#mt25 may

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30. Mooncat

Release: September 2024, PC (UFO 50) Beaten: May 15th, PC (UFO 50) (Steam) Play time: 1h 51m

The first game in UFO 50 that I've fully cleared. I decided that to motivate myself to play UFO 50 more, I'm going to count some of its games for my media thread.

Mooncat is one of those games that is really fun because it has a very weird control scheme. I've seen a lot of people say it's a game that feels like learning how to play video games for the first time again, and I kind of get that even if it's not the perfect analogy. Once you get a handle on the unique controls it becomes extremely enjoyable to maneuver your character. You have these really strict jump arcs but you can slam-cancel them at any point and can combo bounces off enemies/obstacles with that. It was one of my favorite games when I first picked up UFO 50 and now that I've got the cherry disk I feel even more strongly about it being one of the best in the package.

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39. Deltarune: Chapter 1

Release: Oct. 2018, PC Beaten: May 27th, Switch Play time: 4h 30m

The first part of my replay to prepare myself for Chapters 3 and 4. The game is really good and I like it a lot but I feel like it's weaker than what I remember of Chapter 2. Which is fine, though I feel like Ch. 1 has some elements that seem a bit dated by comparison.

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37. Poco

Release: May 2025, PC Beaten: May 24th, PC (Steam) Play time: 1h 43m (100%)

Very awesome point n click adventure game. It's pretty straight forward and avoids ever being too obtuse; as long as you explore and thoroughly examine each area, it should be easy to progress. Even the trickiest puzzles are still easy by adventure game standards, and I like that! The atmosphere and vibe are also just excellent. You get a rich world with interesting characters to learn about and watch go through their own little story arcs. The game has a good amount of dark humor and grotesqueness without ever feeling outright grim, unpleasant, or hostile. Overall, just a totally delightful experience.

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36. Mushroom 11

Release: October 2015, Android/iOS/PC Beaten: May 23rd, PC (Steam) Play time: 4h 35m

Really really cool and fun concept that initially carries the game until the final few levels in which bad gimmicks that are not fun are introduced. It's still like, pretty good, but the ending levels are oftentimes unenjoyable and that was frustrating for a game I initially got hooked on. The main traversal mechanics were so appealing that I kind of saw the blob moving around when I closed my eyes sometimes.

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35. Pick Pack Pup

Release: May 2022, Playdate Beaten: May 21st, Playdate (S1)

Another pretty good Playdate game from Season 1. It's a simple puzzler which is served alongside some cute story bits. It throws unique objectives at you that alter the game either a lot or a little, and does so frequently enough that the game feels pretty fresh throughout. And it's a pretty good length; the story mode is like a few hours at most, and then if you really want to keep playing, you can play some of the many additional game modes. I'm really pleased with this one.

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34. Part Time UFO

Release: 2020, Switch (2017, Android/iOS [Mobile Ver.]) Beaten: May 18th (Main+), May 21st (100%) Play time: 5h 35m (Main+), 13h 10m (100%)

Started replaying this on a whim and got so obsessed that I reached the credits in a day. Then it consumed my life for a few days and was all I could think about. I could see the claw when I closed my eyes. Good good good good game.

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33. Formless Star

Release: May 2025, PC Beaten: May 17th, PC (itch.io) Play time: 1h 44m

Stunningly beautiful with the expected good humor of a Splendid Land game and just a touch of poignancy, Formless Star is an absolute delight.

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32. Casual Birder

Release: April 2022, Playdate Beaten: May 17th, Playdate (S1)

Casual Birder is actually pretty good, and I'm not just saying that from the perspective of having played a lot of not-very-good Playdate games. Like, it's a legitimately fun experience, with funny writing, pleasant art, an engaging premise, and an upbeat soundtrack. As one of the first games most people will play on Playdate (one of two games included in the first season's first week), I think it leaves a good impression of what the system's niche could be: short, polished experiences that take advantage of the system's quirks and limitations.