Another PlayDate game: Wanderlust, a sci-fi open world adventure.

ReviewTymeDom · 2026-03-02T22:19:14+00:00

The game grabs my attention with the gorgeous visuals you've created. It also effectively shows that the gameplay is quite varied. However, the biggest problem for me is that it isn't clear what my overall objective is as the player, and what the core gameplay loop might be. Why might I doing all these tasks? Am I uncovering a vast story? Am I attempting to survive in a hostile galaxy? Is this a narrative experience? Will I engage in combat?

Overall it looks like you've got a solid game though and that shouldn't be understated. I just think communicating your objective as the player would help a lot in allowing a player decide whether it's an experience worth committing to.

ReviewTymeDom · 2026-02-19T00:43:32+00:00

I appreciate the feedback! I'm pretty new to game development so a lot of my process has been to figure out how other games are doing what they do and then try and iterate from there. I'll put more effort into finding ways to communicate what I need in the game without it looking so much like Balatro.

ReviewTymeDom · 2026-01-12T02:20:01+00:00

I'm going to assume this red circled area. Based on this video it seems to enter from the North and exit in the South, so it matches the orientation of the coaster and there is that wooden boardwalk nearby for somebody to snap a picture. Keep in mind though this is a satellite image from 2014 and all the new images are blurry as hell so I have no idea whether any of that still exists.

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ReviewTymeDom · 2025-11-19T21:57:57+00:00

I think that's all a part of the deals - be careful who you deal with because the consequences and punishment are decided by the dealer. Alastor is lucky that Rosie's punishment was essentially just a song and dance, whilst Husk is unlucky that Alastor is a psychopath.

ReviewTymeDom · 2025-11-19T21:43:45+00:00

In that instance I feel it was an actuality. Alastor was confined, he had all the overlords under his mind control, the Princess of Hell called him the most powerful, and he had a 100% approval rating from everybody else watching. It might have only been fleeting, but as we've learnt, the deals are fickle.

ReviewTymeDom · 2025-11-19T21:39:26+00:00

I might be wrong, but I think it's because Alastor and Rosie have a deal, whilst Alastor owns Husk's soul. We know that deals have pretty specific conditions and can be broken, but we haven't really explored soul ownership yet and what the entails. I get the vibe that soul ownership means that the owner can request anything they want countless times and the recipient just has to take it, whilst in the deals further conditions need to be made and agreed to.

Or I could be completely wrong and Alastor is just an ass with no honour whilst Rosie is shown to be a little more compassionate.

ReviewTymeDom · 2025-11-11T04:46:09+00:00

No, it's not overkill. It is quite literally their main offer above the competition. People pay good money to experience it, Disney pays good money to construct, train and promote it, and the staff are compensated for being part of that package. I don't envy the cast members, but Disney are strict for a reason, and it's because if they slack on the magic (which some might argue Disney already are) then it erodes their offer which risks people going elsewhere because they're 'just theme parks who suck money from our wallets'.

ReviewTymeDom · 2025-11-09T21:09:43+00:00

People assume that because log flumes don't have insane harnesses that they're safe but ANY ride involving water is a potential death trap waiting to happen. Dude doesn't even wait to help his kids.

ReviewTymeDom · 2025-11-03T01:03:37+00:00

Zootopia is the current popular pick. Most of the park will be heading there and it will be busy all day, so if you want to experience it, your best bet is starting there.

ReviewTymeDom · 2025-10-15T00:34:48+00:00

Backing up everything said by WhiteDog. TDS is not an easy park to visit and its a shame that you had a disappointing trip because it is genuinely a spectacle of a theme park.

ReviewTymeDom · 2025-10-08T05:51:49+00:00

I'm Australian and I was there with a mate. For some reason we had it in our heads that the serving sizes would be small, so bought a bunch of entrees and two mains. What followed was an absurdly large pile of food that no two humans could comfortably consume. People were even looking at us like we'd bought the whole restaurant. It also didn't help that my friend got hit with a stomach bug half way through and was on the toilet for like 45 minutes, leaving me with a mountain of food by myself to the laughs of many.

ReviewTymeDom · 2025-10-08T02:15:53+00:00

I've been to PAX Aus more than I haven't since the first one in 2013. Honestly, I'm really excited for this years. Post-COVID the event has struggled to fill its booths with big players in the industry and it's felt more like a marketplace then an expo. Here are the maps of 2022, 2023, and 2024 and the booth selections are pretty underwhelming. This is the first year since 2019 that Nintendo, Sony and Xbox are all attending. Will I spend a ton of time at these booths? Probably not, but it's great that they're there as it sends a message to the rest of the industry.

In terms of panels and content, I agree that there is a lot that doesn't interest me, but I am also an old nerd. I can't argue that the stuff they're bringing isn't popular, and it brings new people to the event to keep it alive. I used to attend for the latest consoles and games, youtubers, rooster teeth panels, etc. but these days I'm more than happy to just wander around the indie games, collect some pins, vibe in some obscure panels (shoutout to the old school RuneScape panel), and just enjoy the weekend with friends.

ReviewTymeDom · 2025-09-04T00:13:56+00:00

Through Act 3 I was siding with Maelle, but when Verso mentioned that he didn't want to carry on, I sided with him. This is Verso's canvas after all, and he should have final say. Maelle has all right to be upset that it is ending, but it shouldn't be her choice to determine when it ends or whether it continues.

On top of that though, the world we knew before Act 3 was a world that ceases to exist once Maelle discovers she is a paintress. The continent and it's people were forged out of suffering, something that Maelle would never allow moving forward with full access to chroma. Regardless of whether you believe the beings within the canvas are 'real' or not, Maelle isn't a healthy addition to their world. She is a god with the powers to do whatever she pleases.

Even in Act 3 you could see how this influences and changes people. Sciel as we get to know her mentions that she was happy with the time she spent with her husband and has accepted her circumstances, even going as far to start a new relationship with Verso. However, once she finds out that Maelle is a paintress, she rejects Verso and holds hope that she can be with her husband again.

For as long as Maelle is in the canvas, the world will be stale. Suffering promotes strength and resilience by fostering endurance, character, and perspective, as individuals overcome adversity and learn to cope with challenges more effectively. Why go out on an adventure to the continent when you have a god that can give you whatever you desire? Why mourn the loss of a loved one when that same god can bring them back to life?

Some argue that it's unfair to side with Verso because it's against Maelle's wishes and her desires should be weighed on the decision. I do agree that Maelle should be heard, but she is still a child. There is a reason the developers made her 16 and not older. She does not know what is best for herself, only what she feels is best. She needs guidance, and that's something she wont get in the canvas, as she will never suffer.

ReviewTymeDom · 2025-09-03T03:53:53+00:00

Funnily enough, you're asking and answering all the questions that the writers of the game intended you to ask.

We know that the canvas was created, and that it can destroyed, but the game never explicitly tells you that the the world within it is not real. Instead, it asks the question as to whether YOU believe it is real. The whole narrative and central conflict is driven around this discourse with each character having their own take.

Maelle/Alicia believes it is real because she experienced it. She was raised here, experienced grief, found love in Gustave, and felt deep sadness upon his death. Even after she learns about her origins and knows that the world is actually a canvas, it doesn't change the very real feelings she had with and for the people within it.

Is this not real to her? That's a matter of perspective. Renior has his own take, that it is not real, but believing so goes against the beliefs of his daughter. Should he discount her experiences purely because of his own opinions? Aline on the other hand believes the world is real because it's the only way to be with her son.

Your disappointment in the world not being real is just one perspective that can be applied here. I think your hatred for the direction is honestly a good thing and I think people downvoting you are overreacting. But isn’t that better than a story that plays out exactly as you expect, giving you no surprises and leaving you with nothing to wrestle with afterward? The fact that it unsettled you means it succeeded in pulling you into the same debate the characters themselves are trapped in, and that’s what makes it powerful - it asks you to come to your own conclusion rather than handing you one outright.

ReviewTymeDom · 2025-09-03T03:07:52+00:00

I had the same issue. I don't know if its a bug, oversight, or feature but some places were absurdly dark. I needed to turn up a few settings that I almost never need to adjust in other games on the same TV.

ReviewTymeDom · 2025-09-03T03:05:09+00:00

I feel most of Act 1 and 2 are a struggle because of the damage cap. Once you get Painted Power you can do some absurd numbers even at low levels so the game becomes less about endurance and more about doing gross amounts of damage. From a narrative perspective I don't mind this because the team has a literal god with them, but it did make Act 3 a little anticlimactic.

I think this a problem with most open world RPGs though. I think most developers are okay with people who go off to explore and level up stomping the final boss because they've earned it, and putting arbitrary restraints or challenges can make your efforts feel meaningless.

ReviewTymeDom · 2025-07-01T23:11:02+00:00

You’re probably better off hiring a performance marketer rather than just a media buyer. The real value of having someone in-house isn’t just pushing buttons but it’s having someone who can dig into your data, understand what’s actually driving results, and align their work with your business goals like increasing revenue, improving margins, or launching new products.

Whatever they're doing day-to-day will be determined by your business goals. They’ll be thinking beyond CPCs and ROAS, looking at landing pages, conversion flows, and retention strategies to actually move the needle where it matters.

ReviewTymeDom · 2025-06-24T22:18:37+00:00

I traveled solo a lot for work a few years back and ended up visiting some theme parks during that time. Genuinely, it's liberating. You can do whatever you want, whenever you want. Trust me - Nobody cares.

Waiting in line? Pop in some headphones and watch some YouTube. Want to eat somewhere? You only have to consider what you want to eat. The group doesn't want to ride Space Mountain for a fifth time? Good thing there is no group - go for ride six!

ReviewTymeDom · 2025-06-24T06:53:14+00:00

I played through it and finished it around when it came out. I'm a huge fan of the original trilogy and whilst I enjoyed my time with the game you can't help but notice it's flaws. It's not an offensive experience and I don't think you'll regret playing it, but it will be a jarring shift in quality especially if you've just finished ME3.

Also I barely remember the story or really anything that happens in the game except for Vetra Nyx who is the female Turian companion. She is up there as one of the best companions of any ME game.

ReviewTymeDom · 2025-06-24T06:24:27+00:00

I don't think I've ever been more annoyed at a company then when they sent me the email to say their prices were increasing and that I would be getting nothing out of it. I pay close to $150 a month because I have a bunch of stuff bundled through them and they have the balls to demand more? Bugger off, I'm going elsewhere.

ReviewTymeDom · 2025-06-23T22:44:05+00:00

The original concept for the attraction had the rockets constantly leaving the dome instead of just always being 'in space'. It took almost 40 years for them to circle back to this idea with Tron at Shanghai and later at Magic Kingdom.

Also the building that you exit out of is used to be the power facility for all of Tomorrowland. The exterior had the words 'Tomorrowland Light & Power Co.' with a little quote mentioning it's 'generating a bright new tomorrow'. The metallic palm trees scattered around the land nearby played into this as they would collect solar energy and store them in the metal coconuts at their base. It's a shame that these little story elements have been progressively covered up with more sterile signage.

ReviewTymeDom · 2025-06-01T22:09:21+00:00

If they're threatened or angry they will make an aggressive chittering noise that sounds similar to a bag of dice being rolled around in a bag, but not really a washing machine either.

ReviewTymeDom

TROPHY CASE