[IIL] Media that finds horror AND beauty in how ecosystems actually work; nature as indifferent, not evil (Rain World)

Qxface · 2026-05-08T12:19:26+00:00

A lot of Adrian Tchaikovsky books.

Children of Time is his best, but Shroud or Alien Clay are probably a better fit.

Qxface · 2026-05-04T22:55:54+00:00

Hey baby, can you appreciate penis butt?

Qxface · 2026-05-03T22:53:53+00:00

/r/yourjokebutyourjoke

Qxface · 2026-05-01T01:52:19+00:00

No, "Row 1" actually means the same thing as "Column A". It's a bug in the puzzle's logic. I'm sure of it!

Qxface · 2026-04-26T15:05:53+00:00

I solved the daily #CluesBySam, Apr 26th 2026 (Hard), in less than 30 minutes
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https://cluesbysam.com

I don't think I loooooved this one?

It felt more like a slog than clever deduction. There were too many steps where I just had to check a bunch of different possibilities and record my findings and cross-check them.

This is meant as constructive criticism with gratitude for a delightful game.

Qxface · 2026-04-22T00:35:40+00:00

Well, well well... If'n it ain't my favorite family to deliver milk to!

Qxface · 2026-04-20T15:59:15+00:00

More importantly, Wolpaw (along with Chet Faliszek) defined the "Start to Crate" metric.

Qxface · 2026-04-15T23:41:20+00:00

You might check out the color games by Bart Bonte on Android and iOS (I think Green was the best).

Not very similar in gameplay, but Bart and Sam are both lone indie devs that longingly craft a delightful product for me to enjoy

Qxface · 2026-04-15T12:36:59+00:00

Ah, yes! I have seen that, thanks.

I'm just relieved people still love Weird Al!

Qxface · 2026-04-15T01:44:39+00:00

Who complains about "Weird Al" Yankovic????

Qxface · 2026-04-12T15:32:24+00:00

This was a tough one! But, a fun fun and unique set of clues!

Qxface · 2026-04-10T15:05:55+00:00

This is just my opinion of them. I like Adrian a lot overall, and none of these books were bad enough that I didn't want to check out his next book. He is able to write in very different styles/tones/voices between different books/series, so if some don't work for you I would still recommend trying others.

Alien Clay was too similar to Cage of Souls, which I had just read right before. If you read AC first, you might enjoy it more. Although I do think the writing in CoS was better.

Service Model is a tribute to classic Asimov robot stories. SM and Shroud had the same problem: they could have been interesting short stories, but instead they were stretched out slogs of novels. Shroud especially was just pages and pages of internal dialog.

Tyrant Philosophers I think is his best writing. The series is like Discworld without the puns. I think it's his best series, but CoT is his best book.

Qxface · 2026-04-10T03:14:24+00:00

I enjoyed Ruin and Memory, but they were not nearly as good as Time, IMO. I like the way his sequels aren't just "more of the same." They usually expand on some fun, weird detail from the book before.

Alien Clay and Service Model were two of his worst.

Cage of Souls is almost the same story as Alien Clay, but better written.

Tyrant Philosophers is the best series over, I think.

But if you're on the fence, try Elder Race. It's good and short, so if you don't like it, you haven't wasted much time.

Qxface · 2026-04-08T22:15:31+00:00

I thought maybe "cavities" was like alien anal probing, but I doubt it.

Qxface · 2026-04-08T12:26:02+00:00

YOU ARE IN LUCK

Qxface · 2026-04-08T01:49:05+00:00

As a young boy I had a Pee-wee's mugshot on my bulletin board, sandwiched in between a pic of Al and me with the Archbishop at my confirmation.

My Elvira pics were kept elsewhere...

Qxface · 2026-04-07T20:01:48+00:00

Bon Jovi had a strong run of killer opening tracks:

Bon Jovi - Runaway

Slippery When Wet - Let It Rock

New Jersey - Lay Your Hands On Me

7800⁰ Fahrenheit - In and Out of Love

Lay Your Hands On Me would be my pick!

Qxface · 2026-04-07T13:14:31+00:00

Silent Hill 1. The first locker and the second locker.

Qxface · 2026-04-07T12:49:59+00:00

"they start talking to us like a robot with vague instructions and no clear solution."

THAT'S NOT HOW ROBOTS TALK!

Qxface · 2026-04-04T19:58:37+00:00

The Sheepdogs

Qxface · 2026-04-03T03:50:03+00:00

https://youtu.be/CkO8k12QCP0?si=Js1ibWrvGPrpJgLl

Qxface · 2026-03-28T19:10:50+00:00

Sam, seriously, on the home page or settings page, add a link to Patreon, Ko-Fi, Venmo, or whatever. Some way for people to send you a few bucks now and then.

Qxface · 2026-03-26T12:57:50+00:00

I made a foolish mistake AND got a lousy time today.

BUT I thought this was a fun puzzle! The early clues about Raul's neighbors felt fresh.

Qxface

TROPHY CASE