#bhts recommends

[beardedhandstoadshark]

Girl help the funky ASCII style game I randomly found in the App Store just gave me an item that’s used to write code

[beardedhandstoadshark]

Please go play nameless cat.

It’s a really amazing puzzle platformer with challenging levels, beautiful pixelart, collectibles and secrets, and an amazing OST.

And if you can’t take the time to play it for some reason, at least listen to the music, please, it’s really great!

https://youtu.be/EJi9NI14YBU

[beardedhandstoadshark]

OK Y‘ALL (or rather y‘none) I GOT A GAME FOR YOU:

What is it, you ask? Well, it’s a Rhythm Game!

You play it by tapping on the little square-circle thing (called an Elf) on the bottom once the symbols on top reach it. If you manage to tap it in the right rhythm, you’ll hear the song be played in the background, but if you mess up then the notes for that part the music won’t be played either. (You can however change this in settings so it continues playing even if you mess up).

Your goal is to complete the whole track while getting as many points as possible to achieve a high rank, reaching from D (failing after the first few notes) to SSS (get almost every note perfect without missing a single one).

You fail a track by missing notes, which makes the bar on the bottom of the screen go down, and when it’s completely empty, you lose. You can however fill it back up by getting perfect combos, and if it’s completely filled up, you activate double time. That means that you‘ll get double points while it’s active.

During the track, you‘ll have to press special symbols with a number that will split the line into up to 4 parts, which you have to keep track of.

Also, notice how some symbols and the backgrounds between the picks have different colors:

That’s because the color of the symbols actually change the background color! It’s pink in the first pic, but once the blue square is pressed, it‘ll change to blue! There’s multiple colors actually, as well as multiple styles/skins for the gameplay parts (I‘m currently using the “Another” skin which can be seen on the pics, but there’s a lot more).

Back to the gameplay, see the white thing with an eye in the middle? That’s your Elf. Each Elf can be upgraded up to level 5 and there‘s a bunch of different ones. Their main purposes are to collect coins for you when you’re offline (which can be used to buy new tracks) and if you use the one that belongs to the character you’re playing the track of, you’ll get a bonus!

Also, yes you read that right, character.

Each track is assigned to a specific character with their own design and music style which mainly determines two things:

If the Elf you play with will give you a bonus

Intimacy level

The intimacy Level is a stat that is unique to every character and can be leveled up by playing. If the level is higher, that means you’re able to set the fall speed of the symbols higher for every track that belongs to the character. (Eg: LV2= up to 2x higher speed, LV3=3x and so on. You can also always choose to continue playing with standard speed.) You‘ll also get rewards for each LVUP (eg. green dots that are needed to upgrade the Elfs)

Aside from that, each track has 3 difficulties: Easy, Normal and Hard, but the only way to hear the entire track is by completing one on hard mode as the other two ones are shorter, with easy only lasting for 30 seconds or so.

There’s also:

a Rank (see that blue thing that says silver) that you upgrade by collecting tracks, getting SSS ranks or doing rank missions

Auto-Mode to just listen to tracks (you unlock a track here by playing through it on hard mode at least once)

Daily challenges to collect coins or SOS (can be used in game to automatically play for a few seconds without worrying about missing a note)

It regularly gets updates which all actually all add new things into the game, mainly new tracks but also new features (seriously, this game looked really different when I first played it about a year ago). While some of the oldest tracks might sound a bit basic, they do get improved from time to time (the tutorial track used to sound rather bad but is now actually kinda good compared to how it was) and the newer tracks all sound really amazing.

Sooo I left some things out obviously, but if you have time, go try it out if you want! (Or not, I’m not here to tell anyone what they should play)

[beardedhandstoadshark]

This absolutely amazing insane person. Check this video out, it’s incredible. Actually, check the whole channel out. This guy‘s talent for storytelling is really something else.

[beardedhandstoadshark]

Have been amazed by this for quite a while now and the lack of likes or subscribers is physically hurting me at this point

[beardedhandstoadshark]

"I downloaded a bunch of neat looking games off the appstore", part 2:

FlatMachine

A game where you play a lil surveillance robot in a post-apocalyptic world trying to make sure its village can survive for 70 days before it inadvertently gets mowed down for good.

Each day you have to choose what action to take so you can protect them while simultaneously surviving yourself. Mostly by trying to survive fights or talking with npcs that show up throughout the days.

There's at least seven endings to get, a level up system to unlock new items if you complete a loop (or kick the bucket), and cool implied world building!

(Also turns out I already know this dev from another game, Parasite Days, where you try to survive/befriend the parasite in your arm that's actively killing you (she doesn't mean to tho so it's fine))

Doing simple gameplay with health + item management and a focus on a story set in an apocalypic world where the ending is dependent on your choices seems to be this dev's Thing. There's a cooking one too!

[beardedhandstoadshark]

I was wondering if you take any interest in any other youtubers or artists?

Oh dear. …well the short answer is yes! The long answer would be a very long list. The middle answer is a middle long list!

mostly the long-form of niche topics side of YouTube (lots of folks, could be it’s own list)

music gods (Shady Cicada…),

horror letsplayers (ManlyBadassHero)

art stuff (Naoki Saito,…)

Hello sir I wanna eat your art style (Oliver‘s Antics)

cool myth and history stuff (OverlySarcastasticProductions, The mythology guy)

Game Design (Design Doc)

Cinema Wins

Defunctland

70y old man showing off his funky gadget/toy collection with the enthusiasm of a child (Grand Illusions).

Internet Historian but German but there’s autosubs at least (Jules)

MMO guy despite me not even liking them but it technically falls unter niche long Form Videos (Josh Strife Hayes)

Gaming (related) reviews with comedy stuff in between, also GwSub (Shimtex)

Guy who mastered the art of killing cringe doing stuff In Japan (CDawgVA)

Writing Advice but ironic (Terrible Writing Advice),

Lotsa more

[beardedhandstoadshark]

How my brain sounds like lmao