alright time for the winter game sale rec thread

this is starting with itchio's winter sale, and will roll in recs for the steam sale once that starts - but regardless of where the sale is from, as always, i focus primarily on more obscure, niche, and weirder games.

onwards!

10 Beautiful Postcards ($3.00) - THE IMAGE IS HOTEL TO THE BRAIN

one of my fave games of 2019, explore a bizarre, massive world and worlds and hotels and hotel rooms within that world. explore! take pictures! talk to strangers! or don't! https://thecatamites.itch.io/10-beautiful-postcards

10 Beautiful Postcards is by Catamites, who you might better know for Space Funeral and Goblet Grotto. you can also get it bundled with Postcard Writings, which is the "work notes" for the game, for $4 total. also has some of my fave ad copy ever https://itch.io/s/41425/christmas-postcards

ZeroRanger ($8.99) - a hyper stylish vertical scrolling SHMUP, featuring bullet hells, a banging soundtrack, co-op gameplay, and... mystery. to put it one way, this is a shooter with elements that would count as spoilers if i told you them. https://system-erasure.itch.io/zeroranger 

Haunted Cities volume 4 ($PWYW!) - the latest collection of work from Kitty Horrorshow, creator of Anatomy. 4 short, experimental games that are thick with atmospheric dread and an unnerving quality that feels like slow pressure on your skull. https://kittyhorrorshow.itch.io/haunted-cities-v4

10S ($1.55) - wander an alien landscape. fight monsters. and most of all, survive wave after wave of bullet hell - by playing tennis. https://owch.itch.io/10s 

Mouth Sweet ($PWYW!) - as the latest underpaid temp at C.C. & C., you not only are stripped of your own name, not only have to fulfill bizarre, horrific tasks, but also, invisible monsters wander the halls. and the boss doesn't care if you live or die. https://lovegames.itch.io/mouth-sweet 

The Horror Of Salazar House ($3.16) - retro style horror game, specifically taking inspiration from things like Uninvited. as young journalist Elisa, you have come to the mansion of Jaime Salazar who disappeared in 1986. things, of course, don't go well. https://torturestar.itch.io/salazar-house 

ART SQOOL ($3.49) - "make art, achieve creative fulfillment, that's art sqool babie!". on an abstract candy coated colored world, wander around, make art, and have it graded by an AI! walk, draw, and graduate ART SQOOL! https://glander.itch.io/art-sqool 

Marginalia ($3.60) - a letter from a missing friend brings you to the isolated valley of Kestlebrook. as you traipse through these woods and away from civilization, you'll find yourself wondering not only where you are, but when. https://connor-sherlock.itch.io/marginalia 

PixaTool ($14.45) - not a game, but a tool that some of you might find incredibly useful - or at least fun to dick around in! take any image and pixelize it with vast customization options as well as palettes matching various consoles color limitations! https://kronbits.itch.io/pixatool 

for some personal examples of pixatool's capabilities, here's some of my own local photos that i've run through it before and messed around with all the settings to get some neat results.

alright, that's enough for now! more recs will be added to the thread as the sales go on, as always.

(also, psssst - people with their stuff on itchio, it's a winter sale! put your stuff on sale, IMO! best time to get some visibility! also i wanna link to/promote more shit!)

oh wait i forgot, GOG's winter sale is going on now too, which is an excellent way to yet again try to get people to play old as balls point and click adventures. here come some more recs

Conquests Of The Longbow: The Legend of Robin Hood ($3.59) - a Sierra gem! point and click adventure having you taking on the sheriff of nottingham and more in this beautiful game, written by none other than creator of Jem and the Holograms, Christy Marx! https://www.gog.com/game/conquests_of_the_longbow

Star Trek: 25th Anniversary Edition ($3.99) - been needing a Trek fix? been needing especially an ORIGINAL Trek fix? say no more - here's a whole point and click adventure - with VA by the original cast - just for you! https://www.gog.com/game/star_trek_25th_anniversary

Star Trek: Judgment Rites ($3.99) - everything i just said in the previous tweet! more of the same! in a good way! https://www.gog.com/game/star_trek_judgment_rites

Gabriel Knight 2: The Beast Within ($3.89) - for those who grew up with FMV point and clicks, younger gens curious about the era, and lovers of homoerotic werewolf subtext all! as gabriel knight, you must solve a supernatural lycanthropic murder in munich! https://www.gog.com/game/gabriel_knight_2_the_beast_within

Wizardry: Labyrinth of Lost Souls ($9.74) - do you like old school dungeon crawlers? do you like hard RPGs? really, really, really, REALLY fucking hard RPGs? well, this is a must grab.

i'm not kidding though. this is wizardry. it is mean as shit. https://www.gog.com/game/wizardry_labyrinth_of_lost_souls

Stories Untold ($2.49) - if you're curious about old school interactive fiction like Zork and A Mind Forever Voyaging, but need an onramp, then this collection of 4 short horror stories, blending retro IF and modern 3d environments, is a must. https://www.gog.com/game/stories_untold

The Zork Anthology ($3.89) - speaking of Zork, you can get an awful lot of the classic adventure/interactive fiction series in one package here, with extra goodies like downloads of all the original packed in maps and more! https://www.gog.com/game/the_zork_anthology

seriously, all the stuff here probably looks like total nonsense to younger gens, but if you came up in the era of Infocom and when game boxes regularly came full of "feelies", then this is quite a collection of bonuses available for download.

The Secret of Monkey Island ($3.49) - a wildly influential point and click adventure. guybrush threepwood wants to be a mighty pirate - too bad 1. he's a total dweeb and 2. ghost pirate lechuck will kill him dead. switch to original graphics IMMEDIATELY https://www.gog.com/game/the_secret_of_monkey_island_special_edition

if you want to play with the original graphics and the new voice acting, some nice folks have made it possible to do exactly that in SCUMMVM. http://www.gratissaugen.de/ultimatetalkies/monkey1.html

LOOM ($2.09) - an underrated part of Lucasarts' point and click adventure catalog, this is a fantasy musical adventure where you cast spells via music, like using the ocarina in zelda. heavily fairy tale inspired but has great lore of its own. https://www.gog.com/game/loom 

okay NOW i'm gonna stop for the night for real this time. more recs will be added to the thread as the sale goes on, especially once the steam sale starts. enjoy!

and if you're feeling super generous for the rec curation, i've got a ko-fi tip jar. danke! https://ko-fi.com/spacetwinks 

heyooooo the steam sale is started and you know what that means

means me shoveling more recs at you in this thread here they come

Umurangi Generation ($11.99) - one of the best of 2020. a first person photography game in "the shitty future" of tauranga aotearoa. take pics, complete bounties, and pay attention. hands down the best environmental storytelling i've ever seen in a game. https://store.steampowered.com/app/1223500/Umurangi_Generation/

i also HIGHLY recommend you pick up the Macro DLC ($7.99) . it is not 'necessary', per se, but it is INCREDIBLY good. the base game is complete, but the DLC makes it even more complete-r, if you get me. https://store.steampowered.com/app/1435580/Umurangi_Generation_Macro/

Treachery In Beatdown City ($10.99) - a semi-turn based beat 'em up that has dived into, dissected, and reassembled the mechanics of the genre into one of the best flowing combat systems i've ever played. loves the genre enough to take it to new levels. https://store.steampowered.com/app/762180/Treachery_in_Beatdown_City/

Yomawari: Night Alone ($3.99) - your older sister has gone out to look for your dog... and she hasn't come back. a gorgeous horror game blending together folk spirits and urban legends as you wander dark, haunted streets with your heart in your throat. https://store.steampowered.com/app/477870/Yomawari_Night_Alone/

Hypnospace Outlaw ($13.99) - in an alternate universe 1999, you are a moderator for a geocities-esque webspace - one accessed exclusively as people sleep. funny as hell, deeply sincere and vulnerable, with gameplay like "Where Online Is Carmen Sandiego?" https://store.steampowered.com/app/844590/Hypnospace_Outlaw/

Yoku's Island Express ($3.99) - a pinball metroidvania, where you are the cutest dung beetle there ever was and the newest postmaster on Mokumana Island. launch yourself all over to deliver the mail, solve problems, launch a rocket, save the island! https://store.steampowered.com/app/334940/Yokus_Island_Express/

Signs of the Sojourner ($15.99) - a narrative driven card game, where you build decks to complete conversations as you take up the caravan work of your late mother and try to keep her shop alive. not all conversations can be "won" - nor should be. https://store.steampowered.com/app/1058690/Signs_of_the_Sojourner/

Frog Detective Bundle ($6.73) - two short (an hour+) funny and charming as hell detective games, "The Haunted Island" and "The Case of the Invisible Wizard" for one low price. fantastic games for afternoons where you just wanna chill out. https://store.steampowered.com/bundle/12873/Frog_Detective_1__2/

DYS: Eternal Space Jail RPG ($PWYW!) - from the maker of MOUTH SWEET comes an inventive 3D roguelite dungeon crawler, featuring 7 wild classes like Riot Queen and Brain Wizard! mutate, reincarnate, and fight like hell to escape your space prison! https://lovegames.itch.io/dys 

Shadowrun: Dragonfall ($3.74) - one of my favorite RPGs ever. in a place where cyberpunk and magic meet, you and a band of street mercs go from an "easy" job to falling into a conspiracy that could destroy the anarchist flux-state of Berlin. https://store.steampowered.com/app/300550/Shadowrun_Dragonfall__Directors_Cut/

Cthulhu Mythos RPG: The Sleeping Girl of the Miasma Sea ($2.99) - a love letter to the NES' survival horror classic, Sweet Home. a group of teens explore a haunted mansion on a mutual dare, and now must survive long enough to uncover its bloody secrets. https://store.steampowered.com/app/938240/Cthulhu_Mythos_RPG_The_Sleeping_Girl_of_the_Miasma_Sea/

Diaries of a Spaceport Janitor ($2.49) - a personal GOAT. heroes and rogues hop planets, make legends - you burn their trash. clean up, make rent, work to free yourself of a cursed screaming skull as you dream of a better life. beautiful and bittersweet. https://store.steampowered.com/app/436500/Diaries_of_a_Spaceport_Janitor/

Where The Water Tastes Like Wine ($4.99) - travel america during the depression, hearing stories, telling stories, watching those stories change and grow across the country - all to pay back your debt to a wolf that beat you at cards. https://store.steampowered.com/app/447120/Where_the_Water_Tastes_Like_Wine/

Wilmot's Warehouse ($8.99) - a puzzle game about inventory management! organize a warehouse however you like best - hopefully easy to remember where everything is so you can find it fast when it needs to be shipped out! https://store.steampowered.com/app/839870/Wilmots_Warehouse/

The Shivah ($1.49) - a short point and click murder mystery adventure. you are struggling rabbi russell stone, who has come into a very unexpected windfall while at your worst - and must find out why it happened, while also confronting your own past. https://store.steampowered.com/app/252370/The_Shivah/

The Friends of Ringo Ishikawa ($7.49) - River City Ransom combat + the small town wandering and a constant running clock of Shenmue + the quiet existential crisis of a teen delinquent = Ringo. has a great, chill soundtrack for beating ass to. https://store.steampowered.com/app/846110/The_friends_of_Ringo_Ishikawa/

The Lion's Song ($3.99) - an episodic point and click adventure in 20th century Austria, accompanied by beautiful pixel art. each episode focuses on a different life, tying them all back together at the end. a caring series of vignettes of humanity. https://store.steampowered.com/sub/106294/ 

killer7 ($7.99) - a wildly surreal adventure from suda51. you are the Smith Syndicate, a psychic collective of assassins fighting Kun Lan, the creator of laughing, invisible exploding beings known as 'Heaven Smile'. stylish dreamlogic fueled murder. https://store.steampowered.com/app/868520/killer7/

Trackless ($6.99) - pleasantly strange with fantastic style, this game combines text adventure parsers with Myst puzzle solving in a free roaming world. you are a seeker, looking to complete trials so you may see The Object - whatever The Object is. https://store.steampowered.com/app/586660/Trackless/

Pizza Express ($0.69, nice) - Cook, Serve, Delicious mixed with Pizza Tycoon to bring you a fast paced story driven restaurant sim! make your own menu, upgrade and advertise your store, and rise to the top of the pizzeria world! https://store.steampowered.com/app/375250/Pizza_Express/

We Know The Devil ($3.99) - a short, atmospheric, unnerving VN about 3 teens stuck at a christian summer camp that is exactly like our world, yet not at all. hear the devil. choose who stays and who goes. be blessed by the voice in the static. https://store.steampowered.com/app/435300/We_Know_the_Devil/

alright, that's enough for tonight - as ever, i'll still keep adding more recs as the sale goes on. i'll also briefly pop out my lil tip jar here again if you wanna throw me some bones! https://ko-fi.com/spacetwinks 

as always, i hope you found something unexpected to love! enjoy!

hey hey, it's almost 9pm, you know what that means: more game sale recs

DON'T WAKE THE NIGHT ($6.39) - a spirit has been summoned by a community of witches to act as judge on something that tears at their bonds. you can never have 'perfect' knowledge, and the burden of responsibility is great. so: judge carefully. https://brujeriaatwerk.itch.io/dont-wake-the-night

Desert Child ($4.79) - as a hoverbike racer who needs to get off planet before everything goes to shit, you need money. get it through any means possible. this racing/shmup fusion is heavily influenced by Cowboy Bebop and has a great soundtrack to boot. https://store.steampowered.com/app/844050/Desert_Child/

Shadowhand ($3.74) - a solitaire driven RPG set in 18th century england! as aristocrat turned highwayman Cornelia Darkmoor, you'll cut through power and treachery - by playing solitaire for huge combos to make even bigger attacks! https://store.steampowered.com/app/427490/Shadowhand_RPG_Card_Game/

Later Alligator ($13.49) - part VN, part mini game collection, charming as hell all the way through. protect young pat in this lively animated mystery as you solve a conspiracy that could tear apart alligator new york city! great soundtrack by 2 mello! https://store.steampowered.com/app/966320/Later_Alligator/

Raging Loop ($19.49) - a horror VN set in rural Japan, taking heavy inspiration from games like Werewolf/Mafia. haruaki fusashi has gotten lost in a mist covered settlement, just as people are starting to die - and the killer could be any of them. https://store.steampowered.com/app/648100/Raging_Loop/

Heat Signature ($2.99) - the elevator pitch is "roguelite sci-fi hotline miami". but that doesn't do justice to how wildly inventive you can get. stylishly break into - and out of - spaceships with future tech to make looney tunes-esque murders. https://store.steampowered.com/app/268130/Heat_Signature/

MEMENTO ($1.19) - a short yet slow burning horror game where bright, sunny skies and beautiful oceans offer no safety. on a school trip to an island musuem, the echoes and spirits of war have become restless, and refuse to let themselves be forgotten. https://store.steampowered.com/app/437030/MEMENTO/

Jazzpunk ($3.74) - a bizarre comedy adventure game set in a VERY alternate cold war. take your fisher-price self around and solve (?) mysteries (????) to do... things? (?????) very strange, very memorable, joke styles vibe heavily with Airplane!. https://store.steampowered.com/app/250260/Jazzpunk_Directors_Cut/

i'll add: someone once replied in a previous rec thread saying that Jazzpunk made them think of the original Lego Island, just lots of walking around and doing goofy shit, and honestly? yeah. yeah. whether this is a positive or a negative is up to you.

Tacoma ($2.99) - from the creators of Gone Home! you've been hired to retrieve the AI ODIN from an abandoned space station. doing this will have you dissecting WHY the station is abandoned - by carefully examining recorded holographic crew logs. https://store.steampowered.com/app/343860/Tacoma/

Pyre ($5.99) - you've played 80 hours of hades and need another fix! why not try my fave supergiant game? part VN, part NBA jam in a fantasy world. perform rites to try and take your band of outcasts (including your own talking Air Bud) back home. https://store.steampowered.com/app/462770/Pyre/

Heaven Will Be Mine ($11.24) - queer romance + mecha anime smashed into the shitposting and sliding into dms internet as we know it. fight and/or make out as 1 of 3 mecha pilot girls in a struggle that could redefine war - and Gravity - itself. https://store.steampowered.com/app/836450/Heaven_Will_Be_Mine/

Jake Hunter: DAEDALUS The Awakening Of Golden Jazz ($4.79) - do you like murder mystery VNs and/or played all the jake hunter DS games

"yes"

well they put out a prequel

"wait, they did"

yeah there was basically no marketing lmao. check it out

"w-" https://store.steampowered.com/app/836600/Alternate_Jake_Hunter_DAEDALUS_The_Awakening_of_Golden_Jazz/

Spark The Electric Jester ($3.99) - a retro style platformer that's inspired by kirby AND mega man AND sonic the hedgehog. throws them all together for a great fast paced title, remixing the past for new ends. https://store.steampowered.com/app/601810/Spark_the_Electric_Jester/

Unavowed ($8.99) - a point and click urban fantasy murder mystery, combined with the best part of mass effect: taking squadmembers with you and chatting them up endlessly. puzzles solve differently depending on who you bring along! https://store.steampowered.com/app/336140/Unavowed/

Dandara ($5.24) - a beautiful brazilian metroidvania with a unique form of movement: you can only flip from surface to surface, creating a high speed yet precise experience. travel the Salt to bring balance back to Creation and Intent. https://store.steampowered.com/app/612390/Dandara_Trials_of_Fear_Edition/

DIVINATION ($0.99) - "The runes have been set, show them the answer." it's a time of despair and uncertainty in the future - the kind of time made for you, a fortune teller. listen to their stories. read their futures - and perhaps change them. https://store.steampowered.com/app/1180250/DIVINATION/

Creature In The Well ($7.49) - crawl through dungeons, blast through beasts, and restore power to an ancient facility - by playing pinball! smash balls of light around with your sword to solve puzzles and clear out anything in your path! https://store.steampowered.com/app/852300/Creature_in_the_Well/

alright, that's it for tonight - there'll be more recs added to the thread as the sale goes on. as ever, i hope you found something unexpected to love! enjoy video games!