Okay, back with more video game recommendations! None of these are new, but they're all great if you're looking for something that is both fun and spooky, while not really being very scary. I'm recommending them together because a few of them are made by the same studio, and they're all kind of similar in nature.

Over the past few years I've really gotten into a certain genre of mystery solving live-action FMV games. Obviously these kind of games are hardly new, but the newer ones have really gotten good, while still being campy in a fun way. The actors involved are obviously having a really fun time, and it makes everything more enjoyable as a result.

As these are murder mysteries, there are discussions of death and violence, but also self-harm and suicide, and sometimes discussions of sexual predation. These are things that are talked about during investigations, but not really seen on screen (exceptions mentioned below).

First up, Contradiction: Spot the Liar. This game puts you in the shoes of an investigator named Jenks as you try to solve the mystery behind a woman who drowned in a small town. As you uncover the truth you learn more and more about the dark secrets kept hidden beneath the surface of this seemingly quaint small town.
The game involves a lot of looking around for clues, and when questioning people looking for contradictions in their statements. When you find one, you're able to use those contradictions to get them to admit the truth. The actor who plays Jenks (and who features in a few of these) is clearly having the time of his life in the role, and it's worth it just to watch him honestly. But the game is also really fun to play, and I'm forever disappointed that we didn't get a sequel. There is an instance of seeing some self harm in this game, but it's in a different kind of context. ROT13 to explain with mild spoilers: crbcyr vaibyirq va n phyg-yvxr tebhc ner rapbhentrq gb qb 'guerfubyq grfgvat', be grfgvat gurve yvzvgf ba guvatf yvxr cnva. Gurer vf n oevrs fprar jurer n onpxtebhaq punenpgre vf frrzvatyl chggvat n anvy guebhtu gurve unaq. Gurl unir n cerggl yvzvgrq ohqtrg fb vg'f abg irel qrgnvyrq, ohg vg'f rnfvyl gur zber fubpxvat ba-fperra zbzrag bs gur tnzr.

Secondly, The Shapeshifting Detective. Like Contradiction, you're playing an investigator, but this time you aren't a regular person. As the title suggests, you are in fact a shape shifter, and this is an ability you can use to your advantage as you search for the truth behind the murder of up-and-coming musician Dorota Shaw. In addition, the game utilizes some randomization of evidence and dialogue, so that the murderer will be different on replay. So, it really could be any of the suspects! You also have a lot more freedom with dialogue options and choices with a variety of characters, and their fates can change as a result.

Then, there is a spinoff of Shapeshifting Detective called Dark Nights With Poe and Munroe which is probably the outright scariest, and has the most violent imagery. It's still pretty campy all around, but it's genuinely more gruesome and frightening at the same time. It follows small town radio hosts Poe and Munroe (who featured in the SD game) in short anthology chapters as they experience various events, supernatural and otherwise, that only kind of connect together and get stranger the further you go. ROT13 for more specific examples of the potentially triggering imagery: Lbh frr zber bhgevtug zheqre naq ivbyrapr (trggvat pyhoorq va gur urnq be fgnoorq), gurer vf n punenpgre jub gnyxf nobhg frys-unezvat zber, gurer vf fgnyxvat naq unenffzrag. Gurer'f nyfb zber zntvpny ubeebe, yvxr orvat genccrq va n cnvagvat be n crefba gheavat vagb n gerr. Most of this really isn't on screen very much, or else is just implied, and the low budget of it all tends to make these things feel less real for me personally, but your milage may vary.

There is another game from this studio, The Infectious M*dness of Dr. Dekker which I also had fun with, but you can probably guess from the title doesn't really handle mental illness in a realistic/nuanced way. All of these games are intentionally on the schlocky or campy side, so you really don't go in expecting realism, but the things discussed and the very nature of the game has the highest potential to be triggering. So if you *are* interested at all, I'd recommend looking into the warnings in a more specific way. Fhvpvqr, fgnyxvat, ivbyngvba bs cevinpl, tnfyvtugvat, tevrs, cbvfbavat, naq frkhny cerqngvba ner nyy guvatf qvfphffrq ol gur cngvragf va gur tnzr. And as you are playing as the psychatrist, you're obviously talking about these things in a fair amount of detail.

These games are on steam, but also on the switch! If you do end up checking them out, I hope you have even half as much fun as I did. :)

Oooh I just bought that book this year, it's been on my tbr for a while. I've been working my way slowly through a really long book so it's made me put off other reading, but maybe a break from my current book is what I need lol.

I also just started The Owl House, and it's been very delightful. Second the recommendation!

Rewatching Over the Garden Wall this time of year is a must for sure.

I can't wait to watch that! I know it's from the same person that made Haunting of Hill House/Bly Manor, so I'm almost guaranteed to love it.

Okay, I've got a variety of things to recommend, so I'll probably be back a few times!

First up, a visual novel I actually played last year: Wicked Willow.
Set in the 90s, you play as the titular Willow, who discovers that she's a witch after accidentally using her magic in self-defense. Once she becomes aware of her powers, things only get stranger: first, a talking cat starts hanging around her, then she's summoned to the magic shop of an older woman who not only seems to know Willow, but tells her that she must foil the world's impending doom. Multiple romance paths (all gay!) and with really pretty art and full voice acting, Wicked Willow was a really enjoyable experience that makes for a lot of fun to replay and see different character interactions. The characters themselves are also very flawed individuals, and all are dealing with something or another: loss and grief and struggles with identity are big themes. One story path deals with conversion therapy as part of a character's past, so keep these things in mind before playing. https://store.steampowered.com/app/1187600/Wicked...

General Halloween/Autumn Recommendation Thread



Hello fellow spoilies! I thought it might be fun to have a thread for all of us to discuss any recommendations we have for this spooky season! Whether its games, music, books, comics, shows, or whatever else, talk about it down below!

For those that might have missed it, Mark is co-writing the next Percy Jackson book with Rick Riordan! It's focused on Nico DiAngelo and his boyfriend Will! https://twitter.com/MarkDoesStuff/status/14459035...

I only ever read the first series of books (up through Blood of Olympus) so this is a good incentive for me to catch up on the rest! I'm so excited for Mark, this is really really cool!

I remember when the trailer for book 3 was shown at a convention, and for a while that was the only version of the trailer you could watch - one that had been recorded on a crappy camera at said convention. And it showed one of the clips of Zuko next to a dragon, and everyone in the room cheered so loud you couldn't hear any audio from the trailer for a solid ten seconds lol.

When I was watching this show as a kid my friend really shipped Zutara, and as a young child I just did not get it lol. I think because 1, they hadn't spent all that much time together, and 2, I was closer to Aang/Katara's age when I started watching, and so Zuko seemed like he was way older than Katara. I have to admit, I still don't ship it, but as an adult I do get why other people do haha.

Black Sails Post-Liveblog Discussion Thread

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