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

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.

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!

Our Life: Beginning and Always (2020) – GB Patch Games

Cost: Free

Windows, Mac, & Linux | Steam

Jamie Last (changeable name) has spent the last couple weeks on a summertime high. At eight-years-old, nothing is better than what feels like endless days of school-less adventures, especially when you live walking distance from the beach. While coming home under a scorching sunset one fine evening, Jamie is approached by a stranger. The man is looking for a kid who can do him a favor, and he’s even offering to pay for it. He wants Jamie to please be friends with his only child. The person is Mr. Holden, Jamie’s new neighbor, as well as the father of the odd, and oddly named boy, Cove. Whether Jamie wants to play along or not, Cove isn’t going anywhere. He’s present in Jamie’s life for far longer than they ever would’ve guessed.

And then the long days of vacation finally come to an end. Summer may not be able to last forever, but Jamie can take comfort in knowing it will come back again someday…

-Synopsis

Our Life: Beginnings and Always is a slice-of-life visual novel developed by indie game studio, GB Patch. Create an experience that’s all your own in this near-fully customizable visual novel where you grow from childhood to adulthood with the lonely boy next door. Follow your player character through the various stages of their life (the current build goes up to Step 3 – Young Adulthood) as you navigate the ups and downs of growing up. Unlike most visual novels there are not “good” or “bad” choices, rather each choice exists to create an overall experience that is best for YOU. The game includes 1 love interest, but you can also choose to keep your relationship platonic.

The Change Architect (2020) – Far Few Giants

Cost: $3.00

Windows, Mac, & Linux

You are a protest organizer, coordinating the crowd outside your window. When the police move in on your position you have to decide whether to tell the protestors to hold the line or pull back.

-Synopsis

The Change Architect is the fifth of twelve small, experimental narrative games developed by Far Few Giants; each game is to be released monthly. This is a single, film-like scene. You decide Jemima’s actions as she directs the crowd from above the streets, as well as directing the camera shots between the cinematic angles available.

The Floor is Jelly (2014) – Auren Snyder

Cost: $9.99

Windows, Mac, & Linux | Steam

Who hasn’t dreamt, at some point, of filling a pool full of jello and swimming in it? In some of us, that dream never died. Some of us kept dreaming: what if the whole street was jello? Or the continent? The world!? The Floor is Jelly posits a universe made of jello, made purely for one’s own amusement. No longer need we look to our walls and our floors and sigh, “How solid! How sadly immalleable! How I wish for a world consisting only of Non-Newtonian fluids!” That world has arrived, via the dark magic of videogames, as The Floor is Jelly.

-Synopsis

The Floor is Jelly is an indie platformer developed by Auren Snyder. Bounce your way through several creative jellified locations–use this mechanic to jump higher to clear obstacles or literally jump through walls.

That’s it for this week’s thrifty buys, but, don’t worry I’ll have more titles for in next week’s post, so be on the look out for that next Thursday! But, if all that extra money you saved is burning a hole in your pocket and you just can’t wait for next week’s list, definitely check out some of my previous Thrifty Gaming posts, there are tons of games for gamers who like me are ballin’ on a budget!

Thank you for reading and Supporting Blerdy Otome! If you like what you see be sure to drop a like or a comment to let me know your thoughts on this week’s Thrifty Picks!!