I was never hugely into video games as a kid; I played the occasional game but nothing too crazy. This was until last year, when I was introduced to Undertale. While this game is a bit older (released 2015), it’s a classic 2-D pixel roleplay game about a child who has fallen to the underground and must escape back to the real world. Now, let me tell you, I’ve tried my fair share of hobbies in my life and while some stuck around, none did like video games. This game has led me down a rabbit hole of some of the weirdest, darkest, and most hilarious games I’ve ever looked into.
SINGLE PLAYER GAMES
I haven’t played the biggest variety of games compared to all my gamer friends ( not even a little bit close to the amount they have all played) but for someone just getting into it like me, I have found some super fun games.
Obviously, my first recommendation would be Undertale, but if you like card-based attack games, the 2022 release Phobies is absolutely amazing! The basis of the game is to collect different cards of different phobies, and slowly level up their attacks so that fighting your enemies becomes easier and easier. The game takes place in what the developers call “the surreal realm of the subconscious” and the art style, attacks, and character cards are incredibly detailed and dark, while still having a creepy-cute edge to them.
Now onto my current obsession (since I’ve racked up over 100 hours in the game), Stardew Valley. I cannot say enough about how much I LOVE this game. The premise is to build up a farm that was given to you by your grandfather, while collecting items and meeting and becoming friends with all the townsfolk. While it seems like just a cute little farming RPG, the lore behind the game gets quite dark at some parts, which is surprising for such a cute little game. I could go on about this game till the end of the universe, but the last thing I will add is this: you can customize everything. Want a witchy vibes house? No problem! You can get wallpaper, flooring, decorations, everything you want to match that vibe. Same with cottagecore, or modern, or any other aesthetic; it can be recreated in your farmhouse. You can also unlock the sewing machine and make clothes for your character and it’s just so cute I can’t handle it.
MULTIPLAYER GAMES
While Stardew Valley does have a multiplayer gamemode, I won’t make you guys read my rant over that game again, so I will talk about two other games I have played with my gamer boyfriend that we both loved.
A Tale of Two Brothers is a cute and also incredibly sad (I cried a little at the end) game about two brothers going on a journey to obtain medicine to cure their sick father. It was technically meant to be single player, but the multiplayer gamemode is what I will choose to discuss instead. The whole game is about using teamwork to complete puzzles and getting help from people you meet along the way to finally make it to the tree to get the medicine for your dying father. I won’t say more for fear of spoiling the ending, but trust me when I say it’s a must play, and don’t let the fact that it’s older deter you; it slaps.
My current gameplay with my boyfriend is It Takes Two, and let me tell you, it’s a wild ride. You play as two parents on the verge of a divorce, who are turned into a set of their daughters’ dolls and must journey through the kingdoms of their own home to return back to their human bodies. You get to kill the old vacuum, meet the squirrels from the tree in the yard, and even go to space throughout the trek back home. This game has made me laugh, cry, yell, and everything in between, but it is so fun. There are puzzles and insane boss fights against random objects from around the home; it’s so well made.
The more you search around on youtube gameplays and Steam, the more you can really find some interesting games of any genre that are super fun to play. While these are just my favourite games from my favourite hobby, there is a game for everyone out there!