WOBFU: Weekly Overview of the Bundle For Ukraine
Rock defeats Lovecraft: WOBFU Page 6
Strangely spooky series of games, but not in the same ways
Overview
Sitting at a perfect balance of 15/15, this would be a lovely precident to set for the rest of the bundle to keep things equal. Unfortunately, the standard is for more games than software, especailly considering the previous bundle, so this isn’t really that great. Especially since of the six duplicates, four of them are games. That’s 11 games for the week, and a technical minority. Now, optimistically speaking, this is 2 more than the previous page’s 13 video games, so perhaps we’re on our way back up to a majority. Who knows? I don’t.
This does, however, lead to a little topic I wanted to remedy/bring up before anyone asks. With fewer video games, the possibility for recommendations drops. Not that I may hate a page by any means, but the recommended section was to essentially highlight games that either I got super into and wanted to explain why, or were so engrossing that I couldn’t stop talking about them.
To assume this will happen every page when duplicates exist as well is a bit presumptuous of me. So if I don’t give any recommendations, don’t worry! The page will still have some bangers, they just might not be as massive to me as they may be to you.
Alright, boring stuff done. Let’s get GOING.
Video Games
Recommendations:
Eldritch
This might be a strange game recommendation coming from me, but hear me out.
Eldritch is a first person dungeon crawler created by Minor Key Games, a duo of devs in the United States. We’ve seen them before in both bundles, with Super Win the Game in the Racial Justice bundle and Gunmetal Arcadia Zero in this one. While it may not have been obvious as those two were published under J. Kyle Pittman’s itch.io page, rest assured they come from the same studio and there’s no confusion here.
But enough about the contextual stuff, what is happening in the game?
Players start their game in an infinite library, uncertain as to how they got here or why they were chosen. Surrounding them are books to read and items to interact with, but only three books truly matter; the ones that teleport them to a dungeon.
See, Eldritch is a game in which you as your hopeless protagonist are attempting to delve into this lost temple to Dagon, the Lovecraftian God, and find an exit. Each ‘floor’ has multiple layers to dive through, with enemies of all shapes looking to ensure you don’t make it out. That isn’t a difficult task either, for you are human and therefore are squishy with only 3 health to work with.
This frailty will get you killed, but that isn’t the end; Dagon won’t let you leave that easily. This brings in the roguelike elements, for death sends you to the beginning only to start again with a newly generated set of floors to traverse.
The only things that are saved are the ‘artifacts’ that were stored in the bank. These are blue coin-objects picked up throughout the levels that represent both purchasing power and mana. Fishmen will sell valuable items to the player, but death means that those items are gone. Statues will give powerful boons, like the ability to pick locks, but each use requires varying amounts of artifacts to consume. Everything revolves around these artifacts, and your ability to find them is crucial.
So far it all sounds relatively straight forward; first person roguelike, collecting items you know will disappear if you die, endless attempts and repeats. This is where Eldritch decides to spice things up a bit in the form of dynamite. The explosive can be found occasionally, and once thrown it explodes in an area killing everything. What I wasn’t expecting was it to blow up the walls.
Yes, the terrain is destructible, which opens up every possibility you can think of. No more are you just worrying about exploration, but now about how you can manipulate the level to your will. Secret passages can be uncovered by an accidental missed dynamite throw, and new ways to avoid certain enemies can make runs that much easier.
The funniest part about Eldritch is that I spent much of my time processing just how much was going on in a game that, admittedly, reminded me of a massive Minecraft mod. This is by no means a criticism of the game, as many games utilize this style to focus on the gameplay and mechanics. You are constantly moving throughout massive levels, looking for new ways to explore, to manipulate the world around you, and eventually die to try it again in a different way.
It’s a game that sucks you in more than you might expect, and if you loved FPS dungeon crawlers previously seen in the wild you’ll adore this one.
The rest of the page is as follows:
Mysteries Under Lake Ophelia
Starting us off is the greatest kind of game: a fishing game. Jokes aside (am I even joking though?), this is a little narrative fishing adventure by Bryce Bucher, who had added Fatum Betula earlier on.
In here, players are a small boy who has visited Lake Ophelia to fish and enjoy nature. Weirdly though, for a place so interesting and peaceful, nobody else is around. There is also a strange amount of fish that shouldn’t be in the lake. What’s that about? Only way to find out is to fish ’em up and see what’s in the lake.
Sulphur Nimbus: Hel’s Elixir
Going back to the era of 3D platformers and momentum-based movement is Sulphur Nimbus by Oddwarg. Players follow the titular ‘Sulphur Nimbus’ as their mission to take photos gets them stranded on a strange island.
Thanks to being a hippogriff, they can fly around using momentum through an extensive tutorial, leading to strange areas that will require precision to reach and fast fingers to dodge. It may not be for everyone, but those that enjoy it will have a blast.
Elephantiasy
This oddly named title is a cute adventure in which an Elephant-creature falls from the sky and is saved by a wizard. To repay them, the elephant goes on a grand adventure to collect gems so that they can borrow items in the hopes of returning home. The exploration is similar to Legend of Zelda and Metroid as items are integral to finding new paths, and a lot of backtracking is necessary to find everything.
The catch is that players can only ‘borrow’ one item at a time until they collect enough gems. This gives a strange sense of synergy to the exploration, as you’ll keep tabs on what combinations of items you’ll need to keep going and constantly return to mix and match accordingly. It’s tricky, but those retro adventurers will get a massive kick out of it.
Adventure for a Bit
A generation-centric game in which an AI named Bit attempts to create the perfect world. They know nothing about how, though, so it is up to you as the ‘player’ to help them. Overtime, Bit becomes a little less confident in their skills, and a narrative begins to blossom in a game where it feels like there shouldn’t be any. After all, it’s a game where you wander around a large area that has been generated, and then rate it to do it again.
Yet JUSTCAMH has somehow made me invested in the small fellow that’s trying to create a ‘perfect’ world for me, and honestly I cannot help but feel for them. If you just want to see what it’s capable of, put a random set of characters in the SEED generator and see what you get; otherwise, enjoy the little tale of Bit and their cousin Bot.
Be Not Afraid A.K.A. Seraphim Horror Show!?
Autumn Rain is back with their patented brand of ‘What the hell am I looking at’ gameplay. In the Racial Bundle it was ‘Sewer Rave’, but now it is a gameshow in which you, the lucky player, will get to enjoy angelic minigames.
The only problem is that angels are, well, angelic, and mortals are not; meaning that eventually the contestant will melt from the sheer audacity. Collecting coins prolongs the inevitable, but slowly the schism will grow and melt your face off. Even with my nearly 10 minutes of banked time I found myself lost in the final maze.
Good luck, and hopefully your face doesn’t melt!
Dates & Wires
Now this is something cool, for this is not just an otome but an official otome. Dates & Wires is the spin-off game of a webcomic series called ‘Drugs & Wires’ by co-authors IoBlack and Mary Safro. The series is set in an alternate history of the mid 90s with an ex-Soviet micronation glittered in cyberpunk everything. You as the player run away to this nation named ‘Stradania’ after a breakup and visit the ‘hottest’ bar and nightclub, Icebox.
You’ve got a wide array of different guys to choose from; even the bartender isn’t off limits. If you’re a fan of the original webcomic series, or love the idea of media getting its own spin-off games, then this is a fantastic game to get into. For newcomers such as myself, its multiple endings and hidden souvenirs/secrets give way to a lot of replayability. Give it a whirl if you enjoy either, and maybe checkout the webcomic if you haven’t.
Lonely People Potion Shop
A short game about a cute potion shop in the middle of the woods. You are a potion witch to the titular ‘Lonely People Potion Shop’, brewing potions for whomever comes in the door and talking about their feelings. Unfortunately, the name gives away the general issue of the shop, since not many show up. However, when they do, players will put their brewing skills to work in a short minigame where you’ll pick ingredients and boil them all together.
It’s reminiscent of the ‘brewing’ visual novels that have snuck around for the past few years — see VA11-HallA — as the brewing is more of a vehicle to the stories themselves. While it is a bit on the short side, if you love comfy narratives and witchcraft this might be a great game to try out.
Vampire Night Shift
Working night shifts can be hard enough, but doing it in customer service is brutal. Take the viewpoint of the vampire Oscar as they work in a convenience store during the nighttime. All of the hazards of retail are here for your horrified amusement, from customers drinking wine right from the rack to rants about chex mix.
The only unrealistic thing I saw is that the boss is present the entire night — normally they just ditch you to fend for yourself. Nevertheless, it’s a short experience with some banging tunes to accompany it. If you’re into little GBA-like games, this might be a good one to try out.
I’m a love interest in my childhood friend’s reverse harem!!!
Welcome to the ultimate alteration of the otome formula; ‘side character syndrome’. WitPOP, seen previously in the Racial Justice bundle for their novel about witches, have tasked the player to view a world in which they are not the main character.
Instead, players are Geum Park, filling in the archetypical trope of ‘childhood friend’ — also known in visual novels as the typical easy route. Geum doesn’t mind being the best friend, but after snooping in on the two love interests bickering about her, he decides to take matters into his own hands.
How you do this is up to you — will you decide to make the ‘easiest’ route canon for Emily Carter, or will you instead decide to seduce the love interests to keep them off of Emily’s back? It’s a fun way of exploring the subversion of the trope, especially since it acknowledges its own silliness quite often. Best of luck to you, no matter who you wish to get those hearts from.
Pullfrog
Adorable twist on the idea of Tetris, Pullfrog is exactly what you’d expect from a name like that. You are a frog that is very cute, and cacti keep falling from the sky in strange shapes. That little tongue can pull the blocks while they are green and falling, while also destroying individual sections when the blocks become yellow and dusty. The goal then is to never get crushed while keeping the blocks from scaling too high.
As you clear lines you’ll also gain acrobatics upgrades, allowing for faster and higher jumps. There are also secret eyeballs that can be found, which may reveal a hidden ending. It’s a quirky little thing that can be played in browser, and if you like twisting up old formulas this’ll be fun.
Software
Hope Is Not a Plan
Ever wanted to feel the stress of work in your games? Have no fear, for we now have a game just for that.
This is a solo journalling RPG in which you try to not lose your job by delivering a complex project within brutal timelines and budgetary restrictions. It will be brutal, and it may hit too close to home: and that’s the point.
This Game Takes Place in Your Home Town
A two player horror game by Jack Blair, you and a friend will be within your hometown seemingly alone. Everyone else has perished to the Hunter, a being that will stop at nothing to kill everyone. You and your partner will need a block tower to play, for it is the only way to truly get across the feeling of terror as each block comes closer to toppling everything. Best of luck surviving.
Elf Genders
This is a tool for those of you that want to make your TTRPG experiences a little more varied, especially in terms of the fantasy races. It helps you generate what makes Elves what they are, rather than what we expect thanks to years of similar media interpretations.
For the record, elves is just an example — this can be used for any fantasy race that you want to make new genders for. Go forth and make your new society.
Lair of the Gobbler
Lair of the Gobbler is an entire expansion for a somewhat obscure TTRPG system called ‘DURF’, a rules-lite system inspired by oldschool RPGs. This module includes an adventure to fight against an insatiable toad monster, and is included in the Collected Edition of DURF if you have it.
MORIAH
Having nothing to do with Lord of the Rings, this is a TTRPG in which regular people are stuck in extraordinary events that they cannot possibly survive without sacrifice. The Gods watch over you all, and those who make the trek up the mountain must fight off terrible perils in order to achieve divinity.
Unfortunately, this mean discovering what you gained and how it all can be sacrificed to succeed. You may not survive, but that may be the point of your journey.
Oniria’s Slumber
A Troika! expansion in which dreams become reality, players take positions within the ‘Quixotic Society’ in order to solve out the stranger cases related to dreams and nightmares. It has 4 new roles to work with, as well as pages of characters and incidences to flip through that can help you get started on your exploration.
The watercolour paintings are all a treat, so you can at least enjoy the art no matter what.
The Vampire Next Door
An homage to late 90's/early 2000’s ‘horror’ shows, The Vampire Next Door is a game in which players will utilize their most valuable assets; childish logic. Doubling down on the ‘kids are the only competent individuals alive’ trope, you’ll use strange logic to solve problems in the goofiest ways possible to save helpless people from the evil Vlad.
It’s meant for short games, so run it during a day and have some fun pretending to be in a Scooby-Doo episode.
Mythmaker
Ever wanted to be the antagonist? Now you can! Mythmaker is the ultimate antagonist of myths and legends, and you’ll be documenting their journey as Challengers attempt to best you.
But you cannot die. In fact, Mythmakers may be more important than the protagonists. After all, what is a story if there is nothing to overcome? So begin your journaling adventure, and see if you can become the legend they say you are.
Evergreen Wilds
Another solo RPG, but this one is the exact opposite of many thus far; this is a game about a park ranger in a national park, and the views you find within.
Rather than high fantasy, you’ll be documenting the simple events that occur in the park, from animal sightings to weather changes. You’ll respond to HQ requests, keep hikers in check, and generally keep the peace of the beautiful wildlife. What’s not to love?
Beneath the Broken Sword
This might be a bit strange, but Beneath the Broken Sword is a ‘prequel’ TTRPG. What I mean is that it is a 12 page adventure for the TTRPG ‘Runecairn’, which was featured back on page 4. The point of this adventure is to establish a simple understanding of the gameworld itself, rather than diving in without any prior knowledge.
If you were interested in Runecairn from earlier, this would be a fantastic place to start.
Questlandia (1st edition)
Welcome to the first iteration of Questlandia, a TTRPG system designed for new players without the need for a GM. It’s focus is on strange world-building thanks to the players generating all of it through collaboration.
I bring up the edition as the 2nd edition of this system is out right now, making this one ‘obsolete’. I’m not sure if they donated the 2nd edition yet, but for now we appreciate getting this version. If you want to experience why people liked it you might want to give it a shot.
Alone in Cyberspace
If you’re old enough to know what the internet looked like back in the late 90s or early 2000s, then you might get a kick out of this ‘dungeon crawler’ through the dredges of the now defunct ‘world wide web’. You explore web pages when they still had view counts, and reminisce on what the internet used to be. Kind of scary, if you ask me, but you can find out for yourself.
Two Summers
Inspired by the Stephen King book ‘IT’, this is a TTRPG in which you’ll play as teenagers with your friends, and then again many years later as adults. It’s a game about nostalgia and reminiscing with your friends on shared experiences, what you remember and what others remembered for you. No killer clowns or scary elements, either! Just relaxing and reconnecting.
Duplicates
Only 6 this time!
FutureGrind
Neon-filled puzzle racing game dubbed my favourite of page 12. Lots of action and is aesthetically stylish, you can read more about it here.
Gun Rounds
Reactive and generative, it’s a little game where you gain many kinds of bullets to reach the end. Seen on page 5, more on it here.
10S
One of the strangest ways to play tennis, you’ll be infinitely running at enemies in the hopes of defeating them with your racket. More here.
KIDS
Strange game by Playables that simulates how entities may interact with crowded bodies. Hard to describe, read more about it here.
Tape
Project management software specifically aimed at creatives, tracking projects in collections with gorgeous colours. See here for more.
Multi Platformer Tileset
Exactly what it advertises, it is a platformer tileset with many different aesthetics and choices. See here for more details.
