Get Your Game On Wednesday: Cats, Some Good Pronouns, and Horse Hats

Happy Wednesday,  gaming lovelies!  I hope everyone had a chance to enjoy games last Saturday. Did you try out new, fun games? Do tell! Whether you’re meeting up with friends or watching streamers online, tabletop games are a great way to unwind after a busy week.  And you don’t have to take my word for it.  Just look at these cool cats from @Cat_Cosplay.

Pronoun buzz for Battletech

By accounts, the character generator tool in Battletech is chock full of options including a pronoun selector that includes, “he,” “she,” and “they.” There’s  been relatively low noise about it on the game review front, unless you’re a certain segment of the Steam community.  I never suggest feeding the trolls but if you kick back with some popcorn and watch the red-in-the-face-ranting-tears fly, I won’t judge.

Stardew Valley Multi-Player Beta Birthday

If you’re in love with Stardew Valley and play it on Steam, it’s your lucky day! The long-awaited multi-player mode is now available for beta testing. The release also comes with some new single player features too, like hats on horses.

24% is better than 0%, right?

Speakers and panels were recently released for the industry focused, LA Games Conference. I’m happy to see that approximately 24% of the speakers are women. It’s not perfect, but I always hold my breath. I am a little surprised that the “Fighting Toxicity in Gaming” panel is all men; seems like other perspectives would benefit here.

Gambling or Good Fun?

Several states are taking at closer look at in-game loot boxes to determine if they meet the criteria for gambling.  How so? The idea that boxes can be purchased for promised fabulous sparkly prizes, like weapons or outfits, but that the odds of winning the best features are unclear.  In-game purchases for free-to-play games have been questionable for a while—especially in games aimed at children—but with more games finding controversy, more people are starting to take notice.

Games Bleat

Welcome to Games Bleat! I’m Kael, your local oneiromancer, and I slept a total of 80 hours this week to bring y’all gaming’s sweetest deals and releases. I’ll start with the deals, which were brought to me by a lark in the dream king’s gardens. He was pissed when he found out, but insomnia is a small price to pay to bring you these quixotic sales:

PC

• CrossCode $13.99
• Time Gentlemen, Please! & Ben There, Done That $1.24

PlayStation

• Dishonored 2 $19.99
• Tacoma $15.99
• Gorogoa $11.99

Xbox

• Stardew Valley $12.88

Nintendo

• 80’s Overdrive $4.99
• Pazuru $1.49

After being expelled from the dream king’s court, I found myself in a vast forest. A goat with human teeth gave me a shovel and told me to dig beneath the oldest tree—which is how I found this week’s new releases!

Of no surprise to followers of Sidequest’s coverage is the new competitive dating sim Monster Prom, which was released on the 27th (and is 10% off till the fourth). I’ve been following this game since PAX West last year (which lead me to vote it Best in Show, and Most Smoochable Characters, and I can say it’s only gotten more fun with every iteration.

Released the same day as Monster Prom is The Land of Glass, an action-based card game with an interesting stained glass aesthetic.

Created in 48 for Ludum Dare is You Left Me, which combines comedy, loss, and cyclopic cats to form a surrealist visual novel.

For those looking for something with slightly less body horror is an updated version of The Witches Tea Party, a magical adventure game about witches and tea.

Finally, there’s Memoir, which I somehow missed when it was released. It strikes all the right boxes to draw my interest: mysterious castles, myths, step puzzles, and even deer people. Also it’s really pretty—which is honestly all it takes to get me interested.

And that’s it for this week’s Bleat! I’m going to go refill my melatonin prescription, but I hope y’all found something to soothe those unmended scars left behind after your first love. I’ll catch you next week!