Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter

I've been playing JRPGs and CRPGs since the original NES releases of "Dragon Warrior", "Final Fantasy", and "Ultima: Exodus", and the original IBM PC release of "Wizardry". 

"Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter" is perhaps the finest video game RPG I've ever played. 

The above is not to imply I've comprehensively played every major RPG release -- far from it. Indeed, "Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter" is the first game I've played in the Trails series, even though that series has been around since 2004 (albeit with no Western releases until the 2010s). 

I went into the game completely cold, knowing only that this was a remake of an older game in the Trails series, and based only on a hankering to play a longer-form JPG, combined with the highly positive Steam reviews. 

I downloaded the Steam demo, and was quickly hooked by the top-tier worldbuilding, the enjoyable battle system, and the likeable characters. I bought the game (at full price! For me, a very rare US $60 PC game purchase!) -- and ended up loving the game.

(I did almost bail at the game's very first fight, which is an entirely real-time combat battle, with the turn-based combat system not being introduced quite yet -- as what I had been wanting to play was a turn-based RPG. If this is you, too, then stick with the game for 5 more minutes: The bulk of the game's combat is indeed turn-based. I actually ended up really liking how the real-time battle system acts as a brief setup for the beginning of the ensuing turn-based battle -- or against trivially easy enemies, they can be finished off in real time without having to go into turn-based combat at all.) 

They say that good storytelling in video games is rare -- and that's because it is -- but "Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter" is an exception. Like a good novel, it features foreshadowing and mysteries: Some that I was pretty readily able to figure out in advance; others... not so much! 

The gameplay is really nicely balanced, too. As a pretty experienced RPG gamer, I was just barely able to "sight read" (win on the first attempt, going in cold) a late-game battle against a certain silver-haired adversary; and the same, just last night, for the final boss. 

"Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter" ran great on both my fairly low-end desktop PC, and on my OG Steam Deck (with no tweaks needed). 

For turn-based RPG fans, I highly recommend at least trying out the free demo, to see if "Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter" is a game that you'll really like, too.

I'm now very much looking forward to the next entry, coming later in 2026.

The Jon Schneider Game of the Year awards: 2025

As has become my annual tradition, here's the list of my favorite computer and console video games that I played for the first time during 2025 (along with the platform(s) that I played them on)!

1. Hades 2 (Windows)

I really don't know how Supergiant Games does it. The original Hades was my personal 2020 Game of the Year, with its combination of tight top-down-view action combat, great voice-acted characters and character development, and excellent music. Hades 2 delivers more of the same, except with even more interesting combat and varied gameplay. I put in the time to 100% the Hades 2 Steam achievements, and enjoyed every run. 

There's certainly something special about a game where -- despite there being no gameplay benefit or purpose to it -- you can opt to spend some time having your character join in and beautifully harmonize with a song that another character visiting your home base is singing.

2. StarVaders (Windows, Steam Deck)

Like it says on the tin, StarVaders is a roguelike deckbuilder that takes place on a Space-Invaders-like battle map. Cards are used to make your upward-facing spaceship move and fire up at the alien invaders moving down to attack you. Game balance is solid; and lots of different character classes, character variants, difficulty levels, and missions provide lots of replayability. Recommended for fans of Slay the Spire and similar games! 

3. Metaphor ReFantazio (Windows, Steam Deck)

Although I'm not a big "AAA" game player, Metaphor ReFantazio hit a sweet spot for me with its "Persona, but in a unique swords and sorcery fantasy setting" gameplay. I played all the way through the ending during the first few months of 2025.

4. Mario Kart World (Switch 2)

I particularly like the new Knockout Tour mode (in single-player) -- it really takes advantage of Mario Kart World's interconnected world to delivery a fun continuous 15 minutes or so of racing. Mario Kart World is also 2025's Schneider Family Game of the Year, managing the rare feat of getting us playing a video game together in 4-player split-screen. 

5. Monster Train 2 (Windows, Steam Deck)

Just as with Hades 2: Monster Train 2 is like the original, but more and better! I had a good time discovering Monster Train 2's various synergies, both within the various factions, and in the intra-faction combination pairings. And I particularly enjoyed the major content unlock that occurs midway through the game. 

6. 8-Bit Adventures 2 (Steam Deck, Windows)

My favorite classic-style turn-based RPG of 2025! A wholesome save-the-world adventure with likeable characters. I haven't played the original (but plan to circle back to it soon, as the developer, Critical Games, added Steam Cloud saving to the Steam version, at my request!!) I played all the way through to the end. Recommended for fans of classic-style JRPG-like games! 

7. Donkey Kong Bananza (Switch 2)

Here begins the portion of this year's list of games that I was impressed by and enjoyed, but didn't yet make it all the way through to completion. Bananza certainly meets the "impressed me" criterion, with its preponderance of destructible terrain combined with solid 3D platforming level design. I like how powerful DK feels in this game: In Mario games, Mario generally needs to be pretty cautious of enemies; by contrast, DK can readily clobber just about anything he comes across! 

8. Tactical Breach Wizards (Windows)

First off: Tactical Breach Wizards features the wittiest writing in a video game that I've come across in my long history as a gamer, so it's got that going for it! Beyond that, the world imagined by Tactical Breach Wizards -- a modern world, but where magic is real, and thus is the primary tool employed by special-forces agents -- is a great playground for the turn-based tactical combat gameplay. I'm currently enjoying making my way through this game in short sessions of a mission or three each morning before work, mouse in my right hand, coffee in left.

9. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (Windows)

I probably needn't explain much about the game that has already featured so prominently on so many 2025 awards and Game of the Year lists. I feel like I should have liked the game's turn-based combat (but with dodges requiring real-time reflexes) more than I did -- Paper Mario (N64) and Thousand-Year Door are both on my all-time favorites list -- but I never was quite able to really get the hang of dodging terribly reliably, and 33 seems to want you to be pretty good at dodging in able to be successful in combat.  I made it a fair ways into the game, but didn't end up completing it. 

10. Rift of the Necrodancer (Windows, Steam Deck) 

I'm a bit of a fan of Cadence (including her Hyrule appearance), and so was looking forward to Rift! I spent a fair bit of time with it when it came out, and did play all the way through the story. I'm (evidently) not super talented at this game, though, and topped out at Medium difficulty on most songs, and Hard on the easier ones. 

(However -- and since this is my blog, I'll just go right ahead and dad-brag a bit -- my 20-year-old son is the current #1 world record holder of multiple Rift songs in "Impossible" difficulty on the Switch platform, and also has a bunch of top-percentile scores on the Steam platform -- despite carrying an otherwise-full load as a Chemical Engineering major and marching band member at university!) 

(Aside: New game developers, consider resisting the temptation to include the word "Rift" in the name of your new game. There are quite a few such games out there already! 😅) 

Appendix: NOT-new-in-2025 Multiplayer GOTY

My continuing-favorite game of 2025 was once again Super Smash Bros. Ultimate on the Switch! The aforementioned 20-year-old son and I enjoy playing the online 2v2 mode and taking on all comers -- and, per the in-game stats, managing to win matches at a ~85% clip! I'm decent at Smash and generally hold up my end of the team with my Bowser Jr. and Samus; but "20" (who can skillfully play the entire roster(!), but probably likes best Lucina, Mii Brawler, and Pyra/Mythra) definitely does most of the heavy lifting! 

Appendix: Games in Progress

Fields of Mistria (Windows, Steam Deck)

Field of Mistria is essentially Stardew Valley, but different! I spent a solid few weeks with this game midway through the year, and enjoyed some of the changes and improvements it makes on Stardew Valley. I decided to put the game back on the shelf for now, though, pending the rest of the planned content (including the full implementation of PC-NPC relationships) being added to the game. Hopefully that'll be later on in 2026!

CrossCode (Windows, Steam Deck)

Although CrossCode is a somewhat older game -- having come out in 2018 -- I just discovered it in December 2025, it having been one of a few inexpensive games that I picked up in the Steam Winter Sale. (I think I may have tried but bounced off of a CrossCode demo back around the original release date.) Wow, there's a lot I'm liking here so far. A twin-stick action-adventure game (like my 2024 GOTY, Minishoot' Adventures)! A simulated MMORPG game, bringing back some fond memories of when I casually played World of Warcraft in its early days? Pixel art? Firm but fair puzzles? An intriguing story? There's a lot here so far that falls pretty squarely in my personal wheelhouse!

At times, CrossCode has felt like it may wind up earning a place among my favorite games of all time! At other times, it has been a little frustrating or obscure. I've managed to play through to what feels like it might be about the halfway mark without resorting to any hint guides, though, so far. I'm looking forward to continuing to play in 2026, forming a fuller opinion --  and maybe featuring CrossCode in my 2026 GOTY list post!

The Jon Schneider Game of the Year awards: 2024

There were my favorite games that I played for the first time during 2024 (along with the platforms that I played them on)!

1. Minishoot' Adventures (Steam Deck / Windows) 

I picked up Minishoot' Adventures on Steam when looking for a twin-stick shooter game to play without knowing anything about it beforehand, and am so glad I did! This game is an exploration / combat game a little bit reminiscent of the original Legend of Zelda; except that it's a twin-stick shooter, and more of a sci-fi theme. The exploration, combat, and upgrade systems are all really nicely designed. I immediately started a second playthrough on the "Hard" difficulty after completing my "Normal" playthrough, which for me is a rarity, and indicative of a really good game. Highly recommended!

2. Slice & Dice (iPhone)

This is the best new strategy game I've played on my phone in years. (Also available on other mobile and desktop platforms.) Slice & Dice is a really tight turn-based combat-only game where your party of 5 heroes takes on a series of 20 increasingly difficult battles. There's a free demo with the first 12 fights so you can try before you buy. The base game is plenty replayable, but Slice & Dice also comes with a plethora of different game modes if you want to change things up. Stands out even further from the crowd by being seamlessly playable in both Portrait and Landscape modes!

3. dotAGE (Mac / Windows)

dotAGE is a turn-based village builder where disasters periodically befall your town -- but you are able to see them coming some time in advance! If you successfully forestall a disaster -- for example, having enough heat sources to counteract a freezing weather event -- then the event becomes a blessing instead. Features quirky humor and pixel art, both of which are right up my alley. 

4. Unicorn Overlord (Switch)

Unicorn Overlord is a very polished small-squad battlefield combat game. A bit like the Fire Emblem games, except that instead of controlling individual heroes, you're controlling several squads of 3-5 characters, with movement across the battlefield happening in pausable real-time. Individual battles play out automatically according to if-then rules that you assign to each unit in advance. A simple set of tactics for a healer hero might be "If any ally is at less than 75% HP, heal them; otherwise, attack the lowest % HP enemy with holy magic." As a programmer, I had a lot of fun setting up those rulesets and then watching them play out!

5. Star Trek Resurgence (Windows) 

Although I'm a big fan of the TNG-era Star Trek shows, I haven't played many Star Trek computer games. Resurgence, though, did come pretty close to making me feel like I was playing through a short series of TNG-era Star Trek episodes! Although some of the action/combat sequences in the game were a little rough, the interesting nature of the "command decisions" in the game more than made up for that.

6. Sea of Stars (Steam Deck / Windows)

Sea of Stars in a fun turn-based, small-party RPG that is a bit reminiscent of classics from that era like Chrono Trigger. The combat system features the heroes having small mana pools -- but mana can be restored via "normal attacks," a little like in Diablo 3. Although the story was a bit uneven in places, I enjoyed the combat, graphics, and music enough to play Sea of Stars through to completion!

7. Lil' Guardsman (Steam Deck / Windows)

It's Papers, Please, except that rather than dystopian, it's fantasy-cartoony; and the protagonist is a 12-year-old girl! Despite the silly premise, there are some serious-ish enough plot elements that I (as an adult guy gamer) found Lil' Guardsman engaging enough to play through to completion. It was also fun to pair-play a bit with my own real-life 12-year-old daughter!

8. Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake (Steam Deck / Windows) 

Ask a kid, I had somehow missed out on all of the NES Dragon Quest (née Dragon Warrior) games beyond the first. Nevertheless, I had a good time checking out this game for the first time, with its early implementation of a job system, and anachronisms such as individual non-combatant NPC characters hanging out by themselves deep in monster-filled dungeons. I progressed fairly deep into the game, but the combat system was a little too old-school for me with regard to the lack of interesting decision-making to be had in most combats, and I didn't quite make it through to completion.

9. Spider-Man Remastered (Windows)

I've never owned nor played a Playstation 4, but I'd heard a lot of positive buzz around the Spider-Man games, so when I finally hooked up a decent gaming PC to my family's main big screen TV, this was one of the first games I fired up. My favorite part was the amazing feeling of just web-swinging around New York City -- what a rush! As a (mostly) old-school gamer, I never quite felt like I had mastery of Spider-Man's abilities in combat, resulting in Spider-Man getting beat up by non-super-powered goons a little more than it felt reasonable than he should; perhaps at some point I'll put in the effort to come back to this game and "get good" at it.

10. Balatro (iPhone, Steam Deck)

I actually originally bounced off this game on its original release. My two main criticisms at that time were that (1) it seemed too easy (just a matter of getting some "good" jokers, after which it hardly mattered which cards you even played; and  (2) it seemed unbalanced (certain jokers just seemed terrible, e.g. increasing the score multiplier in tiny increments of 0.1). I gave Balatro another try when it came out later in the year on iOS at which time I figured out that my two criticisms were met by (1) the built-in higher difficulty levels, and (2) the jokers that had seemed terrible generally actually were quite good because they multiplied the score multiplier, rather than just adding to it. Balatro hasn't dominated my gaming time as it has for some, but it's been an occasional fun diversion!

Other games I played for the first time, and enjoyed, in 2024 (in descending order of where they would have been appended onto the top 10) included: Shogun Showdown; Ara Fell; Dungeons of Aether; Paperback Adventures; No Man’s Sky; Tangledeep.

Vigil RPG 3.0 is now available!

Vigil RPG, my classic-style turn-based role-playing game for iPhone, has been updated to a new major version, 3.0! 

For the first time in 10 years on the App Store: Vigil RPG is now free to download! Vigil RPG has always been a "premium" title, where paying once got you the full game, with no ads, premium currencies, stamina timers, or other such impediments. Vigil RPG still has none of that, but now you can download Vigil RPG from the App Store and play the first portion of the game for free! After that, the game offers a single, one-time in-app purchase, which permanently unlocks the full game for you across all of your devices.

(And of course -- as is only right!-- I added code such that everyone who bought Vigil RPG prior to this v3.0.0 update will continue to have access to the full game (including the other major updates in the new version) without needing to buy the IAP.)

The other major feature in the Vigil RPG 3.0 update is Honor Mode! Inspired by a certain awesome hit 2023 AAA RPG -- (okay, fine, I'll just come right out and say that it's obviously Baldur's Gate 3) -- players considering themselves Vigil RPG veterans (or just hungry for maximum challenge right out of the gate?) can now optionally take on this challenging new difficulty. It features enhanced boss enemies with new move sets, and like Hardcore mode in the Diablo series before it, PERMADEATH upon defeat!

You can see all of this for yourself via a free download of Vigil RPG on the App Store.

Need an expert opinion first? Read a review of Vigil RPG at TouchArcade.com.

Learn more about Vigil RPG on the Vigil RPG website.

The Jon Schneider Game of the Year awards: 2023

 

Starting with my favorite video game that I played for the first time this year, and continuing on with the rest of the top 10, these were my personal top games of 2023 (along with the platform(s) on which I played them)!

1. Baldur’s Gate 3 (Windows / Mac)

There are so many facets to this game that, on their own, are exceedingly well done, and joined together, make for an incredible game. The adaptation of D&D 5E combat and mechanics. The overall story. The individual party members, and their stories. The smart way in which the game’s world and characters realistically respond to your actions. It speaks to BG3’s quality that it is the first long-form game in a very long time that I played through from start to finish -- and then immediately made a new character and started a second play-through.

2. Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (Switch)

It ALSO speaks to Baldur’s Gate 3's quality that when I played Tears of the Kingdom earlier in 2023, I felt that it was the best game I’d played in several years, and a lock for game of the year! A more-than-worthy sequel to Breath of the Wild (my personal 2017 Game of the Year). Hyrule is once again super fun to explore -- this time with the additions of caves, the sky, the underground, and more things to do. The construction system managed to successfully achieve making me feel like “I’m not just a fantasy warrior, I'm a fantasy warrior engineer!”

3. Super Mario Bros. Wonder (Switch)

In my opinion, the best new 2D Super Mario game in 32 years(!!) (Super Mario World, SNES, 1991). The combination of more traditional-style Mario 2D gameplay with the “wonder” sequences in the various levels made for a great combined experience. The pseudo-multiplayer real-time “ghosts” of other players that you can see -- and to a limited extent, interact with, but very importantly, not in any toxic way -- was also a neat (optional) addition which I ended up being quite glad that I had decided to leave enabled.

4. Cobalt Core (Steam Deck / Windows)

This recently-released, spaceship-battle-themed roguelike deckbuilder came out of nowhere for me to claim this high spot on my crowded GOTY list this year. It adds to the traditional Slay-the-Spire-like ability to block incoming damage an ability to move laterally to dodge incoming fire (or to take it on more-armored parts of your ship). Battles are quick and punchy. Even though Cobalt Core is mostly not mechanically similar to FTL, it did give me some of the smartly-designed vibes of that game.

5. Infernax (Steam Deck)

A solid, 8-bit-style platforming action game in the tradition of Castlevania 2 (NES). The tight gameplay and fun progression were enough to keep me engaged straight through from start to credits.

6. Dave the Diver (Steam Deck)

A scuba-speargun-fishing main game mashed together with restaurant management sections, complete with a perfect-beer-pouring minigame? Why does this work so well? Once again, it's because all of the individual pieces are so solid! The charming character design and pixel art certainly don’t hurt, either. The first game in this year’s list that I haven’t actually finished yet: I played mostly in Early Access, decided to set it aside until the full 1.0 release -- and haven’t picked it back up quite yet due to the strength of all of the other new games on offer this year.

7. Octopath Traveler 2 (Switch)

This year’s turn-based JRPG comfort food. An interesting battle system, combined with a story that was decent enough to keep me playing straight through to the end -- albeit for only some of the characters, not all 8. As with the first series entry, my wish would be for better interaction between the 8 protagonist characters.

8. Outer Wilds (Steam Deck)

After having this game on my to-play for a few years, I finally had a good way to play it when I acquired a Steam Deck in the early part of 2023. As I had heard about Outer Wilds prior to playing, this is a game worth playing without being spoiled on what it is all about! I will say to give it a try if a first-person, solo exploration game where you board and fly your own spaceship (while still in the first-person perspective) and explore a small solar system sounds appealing. I did admittedly eventually get stuck on how to progress further (and didn’t want to consult a guide) -- but not until after quite a few hours of really interesting exploration and discovery.

9. Tunic (Steam Deck)

For me, Tunic created a vibe of being a kid back in the pre-Internet days, and having a new Nintendo cartridge to play -- but there's no real in-game help, and the instruction booklet that came with the cartridge (which in Tunic's case is discoverable in pieces within the game itself) is mostly in Japanese (a language I can't read) -- but the booklet's bits of English text, plus illustrations, allow for puzzling out the less obvious parts of game's mechanics and objectives. Add that to some overhead-view Zelda-like combat -- except tricky, with some Souls-like aspects -- and Tunic ends up being pretty cool and unique experience.

10. Alina of the Arena (Mac / Windows)

A last-minute list addition! Another roguelike deckbuilder hybrid -- this time with Into-The-Breach-like tactical positioning, with a solo character you control facing off with one or more enemies on a small hex grid.

Honorable Mentions

A few of the other games I played which were good, but didn’t make this year’s Top 10, in approximate descending order of where they would have appeared on the list, had there been room: Retro Bowl College (iPhone), Diablo 4 (Windows), Pinball FX (Windows), 30XX (Steam Deck), Tinykin (Steam Deck).

The Jon Schneider Game of the Year awards: 2022

Starting with my personal Game of the Year for 2022, and continuing on with the rest of the top 10, these were my favorite games that I played for the first time this year (along with the platform(s) on which I played them)!

1. Persona 5 Royal (Switch)

Probably the most expansive single-player RPG I've ever played, I was hesitant to dive into the this game given the expected time commitment, but I'm certainly glad I did! Engaging turn-based combat system, check. Interesting story, check. Realistic and sympathetic characters, check. Getting to explore (in a limited way) the districts of real-life Tokyo, a fun bonus. All wrapped up in a package that tries hard to be super stylish and cool -- and actually manages to pull it off!

2. Xenoblade Chronicles 3 (Switch) 

I enjoyed seeing the lore of the first two main games in the Xenoblade series woven together here into something completely different, yet still congruent with the original pairs of source material. A key innovation here was an RPG with a large party of player characters where some PCs aren't present during combat; all 6 (or 7) of them are present, contributing, and playable. The way the game handles, in consistent fashion with the game's world, a mixed-gender party of (essentially) late-teens / early-20s characters with romance between characters (mostly) not being a thing was also an enjoyable novelty. 

3. Crystal Project (Steam / Mac / Windows)

This game was a real treat for me, a fan of old-school Final Fantasy games and similar JRPGs. Layering challenging turn-based on top of exploration of a blocky Minecraft-like world worked remarkably well. Like Stardew Valley a few years back, Crystal Project is a game that managed to pleasingly surprise me on a number of occasions after I thought that I had what the game had to offer all figured out.

4. Knotwords (iPhone)

The best word game app I've ever played. It's Sudoku crossed with crossword puzzles in a really smart way. Wonderful UX design (which inspired a Vigil RPG haptics update!). More-than-fair premium pricing model with no ads, premium currencies, or other typical mobile-game dark patterns. Multiple game modes, including daily and monthly puzzles. Knotwords' ability for the player to "recover" lapsed daily streaks is another innovation that should be universally copied. Highly recommended to fans of word games!

5. Isle of Arrows (iPhone) 

Another premium iOS game done right. Combines tower defense, a light puzzle/card game, and a cool aesthetic. I 100%'ed the campaign.

6. Phoenotopia Awakening (Steam / Mac) 

A smartly-designed, difficult-but-fair, cute pixel-art hybrid of Metroidvania and Zelda 2: The Adventure of Link gameplay styles, with great settings/locations and story.

7. Kirby Forgotten Lands (Switch) 

I played through this cute first 3D foray of Kirby through start-to-finish with my 10-year-old, with her taking on the role of Kirby, and me, Bandana Waddle Dee. I appreciate how this game caters to a variety of skill levels, with the the main story being well suited for the pair of us to complete, and also including a post-game suitable for experts.

8. Chasm (Steam / Mac)

Like Phoenotopia, a pixel art melee Metroidvania game, whose weapon/combat system seems to have been particularly inspired by the more recent 2D games in the Castlevania series (see: next entry below!). Slightly thin on story, but solid enough in terms of level design and gameplay that I did complete the main story.

9. Castlevania Aria of Sorrow (Switch port of Game Boy Advance game) 

Played through this game which I'd never played in its original form as part of the Castlevania Advance Collection. I'd previously been most familiar with the more traditional series entries including the original Castlevania (NES) and Super Castlevania (SNES); hat tip to TouchArcade and freelance game writer Shaun Musgrave, whose recent Patreon ranking of all(!) of the Castlevania series games inspired me to give this a play-through. 

10. Super Auto Pets (Web / iPhone)

This is the type of multiplayer-game that I tend to prefer these days: Quick and asynchronous, meaning low-stress! You start each game from scratch to build a team of up to 5 of animals, each with their own unique combat ability, and watch them engage in a series of brief auto-battles against teams built by other players who have done the same.

Workaround: Input Lag with Nintendo Pro Controller playing Steam games on Mac

I was having a problem where, when playing the game Phoenotopia Awakening on my MacBook using a Nintendo Switch Pro Controller connected to the Mac via Bluetooth, I was getting pretty significant "input lag": About half a second would elapse between me pressing a button on the controller, and the character reacting on the screen, making the game nigh-unplayable.

Oddly, this issue would only occur with my MacBook "docked" -- connected on my desk to my multiple monitors, wired ethernet, and various other peripherals. When using the MacBook as a standalone laptop, the game and controller would play just fine.

Even in the "docked" configuration, however, outside of Steam, an in-browser gamepad tester showed that the controller was communicating with the MacBook with no lag.

I found the following to be an effective workaround for the problem:

1. In Steam (not in "Big Picture" mode, and with the game not running), locate the game in your Library.
2. Right-click the game and select Properties.
3. On the Controller tab, select "Disable Steam Input".

 Voila -- No more input lag with the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller, even when docked! 

 Hat tip to "Toms33" for posting this solution in a thread on the Steam Community forums. 

Nervous Flyer + Gamer? Try Playing Mario Kart

Hi! I'm Jon, and I'm a nervous flyer. 👋 Always have been!

Don't get me wrong: I totally understand and agree that riding on a commercial airliner is generally one of the safest activities that one can engage in. It's a lot safer than driving a car, for example.

Against my will, though, while flying -- especially during takeoffs, landings, and during turbulence -- some primitive part of my brain insistently alerts me that I'm in danger. Even though at the same time, I know that I'm not. It's pretty weird and annoying.

Past attempts to cope with this by distracting myself with movies, reading, or playing video games generally haven't helped.

In recent years, though, I've found a workaround that, quite oddly, actually is fairly helpful: Playing Mario Kart!

For whatever reason, while I'm playing a Mario Kart race, that primitive part of my brain that normally sounds the alarm as sensations of motion are happening while in flight, instead seems to interpret those sensations as motions that are happening in the game -- and the unpleasant "danger" feelings are largely ameliorated!

I've found that this works for me both with the latest Mario Kart game, Mario Kart 8 for the Nintendo Switch, as well as with the older (and cheaper!) Mario Kart 7 for the Nintendo 3DS.

To maximize my time spent in races (instead of between races), as well as to enjoy the gameplay more, on my airplane ride Mario Kart 8 games, I've taken to using the "custom rules" game mode (found on the game's main menu under Single Player > VS Race):

• Items: "Mushrooms Only." More opportunities to take those fun course shortcuts that require a speed-boosting mushroom. And I don't miss having my racing interrupted by lightning bolts and blue shells!
  
• Race Count: Depending on the available time, I pick some high value, like 24 or 48.
  
• Course Selection: "Automatic - In order." 

Would this trick work with other racing games, too? Good question! Maybe? Mario Kart is the only driver-perspective (or behind-driver-perspective) racing game that I've spent more than a short time with over the past few years.

If you're a fellow nervous flyer who is also a gamer, consider giving Mario Kart a try next time you find yourself up in the air!  (And don't forget to bring a USB battery pack to keep that Nintendo Switch charged!)

My Game of the Year Awards: 2021

Dating back to my days as a kid, one of my favorite hobbies is computer and console gaming. Following the Gamers With Jobs rules -- only games that I played for the first time in 2021 are eligible to make the list -- here are my top 10 favorite new-to-me games of 2021 (along with the platform on which I played each game), in descending order:

1. Metroid Dread (Nintendo Switch)

After nearly 20 years, we finally got a new 2D Metroid sequel. And it does so many things right! Gameplay that deeply respects prior games in the series, yet smartly blazes new territory. Beautiful and finely-detailed graphics. Good map/level design. Tough but fair boss battles. It's probably impossible for the greatness of Super Metroid (SNES) to ever be matched again, but Dread is an excellent modern take on the formula.

2. Bravely Default 2 (Nintendo Switch)

Bravely Default 2 takes the raw materials of JRPGs going all the way back to the first Final Fantasy games, iterates and folds them back on themselves many times, and ends up with this pretty nice piece of gaming origami. The most important thing I look for in a JRPG is combat that is fun, well-balanced, and (ideally) rewards smarts/creativity on the part of the player, and Bravely Default 2 delivers.

3. Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster (iPhone)

Speaking of the first Final Fantasy games: It was a treat this year having in my pocket this update to the very first Final Fantasy featuring a wonderful soundtrack, sharp graphics, and modernized and rebalanced gameplay -- while still remaining faithful to the original. I don't often blog about individual games, but I did do a compare-and-contrast between Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster and the NES original.

4. Monster Train (Windows)

With my primary computer these days being a Mac, I don't do a lot of gaming on Windows, but I made an exception for Monster Train. It's a fun and smart iteration on the Slay the Spire deck-builder-battler genre. (I was initially put off somewhat by the protagonists being the forces of Hell, but it's fine; in Monster Train, the angels are a bunch of jerks, and your team is fighting for self-preservation.)

5. Xenoblade Chronicles (Nintendo Switch)

I'm still midway through this expansive classic, and it might end up higher on a hypothetical 2021-2022 combined list, but for now, here we are! I had originally passed on this game, but the combination of my teenage son recommending it to me as having "single-player MMO" combat, plus wanting to learn more about Shulk from Smash Ultimate convinced me to give Xenoblade Chronicles a fair shake, and I'm glad I did. And I really like the soundtrack!

6. Etrian Odyssey 5 (Nintendo 3DS)

I dusted off my 3DS again during a period where the aforementioned teenage son was monopolizing the household Switch, and discovered that he'd purchased a digital copy of Etrian Odyssey 5 (2017) at some point. I'm only midway through, but the tough combat and old-school DIY mapping using the 3DS's stylus are just as engaging as I remember from earlier series entries.

7. New Pokemon Snap (Nintendo Switch)

I had low expectations for New Pokemon Snap, but they were wildly exceeded when I had a couple of weeks to give it a try on a check-out from my local library. I think the thing I like most is the fact that when you manage to get a great photograph, it's 100% due to your own timing and skill -- not due in part to some huge passive buff from a piece of equipped gear, or a lucky roll on some behind-the-scenes RNG. I'm planning to purchase a copy of New Pokemon Snap for myself when it goes on sale.

8. Steamworld Quest (iPhone)

This deck-builder-battler that's not a roguelike, but is instead a party-based RPG, played really well on the iPhone platform, even though it was originally designed for larger screens. The unique battle system kept me engaged all the way through to the end of the game.

9. Roguebook (Mac)

Another fun riff on the deck-builder-battler-roguelike genre, adding a map exploration mechanic that ends up working a bit like FTL, where you need to do all you can in a given area to power yourself up, before taking on the area boss and advancing. A few remaining rough edges in both minor UI bugs and gameplay balance issues don't hold Roguebook back from being fun to play.

10. Sorcery! 4-game series (Mac)

Also available on iPhone, this isn't just a remaster of the original 1980s gamebook series, but a full remake, taking advantage of the digital platform. A combat system that incorporates a bit of skill, and isn't simply dice-rolling -- and smartly, gives the player the option to immediately replay battles that didn't go so well -- adds to the fun.

Honorable mention

Best new DLC: Fighters Pass 2 for Super Smash Bros Ultimate (Switch). I find it crazy how well this mashup of 82 or so distinct playable characters from dozens of different series actually works in practice. My favorite gaming experience of 2021, eclipsing any of the new games mentioned above, is playing 2v2 local-vs-online matches with the teenage son. (The characters I mainly play are Samus and Ludwig von Koopa!)

Impressions: Final Fantasy 1 Pixel Remaster (iPhone)

Square Enix recently released "Pixel Remaster" versions of the first three games in the Final Fantasy series. Over the past four or so days, I purchased, played through, and completed the iPhone version of Final Fantasy 1 Pixel Remaster.

As a veteran of multiple playthroughs of the original NES version of Final Fantasy 1, I thought I'd share my impressions of this update to this classic game, focusing mostly on compare/contrast of the new pixel remaster version with the original.

With the original Final Fantasy 1 having a high frequency of standard enemy encounters plus a very limited number of spell slots, my favorite party composition is Fighter, Black Belt (Monk), Thief, and Red Mage. That’s also the party that I used for my playthrough of the remaster.

All-caps character names for old times' sake!

Spoiler statement: This article avoids spoilers about game plot / events, and for the most part, about specifics of particular dungeons and enemies. There are some mentions of particular character abilities and spells.

Quality-of-life improvements 💆

These are numerous! Some highlights that I noted during my playthrough:

Auto-battle. ⏩ The remaster has a button available on the combat screen which causes the party continuously repeat whatever actions they performed last round, and also increases the speed at which the battle plays out. Both a convenience (particularly on mobile, where performing precise button taps multiple times every round to select actions is more annoying) and a time-saver for when the party is moving through an area of easily-winnable battles.

Tap to move. 👆 The iPhone remaster takes nice advantage of the touch screen by providing an ability to tap a location on the screen to move there (as well as a traditional on-screen D-pad option). Movement speed when en-route to a tapped location is also significantly increased, which is a nice time-saver.

Save anywhere. 💾 One “quick save” slot is available which can be used in any location. Definitely a must-have feature in a mobile game like this — at least, for a game not featuring automatic continuous progress saving (like at least one other RPG native to the iOS platform I’m familiar with!).

Unlimited inventory space for weapons and armor. In the NES original, there was no shared inventory pool for weapons and armor. Instead, each of the four characters could hold four weapons and four pieces of armor — and once those 16 slots of each type were full, there was no picking up more until space was freed up. (This resulted in a sort of primitive encumbrance system!)

The remaster features a modern-style, unlimited-size shared inventory pool (similar to later Final Fantasy games). This ends up being a gameplay advantage as well as a quality-of-life improvement. There isn't, for example, a decision between keeping a helmet with the best armor rating, and a helmet with a lower armor rating but with a special ability usable in battle. Now you can equip the former, while using the latter as an item in battle out of the shared inventory pool.

Dungeon maps. While in dungeons, a scrollable map of the current dungeon level is available — even portions that haven’t been explored yet. Handy for avoiding the dead end corridors that are a part of a number of the dungeons.

World map. 🗺 It’s readily available now — no “TCELES B HUSP” required! Additionally the maps shows counts of the treasures and key items available in each visited location, and the number of each of those obtained. Handy for going for 100% completion! Speaking of which:

Achievements. 🏆 The remaster has them! I’m not sure they’re integrated with the iOS Game Center achievements system, though. (I can’t speak to the Steam or other versions of the game.)

No more invisible, fixed enemy encounters. In the NES original, there were a number of spots/squares in dungeons -- often immediately in front of important treasure chests -- where a fixed enemy encounter would take place when entered. (Repeatedly, if you left the square and then returned!) This has been replaced with (1) those encounters being triggered via the relevant treasure chest being opened, or (2) the enemy being visible on the map, with the encounter initiating when the enemy is character is interacted with. (The "Hall of Giants" is implemented in the latter fashion.)

Automatic use of key items. 🗝     There were a few spots in the original game where you needed to open the menu and use a particular key item at a particular location in order to progress. That's smoothed out in the remaster, with the appropriate key item being used automatically when you arrive at the appropriate location. I can definitely see this feature saving a few new players a trip to a FAQ to figure out what they need to do next.

Fast potion buying. Buying 99 healing potions is quick and easy now! No need to visit a shop with healing potion of at the top of the list, and zone out for several minutes while mashing the A button (or using a controller with a turbo function!).

Balance and Gameplay changes ⚖

(📉 Difficulty nerf) Better potions! 🍾 The original Final Fantasy featured only three types of potions: HEAL (restoring 50 HP), PURE (removing poison), and SOFT (curing petrification).  The remaster has those, and additionally makes available at stores Hi-Potions (restoring 150 HP), and more significantly, Phoenix Down (restoring a slain warrior to 1 HP). 

The availability of Phoenix Down in particular is a game-changer, as it makes reviving slain warriors possible before the Life spell is available at white magic level 5, and also removes the limit on the number of revives that can be performed in a given dungeon delve being tied to the number of level 5 white magic slots available.

Ether potions (restores 1 spell slot of each level) are also available at shops, making it possible to restore spell slots while in dungeons -- something that was not possible at all in the original game.

There are also a few additional status-restoring items in the game, although I found that I didn’t really use those in my playthrough. (The enemies in the game’s first large dungeon are as poisonous as ever, though! I burned through some 20 or 30 antidote potions while in there.)

Finally, there are a just a few X-Potions (fully restores HP) and Elixirs (fully restores HP and MP). These came in handy for me at one particular spot in the late game, when the warriors have much more HP than a Hi-Potion is able to recover.

(📉 Difficulty nerf) Lower gold costs / more gold rewards. 💰 Costs at shops are lower in the remaster. I was always able to afford everything I wanted at shops, with no need to grind for gold at all, or otherwise save up. I even bought the expensive “steel armor” / “knight armor” that’s available for sale at a high price (about a third of the way through the game), which I don’t believe I ever did in the original game.

(📉 Difficulty nerf) Faster leveling / easier foes? Most enemies and encounters seemed less deadly in the remaster. For example, in the original, having the entire party get stun-locked for multiple rounds by groups of undead with paralysis attacks was a big concern in some mid-game dungeons. I never came close to having this happen in the remaster. 

Further, in some spots in my playthrough of the remaster, my party felt over-leveled for the enemies I was facing. A particular undead mini-boss in the first half of the game went down especially easily (in the first combat round). Much of the second half of the game in general felt pretty easy difficulty-wise. The major dungeon after the “prove your courage” event in particular felt more like a victory lap than a challenge. (I do recall this to some extent being the case in the original game as well, however.)

(📈 Minor difficulty buff) Multiple large enemies. 👹 In the NES original game, fights were limited to a maximum of four large-size enemies (such as ogres) at a time, due to screen space constraints. In the remaster, although most fights stuck to the constraints of the NES original, I did have a handful of fights against 5 or 6 large enemies at one time, as pictured at the top of the article.

(📈 Difficulty buff) The final boss. 👿 Without getting into spoiler territory: With a well-prepared and properly-equipped party, the final boss in the NES original game could be fairly reliably defeated. In the remaster, although my party never had a wipe prior to the final boss, beating that last boss took me a good dozen or so attempts! (I do suspect that having a White Mage on the team might have made things significantly easier.) I was definitely glad for the ability to create a save immediately before the final boss fight in the remaster!


Bugs fixed 🐞🔨

This is almost certainly not a complete list, but here are a couple of fixes that I noticed that the remaster made over the original in my play through: 

The TMPR / Temper and SABR / Saber spells. Evidently in the original game, these spells were buggy, and had no effect on combat at all! I verified that they do indeed work now, and are effective melee buffs — along with the FAST / Haste spell, which is a very effective melee buff in both the original game and the remaster. (Pro tip: In the remaster, these spells can all be stacked onto the same character for a greater effect, too!)

Darkness status. 🕶 This is another one in the original game that didn’t seem to do anything at all. In the remaster, although I didn’t test exhaustively, it did appear to cause both warriors and enemies to deal fewer hits in melee. I actually did have my Red Mage use the black magic Darkness spell in a few combats against large groups of melee enemies.

New bugs 😱

Unfortunately, I did notice a couple of new bugs introduced by the remaster! (At least in the 1.0 launch version. Maybe these will get corrected in a post-launch update?) 

Elemental protection buff spells miss! 🔥 The NulShock / NulBlaze / NulFrost spells (formerly ALIT / AFIR / AICE) (reducing damage of the applicable element by half for the entire party) worked great and were effective when I first obtained them in the remaster. In particular, a battle with a fire-themed major boss was made much easier in my playthrough by the NulBlaze spell. 

Unfortunately, when I tried using these spells in the late game, about 90% of the time, they resulted in “miss!” on each of my own party members, instead of the buff being applied! I assume there’s some bug where the warriors’ evade chance is being applied to these spells, as they would be to incoming enemy status-affecting spells. 

Monk “optimal” equipment. 👊 When pressing the “Optimal” button on the equip screen for my Monk (formerly “Black Belt”) character in the early parts of the game, the game equipped the monk with one of my nunchaku items — even past the point where the monk would work better fighting unarmed (dealing a bit less damage per hit, but more hits). It’s easy to see this issue tripping up new players, making the monk class less effective than it should be for them.

Miscellaneous improvements ⚔

Music. 🎶 The music is not just remastered versions of the original chiptune NES tracks, but actually re-recorded as orchestral tracks. They really are great-sounding. They are very true to the original versions. Some of the original tracks that were very tight loops in the NES original, such as the shopping music and menu music, have gotten new extended versions, which are also great.

Dungeon backgrounds. 🌵 Each location has a new and nice-looking battle backdrop.

Spell animations. 💥 Each spell in the remaster has a unique and beautiful animation!

Dialog text. 💬 All of the dialog text in the game has been retranslated and improved. (The protagonists are still completely silent, however.) I did notice and appreciate that the classic line very early on in the game, "I, Garland, will knock you all down!" was preserved as-is, though!

Enemy names. The enemies have been assigned names that are more true to (what I assume are) the Japanese originals, are better translations, or can fit now that name length constraints are relaxed somewhat. A few such changes off the top of my head:

• IMP ➡ Goblin
• MadPONY ➡ Crazy Horse
• BONE ➡ Skeleton
• CREEP ➡ Gigas Worm
• SAHAG ➡ Sahagin
  
• KYZOKU ➡ Buccaneer

In-game hints. 💡 At least in the early portions of the game, if you talk to the dancer NPC in the starting town, she'll give you a hint as to what you should be doing next, a feature which is new to the remaster. (Another NPC in the castle near the starting town will clue you in that the dancer will do this.)

Things kept the same! 🛡

Character classes. No new ones, and they work the same as before!

Magic. 🪄 The system of a fixed count of available spell slots per level remains in place (instead of a more modern MP pool system). This keeps the system of needing to use potions instead of white magic for most healing outside of battle, and needing to use offensive black magic sparingly in general -- especially in the early game -- the same as it was originally.

The available spells, what they do, and which character classes can learn which spells, are also unchanged.

Items. The equippable items and key items available in the game, where they can be found, what they do, and which character classes can use which items, are almost entirely the same. 

(A single exception that I noticed: The "silver sword" / "mithril sword" is no longer available for sale in the elf town. Getting into why it was probably removed would touch on spoiler territory!)

World map, towns, and dungeon layouts. No changes that I spotted!

High random encounter rate. Random encounters occur quite often in both versions of this game! The above-mentioned auto-battle feature definitely makes this more palatable in this current day and age, particularly for a mobile game.

Deadly enemies! Some enemies that were particularly deadly in the original game remain so in the remaster! A particular type of enemy present in a mid-game ice-themed area with multiple abilities that can instant-kill individual warriors retains those abilities in the remaster. (The availability of Phoenix Down potions in the remaster does make the possibility of a warrior being taken down in that way a lot less scary!)


Overall recommendation: 👍

For anyone nostalgic for the NES original and looking for a solid premium RPG for their iPhone, I can easily recommend picking up this version of Final Fantasy!

One Deck Dungeon Digital Scoresheet

One Deck Dungeon is a "Roguelike, dice-placement, single-player" board game. It's created and published by Asmadi games, and has a great digital adaptation for mobile devices and computers by Handelabra Games.  It's my current favorite "player vs environment" board game app on my iPhone.

The iPhone adaptation of One Deck Dungeon is particularly good! It plays in portrait mode, and does a great job of displaying the game, and allowing you to play it, that feels very natural on mobile. (This stands in contrast to many other mobile board game apps, which tend to have a single interface used for both the PC and mobile versions, with minimal adaptations to make the game more usable/playable on mobile devices.)

The mobile version of One Deck Dungeon unfortunately lacks one feature that its physical counterpart has: Tracking of which of the game's playable heroes have successfully completed which of the game's available dungeons. This feature of the physical game adds a lot of replayability, as you can work towards having a particular hero fully clear the game.

To address this, I've created a digital score sheet for One Deck Dungeon! Based on Google Sheets, it tracks which dungeons you've completed with which heroes, on which "challenge tier" (difficulty level), and displays your overall progress clearing the entire game with each hero.  Here's my current progress, as shown on the score sheet:

 

 

Now, before starting a new game of One Deck Dungeon on my phone, I'll open up this scoresheet on my phone's Google Sheets app, and choose a hero and dungeon that I haven't cleared yet (or want to improve my best completed difficulty tier on -- those are the values in the 1-4 range being filled in on the sheet). Then, I'll open up the actual One Deck Dungeon app, and start a new game with the selected hero and dungeon! If victorious, I'll come back to the sheet and fill in the appropriate cell.

Feel free to grab a blank copy of my One Deck Dungeon digital score sheet for yourself, and happy dungeoneering!

 

If you don't own a copy of One Deck Dungeon yet, I recommend it!

• One Deck Dungeon (physical version) by Asmadi Games
• One Deck Dungeon (iOS, Android, Steam) by Handelabra Games
  

Vigil RPG 5th Anniversary Edition Now Available!

Now available on the App Store for iOS devices: Vigil RPG, Special 5th Anniversary Edition!

Vigil RPG is a game that I solo-developed and released for iPhone back at the end of 2014.  Vigil RPG is the kind of designed-for-mobile RPG that I couldn't find on the App Store, so I wrote it myself! It features interesting combats (even in non-boss battles), while also allowing you to play each combat round in a single tap.

I'm happy to announce that Vigil RPG, Special 5th Anniversary Edition, is now available! It's a free update to the original Vigil RPG app. It features:

Universal (iPad) support

Vigil RPG had always been playable on iPad, but only as an automatically-scaled-up version of the original iPhone 4. Now, Vigil RPG is a full Universal iOS app, with every screen in the game having been updated to take advantage of iPad portrait-mode screen resolutions.

iPhone X and iPhone 11 support

Vigil RPG now also takes advantage of the full resolution available on newer iPhones, all the way up to the iPhone 11 Pro Max. (Future large phone models will now be automatically supported as well.) Enjoy Vigil RPG's beautiful pixel graphics in glorious high resolution on your new device!

New and reworked enemies

A new, unique early-game boss enemy has been added. Players familiar with Vigil RPG will no longer find it quite so easy to retrieve a quest item from one of the local farms early on in the game!

A number of existing enemies in the game have been reworked to make them more interesting to fight. A few examples:

• The Tank Goblin, instead of just having thick armor, now has a defense that is really tough to crack.  Players familiar with how to beat King Hippo in Nintendo's Punch-Out! series, though, should have an advantage in figuring out how to hurt him effectively...
• The Skeleton Fire Mage now chants some strange words at the beginning of combat. Could those words be somehow related to the combat round numbers in which it casts its FIRE spells?
• The Fire Elemental now grows into a larger and larger flame as combat progresses! The ICE spell can help cut it back down to size, though!
• It's now extra effective to use the never-miss FIRE spell on flying enemies, such as the Giant Hornet that is encountered early in the game.

New Music

Delight your ears with new 8-bit-style music tracks for many of Vigil RPG's unique boss enemies!

As a bonus, here's my favorite, as a free download: The new Arcane Tower boss battle theme!  (Composer credit: nene at opengameart.org!)

• Listen:
• Download: Vigil RPG Arcane Tower Boss Battle.mp3.zip (4.8 MB)

New In-Game Commentary

Everyone's favorite root-beer-serving bartender, Bo, has lots and lots of new commentary, gameplay tips, and humor for you at the Tavern. You can also now just tap him to get more tips, instead of having to leave the tavern and come back again.

Local High Scores

Vigil RPG has always featured an "elapsed turns" system, which tracks how efficiently and effectively you've been proceeding through the game. Completing quests in fewer turns gets you better quest completion rewards.

Now, a local high scores table for each quest is available at the Tavern! When you complete a quest at the Tavern, your performance compared to other save files and prior playthroughs on your device is now displayed.

Many more enhancements!

To name just a few:

• Stats are now displayed at the end of combat for how well you did mitigating enemy special attacks (i.e. blocking them, or otherwise taking advantage of an enemy's weakness to stop them from being effective), and interrupting enemy spells.  These stats for the entirety of your playthrough are also now displayed on the Hero Status screen!
• The Shaman (a late-game NPC located in a remote section of the world map) now invites the hero to rest at his hut (to restore HP) after he is done assigning the hero a quest!
• The Town of Arboria now has a new and improved appearance!
• Some quest rewards, hero level-up bonuses, item prices, and monster stats have been tweaked to make Vigil RPG even more finely balanced!
• Picking up Fire Rubies in the Volcano now slightly restore the hero's HP!
• 400+ new git commits of new sound effects, UI improvements, and other goodness!

Support your local Jon Schneider's Tech Blog indie game development scene!

To learn more about Vigil RPG, check out the Vigil RPG website.  Or help me buy my wife a delicious coffee by checking out the game that TouchArcade.com named one of the top 10 JRPG-style games available on iOS -- alongside such notable series as Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, and Chrono Trigger! -- by buying your very own copy of Vigil RPG on the App Store!

Fix: "OS Error 4294956486" launching Children of Morta on Mac/Steam

Early this morning, I tried to launch the game Children of Morta on Steam running on my Mac. The game failed to open, and Steam displayed the error "OS Error 4294956486".

Solution

Deleting the game via the Steam (via Library → Right-click on Children of Morta in the list → Manage → Uninstall), and then redownloading and reinstalling Children of Morta, fixed the problem for me, and I was able to get a little gaming in before my work day.

Other solutions attempted that didn't work for me

• Restarting Steam.
• Restarting my Mac.
• Launching the game manually via the command line.
• Doing a "Verify Integrity of Game Files" (via Library > Right-click on Children of Morta → Properties → Local Files tab → "Verify Integrity of Game Files" button).

My Game of the Year awards: 2017

Starting with my personal Game of the Year for 2017, and continuing on with the rest of the top 10, these were my favorite games that I played for the first time this year! Originally posted on the Gamers with Jobs forums.

1. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Switch) - Bravely and brilliantly replaced the longstanding Zelda trope of "do a few large dungeons, get the Master Sword, do several more large dungeons" with a huge world that's really worth exploring. Exploring the wilderness and happening upon concealed shrines managed to re-evoke the feeling of discovery that I remember from playing the original NES Zelda as a kid!

2. Super Mario Odyssey (Switch) - Full of great surprises, beautiful art, fair challenges, and so many things to do. An even better iteration on the gameplay, level design, and themes of past Mario 3D titles (Mario 64, Galaxy, 3D Land) than I might have thought possible.

3. SteamWorld Dig 2 (PC) - Rolled into this directly after finishing SteamWorld Dig 1 for the first time, which turned out to be an excellent way to approach it, with the NPC Dorothy from the first game turning PC and searching for Rusty, the first game's hero gone missing. Solid digging gameplay with lots of fun character upgrades, both major and minor.

4. Blaster Master (2017) (Switch) - Blaster Master for the NES was one of my personal nostalgic favorites. A great update while still retaining the best parts of the original. Played through it twice, getting the fun surprise at the end of the second playthrough for 100%-ing the game up through the boss.

5. Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle (Switch) - Great tactical strategy game, minimizing the impact of luck on the gameplay, and building on the foundation laid by X-Com by introducing lots of neat new gameplay mechanics.

6. PPKP (iOS) - A simple yet interesting 1-on-1 brawler-type fighting game perfectly tailored to being played on a mobile phone. Manages to make a deep and rewarding combat and upgrade system out of only two in-game "buttons". App Store link.

7. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (Switch) - My favorite racing game in a long time. I actually enjoy watching others play this almost as much as I enjoy playing myself; while just observing, I notice all of the beautiful graphics happening in the environment around the race track, whereas when I'm actually playing I tend to tunnel vision in on the race itself.

8. Metroid: Samus Returns (3DS) - A very cool stride forward in 2D Metroid games with the counter-attack and 360-degree free aiming systems, even though I think I may still prefer the elegant simplicity of the original Super Metriod (SNES) gameplay. Interesting to compare and contrast this Metroid 2 (Game Boy) remake with last year's indie take on the same, AM2R.

9. Cosmic Star Heroine (PC) - A 16-bit-style turn-based RPG in a sci-fi setting with an interesting new battle system. Steam link.

10. Fire Emblem Heroes (iOS) - A nicely simplified pocket implementation of the standard Fire Emblem gameplay. I enjoyed it when it came out, although I did lose interest fairly soon after reaching the level cap of 40, despite the new content and events periodically being released.

Honorable Mentions: Puyo Puyo Tetris (Switch); Hollow Knight (PC); Snipperclips (Switch).

Previously: 2016 (GOTY: Stardew Valley). 2015 (GOTY: Super Mario Maker).

Fix: Pokken Tournament controller wrong D-Pad behavior in Cosmic Star Heroine (and other Unity games?)

Symptoms

When using a Pokken Tournament controller (which is a 16-bit-style controller with a D-pad only, no analog sticks) with the game Cosmic Star Heroine in Steam on PC, the game recognizes the up/down D-pad inputs as left/right. For example, pressing Up on the controller moves the character in the game to the left.) The game doesn’t recognize the left/right D-pad inputs at all.

(From research I’ve done, I suspect that this issue may also affect other games built using the Unity engine, and/or the D-pad inputs on other controllers.)

Workaround / Fix

Part 1: Enable Generic Gamepad Configuration Support in Steam

1. Open Steam.
2. In the Steam main window, in the View menu, select Settings.
3. In the Settings window, select Controller (in the left pane), then click General Controller Settings.
4. In the “Big Picture”-style Controller Settings window, check Generic Gamepad Configuration Support, then click Back.  (You may need to maximize the Controller Settings window to see the Back button near the bottom of that page.  Or, just close the window.)

Part 2: Set up controller configuration for Cosmic Star Heroine

Part 2A: Open the Steam Controller Configuration window for Cosmic Star Heroine.

1. In Steam, select the Library pane.
2. In your list of games, select Cosmic Star Heroine.
3. Under “Links” on the right side of the window, click Controller Configuration.

Part 2B: Disable the Left Analog Stick input.

1. In the Steam Controller Configuration window, click the box in the lower-left that points to the left analog stick on the picture of the controller.
2. In the Style of Input dropdown, select None. 
3. Click Back.

Part 2C: Configure D-pad input to be treated as Left Analog Stick input.

1. In the Steam Controller Configuration window, click the box in the lower-left-center that points to the D-pad on the picture of the controller.
2. In the Style of Input dropdown, select “Joystick Move”.
3. In the Output dropdown, select “Left Joystick”.
4. Click Back.

Part 2D: Save and apply the changes.

1. Click the Export Config button.
2. Click the “Save new personal binding” button.
3. Give your configuration a  name – I used “POKKEN” – and click Save.
4. Close the Steam Controller Configuration window.

With this workaround, I’m finally able to play the 16-bit-era-like game Cosmic Star Heroine on my 16-bit-era-like, analog-stick-less Pokken Tournament gamepad controller!

Other Things I Tried, Unsuccessfully

I tried using the excellent JoyToKey to remap my controller’s D-pad presses to keyboard keys. Unfortunately, that didn’t work, as Cosmic Star Heroine then acted on both the remapped input and the original (and incorrect) D-pad input, such that pressing “Up” on the controller with my JoyToKey mappings active would result in my character moving diagonally up and left in the game.  (And as of the time of this post, Cosmic Star Heroine doesn’t have any option to just disable or ignore controller input altogether, or to remap controllers from in the game itself.)

I also couldn’t find any config files or registry keys to reconfigure or disable controller input.

Finally, searching and posting on the Cosmic Star Heroine forum on Steam didn’t yield any solutions.

Vigil RPG interview at TouchArcade.com

I was interviewed by top-notch iOS RPG reviewer Shaun Musgrave on the subject the development of my iOS game, Vigil RPG.  Check out the interview over on TouchArcade.com!

Vigil RPG (“Premium” iPhone Game) – Lifetime Sales Stats

Sometime in mid-2013, I had a hankering to play a particular kind of RPG on my iPhone. I wanted a game with these features:

• Turn-based combat.
• Portrait orientation, and thus playable with one hand. (e.g. while eating with the other hand.)
• A single protagonist/hero. One thing I don't like about party-based RPGs is that typically, a couple of your party members need be KO’ed before you feel like the team is actually in any real danger. This doesn't tend to happen against non-boss enemies in most games, and thus those games often end up feeling uninteresting for long stretches.
• Interesting decision-making in combat -- even vs. non-boss enemies -- something beyond the typical RPG trope of "do basic attacks / target enemy elemental weaknesses / heal self when injured / repeat."
• No hard-to-use on-screen virtual D-pad for character movement. Give me a way to move my character that’s designed especially for a touchscreen, not one based on a traditional physical controller’s tactile D-pad!
• A combat system built around LOW numbers and visible enemy HP / stats, so I can calculate that if, for example, that enemy has 9 HP left, then I can perfectly finish it off by doing my 4 and 5 HP attacks respectively over the next 2 rounds.
• FAST combat. No waiting on long combat animations; no wading through multiple menus to kick off a combat round. This is my phone; let me whip it out when I’ve got 30 seconds, and actually accomplish something quickly.
• No save points. Why not just always keep my game saved automatically?  (Even mid-combat!)
• Game designed with a goal of fun, not of corporate revenue generation! Absolutely no IAPs or premium currencies or ads or stamina timers.

I couldn't find that game on the App Store.

So... I decided to write it myself!

After spending most of my evenings between 10:00pm and midnight (after my day job, spending time with my family, getting the kids into bed, and daily chores) for about 18 months designing and writing the game – learning the Objective-C programming language and the whole MacOS / iOS development ecosystem along the way – Vigil RPG was released in November 2014!

Here’s Vigil RPG’s combat screen, which illustrates the realization a lot of the points noted above that I wanted to achieve with the game.  You can check out more screen shots and info about the game at the Vigil RPG website!

 

Lifetime App Store Sales Stats

I don't really have any reason to keep them private, and I thought it might be insightful for other #indiedev folks and industry observers, so without further ado, here are the lifetime sales statistics to date for Vigil RPG (iOS)!  According to my developer account at iTunes Connect:

• Released November 2014 at a price of US $2.99
• 354 paid copies sold, almost entirely at $2.99, with a few at $1.99 in a "birthday sale" in November 2015
• Total gross sales: US $1004
• About 70% of the lifetime sales of Vigil RPG came in the first 30 days after release.
• Vigil RPG got about ten 5-out-of-5-star community reviews on the App Store (and no 0-through-4-star reviews) immediately after release; it’s gotten zero community reviews since then.  (Vigil RPG has no “review nag” prompts, which was an intentional design decision.)
• The second big spike in sales was after the 4-out-of-5-star TouchArcade review (which I was thrilled with, and found to be extremely on-point and fair – much respect to the reviewer, Shaun Musgrave). TouchArcade was the only major site to do a review.
• The little spike in November 2015 was the beginning of the $1.99 sale.  Sales dropped off again rapidly even though I left the price at $1.99 for a while.
• Outside of the initial release and $1.99 sale periods, Vigil RPG sold at a rate of roughly 1 copy per week.
• Net proceeds after Apple's cut: US $707
• 3 x $US 99 of Apple annual developer licenses to develop the game and keep it live on the App Store = $297. Net proceeds after Apple dev license fees: $410
• Other misc. operating costs -- State of Michigan incorporation fees for Aggro Magnet Games LLC, web hosting for http://aggromagnetgames.com -- of around $100 to date.  Bottom line proceeds to date: About $310
• 122 free copies redeemed (promo codes sent to review sites; a few free giveaways to try and drum up visibility and community interest)
• I didn’t bother trying to keep any stats on piracy rates, but at least one site out there (fairly readily findable via Google search) has the binary of the game posted for free download.

Given a very very rough estimate of about 600 hours spent creating the game, $310 in net profit works out to a wage of about $0.50/hour.  Not exactly enough to quit the ol’ day job!  (Fortunately, I already have a day job which I love!)

I am, however, honestly totally fine with that performance. I made an intentional decision up front for my goal for the Vigil RPG project to be to "make the game I wanted to play" – with no design compromises being made for the sake of monetization.  So no IAPs, no ads, no other typical "freemium" features (or “anti-features,” as the case may be) such as premium currencies or stamina timers.

 

$0.99 Sale

Consistent with my initial goal for Vigil RPG of prioritizing fun over profits, as of today, for the first time ever, the App Store price for Vigil RPG is reduced to $0.99!  I’m hopeful that this will allow more people to enjoy the game – assuming there’s a segment of folks out there who are interested in iPhone RPGs, and are unwilling or unable to buy the game at the $2.99 price point, but will go ahead and pick it up for $0.99.

The main reason I didn't just cut the price all the way down to $0.00 (free) was that admittedly there's somewhat more cachet in being able to say "The game I made is for sale on the App Store!" than "I made a game and I'm giving it away on the App Store since no one was really buying it!" 

It would also be nice if Vigil RPG’s proceeds would at least cover the annual $99 that Apple requires to keep it listed on the App Store.  To that end, I might bump the price back to the original $2.99 at some point if sales at the $0.99 price point don’t generate much increased volume relative to the 1 sale/week or so of the $2.99 price.

 

“Buy It Now!”

Hopefully this detailed peek into one game’s iOS App Store performance was helpful, or at least mildly interesting!

If you’d like read more about the gameplay of Vigil RPG, you can do so on the Vigil RPG website.  Or, you can check out the full 5-to-10-hour adventure firsthand via Vigil RPG on the App Store if you’ve got an iOS device, and can scrape together enough loose change to join the exclusive club of premium iOS game owners!

You can also hit me up with any questions you’ve got on Twitter at @AggroMagnetGame, or below in the comments!