Tea And Video Games
There was a moment when I realised my life revolved around two things: Video Games and cups of tea. This blog is concerned with the former. My oesophagus is concerned with the latter.
Currently updating whenever the stars align.
The Teacup Awards B-Side (2018)
Not every game fits neatly into an awards category. Think of these B-sides as the participation awards. They are something worth talking about but only when all of the hard hitters are out of the way. I played a real mixed bag of games last year and didn’t play too many of my usual sort. Very light on survival games, for one, and there weren’t as many stand-out indie games as the year before.
Still, some interesting stuff did come out of the year so I don’t just want to disregard ninety percent of it. It was a year of catch-up really, playing through some of 2017’s biggest hits. So now let’s make up a bunch of different awards and give to games from last year that I think are worth a mention.
Two Point Hospital
The ‘Fly in the Cup’ Award for Killer Problem
I liked Two Point Hospital quite a lot when I first started playing it. It felt like a return to form; back to Theme Hospital, which I enjoyed a lot. It was refreshingly similar but with new diseases and additions that kept me excited. I recorded myself playing it and then created a different save to play in the downtime, something I didn’t do often. So I was obviously enjoying myself. Yet as I got through the game, something started to nag at me. It took me quite a while to find out what it was.
The 2016 Awards B-Side
I’ve a tendency to ramble on when I’m doing these articles. I was attempting to restrain myself for the proper awards and it still ended up running into about three-thousand words. So here I’m taking those restraints off. There were a few games I talked about this year that I’d like a final word on. Let’s begin with…
Knock-Knock
Honourary Award For Worst Lightbulbs
Knock-Knock was an oddball. Essentially, a large part of the game is spent guiding a reclusive nutjob around an old house, turning on the lights. An odd thing to base a game around, but it kind of works. It changes its rules often enough to keep this simple premise fresh. The use of the light in particular was really well done. Light equaled safety, at least in the beginning, but it also meant some kind of clarity of thought for the main character. He’s an insomniac, unsure whether he’s awake or dreaming, and the switching on of the light gives him a sense of control. He can imagine objects into being, which is often essential when you need to hide from the beasties.
