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.
Half A Cup - Ultimate Chicken Horse
Sometimes you’re not in the mood for a full cup of tea. You’re in a hurry; you’re not that thirsty. When it comes to games, sometimes you can’t give them an entire review complete with a full set of terrible jokes. But you still want to say something. So you pour Half A Cup.
For a game with such a light and friendly name, Ultimate Chicken Horse can produce some of the most joyous anger I’ve ever seen in a game. That’s not a criticism either, if a game can penetrate the doughy layer of emotional neutrality and actually make me feel something - good or bad - then it must be well put together. And navigating the mess that is your average Ultimate Chicken Horse level is good fun. I’m no stranger to hard platformers. I’ve played everything Edmund McMillen has to offer, for example. But nothing compares to a level constructed by friends who want to see each other suffer.
