the comments! Like, comment, follow the site and our Twitter @OurMindGames for updates on all future content!

– CaitlinRC.

Röki and Eldest Souls – United Label Are One To Watch:

Posted on by in Gaming

Whilst I was at EGX, I got the chance to chat to the folks at United Label and try out their two games – Röki and Eldest Souls. First, I want to say a massive thank you to all the team I chatted to, who were a delight! They were all clearly passionate about their creations and the origins behind them, which only made me more excited to try out their games. It’s clear that a massive amount of care and detail has been put into their works and I highly recommend you go check them out, they’re deserving of all the love and attention you can give them. However, Röki and Eldest Souls are two very different games. Much like oil and water, they’re two creations that you wouldn’t expect to find under the same umbrella. So, lets talk about them and why they caught my eye.

Look at Tove’s cute little hat and backpack! LOOK AT IT!

First up, let’s talk about Röki. Made by Tom and Alex from Polygon Treehouse, it is their first venture into the indie gaming community, and it looks incredible. At its core, it is a game about kindness and courage. Based on Scandinavian folklore, you follow Tove, a young girl on a journey to save her family and confront her past. The world is full of monsters, but they are not inherently evil. They are merely creatures, like you and I. Pain, sadness, fear, happiness and humour – they experience these emotions as we do. Taking a step away from the traditional “must stab monsters” view that a lot of games based on exploring a world tend to follow. To move forward in the game, you help them solve their problems and in turn they’ll help you solve yours.

Inspired by the Monkey Island series and games like Day of The Tentacle, Röki has a strong narrative that is supported by various complex puzzles that encourage you to explore the expansive world. Straight off the bat, you will be astounded by the sheer beauty of the game. The art style makes a strong use of colour and silhouette to create a living, breathing world that you feel a genuine part of. This is added to by the excellent sound design. Wind whistles through the trees, you hear leaves rustle and the crunch of the fallen snow beneath Tove’s feet. You hear birds calling and squirrels chittering, the monsters grunt and mutter to themselves as you run past. When you stop to think about it, each piece of the world is just as important and alive as the main character is.

Can confirm, I spent several minutes running around in the snow like the child at heart I am.

Röki comes across at first glance, as a cute little indie romp through a forest. However, the moment you boot it up and immerse yourself in the world, its clearly so much more than that. You are merely a piece on the chessboard, moving your way across to the other side and tackling whatever problems cross your path. The story of Tove, of her journey to find her family and face the demons of her past, is one of many tales being told in this fairy tale forest. The kindly troll by the bridge, the oracles in the trees and the abandoned woodsman’s house, they all have their own story to tell. Why is the hut abandoned? What were those buried in the graves like when they were alive? How did the troll come to be injured anyways?

The puzzles are not inherently hard. They require you to think outside the box a bit more than most games in this style. However, the game provides you with hints if you ever get stuck in the form of the oracles. Inside a few key locations, are the wise oracles whom you can consult for assistance in your journey. Although cryptic, they will provide you with hints and suggestions as to what you need to achieve in order to move forward – e.g. who you need to help or which area you need to explore further to find that key item. Röki will be one of those games that are inherently calming and peaceful, especially to those of us who suffer from anxiety. Standing by the sea or in a forest, I feel at peace. The world keeps turning, the environment around me lives on whilst I stand still, unmoving. It makes sense, when a lot of the world doesn’t seem to.

LOOK HOW GORGEOUS THIS GAME IS! SERIOUSLY!!

In contrast, Eldest Souls falls on the opposite end of the spectrum. Taking a leaf from the Souls series, it follows the lone warrior as he attempts to slay the imprisoned Old Gods before the remnants of humanity are completely wiped out from the world. A combination of exploration and boss fights, Eldest Souls sees you explore a crumbling ruin known as The Citadel, encountering NPC’s, mysteries and the Old God’s themselves. These encounters are not for the fainthearted and the chances of you making it out alive are very slim. An RPG at its core, it allows you to decide how you wish to approach its challenges and how much of the hidden lore of the desolated world you wish to uncover.

Made by Fallen Flag Studios, a group of developers that started out as students, Eldest Souls puts a unique spin on the “souls” combat style. Each boss you come across is a completely unique fight, requiring you to rethink how you approach each combat encounter. Once you defeat a boss, you gain their unique “ability”. Say for example, a boss used a spin attack against you. Once beaten, you could gain that skill and apply it to unlock new areas of the Citadel, tackle previously impossible bosses or just make life a bit easier for you. Apart from the initial tutorial boss, you have control over the order in which you tackle each boss. Struggling on one in particular? Then go try another one and come back later. Obviously, there will be a few bosses that need to be beaten in order to progress the story further but the flexibility of it is brilliant.

I have to admit this is a very cool logo.

Eldest Soul’s art style is in the form of pixel art, which gives a slightly lighter note to the bleak nature of the world. An incredible amount of detail has gone into each sprite, including the telegraphing of their attacks and how they respond to you. The world around you, although decimated, feels like it is slowly beginning to live again. The artists have added tiny details that when you notice them, make all the difference. For example, during the small section that I tried out, it opened on a boat. The boat rocked from side to side as the waves flowed against it, the rain falling as if a great storm was approaching. It felt like an average day in Cardiff, I’m not going to lie. From particle effects in their teleportation system which lets you choose to exit a boss fight and come back later with ease, to the crumbling of obstacles as you smash through them, it’s a breath-taking game to experience.

When in doubt, stab it and run away at full pelt.

One key bit that I really want to highlight is the music. I had the chance to chat with the composer of the game’s soundtrack and honestly, even if this kind of game isn’t your thing, just get the soundtrack. It’s hauntingly beautiful, matching the tone of the areas you venture through. As you step into a boss arena, the music builds in tension, exploding into a heart racing anthem to your struggle against the Old Gods and their dark creations. Although I never actually beat the boss (because I’m terrible at Souls games), I can say with confidence that the music helped me get into the mindset to defeat it. It gives off a “David vs Goliath” feel that I think is missing from a lot of games, where you are up against an insurmountable foe, but you believe that you can defeat it.

The Citadel is an intruiging place to explore, where you aren’t sure what is around the corner but are excited to find out.

I think that both Röki and Eldest Souls are games to keep an eye on. Sure, there are more major releases over the next year that everyone is keen on, such as Cyberpunk or the Avengers game, but I have always thought that the indie gaming scene is where the true stars shine and United Label has not let me down on that front. I can’t wait to see their finished products and to follow what they do in future and I hope you’ll give them a shot too.

If you enjoyed this article, give it a like and comment below any games or topics you’d like me to cover in future! I’ve got a lot of post-EGX content for you all, with Monday’s piece being all about the amazing charity – Special Effect. Till next time,

CaitlinRC.

EGX 2019 – Too many games, too little time

Posted on by in Gaming, Real Life

If anyone had told me six months ago, when I published my first article on the site, that I’d be attending EGX in London with a press pass – I’d probably have fallen over in a weird combination of anxiety and disbelief. Throughout our lives, we have always had it hammered into our heads that we are representatives of our schools, of our clubs, of our generation. If we misbehave or act out, it is deemed a black mark against that group, rather than just against the offender. So, stepping into a 4-day gaming convention, with my silver wristband and my notebook, was a tad terrifying. At that moment, I wasn’t just Caitlin who loves to play video games – I was Caitlin, owner of Mind Games. My site, my articles, my online presence and those who support me, all would be judged as a result of my actions. No pressure.

For those roughly curious about how the whole process of a “press pass” works, I’ll give a quick rundown. You fill out a simple form, explaining what site/organisation you represent, what your focus is and why you’d like to talk to the developers at EGX, as well as any potentially statistics or figures that you feel might benefit your application. I was lucky enough to receive a press pass, which is essentially a “super-pass” – giving access to all four days of the convention and the chance to organise meetings with various developers to talk about their games! The pass itself is given as a free ticket, which as a student I was incredibly grateful for!

Dramatic silver press pass is dramatic

Up until last week, the biggest convention I had been to on my own, was Rezzed, the sister convention of EGX, held in the Tobacco Dock. This smaller location worked well for me, reducing my feelings of anxiety caused by large groups of strangers. If needed, the exit was relatively easy to find, and some areas were a lot quieter than others. I have nothing but fond memories of Rezzed and if my studies allow it, I’ll be there in March. EGX, however, is held in the ExCel Centre. It’s so much bigger, with over 80,000 attendees at the convention each year, more than 250 games available to try out and countless exhibitors eager to show off their work.

For someone with mental health issues, a convention can be our worst nightmare. No matter how much preparation you do, it can’t truly prepare you for the chaotic environment of a convention hall, filled with thousands of excited game fans all chatting about different things. As someone who gets easily overwhelmed, it’s the main part of the experience that I dread. Especially on the busier days, you can go from enjoying yourself immensely, to trying desperately to find somewhere quiet enough that you can calm yourself down in peace. It’s kind of eerie really, feeling so isolated and overwhelmed, whilst being surrounded by thousands of likeminded people.

PRESS TO HONK!

Thankfully, conventions have cottoned on to this and have begun to provide quiet zones, safe spaces and accessibility options so that everyone can enjoy themselves, not just the most outgoing individuals. This is key, especially in industries like gaming, where a lot of individuals use the media as a form of escapism. Playing games is a coping mechanism for many, so tainting that experience for someone with a bad day at a convention, is something that all convention runners should avoid like the plague. A good example of this is the charity CheckPoint, who provide mental health resources for gamers and quiet zones at conventions, where you can go to decompress, calm yourself down and chat to someone if you wish to.

I don’t think there is anything that can truly prepare you for a convention. It’s a completely unique atmosphere, that you don’t find anywhere else. Heck, the atmosphere changes from year to year! Part of that, I believe, is due to the ever-changing nature of the gaming industry. As much as there are the few specific gaming companies that seem to have existed to the dawn of time and will outlast us all, these events are about trying new things. Be that a new piece of hardware, a new instalment in a long-running series or dipping your toe into a genre that you’ve never tried before, there is something for everyone. For example, I spent most of my time flitting between the indie games section and the board games area, as those were the two main bits that I cared about – both as a gamer and for any press meetings I had. Meanwhile a couple of my friends, made a beeline for the Doom Eternal area, as they were very keen to punch some demons in the face.

Convention too busy? Play some board games 😀

The highlight of the convention for me, was getting to chat to the developers of the games that were available to play. I think something that a lot of us forget, is that there are so many talented and unique individuals behind the games we take such joy in. Each of these creators has walked their own path in life to get to that moment, faced their demons and tackled events that none of us will really understand. They pour all those experiences into their creations, so being able to talk to them in depth about their work and their lives, gives you just an inkling of their potential as creators in the gaming industry.

Although I’ll go into more detail about the conversations I had whilst at EGX in other articles, I wanted to say something that floored me. Every person I spoke to, whether they had their own mental health issues or not, completely agreed that video games and mental health had a strong link. From escapism, to tackling delicate issues with care, each member of a development team has a duty to ensure that their game will make a positive impact on their audience members. From accessibility options for the colour blind, to telling a story about loss through symbolism, each decision made in the process of designing a game is key. It’s about building a community with your players.

This was too comfy a spot not to take a photo in – at the PHOGS stand 🙂

This idea of community also extends to the convention, since these events can be a massive boost to those looking for likeminded people to talk about their love of gaming with. I speak from experience, that conventions are a massive opportunity to meet those online friends that you’ve been chatting with for months and just mess around together as if you’ve known one another for years. From someone killing your character in space by stealing their oxygen, to working together to combat a horde of monsters, these events foster a sense of companionship and loyalty to one another, even if you’ve only been talking to someone for a few minutes.

If you can afford to go to these kinds of events, do it. Don’t let fear or anxiety stop you because the friends you make, the experiences you will have and the joyful memories will stay with you forever, whilst those negative thoughts will be gone before you know it. Some of my best memories of the last decade are from conventions and the amazing friends that I have made through the gaming community. We all deserve happiness and who knows, maybe through a convention like EGX, you’ll find yours.

Till next time,

CaitlinRC.

The Blackout Club – What Is It You Think You See:

Posted on by in Gaming

We have always feared the dark. Even now, as adults, we still flinch at the shadows. It’s not the fear of the darkness or the blackness, it’s what lurks within it. When we know what we are afraid of, when we can examine it from all sides and judge it accordingly, we can begin to combat that fear. We are afraid of the unknown. A lot of horror games focus on this concept, by having creatures lurk in the shadows or force you to fumble along a corridor towards a monster, that you can’t see until you’re pressed up against it. In our fear, we appreciate every second of light and visibility that we can get, clinging to the hope that our flashlight batteries will last just a few seconds longer. Not that our fervent praying impacts it, but we can believe that it does.

What a lot of horror games don’t do, is force you to cut off one of those senses. During a tense moment, we are on alert, our senses working overtime to take in every minute bit of information that they can, no matter how pointless or odd it may seem. So, when The Blackout Club instructed me to close my eyes, my first thought was “There is no way on this planet that I am going to do that.” Obviously, curiosity got the better of me and I did as I was told, otherwise I wouldn’t be writing this article! The point of closing your eyes is so you can see “The Shape”. Invisible to the naked eye, it prowls its way around the levels, seeking out the player characters to force them to do it’s bidding.

The Blackout Club is a multiplayer horror game that follows a group of teenagers living in the town of Redacre, who have banded together to investigate the strange events occurring in their hometown. The kids have been experiencing blackouts, where they wake up in strange locations that they don’t remember going to (like students who drink too much). The various adults in the town have started to sleepwalk and during the game’s prologue, one of the club’s members, Bells, is kidnapped. This spurs the club to start collecting evidence and build an understanding of what on earth is happening beneath their feet.

The Maze is not for the fainthearted.

Ignoring the frustrating amount of grinding you need to do in order to level up, I honestly love this game. It can keep you on edge throughout the missions you complete, using the sins system. During a mission, a kid may break into a house or knock out an enemy. Although necessary, if discovered, these sins will be reported. If your group of teens is too sinful, then The Shape comes into play. It targets the most sinful player and is relentless in its pursuit. Every time you close your eyes to see where it is, it’s that much closer to you. If caught by the Shape, you lose control of your mind. Powerless to do anything, you are forced to watch as your character wanders around the map, hoping that one of your friends can manage to save you. If you get caught too many times, the Shape no longer wants you to be one of them. Instead of controlling you, you are slaughtered.

Taking a lead from the Outlast games, you don’t get a gun or the ability to kill your pursuers. Sure, you have a few non-lethal weapons that you can use to distract or temporarily take an enemy out of the equation, but you cannot kill. These people wandering around and trying to get you? They’re your neighbours, your community, even your parents or your best friends. These people, although not in control of their own minds, aren’t entirely innocent either. Beneath the town is a labyrinth of rooms and corridors, called “The Maze”. It seems endless, growing and adding new locations as you explore it. Entering this place is not something a player should do lightly as you are not alone in there. During the game’s prologue, you get a glimpse of the cult like activities happening beneath your town and how outnumbered your group of teens truly is.

One optional element of the game that really intrigues me is the addition of Stalkers. The Stalker is a former member of The Blackout Club, who has betrayed the cause and is now working for the Voices – the god like entities that whisper to the residents of the town during their blackouts. The Voices promised that the Stalker’s family would be safe if they assisted with reporting the Blackout Club’s sins to the Shape. As a regular player, you are not told whether there is a Stalker amongst you. Unless you directly encounter them or they record you committing sins, you may never know exactly where they are. Traitors in game’s storylines can be a bit… dramatic in their motivations but in this case, I get it. Sure, maybe reading this you question what kind of person would betray their friends to an entity that is clearly causing harm to their town? However, I ask you this – how far would you go to protect those you love? I know for a fact; I’d go damn far.

You can’t run forever.

There is something about the Blackout Club that I want to highlight from a mental health perspective. It’s called the Enhanced Horror system. If you’d like to experience this for yourself, then go try it out and then come back to read this bit, as I’m going to go into detail about it.

Everyone ready? Let’s chat.

The Enhanced Horror system is an opt-in feature within the game that allows the game to listen to and record the player’s voices as they play. If you are lucky, or unlucky depending on how you look at things, someone will be listening. The Voices will respond to you. A voice that is not your friends will respond to your questions, give cryptic statements and encourage you to do their bidding – anything from being selfless, to taunting enemies. These Voices may reward you with story information or gameplay items in return for your services, with the interaction being shared with the greater community – so you can all try to decipher exactly what is going on within the town of Redacre. Whether this voice is actually real or just a creation of your mind, who can tell? Those with psychosis can attest to this, it seems real. That’s the problem.

How you choose to engage with this is up to you, but I think the more curious amongst you will be keen to collect as much information as possible. After all, how often do you get to talk to a deity like creature and have it respond? Anyways, I think The Blackout Club is a game that people should check out, especially if you aren’t great with solo horror! Why not terrify your friends at the same time, so you can all suffer together!

Don’t look back. If we look back we are lost.

So, I am at EGX this week (Wednesday to Sunday) meeting with various lovely developers about their games, so there will be a lot of content coming out over the next few weeks. If you’d like to keep up to date with all I’m doing at EGX, then go follow my Twitter – https://twitter.com/OurMindGames . I’ll be posting updates and pictures from the show as much as I can! Remember to follow, like and comment on the site.

Also, I just wanted to say this on here as well. As of a few days ago, we hit over 1,000 views on the site. We also hit our six-month anniversary. I am beyond humbled and amazed at the kindness of all of you, my marvellous readers. Your comments, suggestions and feedback on everything I do is why I keep writing and exploring these sometimes-heavy topics with you. Here’s to even more milestones.

Thanks,

CaitlinRC.