skanda


April: TOGETHER-20

“I wish it need not have happened in my time," said Frodo. "So do I," said Gandalf, "and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.” ― J.R.R. Tolkien



Let’s lessen the psychological effects of social distancing by spending some quality time together online. Play co-operative or multiplayer games either with online friends/strangers or offline with people from the same household. If you prefer playing games alone, then opt for video games with AI companions.

If there are any mulitplayer games that you want to play but don’t have people to play them with, try to find gaming buddies either by posting a reply to this post or on our Discord server.

To participate, reply to this post and tell us which game(s) that fit the monthly theme you’re going to play.


You can use the following (or similar) format to make it easier for me to keep track of everyone’s progress, but feel free to add any extra thoughts about the game(s) to your post!

Name | Achievements obtained | Playtime | Status
:-: | :-: | :-: | :-: | :-: 
name of game 1 | achievements obtained | playtime this month | unfinished/finished
name of game 2 | achievements obtained | playtime this month | unfinished/finished
name of game 3 | achievements obtained | playtime this month | unfinished/finished
TOTAL: | achievements obtained | playtime this month | Number of games finished  

Have fun!


Theme song #1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DnDBH1-OyJg

Theme song #2

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L89nN03pBzI


Challenge me

The newest edition of the monthly Challenge Me is available here: click.


FAQ

Do I have to participate in this month’s theme?
No, as with every theme, these are merely suggestions for anyone who is unsure about what to play next. If you already have a battle plan for your backlog and/or don’t like this month’s theme, you’re free to ignore it.

What happens if I don’t participate in the monthly theme?
Nothing.

What happens if I play all of my unfinished games this month?
Your backlog will be a much smaller place.

I don’t have any unfinished games!
Really? well that makes one of us… I salute you.

I already finished my entry can I play another?
Go ahead - the goal is to reduce your unfinished games list. The more you can play the better.

Jaded

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GhzzCDgTWmI

Hmmm this matches up with Stardew Valley which I’ve already been playing with a friend haha.

Also: would anyone maybe want to play Unrailed! on discord at some point?

EvilBlackSheep

With so many people stuck at home right now, that should go great! Will at least put some more hours in MHW.

emymer

matches up with staxel - Plague Inc: Evolved - 7 days to die

Kaleith

Just got married in Portia, so that’s an AI companion. It totally means I can sink 60 more hours into it this month right? :spacecat:

skanda

It only counts if it’s combined with Jackbox games.

Kaleith

But no one plays that anymore

skanda

The only person cat that stopped playing it is Kale. :grumpycat:

Cece09
Name Achievements obtained Playtime Status
Tales of Zestiria 31/56 54.2 Finished
samwise84
Name Achievements obtained Playtime Status Theme
Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood no achievements playtime (before) this month (2.4h) 8.2h completed multiplayer is dead, but you have your brother as an AI companion
Garfield Kart no achievements 1,5h beaten multiplayer
Figment 23/23 14.3 completed AI companion, Piper a bird that follows you arround and helps sing the nightmares to sleep
YOU DON’T KNOW JACK Vol. 4 The Ride no achievements 0.4 beaten multiplayer against friends or AI
YOU DON’T KNOW JACK SPORTS no achievements 0.4 beaten multiplayer against friends or AI
YOU DON’T KNOW JACK HEADRUSH no achievements 0.5 beaten multiplayer against friends or AI
name of game 7 achievements obtained playtime this month unfinished/finished multiplayer/AI companion
TOTAL: achievements obtained playtime this month Number of games finished :-:
the Traveler

Fantastic theme. Be well all!

EDIT: treating this as a sampling run to give more games some playtime + have more togetherness with different people

Name Playtime Notes
ClickRaid alot multiplayer idle game
Regular Human Basketball 1 hr 1vs1 online w/ friend
Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes ~1 hr couch co-op
Farm Together 8 hrs online co-op w/ friends
CryoFall 6.4 hrs online multiplayer
7 Days to Die 2.6 hrs online co-op w/ friend
The Shapeshifting Detective 1.9 hrs couch co-op
The Jackbox Party Pack 2 1 hr couch game
ninglor03

I don’t get the AI companions and how to figure out which games work for that.
Apart from that I play a lot of Overwatch atm - which is not on steam, so doesn’t count D:

Name Achievements obtained Playtime Status Companion
Path of Sin: Greed 16/16 6h finished Colleague
Escape The Lost Kingdom: The Forgotten Pharaoh - 2h finished Family time!
Dark Angels: Masquerade of Shadows 30/30 3h finished Guardian women
Mind’s Eye: Secrets of the Forgotten - 1,5h finished Photographer sidekick
TOTAL: 46/46 12,5h 4  
Trent

I took a look at your account via Steam filters and didn’t see any games tagged “Artificial Intelligence”. I only had a couple myself. But you could look at your Sci-Fi games and see if there’s an AI companion. You can also find multiplayer games this way. Sorry, not much help.

Vito

Well, I asked skanda in Discord if companions in RPGs count and she said yes. So I guess that makes more games eligible.

skanda

Doesn’t have to be Sci-fi games, even Fallout games or Bioshock Infinite would count, for example.

Trent

Ah, that makes sense! Any game where a companion to the main character is controlled by the AI (the game, the computer). I thought it just meant AI companions, not companions controlled by the game’s AI.

ninglor03

That’s neat. Thanks a lot! Now… I only need to figure out in which games I have companions at hand xD

Vito

I don’t know if I’ll participate in the multiplayer part, but I’ll look through my games.

Name Subcategory Achievements obtained Playtime Status
Might & Magic X - Legacy AI companions 0/0 49 h completed
TOTAL:   0/0 49 h 1
Kyrrelin

Still playing Lego Star Wars, as we didn’t make any much progress. X)

Name Theme Achievements obtained Playtime Status
Brothers - A Tale of Two Sons Co-op 0 / 12 0.0h unfinished
Degrees of Separation Co-op 10 / 10 10.0h Completed
LEGO® Star Wars™ - The Complete Saga Co-op none 0.0h (18.9h) previously beaten - I would like to 100% this ;)
TOTAL:   10 10.0h 1
goplayer7

Mmmmmm, for co-op games, would games that have a co-op option be sufficient or do we need to play with others for the game to qualify for the theme? Time for me to join everyone looking to see what games they have which qualify.

skanda

If the game doesn’t provide AI companions in place of real players, then it doesn’t qualify. Much more fun with humans, though. :)

goplayer7

Thank you very much for the confirmation.

Moony1986

Stay save and sound everybody!

Name Subcategory Achievements obtained Playtime Status
The Disney Afternoon Collection Co-Op 8/20 10.2h Beaten
Drawful 2 Co-Op 6/10 1.4h Unfinished
The Adventure Pals AI companions 31/31 14.9h Completed
TOTAL:   45 26.5h 2
Trent

I played Drawful last weekend over Zoom with some RL friends and it was pretty fun. It’s sort of a cross between Pictionary and Balderdash, if you’re familiar with those.

Charles Nonsens

I haven’t been big on multiplayer games, but maybe this is the month to change my mind?

Name Achievements obtained Playtime Status
Grand Theft Auto V 4/77 2h unfinished
Borderlands 2 29/75 0h beaten
Left 4 Dead 30/73 32.2h beaten
TOTAL: 30/73 32.2h computing…

Edit: Ultimately went the AI companion route since I have to go afk often…

||Valhalla||

Does it count if the game has Split-screen feature? For example, will Q-YO Blaster qualify for this event?

skanda

It counts if you play it in co-op.

||Valhalla||

Ah I see but I already completed it solo :(

Daerphen

This will be indeed a gaming month. As the time between home and office is reduced to a few seconds.
Not sure, if I finish anything, that matches the theme this month. But we’ll see

Name Type Achievements obtained Playtime Status
Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel coop 6 10h Completed
F1 2019 Multiplayer TBD TBD In Progress
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition AI Companion TBD TBD In Progress
Diablo III + Reaper of Souls Coop 22% 17h Beaten
TOTAL:     27h 2
JaffaCaffa
Game Achievements Playtime Theme Status
PAYDAY 2   0.8 hrs Co-op/Multiplayer Currently Playing
Hot Shot Burn 29/35 2.5 hrs Co-op/Multiplayer Beaten
Risk of Rain 2 - 3.3 hrs Co-op/Multiplayer Currently Playing
Golf With Your Friends 33/55 (+0) 0.7 hrs Co-op/Multiplayer Currently Playing
Atari Vault 9/24 (+9) 17.3 hrs Co-op/Multiplayer Beaten
It came from space and ate our brains 38/57 (+1) 0.7 hrs Co-op/Multiplayer Currently Playing
I Hate Running Backwards 12/40 (+4) 0.8 hrs Co-op/Multiplayer Currently Playing
Tower Unite 182/426 (+46) 14.0 hrs Co-op/Multiplayer Beaten
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive 97/167 (+11) 2.4 hrs Co-op/Multiplayer Currently Playing

Am using the opportunity to play with my brother more this month. Tower Unite, It came from space, Golf With Your Friends, PAYDAY 2 and CS:GO have all had updates since I last played.

Trilled Meow
Name Achievements obtained Playtime Status
11-11: Memories Retold 50/50 12 hours Completed
name of game 2 achievements obtained playtime this month unfinished/finished
name of game 3 achievements obtained playtime this month unfinished/finished
TOTAL: 50/50 12 hours 1

I meant to play 11-11 for last month but only really played it this month. Not sure if it counts, as you mostly switch between characters, but they do walk around via AI when you’re not controlling them. And the bird is its own man, imo.

JFM
Name Achievements obtained Playtime Status
Warhammer: Vermintide 2 3/26 0 Unfinished

Well, i was planning to play this for a while. I think it is a perfect time :D

Blue Ϟ Lightning
Name Achievements obtained Playtime This Month Status
cuphead 7/28 1(+11 previous) unfinished
The Jackbox Party Pack 2 3/20 1 finished
The Jackbox Party Pack 3 12/20 2(+15 previous) finished
The Jackbox Party Pack 4 11/20 2(+19 previous) finished

+Drawful 2 but only for like 20 minutes…
kinda just wanna group all the jackbox together

skanda

I don’t remember us playing Jackbox. <_<

LeoTurambar
Name Achievements obtained Playtime Status
Child of Light / 12h beaten
TOTAL: / 12h 1
Fnord
Name Achievements obtained Playtime Status
Resident Evil 5 28/70 18,3 finished
TOTAL: 28 18,3 1
escollo
Name Theme Achievements obtained Playtime Status HLTB
Death Squared Local co-op 25/25 16.7h completed 6 Hours
Go! Go! Nippon! ~My First Trip to Japan~ AI companions* 0/85 3.7h beaten 3 Hours
Goat Simulator Local co-op 72/127 12.1h beaten 2 Hours
Shu AI companions** 31/42 6.8h beaten 3 Hours

*One of the sisters always travels with the protagonist
**Companions give new abilities to the protagonist while they are with her

kiseli

It’s been a while since i participated here :D

Name Achievements obtained Playtime Status Notes
Warstone TD 96 of 123 15.7h beaten some levels require co-op
Trent
Name Achievements obtained Playtime this month (in multiplayer) Status
Never Alone (Kisima Ingitchuna) 10/10 5h21m (5h21m) completed
Tomb Raider 44/50 (was 32/50) 6h41m (~2h) beaten
Trine 13/33 (was 3/33) 10h45m (~5h) unfinished
Portal 2 35/51 (was 21/51) 7h49m (~2.3h) beaten
TOTAL: 46 new ~14h in multiplayer 1 newly completed
juhaszandor

Tried only doing some multiplayer games this month, but playing like a 100 hours of The Elder Scrolls® Online made me play Skyrim too.

Name Achievements obtained Playtime Status
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition 16/75 33h beaten
Janediel
Name Achievements obtained Playtime Status HLTB (Main)
Don’t Starve Together - 35h finished 33h
Total War: WARHAMMER 53/185 257h finished 30h
Rise of Nations: Extended Edition 18/38 34h finished 18h
TOTAL: 71 326h 3 -