Justin asked Russ how he knows if a game is accessible before purchase. Just last month, a supergroup of game publishers got together to create the Accessible Games Initiative, which will put accessibility-related tags into storefronts.
They just got started to I don't know how widespread it is yet, but in the future Russ can look for the "Color Alternatives" tag, which indicates that either the game does not communicate info through color or provides a setting to adjust it.
I'm glad Russ mentioned the colorblind issue. I've been looking forward to trying this, but it sounds like I'm going to need to wait a bit as well. A bit unfortunate since everyone seems to be giving this glowing reviews.
I’m red-green colorblind, I’m about 20 hours in and I haven’t really had much trouble that I couldn’t kinda bullshit my way through. Nothing to my knowledge is both color critical and time critical, and there are textual references to the colors of most things whose color matters.
That said, there’s a certain math based recurring puzzle that I think was made to punish me for some past sin, but I’m sure I deserve it
I'm also red-green and there are absolutely puzzles I can't do. You can get to the credits without doing any color based puzzles, but there are plenty that I had to bring my girlfriend in to help me with.
Edit: Coming back to say I have played many more hours of it and it is even worse than I thought. There is so much you CAN do, it can still be a lot of fun. BUT you can spend hours and hours trying to get to something, getting everything just right... only go get to a room with a puzzle in it you can do nothing about. And just getting that far required help anyway.
As much as I hate to say it, you just really can't do some shit in this game if you're colorblind.
Four “days” into Blue Prince and I have yet to discover my eccentric uncle’s sex dungeon. I know it’s there—you don’t grow a mustache like that without a sex dungeon.
Hell Yes, Children of Time started my deep dive into Adrian Tchaikovsky's Books. I'm always suprised he isn't bigger, he has a massive catalog branching between sci-fi and fantasy. 10+ book series, trilogies, standalones, and novellas. If you get a chance Check out Eldar Race - a sci-fi novella about an anthropologist that is mistaken for a wizard when he has to help save the people he's studying.
Super prefer a 1 time purchase as opposed to games as service. However setting what is essentially a AAA game at $80 as opposed to the old standard $60 and seemingly new standard $70 seems dangerous coming from a company like Nintendo. Especially since they rarely ever go on sale and they seem to be going down the digital only (kind of don't actually own) kind of route.
Didn't Nintendo also announce some kind of additional digital library sharing options? I assume when you said "only one console" you were talking about sharing / lending / reselling. You can't sell digital but it sounds like the sharing aspect is at least getting a bit better.
I meant more of the console exclusive, but the sharing is also only temporary I believe. Though who knows maybe they'll make it better and feasible (doubt)
Wanted to respond to a reader mail from a few weeks back - someone was looking for good video game OSTs to vibe out to. I highly recommend subscribing to Gamechops and Helynt on Spotify, Bandcamp, or Apple music. They are constantly putting out full albums of lofi remixed video game OSTs. There are several “Mario & Chill” and “Zelda & Chill” albums put out already that are excellent vibey takes on those soundtracks.
I just saw that there are already a million switch 2, done and in the states, which if being shared with Canada, is probably not enough. It’ll be interesting to see how pricing goes and I appreciate you all talking about the insanity. I also saw Apple flew in 600 tons of phones to avoid tariffs. It’s about to get wild and I’m curious as the countdown begins, how Nintendo will go forward.
Also, what are your thoughts on timeline for a switch 2 lite? Besides the insane price, I usually play in handheld mode, so hoping to save some money.
I’m about an hour in. And besides some small verry clear puzzles in just not finding puzzles. Am I stupid or have I not been playing the game for long enough?
I'm curious what your thoughts on Blue Prince as a 2 player experience would be. I know it's a single player game, I'm talking about two people sitting and doing the puzzles together on the couch. It sounds like something my partner and I would be super into, but it also seems like this particular title might be a bit more...I dunno, cerebral? Solitary?
Personally I don't think it's a 2 person game. So much of the game is just building out your mansion, usually seeing the same rooms over and over again. It doesn't seem to me like it would be super enjoyable to watch... Maybe if you took turns? Hm... Much to consider
I came here to ask the same thing. It's been compared to Outer Wilds a lot, and I really loved playing through that with my tween, discussing mysteries and kicking ideas around. I'm hoping we can do the same with Blue Prince but I don't know if it will set hooks the same way Outer Wilds did.
Anybody have any insights on whether Blue Prince would be a good game to play with someone else couch coop style? I played Lorelei and the Laser Eyes with my spouse and it was so fun but wouldn't play Animal Well with someone else, so I was curious considering it's getting compared to both
I would think it an ideal game to play together. The “gameplay” is basically just moving and selecting. All the decision-making and puzzles are perfect for discussion and groupthink. There are no time limits or anything like that.
Hey I remember y'all liked Overboard! and another game in that style came out recently, Expelled! I haven't played Overboard! but I hear Expelled! being considered an improved version, and I've really enjoyed it (I say as someone who helped beta test the game).
I know there are a lot of games out there but I think y'all would enjoy checking it out!
It's on PC, Switch, and iOS. It has the "playable" tag for the steam deck but that's because you need to manually invoke the keyboard to report issues and some of the text might be small -- it works great otherwise!
Hi! Certified Web Accessibility Specialist here.
Justin asked Russ how he knows if a game is accessible before purchase. Just last month, a supergroup of game publishers got together to create the Accessible Games Initiative, which will put accessibility-related tags into storefronts.
They just got started to I don't know how widespread it is yet, but in the future Russ can look for the "Color Alternatives" tag, which indicates that either the game does not communicate info through color or provides a setting to adjust it.
Here's an article about it from Eurogamer:
https://www.eurogamer.net/esa-launches-accessible-games-initiative-and-unveils-24-tags-for-gaming-storefronts-and-product-pages
Thank you!!!
I'm glad Russ mentioned the colorblind issue. I've been looking forward to trying this, but it sounds like I'm going to need to wait a bit as well. A bit unfortunate since everyone seems to be giving this glowing reviews.
Just another data point:
I’m red-green colorblind, I’m about 20 hours in and I haven’t really had much trouble that I couldn’t kinda bullshit my way through. Nothing to my knowledge is both color critical and time critical, and there are textual references to the colors of most things whose color matters.
That said, there’s a certain math based recurring puzzle that I think was made to punish me for some past sin, but I’m sure I deserve it
I'm also red-green and there are absolutely puzzles I can't do. You can get to the credits without doing any color based puzzles, but there are plenty that I had to bring my girlfriend in to help me with.
Edit: Coming back to say I have played many more hours of it and it is even worse than I thought. There is so much you CAN do, it can still be a lot of fun. BUT you can spend hours and hours trying to get to something, getting everything just right... only go get to a room with a puzzle in it you can do nothing about. And just getting that far required help anyway.
As much as I hate to say it, you just really can't do some shit in this game if you're colorblind.
Four “days” into Blue Prince and I have yet to discover my eccentric uncle’s sex dungeon. I know it’s there—you don’t grow a mustache like that without a sex dungeon.
An eccentric deceased uncle doesn't reveal his sex dungeon till at least week two
Hell Yes, Children of Time started my deep dive into Adrian Tchaikovsky's Books. I'm always suprised he isn't bigger, he has a massive catalog branching between sci-fi and fantasy. 10+ book series, trilogies, standalones, and novellas. If you get a chance Check out Eldar Race - a sci-fi novella about an anthropologist that is mistaken for a wizard when he has to help save the people he's studying.
Can we talk about how $80 is insane for a game you can only play on 1 console?
I prefer more expensive, single purchase games to the proliferation of the free-to-play or games as service model.
Super prefer a 1 time purchase as opposed to games as service. However setting what is essentially a AAA game at $80 as opposed to the old standard $60 and seemingly new standard $70 seems dangerous coming from a company like Nintendo. Especially since they rarely ever go on sale and they seem to be going down the digital only (kind of don't actually own) kind of route.
Didn't Nintendo also announce some kind of additional digital library sharing options? I assume when you said "only one console" you were talking about sharing / lending / reselling. You can't sell digital but it sounds like the sharing aspect is at least getting a bit better.
I meant more of the console exclusive, but the sharing is also only temporary I believe. Though who knows maybe they'll make it better and feasible (doubt)
Congrats to 1000xResist's Hugo Nomination! Maybe now Justin will play it!
I have a special 1000xResist surprise next month!
-plante
AND A PEABODY NOMINATION
hell yeah we're talking tchaikovsky books
Wanted to respond to a reader mail from a few weeks back - someone was looking for good video game OSTs to vibe out to. I highly recommend subscribing to Gamechops and Helynt on Spotify, Bandcamp, or Apple music. They are constantly putting out full albums of lofi remixed video game OSTs. There are several “Mario & Chill” and “Zelda & Chill” albums put out already that are excellent vibey takes on those soundtracks.
The Pikuniku soundtrack is a vibe too.
Should we acknowledge that they showed silksong in the switch 2 direct?
I can’t believe no one has mentioned it!!
I just saw that there are already a million switch 2, done and in the states, which if being shared with Canada, is probably not enough. It’ll be interesting to see how pricing goes and I appreciate you all talking about the insanity. I also saw Apple flew in 600 tons of phones to avoid tariffs. It’s about to get wild and I’m curious as the countdown begins, how Nintendo will go forward.
Also, what are your thoughts on timeline for a switch 2 lite? Besides the insane price, I usually play in handheld mode, so hoping to save some money.
Blue prince is on PS plus. So just try it out.
No spoilers.
I’m about an hour in. And besides some small verry clear puzzles in just not finding puzzles. Am I stupid or have I not been playing the game for long enough?
Don't worry, they will come. You're "seeing" some of the puzzles already but it will gradually teach you how to spot them.
It's also on gamepass for xbox folks!
This whole time I thought it was Blueprints.
Kinda is tho
Blue prince biggest mystery is finding out how it made my weekend disappear.
I'm curious what your thoughts on Blue Prince as a 2 player experience would be. I know it's a single player game, I'm talking about two people sitting and doing the puzzles together on the couch. It sounds like something my partner and I would be super into, but it also seems like this particular title might be a bit more...I dunno, cerebral? Solitary?
Personally I don't think it's a 2 person game. So much of the game is just building out your mansion, usually seeing the same rooms over and over again. It doesn't seem to me like it would be super enjoyable to watch... Maybe if you took turns? Hm... Much to consider
I came here to ask the same thing. It's been compared to Outer Wilds a lot, and I really loved playing through that with my tween, discussing mysteries and kicking ideas around. I'm hoping we can do the same with Blue Prince but I don't know if it will set hooks the same way Outer Wilds did.
Anybody have any insights on whether Blue Prince would be a good game to play with someone else couch coop style? I played Lorelei and the Laser Eyes with my spouse and it was so fun but wouldn't play Animal Well with someone else, so I was curious considering it's getting compared to both
I would think it an ideal game to play together. The “gameplay” is basically just moving and selecting. All the decision-making and puzzles are perfect for discussion and groupthink. There are no time limits or anything like that.
Hey I remember y'all liked Overboard! and another game in that style came out recently, Expelled! I haven't played Overboard! but I hear Expelled! being considered an improved version, and I've really enjoyed it (I say as someone who helped beta test the game).
I know there are a lot of games out there but I think y'all would enjoy checking it out!
It's on PC, Switch, and iOS. It has the "playable" tag for the steam deck but that's because you need to manually invoke the keyboard to report issues and some of the text might be small -- it works great otherwise!