Board 8 > Dec. Game of the Month Club ft. Murasaki, Hob, Road 96, Paradise, and Xenoblade

(+) Yeah! (+)

I got plenty of supports to spare before the reset.

Support Wonderful 101

Put a lot more time into Paradise Killer, got all the abilities, solved several of the major puzzles... still not feeling great about the main mystery. This game does a very good job of making you suspect absolutely everyone. I'll get a piece of evidence that seems to provide an airtight alibi for someone and still find myself thinking "okay but if they did THIS and THIS and had an accomplice then..."

I wish the ability that lets you see the locations of collectibles was a toggle or ping rather than something you have to stop and wait a moment to use. Very onerous, though I assume that's intended.

Monthly Progress
Murasaki
Hob - Kenri
Road - JONA, KCF, Sean
Paradise - KCF, JONA, Ark, Sean
Xenoblade - Sean

Nominations
JONA - Wonderful 101, Chicory, Legend of Tianding
KCF - Linelight, PixelJunk Shooter 2, SMB: Lost Levels
Sean - Black Mesa, Anodyne 2, Plague Tale: Req, Psychonauts 2

Supports
KCF - Psychonauts, Wonderful

I beat Paradise too!

Completed my first run in Road 96. I escaped after I ended up making a break and jumping the wall because I didn't have enough money for bribes. Felt messy but it was a success.

Fun game so far, I'm curious to see what all changes on subsequent runs.

As far as I can tell I've collected everything and exhausted all the dialogue in Paradise Killer, so it's trial time next time I play. I think I've got a good sense of who committed the main crimes but I feel still totally lost on the sequence of events where opening each seal could be a separate crime. Like... if a single party didn't do it all then how did they not all run into each other? And what's the motive to just open one seal and then... what, leave? So I'm probably just going to accuse Carmelina/Dainonigate of all of it even if that feels somewhat wrong. K HX's killer also isn't super clear to me aside from obviously being either Crimson or Yuri.

Paradise Killer beaten

I ended up convicting Akiko, Yuri, Carmelina, Witness, and Dainonigate. I pretty strongly suspect that Sam and Lydia were in cahoots with Witness but I like them so I didn't throw them under the bus. On the other hand I was kind of surprised that Yuri admitted to killing K HX, like I was pretty certain that was Crimson but that was another case where I just liked her too much to convict lol. Maybe anyone you successfully convict for certain crimes will admit to them?

Great game though. Maybe a little poorly paced in parts but I liked the metroidvania-esque progression, the characters, the whodunnit, the music, and the general vibes.

Road 96

2nd Run - Escaped via passing a test to work overseas. Also got super rich via a cup and ball game, I had so much money I wasted, I left with over $100.

3rd Run - Escaped via lockpicking a truck, was very fortunate to have had full stamina. I feel like I've gotten lucky so far with the escape attempts. This poor sod only had $3 lol.

Road 96 is $10 (50% off) on PSN, if anyone else was looking for a sale.

Nominate:

Killer7
Control
Cadence of Hyrule: Crypt of the Necrodancer Featuring The Legend of Zelda

I haven't been super hot on Hob, so we'll see if I finish it.

On Murasaki I try Stage 5 at least once per day, trying to get the true ending... To no avail. I feel I can get pretty far in the fight, but once the instruments start rotating around the piano player sending orbs everywhere that is the beginning of my doom every time...

Every non-Xenoblade game is on sale again during Steam's Winter Sale. I want to say that these are at the same price point as during last month's Autumn, or whatever, Sale, so if you missed out on any of them then...

Murasaki - $1 USD
https://store.steampowered.com/app/392030/Murasaki/

Hob - $5 USD
https://store.steampowered.com/app/404680/Hob/

Road 96 - $10 USD
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1466640/Road_96/

Paradise Killer - $8 USD
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1160220/Paradise_Killer/

Road 96

Run 4: Died helping Zoe get to freedom, first death but probably totally worth it.

Run 5: Escaped via hacking the tunnels. Biggest shock was the cutscene showing Stan and Mitch are related to Sonya lol.

Nominate: The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe (thanks masterplum)

Support: Black Mesa

Kenri posted...

Maybe anyone you successfully convict for certain crimes will admit to them?

If you'd like to know the answer to this, Crimson denies doing it if you convict her.

Cody has beaten Road 96

Finished it up on my 6th run. Got arrested and it jumped way ahead to election day. Ended up getting a bad variation on a good ending, John, Zoe, and my teen(?) died, but Florres won the election and Tyrak was arrested. I went heavy on the Vote choices when possible, I found it funny that the Sonya Show stopped at 51/49 with Tyrak in the lead after my 4th or 5th run.

Good game, a bit sloppy but enjoyable. I think the individual stories/segments are stronger than the overarching narrative which ended very abruptly for me. I will second the game having great music though.

Also funny random note reading through this topic: I ended up getting one skill on each route, I thought it was locked so you had to do so lol. But no, some of you got multiple skills in one run and none in another, so mine just worked out that way.

Character Rankings (I ended up missing a lot of Fanny and Jarod encounters which may have hurt them for me):
Zoe > John > Alex > Stan & Mitch > Sonya > Fanny > Jarod

Nominate Hitman 3 as well to continue my annual January tradition.

I will support Stanley Parable (I would accept any version to be played)

Monthly Progress
Murasaki
Hob - Kenri
Road - JONA, KCF, Sean
Paradise - KCF, JONA, Ark, Sean, Kenri
Xenoblade - Sean

Nominations
Cody - Stanley Parable, Hitman 3
JONA - Wonderful 101, Chicory, Legend of Tianding
KCF - Linelight, PixelJunk Shooter 2, SMB: Lost Levels
Kenri - Killer7, Control, Cadence of Hyrule
Sean - Black Mesa, Anodyne 2, Plague Tale: Req, Psychonauts 2

Supports
Cody - Mesa
KCF - Psychonauts, Wonderful, Stanley
Kenri - Stanley
Paul - Killer
Sean - Stanley, Chicory, Cadence

If I had a support left, I would also support Killer7

With six regulars, semi-regulars, or users who show up from time-to-time in our Steam Secret Santa this year, I will wait until the day after Christmas to do the drawing.

I played more of Murasaki, but I ultimately kept failing the second stage in what I hope is very late in it. I've also been playing Hob a little bit here and there. It hasn't hooked me yet, which is why I haven't played any session for over an hour.

Ill support Stanley Parable, Chicory, and Cadence of Hyrule.

Support Stanley Parable

TheArkOfTurus posted...

If you'd like to know the answer to this, Crimson denies doing it if you convict her.

Thanks! I figured as much after doing the speedrun, where I got Henry falsely convicted but didn't know for sure.

The gaming podcast I listen to had Chicory as their game of the year last year, so would be cool to have more motivation to try it out as well.

Finished Murasaki with Kairi again.

Managed to finally get the second and third duel spellcards for stage five... still haven't had the luck to get the second card for stage 4 and the second and third for stage five with Satsuki though.

feels kind of bad to apparently be one of the better players of this game here, since I'm pretty awful at the genre overall >_>;

Nominate Hylics, Mr. Driller Drill Land, and Fire 'n Ice

I will use my final support on Chicory: A Colorful Tale as I just received it as a gift.

oh I forgot to Support Killer 7

Don't think I'm going to beat road 96 until after the deadline. Haven't felt like going back to Murasaki (stopped at stage 3,) but might still finish that later, too.

Nominate Sifu and Wildermyth

Support Killer 7 and Control

Monthly Progress
Murasaki - Crispy
Hob - Kenri
Road - JONA, KCF, Sean, Cody
Paradise - KCF, JONA, Ark, Sean, Kenri
Xenoblade - Sean

Nominations
Ark - Sifu, Wildermyth
Cody - Stanley Parable, Hitman 3
Crispy - Hylics, Mr. Driller Drill Land, Fire n Ice
Fake - Job Simulator
JONA - Wonderful 101, Chicory, Legend of Tianding
KCF - Linelight, PixelJunk Shooter 2, SMB: Lost Levels
Kenri - Killer7, Control, Cadence of Hyrule
Paul - PaRappa
Sean - Black Mesa, Anodyne 2, Plague Tale: Req, Psychonauts 2

Supports
Ark - Killer, Control
Cody - Mesa, Chicory
Crispy - Killer
KCF - Psychonauts, Wonderful, Stanley, Chicory
Kenri - Stanley
MZero - Fire
Paul - Killer
Sean - Stanley, Chicory, Cadence

Drawing tomorrow

I'll use my final support on Chicory.

Also small note, but you don't have me listed under beating Road 96.

And I never will

Cody did not make it across the border.

Damn, lots of noms and supports next month!

Well supports reset after this month, so there was bound to be a rush of them

Nominate: Chained Echoes

Support: Chicory, Control, and Cadence of Hyrule

I started Paradise Killer since I got it in the Secret Santa.

Didn't end up doing very much actual investigating though, so IDK if I'd be able to actually finish it before the end of the month.

anyway I don't know how many supports I have left offhand, but if I do I guess I'll also Support Wonderful 101 and Cadence of Hyrule if I do.

Last call for noms, supports, and changes

Noms, supports, and changes are closed. I will draw soonish

Your January Games of the Month are...

The Wonderful 101 (PC/PS4/Switch/Wii U/Luna)
Psychonauts 2 (PC/XB1/PS4)
PixelJunk Shooter 2 (PC/PS4/PS3/Vita)

Congrats to JONA, Sean, and myself for having their games selected!

The Wonderful 101 is on sale for $18 USD for Steam
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1190400/The_Wonderful_101_Remastered/

The Wonderful 101 is on sale for $18 USD for PS4
https://store.playstation.com/en-us/product/UP2522-CUSA18780_00-THEWONDERFUL101R

The Wonderful 101 is on PS Plus Extra

The Wonderful 101 is on sale for $18 USD for Switch
https://www.nintendo.com/store/products/the-wonderful-101-remastered-switch/

Psychonauts 2 is on sale for $20.39 USD for Steam
https://store.steampowered.com/app/607080/Psychonauts_2/

Psychonauts 2 is on Game Pass for console and PC

Psychonauts 2 is on sale for $19.80 USD for XB1
https://www.xbox.com/en-us/games/store/psychonauts-2/9nbr2vxt87sj

Psychonauts 2 is on sale for $20.39 USD for PS4
https://store.playstation.com/en-us/concept/10002422/

PixelJunk Shooter 2 (the second half of Ultimate) is on sale for $1 for Steam
https://store.steampowered.com/app/332330/PixelJunk_Shooter_Ultimate/

Did I purposely nominate a game that is now only actively being sold as part of a collection with the first game so that you would also have to play the first game to get to the second? Yes I did.

Psychonauts 2 is also on Game Pass.

I played both Pixeljunk Shooters back when they originally came out. I remember liking the first quite a bit, and then being very disappointed in the second. I suppose for $1, I might just see if that still holds true.

I ranked them 28th on my all-time list, though I think that I do agree with preferring 1 over 2

Oh damn, Psychonauts 2 and Wonderful 101 are both fantastic games, great picks.

I've already played both of those, and 100%'d Psychonauts, but may replay Wonderful 101. I've thought about it a few times.

I've never heard of PixelJunk Shooter, but for $1 I may as well try it out.

I had never heard of PixelJunk Shooter until it was a random throw-in for a PS3 bundle I got in 2009 or 10. It blew me away, and I immediately bought the 2nd, then the remastered Ultimate collection when it came out, and it has been my go-to game to include as a surprise in our Steam Secret Santa.

I played Wonderful 101 a few years back on Wii U and kind of hated it. Just not my type of game.

Eden was the Pixeljunk game that left an impression on me. Havent played it in like 15 years but the movement and music in that were fun.