My Q1 2024 & Beyond

My Q1 2024 & Beyond

by | Feb 29, 2024 | Gaming, Review, Upcoming

If this isn’t a solid representation of my gaming style…I don’t know what is.

 

2023 ended with the obsession of my favorite gaming genre – open world.  I played several hours of Ark Survival Ascended, Starfield, more Ark, sprinkled with a little Disney Dreamlight Valley, Smallworld and Hogwarts Legacy.  On to 2024 and my obsession hasn’t changed, but the games sure have.  Let’s see what random titles I’ve been interested in lately and take a look at what I’m excited for in Q2 and beyond.

Lethal Company

Is this really a surpise?  I think everyone has heard of Lethal Company by now.  Technically this game released in October 2023, but I’m still playing it because it’s THAT fun.

I’m not sure its “one-man-band” dev, Zeekerss, was ready for the viral effect it had on the gaming community, but it continues to entertain.  With the infinite number of mods that are being utilized and the shear amount of creative content it has provided for players, it’s no wonder this game is still a favorite.

The moons are simple, yet terrifying.  The concept is simple, but almost gets lost in the hysterical comedy of the “great assets” succumbing to their untimely death by dead girl, then realizing everyone on the team is dead and you all just got fired by the company. Choatic, hilarious, fun.

It recently grabbed the 2023 Steam Award for Better With Friends and I couldn’t agree more.  If you haven’t played this yet, grab a few friends and prepare yourselves for laugh out loud jump scares and make sure to ring the Collection Bell SEVERAL times.

Deep Rock Galactic

I was really living under a rock with this game – pun intended.  This game caught my eye while tracking the 2023 Steam Awards – it was nominated for the Labor Of Love Award (congrats to RDR2).  I didn’t play it until I barged into my sister and sister-in-law’s game on New Year’s Eve.  I never thought I’d have so much fun being a grumpy dwarf who smashes rocks, kills bugs and chugs beer!

The gameplay moves in a way that is really fun to play with your dwarven buddies as each character can progress with a particular set of skills (insert Liam Neeson here) that will make your team a well rounded mining machine.

I am no pro gamer.  If I’m in a squad, I am not that jack of all trades, good at everything type of player. I like contributing a single skill that I can manage and execute well and with precision.  This game let’s me do that.  I can be a Scout and I can be the best Scout with the best grapple gun and illuminate our cave with the light of a thousand suns so we can get the mission completed.  Expect me to have an OP Scout and level 1 everything else in this game.

A top-down single player game was released earlier this month that is sure to entertain, as well.  Find Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor here.

FOR KARL! (I still don’t know who that is…)

A Little To The Left & Cat Search In The Wild West

Ok. Now I implied in the beginning that my gaming style can get a little wacky.  Hear me out…open world is arguably my favorite genre, but I didn’t come up with “PointeAndClick” because I really liked giving every key and button a hotkey assignment (and yes, there IS supposed to be that extra ‘e’ in pointe, but we can discuss that later).

I found these games by pure accident while perusing the Steam Store and niching down to the genres I enjoy.  I enjoy cozy, point and click puzzle games.  These games are so nice to explore and allow myseslf a break from the labor intensive grind that open world games are known for.

Cat Search is quite literally that – you’re searching for hidden cats in a side scroller and it’s great. And I 100% the game in 23 minutes. AND…it’s free!

A Little To The Left is an organization puzzle game and scratches that itch to tidy while also procrastinating actual real life chores.  I also love that they’ve included “Daily Tidies” so even when you’ve finished the game – you’re not finished.

It’s nice to have a couple quick puzzle games in my back pocket for those days I just want to game and chill.

Palworld

This game.  This game has me in a chokehold.  I haven’t played for a few days and I’m trying to find an excuse amongst all my IRL responsibilities to get back in game and check on my pals.

It’s no secret that this game has taken over the gaming world, though at the time I’m writing this, there are several that are ready to take the Top Spot and even more promising games yet to be released.

This game checks all the boxes for me and my gaming style.  It has a

big map to explore, bosses to defeat, base building, cute pets and I can play with my friends!  And I’m definitely no expert in the gaming field, but this game just seems so…clean.  It’s fun, it’s pretty, it’s entertaining and I don’t see myself letting go of this game any time soon.

Currently I’ve progressed over 100 hours in game and I’ve reached the point where I can’t spoil much for myself – so I’ve turned to the Paldex to enhance my playing experience.  My latest favorite tool is the breeding calculator that I used to breed my OP Fenglope Athena.  My next project will be to breed better workers and find an amazing setting for my third and final base build.

This game has made headlines, both positive and negative press, but for me this game will suck me back in like a toxic relationship every time.  Just like Ark (…Ark 2 is releasing this year), just like No Man’s Sky (…Hello Games has Light No Fire coming).  I need more computer space!

Gaming Forward

There is definitely space for many games to have been on this list, but these just happen to be the games I enjoy playing at this time.  Several other games are sure to entertain and I may decide to pick them up eventually:

I’m also super excited for the rest of Q1 and already have several 2024 (and some I’m thinking will be 2025) titles wishlisted.  Some titles include:

To name a few…

I want to know what you’ve been playing.  I want to know what you’re excited for.  I want to know what gaming genres you enjoy.  Give me all the good titles past, present and future.  There’s so many wonderful games out there, and I want to see the gems!  Happy Gaming!!

2024 : No More Roadblocks

2024 : No More Roadblocks

by | Jan 5, 2024 | Uncategorized, Real Life, Travel

“Wanna move to Maryland?”

 

 

Before we move to MD, let’s hang out in 2019 real quick.

We just got married, went on a super fun honeymoon in Europe and rang in 2019 pregnant. We were a dual income couple, a few dogs, and I was about a year or so into my streaming journey. My husband had been streaming for a short while when he showed me a game called Fortnite. Obviously I was hooked. My first gaming experience was Tetris on a boxy PC with a single button joystick, so I’ve been around video games awhile – but I wouldn’t call myself a “gamer.” This was a whole new world of creativity for me! I’m a dance instructor so creative minds are always cool in my book and this was just another stage to perform on. Then we had our first son. And I had no idea who I was anymore. I was a mother now and had to keep a tiny human alive. That’s it. I haven’t streamed since.

I know moms struggle with identity after they have kids – dads too, I see you. “I can’t stream because I have to feed the baby.” “Probably won’t be on until later when the baby is in bed.” “Go ahead and save your sub because I won’t be on for awhile.” Fast forward to 2024 and I’m just now getting my inspiration back. There was a lot going on in those 5 years, but that’s for an entirely different article. I still played games, still watched my friends play and create content. I liked watching them succeed. I just never gave myself the space to succeed, and I’m ready to do that now. I’m tired of allowing detours to become roadblocks and I want to take my identity back!

I enjoyed life. I loved dancing, cooking, crafting. If you go down a deep enough rabbit hole, you can probably find old streams of me singing on Twitch Sings too (remember that game? super fun). I’m bringing those things back into my life with a fresh outlook! I didn’t completely abandon myself, but I am different now. And 2023 was going to bring my family a whole new opportunity for a fresh start.

My husband was offered a new job. He’d been casually looking around for something different, more fulfilling, more rewarding. An offer came in just as casually and he couldn’t refuse. “Wanna move to Maryland?” HUH? Seriously? A big move wasn’t out of the question, we were already scouting properties in Montana. What was another couple thousand miles? Let’s do it! We both needed the change, the adventure, the new beginning and this was our chance. A month later he was officially onboarded, a month after that I resigned, and a month after that we were on the road from one coast to the other. Crazy.

Now what? It’s been 6 months of figuring things out and I still don’t know what the hell to do. I’m a stay at home mom now, whatever that means. My husband travels a lot for work and it seems now I have even LESS time to try and go after my goals. I’m not going to let that type of self talk take hold of my well being any longer. I don’t know how I’m going to do that yet, but it’s not happening. I don’t usually do resolutions, but this year will be different. Detours will no longer become roadblocks. I’m going to make time for me and what I love doing. Period.

I’ve learned that I need to allow myself to do things slowly. I won’t punish myself for not getting to the dishes. I won’t feel bad if I play games all day because I’m having an off day. I’m going to use this fresh start to my full advantage and kick 2024 right in the ass.

I will make time for my small crafting business. I will make time for my self care, physically and mentally. I will make time for my friends and watch them succeed in their careers as well as make time for my own. I will make time to spend quality – QUALITY time with my husband and two children, and the dogs too.

2024 will be the Year of the Gamer Mom in me. The Cooking Mom. The Dancing Mom. The Mom who took her identity back. No more roadblocks.

It’s my year.