nellyneko
Futuristic looking header image featuring the title for the April/May theme: I, for one, welcome our new robot overlords

April/May: I, for one, welcome our new Robot Overlords

In an era marked by technological leaps and bounds, it’s evident that humanity is increasingly leaning on machines for various facets of life. From the moment we wake up to the time we rest our heads at night, our reliance on technology is palpable, permeating every aspect of our existence. But as we embrace the convenience and efficiency that machines offer, are we unwittingly surrendering a piece of our autonomy and resilience? Let’s… And so on and so forth. Thanks, ChatGPT, for that opener! Very apt for our theme this month, AND the next (yes, we’re doing bimonthly* themes from now on): It’s all about machines/robots, and whether to welcome them into our lives or reject them.

Games fitting the theme should obviously revolve around robots, whether you’re fighting them (like Hi-Fi RUSH, Mass Effect), helping them/accepting their help (e.g. Stray, Autonauts), or playing as/becoming them (Cyberpunk 2077, Portal etc.).

Bonus points** if you can guess why I chose this theme for the months of April and May!

* Bimonthly: A new theme every two months, with every theme running for two months
** Note: There are no actual points to be gained, but you can have fun guessing and maybe feel proud if you get it right ☺


You can use the following format to track your progress in the comments, and/or add your own thoughts about the played game(s) to your post!

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

Theme Song

Gif of a giant dancing robot in a city, taken from the music video Intergalactic by the Beastie Boys

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 theme?
Nothing.

What happens if I play all of my unfinished games before the theme is over?
Your backlog will be a much smaller place.

I don’t have any unfinished games - I’ve beaten everything I’ve started.
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.

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This comment was deleted 6 months ago.

Kyrrelin

Hmmmm… I will try guessing… is it because of a robotic project named APRIL? ^_^

Name Category Achievements obtained Playtime Status
Sky Break Robots/Mechas none 7.4h Completed
Bionic Heart 2 Robots 6/24 4.4h Beaten
TOTAL:   6 11.8h 2
nellyneko

Good guess! It is indeed month-name-related, but I didn’t even know about that project! The fact that it’s also April worked out well, though!

Kyrrelin

Haha, what a coincidence. :D
I think I have found it. :3 This time I searched for both months and got a book (An Absolutely Remarkable Thing) with a protagonist named April May.

nellyneko

Bingo! It’s been a while since I read it, I don’t think the Carls in the book were actual robots, but that’s how I arrived at this theme ^^

Kyrrelin

Yay. :D The theme is a great idea. ;)
First time seeing this book, thanks for the reading tip. :)

Tempête Joachim
Game Achievements Playtime Status
Backfirewall_ 35/35 5.2h Completed
Citizen Sleeper 27/27 11.6h Completed
Cyberpunk 2077 0/57 0h Not started
Mechanibot 0/31 0h Not started
Nova Lands 24/24 40.4h Completed
Wolfstride 0/20 0h Not started
total: 86/194 57.2h 3/6

List

franplants

Nice choices! Almost all are games I also want to play :3

xxxkaCZ
Destroy all humans! 32/40 6,8 beaten
INDUSTRIA 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
JapaniKatti
The Uncertain: Light At The End 0/30 0 unfinished
Synthetic Lover 0/19 0 unfinished
Citizen Sleeper 0/27 0 unfinished
total: 0/76 0 0/3
CultofPersonalitea

For the theme based game this bi-month: Frostpunk, Iron Harvest and Wasteland 3. For May: Tales of the Neon Sea

Name Achievements obtained Playtime Status
Black Book 29/50 10.4h beaten
Frostpunk 12/115 10.9h beaten
Iron Harvest 5/25 17.7h beaten
Soulflow 6/8 1.1h beaten
Smile for me 18/24 1.1h beaten
Wasteland 3 28/86 50.1h beaten
Lacuna 12/25 6.3h beaten
Tails Noir 13/26 3.6h beaten
SUPERHOT 10/26 4.3h beaten
Dear Esther: Landmark Edition 4/10 1h beaten
TOTAL: x xhours 10 games Beaten

For the Month of May

Name Achievements obtained Playtime Status
ABZU 4/12 7.1h beaten
Heal 8/14 5.2h beaten
The Quarry 21/40 9.8h beaten
GRIS 5/17 4.7h beaten
Do Not Feed the Monkeys 16/33 11.4h beaten
Hatred 11/74 5h beaten
A Juggler’s Tale 9/18 2.7h beaten
Tales of the Neon Sea 56/58 10.6h beaten
Metro 2033 13/48 10.4h beaten
Metro: Last Light Complete Edition 23/70 15.8h beaten
Resident Evil 2 23/44 11.4h beaten
Among the Sleep - Enhanced Edition 23/10 4h beaten
TOTAL: x xhours 11 games Beaten
RiseV7
Game Achievements Playtime Status
Titanfall 2 50/50 15.6 hrs Completed
100 Robo Cats 100/100 0.4 hrs Completed
Ben 10: Power Trip 28/28 15.1 hrs Completed
Total: 178/178 31.1 hrs 3/3
Trent

Could I get a ruling on whether Some Distant Memory qualifies? I haven’t played the game (obviously), but the blurb says you are “joined by her companion, ARORA, a centuries-old AI capable of recreating human memories from scanned relics”. This appears to be a picture of ARORA. This article characterizes ARORA as “your AI robot pal.”

nellyneko

I’ve never heard of it, but it looks and sounds like it definitely qualifies!

Trent

Thank you for the reply.

Trent

Well, for what it’s worth, I played the game and honestly I’d say the game doesn’t qualify. ARORA is not a robot– she/it is just an AI with no physical form. In the picture I linked, the “robot” I thought was ARORA was the player’s commander. Oh well.

Mitsukuni

Nice coincidence that I just purchased my first Isaac Asimov books today.

Moony1986
Name Subcategory Achievements obtained Playtime Status
RoboCop: Rogue City Tag Robots 22/27 17.7h finished
TOTAL:   22 17.7h 1
RiseV7

I just wanted to know what do you get for participating/ completing these challenges? is it just for the satisfaction of completing backlog, like giving players new theme every month or two to motivate them to clear the backlog or are there any rewards on top of this?

Kyrrelin

No rewards, just your good feeling from a job well done. ;)

Trent

It’s just a way to help you decide on the next game in your backlog if you’re stuck. It’s fun to see what other players are playing, and to play games of the same genre / with the same tags as others on BLAEO. Completely optional, and no actual “rewards.”

Trent
Name Achievements Playtime this month Status
Wanda - A Beautiful Apocalypse 12/12 5h15m Completed
Total: 12/12 5h15m 1 Completed
Kaleith
Name Achievements obtained Playtime Status
Haiku the Robot 26/40 7.2 h Beaten
TOTAL: 26/40 7.2 h 1 game beaten