Catsune Miku

Wed, Mar 26, 2025 Year 3, Spring 13

Kevin and Aislinn talk about Wanderstop, the new game from the creator of The Stanley Parable

Timings

00:00:00: Theme Tune
00:00:30: Intro
00:01:23: What Have We Been Up To
00:11:58: Game News
00:29:07: New Games
00:31:44: Wanderstop
01:15:33: Outro

Links

Pixelshire Release Date
Honeymancer Early Access Release Date
Space Sprouts Release Date
Dave the Diver “Ichiban’s Holiday” DLC
Another Harvest Moon G-Mode Game
Cattle Country Optional Combat

Funguys Swarm

Contact

Al on Mastodon: https://mastodon.scot/@TheScotBot
Email Us: https://harvestseason.club/contact/

Transcript

(0:00:30) Kevin: Hello farmers, and welcome to another episode of the harvest season. My name is Kevin
(0:00:34) Aislinn: And my name is Aislinn.
(0:00:35) Kevin: And we are here to talk about cottagecore games supposedly that’s a little box. It’s whoo
(0:00:40) Aislinn: Woo!
(0:00:42) Kevin: I forget about that. Well, I always try to be a bit of a smart alec and adding nonsense there, but whoo
(0:00:49) Kevin: Although I’m although I don’t know how much I like wooing at this game. I’m very hesitant about whoo
(0:00:50) Aislinn: Woo! It’s cute, I like it.
(0:00:56) Aislinn: That’s true, that’s true, you make a good point.
(0:00:57) Kevin: I’m kidding. I love I love
(0:00:58) Aislinn: Spoilers!
(0:01:00) Kevin: We’re here to talk about wander stop the tea shop game by the I forget the actual dead team name the Stanley parable people
(0:01:09) Kevin: Brace yourself because anyone who’s familiar Stanley parable knows that means things
(0:01:16) Aislinn: I wholeheartedly agree.
(0:01:17) Kevin: But
(0:01:18) Kevin: Okay, but before we get to those things let’s talk about other things
(0:01:23) Kevin: Aisling what’s what’s up? What’s been going on tell me about your sky high life?
(0:01:26) Aislinn: Um, I think you already know what’s been going on.
(0:01:30) Kevin: You
(0:01:31) Aislinn: We’ve been very busy with work and when not working,
(0:01:36) Aislinn: I’ve been very busy trying to make as much progress as humanly possible in Wandershop.
(0:01:42) Kevin: Yeah
(0:01:42) Aislinn: And when I’m not doing that, then I’m doing the usual like dailies on my phone of like
(0:01:48) Aislinn: Pokémon Sleep, TCG Pocket. I’m hard into Neko Atsume right now.
(0:01:50) Kevin: Uh-huh
(0:01:52) Kevin: Okay
(0:01:56) Aislinn: It’s just the original, and I want to try and get everything in Neko Atsume as much as possible.
(0:01:57) Kevin: Okay, wait, what is that one do tell the name escapes me
(0:02:03) Aislinn: It’s a cat collecting game. It’s a cat collecting mobile game,
(0:02:07) Aislinn: and it’s literally just cat collection, and it’s so cute. It’s so cute. And there’s a new Neko Atsume
(0:02:08) Kevin: oh yes okay i’m familiar with this one yes it is
(0:02:14) Aislinn: that came out somewhat recently, so I’m like, I’m not gonna play that until I finish the original.
(0:02:20) Aislinn: So that’s what I’ve been doing. And then if I’m not doing any of those,
(0:02:22) Kevin: Sure.
(0:02:25) Aislinn: that I’m doing a lot of wedding planning.
(0:02:26) Aislinn: So that’s pretty much what I’ve been up to, yeah.
(0:02:27) Kevin: Ahhh!
(0:02:29) Kevin: Has that been on the show? Wait, has that been discussed on the show at all?
(0:02:32) Kevin: I don’t, I don’t know if it…
(0:02:32) Aislinn: No, it has not been discussed in the show, so.
(0:02:34) Kevin: Ahh, okay, how far are we? What’s, uh, what’s our target date here?
(0:02:39) Aislinn: Our tar- actually, I have not announced to, like, everyone the target date.
(0:02:43) Kevin: Oh!
(0:02:45) Aislinn: I’ve been keeping that, like, more on a personal note, but I can tell you June.
(0:02:47) Kevin: Okay, well you got a range?
(0:02:49) Kevin: Sure.
(0:02:50) Kevin: Okay. Okay. Well, sure. Sure. Sure. Yeah.
(0:02:52) Aislinn: Yeah, so we’re almost there.
(0:02:52) Kevin: Yes. That’s correct. That’s correct. Very, um, very, very, uh, impressive dedicated you to to playing your wedding during the, the, the Go Fest this year, or whatever the thing’s called.
(0:02:56) Aislinn: Yeah.
(0:02:57) Aislinn: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
(0:03:00) Aislinn: Literally, we’re not quite there yet.
(0:03:06) Aislinn: It’s, yeah, no, each month that progresses closer and closer.
(0:03:08) Kevin: Yes. That’s correct. That’s correct. Very, um, very, very, uh, impressive dedicated you to, to playing your wedding during the, the, the, the Go Fest this year, or whatever the thing’s called.
(0:03:09) Aislinn: I’m like more and more just panic, panic, panic.
(0:03:22) Aislinn: Well, that wasn’t that wasn’t in the works
(0:03:22) Kevin: The, um, all right, but, uh, good stuff. Okay. So let’s see here. Okay. Just, just a side note on that. Have you, uh, I’d play a different kind of cat collecting game. Have you ever heard of the battle cats?
(0:03:25) Aislinn: That wasn’t that wasn’t supposed to happen, but it just happened to happen and I was like well
(0:03:29) Aislinn: We’re gonna see what happens with that
(0:03:46) Aislinn: Um, no, what is that? I’m looking that up right now.
(0:03:46) Kevin: Oh, I think I’ve talked to that on the show, but, um,
(0:03:52) Kevin: you know, I’m going to tag you an image on the slack. I’m creating the, the live slack thread of me.
(0:03:58) Aislinn: Wait, this looks so cute.
(0:04:04) Kevin: What are you, you googled it.
(0:04:04) Aislinn: I’m looking at it right now.
(0:04:05) Aislinn: Yeah, of course I googled it.
(0:04:08) Kevin: Okay. Because I was going to show all, but did you see the freaky ones yet? Um, yes, those are legs. Did you see the one with the buff one? That’s the last four legs.
(0:04:10) Aislinn: Oh, those are legs.
(0:04:19) Aislinn: I have not seen that yet.
(0:04:22) Kevin: Yes. They’re kind of cute, but also terrifying. Like it’s, it’s a very cheek cheeky, like comical tone. Um, yeah. Yeah. There you go. There’s good old fish cat. And those are just the basics, right? Like this, it’s a gotcha game.
(0:04:30) Aislinn: It’s a it’s a good aesthetic. I like, oh, I found the buff one. I found the buff one.
(0:04:40) Kevin: So, and it’s, I think 10 years old now and they actually get a lot of crossovers. They’ve crossed over, they cross over like Hatsune Miku every six years. Um, Street Fighter was one.
(0:04:50) Aislinn: Ooh.
(0:04:54) Kevin: Um, Konosuba, I think lots of animes. I don’t know. Um, but it’s yeah. And on the best part, the best part about their crossover is you get both ways. You get Hatsune Miku as a playable character and then you get a cat that looks like Hatsune Miku.
(0:05:00) Aislinn: You got me with Miku, that’s it. That’s the end-all for me. Miku or boss? That’s it.
(0:05:13) Aislinn: Oh my god. That is wonderful.
(0:05:14) Kevin: Here, I’ll see if I can find it. Um, I play that one on and off. My brother is a big, um, is a big, uh,
(0:05:22) Kevin: battle cats fan more than ISO. Um, uh, but, uh, yeah, it’s, it’s a great one there. I posted a pic. You want to see it. Um, there’s your Hatsune Miku cat. Um, they literally just used the standard cat and put the costume on it. It’s, it’s hilarious. Oh, one of my favorite ones. They did Evangelion.
(0:05:34) Aislinn: Oh my god! It’s so cute! It’s so good!
(0:05:40) Aislinn: That’s wonderful!
(0:05:46) Aislinn: Ooh, that’s sick. That’s really cool.
(0:05:50) Kevin: That was a good one, that was a good one.
(0:05:54) Kevin: Anyways, so anything else, I’m sorry?
(0:05:55) Aislinn: Well, I will be checking out this game.
(0:05:58) Aislinn: I will be checking out this game.
(0:05:58) Kevin: Oh, it’s free, be warned.
(0:06:02) Aislinn: Oh, perfect! That’s all I need. Free is for me. That’s it.
(0:06:04) Kevin: There you go.
(0:06:04) Aislinn: um that’s pretty much been it I guess actually one one little thing that I can kind of announce
(0:06:06) Kevin: Aw, sick, I can’t wait to hear your thoughts on Battle Cats.
(0:06:08) Kevin: It’s pretty fun.
(0:06:10) Kevin: Anything else you’ve been up to?
(0:06:19) Aislinn: and we’re really really hoping the best so like you know how I kept saying for today like oh i
(0:06:21) Kevin: Yes, to be fair, you’re always busy so that wasn’t out of the ordinary.
(0:06:23) Aislinn: have i’m busy earlier in the day and that’s we’re recording at 9 p.m eastern um yeah but it’s more
(0:06:33) Aislinn: fun news so hope
(0:06:34) Aislinn: we will have a new kitty or two in the household here so that’s what we were doing earlier today so i’m like I i’ve been holding that like i’ve been withholding that just for like a I wanted to get your genuine reaction like first reaction to it so
(0:06:42) Kevin: Oh, oh hot off the press
(0:06:54) Kevin: Oh
(0:06:55) Aislinn: pause cast exclusive
(0:06:57) Kevin: Podcast exclusive you heard it first here. Oh, that’s okay. Okay. You said possibly multiple. Well, yeah
(0:07:05) Aislinn: yeah we’re just waiting on what I i’m not saying too much just because there’s a lot of logistics which I can tell you about later there’s a lot of logistics that we’re currently figuring out but it should hopefully work out tomorrow question mark.
(0:07:11) Kevin: Sure
(0:07:14) Kevin: Okay
(0:07:15) Kevin: Yeah as
(0:07:18) Kevin: You know, well, that’s that’s exciting. I can’t wait to hear and see them and so on but but that’s good
(0:07:22) Aislinn: yeah.
(0:07:24) Kevin: There should be logistics involved unlike us who a guy just kind of said. Hey, you want a free cat and handed us two kittens?
(0:07:26) Aislinn: absolutely.
(0:07:33) Kevin: Okay, oh they they are very love yes
(0:07:33) Aislinn: but they are loved and that’s all that
(0:07:34) Aislinn: matters but otherwise that’s it no not by any means
(0:07:40) Kevin: Yeah that and let’s be honest cats are not the hardest to take care of
(0:07:44) Kevin: You know that the hard part is cat. No, no such thing as catproofing but bracing for the uncommon storm, but
(0:07:52) Aislinn: Yeah, we are definitely bracing here.
(0:07:54) Kevin: Oh
(0:07:55) Kevin: That’s exciting. I can’t wait to hear more. Um, congratulations. Very very excited about that
(0:07:57) Aislinn: Yeah! Thank you!
(0:08:00) Aislinn: What about for you?
(0:08:01) Kevin: Okay, um
(0:08:02) Kevin: so I will
(0:08:02) Aislinn: I like your just Chicago man.
(0:08:04) Kevin: Yeah, so I I don’t know if I mentioned it on this show, but I started a new job
(0:08:12) Kevin: About a month and a half ago started February
(0:08:15) Kevin: and
(0:08:18) Kevin: I’m hit the ground running. They sent me to a trade show to man a booth
(0:08:22) Kevin: and that was
(0:08:24) Kevin: I was there all week this past week
(0:08:26) Kevin: my feet are dead
(0:08:28) Kevin: I’m ready to be chopped off
(0:08:30) Kevin: not my first time in Chicago
(0:08:32) Kevin: I actually went to that same event
(0:08:34) Kevin: two years ago but
(0:08:36) Kevin: as an attendee, not an exhibitor
(0:08:38) Kevin: so yeah
(0:08:38) Aislinn: Uh-huh.
(0:08:40) Kevin: my role is partially sales now
(0:08:42) Kevin: so I actually have to go up
(0:08:44) Kevin: and pitch and talk to people and so on
(0:08:46) Kevin: and so forth and try to get leads
(0:08:48) Kevin: so that was
(0:08:50) Kevin: busy, excited, it was good work
(0:08:52) Kevin: Um, yeah.
(0:08:52) Aislinn: Yeah.
(0:08:54) Kevin: Um, I, I, I learned a lot trial by fire, absolutely, but good times.
(0:08:58) Kevin: Um, and, and there was other enjoy it.
(0:09:00) Kevin: Well, it was, it was like 90% work, but there were some nice dinners.
(0:09:05) Kevin: One night we hit a piano bar.
(0:09:07) Kevin: That was quite fun.
(0:09:08) Aislinn: Ooooh, that’s really cool.
(0:09:09) Kevin: Uh, it wasn’t, it wasn’t even, it wasn’t a super classy one.
(0:09:12) Kevin: Um, it was very more bar than piano, if that makes sense.
(0:09:15) Kevin: But you had the guy up there playing the songs and, and, and you can make requests
(0:09:19) Kevin: and there was enough space to dance, which I did.
(0:09:21) Kevin: I am a dancing machine.
(0:09:22) Aislinn: Bye!
(0:09:22) Kevin: fun fact.
(0:09:24) Kevin: so yeah so which after a full day of standing and exhibiting wasn’t the best
(0:09:30) Kevin: idea of my I pre bled my feet for the next day but but so worth it yeah yeah
(0:09:34) Aislinn: Eh, it’s all in good fun. It’s all in good fun!
(0:09:37) Kevin: um yeah that was uh that was fun I tried the deep dish that was good weather
(0:09:44) Kevin: weather was insane it was it was snowing when I landed and like the next day we
(0:09:50) Kevin: We hit 70 degrees and then two days later it hailed.
(0:09:50) Aislinn: Oh, my.
(0:09:54) Aislinn: Oh, my.
(0:09:54) Kevin: It was a roller coaster.
(0:09:56) Aislinn: Oh, my.
(0:09:56) Kevin: Oh, a life first. I had a hailstone land directly into my mouth.
(0:10:02) Kevin: As I said, was that hail and the duke just right in there?
(0:10:06) Aislinn: Why do I feel like that’s like such a you thing?
(0:10:10) Aislinn: That feels like such a you thing.
(0:10:10) Kevin: Yeah, that’s… that’s correct.
(0:10:12) Kevin: That is 100% correct.
(0:10:16) Aislinn: I’ve never heard that before. That’s amazing.
(0:10:18) Kevin: Yeah.
(0:10:20) Kevin: Yup.
(0:10:20) Aislinn: So it sounds like you had a great time in Chicago.
(0:10:24) Kevin: Yeah, it was a lot of work, but it was a legendary time.
(0:10:28) Kevin: We’ll be back in two years. Next year there’s a different trade.
(0:10:30) Kevin: So actually here, right here in Atlanta, home turf.
(0:10:34) Kevin: So at least I don’t have to do the major travel bit, but I’m sure it will be just as busy.
(0:10:40) Kevin: But yes, good times were had, success was had by kind of me.
(0:10:46) Kevin: Baby salesmen on his training wheels did little salesmen.
(0:10:46) Aislinn: I’m sure you did great.
(0:10:52) Kevin: Aside from that, obviously
(0:10:54) Kevin: not a lot of time for games. I snuck in a few of the regulars. Marvel, Snap, Rivals, Unite, here and there on different occasions and so on.
(0:11:00) Kevin: That’s all fine and all.
(0:11:04) Kevin: Wander Stop, like you said, trying to squeeze in as much time humanly possible.
(0:11:08) Kevin: And not even just because I want to play for the show, because I just want to play more Wander Stop.
(0:11:08) Aislinn: No, me too I feel that, which we’ll definitely get into.
(0:11:16) Kevin: And also, for the Mario-verse over there on the other show of Rainbow Road Radio,
(0:11:22) Kevin: I play
(0:11:24) Kevin: I did the same Kingdom. That’s not the little Mexican
(0:11:27) Kevin: Kingdom in Super Mario Odyssey good times
(0:11:30) Aislinn: Oh, sick.
(0:11:31) Kevin: Yes, good. I love you mate. It’s all a replay
(0:11:35) Kevin: But super enjoyable. I’m Mexican. What can I say? I’m super biased. They did I did Mario, Mexico
(0:11:38) Aislinn: that game in general was just fantastic so i’m glad to hear that too that that section is like
(0:11:40) Kevin: I have no complaints. They got him into sombrero
(0:11:45) Kevin: It is yeah like
(0:11:47) Kevin: What can I say what?
(0:11:48) Aislinn: enjoyable for you
(0:11:49) Kevin: She’s shocking this revisit to Super Mario Odyssey. Yeah, I’ve determined. It’s a good game
(0:11:57) Kevin: Alright.
(0:11:58) Kevin: Speaking of good games, I say that with an asterisk, or you have no idea.
(0:12:02) Kevin: laughs Let’s talk about some game news. laughs Let’s talk about some announcements and such.
(0:12:05) Aislinn: yeah
(0:12:07) Kevin: Alright, take us away Ace with our first one.
(0:12:09) Aislinn: all right so in game news the first game that I am looking at is pixel shire that’s going to be
(0:12:16) Aislinn: releasing on the 8th of may and from what i’m looking at on the steam page it says that it is
(0:12:22) Aislinn: an adventure farming sim 2d single player game from the developer capibits and it it really does
(0:12:30) Aislinn: seem like a adventure farming sim 2d single player 2d single player game it also has notes about unique
(0:12:37) Aislinn: RPG sandbox.
(0:12:38) Aislinn: Which mixes Lifesim elements with town building, exploration, and combat.
(0:12:46) Aislinn: And you can trade, you can do all the things that are normally in most farming sim games.
(0:12:53) Kevin: that’s correct
(0:12:55) Kevin: uh… I would
(0:12:55) Aislinn: But it looks really cute!
(0:12:56) Kevin: okay cs the first of all okay up
(0:12:59) Kevin: the name I would imply it’s to be pixel art and it is cute
(0:13:02) Kevin: uh… it is a a bit more chibi ask or or eight-bit than say uh…
(0:13:05) Aislinn: Yeah.
(0:13:08) Kevin: uh… stardew valley
(0:13:09) Aislinn: It’s more round.
(0:13:09) Kevin: uh… so you know
(0:13:11) Kevin: uh… it’s a it’s different flavor
(0:13:13) Kevin: uh… but there are some actually notable elements I think in here that
(0:13:16) Kevin: they were talking about on first of all like you mentioned
(0:13:18) Kevin: uh… sandbox as in
(0:13:20) Kevin: I would say Animal Crossing New Leaf or Minecraft.
(0:13:23) Aislinn: Yeah. Yeah, I think that’s really, really cool.
(0:13:24) Kevin: I would say Animal Crossing New Leaf or Minecraft.
(0:13:32) Aislinn: Yeah. Mm-hmm.
(0:13:53) Kevin: I would say Animal Crossing New Leaf or Minecraft.
(0:13:53) Aislinn: Oh, I didn’t realize that about this game too! That’s awesome!
(0:14:08) Aislinn: I agree. Yeah, I like the art style. I like the kind of, I guess you could say animal
(0:14:14) Aislinn: crossing aspect, but more so, more generally, the sandbox aspect of being able to, as it
(0:14:20) Aislinn: says, re-sculpt the world through terraforming. I think that’s really, really cool. And honestly,
(0:14:23) Kevin: Yeah, yeah, they they emphasize on the yeah, yeah, so.
(0:14:25) Aislinn: any game that has animals that you can raise to, they are so cute in this game. I love
(0:14:31) Aislinn: it. So, but it looks, it looks great. Like as someone, as someone has been in a stance
(0:14:36) Aislinn: of like being overwhelmed constantly by
(0:14:38) Aislinn: farming games. This is this is a farming game. I know. This
(0:14:40) Kevin: Welcome, welcome to the show, Eastland.
(0:14:45) Aislinn: is one farming game that actually does peak more
(0:14:47) Aislinn: interest versus other farming games. So yeah, big props to
(0:14:48) Kevin: Yeah.
(0:14:51) Aislinn: them. Looks really, really cool.
(0:14:53) Kevin: I have not facepalmed the one watching the trailer.
(0:14:56) Kevin: So good on you.
(0:14:58) Kevin: That’s a thumbs up.
(0:15:00) Kevin: No, and you know what?
(0:15:02) Kevin: I’m, I may jinx it, but I didn’t see any romance in there.
(0:15:06) Aislinn: I’m sure there’s romance. There’s no way there’s not. There’s no way there’s not.
(0:15:06) Kevin: Free free from the shackles.
(0:15:08) Kevin: No, well, either way.
(0:15:13) Kevin: Oh, oh, okay.
(0:15:15) Kevin: Wait, hold on one second.
(0:15:16) Kevin: I just want to say, okay, sorry about that.
(0:15:16) Aislinn: Yeah.
(0:15:18) Kevin: The jaws theme played as my puppy entered the room.
(0:15:21) Aislinn: Oh, no.
(0:15:21) Kevin: Um… [laughs]
(0:15:23) Kevin: Um… [laughs]
(0:15:25) Kevin: Okay. Alright, what’s up next? Do tell me.
(0:15:28) Aislinn: All right, so the next game that I’m looking at here is Honeymancer, and it’s coming soon to Early Access.
(0:15:36) Aislinn: It’s currently on March 27th.
(0:15:38) Aislinn: So, yeah, or actually, yeah, that’s what it seems to look like. March 27th, Early Access, coming soon, and also another Pixel 2D-looking situation, but this is more so the tags are Indie, RPG, Pixel Graphics, Tower Defense 2D, and it looks like this is not really a farming game at all.
(0:16:01) Aislinn: And when I first looked at it with the just because of the art style alone, I was like, oh, it’s another far
(0:16:06) Aislinn: I’m again, I’m like, oh, wait, no, it’s not. Wait, that’s really cool. And it’s got bees and we love bees here. So
(0:16:09) Kevin: Yeah
(0:16:12) Kevin: Yeah, all right, so there’s a few few things going on here right first of all the premise of bear wizard
(0:16:19) Kevin: That’s pretty strong already right you’re you’re setting its own bear witch excuse me
(0:16:25) Kevin: You have a one you’re shooting things in combat
(0:16:28) Kevin: You’re fighting off robots invading the forest with other cute neighbor animals
(0:16:33) Aislinn: which the robots look so cute by the way I just again the art style I’m just like gosh I love
(0:16:35) Kevin: They do
(0:16:38) Aislinn: this art style it’s so cute I’m such a sucker for good art styles yeah they do it’s so cute
(0:16:40) Kevin: I
(0:16:41) Kevin: Yup, it is a it is a very strong art style. Absolutely. I’m again 2d pixel, but it’s a very strong one
(0:16:47) Kevin: I like how even the trees kind of look like beehives. It’s a very cute little touch
(0:16:53) Kevin: yep
(0:16:54) Kevin: there looks like there’s
(0:16:57) Kevin: Management of some kind you’re growing flowers for bees making potions. So, you know, there’s elements of cottagecore stuff
(0:17:03) Kevin: But it’s not your standard you have grandpa’s farm or whatever on which is fun
(0:17:09) Kevin: Special shoutouts to the as they describe it the bee dog. There’s a large bumblebee flying you around. It’s more bee than dog
(0:17:17) Kevin: we the the big question which
(0:17:20) Kevin: You know, we’ll have to wait is where does it land on the Cody scale of acceptability?
(0:17:25) Aislinn: I know, we’ll have to stay tuned to find out, right?
(0:17:28) Kevin: Is it is it is it Cheeba fight is it cartoonified enough?
(0:17:34) Kevin: But I mean, it’s a pretty big bee. So I think she’s gonna be on
(0:17:36) Aislinn: It is a very big B.
(0:17:39) Kevin: Bigger than you. So I think I think she’s gonna be on board with this one
(0:17:40) Aislinn: It really is.
(0:17:44) Kevin: But there are other non giant bees that you are helping raise. So that’s fun
(0:17:49) Kevin: You know, it’s hard to tell how deep they’re going into it and unexpected to be
(0:17:53) Kevin: You know for on be sim but but it looks good enough. It goes into the bear honey
(0:17:59) Aislinn: Yeah, no, it looks it looks really cute. It’s hard to get much information based off of just
(0:17:59) Kevin: So yeah
(0:18:03) Aislinn: the Steam page, but like it looks generally really cute. We’ll see you soon in early access.
(0:18:04) Kevin: Yeah
(0:18:06) Kevin: Yeah
(0:18:09) Aislinn: If this is your type of gameplay, I think it’s worth checking out because it just the
(0:18:09) Kevin: March 27th
(0:18:13) Kevin: Yeah
(0:18:13) Aislinn: colors alone are like really pretty too. Yeah, I love that. Uh-huh. Yeah, they feel very anime.
(0:18:15) Kevin: The colors are very well done
(0:18:16) Kevin: I like the expressions on the characters and the little portraits when they’re speaking they get exaggerated in cartoonish. That’s that’s
(0:18:24) Kevin: Yeah. Yeah, it’s it’s fantastic
(0:18:26) Kevin: I’m right because I think that’s probably a big criticism
(0:18:30) Kevin: You have a lot of these cottage cores like the this character portraits are somewhat muted a lot of times
(0:18:35) Kevin: I would say this one’s going for the anime eyes and everything
(0:18:39) Aislinn: Yeah, I like it. I really do like it
(0:18:39) Kevin: It’s great. I have one big criticism against it though
(0:18:45) Kevin: And it’s nothing the game itself done, but unfortunately the title of honeymancer actually
(0:18:45) Aislinn: Oh, okay
(0:18:52) Kevin: I think it’s honey wizard has already been claimed by Winnie the Pooh in the Lorkana
(0:18:57) Kevin: Card game have you okay? I posted it in the thread if you’ll take a look Aislin
(0:19:01) Aislinn: Let me see.
(0:19:02) Kevin: Lorkana the Disney TCG came out with a card called Winnie the Pooh honey wizard and
(0:19:03) Aislinn: Oh my gosh, I’ve never,
(0:19:07) Aislinn: I’ve never seen Winnie the Pooh look so magical.
(0:19:09) Kevin: It’s pretty amazing. It’s
(0:19:12) Kevin: Possibly the best card. They’ve ever come out with and so
(0:19:15) Kevin: you know you do a lot of great things honeyman sir, but
(0:19:16) Aislinn: Was that a pun?
(0:19:20) Kevin: You got a tall tall bar or tall bear. I guess to cross to overcome there
(0:19:24) Aislinn: What was that a pun though? Is that possibly you get it the pun because you said possibly possibly
(0:19:28) Kevin: Do what oh
(0:19:31) Kevin: Yes, yes
(0:19:35) Kevin: Okay, I guess all right there all right beautiful
(0:19:37) Aislinn: We got it we got we got there one way or another we got there
(0:19:39) Kevin: I like this shot of the raccoon screaming in the trailer just eyes fisheyes in different directions with full vertical mouth. It’s great
(0:19:52) Kevin: Yeah, all right
(0:19:55) Kevin: What a speaking of moods. What do we actually I do have a mood. I don’t know what’s next. What’s next?
(0:19:58) Aislinn: The next game is the next game is Space Sprouts, an exploration puzzle physics simulation 2D
(0:20:01) Kevin: No, it’s
(0:20:09) Aislinn: game are the tags, and it does primarily look like it’s a puzzle game where you bend the
(0:20:17) Aislinn: rule of physics, experiment with unusual gadgets, and toss everything around.
(0:20:23) Aislinn: I think out of the three games that we discussed so far, I think this game feels mostly up
(0:20:28) Aislinn: because I’m always down for a good puzzle game, and the fact that there is physics in this too
(0:20:31) Kevin: Uh huh. Yeah, in a good way. Yeah, that that that is a very specific alliterative title
(0:20:33) Aislinn: really also intrigues me. It looks like it also kind of infuriates me, but I’m kind of,
(0:20:38) Aislinn: oh perfect, cozy cosmic chaos feels like the perfect description for this game.
(0:20:47) Kevin: and it works. Right, so space is the key thing right here, right? We’re not we’re managing
(0:20:52) Kevin: a space station. And so you’re going to have gravity physics and light bending and all
(0:20:56) Kevin: sorts of nonsense. There’s all in the trailer, you see the water floating around, you have
(0:21:01) Kevin: a push it or whatever. So expect space shenanigans. Um, that sounds kind of cute. Like a very muted
(0:21:09) Kevin: storybook looking design for these characters. Yep. Yeah. Yeah, it is a very nice looking
(0:21:12) Aislinn: Yeah, I like the colors.
(0:21:15) Aislinn: I’m all about the colors of all of these games so far.
(0:21:18) Aislinn: All of these games look really, really nice.
(0:21:21) Kevin: game. Demo out now if you are curious and full release date in just a little over a
(0:21:28) Kevin: for a week on March 31st.
(0:21:30) Aislinn: Almost there!
(0:21:32) Kevin: Yup, so, uh, good on you space sprouts.
(0:21:35) Kevin: Um, yeah, I’m sure some people hint, hint on the show.
(0:21:39) Kevin: Might like, I don’t, I, I have no idea who, but I feel like somebody
(0:21:42) Aislinn: I mean, I like it, I’m interested in it.
(0:21:43) Kevin: on the show will want to play.
(0:21:48) Kevin: Well, oh, there we, okay.
(0:21:49) Kevin: That’s one down.
(0:21:50) Kevin: Let’s, let’s get another, we’ll, we’ll, we’ll see.
(0:21:53) Aislinn: I might be infuriated, I don’t know, but I’m also like, it’s a good type of infuriating
(0:21:57) Kevin: Well, yeah, and that’s fine.
(0:21:57) Aislinn: and that’s what this game looks like, so I’m into it.
(0:22:01) Kevin: I’ve had the bad period on the show many, many times, possibly more than not.
(0:22:07) Aislinn: It’d really be that way.
(0:22:11) Kevin: All right, next up.
(0:22:12) Kevin: Ooh, this is a good one.
(0:22:14) Aislinn: You take the floor.
(0:22:14) Kevin: I think they’d announced it.
(0:22:16) Kevin: Yeah, I think they announced it during the game awards or no.
(0:22:20) Kevin: Was that the jungle DLC?
(0:22:21) Kevin: I feel like this was announced at some point, but if not, we got a full,
(0:22:25) Kevin: uh, a more proper breakdown of Dave, the diver DLC can’t.
(0:22:31) Kevin: Stop won’t stop.
(0:22:32) Kevin: I mean, I mean, they’re made by the maple story desk, so they have
(0:22:35) Kevin: the money to actually never stop.
(0:22:37) Aislinn: Just keep going.
(0:22:37) Kevin: Um, yeah, basically.
(0:22:41) Kevin: Um, and so it is a, not that it is the second, um, crossover DLC this time
(0:22:46) Kevin: with the like a dragon series, AKA previously known as the Yakuza series.
(0:22:51) Kevin: Um, you are teaming up with itchy bond, um, and doing all sorts of shenanigans.
(0:22:57) Kevin: Are you familiar with like a dragon at all?
(0:22:59) Aislinn: I am like not I’ve never played the games, but like I am familiar and I remember when I heard about this
(0:23:05) Aislinn: Because I heard about this like a while ago. I don’t remember how long it was long ago. It was but I was like, what?
(0:23:10) Kevin: Yeah
(0:23:10) Aislinn: I was like, how did the two these two worlds collide? I need to know how these two worlds collided. This is so cool
(0:23:15) Kevin: Well
(0:23:19) Kevin: It is and at the same time that feels appropriate for both franchises how on earth did this happen
(0:23:25) Kevin: Um, I have never played one myself, but I am also familiar very familiar with the series
(0:23:30) Kevin: so introduced we have
(0:23:33) Kevin: Included in all these features. We have a genuine 2d beat ’em up side scroller where you can play as Ichiban and
(0:23:41) Kevin: Cobra yeah, I think it plays Cobra Wow Oh Cobra’s playable. I didn’t catch that. That’s so cool
(0:23:47) Kevin: There is a karaoke minigame because if nothing else what if that was included how could this be called like a dragon?
(0:23:56) Kevin: We have let’s see what else here
(0:23:59) Kevin: We’ve got we got several characters from the like a dragon series as staff members for your restaurant. It’s fun
(0:24:07) Aislinn: I like that there seems to be the karaoke minigame. I feel like that fear feels very, like, Yakuza-esque.
(0:24:08) Kevin: Ah, junk.
(0:24:11) Kevin: Yeah.
(0:24:15) Kevin: Oh, yeah, it is.
(0:24:17) Kevin: Um, yeah, that land that launches, uh, April 10th, not terribly far away, about two weeks away.
(0:24:26) Kevin: Um, so there, there will probably be a return to David diver sometime in the future.
(0:24:32) Kevin: Uh, because I’m playing this.
(0:24:34) Kevin: Absolutely.
(0:24:36) Kevin: Um, that looks great.
(0:24:36) Aislinn: It looks great, it really does look great.
(0:24:40) Kevin: So I keep an eye out and then the jungle DLC is still being worked on and coming in the future.
(0:24:45) Kevin: So again, can’t stop, won’t stop.
(0:24:49) Kevin: Um, Dave keeps diving and doing everyone’s work.
(0:24:52) Kevin: Um, all right, let’s see next up.
(0:24:55) Kevin: Another series that has not yet stopped as of now.
(0:24:58) Kevin: Uh, we’ve got story of seasons or I guess this one is like harvest moon proper because it’s, it’s in Japanese as of now, um, a harvest moon G mode game.
(0:25:10) Kevin: Um, it, it is a port of a phone game from, what was it like 2008, I think on the harvest moon series.
(0:25:16) Aislinn: Yes, it says 2008 on the Steam page, and yeah, it’s a port coming to Steam, but…
(0:25:21) Kevin: Yup.
(0:25:22) Kevin: Yup.
(0:25:23) Kevin: So it’s a early mobile farming game and you know, that’s, that’s cool.
(0:25:27) Kevin: You can see it, you can feel it kind of GBA S graphics, um, which is fun and cute.
(0:25:34) Kevin: Um, you know, too bad it’s all in Japanese.
(0:25:36) Aislinn: I, you know, cause I’ve been telling myself for the past like couple weeks, like I really
(0:25:36) Kevin: So, this one I won’t be playing, probably.
(0:25:45) Aislinn: should actively get back into learning Japanese. Cause I was learning Japanese at one point
(0:25:50) Aislinn: when I was in like first grade and then I fell off cause I was a stubborn kid, long
(0:25:54) Kevin: Hmm. Okay. (laughs)
(0:25:55) Aislinn: story short, but like, I don’t know. Maybe if I get back into actually learning properly,
(0:26:00) Aislinn: maybe I’ll pick up this game. It looks cute, but I don’t know anything about it because
(0:26:02) Kevin: yeah it does
(0:26:06) Kevin: yeah we can’t read a thing on it we just
(0:26:10) Kevin: it’s all I can do is point and says that looks like a harvest moon game for a
(0:26:14) Aislinn: I was like, “That’s a cow! That’s chicken! That’s all I’ve got!”
(0:26:14) Kevin: phone
(0:26:18) Kevin: there are anime pretty people that you can probably romance
(0:26:22) Kevin: yeah uh…
(0:26:24) Kevin: but uh…
(0:26:26) Kevin: yeah uh… releasing on steam do we have a date for that
(0:26:29) Kevin: And it’s coming soon. Yeah.
(0:26:30) Aislinn: As of now, we do not have a date, but regardless, if you are interested in this and you can
(0:26:33) Kevin: But yeah, we, yeah.
(0:26:36) Aislinn: read Japanese, even if you can’t read Japanese and you are interested in it, it is coming soon!
(0:26:41) Kevin: Oh man, go back to those early 2000s when you have the fan translation from GameFacts.
(0:26:47) Kevin: Good times.
(0:26:50) Kevin: But but yeah, you know, one thing to note, this is a second port that they’ve done in the series,
(0:26:55) Kevin: which is interesting to me, suggesting that the first one was successful enough to warrant it.
(0:27:00) Aislinn: I guess so.
(0:27:01) Kevin: That’s pretty cool.
(0:27:02) Aislinn: I’m glad.
(0:27:02) Kevin: Yeah, I know nothing either. I should’ve picked up Japanese. I’m too big of a weeb not to.
(0:27:03) Aislinn: I’m glad for the people that do care about this.
(0:27:05) Aislinn: I know nothing about it, but I am happy for those that care about it.
(0:27:12) Kevin: I mean, I know some Japanese words. I want to make them echo the journey one day, but in due time I guess.
(0:27:20) Kevin: Alright, let’s see here. Next up we’ve got info on cattle country. Yes, not Kent County. Country bigger than that.
(0:27:30) Kevin: We have got
(0:27:33) Kevin: They say so what interesting thing
(0:27:37) Kevin: The thing probably the biggest note is, you know, they’re talking about some features and whatnot, but combat is totally optional
(0:27:44) Kevin: Which is kind of wild to see in these games right cuz
(0:27:48) Kevin: You know most cottagecore games following the stardew template
(0:27:53) Kevin: How you know have some kind of?
(0:27:56) Kevin: combat stuck in there, right
(0:27:58) Kevin: And it’s you know, just because it’s optional. It’s not bad here. I’m looking that you got bows and arrows
(0:28:02) Kevin: And guns and all sorts of stuff
(0:28:05) Kevin: But the fact that it’s optional and they’re advertising that that’s uh, that’s pretty fun
(0:28:10) Aislinn: I think it’s great yeah I i don’t know why that would put that would it’s a great it’s
(0:28:15) Aislinn: it’s a great thing honestly like I have nothing else to say besides like this is something that
(0:28:19) Aislinn: is a great feature because if you want to do it you can do it if you don’t want to
(0:28:22) Aislinn: you just ignore it’s a win-win
(0:28:24) Kevin: Yup. Yup. This is another game where it looks like you can partner up with some of your neighbors or villagers and whatnot, so that’s, that’s fun.
(0:28:32) Kevin: There’s, yeah, I think we’ve talked about it before, but there’s, if you look at the trailer, there’s square dancing. They’re playing a nice Western medley song.
(0:28:40) Kevin: Um, you’re, it’s very, how, it’s, it’s HANU. Um, that’s what it is. We got state coaches, we got trains, all the good stuff.
(0:28:40) Aislinn: Very, it’s definitely very howdy partner.
(0:28:52) Kevin: Um, they’re good at ge–
(0:28:54) Kevin: Hey, howdy, hey, get your snake in your boot and keep an eye out for cattle count–country.
(0:28:57) Aislinn: I mean, there’s even a character named Bandit, so take that as you will.
(0:29:00) Kevin: Um, again, I don’t–
(0:29:02) Kevin: Yeah, there you go! Eyes required.
(0:29:07) Kevin: Alright, next up, a new game, we’ve got, uh, okay.
(0:29:10) Kevin: So I started looking at this, and, you know, pre-recording, you know, going over, preparing, whatnot.
(0:29:15) Kevin: And I stopped because I just kept saying, “What is this?” I needed to–
(0:29:20) Kevin: to put some of that energy into the recording.
(0:29:24) Kevin: We are looking at a game called “Fungi’s Swarm.”
(0:29:24) Aislinn: It’s so silly.
(0:29:28) Kevin: Um, so, you know, G-U-Y-S, “Sworn.”
(0:29:32) Kevin: Um, it is a bullet hell game.
(0:29:36) Kevin: Um, it is their first dev, uh, like, dev blog.
(0:29:41) Kevin: Um, and they are showing it’s–
(0:29:44) Kevin: Kinda what the whole thing, right? It is a cartoony, survivor bullet hell, where you become a fungi,
(0:29:49) Kevin: wield forest-crafted weapons and unleash bonkers powers against the fire killer.
(0:29:54) Kevin: So you there’s a lot going on here. There’s a mushroom guy running around. There’s pumpkin vegetable monsters and bears and like vegetables. I don’t an apple bear and an apple.
(0:30:08) Aislinn: There’s a there’s an easter egg for from Coral Island of a waterfowl and it’s the cutest thing I’ve ever seen
(0:30:14) Kevin: What I didn’t see that’s incredible. That’s incredible.
(0:30:20) Kevin: incredible you’re running around is your little fungus guy with
(0:30:24) Kevin: giant watermelon acts like the waterman slice is bigger than you are
(0:30:27) Kevin: it’s enormous there’s a great blaster gun thing you’ve got the powers like oh
(0:30:34) Kevin: oh yeah that’s uh this is some good stuff there’s what is going on with this
(0:30:40) Kevin: apple teeny it’s a half-eaten apple with a warm a very buff warm popping out of
(0:30:45) Kevin: it you know there’s runs it’s oh it’s colorful it’s wacky it’s cartoony it’s
(0:30:54) Kevin: magnificent I don’t what are these little for sanctuary pals you got like
(0:30:58) Kevin: buzz balls with fruit stems there’s all block
(0:31:00) Aislinn: I have no, not a single clue, but it looks like, it looks cute and fun, cozy and fun.
(0:31:08) Kevin: yep yep
(0:31:08) Aislinn: It looks like it’s a good balance of that, I feel like.
(0:31:11) Aislinn: I feel like it does somehow fit into the Cottagecore game.
(0:31:14) Aislinn: It just, it just somehow does fit, yes it is like a bullet hell game, but it still feels,
(0:31:20) Aislinn: it feels like it’s going to be accessible enough to fall into the category of Cottagecore.
(0:31:20) Kevin: Oh, yeah for sure. Um, it’s certainly caught my eye
(0:31:27) Kevin: Obviously, we’re gonna be a ways off from this bad boy coming out, but I’m definitely keeping my out that is again fun guys swarm
(0:31:35) Kevin: They’re good on you a lot of good news stories this week. Nothing. Nothing. Give me any heartache or anything
(0:31:38) Aislinn: Honestly, yeah.
(0:31:42) Kevin: That’s exciting stuff. Oh
(0:31:45) Kevin: All right, and with that let’s talk about some let’s move on to something else exciting. Let’s talk about
(0:31:50) Aislinn: Yeah. Oh my gosh.
(0:31:50) Kevin: Wonder stuff, huh?
(0:31:53) Kevin: Okay, so again, this is the tea shop simulator created by the Stanley parable dev team
(0:32:01) Kevin: If you haven’t played Stanley parable
(0:32:04) Kevin: You might want to pause go listen because I think we need to talk about it because that’s important for context
(0:32:09) Kevin: and
(0:32:10) Kevin: So important that acelin has actually played Stanley parable prior to the gay wonder stuff in preparation
(0:32:17) Kevin: So let’s hear some thoughts
(0:32:17) Aislinn: I did. Yeah, so I, yeah, once I found out that this game was being created by the people
(0:32:25) Aislinn: that made Stanley Parable, I very much was like, I’ve always wanted to play Stanley Parable,
(0:32:31) Aislinn: but I put that way up on my, I moved that way up for my backlog, because I knew and
(0:32:35) Kevin: Uh-huh
(0:32:37) Aislinn: I’ve heard great things about this game, which I think everyone knows about. If you haven’t
(0:32:41) Aislinn: played the game, you still know the premise of the game and what the game is all about.
(0:32:43) Kevin: John
(0:32:44) Kevin: Yep for for
(0:32:45) Aislinn: And I was very curious to check it out.
(0:32:46) Kevin: Yeah for clarity. I have not played it myself, but as you said, I am very familiar
(0:32:50) Kevin: I know all the secrets. I don’t feel free to let out whatever you want. Um, you just listener assume we’re spoiling whatever. Okay, it’s
(0:32:53) Aislinn: Yeah, I played as many, spoiler warning for Stanley Parable, a very long time.
(0:32:59) Kevin: Yes game that’s been out how long now
(0:33:04) Aislinn: But the thing is, before I played Stanley Parable, I knew it was a strange game or a
(0:33:08) Aislinn: very interesting game that a lot of people liked, but I didn’t know what the premise
(0:33:11) Aislinn: of the game was.
(0:33:12) Aislinn: So I went in pretty blind and it was an experience for sure.
(0:33:17) Aislinn: It took me a while to get into because I was like, “What is happening?”
(0:33:21) Kevin: Ha ha ha ha!
(0:33:23) Aislinn: As I continued, I was like, “Okay, I’m starting to get it.
(0:33:26) Aislinn: I’m starting to understand.”
(0:33:27) Aislinn: And it was a very, very fun and fascinating and silly game.
(0:33:33) Aislinn: And I did pretty much almost all of the endings except the ones like the, what was it, like
(0:33:40) Aislinn: the baby one with like the dog and like the, you have to like stand up.
(0:33:42) Kevin: Yeah, that’s correct.
(0:33:44) Aislinn: You know that one, that one ending, we have to like be in the game for like three hours
(0:33:47) Aislinn: or something.
(0:33:49) Aislinn: I refused to do that one.
(0:33:49) Kevin: Yeah, that’s correct.
(0:33:50) Aislinn: I just watched it on YouTube.
(0:33:51) Aislinn: I was like, “There’s no way I’m doing this.”
(0:33:54) Aislinn: But just like that absurdity and like that confusion, I’m just like, “Yeah, no.
(0:33:59) Aislinn: Okay.
(0:33:59) Aislinn: I understand why people like this game now.
(0:34:01) Aislinn: Like I have not experienced this in a game in a very, very, very long time.”
(0:34:05) Aislinn: And it just took twists and turns and I was like, “Huh.”
(0:34:09) Aislinn: And I was happy that I got to experience that before playing this game.
(0:34:13) Aislinn: Cause I was curious if they were going to do things in this game that also
(0:34:16) Aislinn: kind of caught me off guard and surprised me and that definitely did happen.
(0:34:18) Kevin: All right, yep.
(0:34:23) Aislinn: As a general notice, we’re not going to spoil like main plots of the game.
(0:34:30) Aislinn: We may talk about a little bit of hint towards a little couple of things here
(0:34:33) Aislinn: and there, but we’ll try our best to not spoil the game because both of us are
(0:34:37) Aislinn: just about at the same point in the story and we both kind of share the sentiment
(0:34:40) Aislinn: that we want y’all to check out the game and experience the not absurdity, but
(0:34:47) Aislinn: just like the twists and turns of the game that also surprised me.
(0:34:49) Kevin: Yep.
(0:34:53) Aislinn: I was playing Wanderstop as I continued into it.
(0:34:55) Kevin: Uh-huh.
(0:34:56) Aislinn: Like it took me a while to get into Stanley Parable.
(0:34:57) Aislinn: It took me a while to get into Wanderstop.
(0:34:59) Aislinn: And as I continue, I was like start, I felt the same feeling that I felt when I
(0:34:59) Kevin: Yeah.
(0:35:03) Aislinn: was playing Wanderstop versus when I was playing Stanley Parable, but in just
(0:35:04) Kevin: So.
(0:35:07) Kevin: Mm-hmm.
(0:35:08) Kevin: Right.
(0:35:09) Kevin: Okay, so.
(0:35:11) Kevin: Again, if someone who- so, that’s all great.
(0:35:13) Kevin: And I appreciate you played it, ‘cause at least one of us can speak to it, but, um…
(0:35:15) Aislinn: Well, you know about it too, you know.
(0:35:19) Kevin: And so.
(0:35:21) Kevin: Like.
(0:35:22) Kevin: Maybe I don’t fully have heard everything, but the tone of Stanley Parable is almost…
(0:35:29) Kevin: It’s very absurdist, very- almost adversarial in times, right?
(0:35:32) Kevin: Like the narrator is constantly fighting against you, or you’re being sent down roads that are unpleasant, or so on and so forth, right?
(0:35:39) Kevin: Like, it’s an enjoyable experience and a lot of fun, don’t get me, like, clearly, but…
(0:35:45) Kevin: It is a very different vibe from a Cottagecore game, right?
(0:35:49) Aislinn: Yes, very much so.
(0:35:49) Kevin: So, when you-
(0:35:51) Kevin: Right?
(0:35:52) Kevin: And so when you hear they’re doing this- a tea shop simil- and they’re, you know, outright saying it’s gonna be a cozy game, like…
(0:36:00) Kevin: What am I- what am I gonna do? I’m- I’m on guard, like, you’re the Stanley Parable people.
(0:36:02) Aislinn: I know!
(0:36:04) Kevin: I don’t believe a word you say, I am-
(0:36:06) Aislinn: It literally says on the Steam page, “From the creator of the Stanley Parable.”
(0:36:11) Aislinn: It’s the first line!
(0:36:11) Kevin: Yep, so.
(0:36:12) Kevin: Yup.
(0:36:13) Kevin: So, I’m, you know, I’m coming into Wanderstop armed with a knife, just ready to fight back whatever this game’s-
(0:36:19) Kevin: he’s gonna throw at me, right?
(0:36:21) Kevin: Um…
(0:36:22) Kevin: And, um…
(0:36:24) Kevin: Well, I mean, shocker, it’s not the Stanley Parable, right? Like, some things carry over, like, it’s quality-quality writing.
(0:36:31) Kevin: Excellent writing throughout, absolutely.
(0:36:33) Kevin: There are some twists and turns, but it’s- it’s not in the insane, zany Stanley Parable way, it’s- it’s all, you know, in a narrative structure that- that fits it and whatnot.
(0:36:46) Kevin: Um…
(0:36:47) Kevin: I can confirm.
(0:36:49) Kevin: I would call this a cozy game, but it’s a cozy game that sometimes pulls out a knife on you because sometimes I’m not ready for it.
(0:36:54) Aislinn: Yes.
(0:36:59) Aislinn: Yes.
(0:37:00) Aislinn: Yes.
(0:37:02) Kevin: I’ll get to that in a second, but the point being, there’s no secret endings, there’s no crazy insane tasks.
(0:37:13) Kevin: And I tried, like one of the first things I did, like when you start the game you can run back into the force. I ran into the force like ten times.
(0:37:19) Kevin: I was expecting something and nothing happened. I looked it up and there’s nothing, no insane hidden things like Stanley Parable, right?
(0:37:30) Kevin: There’s some stuff, but nothing just completely insane.
(0:37:36) Kevin: So yeah, it’s wild to see that they’re actually playing it straight. We’re getting a “cozy game”.
(0:37:44) Kevin: So with that in mind, let’s talk about the premise, because I say
(0:37:49) Kevin: “cozy” but there’s a big asterisk here because it is possibly one of the most “uncozy” openings to any game ever.
(0:37:52) Aislinn: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
(0:37:57) Aislinn: But I loved it. I genuinely loved it.
(0:37:57) Kevin: And yes, yep. So this is, and you’re not an avatar, you’re not a Stanley, a blankly avatar more or less, you are playing a character named Alta.
(0:38:09) Kevin: She is a fighter, a warrior, goes into tournaments. The story starts with her description of her wanting to be the best.
(0:38:18) Kevin: she’s undefeated for like three.
(0:38:19) Kevin: and she just totally off her game so what does she do she seeks out help she
(0:38:21) Aislinn: Very, very long time, but yeah.
(0:38:45) Kevin: He seeks out Master Winters, a legendary warrior.
(0:38:49) Kevin: Who she thinks can help her get a groove back.
(0:38:52) Kevin: So, Alta runs through the forest, but then at some point, her body starts to fail her.
(0:38:59) Kevin: She collapses, and she wakes up in this clearing in the forest, in front of a tea shop called “Wanderstup”.
(0:39:06) Kevin: She meets the proprietor, a man named Boro, who is a fantastic…
(0:39:10) Aislinn: Oh, he’s wonderful. I love him.
(0:39:13) Kevin: He is the complete, I would say foil, like opposite foil to Alta.
(0:39:16) Aislinn: Yeah.
(0:39:17) Kevin: She is the most chills
(0:39:19) Kevin: Zen just goes with the flow kind of guy. He’s happy. Good luck. He always cracking jokes and whatnot. Um
(0:39:24) Aislinn: So sweet
(0:39:26) Kevin: He’s a wonderful man. Um, he is the one who rescued Alta
(0:39:30) Kevin: explains where she is and
(0:39:33) Kevin: and basically suggests for her to take a break because
(0:39:38) Kevin: One of the first thing she does is try to pick her her sword and she can’t
(0:39:41) Kevin: Why meanwhile borrow can pick it up. No problem. And it’s just something
(0:39:46) Kevin: Something going on with Arthur. She can’t fight. She can’t…
(0:39:49) Kevin: She can’t lift her.
(0:39:50) Kevin: if you run back into the forest like I did you just collapse and are sent back to the clearing so
(0:39:54) Aislinn: I did too for context. I also did the same thing as you, because I was like, I just need to know.
(0:39:57) Kevin: Yeah
(0:39:59) Kevin: Yeah, it’s though it would be that
(0:40:00) Aislinn: Especially again, coming off of Stanley Parable, I was like, I just need to know.
(0:40:02) Kevin: it
(0:40:04) Kevin: It would be the most Stanley peril thing in the world right the run out you get it ending
(0:40:08) Kevin: like absolutely, so
(0:40:10) Kevin: So yeah, so that um so with you know after repeated attempts if you do or you just give up
(0:40:17) Kevin: Boro suggests to Ulta to just stay there
(0:40:20) Kevin: and the tea shop to help out to try to rest and recover
(0:40:23) Kevin: because she’s clearly suffering from over exhaustion.
(0:40:27) Kevin: And and so that and already at this very 10 minute initial premise,
(0:40:33) Kevin: the game is is is going at me like directly targeting me bullseye because.
(0:40:39) Kevin: So, OK, you are a hard worker.
(0:40:42) Kevin: You probably relate to this.
(0:40:44) Kevin: I think a lot of people from our generation, how we were raised, like,
(0:40:48) Kevin: you know, we a lot of people,
(0:40:50) Kevin: we’re raising the very drive, like driven generation, right?
(0:40:54) Kevin: Work hard, work hard, succeed, go to the next thing, right?
(0:40:56) Aislinn: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
(0:40:57) Kevin: Be the top, be first in class, right?
(0:40:59) Kevin: And and I personally like my I was in the warrior,
(0:41:02) Kevin: but like I graduated salutatorian in high school.
(0:41:05) Kevin: Like my academic pursuits were like everything to me.
(0:41:08) Aislinn: Mm-hmm.
(0:41:10) Kevin: So I can relate to that very much so.
(0:41:13) Kevin: And then there comes a point when life just punches you in the face
(0:41:17) Kevin: And you, you know, you just, you’re, you’re knocked out a few.
(0:41:20) Kevin: Notches. So I get this and I’m already very not comfortable with how personal this story has gotten.
(0:41:26) Aislinn: Yeah, yeah, I really felt the anger that Alta was feeling in the beginning, not to the fullest extent, because I’m just generally not a very like angry person. But like, what, like the underlying emotions of that anger, I genuinely felt because I definitely also feel that in the sense that as a person that considers myself very hardworking as well, to be working so hard, and then to be knocked down like that, it really, really, really sucks. I get that.
(0:41:34) Kevin: Yeah. Right.
(0:41:54) Kevin: Yep
(0:41:56) Aislinn: I definitely really felt for her right off the bat. Like immediately, I was like, Oh, this is one of those games. Oh, no, my heart. I was like, Oh, no, they really did.
(0:42:00) Kevin: Yeah
(0:42:04) Kevin: Yup
(0:42:10) Kevin: Yup, yup. Yup. They have set the stage
(0:42:15) Kevin: and and and again in right there in contrast with Boro a wonderful truly cozy character and then also the most
(0:42:24) Kevin: I have possibly seen in a cottage core game
(0:42:28) Kevin: But
(0:42:30) Kevin: Like for me that one of the bits that really resonated is just running through the forest right getting back up going back
(0:42:36) Kevin: Like I relate to that very much so to to maybe not on well
(0:42:42) Kevin: Okay, I’ll say someone on the healthy levels, but or it’s let’s say it’s affected me right like I’ve definitely
(0:42:47) Aislinn: We all go through it. We’re human. We all go through it.
(0:42:48) Kevin: Right, right. Yeah
(0:42:51) Kevin: Um, and so being forced to stop.
(0:42:54) Kevin: That out of your control, that’s something I wouldn’t handle.
(0:42:57) Kevin: Well, I’m anxious at the thought of that.
(0:42:58) Aislinn: - Mm-hmm.
(0:43:00) Aislinn: - Yeah, no, 100%, I 1,000% agree.
(0:43:01) Kevin: Um, yeah, so, um, so here we are already a bit, like I said, knife drawn.
(0:43:10) Kevin: Just, um, they’ve, they’ve already come at me with a knife.
(0:43:13) Kevin: So, and it’s Stanley parable, a little bit.
(0:43:14) Aislinn: This game has become like a therapy session.
(0:43:18) Kevin: Um, and, uh, yeah, it’s, uh, and so what?
(0:43:24) Kevin: And you guys kind of dive right in, starting to help out making tea.
(0:43:29) Kevin: Um, so let’s, let’s just talk about the mechanics because it’s,
(0:43:32) Kevin: it’s fairly straightforward.
(0:43:33) Kevin: There’s, uh, I think there’s three components.
(0:43:36) Kevin: There’s guard, I would classify it to three components.
(0:43:39) Kevin: So there’s the gardening, there’s the team making and dealing with requests
(0:43:42) Kevin: and other minor tasks, um, so, uh, gardening, we, it’s, it’s pretty straight.
(0:43:50) Kevin: Well, no, it’s, it’s interesting because it’s a grid based system,
(0:43:54) Kevin: a little grid and you’re not just planting and watering.
(0:43:57) Kevin: I mean, you are, but you have to align the plants in a certain way.
(0:44:00) Kevin: You, you have to put them in an aligned, create a certain kind of plant
(0:44:04) Kevin: that will generate seeds.
(0:44:05) Kevin: You put them in like a triangle pattern to create a fruit bearing plant.
(0:44:10) Kevin: Um, it’s an interesting spin because it’s, it’s a lot more calculated than just,
(0:44:15) Kevin: you know, hoeing land, planting a seed and watering.
(0:44:17) Kevin: Um, it all happens instantly.
(0:44:19) Kevin: It’s not a waiting game.
(0:44:20) Kevin: It’s, it’s very much just resource management.
(0:44:22) Kevin: It’s nothing intense or anything.
(0:44:24) Kevin: It’s, it’s just very structured.
(0:44:26) Kevin: Um, which is, uh, interesting to see.
(0:44:29) Kevin: Um, but the car.
(0:44:30) Aislinn: I liked it personally, I liked it just because I liked following the field guide and I laugh
(0:44:38) Kevin: uh-huh
(0:44:39) Aislinn: because I’m like, man, I really do just like following just like guides and like just someone
(0:44:44) Aislinn: tells me what to do and I’m like, just do it.
(0:44:46) Aislinn: I’m like, that’s great.
(0:44:47) Aislinn: And it’s like, I love games like that.
(0:44:49) Aislinn: That’s literally my job.
(0:44:50) Aislinn: And I’m like, that’s just my personality.
(0:44:52) Kevin: okay okay alta
(0:44:52) Aislinn: So I’m like, this is great.
(0:44:56) Kevin: because um yeah that that is one great thing they’re very good about providing instructions
(0:45:01) Kevin: if you want it right like they don’t put any pressure one way or the other if you want to
(0:45:02) Aislinn: Yeah
(0:45:04) Kevin: experiment or just follow, you know, by the book.
(0:45:07) Aislinn: Yeah, they have like layers of accessibility in a unique way, which I think is really cool
(0:45:08) Kevin: Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, yeah, I was going to, it’s literally called the book of answers.
(0:45:14) Aislinn: Like they had that black book I forgot the name of it the book of answers, yeah
(0:45:20) Kevin: They provide you with a book of answers that would literally tell you the solutions to
(0:45:24) Kevin: whatever quest or puzzle you’re dealing with. Oh, that’s good. That’s great.
(0:45:26) Aislinn: Fun facts, I accidentally threw that in tea once
(0:45:32) Aislinn: That wasn’t that wasn’t that wasn’t that would be my one complaint about the mechanics of this game is it’s a little bit
(0:45:37) Aislinn: Too easy to accidentally do something like the button sensitivity is like a little bit
(0:45:39) Kevin: Yeah, there is no undo.
(0:45:42) Kevin: Yeah, there is no…
(0:45:43) Aislinn: little bit too sensitive
(0:45:45) Kevin: And there’s, there’s, the controls are simple,
(0:45:48) Kevin: but sometimes it’s a little intuitive.
(0:45:50) Kevin: Like your four face buttons all do something different.
(0:45:53) Kevin: It’s like store, drop, or use basically.
(0:45:56) Aislinn: - Yeah, yeah.
(0:45:56) Kevin: And it’s just very easy to push the wrong one, right?
(0:46:00) Kevin: Especially when you’re like, you’re mixing tea.
(0:46:02) Kevin: Well, whoops, there goes your book.
(0:46:04) Kevin: Hope you can stop the game right there
(0:46:05) Aislinn: - Yep, I panicked.
(0:46:06) Kevin: because it auto-saves.
(0:46:08) Aislinn: I was like, oh, and then I realized it comes back.
(0:46:10) Kevin: Exit, exit, exit.
(0:46:11) Aislinn: It comes back, just know it comes back.
(0:46:12) Kevin: Oh, it does.
(0:46:13) Aislinn: It does come back.
(0:46:13) Kevin: Oh, okay.
(0:46:14) Aislinn: I learned eventually it came back and I was like,
(0:46:17) Aislinn: well, I guess if I really need help, I’m Googling it.
(0:46:19) Aislinn: I don’t know what else, but the book is gone.
(0:46:22) Kevin: Okay, you know that’s that’s interesting huh because I put in a different because I look to the clay
(0:46:22) Aislinn: It comes back.
(0:46:27) Kevin: There’s a at some point where you have to put a book in tea very very strange request, but you do I put a different book
(0:46:35) Kevin: Now when I don’t think I saw come back um I’m out there double-check, huh?
(0:46:41) Kevin: But
(0:46:41) Aislinn: I don’t think that came back from me either, but specifically the book of answers came
(0:46:45) Aislinn: back and the game was mad at me.
(0:46:46) Kevin: Sure
(0:46:48) Kevin: But but that makes sense that that one would
(0:46:52) Kevin: Um
(0:46:54) Kevin: But yeah, um with that I guess let’s talk about team making itself because it’s it’s a wild wacky cartoonish process
(0:47:01) Kevin: like wander stop is basically it’s a it’s a husk stout tree a giant tree and
(0:47:02) Aislinn: It’s so fast!
(0:47:07) Kevin: The entire center structure is like a giant tea machine
(0:47:11) Kevin: You you have to lily climb on a ladder go all the way to the top
(0:47:15) Kevin: You pour water then you use some bellows to heat it up you kick it and it goes into the flavor
(0:47:22) Kevin: station where you drop flavors and then you kick that to the pour station you forget a cup and
(0:47:27) Kevin: It’s it is very fast
(0:47:29) Kevin: It’s just it’s just almost comical to see how many steps they put into it because it
(0:47:34) Kevin: And very intentionally so like it’s meant to be charming and absurd because that’s kind of boros personality. That’s the vibe of the shop
(0:47:42) Kevin: Yeah, it’s not terribly hard. It’s just I guess at the first you might forget a step or two. I certainly did
(0:47:48) Aislinn: Mm-hmm. Yeah, I think but I think again like you said that’s like kind of the charm of it
(0:47:52) Kevin: Yeah, yeah certainly you never punished for it right even if you give the customer the wrong
(0:47:56) Kevin: Requests or the TV they’ll let you just try again. It’s not a problem at all
(0:48:00) Aislinn: Oh, really? I haven’t done that because I always made sure to get it right each time.
(0:48:04) Kevin: Well
(0:48:04) Aislinn: The perfectionist in me, I was like, “I have to get it right.”
(0:48:06) Kevin: That’s correct Alta
(0:48:10) Kevin: But yeah, no it’s not a problem and sometimes and you know if you mess up
(0:48:14) Kevin: They’ll even let you just turn it down like so. I don’t I don’t know how to do this
(0:48:17) Kevin: I don’t want to do it, and it’s it’s fine. It’s just
(0:48:20) Kevin: Stop the quest there
(0:48:22) Kevin: Um
(0:48:23) Kevin: And so, uh, let’s talk about that because
(0:48:27) Kevin: Being in this very clearly sort of magical clearing you have all sorts of strange and wonderful characters
(0:48:35) Kevin: wandering into
(0:48:36) Kevin: The clearing off the bed the first one I believe you meet his name is Gerald. He
(0:48:38) Aislinn: Yeah.
(0:48:41) Aislinn: Oh my God, my favorite.
(0:48:42) Kevin: He is in a night green Knight’s armor, but he’s you know, the little brush they have on top is literally like a broom brush
(0:48:49) Kevin: And he is just a guy who
(0:48:52) Kevin: Loves his son timothy and wants to be cool for his son timothy so he’s out to become a knight
(0:48:56) Aislinn: So cute.
(0:48:57) Kevin: Not knowing what on earth it means to be a knight
(0:49:01) Kevin: At one point he finds a stop sign and considers it very important, and we’re not sure
(0:49:06) Aislinn: I cherish that so much. I cannot tell you how much I love Gerald. I cherish that stop sign every every day.
(0:49:16) Kevin: It’s it’s pretty good. My favorite bit with Gerald was with the beginning where he’ll show you
(0:49:20) Kevin: for you know pull out the wallet and show you photos of his kid and you can go through so many
(0:49:22) Aislinn: Oh my god. I went through all of them, all of them. Which, which photo did you pick?
(0:49:24) Kevin: photos. I also went through all of them and they’re all pretty great. I have to remember
(0:49:33) Kevin: I can’t remember I have to look up the photos. Which one did you pick?
(0:49:36) Aislinn: I picked one of the ones in, it was like, I forget what it was exactly, but it was like the one directly after all of the, the bedroom ones where it’s like, he takes a selfie with his son at like 2am and then 3am
(0:49:52) Kevin: Ohhhhhhh hahahaha
(0:49:52) Aislinn: and then 4am. It was like the one right after that, I’m pretty sure it was the one that I picked.
(0:49:56) Kevin: I know he’s one with the selfie with his son
(0:49:59) Kevin: and he was smiling and his dad was just like “I can’t believe this face”
(0:50:03) Aislinn: Oh, that was a good one.
(0:50:03) Kevin: I don’t remember, but it’s a…
(0:50:06) Kevin: Oh, was it the fishing license?
(0:50:08) Kevin: I think it’s where he’s picking up his fishing license and it might be now
(0:50:12) Kevin: where he’s getting his son of fishing license
(0:50:15) Aislinn: They’re all so good and I feel like honestly I feel like Gerald is one of those characters
(0:50:21) Aislinn: that again like to not to bring it back to Stanley Parable but to bring it back to Stanley
(0:50:25) Aislinn: Parable that like silliness about that game translates over to this game really well that
(0:50:31) Aislinn: like, sense of humor and, like, Gerald is like a
(0:50:33) Aislinn: good reflection of that. And I love, love, love it, like, love it.
(0:50:38) Kevin: it’s pretty fantastic um okay you know what we said no spoilers but I feel like I want to
(0:50:45) Kevin: talk about gerald’s spoilers because this is an important I think element that sets the tone for
(0:50:49) Kevin: uh a lot of the future ones you mind if we talk about that like okay yeah yeah this is
(0:50:52) Aislinn: Yeah, I think that’s okay, because there’s so many other characters too.
(0:50:56) Kevin: like the very first quest line because characters will give you multiple requests um so um and i’m
(0:51:03) Kevin: And I’m going to talk about Gerald because I think it very much illustrates the tone
(0:51:08) Kevin: of this game he’s going for. We’re getting cozy with a knife.
(0:51:10) Kevin: So you’re introduced to Gerald, this wacky dad who loves his son and just wants to be cool guy and wants his son to love him.
(0:51:10) Aislinn: Yup. Yup.
(0:51:18) Kevin: And while he’s out venturing and finding stop signs or whatever, he returns with a glow on his leg.
(0:51:24) Kevin: And he says, “Oh, I guess that’s a curse.”
(0:51:28) Kevin: And Alta’s like, “Yeah, maybe you should do about that.”
(0:51:33) Kevin: And he’s like, “Yeah, it’s fine, it’s fine.”
(0:51:33) Aislinn: Just more, more situps.
(0:51:36) Kevin: So you give them
(0:51:38) Kevin: Yeah, yeah more sit-ups that was it. Yeah, just do more sit-ups
(0:51:43) Aislinn: Or something like that.
(0:51:43) Kevin: Yep
(0:51:44) Aislinn: More situps or some, some sort of like physical activity.
(0:51:46) Aislinn: Yeah, no more situps.
(0:51:46) Kevin: Yeah, something like that, yep
(0:51:47) Aislinn: It’ll go away.
(0:51:48) Aislinn: I have to, I just have to be stronger.
(0:51:50) Kevin: Yep, um, which is pretty
(0:51:54) Kevin: Pretty pretty amazing to hear
(0:51:57) Kevin: But but as you do more quests, you know do his little arc. It is shocker. It does not go away
(0:52:05) Kevin: It actually takes him over
(0:52:08) Kevin: On the last time you meet him
(0:52:10) Kevin: he
(0:52:12) Kevin: Kind of is no longer talking like Gerald and talking in in like the was it the we person whatever you call
(0:52:19) Kevin: He’s he’s referring to himself as multiple beings and in a very not Gerald tone or or you know
(0:52:26) Kevin: speech pattern, um
(0:52:26) Aislinn: Yeah.
(0:52:28) Kevin: And and so, you know here we go again Stanley parable like right where you got charming absurdity funny
(0:52:34) Kevin: and then we got this thrown at us.
(0:52:38) Kevin: And I mean, that’s bad as it is, but the part that kills me is that, so okay, jumping ahead a little to another mechanic, there’s basically seasons in this game.
(0:52:40) Aislinn: Sad.
(0:52:50) Kevin: At a certain point, all the characters will stop talking to you. You can’t interact with them, you can’t give them tea, you can’t do anything with them.
(0:52:58) Kevin: And you just have to sit at a shrine and the season change. And when the seasons change, everything resets. Your whole farm is shifted.
(0:53:08) Kevin: The actual layout of the farm has changed. Autumn is the second one. And all the previous characters gone.
(0:53:14) Kevin: I have not seen Gerald since that, and I don’t have any closure on that curse, which is brutal and very fitting for the game.
(0:53:24) Aislinn: Yeah, yeah.
(0:53:26) Kevin: The lack of control. You can’t solve it, or at least as of right now, I can’t solve that problem.
(0:53:32) Aislinn: Yep.
(0:53:32) Kevin: It’s out there and there was nothing I could do about it.
(0:53:37) Aislinn: Yeah, I I I am really really hoping at the end of the game there can be closure on that, but I fear for the worst.
(0:53:44) Kevin: Yeah, right like I would love that too, but knowing this game. I would not be surprised if nope. That’s all you get
(0:53:52) Aislinn: - Yeah.
(0:53:53) Kevin: Because they’re trying to teach us a lesson and and that’s how we’re we’re gonna learn our lesson
(0:53:59) Kevin: We’re gonna learn we’re gonna learn
(0:54:02) Aislinn: Yeah.
(0:54:04) Kevin: So yeah
(0:54:05) Kevin: And so yeah that whole Gerald quest line like I think like I said sets the the tone for a lot of these other quest
(0:54:10) Kevin: Lines not all of them are as dark
(0:54:13) Kevin: I think it was on
(0:54:14) Kevin: One of the darkest
(0:54:17) Kevin: But it’s the same idea where people come in requesting a tea perhaps or you forcing them to request tea because all the demands it
(0:54:25) Kevin: and
(0:54:27) Kevin: And yeah, you make the tea of you know, you grow your plants figure it out make your tea give it to them
(0:54:32) Kevin: They’ll come back later with more quests and so on and so forth, right?
(0:54:36) Aislinn: Yep
(0:54:36) Kevin: And that’s kind of the flow of the game gardening and filling up these requests. There’s a there’s a couple of other
(0:54:41) Kevin: So you know still just trying to cover mechanics here. There’s a few other
(0:54:44) Kevin: minor things. It’s maintenance of the shop basically. You have to wash your teacups
(0:54:48) Kevin: that you use in this wild like train setup that goes through a waterfall. You
(0:54:54) Kevin: just drop it in the train. It is very cute.
(0:54:55) Aislinn: It’s so cute, but also I have a very quick side tangent
(0:54:59) Aislinn: with that, it kind of annoys me.
(0:54:59) Kevin: Yeah.
(0:55:02) Aislinn: And it’s not like, it’s not actually like a complaint
(0:55:05) Aislinn: about the game or a criticism of the game.
(0:55:06) Kevin: Uh-huh.
(0:55:07) Aislinn: It’s just, it annoys me with Boro where it’s like,
(0:55:10) Kevin: Uh-huh.
(0:55:11) Aislinn: you literally run this tea shop, I make you a cup of tea
(0:55:14) Aislinn: and you can’t put it in the thing.
(0:55:17) Aislinn: Like why can you not, but you literally run this tea shop.
(0:55:21) Aislinn: Why am I picking up after you?
(0:55:23) Aislinn: We’re running this together.
(0:55:26) Kevin: Does Boro look like the man who would realize he had a dirty cup two seconds ago?
(0:55:34) Aislinn: No, but please, I just, I, okay.
(0:55:36) Kevin: Boro will put it down without a thought in his head and
(0:55:41) Kevin: Ten minutes later say oh, there’s a dirty cup. I’ll just wash it without realizing that was his
(0:55:47) Aislinn: I wish to have, I wish to have a conversation with him, please.
(0:55:53) Kevin: That’s correct Alta
(0:55:56) Kevin: Oh one note about the tea making process
(0:55:59) Kevin: Um, you can make a lot of tea more than a cop’s worth
(0:56:02) Aislinn: Yes.
(0:56:04) Kevin: And you can do other stuff with the tea. You can give it to birds called the puffins
(0:56:09) Kevin: They are penguins with little crests outside. They can fly little when you
(0:56:13) Aislinn: They’re so cute you could pet them
(0:56:14) Kevin: They’re very cute. They don’t serve any particular purpose other than sometimes taking items on the ground and annoying you or
(0:56:20) Aislinn: But you could pet them
(0:56:22) Kevin: You go. That’s right. You’re right forget. I take it back. You forget you can pet them. You’re
(0:56:23) Aislinn: Most importantly
(0:56:25) Aislinn: You could pick them up and you can pet them and they’re really really cute and they look like just like
(0:56:29) Aislinn: Funny little penguin guys kind of sort of I don’t know. They’re really cute. They look like grumpy penguins. Oh my god. I love them
(0:56:32) Kevin: Yep, they are
(0:56:35) Aislinn: They’re great
(0:56:35) Kevin: Penguins are amazing until you look inside their mouth
(0:56:38) Aislinn: That’s okay, don’t worry about that, you know, don’t worry about those details
(0:56:44) Kevin: But regardless of the status of the puffins mouth
(0:56:48) Kevin: You can also give them tea and when you do they will because the teas are not you’re you know again?
(0:56:53) Kevin: These are all fictional crops. They’re not or gray or chamomile or whatever. They’re the teas become very vibrant
(0:57:00) Kevin: Colorful mixture
(0:57:02) Kevin: I don’t know, but I just tried it. I don’t know cuz I was curious cuz the puffins like I said, they’ll take items from the ground
(0:57:12) Aislinn: not know that until way later in the game.
(0:57:26) Aislinn: Yeah, that’s such a good call out because I did not I did not realize it until way later in the game and I was like, oh, and it’s so cute. Again, it’s so cute.
(0:57:27) Kevin: Like what happens when you do with a full cup of tea and well they drink it
(0:57:32) Kevin: Oh
(0:57:34) Kevin: That’s a shame
(0:57:38) Kevin: You can color there’s a bunch of them and you can call them all differently it’s fantastic
(0:57:44) Kevin: You can also drink the tea yourself
(0:57:46) Kevin: Alta you have to sit down on a bench and alta will wax poetic on
(0:57:52) Kevin: Thoughts and minds each tea kind of has like its own flavor and and called certain thoughts to mind. It’s all in the field guide
(0:57:59) Kevin: and
(0:58:02) Kevin: Boy, a lot of those thoughts are very heavy
(0:58:04) Aislinn: Yes, yes, again like a in-game therapy session.
(0:58:05) Kevin: you going
(0:58:08) Kevin: It very much so you want to learn about why she hates her dad because her dad was laid off and she never let go of
(0:58:14) Kevin: that anger
(0:58:17) Aislinn: Yeah, a lot, a lot to unpack there.
(0:58:20) Kevin: She’s oh she is a not a particularly happy person
(0:58:27) Kevin: Yeah, um again fantastic writing
(0:58:32) Kevin: You know that that’s I mean you have the character requests, but honestly I think
(0:58:37) Kevin: Alta’s
(0:58:39) Kevin: Alta’s thoughts were that my favorite part because it’s just again. It’s all in her mind, so it’s it’s kind of in a very
(0:58:45) Kevin: eloquent reflective sort of way and and they’re usually very deep because she she is not a
(0:58:52) Kevin: superfluous person
(0:58:55) Kevin: Yeah, and also like the game is fully voice acted
(0:58:59) Kevin: So, you know, they’re great boys, actually.
(0:59:02) Kevin: It’s not fully voice acted, it has voice acting.
(0:59:08) Aislinn: Yeah, I was gonna say yeah
(0:59:09) Kevin: Sorry, it has lines and bits.
(0:59:10) Kevin: All those “T” thoughts are all fully voice acted.
(0:59:13) Kevin: So shout out to one Ms. Kimberly Woods, a voice actor I was not as familiar with prior to this.
(0:59:20) Kevin: She’s got some roles coming or, you know, going on, but she knocked it out of the park.
(0:59:25) Aislinn: Definitely great voice acting in this game, the voice acting that is available.
(0:59:27) Kevin: Yup, yup, so, you know, that was great.
(0:59:32) Kevin: You can, going back to the “T,” you can also give it to Boro, who will share his own thoughts and stories.
(0:59:38) Aislinn: And won’t clean it, by the way.
(0:59:38) Kevin: I won’t clean it.
(0:59:42) Kevin: And again, a very total foil to Alta, his are usually hilarious, wacky.
(0:59:42) Aislinn: Totally not salty.
(0:59:49) Kevin: Sometimes they actually get a little serious and heavy, but it talks about how he kind of just learns to let go of things.
(0:59:57) Kevin: It’s like, um, um, gosh, well, a slight spoiler later in the game, you unlock coffee.
(1:00:02) Kevin: Um, and when he drinks the coffee, he’s like, I learned I don’t make coffee, I can’t make coffee, so I just, I give up and I’ll let you make the coffee.
(1:00:09) Kevin: And, and he’s, he’s fine with it. He’s very chill.
(1:00:12) Kevin: Um, and then other times you get a, uh, a story about his favorite game show, guess how many eggs I’m thinking of.
(1:00:18) Kevin: Uh, which is, uh, pretty, pretty incredible.
(1:00:22) Kevin: Um, so yeah.
(1:00:24) Kevin: Um, yeah, that’s, that’s, uh, you know, it’s a tea shop, so you’d expect to do a lot with the tea,
(1:00:30) Kevin: and boy can you do a lot with the teeth.
(1:00:32) Kevin: Yeah.
(1:00:32) Aislinn: You really can I think it’s great like it’s I said fast before cuz it’s like for whatever reason
(1:00:37) Aislinn: I don’t know why Alta moves so fast across like there’s no way the physics of this game makes sense with the ladder
(1:00:42) Aislinn: Like you would fly off the ladder if this is real life if that ladder moved that fast you’d be off that ladder
(1:00:48) Aislinn: but
(1:00:49) Aislinn: Yeah, I find the team making process to be like once I got into it and started to like learn the rhythm of the team making
(1:00:56) Aislinn: Process I was like this is like therapeutic. It’s very nice. It’s very soothing. I
(1:01:00) Kevin: So yeah, so that’s, um, that’s our thoughts on the tea.
(1:01:02) Kevin: Uh, like I said, there’s, there’s a lot of other mechanics.
(1:01:05) Kevin: Um, I mean, you know, you can, there’s weeds that will pop up, you know,
(1:01:09) Kevin: chop them up with the sheer, you know, there’s leaf piles that you sweep up.
(1:01:14) Kevin: And when you do those, you can find little trinkets to either just
(1:01:17) Kevin: decorate the shop, maybe extra coffee or teacups, you can use, um, photos.
(1:01:21) Kevin: You can hang on the wall.
(1:01:23) Kevin: Um, there’s a lot of stuff that just for aesthetics or fun, right?
(1:01:30) Kevin: And little teacups for no real purpose.
(1:01:32) Kevin: There’s never, almost never any requests, right?
(1:01:34) Kevin: Borrow will sometimes ask you to do it, but those are never required requests.
(1:01:37) Kevin: You just go out of your way to do them if you want to.
(1:01:39) Aislinn: They’re cute! Honestly, it’s cute. I like finding the little trinkets and the little teacups. They make me happy.
(1:01:43) Kevin: That it’s, it’s very great.
(1:01:45) Kevin: Um, I love it.
(1:01:46) Kevin: Um, yeah, fine.
(1:01:48) Kevin: It’s always a fun surprise, especially the teacups, right?
(1:01:50) Kevin: Cause at first you got like, what, like two teacups and you’re like, I need more.
(1:01:50) Aislinn: Yeah, yeah, you have like three white tea cups, then you start finding these like funky pattern tea cups and everything and I’m like, oh, this is fun. This is cool.
(1:01:58) Kevin: Yeah.
(1:02:00) Kevin: Yeah, it’s great.
(1:02:01) Kevin: And we call them teacups, but they’re more like coffee mugs.
(1:02:03) Kevin: Let’s be real about, um, their mugs.
(1:02:04) Aislinn: Yeah, they’re mugs. We’ll just say they’re mugs.
(1:02:07) Kevin: Um, but, uh, yeah, it’s good stuff.
(1:02:10) Kevin: Um, I’m trying to think, uh, like I said, there’s the pluffing,
(1:02:13) Kevin: you can play around with them.
(1:02:14) Kevin: Um, I think that roughly covers the mechanics though.
(1:02:19) Kevin: Um, can you think of anything else?
(1:02:21) Kevin: I guess that I might’ve missed.
(1:02:22) Aislinn: No, I really don’t. I think I feel like we covered everything pretty, pretty thoroughly. So we got all of the little tasks. Do we have a do we have a favorite task that we like to do.
(1:02:25) Kevin: Yeah.
(1:02:26) Kevin: Yeah.
(1:02:28) Kevin: Yeah.
(1:02:30) Kevin: Oh, favorite task.
(1:02:33) Kevin: Um, I can, oh gosh.
(1:02:36) Kevin: Um, I like, I think I just like drinking the tea, getting all those stories.
(1:02:40) Kevin: Like it’s, it’s, uh, you know, uh-huh, no, no.
(1:02:40) Aislinn: Yeah, I enjoy that. I guess, like, for me tasks that are not like mains, like, cuz I guess you, you could kind of say this main story related in a way because you’re just progressing the story but you’re getting more depth into the story.
(1:02:56) Aislinn: But I do, I do also really like cutting weeds because of the fact that you also find trickins to teacups and everything. It’s just something about the weed cutting like the sound because I’ve played this game on the TV.
(1:03:03) Kevin: Yeah
(1:03:06) Kevin: It’s cathartic
(1:03:08) Aislinn: TV I played this game with the speakers on my steam
(1:03:09) Kevin: Yeah
(1:03:10) Aislinn: deck. I’ve played this game with headphones on my steam deck, which by the way this game runs great on a steam deck for those that are interested potentially with this game on a steam deck. It runs awesome. So that is another thing as well.
(1:03:13) Kevin: Yeah
(1:03:17) Kevin: Hey
(1:03:22) Kevin: Okay, you know what I do like the weeds a lot because we should be clear
(1:03:26) Kevin: It’s not you know a little grass that you pull out
(1:03:28) Kevin: It’s their thorns big thorny vines that you’re cutting down with shears
(1:03:32) Kevin: so it’s a very like
(1:03:34) Kevin: sound effect to it
(1:03:37) Kevin: and it is very satisfying
(1:03:39) Kevin: I agree
(1:03:39) Aislinn: I’m not I’m not an ASMR girly, but there’s something about that sounds
(1:03:43) Kevin: yeah, sometimes
(1:03:44) Aislinn: It’s a very satisfying sound for some reason
(1:03:45) Kevin: look
(1:03:46) Kevin: yeah it is
(1:03:48) Kevin: sometimes sound effects are just very good
(1:03:50) Aislinn: Yeah
(1:03:50) Kevin: you know
(1:03:51) Kevin: absolutely
(1:03:53) Kevin: yeah
(1:03:54) Aislinn: Another cute thing that I just remember too in regards to the mechanics too is I like the detail of how
(1:03:55) Kevin: yeah
(1:04:00) Aislinn: When you’re sweeping up the leaves how you can sweep it quote unquote normally
(1:04:04) Aislinn: But then you can also make Alta sweep it like very aggressively and I think that just lends to her
(1:04:08) Kevin: Yeah, when she’s, she starts swinging like a sword in essence and I don’t have any proof
(1:04:09) Aislinn: character very well. Yeah.
(1:04:15) Kevin: on this.
(1:04:17) Kevin: It’s totally my own experience.
(1:04:20) Kevin: It seems if you just sweep it slow paced, you have a higher chance of finding stuff.
(1:04:24) Aislinn: Ooooh!
(1:04:27) Kevin: Which would be very fitting, right?
(1:04:29) Aislinn: Yes, it would be!
(1:04:29) Kevin: It would like mechanically make sense and thematically it’s a good fit.
(1:04:35) Kevin: So, just again.
(1:04:38) Kevin: I can’t confirm that, but it sure felt like it to me.
(1:04:41) Kevin: So props if that’s true.
(1:04:43) Kevin: You know what, I just thought of something else that we almost missed.
(1:04:48) Kevin: Two things. Two minor things. First, the lost parcels. You can find parcels around.
(1:04:52) Aislinn: - Yes, me too, I almost forgot.
(1:04:52) Kevin: You drop them in a mailbox. Later on you’ll get a letter back with some kind of reward.
(1:04:58) Kevin: They’re usually entertaining. Sometimes you’ll get a photo for the wall or just so on and so forth.
(1:05:03) Kevin: They’re just a very small, minor, amusing diversion.
(1:05:06) Kevin: But some-
(1:05:08) Kevin: Sometimes you can get a book because as we mentioned, there are books in the game, not the field guide, the book of answers.
(1:05:10) Aislinn: Haha, yeah.
(1:05:12) Kevin: There are other books. There’s an economics book. There’s a-
(1:05:16) Kevin: And other things you can read through them.
(1:05:18) Kevin: And we got perhaps one of the greatest characters ever created in any fiction.
(1:05:24) Kevin: Dirk Warhard.
(1:05:24) Aislinn: I feel like we should not say anything else about him, like I want people to experience
(1:05:30) Kevin: Oh!
(1:05:34) Kevin: The magic of Dirk Warhard.
(1:05:34) Aislinn: what that book, the magic of that book, just know it is amazing, it is, I believe so, I
(1:05:42) Kevin: Did you read the sequel? The sequel is my favorite.
(1:05:46) Aislinn: believe so.
(1:05:47) Aislinn: If all the books that have been available so far, I’ve read all of them front to back
(1:05:50) Kevin: Okay.
(1:05:50) Aislinn: for sure. So most likely and I think also my favorite yeah is the is like
(1:05:52) Kevin: Oh!
(1:05:54) Aislinn: the most recent one it’s good I know I want to talk about it so badly but I’m
(1:05:56) Kevin: Yeah, Dirk Warhard is pretty-
(1:05:58) Kevin: Um, yeah.
(1:06:01) Aislinn: like we really no no no no no no we got to let people experience it you know this
(1:06:02) Kevin: I was prepared to read an excerpt!
(1:06:04) Kevin: Cause that’s a-
(1:06:07) Aislinn: is this is your sign you need to check out this game and you need to read those
(1:06:08) Kevin: Oh!
(1:06:12) Kevin: Dirk Warhard?
(1:06:12) Aislinn: books it’s so good it’s worth it
(1:06:16) Kevin: Oh!
(1:06:18) Kevin: He’s one of the best characters, and you don’t see him.
(1:06:21) Aislinn: It’s worth it. It’s worth it.
(1:06:24) Kevin: And that goes for any game!
(1:06:26) Kevin: Oh, I love-
(1:06:26) Aislinn: If anyone really wants to know, we can get you an excerpt of the book, so like message us.
(1:06:28) Kevin: Oh, oh!
(1:06:30) Kevin: Post- post-credit scene. Post-credit scene.
(1:06:32) Kevin: I’ll read it- I’ll read one at the end.
(1:06:34) Kevin: Post-credit scene for V, who do I want to show you?
(1:06:36) Kevin: Um, okay.
(1:06:38) Kevin: Um, all right.
(1:06:38) Kevin: So with all those mechanics out of the way, lot, it’s very dense of the mechanics, right?
(1:06:42) Kevin: Like it’s, it feels slow paced, but there’s so much you can do.
(1:06:42) Aislinn: - Mm-hmm.
(1:06:46) Aislinn: Yeah.
(1:06:46) Kevin: And for, well, for the most part, there’s no timeline, but I say that, but I don’t
(1:06:53) Kevin: know about you, but the second season change, I didn’t get to finish some of the requests.
(1:06:58) Aislinn: I think me too. I forget what it was exactly, but there was one point in the game where I was like,
(1:07:02) Aislinn: “Man, I didn’t get to do this thing,” and I was kind of bummed about it.
(1:07:04) Kevin: Yeah, you remember the Batgirl, who has never tried Tea?
(1:07:09) Kevin: I didn’t get to finish her storyline.
(1:07:11) Kevin: There was a second request for Tea.
(1:07:13) Kevin: I didn’t get to do it.
(1:07:13) Kevin: They just, at one point, they just cut me off.
(1:07:15) Kevin: I don’t know if it’s triggered by a certain quest
(1:07:15) Aislinn: Oh.
(1:07:18) Kevin: or a time thing, but I couldn’t finish her quest.
(1:07:18) Aislinn: Huh.
(1:07:19) Aislinn: Yeah.
(1:07:22) Aislinn: Interesting.
(1:07:23) Kevin: And again, going back to that theme of
(1:07:27) Kevin: sometimes you don’t have control, so suck it.
(1:07:28) Aislinn: Mm-hmm.
(1:07:30) Aislinn: Yeah.
(1:07:32) Kevin: Speaking of which, well, let’s get into it, right?
(1:07:34) Kevin: Because now let’s talk about the highlight, the stories and themes. Again, we’re not going to go into plot specific elements. It’s actually not terribly… I mean, it’s a very straightforward plot, for the most part I will say, right?
(1:07:46) Aislinn: Yeah, it’s a pretty, like, in a way, run-of-the-mill plot, but it’s a good storyline nonetheless.
(1:08:05) Kevin: And so she discovers things about herself, like, I think we’ve just how we’ve discussed a lot of the mechanics and things around, like the themes are very clear in this game, right?
(1:08:16) Kevin: Like we, again, I don’t know if this is a… it feels like a very generational thing for you and me, like our generation and like of… and future generations.
(1:08:27) Kevin: Like I work with kids, I see them, everyone working, you know, trying to stay on top of the rat race.
(1:08:34) Aislinn: Yeah. Yeah, trying to be successful one way or another.
(1:08:35) Kevin: Get your degree, get your career, it’s on and so forth, right?
(1:08:38) Kevin: Like we live… yup, yup, right? And it can be a very specific thing, right? Alta is fighting, right? It doesn’t have to be like general career thing. It can be, you know, your drive to succeed in one sport or hobby or what have you, right?
(1:08:53) Kevin: Like some people are very, very driven. And yeah, and this game serves as a sort of counter argument to that.
(1:09:05) Kevin: Of learning how to slow down…
(1:09:06) Aislinn: Yeah, I feel like I feel like yeah, I feel like just like
(1:09:10) Aislinn: Society as a whole has become very competitive and like you said like this game encourages you to as
(1:09:17) Aislinn: in the name stop take a break and let your mind wander and I feel like that’s a that’s a very
(1:09:25) Aislinn: Main theme of the story thus far again didn’t finish the game yet, but that just feels to be the the theme
(1:09:28) Kevin: - Mm-hmm.
(1:09:33) Aislinn: For ALTA, but also as a reminder for
(1:09:36) Aislinn: yourself to sometimes stop, take a break, and it’s really important and good for yourself to be
(1:09:41) Aislinn: introspective and reflect on things that have happened in your life and what you could have,
(1:09:48) Aislinn: or not necessarily what you could have done differently, but what you can do moving forward
(1:09:51) Aislinn: for yourself to be better as a person overall. And I think that seems to be like one of the main
(1:09:58) Aislinn: themes of the game, and I think that’s why I like this game so much because it’s something
(1:10:03) Aislinn: things that I try to work on, on a regular basis.
(1:10:04) Kevin: Yeah.
(1:10:06) Aislinn: It is to be more introspective because I find it hard to do that.
(1:10:08) Aislinn: Like I would love to be a journaling person, but I find it hard to make the
(1:10:13) Aislinn: time to sit down and be introspective for a period of time on a daily basis
(1:10:18) Aislinn: and sit down and write it.
(1:10:19) Aislinn: Um, but it is very important to grow as a person, to be introspective.
(1:10:23) Aislinn: And I think this game is touching upon that, which I think is really special.
(1:10:27) Kevin: Yeah, yeah, absolutely. One thing about the game is that how positive or empowering it is, I should say, like, it does not, it is not judging Alta for her, you know, way of being in her life, or whatnot, it doesn’t judge the game doesn’t punch you for mistakes or anything like that.
(1:10:44) Aislinn: Yeah. Yeah.
(1:10:48) Kevin: Much like Boro, it’s just whatever happens happens and it’s fine, right? And perhaps most interestingly,
(1:10:58) Kevin: small, it’s not even story spoiler, but Alta encounters basically an inner voice of herself. It appears in cut scenes as like an orange Alta.
(1:11:09) Kevin: And that is her drive or what have you. It is a very positive, encouraging voice, like telling her, oh, you can get up, you can do it, you know, you’re, this is who you are, you’re unstoppable, right?
(1:11:23) Kevin: And like you know, it’s it’s all positive
(1:11:27) Kevin: There’s no negative but at the same time in the context of this story. It feels like the most dangerous force on earth
(1:11:33) Kevin: I am terrified of orange Alta
(1:11:34) Aislinn: Yeah.
(1:11:36) Aislinn: Yeah? [LAUGHS]
(1:11:38) Kevin: So it’s it’s wild how it’s coming, you know delivering all these themes without actually judging or or you know
(1:11:48) Kevin: Again no real negativity or criticism just
(1:11:52) Kevin: It’s it’s brilliant really how well it’s written. Um, yeah
(1:11:58) Kevin: Like and again very personal to me like I’m not gonna go into my life story
(1:12:02) Kevin: But I’ve had to work very hard for many many years now and there’s still no quite end in sight but
(1:12:10) Kevin: Like it’s it’s good to have that little you know little wake up slap a little reminder to
(1:12:16) Kevin: Breathe a minute. Um, like you said, you’ve got your journaling. I I don’t know quite what I found for my moment, but oh
(1:12:22) Aislinn: Oh no, I’m not journaling. That’s the thing. I should be journaling. I am not journaling.
(1:12:25) Kevin: Oh, okay. Oh, okay. Okay, Amazon.
(1:12:27) Aislinn: So I am still searching for that that opportunity.
(1:12:27) Kevin: I I used to journal I used to journal kind of just fell off but it was
(1:12:35) Aislinn: It’s difficult. It’s very difficult. It’s hard to be introspective, period.
(1:12:36) Kevin: It’s did
(1:12:39) Kevin: For me it’s not it wasn’t like the act of getting disrespect is not terribly hard, but I
(1:12:45) Kevin: Don’t like the inner voices that are coming out. So I was I
(1:12:48) Aislinn: well that’s that’s introspective introspection
(1:12:50) Kevin: Guess so I guess so so, you know fighting fighting with myself hearing things. I didn’t like yeah, it’s not great
(1:12:56) Aislinn: it’s not easy
(1:12:58) Kevin: and well, you know these teas you’re making many of them literally in the like field guides say they are going to call forth a
(1:13:06) Kevin: Memory of your childhood your favorite ice cream flavor all sorts of things. So you are forced to engage with those inner voices
(1:13:10) Aislinn: Mm-hmm.
(1:13:12) Aislinn: Yeah.
(1:13:15) Kevin: Yeah, it is it’s it’s incredible really
(1:13:20) Aislinn: Yeah, I was not I knew I was gonna like the game just as someone that is was a barista or still is still is a barista. I was like, oh, T game into it. And I so I knew I was going to like it, but I did not realize I was going to like it as much as I do so far. It’s a wonderful, wonderful.
(1:13:38) Kevin: Yeah, it is an incredible game, possibly one of the best I have played as part of harvest
(1:13:48) Kevin: season gaming, like up there with Spiritfarer, I would say.
(1:13:50) Aislinn: Oh, that’s still I bought it like last year.
(1:13:55) Aislinn: I still need to play that game too.
(1:13:55) Kevin: Well, that’s a great game too, it goes for a different kind of punch.
(1:14:03) Kevin: But, yeah, like, I…
(1:14:08) Kevin: I don’t have any real complaints with Wander Stop, everything is like, it’s, again, Stanley Parable, they are clearly experienced devs, everything is well executed, nothing feels out of the place, or, you know, drags along, or whatever, at times it will anti-drag along, it’ll cut things short for you.
(1:14:22) Aislinn: - Yeah.
(1:14:26) Aislinn: - Mm-hmm.
(1:14:27) Kevin: And it is all done in a meaningful way, which, you know, that’s a really hard thing to do for games to do, to do things every day.
(1:14:27) Aislinn: - And you just panic. (laughs)
(1:14:38) Kevin: So, hats off to you, Stanley Parable team, like, they wanted to go, I guess, kind of an inversion of the Stanley Parable, but, and they succeeded. They did.
(1:14:48) Aislinn: They still kept the essence. They still kept me pulled in the entire time.
(1:14:53) Kevin: Absolutely, um, yeah, uh-huh, yep.
(1:14:56) Aislinn: It was that slow burn and I just picked up and then I was like, “Oh, I just keep playing this game more and more and more and I don’t want to put it down because I’m just so pulled into what is happening with this game.”
(1:15:08) Aislinn: And they did an awesome job with that.
(1:15:11) Kevin: They did indeed, so yeah that’s uh that’s I think mostly all but I can’t give enough praise that’s
(1:15:19) Kevin: all I’ve got to say do you have any other closing thoughts?
(1:15:23) Aislinn: No, I think I got most of it out of my system, I just, yeah, I really love this game, it’s
(1:15:28) Aislinn: great.
(1:15:29) Aislinn: Can’t say that enough.
(1:15:30) Kevin: Okay, so um
(1:15:33) Kevin: Yeah, I guess with that I guess we can kind of call it a call it an episode good good job
(1:15:39) Kevin: Let’s let’s get right into it ace. Where do people find you on the internet not real life. Please don’t find her
(1:15:43) Aislinn: y’all can find me I mean if you want to find me in real life you can find me
(1:15:48) Aislinn: maybe somewhere in New York City good luck but find me in the skies somewhere
(1:15:49) Kevin: I
(1:15:51) Kevin: To be fair to be fair. I have wait wait. I’m thinking
(1:15:54) Aislinn: good luck
(1:15:55) Kevin: Ace, I think you may be the only Harvey season host. I’ve actually met in person
(1:15:59) Aislinn: ooh look at that Oh cute
(1:16:02) Kevin: I think yeah, I’m thinking about it. I don’t think I’m it. I
(1:16:06) Kevin: Guess I met Kelly, but like, you know, I didn’t meet Kelly right? But yeah, no, yeah
(1:16:12) Kevin: Yeah, no, but I I met you more times. I’ll say that for sure
(1:16:13) Aislinn: We have met IRL in multiple occasions.
(1:16:20) Kevin: In multiple cities
(1:16:21) Aislinn: Yeah.
(1:16:22) Aislinn: Look at us globe trotters over here.
(1:16:26) Kevin: Yeah, oh
(1:16:29) Aislinn: But yeah, y’all can find me.
(1:16:33) Aislinn: I’ll start off with the fact with the note of I also do a podcast.
(1:16:37) Aislinn: We’re not as active as of recently just because it has been so busy, but I do a podcast
(1:16:43) Aislinn: with my fiance, partner, however you want to go about it, Mu and Ku.
(1:16:49) Aislinn: So feel free to check that out.
(1:16:50) Aislinn: Otherwise you can find me specifically, A’s Trainer, AIS Trainer, like Ace Trainer, but
(1:16:55) Aislinn: A’s Trainer, however you want to go about it to, on Twitch, Blue Sky, Instagram, all
(1:17:02) Aislinn: of those places.
(1:17:05) Aislinn: And where can they find you?
(1:17:06) Kevin: uh you can find me um at cupa prez on blue sky
(1:17:12) Kevin: find me at the artist square on blue sky I haven’t posted i’ve been busy but I do make art
(1:17:18) Aislinn: I get it. I get it. I relate.
(1:17:18) Kevin: um yeah find me um at rainbow road radio um podcast I do with our mutual friend alex on all
(1:17:28) Kevin: things mario we oh man we we’re gonna be recording another episode soon our schedule is more monthly
(1:17:34) Kevin: ish now I’m just do
(1:17:35) Aislinn: Mm-hmm, mood, once again, mood.
(1:17:36) Kevin: life
(1:17:39) Kevin: yeah but man we recall and I said this
(1:17:43) Kevin: before but we recorded an episode and I
(1:17:45) Kevin: was supposed to edit it as my first time
(1:17:47) Kevin: editing it but I didn’t have time and
(1:17:49) Kevin: then my computer died so I know I have
(1:17:50) Aislinn: Oh my goodness.
(1:17:50) Kevin: to fix it before I get the ad try to fix
(1:17:54) Kevin: that episode maybe as of right now it
(1:17:56) Kevin: is I lost the first ever last episode
(1:17:58) Kevin: rainbow road right here literally but yeah to find us
(1:18:03) Kevin: there in those places um what did you
(1:18:06) Kevin: did you plug your next streaming schedule
(1:18:10) Aislinn: Oh, I don’t have my stream schedule done for this week, but I hopefully will be streaming
(1:18:17) Aislinn: after this episode comes out later on this week.
(1:18:20) Kevin: There you go
(1:18:21) Aislinn: Tune in hopefully for CatTimes.
(1:18:23) Aislinn: Hopefully.
(1:18:24) Kevin: Yeah, oh that’s gonna be so cuz I’ll be oh, yeah, that’s exciting I can’t wait to hear about that
(1:18:24) Aislinn: Huh?
(1:18:30) Kevin: Okay, so with that you you can also find more the show at thspod on tumblr and blue sky
(1:18:37) Kevin: Find al our gracious host and creator of the show at the Scott bot on mastodon Scott and blue sky
(1:18:44) Kevin: Go to Harvey season club for all your links to this episode feedback. Good
(1:18:50) Kevin: Provide feedback there. Then yes questions will answer them or you can head to patreon.com/thspod where we can you can find
(1:18:58) Kevin: Access to our slack, which is which is kind of hopping. We’ve getting some new faces in there very exciting stuff
(1:19:02) Aislinn: Yeah, and it’s just so cozy. It’s so chill. It’s so cozy solo steaks. I love it. It’s wonderful
(1:19:10) Kevin: It’s it’s great, you know, it’s host banter me screaming at things primarily
(1:19:17) Kevin: You can also find if you go
(1:19:20) Kevin: Patreon you can also get access to the greenhouse our non cottagecore focused
(1:19:24) Kevin: Episodes on all sorts of things. We’ve got ideas. We just have to record
(1:19:29) Kevin: But there’s a lot more there. They’re all kind of about whatever so, you know, you can go
(1:19:32) Aislinn: Lots of fun bonus content!
(1:19:34) Kevin: You can go back and listen pretty easily
(1:19:36) Kevin: But yes, okay. Well, thank you Al for having us on. Thank you Aislinn for joining us
(1:19:40) Aislinn: - Thank you, thank you.
(1:19:42) Aislinn: Thank you for joining me
(1:19:43) Aislinn: and thank you Alice well for having me.
(1:19:44) Aislinn: I had a great time and it was nice to just chat.
(1:19:46) Kevin: Um, yeah, uh, it was wonderful.
(1:19:49) Kevin: Wandersup, man, I guess, sorry, one, one, one final tangent.
(1:19:51) Aislinn: Great game, great game.
(1:19:54) Kevin: I just, I was trying to find excerpts from Dirk Warhart and I found an
(1:19:58) Kevin: article from the New York times talking about the, the, um, the game designers
(1:20:04) Kevin: who felt burnt out by creating hit after hit because, you know, they made
(1:20:07) Aislinn: Yeah.
(1:20:08) Kevin: Stanley parable and the beginner’s guide.
(1:20:09) Aislinn: Mm-hmm.
(1:20:09) Kevin: And so they wanted to make a cozy game.
(1:20:11) Aislinn: Aww.
(1:20:11) Kevin: So, well, I guess, you know what?
(1:20:14) Kevin: I guess they knew what they were talking about.
(1:20:15) Aislinn: Yeah, yeah, most definitely.
(1:20:17) Aislinn: It’s a self-reflection game as well for them, it seems like.
(1:20:17) Kevin: Um, yeah, absolutely.
(1:20:22) Kevin: So good, uh, good stuff.
(1:20:24) Kevin: Um, and, uh, but yeah, until next time, do your listeners have a good harvest.
(1:20:30) Aislinn: Good harvest! Sorry, I’m terrible at that. Whoo!
(1:20:32) Kevin: Whoo, that’s, that’s fine.
(1:20:33) Theme Tune: The harvest season is created by Al McKinlay, with support from our patrons, including our
(1:20:35) Kevin: That’s fine.
(1:20:36) Kevin: Look, times I, I.
(1:20:42) Theme Tune: pro farmers Kevin, Stuart and Alisa.
(1:20:46) Theme Tune: Our art is done by Micah the Brave, and our music is done by Nick Burgess.
(1:20:51) Theme Tune: Feel free to visit our website harvestseason.club for show notes and links to things we discussed
(1:20:57) Theme Tune: in this episode.
(1:21:06) Kevin: This is from an excerpt from “Edge of a Bullet”, a Dirk Warhart novel.
(1:21:11) Kevin: It was just another typical day for Dirk Warhart. Dirk Warhart had been undercover for 13 weeks.
(1:21:17) Kevin: In that time, he hadn’t showered, shaved, or eaten a single time. This was the Dirk Warhart
(1:21:23) Kevin: undercover method. The Dirk Warhart undercover method was a living hell for the initial four
(1:21:28) Kevin: weeks, but on week five, without fail, his body would begin to buzz with a feverish
(1:21:33) Kevin: and a rigorous alertness that gave him the edge
(1:21:36) Kevin: because of the adrenaline it produced, he also hadn’t slept in a month
(1:21:42) Kevin: his skull vibrated with a cocktail blend of indiscriminate rage
(1:21:44) Kevin: and an unquenchable passion for justice
(1:21:48) Kevin: time to get to work
(1:21:50) Kevin: Dirk Warhart’s undercover persona was that of Bobby Briggleston
(1:21:56) Kevin: billionaire playboy heir to the Briggleston family media empire
(1:21:58) Kevin: in fact, Dirk Warhart himself was a billionaire playboy
(1:22:02) Kevin: much wealthier than his undercover persona
(1:22:04) Kevin: But he’d play any role if he meant getting the job done.
(1:22:07) Kevin: And I will leave it at that.
(1:22:09) Kevin: That was nothing. The sequel is way better.
(1:22:09) Aislinn: Haha, yeah, that was, that really was nothing in comparison.
(1:22:14) Aislinn: Woo!
(1:22:15) Kevin: I love it.
(1:22:16) Kevin: Alright, now I’m stopping recording.
(1:22:21) Kevin: Wait, does it just exit? Does it stop recording?
(1:22:23) Aislinn: I think we just exit. I, I’m not gonna lie, I don’t know anything beyond that.
(1:22:26) Kevin: Alright, best of luck Al. This is all on you.
(1:22:30) Kevin: Bye!
(1:22:31) Aislinn: Bye!
(1:22:34) Aislinn: How do I leave?
(1:22:37) Aislinn: Why is my thing tiny?
(1:22:39) Aislinn: Oh there we go, alright see you later, Al, if this is still recording, we didn’t figure
(1:22:48) Aislinn: out how to leave Zoom.
(1:22:49) Aislinn: Ah!
(1:22:50) Aislinn: Bye!