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I think it's Dolores Claiborne. Those Maine landscapes and buildings could have been Norwegian.  (But the ferry couldn't.) Kathy Bates is one of my favourite actresses,
and her roles in Stephen King adaptations are among her best.

I played Echoes of Academe. And I was surprised. I can't really say much more without spoiling the experience for others. The game ought to be played several times in a row without quitting, due to the random generation of the campus. For me, this was worth my time.

I just love the graffiti!  And that sign makes me wonder what "the incident" is, just like the intention probably is. Great stuff!

Next up, I tried first Anamnesis I, then Anamnesis II. These make up a story that will probably continue in more games. Both games are short and a bit unpolished, but with some nice graphics in there some of the time. I was stumped by a matching puzzle in game one that was incredibly easy once you understand what to do. Genious puzzle or lacking design?  A bit of both. i needed a hint from the comment section.

The second game has branching paths, although I only managed to follow one of them to the ending. There is a safe code breaking puzzle that I think relies on having a more sensitive mouse wheel than I've got, but thankfully, I could skip it. There's more of a story this time around, although it's a story that sounds familiar.

These games are okay, but I'd say they are skippable compared to the best in the jam. (Only the second is an entry in this.) But it's nice to know there's someone out there making their story in installments, one game per jam, improving as they go.

Before playing The Creator is Mean 2, I just had to play number one. And I'm glad I did, because the story is connected (even if it's silly).

The first game deals with a drawing escaping the computer and running around in the real world, while the second game is concerned with running around inside a computer, visiting familiar games (sort of) and programs in order to make your escape. I had the most fun with the first one, but I think perhaps most people will prefer the sequel. While the first game drops the drawing in the middle of a bug war, the second is more loosely connected with better puzzles and more in-jokes. I feel I have more positives to say about number two, even though I liked number one better.  No matter. If you like one, you'll probably like the other, too.

Those who enjoyed Train to Amber Coast will perhaps be interested to know that the game now is expanded into a finished game. There are now some easy puzzles, more characters and locations and a longer story (ten minutes, perhaps). Very well done. Recommended.

I finally got around to playing A Weekend at Villa Apate, and I understand why this was a favourite among many of you. It's small in download size and huge in content.

I really like the characters, the over-the-top humour, and the convoluted puzzles. I played the jam version and was stuck because I didn't see an exit, but got a hint from a comment on gamejolt from another player who had the same experience. This has been improved in a new version. I think this may be my favourite game of the jam, together with IMAGinE.

All you who liked the time-traveling mechanics of this game (or of Day of The Tentacle, for that matter), will probably also enjoy Lucas Mendoza - Amateur Detective DEMO. It's a fascinating way to create games and puzzles. (And vice versa if you only played Lucas Mendoza, of course.) 

Cool! Vexed Anemone's theme sounds inspired by Ravel's Bolero. It will be fun to see how you integrate these themes in the game.

According to the feedback,  A curious pastime sounds worthy to be the next community pick of the month.

Heltonjon and sthomannch, do you mind if I quote some of your enthusiastic comments and set the game for August?

Not at all.  Sorry for not thinking of nominating it.

I have one suggestion for improvement. The game design takes it for granted that the player only visits the garage once. I went back to explore more, and got the same descriptions. This had triggered the "ghost-only" function that is used when you first explore the garage. However, this time, I decided I was on a wild goose chase and headed back to the barn instead of entering the garage. My human companion tagged along. Then I discovered that I couldn't swap to the other character and had to go back to the garage and enter and exit, presumably. (I used a saved game instead.)

You have already changed it so that the human investigator waits and tags along if you visit the garage again, but it would be nice to make the "must visit garage" a one-time-event. I don't think this is game-breaking, but it's an inconvenience. If all the former locations are available later in the game, you need to make sure there aren't many (or even better, any) leftovers from the first visit like this one.

This was fun. I especially like all the descriptions, but you've got your work cut out for you if the entire game will have so many lines for everything the two characters look at. I spent most of my playtime looking at everything with both characters - I mean, there's two new comments about the moon or the stars for every screen. 

I like the art style as well. The campfire and the horses looked very good.

On my first playthrough, I

Spoiler

burned the rake

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, and the farmer was not happy about it. So I had to go back to see what happened if I didn't do that, and was pleased to see even funnier dialogue. Looking forward to the rest of the game!

Now that you have proceeded this far, you can suddenly do something that you couldn't do earlier. And in this game, you frequently have to perform actions in one location and see the effects in another. I'm guessing you have already tried this.

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It's finally time to axe that tree by the pool.

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I'm curious about why you can't get to the grove. My guess is either that you are playing the first version (in case, you are near the end), or that there is some hidden trigger that Sthomannch and I have released without knowing it. If memory serves correctly, the grove wasn't in the first version. In the expanded version, there should be a mouse on the floor inside the tent. If the mouse isn't there, you are probably playing the first build.

Chopping heads?


Sorry, I didn't understand anything in your response

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A knife is preferable to an axe. Talk to everybody in the tent (bar) and klick on everything

The only knife I know of is blocked by the horse.

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That's the one you need.

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get rid of the horse "lady" - similar to the demo

I really got nowhere in the demo and have no idea what to do for the horse. She just wants horsey stuff and I haven't encountered any

You need to find the new hotspot in

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the sleeping quarter, after you removed the rug.

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Still can't get rid of the horse?

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Not to foreshadow too much, but I'm confident that Shadow1000 is the right player to figure that one out.

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Remember that you want her to move away.

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In the sleeping quarters there ought to be a helmet on display for you to take. You will also end up with another item if you break some furniture. Don't be afraid to perform actions several times in this game. There's a hotspot here that's hard to find.

Spoiler

Under the bed.

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From the sleeping quarters, there should be an arrow to the right to a pool in the forest. And from there, an arrow to the right, leading to the grove. I assume you haven't been to these locations yet. Or perhaps you have (was the axe there?)? Anyway, there are several items to be found in the grove.

Don't worry about the map - that's not until the next day.

As this isn't really puzzle answers, I didn't use spoiler tags. Let me know if I should put them up.

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I've been playtesting this with my family this summer, and I can heartily recommend it! Chaz and his team have been very open for feedback and are really good at implementing "learning by doing". The game is worth playing for Spanish speakers, as well, even though for you the dialogue will probably sound like a children's show. But there's a good game that's fun to play in the core of this.

For those who don't know Spanish - we learned a lot and had fun doing it.  My daughter is now texting me in Spanish. 

I think there is something you haven't done in the Sleeping quarters tent.

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Have you read all three letters?

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Even after that, there is more to do in that location. I'm impressed you got the fur so fast, though. :-) I spent a long time with that one.

After that, you will have the motivation to complete the song...if you find a small hotspot somewhere on the Bard's body.

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Also, what is the Bard's name?

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It also seems from your inventory list that you haven't been to all available locations.

I've finished it. I guess this must be even funnier for those familiar with the characters from LARP. Great game, truly recommended unless you absolutely don't like puns.

I did encounter one game-breaking bug, which made the game unwinnable.

Spoiler

I could use both corn cobs in the same location.

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Thankfully, I had several saved games, so I could backtrack without starting from scratch.

The game keeps surprising me. Several times I have thought I was close to the end, just to find it opening up a lot more and piling on more quests to do. The amount of puns may be too much for some, or the breaking of the fourth wall, but I'm having a grand time. The graphics are cartoony and jolly, the irish/scottish folk music puts me in a good mood, and the puzzles have me occasionally tearing my hair out.

If there is 1 thing i would like fixed and possibly changed  in this remake is why Terminator is after Roger Wilco. Doesn't make sense he owes money for a free whistle.

He probably had to pay the freight expenses. 

1. The idea of having a "base save" that saves the game's starting stats.

Isn't that what Gugames did with Kill Yourself?

I also seem to remember that Zniw had updates without breaking saves.