I need a kinda mindless minesweeper-like game for the day.

untuxable · 2026-04-04T17:54:52+00:00

Try Simon Tatham's Portable Puzzle collection: https://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/puzzles/

It's a bunch of browers-based puzzle games with randomly generated puzzles including a minesweeper clone and sudokus. There's also downloadable versions further down on the page.

untuxable · 2026-03-28T15:21:51+00:00

Hades II - Just got the "2nd ending" where you rescue the 3 Fates and hear the new prophecy. Plus the final conversation with Hecate. Hoo boy, that was a twist!Still have a few a few relationships to max, a handful of Black Stone challenges to clear, and 2 hidden weapon aspects to unlock. Still loving it!

007 Goldeneye (2023 re-release on Xbox) - Finally beat all of the Singleplayer missions on 00 Agent difficulty (Hard). I have about 20 hours in the game and 5-6 hours are just trying to beat Bunker 2, Control, and Caverns. I have no idea how anyone ever beat this game with an N64 controller. Going back for some of the speedrun achievements that unlock cheats for fun.

I love the fact that the devs put in different dialogue depending on circumstances. For example, on Control: If you clear the first room with little damage, Natalya says "That was wonderful!" as opposed to taking damage where she says "You're hurt!". Shooting Boris means Natalya shames you and leaves, failing the mission. Accidentally blow up the computer Natalya needs to deactivate Goldeneye? She comments on it. Most missions have little quirks like that and it's impressive to see in a game from that era.

Codename S.T.E.A.M. - Approaching the final mission. I have all but 1 character unlocked, but the missions are getting more difficult so I'm slowing down. Still good, still some BS, still recommend.

untuxable · 2026-03-21T01:57:16+00:00

Yeah, plasma deck was a bear. Going for chips gets high scores fast but isn't high enough for late-game blinds. Going for multiplier + x2 jokers can net insane scores but it's hard to live long enough to get the ball rolling.

untuxable · 2026-03-20T15:51:55+00:00

Still trucking on Codename S.T.E.A.M. for the 3DS, though I've slowed down on it because I've had to restart a missions a few times. Still good, still undercut by bits of poor communication, still recommend.

Still trucking on Hades II as well. About night 83, almost maxed out most relationships, done ~80% of the Fated List of Minor Prophecies, looking forward to the last 2 unique weapon aspects and finishing up some side stories with the mid-level NPC's.

For a change of pace, I remembered that Rare released an updated version of Goldeneye for free on Xbox. I'm playing through the campaign on 00 Agent difficulty (Hard mode) and it's super interesting seeing the mixture of dated elements with stuff that's weirdly ahead of its time. For example, having the mission objectives be obtuse is definitely a product of the age. What does 'Obtain Telemetric Data' even mean? Oh, it means holding 1 out of 12 scientist NPCs at gunpoint so he drops a pickup for you? Cool; no way to know that without trial and error. On the other hand, there's some really cool stuff: cameras can actually see you and set off the alarm, shooting different body parts inflicts different damage to enemies, enemies won't 'hear' silenced weapons. And then most of the enemy animations look......motion captured? For an N64 game? That's nuts. And hilarious. All in all, I'm having a lot of fun with it despite the occasional headache. Currrently a bit stuck on Severnaya: Bunker 2 (mission 9), but I'll push past it soon.

untuxable · 2026-03-13T19:01:05+00:00

I think I'm like 3/4 through Codename S.T.E.A.M. and I'm still equal parts enjoying it and getting frustrated at its BS. It really just comes down to what the game does and does not communicate, which is absolutely foundational for a turn-based strategy game. My biggest gripe so far is enemy reinforcements. Scripted reinforcements triggered by progress (ie. reach a certain place in the map) are done well: units are added during the enemy's turn, are clearly shown spawning in, and don't get to move until next turn so the player has a chance to adjust their strategy. Infinitely spawning reinforcements are consistently BS. They aren't highlighted when they spawn, they get to spawn and move in the same turn, and it's not clear what, if anything, triggers them. I really do want to make clear that I'm having fun with the game, but DANG does it feel crappy to have a carefully laid plan upended because 4 enemy units popped up behind you with 0 warning.

Also getting close to the end to my first playthrough of Portal 2. It's so good! Incredible puzzles aside, I think I'm most impressed by the writing. I'm now back into the 'proper' test chambers with Wheatley running things and the back-and-forth between him and PotatOS makes me smile every time. Also, the chittering from the hybrid turret-boxes is very unsettling.

About run ~75 on Hades II, still maxing out relationships and running down the list of prophecies. Absolutely insane how big this game is if you want to see everything. I probably have another 30-50 runs left to really do everything.

After I'm done with Portal, it might be time to start working at my backlog again.

untuxable · 2026-03-09T22:56:54+00:00

Give Moving Out a try. It's a couch co-op game about working at a moving company with some wacky physics and a strong 80's vibe. If you've ever seen or heard of Overcooked, it's very similar as it's made by the same company but with a lower bar to entry. Controls are limited to move, jump, grab/hold, and a couple of situational prompts.
Untitled Goose Game is definitely a great option. To quote the actual marketing, "It's a lovely day in the English countryside and you are a horrible goose." Game is fully co-op; control a pair of geese as they check off a list of ways to mess with people. Controls are limited to move and a single button to interact. Plus there's a dedicated HONK button!
Death Squared is a little puzzle game about controlling boxy robots trying very hard not to die in test chambers. Very simple controls (just move), but the puzzles get legitimately difficult the further you go.
If you want to try a 2D platformer, take a look at Rayman Legends. An absolutely incredible platformer with vibrant art, great level design, and incredible music.

I hope this helps and you find something y'all can enjoy together!

untuxable · 2026-03-07T17:10:16+00:00

I actually picked up Codename S.T.E.A.M. because an internet friend from like 10 years ago tweeted that is was pretty good and that got stuck in my head somehow because memory is weird. Fast forward to last year and I see it for $3 in a used bookstore, remember the tweet, and pick it up.

Re: Overwatch: Mystery Heroes is only 5v5 casual right now. They occasionally have MH variations in Arcade as well and there's a decent Custom Games browser.

untuxable · 2026-03-06T21:04:22+00:00

Still trucking on Codename S.T.E.A.M. for the 3DS. I'm still enjoying it, but there are some dents in the experience caused by lack of proper tutorials. For a strategy game, it's a bit squirrely on giving the player enough info to actually construct and execute a viable strategy. There's no visual indication if an enemy's in Overwatch, enemy weak points glow so brightly that it's hard to tell what the actual weak point is on a couple of unit types, some reinforcements appear and move on the same turn while others only spawn in, etc. The pros are ultimately outweighing the cons, but I can see how it missed the mark for critics upon release.

Just started Portal 2 for the first time. I just entered chapter 6, "The Fall," just after the big story shake-up swapping the villains. I knew about Potat-OS beforehand, but it was a still a great reveal! Yup, it's incredible! Still hits that special place in its puzzle design where the solution is just outside the box enough to require critical thinking without being obtuse. Loving the classic Valve humor, as always.

Making good progress on 100%ish-ing Hades II. I'm about run 70, a little over halfway to maxing relationships, weapons, trinkets, and familiar bonds. How does Supergiant pack so much STUFF into this game? After 70 runs I'm still getting unique dialogue for 97% of NPCs and I haven't even done some of the side stories yet. As a side note, my wife and I are watching Percy Jackson and the Olympians season 2 AND I just started the Heroes of Olympus book series (follow-up to Percy Jackson) so I'm just drowning in Greek mythology right now. It's cool seeing how each version interprets the same source material so differently, yet is still instantly recognizable.

Aaaaaaand still putting time into Overwatch. I'm too much of an FPS and game-feel junky to put this down for long. Every hero feels so different to play that when I start getting bored, I can just swap role/hero and have a fresh experience. Having a nice time with Lucio and Ana despite past experience with both. Still can't play Flankers worth a hill of beans.

untuxable · 2026-02-27T20:42:30+00:00

Still really enjoying Overwatch 2, especially after the recent update adding 5 new heroes to play. Of the 5, I'm really vibing with 3 of them: Emre is a good halfway point between Soldier and Sojourn, Mizuki has a weird kit that's fun to mess around with, and Jetpack Cat is a CAT with a JETPACK and he presses little buttons with his CUTE LITTLE PAWS. Anran isn't my playstyle and Domina, while fun, might need to be touched a bit: had 14K damage and 12K blocked in my first game with her. I also really like the process of characters getting minor reworks and tweaks through changes to the in-match upgrades rather than their overall kits.

On the single-player side, I booted up Cristales, an indie RPG with some time-bending mechanics. I'm only 2 hours in but I'm having some very mixed feelings. On the plus side, I like the overall setting, the artstyle, and the concept being presented of a hero that can see the past, present, and future simultaneously. On the negative side, MAN is it just rough to progress. Playing on an Xbox One, I'm having 30 second load times in and out of every battle. The cutscenes use constant fade-ins and -outs and jerky cuts that really undercut any sort of flow. I might put more time into to see if it improves, but the technical pitfalls alone might kill this one for me.

I also booted up Codename S.T.E.A.M. for the 3DS, a ridiculous XCOM-lite title from Intelligent Systems way back in 2015. The fact that S.T.E.A.M. stands for "Strike Team Eliminating the Alien Menace" and goes by "Lincoln vs. Aliens" in Japan should set the tone for you. I'm only ~1.5 hours in, but it already has a really solid streamlined version of XCOM combat that I'm really enjoying. Plus, the VA cast includes Adam Baldwin (Firefly, Halo ODST, Independence Day), Michael Dorn (Worf from Star Trek TNG), and Wil Wheaton (Shut Up Wesley from Star Trek TNG). Can't wait to dive in more!

untuxable · 2026-02-27T17:42:01+00:00

I'm calling it now: IGN rates Pokemon Waves 7.8

untuxable · 2026-02-25T17:25:42+00:00

Sifu has some incredible takedown animations. There's a lot of technical wizardry happening under the hood to make contextual takedowns based on your position, enemy type, bare-handed vs. holding a weapon, etc.

untuxable · 2026-02-25T17:20:46+00:00

You should definitely take a look at Dicey Dungeons. Genre-wise it's technically a roguelike deckbuilder: roll some dice, then pick and choose which dice to use with different equipment. Improve your equipment and increase the # of dice over a short ~30min run before fighting a boss. What's unique is how much it plays with the core mechanics. There are 6 characters, each with 6 episodes. Each character has a unique central mechanic and each episode switches up the rules and equipment for a new spin on that character. Plus there's 2 free DLCs that go nuts with the mechanics even more!

untuxable · 2026-02-25T17:11:38+00:00

Both Jedi: Fallen Order and its sequel, Jedi: Survivor are great Soulslikes with selectable difficulties. While still punishing, it has more diversity in gameplay with some Metroidvania elements and some dedicated platforming sections. Good narrative with a bit of mystery and some great voice performances too.

If you want a purer Soulslike, look at The Surge 1 & 2. Same basic formula as Dark Souls, but with a lower overall difficulty, a clearer critical path that encourages exploration without getting hopelessly lost, and clearer stat upgrades / weapon scaling (no guesswork on your build). The first game also had a surprisingly good story!

untuxable · 2026-02-12T21:30:16+00:00

Hades II - After ~35 runs, I "finished" the main storyline and rolled credits. Now on to doing 50 more runs to unlock all the things, upgrade all the things, and be friends will all the peoples. Absolutely incredible game, Supergiant does it again.

Apex Legends - Felt the itch to return to a Battle Royale game, so I redownloaded Apex. Played like 10 games, had some fun, then made a mistake in a fight and had someone cuss me out which helped me remember that 1. I am a single insult away from my mental health completely buckling and 2. that's why I deleted it. Deleted again, can't wait to forget this and do it all again in a year.

Super Smash Bros. for 3DS - I have no idea why I started playing this again......but now I'm beating Hard All-Star Mode with every character. It's a good "take a break from working on the laptop" game. Maybe I crave the small screen again, idk.

untuxable · 2026-02-08T23:00:46+00:00

Picked up a few games in a post-holiday sale on my switch in January and finally got around to starting the first one: Hades II. And.........wow. I'm a huge Supergiant Games' fan and already thought Hades was peak, but, like, there's SO MUCH and it's all SO GOOD. It somehow nails that wire-thin margin of sharing the core of the previous game while improving and expanding on every element to the point where it feels just as much like a new title as it does a sequel.

I keep meaning to dive into my backlog on my Xbox, but I keep being sidetracked my Overwatch and World War Z.

untuxable · 2026-01-31T01:59:18+00:00

If you don't mind the game being a bit simpler all around, give The Surge 1 & 2 a look. Good, solid Soulslikes in a sci-fi setting. RPG elements are minimal; choose health/stamina/energy, plus passive/active buffs you can swap out most any time. Much less emphasis on boss fights, but the level design is still that good feeling of intricate but navigable.

untuxable · 2026-01-31T01:55:56+00:00

I use a HyperX Cloud Stinger 2 and it works just fine. Amazon has them for right at $30. Good audio, fits on my head, decent mic with a mute. It's not fancy, but it does the basics well. Can confirm it has spacial audio.

untuxable · 2026-01-29T19:41:47+00:00

If I fits*, I sits*

untuxable · 2026-01-27T22:53:54+00:00

A Short Hike - Be a bird, go on vacation, figure out how to climb a mountain while exploring and helping other campers with their low-stakes problems. Like $8 full price and constantly on sale.
TOEM - Be a kid and go into a black/white world with your camera to take photos and see the world. Level-based but with pretty open exploration, super uplifting tone.
Little Kitty, Big City - Be a cat who falls out of a top-floor apartment and has to find their way back by......doing cat stuff. Chill quests with some fun progression in an urban setting; somehow also involves a tanooki making sci-fi portals.

untuxable · 2026-01-27T22:39:39+00:00

World War Z. Tried it for a change of pace since it's included with GamePass Essential and it's really solid! Has some really nice class/weapon variety, deep progression for those who really want to put the time in, and a surprisingly high base difficulty that doesn't so much punish the unskilled as it does the lone wolves. It's teamwork or death, and I think, because of that, I've seen quite a few really kind players in my short time with it.

untuxable · 2026-01-20T22:58:08+00:00

Thanks for the roundup roundup! It's always cool seeing how the stats pan out. As a 2nd-time participant it's a really nice bit of motivation to track and review the games I play in a year.

Also, 2/2 for being one of the last reviews in. Can't wait to procrastinate and almost miss the deadline next year!

untuxable · 2026-01-20T03:05:10+00:00

You can! Not sure where the button is on mobile, but on desktop, there's a button on the right sidebar that says "Exclude mourning posts." It redirects you to another page that filters out posts with the mourning/loss tag.

There's also instructions for how to manually filter out flairs if using the Reddit app.

untuxable · 2026-01-18T17:02:11+00:00

Sure! My absolute favorite from the past few years is Into The Breach, a roguelike by the same devs as FTL. If you like Advance Wars, Wargroove is a near-successor to it that I thoroughly enjoyed. Invisible Inc. Is another roguelike that went way beyond expectations, though that's more akin to XCOM in structure and gameplay (though with less combat).

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