Well, SEGA’s biggest mascot, apparently - or at least, that’s the premise for their recent release, “The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog“. It’s a bold move — something that SEGA acknowledges in its trailer for the new title.

In this tongue-and-cheek point-and-click adventure, Sonic’s allies take center stage to try and solve the mystery of his untimely demise in the wake of a murder mystery birthday party gone horribly wrong.

Fans of Aviary Attorney, the Ace Attorney series, or other visual novel mysteries will be familiar with the gameplay loop: you’ll interview party guests and other passengers aboard the Mirage Express — the extravagant train that serves as the game’s setting — gather evidence, and hopefully discover which of Sonic’s nemesis finally caught up to him.

The title is also free, released as an April Fool’s joke this year on Steam. There’s an unexpected punch-line to this joke, though:

it fucking rules.

It’s the highest-rated Sonic game on Steam right now, surpassing even the recent Sonic Frontiers in acclaim.

Fans of the series laud the story writing, art, and character dialogue as excellent, and the love and humor that went into making the game is apparent. I think a lot of people — myself included — love to see it when developers are willing to take things less seriously, and explore some unorthodox, but creative avenues. The enthusiasm for this idea is apparent — it has the heart of something conceived amid laughter and enthusiasm rather than cold corporate calculation.

That’s all for this issue of Side Stories! Thanks for reading, and stay tuned for new episodes, streams, and articles!

Streaming this week:

• Weeknights as available: Hades, Cult of the Lamb

• Thursday: Valorant, GTFO

• Saturday Morning: Resident Evil 4 (2023)

Upcoming Podcast Games:

• Hundred Days: Winemaking Simulator

It’s not every day I see a game that invents a whole new genre! This week’s recommendation comes at the strange intersection of two gaming niches: cosmic horror and fishing.

As a horror-lover who also enjoys fishing both on-screen and on-boat, I knew when I stumbled across Black Salt Games’ Dredge that it was a catch.

From the Steam Store,

“DREDGE is a single-player fishing adventure with a sinister undercurrent. Sell your catch, upgrade your boat, and dredge the depths for long-buried secrets. Explore a mysterious archipelago and discover why some things are best left forgotten.”

Stranded in a strange patch of ocean dotted with mysterious islands, you take the role of a marooned angler, first washed ashore at the town of Greater Marrow and then enlisted as the town’s own fisherman.

As daytime fishing expeditions give way to nighttime excursions, though, the more… aberrant aspects of the region start to surface. Strange catches, robed figures, and unexplained sounds and lights on the water all ripple out from some unseen madness lurking in the depths beneath the waves.

Dredge is best played alone, in the late hours of the morning, headphones on and lights off (or maybe with a small lantern, if you have one, preferably flickering). It’s quiet, and drifts effortlessly between creepy and charming; fans of games like Don’t Starve, Subnautica, and The Long Dark will appreciate the vibe.

I don’t want to give away too much more, but it’s an experience that has me hooked - in fact, I’ll be streaming it tomorrow (4/19/2023) at 9.30 p.m. EST on our Twitch! Be sure to stop by if you want to take a firsthand look or chat about it!

As always, thanks for reading, and if you know someone who’d like the show, stream, or newsletter, be sure to share it with them!

Big thanks to my friend and long-standing friend of the show Kenny, a.k.a. @wrkngclssgmr, for gifting me Dredge, along with a slew of my other wishlisted games, as a birthday present. I can’t overstate how awesome that was and how grateful I am. You rock.

This issue, we’ve got two recommendations well-suited for spending some quality time with kith and/or kin. Grab a partner for the first one, or your entire friend group for the second, and set aside some time for some low-stakes goofy fun.

Bread & Fred

What if, in the Werner Herzog Nihilist Penguin sequence, there were not one, but two penguins headed towards a mountain in the distance? And what if those penguins were bound by a rope and trained to climb said mountain as a duo? And what if it was extremely cute?

Well, then you’d have Bread & Fred, an adorable coop platformer available now as a demo on Steam. My wife and I played through a bit of the demo, and it was a blast; we’re also making our way through It Takes Two at the moment, and Bread & Fred was very much in the same vein.

That said, Bread & Fred brings something new to the table in its partner-platforming mechanics. When playing It Takes Two, the roles between the two characters, while complementary, are ultimately distinct. In Bread & Fred, you and your partner are literally attached at the hip - there’s no splitting up and no acting without directly affecting the other person.

You’ll have to learn to function as one character and leverage your shared tether to swing between platforms, fling yourselves across gaps, and pull one another up from near-death falls. Even simple jumps require coordination, lest one person accidentally pull the other off-target.

For duos with a bit of a skill (or patience) gap, it’s also got some assistance tools like manual checkpoints to ease more challenging segments. It’s overall a great concept, and a masterclass in how a simple but ingenious concept can form a great backbone for a game.

P.S. There is also a single-player mode, featuring a poor penguin tied to a rock - that’s certainly an option, but we highly recommend playing with a buddy.

Gartic Phone

You will laugh. I’m talking pee-your-pants, can’t breath, tears-in-your-eyes, stomach hurts laugh at the ridiculous, often cursed images Gartic Phone will extract from you and your loved ones.

The premise is a blend of Telephone and Pictionary; at the beginning of the game, each player in the lobby of up to 14 will write a single prompt. Something like, “Baptizing your iguana to save his soul“ or “Underwater dim-sum“. Then, each player is assigned another’s prompt, and must draw it.

Gartic Phone is a browser game, which makes it both free and extremely accessible — but the “drawing“ tools are about as complex as MS paint, and with players using computer mice to draw, the pictures are often very melted.

It doesn’t end there, though; those drawings now make the rounds, with players trying to guess what the initial prompt was. Those guesses then go out to be drawn, and the cycle continues once or twice more, until there are a few “generations“ of the prompt→drawing cycle.

Sometimes a prompt will survive the translations — but it’s often better when they don’t, becoming mutated somewhere down the line to absurd and hilarious effect. If you pick a good group, it’s a guaranteed great time.

That’s all for this issue, folks! We’ll catch back up with you later this month.
As always, thanks for reading, and give us a sub if you appreciate the recommendations!

Sam here with the mid-February recommendations; this month we’ve got two picks, the second of which was suggested (and even gifted!) by friend of the show Kenny Williams.

Kenny, if you’re reading this, thanks!

In other recent news, I was invited to talk Gaming Morning Show to talk about my recent article for space.com on the use of gravity in games. Definitely check out their channel, they’ve got some other really interesting interviews and do streams and broadcasts every morning!

Now, on to the games!

Dungeon Alchemist

This one is a little different from our usual picks — Dungeon Alchemist is actually a tool, rather than a game, but it’s worth a look for any of you Dungeon Masters or D&D players out there.

Funded with overwhelming support on Kickstarter, Dungeon Alchemist uses AI to generate high-quality, stylistic maps for tabletop games.

Choose a terrain and a map style, and then just drag and drop your way into a fully-functional, detailed map for gaming. If you don’t like a particular room, or want to re-roll the features, you can just override the initial generation manually on a room-by-room basis.

This feels like a great tool for homebrew settings and oneshots, and I’ll definitely be using it myself.

Vampire Survivors

Chances are, you’ve heard of this one by now. When I first saw it, I was sure it was some kind of idle game that mined crypto in the background; after getting a personal recommendation and a gifted copy, though, I decided to give it another look.

I immediately lost about two hours to it, and I’m officially hooked.

Inspired by Castlevania, you’ll choose one of a handful of heroes to do battle with infinite legions of monsters. Throughout each run, you’ll accumulate items and powerups throughout each run in a mad dash to stay more powerful than the increasingly dangerous fiends (although no actual vampires).

My first few runs were only a few minutes long, but soon I found myself falling back on strategies I’d used on Call of Duty’s Nazi Zombies mode years ago, corralling the beasts into a massive horde and trimming it down with every opportunity on the move.

Even then, I made it about twelve minutes before succumbing to the swarm.

Vampire Survivors feels like a fantastic arcade game, the kind you could spend an entire afternoon - or many - trying to master.

I’m just glad it doesn’t cost real quarters!

Month one of 2023 is almost up, insane as that is. As we continue through the crispy winter months, we’ve got two new radical recommendations.

Shredders

The premise of Shredders is simple: hit the slopes, pull off tricks, make sick videos, meet pros, and even compete to top the local invitational.

From the developers:

A love letter to snowboarding, Shredders takes inspiration from a lot of awesome snowboarding movies, the Amped games from the original Xbox and the snowboarding heroes on Instagram. Shredders is a passion project for riders, by riders.

Shredders draws a lot of comparisons to the Skate franchise, both on the developer site and in the reviews, in that it leans into the simulation aspects of snowboarding and tries to stay true to the feel of the sport, rather than going all-in on an arcade interpretation.

It’s also got online, cross-platform multiplayer, so grab a copy for a buddy and you can both shred! You can also check out the game’s official Discord for tips, updates, and general camaraderie.

If you were ever a fan of the Tony Hawk, Skate, or SSX franchises, this is definitely worth a look!

Hi-Fi RUSH

Where the hell did this game come from?!

With almost no warning, Hi-Fi Rush hit online stores just two days ago to almost universally positive reactions. In it, you’ll play as Chai, a fledgling rocker who gains rhythmic powers after a shady corporate experiment grants him a robotic arm and an implanted mp3 player.

You and a squad of teammates will take the fight to said shady corporation, doing battle with robotic minions and insane execs, all to the beat of absolutely rad music. You might even look cool doing it - the game features a rating system a la Devil May Cry, so the especially ambitious can shoot for those sweet, sweet S rankings.

To me, Hi-fi Rush and its confident quirkiness hearkens back almost to the Ratchet and Clank era of gaming. Might just be rose-tinted glasses, but something about that period of gaming put goofy fun first in a way that’s becoming less and less common.

That’s all for this one!

As always, thanks for reading, and be sure to share us with folks who might be interested! Also feel free to reach out with suggestions, games we should highlight, and requests - we’re open to all of it!

We’re kicking off this year not with a bang, but with some sleepy boops and bops wrapped in soothing violet hues. This week’s (extremely chill) game is Melatonin, from the appropriately named indie dev Half Asleep.

(Seriously, check out the trailer if only for the music).

In Melatonin, you’ll play a number of dream-themed rhythm minigames designed to explore the space between waking life and dreamland. Along the way, you’ll piece together major events in the main character’s life.

Before working in game development, Vancouver dev David Huynh (the human behind Half Asleep) worked in U.X., graphic, and interface design, and his background shines through in the best way in Melatonin’s intuitive musical challenges.

The game features a broad spectrum of challenge, too - everything from an unlockable “hard mode” for the very rhythmically-inclined to assistance tools for those that need a little extra help.

My suggestion for this one?

Stay up till the clock flips to a.m., throw on a roomy hoodie, flip off the lights, and sink into the vibes.

—

If you haven’t already, be sure to subscribe for more game highlights and updates on the u1k podcast (it’s free, unless you want to give us money)!

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As always, thanks for reading, and if you like the recommendations, share the ‘stack with other folks!

It’s cold out for us northern-hemisphere folks, which means there’s more reason ever to cozy up with a cup of something warm and a new game to explore.

This week I’ve got just one recommendation, but it’s perfectly suited to a frosty indoor December evening - Roadwarden, from developer Moral Anxiety Studio and publisher Assemble Entertainment.

From the Steam page:

YOU ARE THE ROADWARDEN

A brave stranger putting your life on the line to make a difference in this grim fantasy world. While most people would never risk a solitary journey through the wilder parts of the land, you willingly accept the struggle. You guard travellers, connect isolated villages, support merchants, and repel attacking creatures, bandits, or even undead.

The game is a fusion of text-based RPG, isometric visual novel, and interactive puzzle game. It’s got no shortage of acclaim, earning an Overwhelmingly Positive rating with 854 reviews, which praise the writing, mystery, and attention to detail. The vibe I get from the whole thing is a kind of “enhanced fantasy novel“.

So if text-based RPGs or fantasy novels are your thing and you’re looking for something to brighten up the dark winter evenings, set aside some time to make a cup of hot chocolate and boot up Roadwarden.

We’ll be back soon with a new episode — we’re actually pulling from our Side Quests recommendations for this one — so enjoy your holiday and keep an eye out for that.

If you’re swept up in the giving spirit, give us a recommendation to someone you know that loves games - it really helps!

Hope this finds you in a contented post-feast haze; this week we’re coming at you with two thoughtful, colorful adventures perfect for a cold day in.

Chicory: A Colorful Tale

First is Chicory: A Colorful Tale from Canada-based developer Greg Lobanov.

Once upon a time, Chicory was one of the earliest games that made it to our candidate list for the show; unfortunately, it’s no longer eligible, but that shouldn’t stop you from checking out this coloring-book-inspired adventure.

In Chicory, you take the role of renowned painter Chicory’s biggest fan after she mysteriously disappears - along with all of the color in the world. Taking up the mantle of her magic Brush, you’ll solve puzzles, help your animal friends, and bring color back to the game’s frankly adorable world.

Everything about this game charms me - the earnest and cheerful soundtrack, the cartoonish art style, the creative leveraging of the paint theme, all oozing with the care and intent that mark something of real quality.

Color me impressed.

Check out the trailer below:

Hue

Next is Hue, from UK-based developer Fiddlesticks, which sees a young man named Hue navigating a grey colorless world in a quest to find his mother, who’s gone missing since an experiment in her color research went awry.

You’ll utilize one of the inventions she left behind - a color wheel - to alter the world around you, removing obstacles and revealing new paths.

Like Chicory, the game has a charming simplicity and sincerity to it that again shines in an inspiring soundtrack and cartoon cast; if I had to make a distinction, I’d say that Hue appears a touch more introspective and puzzle-focused.

It’s also worth noting that it features top-quality voice acting along with accessibility features to make the game available for those with colorblindness.

Check out the trailer below:

That’s it for this week, folks!

We’re already working on a new episode of the podcast, so stay tuned for that; as always, thanks for reading and listening, and be sure to spread the word about us to folks who might be interested.

Finally, we’ve been toying with the idea of a master list of games we recommend; as people who know games, our primary goal is to help people connect with the art form in a way they’ll enjoy, and so we thought compiling nice, organized a list of games we consider to be quality experiences might be something people are interested in.

Let us know what you think via the poll below!

Sam here; this week I’ve got two recommendations, both of which have been on my radar for a while.

HYPER DEMON

First up is HYPER DEMON, from developer and publisher Sorath.

Now right off the bat - HYPER DEMON is intense.

From the Steam Store:

While the game has a number of innovative mechanics, the secret sauce is the sensory overload the game throws at the player through two features - a spherical projection view that gives the player a near-180-degree field of vision, and a red holographic “rear-view“ overlay that completes the sphere of awareness.

Ultimately, these two features work to give the player a full 360-degree field of perception. Combine those with a usual lighting-strike-on-cocaine level of intensity that boomer shooters are known for, and you get an experience designed to test the limits of the human mind.

Reviewers attempt to describe the sensation as “feeling like their soul is on fire“, “perceiving higher dimensions“, and “how it feels to chew five gum“, and the game includes both an addiction warning and a photosensitivity warning.

I think that illustrates what you’re getting into pretty well; if you like boomer shooters, experimental mechanics, or transcending the limits of human perception, check it out.

Hyper Demon Steam Page

It Steals

Next up is It Steals, from developer and publisher Zeekerss.

Now, I promise I wasn’t intentionally trying to be sadistic this week, but It Steals is… also extremely intense.

As a self-described “experiment in survival horror“, It Steals has five modes, each of which represents an escalation of unpredictable monstrosities and tense stealth mechanics.

Since it’s horror, I won’t spoil too much more, but It’s also notable for having a 99% positive review rating with almost 600 reviews. Reviewers laud the game for its innovation and its ability to cultivate intense paranoia - many mentioned how difficult it was to even open the game after experiencing the terror it induces.

If you didn’t get enough scares in October, pick this up for just $5 (plus the cost of therapy for the inevitable night terrors and anxiety).

It Steals Steam Page