Backlog Progress #1 - January 2023
Hello hello! This will be my first progress report for BLAEO. I’m hoping this website and community will help keep me motivated where I have failed previously to really tackle this pile.
Based on my backlog, I have a tentative monthly goal for the games I want to play. My current goal is a minimum of 10 games per month completed, from the following categories:
- Steamgifts win(s) - At least one if applicable
- AAA Title - 1
- Game of my choice - 2
- Previously Unfinished - 1
- Hidden Object - 2
- Negative reviews (below 70%) - 1
- Pile of Cheevos (Zup style games) - 1 to 2 until I run out
- Low Interest game - 1
January Goal: 20/10; all categories met
Reviews under the bars
.projekt
6.1 hours, 6 of 6 achievements
A good minimal puzzle game that is easy to 100%. I enjoyed the min block challenges and "picross" modes more than the max block challenges. I spent the extra time to solve all puzzles even though it wasn't needed to earn all achievements.
Short, pretty, occasionally finnicky physics. Some puzzles are not intuitive, but it wasn't difficult to 100%.
Apothecarium: The Renaissance of Evil - Premium Edition
3.4 hours, no achievements
Just a terrible example of a HOG. Was able to 100%, but the story and progression are painful. Also, many shifting objects in the HO scenes.
Not the best iteration in the franchise, but definitely a good one. BL2 is still the peak, in my opinion. Of the DLC: Guns, Love, and Tentacles and Bounty of Blood are strong entries and worth playing. The rest is missable.
It's an Artifex Mundi Hog, which means it's got a better baseline for quality. Requires two playthroughs to 100% or it might be rated higher.
Dreamscapes: The Sandman - Premium Edition
2.7 hours, no achievements
A HOG without the HO scenes, it is nevertheless satisfying and of good quality, if a little dated.
Dreamscapes: Nightmare's Heir - Premium Edition
3.9 hours, no achievements
A HOG without the HO scenes. Not as good as the first installment, but still solid.
A pleasing little hidden cat game that can get a smidge tedious due to the lack of map variety. I hope you like winter.
I played this for Pile of Shame. Pros: It's Short. Cons: Everything else. I feel unclean.
Luxor Amun Rising HD
7.5 hours, no achievements
I found this to be a uninspiring example of a Luxor game. I would rate it higher were it not for a late game level that just felt unfair, which is probably why it took me this long to actually beat this SG win.
Samantha Swift and the Golden Touch
0.0 hours, no achievements
Completely unplayable. No viable solutions, and believe me I tried for about 2 hours to get it to function.
Samantha Swift and the Hidden Roses of Athena
2.2 hours, no achievements
It's a Sudoku game they thought they could make better with the addition of multiplayer. Spoiler: Not a great idea. You can solve puzzles with different emblems and numerals in other languages, which is neat but most of the pictographic emblems are too cluttered. Very few of the color themes are easy on the eyes.
I genuinely wish this game were longer. It is a great example of alternative storytelling through objects and it can be very relaxing. Certain items are hard to identify and some placements can be arbitrary.
One note, and that note is boring.
Second verse, same as the first.
Zombie Solitaire
4.9 hours, no achievements
I had to alter Compatibility settings to get this game to run. Basic and unimpressive.
It's Zup.
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Overall Progress:
Welcome to BLAEO and congrats on your January progress! :)
Thank you! February is going to be a challenge already, I can tell, but I’ll do my best. Any progress is good, right?
Omg I let out a laugh when I expanded the text for PowerWash Simulator 😂
I’m glad I could make someone laugh! Thank you for taking an interest in my review XD
Welcome to BLAEO! You have made some nice progress. ;)
Good luck with your fight. :D
Thank you for the kind welcome! And best of luck to the Fox to play new games in her backlog :)
Oh missed this report, always nice to see someone new join. Doing double the amount of games you plan to play was very nice, cant complete enough next month you can say well I did double last time
Very true, but hopefully 10 will remain obtainable.
Your PowerWash Sim review XD
But it’s accurate! :D
that picture really evokes just the perfect emotion
Welcome to BLAEO! I see you’re aiming high; I suppose we’re similar in that regard :)
I thought I could help with Samantha Swift and the Golden Touch, but I see you’ve already commented on the related thread :(
Thank you! And I have a big backlog so aiming high just makes sense XD. I think 10 is reasonable for my current life situation, but it may change as life does.
And yeah, there’s a missing .dll that I can’t find or cannabilize from the other game, alas.
Haha, yeah… I had some kind of plan to finish at least six-ish games per month sometime in the past, I think; only in my head, though. Nowadays, it feels like no matter how many games I play, there’s still always something new (or old!) to check out. The thought alone makes me dizzy…
It looks like you’ve hit that goal for the past few months at least! And I know what you mean about the never-ending list of potential games. Still, 40%+ completed is nothing to sneeze at!
I guess so! Maybe I should just expand that goal to ten games, like you :) And thanks!