Behind the Games – Interview with Fiction Factory Games

By on • ( 1 Comment )

Hey Hey Blerdy Tribe, I’m back with another Behind the Games post! For those of you just joining the party, Behind the Games is a segment where I interview the folks ‘behind the games’ I review. Giving you guys a chance to get to know the developers that spend so much time carefully crafting the games you enjoy.

Last time, I spoke with members of the Great Gretsuki—the female founded and run studio behind the comedy indie otome game, Love Spell: Written in the Stars. This time around I had the chance to chat with members of Fiction Factory Games, the folks behind Arcade Spirits. 

Fiction Factory Games

Fiction Factory Games is an indie game studio collaboration between Stefan Gagne and Aenne Schumann—while the duo has worked on a handful of individual projects, their first collaborative work arcade themed visual novel, Arcade Spirits. The game has received a great deal of praise from fans of visual novels and critics alike, prompting the team to announce a follow-up game, Arcade Spirits: The New Challenger! There is definitely a lot to look forward to from the studio in the near future, so I’m super excited to have gotten the opportunity to sit down and chat with the studio’s founders Aenne and Stefan!

Continue reading “Behind the Games – Interview with Fiction Factory Games”

Our Life Beginnings and Always Review – A One of a Kind Life

By on • ( 2 Comments )

Our Life Beginnings and Always is the latest visual novel release from indie game studio, GB Patch; and their most ambitious project to date. While most visual novels focus on a very specific period of time, Our Life spans years, taking players through the ups and downs of growing up in the seaside town of Sunset Bird. Follow Jamie Last (name changeable), their friends and family over several summers spanning 15 years—from childhood to adolescents to young adulthood and beyond.

A twenty-dollar bill, four summers, fifteen years, and a one of a kind life.

Our Life - Cove

A chance encounter with Cove Holden, a shy young boy who moves to Sunset Bird when Jamie is eight years old becomes a relationship that spans years and like the endless summer days that make up the story is full of infinite possibilities.

It was exactly a year ago that I played the first demo for Our Life and that was all it took to fall head over heels in love with the project. So, to say I was eagerly awaiting the full release is an understatement, and this game more than lived up to my expectations! With it’s breezy seaside setting, vibrant cast of characters and charming nostalgic story, Our Life is truly a one of a kind experience. 

Game Details

  • Genre: Slice of Life | Romance | Comedy
  • Available for PC (Windows & Mac) | Steam
  • Gameplay Length: 20-40 hours
  • Cost: Free (DLC $3.99 each)
  • Partial English Voice Acting

Continue reading “Our Life Beginnings and Always Review – A One of a Kind Life”

Thrifty Gaming: Games That Won’t Blow Your Budget #71

By on • ( Leave a comment )

Hey there Heroes, Travelers, and Wandering NPCs, it’s once again that special time of the week—Thrifty Thursday!

In a world where it’s all about the almighty dollar, sometimes it’s a little tough to make our pennies stretch enough to accommodate our hobbies. But, there are plenty of ways to balance your budget while still enjoying the things you love, you just have to be a little thrifty about it. So, I created Thrifty Gaming in order to spotlight some lesser known indie titles that are both entertaining an affordable.

If you’re a new follower or someone who has been following since my Nice Job Breaking It Hero days and have been gone for awhile, here’s a refresher… Thrifty Gaming, is a weekly post series where I spotlight three games/visual novels that are under $10.00. These can be mobile games, PC games, and a few times I have found some nice indie console titles too. The list used to focus on just otome games and romance visual novels, but after requests from a few readers I have since expanded to other gaming genres. I don’t include sales or limited time offers, each title has to be consistently priced at $10.00 or less without any promotions to be included in this line up.

Sailor Moon Money

Note, these are not reviews, rather recommendations so your mileage may vary with some of these titles. This week’s post will include a brief synopsis and links to each game so you can add them to your gaming library! You don’t have to break the bank to enjoy your hobbies, so save a little bread and check this week’s thrifty gaming picks!

Continue reading “Thrifty Gaming: Games That Won’t Blow Your Budget #71”

Behind the Games – Interview with Great Gretuski Studios

By on • ( 2 Comments )

Hey Hey Blerdy Tribe, I’m back with another Behind the Games post! For those of you just joining the party, Behind the Games is a segment where I interview the folks ‘behind the games’ I review. Giving you guys a chance to get to know the developers that spend so much time carefully crafting the games you enjoy.

Last time, I spoke with members of the GB Patch team—the developers behind several visual novels, including the slice-of-life visual novel, Our Life: Beginnings and Always. This time around I had the chance to chat with members of Great Gretuski Studios, the folks behind Love Spell: Written in the Stars. 

studio logo

Great Gretuski Studios is a female founded and run indie game studio. They’re still new to the indie development scene, but they’ve already hit the ground running with the release of their first title–the fantasy romance, Love Spell: Written in the Stars. In the short time since their debut, Great Gretuski has also been hard at work on a  new DLC for Love Spell and their next project, Peachleaf Valley: Seeds of Love. 

But, that’s not all—the team also hosts a blog series called #CreativeQueens, where they interview up and coming female content creators in the video game and animation industries. Great Gretuski Studios is definitely making a name for themselves and I am super excited to have gotten the opportunity to sit down and chat with the studio’s founder Grettel!

Continue reading “Behind the Games – Interview with Great Gretuski Studios”

First Impressions – Call Me Under Demo

By on • ( Leave a comment )

Call Me Under is an upcoming queer positive supernatural, fantasy visual novel developed by the indie game studio, Lunaris Games. Coming on the heels of When the Night Comes and Errant Kingdom, this is the studio’s third project and promises to be their most ambitious release to date, as it will be the team’s first non-episodic game.

Set in the 1950s, Call Me Under takes players on a trip beneath the watery depths to the underwater city of Styx, a haven inhabited by humans, sirens, and a host of unknown otherworldly entities.  Eldritch horrors, dark mysteries, magic, and even romance await in what promises to be another exciting visual novel from Lunaris Games.

The team just launched the Kickstarter campaign for the title and they’ve already secured over 50% funding—if that isn’t enough of an endorsement, I don’t know what is… so since the demo is available, I decided to take a deep dive into the world of Call Me Under and see if the story holds up!

Continue reading “First Impressions – Call Me Under Demo”

Blogging with Dragons

Geek life, it's like real life, but with dragons.

乙女ゲームの恋人

Just a fan of otome games and Japanese pop culture

Xueyangdere

Fujo and yandere enthusiast

Life Told By Stacey

Life Through My Lenses

In Asian Spaces

In foreign spaces in relation to the body and mind

A Geek Girl's Guide

Cartoons and Stereo

Thoughts on Music, Anime, and More

The Otakuist

For The Informed Otaku.

Astronomy Of My Dreams

Soulcial Dreamin' Ent.

A hub for Indie Music, Nerd Culture and Content Creators.