Welcome to another installment of me talking about indie games. I tried to take it easy this week and play a few games that I recently purchased from Itch.io. The games this week were relatively short but they provided a new and interesting take on everyday activities. This week I try to maintain a conversation with a friend of mine while also stuffing my face with food, and taking leisurely strolls, and take the best photos I can to post on Twitter.
This week I talk about Shutter Stroll and Hot Pot Panic.
Shutter Stroll is a walking/photo simulator developed and published by Jannik Boysen. It is on Itch and retails for $5.
“Relax, take your time, there is no goal” is the best summary of this game, it really is a game where relaxation is key. Hundreds of generated islands are available to explore and ultimately, to hang out and take pictures.
It’s a really good podcast game.
The game’s visuals are quite calming. Very minimal, soft textures and soft colors usually complement each other to form a very “nice on the eyes” experience.
Controls are pretty simple so that it does not deter anyone. It boils down to movement and taking pictures.
The game makes it easy to enjoy it.
I have played this game for almost two hours now and I enjoy it every time I boot it up. There seems like there is no depth at all BUT there are little easter eggs you can search out. I found a few but not everything, I just like walking around and taking pictures.
Pictures are taken and stored on your computer with a frame that details a location in GPS coordinates. These places seem to also be generated because one of the places that I visited was an island in the middle of Saudi Arabia.
It’s so simple but yet so deep and enjoyable.
I love it.
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Everyone has been in the scenario that Hot Pot Panic portrays. You are hungry and you want to focus on eating BUT someone is also tagging along. Take your time, fill your pot with an assortment of beef, tofu, bread, and veggies and watch it as it simmers to perfection while initiating conversation with your friend and eat when it is at the zenith of flavor. Respond accordingly or fail the game and your friend, this week I played Hot Pot Panic.
Hot Pot Panic is developed and published by Keanerie and released in 2018. It is on Itch and retails for a sweet old “name your own price.”
As noted above, You are eating with a friend and the point of the game is to maintain a conversation while watching and eating your food at the perfect temperature, if not then the food goes bad. Eating the food results in the stomach gauge fills up and when it is full then the level is completed.
There are three levels all of which have different dialogue options and different answers, so memorization of answers is quite difficult. Talk about dogs, hot dogs in pockets and you take place and it is imperative that you focus on your friend when they talk.
Controls, again, are very simple. The mouse adds and removes food from the bowl with the W and S look at your friend or look at the bowl.
Hot Pot Panic was actually pretty enjoyable, even though the game really hinges on timing. I learned when my friend was going to speak on the topic that I chose and while there was downtime, I loaded up my bowl and feasted while the answers to the questions were being generated. Regardless of how I gamed the system, the game is really fun. The conversations that you have a fun and pretty relatable (among the few about hot dogs).
Even though the game looks are more to be desired, the whole idea of hot pots makes me hungry every time.
The game is fun even though it lasted me just under an hour.
I really like Itch and the games that are on there. It is areally good platform for when I want to relax and play a cozy game and post my feeligns about them on here.
Have a good week all.
Grinds and Games 