FFXIII: Welcome to Gran Pulse

After fifteen years or so, I finally beat Berthandelus in Final Fantasy XIII, and can finally enter the second half of the game.

August 13, 2023 · 2 min · 419 words · Tipa

A Cheater's Guide to Wordle, Waffle and Squaredle

There’s a really good reason why I solve these daily puzzles in full view of my family, at the kitchen table, now. It’s to stop me from cheating.

August 12, 2023 · 8 min · 1625 words · Tipa

Only Mew can stop Mewtwo now...

Mewtwo is coming to Pokemon Scarlet and Violet in a 7 star Tera raid. I’ve had exactly zero luck winning any 7 star raids so far. This time, I plan to be prepared.

August 11, 2023 · 3 min · 603 words · Tipa

Quick Look: Phaser Game Engine

I’ve been spending a few hours trying to get this Asteroids clone to some sort of playable state. Since I haven’t really done anything else blog-worthy today, I guess we’re talking about Phaser. I mocked up yesterday’s header image from assets I made with Inkscape; they weren’t actually from a real game. Today’s image is from a real game. Asteroids isn’t the toughest game to write. You spawn a ship, you spawn some rocks, you spawn a laser, rocks go away. Since there’s not much to the game itself, it’s perfect to use as a test bed to gain familiarity with a new game engine. ...

August 10, 2023 · 4 min · 724 words · Tipa

Games That Defined Me (Part 1)

It’s an interesting question, stated a few different ways – 10 games to know me, or games that defined me. The question has been bouncing around Mastodon for a few days. Here’s mine.

August 9, 2023 · 6 min · 1085 words · Tipa

Sam Portsmouth Bridges

I really don’t know what else you would call a blog post on a gaming blog about bridges in Portsmouth, NH. It’s introduction week, so get ready.

August 8, 2023 · 6 min · 1109 words · Tipa

The Legend of Windfyre

I’m off to New Hampshire for the day, so here’s a story about Windfyre, the dragon that lives in New Hampshire’s White Mountains.

August 7, 2023 · 4 min · 743 words · Tipa

I killed a wolf and all I got was this stupid broken claw

Why do you have to kill a hundred deer to get one antler? There’s got to be a better way.

August 6, 2023 · 3 min · 457 words · Tipa

Adventures in Bad Game Development

I’ve never been able to make a good game, but I think I could make some bad ones if I just put a little effort into them.

August 5, 2023 · 3 min · 611 words · Tipa

Palia First Impressions: A Promising Start to a Social MMO Adventure

If you were waiting for the second coming of Free Realms, Palia ain’t it. But, if you hate adventuring and love gathering and crafting in your MMO of choice, you might just find a new home in Palia, the new social MMO from Singularity 6.

August 4, 2023 · 5 min · 894 words · Tipa