Speaking Of Cats
Wed, Dec 17, 2025 Year 3, Summer 23Al and Aislinn talk about Snacko!
Timings
00:00:00: Theme Tune
00:00:30: Intro
00:02:36: What Have We Been Up To
00:12:39: Game News
00:24:54: New Games
00:28:45: Snacko
01:39:10: Outro
Links
Cinabunny Switch 1 and 2
Cozy Caravan 1.0
Travelers Rest “The Three Trials” Update
The Free Shepherd
Contact
Al on Mastodon: https://mastodon.scot/@TheScotBot
Email Us: https://harvestseason.club/contact/
Transcript
Theme Tune
(0s) Theme Tune:
[Music]
Intro
(31s) Al:
Hello, farmers, and welcome to another episode of the harvest season.
(35s)
My name is Al.
(37s) Aislinn:
And my name is Aislyn.
(39s) Al:
And we are here today to talk about gottage gore games.
(42s)
Woo.
(45s)
Welcome back, Azeland.
(47s)
Listener is one of how to do it for a while.
(49s)
But we recorded the game of the year episode less than a week ago.
(52s) Aislinn:
I’m all sorts of messed up in regards to like what’s the word I’m looking for just like
(1m)
where time yeah in in regards to the the meta you know the meta you the metaverse
(1m 1s) Al:
[laughter]
(1m 6s) Aislinn:
the whatever it was the word the fourth wall the fourth wall so I have to
(1m 10s) Al:
Chronology.
(1m 14s) Aislinn:
like think about like what did I talk about when we recorded last week
(1m 16s) Al:
Look, look, the import– well, I mean, it’s probably most of where you’ve got in that list.
(1m 22s)
[laughter]
(1m 23s) Aislinn:
hahaha
(1m 25s) Al:
The important thing is that we don’t give away in this episode
(1m 31s)
the year winner.
(1m 32s) Aislinn:
Mm-hmm, true.
(1m 32s) Al:
That’s the important thing, which will definitely not be hard.
(1m 37s) Aislinn:
I think it’ll be fine.
(1m 39s)
I think it’ll be good.
(1m 40s)
We can keep it a secret.
(1m 43s) Al:
This episode, we are finally getting to our Snacko episode. It has taken us so long because I feel like it was it me?
(1m 51s)
May this Snacko came out 1.0, right? That’s what we figured out. We literally talked about this on Saturday, but I’m pretty sure it was me.
(1m 54s) Aislinn:
I… I don’t remember.
(1m 59s)
Guess what? I forgot.
(2m 3s) Al:
Me, yes, me. I was right. I
(2m 5s)
was right. So he’s taken since me, but we are finally
(2m 11s)
properly played Snacko.
(2m 13s)
We are here to talk about it, before that we do have some news despite me having recorded
(2m 14s) Aislinn:
Yeah, I’m excited
(2m 20s) Al:
an episode two days ago.
(2m 22s) Aislinn:
[laughing]
(2m 24s) Al:
We do still have some news.
(2m 27s)
It’s not a lot but there’s almost always some news.
(2m 31s)
So before that, before our four pieces of news,
What Have We Been Up To
(2m 37s) Aislinn:
um I have been up to many many things as you can probably tell um obviously at this point
(2m 46s)
the legends ZA DLC is out so obviously I’ve been up to that um as usual nothing will change
(2m 55s)
with this until the game until I finally reach credits persona 3 reload is still happening
(3m)
outer wilds is still somewhere in there happening as long as I can circle back to it I
(3m 6s)
Very much so, Mrs.
(3m 7s)
I just started literally last night, Greece.
(3m 12s)
So I’m looking forward to continuing that.
(3m 14s) Al:
Is that how he is pronounced?
(3m 15s) Aislinn:
I don’t know, is it Greece?
(3m 16s) Al:
I thought he was gris.
(3m 18s) Aislinn:
I’m thinking, I know it’s some language for grey.
(3m 25s)
I want to say it’s Spanish for grey.
(3m 27s) Al:
Oh, then it’s probably grey. I don’t think you pronounce the ass then.
(3m 27s) Aislinn:
If I remember correctly, isn’t that like a French thing to not pronounce the last letter?
(3m 35s) Al:
Not just… not just…
(3m 37s) Aislinn:
It’s been a minute for me since I’d taken Spanish in high school.
(3m 42s)
So I’m like, I don’t remember, I thought it was Greece.
(3m 45s)
But again, I could be wrong.
(3m 47s)
I could totally be wrong.
(3m 49s)
But either way, I started that game.
(3m 52s)
Obviously, I’ve been playing as much as much snacko.
(3m 54s) Al:
Okay, okay, you might be right, a Google translate does seem to say “gris”, but it’s more like a it’s more like a rather than a “s”, it’s not like “gris”.
(3m 56s) Aislinn:
Ooh, okay, we’ll take it.
(4m 2s)
Yeah, I think, yeah, I think this sound doesn’t exist.
(4m 7s)
It’s in the language, but Greece does, that makes sense.
(4m 12s)
But started that, obviously, been working in Snacko whenever I can, and I did finally watch
(4m 18s)
the wholesome snack today.
(4m 20s)
So now I can listen to the podcast that you and Cody recorded, and I played through, not
(4m 28s)
all the way through, but I paid through the pandemonium, merge demo, lost and found co, miracle,
(4m 34s)
No.
(4m 35s)
Miraj, Miracle Quest, and Reese.
(4m 37s)
I also played a couple songs from bits and bops, so we got a lot going on.
(4m 43s) Al:
Nice
(4m 44s) Aislinn:
That’s my list.
(4m 45s)
That’s everything.
(4m 46s)
How about you?
(4m 48s)
Woo!
(4m 48s) Al:
I have been playing Pokemon
(4m 49s) Aislinn:
Woo!
(4m 51s) Al:
DLC that’s it pretty much
(4m 55s)
Certainly since the last podcast recording cuz the last podcast recording came out
(4m 59s)
Well last podcast was recorded on like Tuesday night just before I went to bed and then Wednesday morning
(5m 6s)
I woke up and the DLC was there so
(5m 9s)
Sadly, I that a snack or fell away
(5m 14s)
Purely because of Pokemon right if it weren’t for Pokemon. I definitely would have played more snack. Oh, it’s not that I’m not enjoying snackle
(5m 19s)
But the gotta go gotta get go to get through that DLC before things are too spoiled
(5m 24s) Aislinn:
Yeah
(5m 24s) Al:
And then hopefully
(5m 28s) Aislinn:
Well, if you just don’t exist on social media then you can’t get spoiled
(5m 32s) Al:
[laughing]
(5m 34s)
Yeah.
(5m 36s) Aislinn:
It’s it’s it’s it’s it’s pretty good. I’m just I’m not gonna lie. Can anyone reach me? Not really, but it’s pretty good
(5m 42s) Al:
Well, I mean, I don’t feel that that’s a bot, right?
(5m 48s)
Like nobody can reach me and it’s pretty good.
(5m 51s) Aislinn:
that’s true. That’s true. That’s a very good point. I just have, you know, just a little
(5m 52s) Al:
They’re far, it’s pretty good.
(5m 58s) Aislinn:
bit of looming guilt, just a little bit, just being unreachable, but that’s okay. We’re
(6m 3s)
working through it. But how are you, how are you generally feeling about the DLC?
(6m 5s) Al:
Fair enough
(6m 10s)
Yeah, so I am enjoying it. I’m not enjoying the the the time limits for each of the sections
(6m 18s) Aislinn:
Okay, great. Me too.
(6m 21s)
Yes, me too. Me too. Me too. Me too.
(6m 23s) Al:
I I I
(6m 26s)
Don’t get why they felt they need to do the time limits. It’s just it feels so
(6m 32s)
Stressful and I don’t know what it adds to it. It’s like…
(6m 35s)
Especially as you can like, what I’m doing is like, it auto saves when you go in the hole, the donut hole, and then, like, just walking around and seeing what there is, and then I reset and then I know exactly where to go, so that I can go and do the things in the time that I want, right? Like, it’s not actually, like, it’s just satsar unnecessary restriction that is easily worked around, but also still stresses me out because there’s a constant timer.
(7m 5s)
Yeah, not great. I don’t know why they made that decision. Have there ever been an area that has been timed in Pokémon that you have to leave at the end of that time before?
(7m 17s) Aislinn:
Um, I mean, the, the space-time distortions, is that what they were called, I think, right?
(7m 22s)
In, uh, Legends Arceus, those were gender, really a time limit.
(7m 25s) Al:
- Yeah, sure, that felt different.
(7m 31s)
One, you didn’t need to like,
(7m 34s)
consumer consumer will to get them, right?
(7m 36s)
You just needed to wait and eventually they would come back.
(7m 39s)
And it also felt much more of the,
(7m 45s)
like that whole game is about being stressed, right?
(7m 48s)
Like you’re out in the wilds, dying all the time.
(7m 51s)
And so it’s like, here’s this one more stressful area.
(7m 55s)
Do, again, okay, that’s fair that that is timed,
(7m 58s)
but yeah, it definitely does feel different.
(8m) Aislinn:
Yeah, I I I agree it does feel different my
(8m 5s)
All right, I am I’ll be positive first before I be negative
(8m 9s) Al:
[laughing]
(8m 11s) Aislinn:
I am very
(8m 14s)
Intrigued and curious to see where the story is going and I of course like the characters
(8m 21s)
That’s that’s nothing new
(8m 22s)
I’ve always liked the characters in this game so far overall and the introduction of the characters and spending more time with other characters in
(8m 30s)
You’ll see has been very enjoyable and I’m again very curious to see where things go, but I
(8m 37s)
For the first time in what feels like a while in regards to your pokemon game
(8m 41s)
I have never been as aggravated or frustrated as I have been with the timer and the donut cycle I
(8m 50s)
theorize that the
(8m 52s)
reason that the timer
(8m 56s)
Is a mechanic in the game? It’s just because it is a
(9m)
mechanic that is somewhat regularly used in a number of different games. I can’t give you an example off the top of my head. But it’s a mechanic that has existed in games more so for the sake of replayability. So it encourages you to continue this cycle of making donuts doing the timer area making yes. And I like I that’s fair. I as someone that has learned that I think I
(9m 20s) Al:
It’s Pokémon roguelike, boo that’s why I don’t like it
(9m 30s) Aislinn:
like look roguelikes, like I enjoyed velocher for the time that I played velocher. I would really love to play more Hades at some point. Doing that grind of going like the replayability in that sense, I don’t mind that because it feels worth it. I don’t feel any payoff for the stress that I feel in these time areas. I come out of there and I’m frustrated almost every single time. So I’m trying to get through the areas in the sense of just getting through it in
(10m)
enough to be able to make it through the main story. So I can either avoid the areas altogether or go in with less pressure to then just be like, Oh, the timer’s up. Okay. Whatever. It’s fine. I can move on with my life. I’m trying to reframe that because otherwise if I harp on it too much for me, I get very frustrated and I just felt myself just I was so I I’ve been so tired today because or no. Well,
(10m 30s)
Yesterday, I was very tired yesterday and then even rolling into the day because I don’t think I ever fully recover from the frustration that exhausted me from playing the game for 10 hours and dealing with the timer. Donut cycle for 10 hours and the donuts too. There’s no guidance, nothing. And I want to look up guidance, but I know with Pokemon the way that the most Pokemon game goes is that as you continue through that mechanic, whatever it may be, if I look something up, there’s going to be a spoiler somewhere down the line because it’s going to be something.
(11m)
special donut that’s going to indicate this Pokemon is coming to the game or this new something something is going to be in the game. And that’s going to be like a spoiler for me. So I can’t even look anything up on like a wiki or something or like therapy because it’s probably going to be a spoiler if I look it up. So I’m kind of just stuck in the cycle of guessing. What’s a good donut to make? And I’m just I’m just not enjoying it at all. Unfortunately. So that’s where I’m at. That’s my rant.
(11m 27s) Al:
That’s fair. Yeah. I think I might grow to like it, um, because I, I think the donuts are
(11m 36s)
getting better and longer as I go. Um, and so I’m hoping that at some point the donuts get
(11m 42s)
long enough that it’s not really an issue, right? The problem is when you have like a three
(11m 46s)
minute donut and you’re like, how am I meant to completely explore this area in three
(11m 50s)
minutes? But if I were to get like a 15 minute donut, that would be fine, right? Like
(11m 50s) Aislinn:
Yeah.
(11m 55s)
Yeah.
(11m 55s) Al:
these areas aren’t humongous.
(11m 57s)
I just need more time, I don’t need infinite time, I just need more time and then you do get to the point where like what was the point in the mechanic in that case, then if they are long enough to do that, but I have a strong suspicion that I will be able to get longer.
(12m 12s) Aislinn:
Yeah, I just, I think I agree, but I just have to get to that point.
(12m 18s)
So I have to just deal with the aggravation for now and the fact that I have to deal with the aggravation for now, for me, is just frustrating it itself.
(12m 23s) Al:
Yeah, yeah
(12m 25s) Aislinn:
So I am having an issue with the DLC, but I’m just trying to push through, I’m just trying to push through, I can do it.
(12m 27s) Al:
Totally fair
(12m 31s)
You can do it you can do it we can do it woo, let’s do it
(12m 33s) Aislinn:
We can do it. We can do it.
(12m 36s)
So that’s my, that’s my, that’s my vent.
Game News
(12m 39s) Al:
Shall we talk about some farming game news?
(12m 42s) Aislinn:
Yes, absolutely.
(12m 44s) Al:
First up we have center bunny have announced that they’re switch and switch to release is
(12m 50s)
out now. So if you have been wanting to
(12m 53s)
play this game, but you wanted to play it on the switch or switch to knows your chance.
(12m 58s) Aislinn:
Have you played this game?
(12m 59s) Al:
I have not played it, uh, who played it? Someone played it, um, we did. But was there was an episode
(13m 3s) Aislinn:
Looks like do someone, does someone we know? Has someone played it?
(13m 7s) Al:
on Cinebunny? How long ago was that? I am just searching through my list of episodes
(13m 9s) Aislinn:
Okay, I missed it.
(13m 18s) Al:
I thought, hmm, I thought there was a cinnabunny episode, but I can’t.
(13m 22s) Aislinn:
I remember that the topic of cinnabunny came up in regards to, I forget who mentioned it,
(13m 28s) Al:
Time to do them more deeper.
(13m 29s) Aislinn:
but someone was like, “Oh, this would be a good game for me to play,” and I took one look at it,
(13m 38s)
and I was like, “You are dead wrong.” Unfortunately.
(13m 39s) Al:
Haha, that’s it.
(13m 42s)
There was, yes, there was a Cenobani episode, it was in March of this year, March of this
(13m 47s)
year, Cenobani episode Cody and Kev.
(13m 50s) Aislinn:
Okay, maybe I got a circle in my way back to that episode just to just to get the take
(13m 54s) Al:
I think, yeah, I think they enjoyed the game.
(13m 59s) Aislinn:
Okay
(14m) Al:
I, like you, have been put off a bit by the graphics.
(14m 5s) Aislinn:
Hmm yep
(14m 6s) Al:
is that fair to say, sorry, I’m reading, I’m reading your…
(14m 9s)
Bill of Pints.
(14m 9s) Aislinn:
Oh, no, that’s fine. That is totally okay. That’s why I put them there so we could both bounce all of it
(14m 15s)
It’s it’s titled the a’s dunking’s TM
(14m 18s) Al:
[laughing]
(14m 20s) Aislinn:
Okay
(14m 22s)
Yeah, I it’s it’s the the way the game looks is not my favorite by any means I
(14m 30s)
Like I and when I was researching the game before I started typing out all of my dunkings
(14m 35s)
I was like I don’t
(14m 38s)
Want to unfairly dunk on the game because I don’t know much about this game
(14m 43s)
I don’t know the dev studio and then when I looked into the devs like the devs
(14m 47s)
It’s one person making the game so it’s
(14m 50s)
one person working on the game, and I know I don’t want to be unfairly harsh, but personally, the way the game looks, especially when comparing it to the game cover art.
(15m 5s)
It’s just, and this has been like a trend. This like kind of goes into like another event. We’re all about the events today. It’s all it’s all about venting today. We’re like an air conditioner. Anyways, like, I just, I just…
(15m 14s) Al:
Okay, it’s, it is, I mean, it’s not incorrect, I guess it.
(15m 21s) Aislinn:
I don’t even know if it’s the right term. I’m more both tired, we’re both delusional. It’s one type of vent, an air vent. I don’t know, whatever. Anyways, I…
(15m 27s) Al:
Hmm. Yep. You are correct. No, I get, I get your point. It’s, it’s, it’s always
(15m 37s)
difficult to dunk too much on an indie game, especially when it’s an individual and
(15m 40s) Aislinn:
Yeah.
(15m 42s) Al:
It’s clearly a labor of love.
(15m 44s)
It’s blood blood, etc, etc, but very much not for you.
(15m 50s) Aislinn:
much so not for me. I just I just really don’t like how the bunnies look. They’re just like colored
(15m 56s)
blobs with two dot eyes and then two white dots on set eyes and then that’s it. And I’m like I just
(16m 4s)
and I think about like in comparison. I really don’t want to pit two games against each other.
(16m 10s)
I just I really don’t but I it’s like I think about magical delicacy and how good that game looks
(16m 15s)
and that’s a single developer and then I think about synagogue and I’m like wow.
(16m 20s)
But then it’s it’s not even that it’s not even that though.
(16m 21s) Al:
Yeah, and it’s not, it’s, yeah, it’s not even just that, right?
(16m 24s)
Cause like people will be like, oh, the pixel art or whatever.
(16m 27s)
But like, there are other examples as well.
(16m 29s)
And again, it doesn’t need to be like, oh, hey, your game looks bad.
(16m 33s)
But like, if you look at something like lemon cake, for example, which is a
(16m 38s)
very similar game in terms of like size and is also a single individual
(16m 44s)
developer, and it clearly is not, you know, high fidelity, but.
(16m 51s)
Just looks so much more, hmm, it, more inviting and more vibrant.
(16m 59s) Aislinn:
- Yeah.
(17m) Al:
And you don’t have to have specific colors.
(17m 3s)
That’s not what it is.
(17m 4s)
It’s not about like, oh, this one has green, you know, and this one is more
(17m 7s) Aislinn:
Mm-hmm
(17m 8s) Al:
dark.
(17m 8s)
Like you can make a dark, inviting game as well.
(17m 11s)
Um, I think the problem is they’re trying to go to realistic and realistic
(17m 17s)
is hard to do well.
(17m 19s) Aislinn:
Yes, yeah, you know what, that might be that that might be exactly what it is.
(17m 21s) Al:
Not to do well for triple H studios.
(17m 28s) Aislinn:
It’s got very neutral colors, and like you said, it just feels like it’s like realistic.
(17m 33s)
And I think this game would benefit to having the colors of lemon cake to make it pot
(17m 39s)
more.
(17m 40s)
But I still like circle back to the fact, I don’t, I still don’t know exactly how I feel
(17m 45s)
in regards to this, this specific point that I make in
(17m 49s)
regards to the game itself looking different from the game cover art, but it’s just there’s some
(17m 56s)
like just cognitive dissonance I guess is the lack of a better word that’s happening where the game
(18m 1s)
looks one way, but then the cover art looks completely different. Like I look at the cover art for
(18m 3s) Al:
Yeah, yeah, that’s not an unusual, yeah.
(18m 8s) Aislinn:
Sinnoh bunny and it’s like then you look at the game like I’m looking at this one screenshot of this
(18m 13s)
bunny on its hind feet and it says my recipe is I’m looking at the steam page.
(18m 19s)
And it’s just the walls and the floor and the tape, it just looks so land and I just don’t
(18m 28s)
know if I can I just can’t cough and I’m sure the gameplay itself mechanic is good that the gameplay
(18m 34s)
loop is good, but I just aesthetically it’s so hard for me to look at this game and then it’s
(18m 40s)
confusing looking at like the game cover for lemon cake and then looking at the game itself.
(18m 46s)
the colors are similar, but then the art style is completely different.
(18m 49s)
And it’s just like confusing me, and I know it’s a common thing, but it’s just something that I’m not sure how I feel about.
(18m 56s)
That’s kind of where I’m at. But, to pivot away from that…
(18m 58s) Al:
well now now the easel islin has taken down the developer of cinnabunny
(19m 6s)
[Laughter]
(19m 7s) Aislinn:
No, I don’t want it to be like that! No! I don’t want to be me!
(19m 8s) Al:
destroyed them
(19m 11s)
[Laughter]
(19m 18s)
too late
(19m 20s)
[Laughter]
(19m 20s) Aislinn:
I just want to be honest with my feelings.
(19m 24s) Al:
know that I mean this is the thing like this is
(19m 28s)
what I I keep saying is like just because we don’t like a game necessarily doesn’t mean it’s bad and all of the reasons that we might like or dislike a game might be the reasons someone else dislikes or likes a game right and that’s fine and whatever games you like you’re totally fine unless it’s triggered your island or time it got you plaza you know what maybe it maybe I won’t even say
(19m 35s) Aislinn:
Yeah. Yeah.
(19m 50s)
[laughter]
(19m 53s)
You know, it really be that way.
(19m 55s)
It really be that way.
(19m 58s) Al:
got you plaza because like I can I can after what Micah said to me on the game of the year episode that you will hear listeners in two weeks he’s maybe convinced me that it’s not as horrifically bad as I could have as I originally thought and I can see why someone might like it she could you island on the other hand is just bad so let’s go back to just there’s only one
(20m 22s) Aislinn:
[laughing]
(20m 27s)
There.
(20m 28s) Al:
bad game and it’s you could you island everything else is just not for me cozy caravan have announced that they are leaving early access their one point oh is coming out on the 8th of January the first release of 2026 I think.
(20m 31s) Aislinn:
I’m happy to roll with that.
(20m 33s)
I’m happy to roll with that.
(20m 34s)
[laughing]
(20m 45s)
Woo, I was like, “Wow, I know that news when I was watching the wholesome direct. I was like,
(20m 51s)
“Wow, spoiled!”
(20m 52s) Al:
It’s by little alert.
(20m 58s) Aislinn:
I mean, awesome. I’m happy to see it’s leaving early access. It’s a game that’s been on my
(21m 2s)
wishlist, so I’m happy to just see it be a full-fledged game. Yay!
(21m 4s) Al:
You’re allowed to play it now
(21m 9s)
Yeah, I don’t think there’s much else to say it’s adding stuff so go play the game if you if you were looking for it
(21m 13s) Aislinn:
Bear.
(21m 18s) Al:
We also have another update from Traveler’s Rest
(21m 21s)
This is the three trials update and this adds a new story in new areas and new characters
(21m 28s)
This seems to be the first Traveler’s Rest like major Traveler’s Rest update that I’ve seen has
(21m 34s)
Like added in what I would assume would be a core piece of functionality and made me question what was in the game
(21m 39s)
Like the like there was like maybe four updates in there were like, ah, we’ve just implemented being able to serve drinks in the tavern
(21m 40s) Aislinn:
- Right.
(21m 47s) Al:
And I’m like, that’s that’s not your whole thing
(21m 51s) Aislinn:
[Laughing]
(21m 52s) Al:
It’s like if if the first start you update had like
(21m 54s) Aislinn:
Ah.
(21m 57s) Al:
implemented crops like what did you have before?
(22m 2s) Aislinn:
Yeah, that’s a bit… that that is a bit odd.
(22m 5s)
But this seems to, yeah, like you said, make more sense in the sense of it’s adding more stuff that shouldn’t…
(22m 12s)
That doesn’t… that shouldn’t already exist in the game.
(22m 15s)
Is that what it… does that make sense?
(22m 16s) Al:
I
(22m 17s) Aislinn:
I think that makes sense.
(22m 18s)
I… (laughs)
(22m 19s) Al:
Think we know what you mean
(22m 21s) Aislinn:
Yes. (laughs)
(22m 22s) Al:
Yeah
(22m 23s) Aislinn:
Again, it’s one of those days.
(22m 24s) Al:
Game has been an early access for five and a half years
(22m 29s) Aislinn:
Five and a half years!
(22m 32s) Al:
Five and a half years
(22m 34s)
July 2020 was when it went into Ali accent
(22m 35s) Aislinn:
What?
(22m 38s)
Oh! Oh my god, yeah.
(22m 39s) Al:
But but it has very positive reviews on steam
(22m 44s) Aislinn:
That’s… that’s good.
(22m 44s) Al:
It has our SteamDB rating of 86.
(22m 47s) Aislinn:
Someone six hours ago early access review
(22m 51s)
Thumbs down finish the game. It’s been nearly six years. Oh
(22m 55s) Al:
I find it funny. I wonder what they expect from that, right? Because it’s like, well,
(23m) Aislinn:
Man
(23m 5s) Al:
if they just said it’s no longer an early access, but did nothing else. And they were like,
(23m 11s)
here you go. With that, would they be happy with that? Is that it finished, right? Because
(23m 17s) Aislinn:
I see. Good question.
(23m 17s) Al:
like they’re kind of, I mean, this also this this person has six hours logged in the game.
(23m 25s)
It’s not very many hours over nearly six years. So, just gonna just gonna say, maybe, maybe
(23m 31s) Aislinn:
That’s true. That’s a very good point.
(23m 36s) Al:
sharp. That’s all. That’s all. I mean, I think people seem to be pretty happy with her
(23m 48s)
is and are enjoying more updates. And yeah, what’s, what’s up?
(23m 55s)
Like if I, if I, I, no, okay, we’re fine. Yeah. Let’s, let’s move on. Enjoy your update. If you don’t
(23m 59s) Aislinn:
Yeah, fair enough. Yeah, that’s it. That’s it. That’s that’s that’s the overall learning lesson. If you don’t like the game, don’t play the game, but don’t ruin it for others if they like the game. Let them enjoy the game. That’s it.
(24m 3s) Al:
like the game, don’t play the game.
(24m 18s)
unless unless the game is sugared you island.
(24m 18s) Aislinn:
That’s it. Yes. Okay. That’s the exception. asterix unless it’s sugar to island got it. Oh my god. She included this out of it. No. I never.
(24m 26s) Al:
Have you ever played the game?
(24m 29s) Aislinn:
No, I’m just I’m I’m I’m happy to dunk as needed.
(24m 33s) Al:
I will never understand how many people like it.
(24m 36s) Aislinn:
I don’t know. I saw it has very positive reviews too and I’m like, I don’t know as far as I know it’s a terrible game because what Al says goes.
(24m 37s) Al:
Bizarre.
(24m 40s)
Yeah 67% of people have part
(24m 50s) Aislinn:
I’m glad someone enjoys it, I guess.
(24m 52s) Al:
All right, we also have one new game to talk about. This is the free shepherd
New Games
(25m) Aislinn:
I saw this look so cute.
(25m 3s) Al:
Right, so this is let me read the blurb run fast and free as a sheepdog in a beautiful but troubled world
(25m 12s)
haired masses of lost sheep to a secret refuge discover a mysterious calamity that only you can stop I
(25m 21s)
I’m… I’m…
(25m 22s)
Yeah, why are there so many herads of sheep that I need to… I mean, I guess that’s the point of the game is the… the mystery, right? It’s just… it’s really fascinating.
(25m 28s) Aislinn:
Mm-hmm.
(25m 32s) Al:
And do I want to be a colleague? Yes, I do want to be a colleague and run free around the hills and hair it up sheep. That is… that is my dream. That is what I want to be in.
(25m 43s) Aislinn:
But it’s so, I’m so intrigued by this ice land and this big tower and this rock with
(25m 55s)
the perfect circle hole in it.
(25m 58s) Al:
is the goodbye going to save the world.
(26m 1s) Aislinn:
I say yes, I hope yes.
(26m 4s)
Also, it’s apparently similar to Outer Wilds.
(26m 7s)
I don’t know how they made that determination, but…
(26m 9s) Al:
mhm. Oh, yeah. What does it say on me? It says this is similar to how like hello, get the island adventure.
(26m 13s) Aislinn:
Two, two different worlds.
(26m 19s) Al:
Amazing. Amazing. This game looks so good.
(26m 21s) Aislinn:
It does look really good.
(26m 24s)
I think this would be a nice hanging out on the couch, put it on, type of game, under a blanket.
(26m 32s) Al:
ambient. Also, proof that you don’t need vibrant colors. You know, when we were talking
(26m 36s)
earlier about colors, you can, you can be non-vibrant colors and still look very inviting.
(26m 37s) Aislinn:
All it takes is a consistent concept.
(26m 43s)
That’s all, that’s it, that’s all it is.
(26m 46s) Al:
Oh, Islin, all I want to be is a cheap dog running
(26m 52s) Aislinn:
I would say same, but I think I’m more so I just want to be a cat.
(27m 2s)
I’m very happy to be a cat hanging out on my cat tower, but that’s just me.
(27m 7s) Al:
I once, I had a gap here between school and university
(27m 11s)
where I worked at an outdoor center.
(27m 13s)
And at this outdoor center,
(27m 15s)
there was a married couple who had to call
(27m 17s)
a two board to call it.
(27m 19s) Aislinn:
I know. Yeah.
(27m 19s) Al:
And those dogs, I love those dogs so much.
(27m 22s)
They are my favorite dogs.
(27m 23s)
And these dogs were so, so fast.
(27m 27s)
And like, when I tell you they ran,
(27m 30s)
I mean like, they ran.
(27m 32s)
So we were at the top of the hill above the lock.
(27m 35s)
And they would run for…
(27m 37s)
the top of the hill all the way down to the lock, and this would take like a ten-minute drive, and they would just like absolutely bolt it down, like so much so that you would hardly see them going, they’re just so incredibly fast, and they would just thunder.
(27m 53s)
are amazing dogs. They were also made in rescue dogs.
(27m 54s) Aislinn:
Oh, oh, that’s so cute. That’s so, so, so sweet.
(28m 3s) Al:
Those dogs are almost certainly dead now.
(28m 4s) Aislinn:
Oh, why are you gonna say it that way?
(28m 5s) Al:
[laughs]
(28m 6s)
It’s been so long.
(28m 7s)
[laughs]
(28m 8s) Aislinn:
You could have just left it at that.
(28m 9s) Al:
It’s just, it’s been, it’s been so long.
(28m 12s) Aislinn:
But still.
(28m 13s) Al:
[laughs]
(28m 16s)
Oh, I love those dogs, those dogs are so good.
(28m 20s)
They just love to, it’s like they have,
(28m 21s)
they have a like compulsion to run.
(28m 23s)
It’s not that they like to run.
(28m 25s)
It’s that they have to run.
(28m 26s) Aislinn:
Yeah, I will watch you run and heard while I sit on my suction cup window cat bed
(28m 27s) Al:
Running is what they do.
(28m 28s)
I will run, run.
(28m 33s)
[laughs]
(28m 44s) Aislinn:
and hang out. Oh yeah, that’s a wonderful transition. Wow! Wow!
Snacko
(28m 46s) Al:
All right, well, speaking of cats, shall we talk about Snacko?
(28m 52s)
Sometimes, sometimes I have them, sometimes I do.
(28m 56s)
All right, so Snacko, just in case anybody is not aware.
(28m 59s)
Snacko is a farming game but you’re a cat.
(29m 2s)
[laugh]
(29m 4s) Aislinn:
Yeah
(29m 5s) Al:
That, I mean, that’s it, I shouldn’t have to tell you anymore.
(29m 11s)
It is also a good looking game.
(29m 13s)
It is also a fun game to play.
(29m 16s)
They are wonderful people.
(29m 18s)
I have interviewed them on the podcast far too long ago because time does not exist.
(29m 24s) Aislinn:
[laughing]
(29m 28s) Al:
It is, I guess, intro to how it starts is you are on a boat going away to a new land.
(29m 40s)
And your, your boat, I think I can’t remember it, does it just overturn or
(29m 45s)
is it crashing to something?
(29m 46s)
I can’t remember the details of that.
(29m 47s) Aislinn:
Um, there’s like a hole that appears, yeah.
(29m 51s) Al:
Oh, yes, it just slowly, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
(29m 54s)
And then you awaken on the beach in this new area.
(29m 59s)
January 2020, by the way, is when I interviewed them nearly six years ago.
(30m 2s)
That’s mad.
(30m 5s)
You awaken on the beach.
(30m 7s)
You are awakened by a local.
(30m 10s)
You find your fellow traveler who is also on the beach and you start your new life on Snacko Island as the farmer.
(30m 21s)
And your aim of the game is to rebuild Snacko Island.
(30m 26s)
It’s dilapidated, there are, there are but three cats living on this island now.
(30m 33s)
You, your fellow traveler and, and Nobu, the,
(30m 38s)
three of you are
(30m 40s)
you are building up this island, you are bringing new people in, you are farming, you are building, you are exploring, you are dungeon mastering, I don’t know how to describe the verb for that, we’ll get to that, we’ll get to that when we get to it.
(30m 52s) Aislinn:
[laughing]
(30m 57s) Al:
And is that fair enough overview of the intro to this game?
(31m 2s) Aislinn:
I would say yeah, I
(31m 4s)
Let me see how much time I sunk into the game, but I would say yeah
(31m 8s)
That’s a that’s a perfect intro into this game only played it for a seven-point eight hours
(31m 13s)
I thought I sunk in more time. I feel like I sunk in so much more time
(31m 15s) Al:
[laughter]
(31m 18s)
That’s the beauty of it.
(31m 19s)
A– a– a– take a disappears time.
(31m 19s) Aislinn:
Oh man
(31m 22s)
It really does there’s just so much to do and I just keep so busy and I have such a great time that time
(31m 28s)
I just I really thought I sunk in more time so you’re gonna have a
(31m 32s)
lot more notes than I am but still everything that you said still yeah that’s
(31m 34s) Al:
We’ll see, we’ll see, we’ll see, we’ll see, I mean, people don’t really need to listen
(31m 41s)
to the rest of the episode, games good, go play it, there you go, that’s it, that’s all
(31m 45s)
you need to know, game is good, and you know, I couldn’t possibly say either way, but
(31m 45s) Aislinn:
it it’s worth it
(31m 52s) Al:
possibly someone might end up bringing it up in a future episode about good games of
(31m 59s)
the year. You never know. We’ll we’ll see what comes from that.
(32m 1s) Aislinn:
Yeah.
(32m 5s) Al:
Um, okay, should we talk about the visuals then?
(32m 8s)
Because it is, uh, uh, how I would describe it as a paper
(32m 13s)
Mario-esque visuals. You are 2D characters in a 3D world.
(32m 14s) Aislinn:
Yeah, mm-hmm
(32m 19s) Al:
Um, it is, uh, it is quite a vibrant world, the colors pop.
(32m 24s)
Um, and, uh, the, I don’t know where I was going with that.
(32m 28s) Aislinn:
I mean, I love the visuals.
(32m 32s) Al:
I like the video.
(32m 34s)
individuals. Always go to one, not me there, don’t you?
(32m 37s) Aislinn:
That might unintentionally be my thing.
(32m 43s)
It’s not trying to one up, but it just happens to come across that way, and it’s not my intention.
(32m 46s) Al:
[laughing]
(32m 51s)
Yeah, I really like it as well.
(32m 52s)
I think one negative I would say about the visuals
(32m 55s)
is some of the areas feel quite samey.
(32m 58s)
There’s quite a few areas that feel like
(33m)
this is the grassy area
(33m 1s)
and this is also the grassy area
(33m 3s)
and this is also the grassy area.
(33m 6s)
I would maybe like a little bit more variety
(33m 8s)
in terms of that, but just in general,
(33m 11s)
I like how it looks.
(33m 12s)
I like all the models and stuff.
(33m 13s)
like the colors I like.
(33m 16s)
the world. I have finally got to a point where I am understanding the layout of the island
(33m 26s)
and being able to go places without the map, which is always a big thing. Yeah.
(33m 32s) Aislinn:
Yeah, I would say even though I have not sunk in as much time as you probably have,
(33m 38s)
I would say I picked up like navigating around the island so far, like pretty quickly, like it’s,
(33m 46s)
yeah I picked up on it pretty quickly. I agree with you, the art style and the colors are so
(33m 53s)
very very very cute and so just it feels childlike in a way is maybe like the best way to describe
(34m 2s)
it. I feel like I’m just like a kid playing this game again is the emotions that I feel. I just
(34m 8s)
like I like just love just sitting down at my desk and just playing the game having for me
(34m 17s)
having the wiki off to the side and just existing like the immersion of this game is very much so
(34m 25s)
wonderful, especially I can’t go in yet but just walking accidentally walking into the mush
(34m 32s)
room forest has been like one of my favorite experiences that was so so pretty everything it feels
(34m 38s) Al:
I think that’s the thing is that’s why they’re being so many just like generic grassy areas is the one kind of frustrate is why it’s frustrating to me because the other areas are just so different and so and everything looks good and then it’s like and the areas that I’m going into every day are all the same grassy area right like I
(34m 40s) Aislinn:
intentional with the art direction of this game and I adore although I do agree with the grassy
(34m 46s)
thing. Yeah.
(35m 8s) Al:
I think that’s the thing is like we have these lovely gorgeous areas that really you don’t go in very much and you know you have to unlock to get into them as you progress the story which is fine but then once you’ve done that you’re only really going in if you need to do something for the quest right like your farm and the main town area and the kind of more common areas they’re all the kind of grassy areas and it’s not really a complaint right like it’s not like they look bad it’s just like these other areas
(35m 38s)
areas look great I want to be able to see more mystical looking areas more regularly you know.
(35m 44s) Aislinn:
I mean, they kind of set the expectation when you check out these or you accidentally stumble
(35m 52s)
across these other areas and then you go back to like your farm and just like the main
(35m 55s)
town area and it’s all kind of the same.
(35m 58s)
So the expectation has kind of been raised in that sense, but it’s also not like a deal
(36m 2s)
break or a game changer or anything for me.
(36m 4s) Al:
No. No. Just, just to make it very clear, we both love this game and everything we say
(36m 5s) Aislinn:
It’s just an observation.
(36m 7s)
Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes.
(36m 11s) Al:
is nitpicking, right? Like, this is, this is, this is not the game is bad because of these.
(36m 16s)
This is the game is great. And if it had these things, it would be perfect rather than anything else.
(36m 21s) Aislinn:
Yes
(36m 23s) Al:
So just, just to make that fairly clear, we love this game, fill stop.
(36m 25s) Aislinn:
Yes, yes
(36m 27s) Al:
Okay, cool. Let’s talk about the mechanics then. So, oh, sorry.
(36m 31s) Aislinn:
Dale Dale North might be love it the music. Oh
(36m 34s) Al:
Yes, we, oh, yes, we didn’t talk about music. Yes, good point. My, my bad, my bad.
(36m 36s) Aislinn:
Oh my god. No, you’re good. You’re good. I
(36m 40s)
Just I needed to get that out of my system
(36m 43s)
Dale North
(36m 44s)
Fantastic music fantastic music, and then listen. I’m not playing the game
(36m 51s)
And the remixes
(36m 53s) Al:
I was going to say, have you listened to the remixes.
(36m 55s) Aislinn:
Oh my gosh, I was listening to it while I was co-working last week on stream and
(37m 3s)
I just I was like I want to listen to all damn Dale North view that music so I was listening to magical delicacy
(37m 8s)
music and
(37m 10s)
Snacko music and then while it’s like you have like the really just like cozy
(37m 15s)
cozy
(37m 16s)
s vibes from the magical delicacy and the regular snacko.
(37m 21s)
And then all of a sudden, you have the remixes mixed in there and I’m just like working on my things and like just head banging. I’m like, this is so good! I am floored with the music from snacko. Absolutely floored. Wonderful music production.
(37m 35s) Al:
Yeah. I love that they got, they managed to get
(37m 40s)
chamelea to make remixes, like it’s such a, you kind of,
(37m 45s)
because I’m not sure if you’re aware of their music.
(37m 49s) Aislinn:
No, because of the remixes, I have to check out the rest of their stuff now.
(37m 53s) Al:
They have quite a lot of songs in Beat Saber.
(37m 57s) Aislinn:
Oh, sick. That’s awesome.
(38m) Al:
And they are the like hardest Beat Saber levels.
(38m 3s)
They are like the, oh no.
(38m 5s)
Here we go. I am going to massively lose like the only the only ones I haven’t finished or I expect are Camellia songs, they are just insane, some of them.
(38m 13s) Aislinn:
That’s sick. That’s awesome. I gotta look into their stuff. I definitely gotta look into their stuff.
(38m 21s) Al:
And, and they’ve done collaborations with Toby Fox and stuff like that. So yeah, they’re, they’re not, you know, a small, not the Dale North is, you know, there’s tiny bit like, yeah.
(38m 33s) Aislinn:
Yes, uh-huh.
(38m 36s)
Oh, yeah, I see like they’re their album covers for some of their other
(38m 43s)
Works, I mean even the album coming for the snacko remixes for them. Yeah, this is
(38m 47s) Al:
Yeah I don’t know details of that I’m not particularly surprised
(38m 48s) Aislinn:
Do they make vocal boy music? I see me coo. I see a me coo
(38m 55s)
Count me in oo. I see a teto. I’m in
(39m)
Give me vocaloid. I’m it
(39m 3s)
Oh my god. Yeah, they both they feature on vocaloid hits. Okay. I’m digressing. That’s awesome. That’s sick. Okay. Definitely on the list. That’s awesome
(39m 12s) Al:
So, okay, good. Yeah, Visual is good, Music’s good, fantastic.
(39m 12s) Aislinn:
Yeah, music great
(39m 19s)
Do we move on to the
(39m 20s) Al:
You’re gonna, you’re gonna, well, let’s, okay, let’s talk about, before we get into like the full mechanics,
(39m 24s)
let’s talk about the beginning of the game. You’ve got your customization. I made a ginger cat.
(39m 28s) Aislinn:
Oh, you made my maki, you basically made my maki.
(39m 31s) Al:
I like my little ginger cat. Sure.
(39m 37s) Aislinn:
Yeah, I did actually, I forgot I made a note that I was trying to make a tuxedo cat specifically
(39m 45s)
in my past cat precious and I just wish there was a little bit more customization with
(39m 51s)
the cat pattern because I can’t add like a little white patch on the chest, which I’m
(39m 58s)
about, but I made it work, so, but otherwise like the character customization is pretty
(40m 3s)
good.
(40m 4s)
It’s pretty standard, I just wish there was more.
(40m 5s) Al:
I spent quite a lot of time in there making sure I was happy and you know getting the right color and stuff like that
(40m 11s)
This is normally where we talk about tutorial. I kind of don’t want to talk about tutorial a lot because it’s going to tie into the quests a lot
(40m 18s)
Which I want to talk about later
(40m 20s)
But suffice to say I think they’ve done tutorial really well like I am such a big critic of tutorial
(40m 25s)
The very start of the game you have a bit of you know dialogue and and and tutorial to really get you started
(40m 32s)
But it’s particularly short. It’s like the
(40m 35s)
absolute basics of things. And then all the other tutorial is in quests that you can just choose to do. So if you’re like, oh, I want to do fishing, and you haven’t been told about fishing, you go to the quest board and you see the one that is a tutorial for fishing, and that’s how you learn about fishing and you get the fishing rod, et cetera, et cetera.
(40m 52s) Aislinn:
Yeah.
(40m 56s) Al:
Well, I think it’s a really good way of doing it, especially for someone like me, where it’s like, here is the absolute basics you need for this game. And also you can skip that.
(41m 5s)
If you want, when you’re creating your save file, you can say skip tutorial day. But you’ve got like, I don’t know, it maybe took like 10 minutes or something to get through the tutorial day. And then once you’ve done that, you now have the basics of the game. You can just go and do what you want, or you can go and then learn more more tutorial, go through more tutorial on learn more, but the other parts of the game as you unravel the game. Like you can leave some of it really
(41m 31s) Aislinn:
Yeah, that’s true. I think about it, that is a very good point. You can leave some of that stuff to whenever you want to do it and you can just do whatever you want and whatever order that you want, which is very nice to have that flexibility, very, very nice to have that flexibility.
(41m 46s) Al:
Yeah, yeah, really really good. The one disadvantage of it is like there are sometimes you might not realize that oh, there’s this thing
(41m 53s)
I could use like it took me ages to realize there was a sword you could get because I just hadn’t noticed that tutorial quest
(41m 57s) Aislinn:
Oh, yeah.
(41m 59s) Al:
And so I was like manually getting rid of the grass on my farm by using the whole on every single square and then
(42m 5s) Aislinn:
Yeah.
(42m 6s) Al:
And then I was like always that a faster at Google whether there was a fast way to do it and then we’re like you get the sword and I’m like, oh
(42m 12s)
Oh, there’s a sword. Yeah, okay
(42m 13s) Aislinn:
I just stumbled across that crest recently.
(42m 16s) Al:
But if you if you are aware that’s how these quest things work
(42m 21s)
There is our in the on the quest board. There is like a tutorial section
(42m 24s)
So you can look in that and see all of the tutorial quests if you want to just filter it into that which is is really good
(42m 24s) Aislinn:
um-hmm yeah it’s very nice that they have the different categories filtered like that for the
(42m 33s)
quests whether you want to do main story whether you want to do um I guess like guild stuff whether
(42m 39s) Al:
All right, we’re talking about quests
(42m 39s) Aislinn:
you want to do okay yeah we’re just going straight into quests that is fine
(42m 43s) Al:
Finally, okay. Yeah, so there is the quests are basically almost entirely
(42m 50s)
Like pool pooling quests rather than pushing them to you and what by that
(42m 55s)
I mean like you have to ask for quests
(42m 58s)
It never goes like oh here are ten quests go
(43m 3s)
And I actually really like that because it means that if you don’t want to focus on something you can just ignore it
(43m 7s)
So you have a question board in the in
(43m 9s)
middle of the the the tone and you go to it and you say I want this quest and before you select the quest it tells you what you need to do to start it like all of the steps and what you get for it. So if you’re like if you don’t have access to something or you don’t want to do a specific thing, then you can just ignore that quest without there’s nothing I find more annoying than having a quest you can’t do just now and just sitting there for days and days and days with this quest you can’t complete just sitting in your list of things.
(43m 39s)
And so the fact that I can look at it and go okay yeah I can do all these things let me select that quest just now and go and do it. It’s really nice I really like. Yeah. It’s a cottageco game that’s kind of yeah it’s one of the things that you know we like about these games is the less stressed the like do what you
(43m 49s) Aislinn:
I also like that there’s no time limit for these quests, at least what I’ve encountered so far.
(43m 55s)
You could just, again, do them whatever you want, which is awesome.
(44m 1s)
I’d love it.
(44m 6s)
Yeah, I guess I think about that because I think about the quest board or the request,
(44m 14s) Al:
Ah, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes.
(44m 14s) Aislinn:
whatever the thing is called in Stardew, and it’s like you have three days, and I’m like,
(44m 18s) Al:
Yeah, I just, I just ignored those quests and if I, if I wasn’t sure I could do it, I never
(44m 19s) Aislinn:
I have no idea if I’m going to catch this fish.
(44m 21s)
I have no idea, which, I bet the thing is I love quests, so it’s like my thing is I always
(44m 26s) Al:
took a quest because I’d much rather not have a quest than failable.
(44m 35s) Aislinn:
want to do the quest first, but it’s like, also I need to do this thing and this thing
(44m 40s)
and I want to do this quest first, but I have to do this thing and I just, yeah, I guess
(44m 43s)
that’s fair.
(44m 44s)
I shouldn’t pick up the quest in the first place, but when I see it there, it’s
(44m 49s)
like, I have to interact with it, I can’t not interact with it.
(44m 53s) Al:
Don’t I don’t think I’ve ever done a fish quest in stardew just cuz I’m like, I know I don’t I don’t I’m not
(45m 3s) Aislinn:
That’s fair, that’s fair.
(45m 4s)
I’m just a quest person, I guess, to be fair.
(45m 6s) Al:
Yes
(45m 7s) Aislinn:
But yeah, again, not having a time limit is awesome,
(45m 9s)
because speaking of the fishing quest,
(45m 12s)
like one of the quest’s requires you to catch salmon.
(45m 16s)
And I can’t find salmon.
(45m 17s) Al:
I presume you’ve made sure you’re far fishing in the right spot at the right time.
(45m 19s) Aislinn:
I am trying over and over and over again,
(45m 21s)
and I can’t find salmon.
(45m 27s)
Yes, yes, and I still can’t.
(45m 29s)
I’m just, it’s bad RNG for me.
(45m 33s)
Yeah, yeah, yeah, fair.
(45m 33s) Al:
Such as life. That’s the problem with that’s the problem with fishing always the problem with fishing
(45m 38s)
Which we’ll get on to later
(45m 41s) Aislinn:
Yeah, the way it’s all organized and everything,
(45m 42s)
very nice.
(45m 44s)
I like that you can also take notes in-game,
(45m 49s)
for a set of quests if you want.
(45m 52s) Al:
Yeah, in game with these things is really important cuz like for me cuz a lot of I know a lot of people are like they’ll sit with their
(46m)
With their note pad next to them or their spreadsheet next to them and they’ll be like typing typey typey or a righty righty righty
(46m 4s) Aislinn:
Mm-hmm. Yeah.
(46m 6s) Al:
I’m not like that if I have an oat book. It is lost
(46m 11s)
If I have something written down it is gone and if I’m playing a game
(46m 14s)
I’m not playing it in a place where I will want to be looking at a spreadsheet, right?
(46m 19s)
like I’m sitting on my sofa watching TV with my wife.
(46m 22s)
I’m not sitting there wanting to have a spreadsheet up on my laptop at the same time.
(46m 30s) Aislinn:
I will say, even though I did make the note that being able to take notes in the game is sick,
(46m 31s) Al:
And so yeah, being able to note things down in-game is…
(46m 41s) Aislinn:
and I will probably take advantage of that more when I am playing it.
(46m 44s)
So I actually haven’t played it on my Steam Deck yet, because I’ve been playing it at home,
(46m 50s)
so I’m like, oh, I might as well just sit at my PC, because I like sitting at my PC.
(46m 54s)
So I have actually been using a notebook for my note taking as I’m playing the game.
(47m 1s)
But having the option to go between both is very nice, especially in your case.
(47m 7s) Al:
- Yeah, for sure.
(47m 8s) Aislinn:
But I will say, I wish, speaking of the notebook, I wish that I could pin more than one crafting
(47m 14s)
recipe while doing the quests, because then I, I’m not even pinning them anymore,
(47m 21s)
because I’m just writing them in my notebook, because I want to have, I need sometimes for
(47m 26s)
like one quest you have to make, like, I think, like, paper.
(47m 30s)
in order to make paper, need this thing, but then to, like, you have to make, like, some,
(47m 36s)
you have to make, I think it was a sleeping box, so you need to make paper to then make cardboard
(47m 40s)
to then make the sleeping box. So it’s like one, two, three, and I would like to just be able to pin all three
(47m 46s)
to the side, but I can’t. So that’s why I ended up just writing it all down. Minor complaint, but just,
(47m 50s) Al:
Yeah
(47m 52s) Aislinn:
like, just, just a complaint. And I do wish to that.
(47m 55s) Al:
Yeah fair
(48m) Aislinn:
that I could pin locations or villagers on the map for markers and also just access or maps.
(48m 3s) Al:
Yeah, I think the map, I think the map in general is probably the game’s weakest point.
(48m 17s)
I think it’s functional, and it technically does everything I want it to do.
(48m 25s)
It’s just awkward doing most of the things with it, right?
(48m 29s)
If you want to open up, okay, so let me open up my lap and see you.
(48m 33s)
If you’re in the area of the map that I’m in, I will be able to see him unless he’s in a
(48m 40s)
building. If he’s in a different area of the map that I can’t see, I can’t see him and I don’t know
(48m 46s) Aislinn:
Yep.
(48m 47s) Al:
how to know whether I see him or not. You just have to kind of like scan over and see some people and
(48m 55s)
some buildings show in a list that you can then like click on and it will highlight it on the map,
(49m 2s)
but not everything.
(49m 3s)
I don’t think I don’t have the game open in front of me, but I think for example correct me if I’m wrong, but like nobody’s house
(49m 12s)
I don’t think you can highlight on the map for example and I’m not sure why that is I might be wrong a bit nobody says
(49m 17s)
But there are certainly some buildings that I went to go and like click on the list in the map to see what it was and it just was
(49m 25s) Aislinn:
I think I think you’re right. I can’t remember either and I also don’t have the game open, so I can’t fully remember
(49m 32s)
But I remember having an issue and I might have just been my game being funky at one point, but I remember
(49m 36s) Al:
[laughs]
(49m 39s) Aislinn:
Not related, but kind of tangent tangentially related
(49m 43s)
The calendar too. I was having a trouble with interacting with it at some point
(49m 48s)
Like I could not click on the map the calendar at all
(49m 51s)
So I’m just looking at this calendar and I see like three pieces of cake
(49m 55s)
on the calendar and I’m like I assume that’s someone’s birthday, but I could not interact with it and it was weird, so it might be just an occasional glitch thing is my suspicion, because that doesn’t seem right, but I still agree that the map could use more work especially with like being able to view more areas at once.
(50m 15s) Al:
Yeah, it’s also just things like, you know, like moving between the tabs for different items and stuff like that
(50m 21s)
It’s just everything on them on the map is just slightly more awkward to do than would be ideal
(50m 27s)
And I’m really focusing on this purely because it is like the one area where I’ve been a little bit disappointed in it
(50m 35s)
I think it could do with a lot of little bits of work in different places. It’s not like it needs a complete overhaul
(50m 40s)
There’s just like a few different kind of user experience things that it could use
(50m 45s)
in terms of improvement and if you did like five things it would be a million times better
(50m 52s)
Yeah, that that’s all it’s not massive and it’s not like I hate them up
(50m 57s)
I still use it. It’s still good enough to do what I wanted to do
(51m 1s)
It just takes like a few more clicks every time than I would like to do the extended things and stuff
(51m 5s) Aislinn:
Yeah, this is yeah, that’s another thing too with the
(51m 9s)
Since you mentioned like the toggling in between things in the map in general and just more clicks I
(51m 16s)
Since I’ve been playing it at my PC when I end up opening up like my
(51m 21s)
journal or my quest log or anything with a map. I end up just switching to my I primarily play with the controller
(51m 28s)
But when I switched to when I open up that stuff, I end up using my
(51m 35s)
mouse because
(51m 37s)
trying to toggle in between like the different filters for example for the quests
(51m 43s)
feels
(51m 44s)
slightly awkward
(51m 46s)
Nothing terrible, but it just feels a little bit
(51m 50s)
Clunky, especially when I could be using the bumpers and triggers more to be able to cycle through different areas of the menu
(51m 58s)
overall
(52m)
So in addition to that with the map, it just feels a bit awkward
(52m 1s) Al:
Yeah. I will say I agree with you. I also think that this is a much better game in terms
(52m 3s) Aislinn:
So I ended up hovering over different areas of the map.
(52m 5s)
with my mouse because it’s just faster.
(52m 13s) Al:
of controller support than most games are in my experience. They’ve clearly properly integrated
(52m 16s) Aislinn:
I agree. I agree.
(52m 20s) Al:
the controller. It’s not just like pretending it’s a nice and keyboard, which a lot of controller
(52m 26s)
support does, right? But yeah, I agree. I think it’s difficult when you build
(52m 31s)
our interface for most in keyboard, and then you add on control support. A lot of things are not ideal, and then you have the option of do we change how the UI works now that we have it, and we’re adding this or do we make it, or do we make the control support less ideal, and they definitely went with the second option, which I understand why they did.
(52m 52s)
But yeah, it’s like the, is it the journal, is that where they call it, where you’ve got the quests, and is like the, the, the.
(53m 2s)
recipes and all this stuff. It’s like a big book with all the stuff in.
(53m 4s) Aislinn:
Yeah, whoa the recipes is is a struggle
(53m 8s) Al:
That whole, that whole book, it is, technically fine in terms of how the controller works, but I, as you say, like it could work a little bit nicer in terms of like to switch tab, you have to like go to the left and then select the tab with it with the buttons and then press the, you know, the A button and then it selects that tab.
(53m 20s) Aislinn:
Yeah.
(53m 31s) Al:
So I have the like pressing in of the right control stick to go to quests. There’s a claim all button for the quests. If you have a bunch of quests that completed, you can, you can press the button to claim all, but it doesn’t work by default unless you’ve so, unless your focus is on the quest section of the book. So if I press, if I press the right control stick to go into quests and press the X button, it doesn’t.
(53m 44s) Aislinn:
Yes. I love that.
(53m 55s)
Oh, I didn’t even realize that.
(54m 1s) Al:
It doesn’t claim everything. I have to, I have to press the control stick in and then go right on the deep out of the left analog stick and then press X. That’s the only way that it will work. It’s like such small, tiny things that like sound so per nicotine. And it’s like so pathetic, the fact that we’re talking about these things, but this is just the level of when you like a game this much, you just go into this. There’s so few things about it that are like fundamentally problems that you go into these really.
(54m 19s) Aislinn:
[laughing]
(54m 31s) Al:
really narrow weird things. And it’s just like every time I want to claim a quest, I have to do it one extra button press, which is so silly, but also just that little bit annoying. You know, it’s like exactly exactly. So like if, if, if I open the quest thing, putting my focus on the quests by default would save me so much minor annoyances as I play the game.
(54m 42s) Aislinn:
It’s just, it’s just a little bit. It’s not ruining my experience, but it’s just a little bit.
(54m 58s)
Mm-hmm, I agree, I agree.
(54m 59s)
And again, I’ve personally adjusted
(55m 1s)
by just using my mouse at points like that.
(55m 4s)
So that’s maybe another reason
(55m 5s)
that I just don’t even realize sometimes.
(55m 7s)
But it is, I remember when I first,
(55m 8s)
it’s like one of the first notes that I took
(55m 10s)
when I was making my notes for this recording eventually,
(55m 15s)
was just, it felt a little clunky.
(55m 18s)
It could be a little bit better.
(55m 19s)
I do agree the control support is very good
(55m 22s)
in contrast to other games,
(55m 24s)
but it could always be better.
(55m 24s) Al:
agreed, agreed. All right. So that’s quests and have we done all of the, we’ve not done
(55m 31s)
all the control stuff. So let’s talk about more controls, more in general, because we talked
(55m 36s)
about the menus and the map and stuff like that. Let’s talk about how good the jumping
(55m 39s) Aislinn:
Mm-hmm.
(55m 42s) Al:
in this game is. Not only, not only do you get to jump and by the way, jumping will be
(55m 44s) Aislinn:
Ah, it’s so good. The jump dash, ah.
(55m 49s) Al:
a major theme in the game of the year episode, just saying, not only is jumping fun.
(55m 54s)
But you have a double jump right from the start. I get a double jump straight away.
(55m 58s) Aislinn:
Yes, yes, yes, oh it’s so good, it’s so good.
(56m 2s) Al:
I, I, I cannot, I don’t walk in this game. I just, I just cannot walk. I, I am jumping. I’m jumping
(56m 9s)
and dashing. I’m jumping over things and then jumping round things. I’m jumping through things.
(56m 16s)
Like, why, why walk when you can jump? Gotta jump.
(56m 20s) Aislinn:
I see why you want to be a border collie.
(56m 23s)
It’s all making sense.
(56m 24s) Al:
Jump. Jumping everywhere.
(56m 27s) Aislinn:
It’s all making sense.
(56m 29s)
[laughing]
(56m 31s)
No, I have nothing else to add.
(56m 33s)
It’s so good.
(56m 35s)
If you want to walk, if you want to just, you know,
(56m 37s)
run around or whatever, like you can do that,
(56m 39s)
but if you want to like, I agree,
(56m 43s)
if you want to, you will be jumping and dashing rather.
(56m 47s)
And it feels so good.
(56m 50s)
And it just does not feel like a slog to get through
(56m 54s)
because you have these options and it’s so nice.
(56m 57s)
It’s so, so, so nice.
(56m 59s) Al:
one complaint that I do have is that because the jumping is so much fun, I want to jump everywhere,
(57m 4s)
it means that the few invisible walls they have are really frustrating. I don’t know if you
(57m 9s)
I don’t know if you know, experience them. So see when you’re coming from your farm to the
(57m 10s) Aislinn:
Don’t even remember. I don’t even remember
(57m 14s) Al:
main town entrance, you know, the archway that’s over the where your your boxes, your shipping box,
(57m 20s) Aislinn:
Yeah
(57m 23s) Al:
you can’t go over that because it’s an invisible wall.
(57m 27s) Aislinn:
Oh, so I never even I never even dropped that high. I just jumped through it
(57m 30s) Al:
I see, I tried to go over it because it feels like it will be faster. It feels like a shortcut,
(57m 35s)
but then it doesn’t let me jump over it.
(57m 38s) Aislinn:
Again minor minor complaint. I’m like just jump through it then it’s it. It’s all it is
(57m 43s) Al:
Yeah, yeah, yeah, but what if I want to jump over it?
(57m 47s) Aislinn:
No, I agree. I agree. 100%. Hey, there could be a patch that comes
(57m 48s) Al:
You wouldn’t stop a bar to call you jumping over it, would you?
(57m 50s) Aislinn:
down the line. I would not stop a border collar from doing just about anything. If that’s what makes their heart
(57m 57s)
happy, that’s what makes their heart happy. That I can agree with. Yeah, very smooth, very
(57m 58s) Al:
except, you know,
(57m 59s)
there’s a lot to talk about the controls, I think so many things are really great, there’s like the decorating, you go into the decorating mode and you can either do things on the grid or you can go off the grid and do things slightly better.
(58m 30s)
You can like move your camera around to view. I will have talked or I will be talking in the game of the year episode about how this game is one of the few games that I actually like to decorate in and I knew that right back at the start when I played the alpha, just before the interview that I did nearly six years ago, I knew that this game was special in terms of decorating because I just don’t care in most games,
(58m 59s)
this game makes it fun and it makes me feel like I can actually do it as well. It has the flexibility, but it also has the guardrails that allow you to make something that doesn’t look terrible. So many times I’m just like, I don’t know, like the bed goes there, the big case goes there, but doesn’t look good and I don’t know why, whereas everything I do in this looks good.
(59m 22s) Aislinn:
Yeah, and it helps that the again the art style and everything just the art
(59m 27s)
directional meshes really well together in addition to the flexibility that
(59m 31s)
they give you with if you want to use the grid system you can if you want to
(59m 34s)
go off the grid system you can like they they give you that flexibility it just
(59m 38s)
allows for I feel like more creativity to low and no matter what you put with
(59m 43s)
what because the art direction is so consistent and so good everything looks
(59m 47s)
great together and it’s just a wonderfully whimsical time.
(59m 51s) Al:
Yeah, yeah, for sure and it’s like you can you they have
(59m 54s)
Like you can rotate by like 45 degrees which makes things automatically nicer, right?
(59m 59s) Aislinn:
I’m so…
(1h) Al:
Like my bed is like
(1h 2s)
Like diagonally from the corner and it just feels so much nicer than just like, oh, it’s like sticking straight out from a wall
(1h 10s)
You know, it’s it just it just feels so much nicer and like my house as well
(1h 11s) Aislinn:
Yeah, right
(1h 15s) Al:
You like put your house down when you first start the game
(1h 17s)
And I put it like just to the right of the river.
(1h 22s)
And I just it feels so much nicer and coincidentally ended up lining up perfectly to where I wanted to farm things so I can just have a nice low path going down from there. But yeah, it’s really nice. Oh, that reminds me that reminds me. Sorry.
(1h 34s) Aislinn:
Yeah, I gotta– I gotta–
(1h 37s) Al:
Just thoughts are coming to me as I’m as I’m talking you if you’re putting if you’re building things right so see the first example I found this was when I was putting down my stone path from my house to my farm.
(1h 37s) Aislinn:
No, you’re good, you’re good.
(1h 51s) Al:
If you run out of the item that you have, but it’s an item you can craft and you have the items that you need to craft it, you can just keep building the thing and it will automatically craft you the item so you can put it down.
(1h 1m 7s)
So you don’t need to do anything. So like you’re sitting going pinned down your path, but you only have five paths, but it only takes one stone to do it and you have a hundred stone in your in your box in your house, by the way.
(1h 1m 9s) Aislinn:
Yes
(1h 1m 21s) Al:
You put it down path, you run it a path, you just put another piece of path down and it just uses up a stone. You don’t it’s so many steps are taken away.
(1h 1m 22s) Aislinn:
Yep.
(1h 1m 30s) Al:
And it’s great. I love it. Absolutely love that. That’s so much fun because I the thing that annoys me most about decorating, especially with like path or something like something where you’ve got a lot of one item is like trying to figure out how many you need.
(1h 1m 44s)
And then you either underestimate in which case you need to go and craft more or you overestimate in which case you have left.
(1h 1m 52s)
And what do you do with the leftovers? What is here is here, you don’t have to do that. You make one item and then you go and start putting it down and you just keep doing it until you have all of you need and then you’re done. It’s amazing.
(1h 1m 55s) Aislinn:
[laughs]
(1h 2m 3s)
Yup, yup, that was my one of my biggest issues with Animal Crossing was just trying
(1h 2m 10s) Al:
All my words.
(1h 2m 11s) Aislinn:
to plan that stuff out, and that’s why I like never did it because I was like this crafting
(1h 2m 15s)
situation is just so way too much thought that I don’t want to put in, so the fact that
(1h 2m 17s) Al:
Yeah. Yeah. And they didn’t, and they didn’t even have boat crafting until next year.
(1h 2m 20s) Aislinn:
they just, oh my god, I know literally, so like this, when it comes to that stuff, it, I feel
(1h 2m 26s) Al:
Myles ahead of everything this is.
(1h 2m 33s) Aislinn:
this game, this is like a very general statement, it really, it gives you the freedom
(1h 2m 39s)
to do whatever you want and go and as slow or as fast as you want, and regardless of how
(1h 2m 45s)
you want to play, how you want to play the game, it respects your time, and I so much so
(1h 2m 54s)
appreciate that when it comes to farming games, I feel like there are a lot of farming games
(1h 3m)
that don’t respect your time and it
(1h 3m 3s)
is more grindy than it needs to be and I don’t mind the grind to be fair and if you want to grind that’s okay but as someone that doesn’t always want to do that the fact that this game lets like just again respects your time in my opinion more so I just I really much so I vary my so appreciative
(1h 3m 23s) Al:
You have a bunch of thoughts, controls wise, lots of smaller items that you want to talk about and go for it.
(1h 3m 31s) Aislinn:
Yeah. So actually circling back to the house thing, I got to move my house, I got to move my house
(1h 3m 35s) Al:
[laughs]
(1h 3m 36s) Aislinn:
because I accidentally put it down on a bush. I didn’t realize that. So now there’s like a little like
(1h 3m 37s) Al:
Oh no.
(1h 3m 42s) Aislinn:
bush graphic like clipping through my house on from the outside.
(1h 3m 47s) Al:
It’s a good thing it’s really easy to move your house.
(1h 3m 50s) Aislinn:
Yeah, I got to move it. I just haven’t made the active effort to move it, but like
(1h 3m 54s) Al:
Which, which, by the way, is a great thing.
(1h 3m 56s)
The fact that it’s so easy to just move it.
(1h 3m 58s)
And by the way, you can move it just by like one thing.
(1h 4m) Aislinn:
- Mm-hmm.
(1h 4m 1s) Al:
None of this nonsense, like Stardew has, what it’s like.
(1h 4m 3s)
Oh, you can’t put it there, something’s in the way.
(1h 4m 4s) Aislinn:
[laughs]
(1h 4m 5s) Al:
No, something’s not in the way.
(1h 4m 7s)
It’s the thing I’m moving that’s in the way.
(1h 4m 10s)
It can’t be in the way.
(1h 4m 11s)
No, there’s none of that because I did the same thing.
(1h 4m 13s)
I put the first building you put down for
(1h 4m 17s)
a person coming to the island. I did the same thing. I thought I was having to like rebuild the the broken stuff
(1h 4m 25s)
So I was like, oh, I’m gonna build it on this broken thing not realizing that you actually break down that the broken stuff manually
(1h 4m 31s) Aislinn:
Mm-hmm, mm-hmm.
(1h 4m 32s) Al:
You know, this is a brand new building. You’re not fixing a building
(1h 4m 34s) Aislinn:
[laughter]
(1h 4m 35s) Al:
So I like put it on and it was like half it was like slanted on top of this
(1h 4m 38s) Aislinn:
[laughter]
(1h 4m 41s) Al:
Half wall it was such a weird situation. So I was like, oh, no, I really hope I can move that. Oh, yes
(1h 4m 41s) Aislinn:
Oh, no!
(1h 4m 47s) Al:
It is incredibly easy to move it. Thank goodness for that
(1h 4m 49s) Aislinn:
It’s great.
(1h 4m 50s)
It’s great.
(1h 4m 50s)
Again, that just start going back to the game
(1h 4m 53s)
respecting your time.
(1h 4m 54s)
Just you don’t have to do go through all these different hoops
(1h 4m 58s)
to fix a mistake that you made.
(1h 4m 59s)
They’re just like, “Oh, you made a mistake.”
(1h 5m 1s)
Easy, let’s fix it. That’s it. That’s just great.
(1h 5m 4s) Al:
And I, and I get that some games are doing it
(1h 5m 8s)
to be like realistic, right?
(1h 5m 10s)
Or not that like moving your house is realistic
(1h 5m 13s)
to do in two days.
(1h 5m 13s) Aislinn:
Aww, yeah.
(1h 5m 14s) Al:
But they’re at least trying to do something there.
(1h 5m 16s)
I understand that.
(1h 5m 18s)
But like, not every game needs to do that.
(1h 5m 19s)
And I’m glad that Snackle’s not doing it.
(1h 5m 21s)
Like I get that someone, someone too.
(1h 5m 23s)
And I understand why people will like this makes it better.
(1h 5m 26s)
But okay, we’ll see.
(1h 5m 27s) Aislinn:
I’m playing a game to play a game. I’m not playing a game to experience reality times, too.
(1h 5m 28s) Al:
[laughing]
(1h 5m 30s)
Yeah.
(1h 5m 31s)
[laughing]
(1h 5m 34s) Aislinn:
I understand where you’re coming from, but I’m playing a game to play a game.
(1h 5m 38s)
But, um, yeah, other little things that I like is the go home feature.
(1h 5m 44s)
Love that. Love, love that.
(1h 5m 44s) Al:
It’s a great feature.
(1h 5m 46s) Aislinn:
But then to kind of just go like a little bit back and forth with the go home feature in mine.
(1h 5m 51s)
I wish I could read the things in the bookshelf from…
(1h 5m 57s)
The menu rather than having to go home, um, I never read them to be fair.
(1h 5m 57s) Al:
Hmm. Yes.
(1h 6m 3s) Aislinn:
It doesn’t really matter that much because I never read them, but if I were to read them,
(1h 6m 8s)
it would be nice to have like easy access to them rather than, again, having to go home.
(1h 6m 12s)
But at least there’s a very easy go home feature for like fast traveling, essentially.
(1h 6m 17s)
It’s very nice. Very, very, very nice.
(1h 6m 20s)
So like if you’re in the… I haven’t hit the mines yet to be fair,
(1h 6m 23s)
but I would assume that if you were in the mines and you were just like,
(1h 6m 27s)
“You don’t have to worry about running home,” like I’ve done many, many, many, many, many, many, many times in Stardew.
(1h 6m 34s) Al:
hahaha yeah as you russian you’re like I don’t know if I’m gonna make it yeah
(1h 6m 37s) Aislinn:
Yep. Thank goodness for Stardew mods.
(1h 6m 41s)
Um, the fact that I could just hit go home is so, so, so nice.
(1h 6m 45s)
And then also the back size is also awesome as well.
(1h 6m 52s)
Like, they give you so much space in your bag, and that it’s so easy!
(1h 6m 57s)
To make more storage! It’s awesome! It’s the perfect amount of grinding, but not too much grind to feel like you’re being burnt out.
(1h 7m 11s)
You can save anywhere any time, which is great! You can auto-deposit, which is always a wonderful thing!
(1h 7m 15s) Al:
the auto-deposing thing is so good and let me tell you that this the sorting in the boxes is better than any other game
(1h 7m 23s)
I’ve played like so many times it’s like oh I didn’t quite sort the way I would want to sort it
(1h 7m 27s)
Now this time doing everything you want is great. I love it
(1h 7m 30s) Aislinn:
Yeah. Um, and I already said this, but again, just playing the wiki, playing with the wiki
(1h 7m 35s)
open has been a good experience or just Google in general. Like I’ve been really enjoying
(1h 7m 39s)
like playing the game with the wiki, having my little notebook and just it’s been, it’s been
(1h 7m 44s)
really, really nice. Um, in regards to quote, unquote dislikes or like criticism, I guess you
(1h 7m 50s)
could say criticism. Me, me thing is the, okay, that sounds good. I like that. That works. That sounds
(1h 7m 52s) Al:
Let’s talk about it in the next section.
(1h 8m) Aislinn:
good. Um, I think I talked about everything then. Yeah, I already, I read a brush upon it. So this
(1h 8m) Al:
Are the ones fine though.
(1h 8m 3s)
Oh, you did already talk about the books.
(1h 8m 5s)
Yeah, that’s fine.
(1h 8m 6s) Aislinn:
is a great transition.
(1h 8m 6s) Al:
Okay.
(1h 8m 7s)
So let’s talk about farming.
(1h 8m 10s)
So the farming is pretty standard in terms of her works, right?
(1h 8m 14s)
Like you tell the land, you sow a seed, you water the seed.
(1h 8m 19s)
Eventually it grows and you harvest it and then you
(1h 8m 22s)
have a tree cycle, pre-standard. No one’s looking for anything funny or special here, it does what it wants to do. The actual use of the tools is a little bit different than normal. So you have like a, if you just like press the button to do something, it will do it and it will use a certain amount of stamina.
(1h 8m 43s)
If you hold the button to like, till the land or a chopper tree or whatever, there’s a bar.
(1h 8m 52s)
If it gets to the top of the bar and you let it go, you will lose less stamina than if you don’t do that.
(1h 8m 59s)
I’ve got two things to say but there’s one, interesting, I quite like that, two, I never do it.
(1h 9m 5s)
And the reason why I never do it, is because I would much rather spam the button and get through time quicker and then just go to sleep and do more with the next day, then spend the time to hold down the button to do less.
(1h 9m 23s)
But I can do four button presses of a tool in the time that it would take to do one less effective stamina item, if that makes sense. So I just never do that. I think it’s an interesting way of doing things and if you really care about like min-maxing things, I can see why you would do that.
(1h 9m 43s)
Like, I’m the guy that like speed runs spring of farming games, right? Because I’m like, I don’t care about this, there’s nothing to do right now.
(1h 9m 47s) Aislinn:
[laughs]
(1h 9m 52s) Al:
You don’t have everything I need to do, let me go to sleep at 10 in the morning, right? Oh, absolutely, absolutely. Like, spring year one is time for sleeping.
(1h 9m 55s) Aislinn:
10 in the morning!
(1h 10m 3s) Al:
It’s time for farming and once I’ve done the farming, when I run a F stamina, I am sleeping.
(1h 10m 4s) Aislinn:
That’s wild.
(1h 10m 9s)
That’s wild. Wildly different from how I operate.
(1h 10m 10s) Al:
So yeah, I’m just spamming that button, but let me tell you, I love how quick it is. So if, first of all, have you noticed the, the, what?
(1h 10m 22s)
So what I’m doing is the same amount of stamina, no matter how long you hold the button down for, if you notice that. There you go, a little trick for you.
(1h 10m 26s) Aislinn:
No, I do not realize.
(1h 10m 28s)
Good to know.
(1h 10m 30s)
Yeah, I appreciate that.
(1h 10m 31s)
That does save me some time.
(1h 10m 33s) Al:
But I love how fast it is, right? So I have like, what is it like 22 by 3 or something? It crops on my farm just now. And so I’m just like going from one end to the other, and I just like hold, I hold the analog stick to the right, make sure my cameras.
(1h 10m 52s)
So I’m going completely across, and then I’ll just like, I’ll just mash that button for, for doing it. And I’m, I’m, I’m, I’m down that lane in like five seconds. It is super, super fast. I love it. And it’s like, cutting down a tree. I just mash that button until the tree’s gone. And it’s gone in a couple of seconds. I love how fast these tools are. It’s great. It makes early game start you feel like a slog.
(1h 10m 54s) Aislinn:
Yeah
(1h 10m 56s)
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, me too
(1h 11m 11s)
Yep.
(1h 11m 15s)
Yep.
(1h 11m 18s)
[laughs]
(1h 11m 22s)
I agree.
(1h 11m 23s)
I love again.
(1h 11m 24s)
I will keep staying in over and over, respecting your time.
(1h 11m 28s)
Respecting your time.
(1h 11m 29s)
It is incredibly efficient while still giving you, like, scratching that itch of wanting
(1h 11m 34s)
to have a fun farm, like getting the farming out of your
(1h 11m 40s) Al:
I also love how there’s like little things like for example if you plan onion seeds
(1h 11m 46s)
You can either harvest them as green onions or you can wait and harvest them as onion onions
(1h 11m 52s) Aislinn:
Yeah, yeah, I agree, yeah
(1h 11m 53s) Al:
Like just things like that like I’ve never really seen that in another farming game except presumably farming simulator does it but like we ignore that
(1h 12m 1s) Aislinn:
[laughs]
(1h 12m 3s) Al:
Like the idea of like your crop will change because like you know
(1h 12m 6s)
I haven’t got like any peppers yet, but I don’t know whether that would be
(1h 12m 10s)
a similar thing where it starts off as green and then goes red I don’t know maybe maybe maybe I’ll be disappointed if it turns it doesn’t work that way
(1h 12m 18s)
But like you know stuff like that. I think is really fun those little little things
(1h 12m 22s)
I’ve just never seen a farming game try and do that and that was like the second crop they give you and I thought that was really fun
(1h 12m 30s) Aislinn:
I guess maybe to be fair, I never even realized that that was not a common thing in farming
(1h 12m 35s)
games because as you know, there’s only so many farming games that I can cycle through and play.
(1h 12m 41s)
So, if we’re going me versus you, I would argue that you have played significantly more farming
(1h 12m 46s)
games than I have, and yeah, it’s not even something that I picked up on, but now that
(1h 12m 51s)
you point that out, I’m like, oh, that is really cool that they are, I guess, realistic
(1h 12m 56s)
in that sense in a way, is that realistic actually? Either way.
(1h 13m)
Okay. It’s a good feature. That’s a good question. I actually don’t know.
(1h 13m) Al:
I think it is. I think a green onion is just an onion spread. I’m pretty sure that’s what it is.
(1h 13m 8s) Aislinn:
Show us how much of a farmer I am, but…
(1h 13m 12s) Al:
Yeah, yeah, it’s a green onions or a tape of Allian vegetable harvested young, so yeah, yeah.
(1h 13m 16s) Aislinn:
Ah, cool. Sweet. All right. So we got some realism in there.
(1h 13m 22s)
I think it’s awesome. I guess the one little quote-unquote issue that I have that I wrote down as
(1h 13m 28s)
as well as I wish.
(1h 13m 30s)
I wish it’s a, it’s a personal thing.
(1h 13m 32s)
I wish Chilling didn’t use stamina, but that’s me just coming from the mindset of the other game that I’m picking up here in there in regard to a farming same is of course start you so it’s like a very minor thing.
(1h 13m 43s)
I’m, I will feel better about it because I also haven’t gotten the sword yet so I’m sure once I get the sword that I’m just going to have no issues whatsoever at that point so.
(1h 13m 51s)
Not something I’m pressed about whatsoever, I wish it’s like man, I just wish this didn’t, this telling didn’t use stamina and that was it.
(1h 13m 58s)
[laughter]
(1h 14m)
The farming in the game feels great so far.
(1h 14m 5s)
I am enjoying building up my farm.
(1h 14m 7s)
I think one of the, oddly enough, one of the most off-putting things in regards to farming
(1h 14m 15s)
games is the farming because of how much of a slog it could be.
(1h 14m 20s)
So the fact that they’ve made it in a way where it feels satisfying or I guess rewarding
(1h 14m 23s) Al:
So I just, I just Google and that is how Bell peppers work in the game as well. You harvest
(1h 14m 27s) Aislinn:
to do farming, they nailed it.
(1h 14m 30s)
I really think they nailed it.
(1h 14m 37s) Al:
them early, you get green ones, you harvest them later, you get red ones. It’s like here
(1h 14m 38s) Aislinn:
Ahh, that’s nice!
(1h 14m 41s) Al:
I was already to be disappointed in the game and they’ve gone and done it.
(1h 14m 46s) Aislinn:
They’re really hitting everything that we want in a game, and it’s awesome!
(1h 14m 53s) Al:
It’s, it’s such an unnecessary thing to add by love it. It’s great.
(1h 14m 58s) Aislinn:
It’s all about the little things.
(1h 15m)
It really is like all the little things add up to be this wonderful mishmash
(1h 15m 6s)
that has been formed into
(1h 15m 8s)
this game, just the smallest quality of life things. I mean evident here, the smallest quality of life things can be sometimes a little bit of a drag, but then all these other little things just make us dismiss the other negative little things. I don’t really know where I’m going with that. I’m kind of just going off in a little bit of income here. It’s slightly incoherent tangent, but you know what I mean? [laughs]
(1h 15m 28s) Al:
Yeah, that’s fine. I mean farming, I think overall we’re enjoying it. It’s good. It’s pretty
(1h 15m 37s)
standard. I believe there are like more tools to automate it more, which I’m looking forward
(1h 15m 42s)
to getting, but those will feel like an advantage to me rather than just like in most farming
(1h 15m 49s)
games is like oh good now I don’t have to water anymore. And it won’t be like oh thank goodness I
(1h 15m 54s)
don’t need to water anymore. It’s oh yeah there’s just speed things up a little bit because of
(1h 15m 58s)
not hating watering right? Like I don’t feel like I have to artificially limit myself to how
(1h 16m 3s)
much I can water in a day because you can pretty much water in a thing with with how this game
(1h 16m 8s)
worked, whichever they like. And the sprinklers will just mean I don’t have to go through the effort
(1h 16m 13s)
of that and can do something else instead which I’m looking forward to. Oh yeah, no absolutely
(1h 16m 15s) Aislinn:
I agree, I agree. I’m very much still looking forward to sprinklers as much as much as I enjoy water and I’m just like having those extra quality left things is gonna be nice.
(1h 16m 22s) Al:
absolutely. I’m not saying I’m looking forward to them.
(1h 16m 28s)
But like in Stardew, I’m like speedrunning to the point where I can get the sprinklers so I don’t
(1h 16m 32s)
because like I just it’s so slow watering all your crops. It’s like walk up, press the button
(1h 16m 38s)
two second animation, walk up, press the button two, where is here it’s like bam bam bam bam bam
(1h 16m 42s) Aislinn:
- Yeah.
(1h 16m 44s)
- Mm-hmm.
(1h 16m 44s) Al:
and like that is the actual speed that it is. I’m not exaggerating how fast that watering is.
(1h 16m 50s)
It is like you are doing like five or six a second. It is like super super fast. You can you can
(1h 16m 56s)
and really speed through it if you go.
(1h 16m 58s) Aislinn:
Once you get it down to a science like yeah, you can you can really speedrun it
(1h 16m 58s) Al:
Just make sure that camera is at the right angle so you don’t end up going at a diagonal.
(1h 17m 7s) Aislinn:
Yo, but once you workshop it you you’ll have it down pat and it’s just it’s a it’s a it’s just I could I could sit there and just
(1h 17m 14s)
Water all day. I could sit there until all day if I want to
(1h 17m 18s)
Because it just feels great to do so
(1h 17m 24s) Al:
Fishing. The other one that’s kind of like standard in farming games and every farming game has a different way of doing it.
(1h 17m 32s)
This is a very different fishing minigame than most farming games, right?
(1h 17m 37s)
So in my experience, you’ve got two ways of doing fishing. You either do the Animal Crossing way of fishing, which is you wait until the thing happens, you press the button, you catch it.
(1h 17m 46s)
Or you do the Stardew one, which is you wait until it catches on, you press the button, and then you have to keep the bobber.
(1h 17m 54s)
A specific point, pressing one button to make it go up, and then wait for it to go down. And those are fine.
(1h 18m 1s)
I really like this fishing minigame. So to try, try, I’m going to try and paint a visual picture for those of you that can actually visualize things in your head, and I’m sorry if you’re, if you’re like me and can’t.
(1h 18m 13s)
I’m going to describe this as a baseball field looking thing. Is that fair? I’m not, I’m not an American, but I’m pretty sure that looks like a baseball field. You’re like,
(1h 18m 18s) Aislinn:
- Yeah.
(1h 18m 21s)
- Yeah, it’s like a baseball field, I would agree.
(1h 18m 24s) Al:
like what a 45 degree angle roughly of area with a curved top, and you have the fish in the middle, and you’ve got like your fishing line, this kind of like a line going up the baseball field from the point to the circle at the top.
(1h 18m 43s)
And basically what you have to do is you have to hold the button and follow the fish left and right as it moves around the angle. So you’re basically like changing what angle your fishing.
(1h 18m 54s)
And if you’re on line is at to where the fish is. And if you’re on it, it will come closer towards you. And if you offer it will go get further away and eventually it will break the line and disappear.
(1h 19m 5s)
I think this is a much more easy is not the right word because like some of the fish can be quite difficult, but it feels much more, I don’t, I don’t even want to say accessible either. It just, it feels more graspable.
(1h 19m 19s) Aislinn:
Yeah, I know it does make sense.
(1h 19m 20s) Al:
Does that make sense? I don’t know how to describe my feeling towards it, but it feels
(1h 19m 24s) Aislinn:
I enjoy it more than Stardew and Animal Crossing.
(1h 19m 31s)
I would say if I would rank the three, it would be I enjoy the Snacko one because it does.
(1h 19m 35s)
I agree that I don’t, I agree that that accessible is not necessarily the correct word,
(1h 19m 41s)
but it feels graspable indeed.
(1h 19m 44s) Al:
[Laughter]
(1h 19m 44s) Aislinn:
like I feel like I did pick it up faster and I enjoy
(1h 19m 49s)
watching more. Initially I liked Animal Crossing Fishing, but sometimes it just gets very stressful having to like time and out perfectly and you miss it, you’re just like aha.
(1h 19m 59s)
And then the starter you want is just very stressful. Most of the time I’m just like kind of, I might as well be screaming through half of them sometimes. So I’m just like aha.
(1h 20m 5s) Al:
[laughing]
(1h 20m 6s) Aislinn:
So like I would say snacko Animal Crossing Stardew for just talking about those three is like my ranking of best to worst experiences.
(1h 20m 19s)
But it’s just, it is very stressful at points and Animal Crossing is generally good, but then when it’s a very difficult fish to catch, it becomes kind of a lot.
(1h 20m 28s)
And I guess I haven’t had too many difficult fish experiences yet in snacko, but so far I’ve been enjoying the experience the most when it comes to fishing.
(1h 20m 38s)
Like, that little mini game feels, like you said, graspable.
(1h 20m 42s)
So, I get what you mean.
(1h 20m 44s) Al:
Yeah, I feel like I just a lot of them are are just the stardew one, but like in a different way
(1h 20m 50s)
But like essentially it’s the same thing. Where is this is much different?
(1h 20m 54s)
Because those ones are like you press a button to move it one direction and then let go of the button to move it another direction
(1h 21m 1s)
I don’t like the the lack of control there where it’s like if you go to high you have to wait
(1h 21m 7s)
You don’t have a way to like reverse it. You just have to wait for gravity
(1h 21m 12s)
Whereas in this one is
(1h 21m 14s)
it’s like, oh, I went too far. Let me just go the other direction, right? And it’s just about making sure that you keep up to date with it and if you fail it.
(1h 21m 23s) Aislinn:
actually question. I don’t know if you noticed because I have to actually test it and I’ll probably test it
(1h 21m 29s)
later today or tomorrow or something. But so what I really, really like about the fishing actually
(1h 21m 35s)
is the fact that when you interact with the fish and start the fishing like mini-game will call it,
(1h 21m 41s)
it shows you what fish you caught you or what you could, what fish you could be catching.
(1h 21m 46s)
And that is, I think, by far my favorite part of it, but my question.
(1h 21m 53s)
If you see the fish and you’re like, I don’t need another, if you’re not like me and you’re like,
(1h 21m 59s)
I don’t need another salmon, can you just back out of the mini-game and does that use your stamina?
(1h 22m 4s) Al:
I think you can.
(1h 22m 6s)
That I don’t know.
(1h 22m 7s) Aislinn:
That is something that I’m curious about. So, noted for later, I will try to remember to check.
(1h 22m 7s) Al:
That’s a good question.
(1h 22m 13s) Aislinn:
I’m curious if it uses up your stamina. If you look at the fish and you’re like, I don’t want it,
(1h 22m 18s)
and then you leave. But I do like that you have the option.
(1h 22m 20s) Al:
Yeah, I’m pretty sure you can just back out, but yeah, I don’t know, uh, I don’t know how much if he uses stamina or whatever.
(1h 22m 23s) Aislinn:
Yeah, I know for a fact you can back out, but I haven’t realized the other stamina part.
(1h 22m 28s)
But regardless, the option is nice. If you didn’t want to waste your time with it,
(1h 22m 32s)
you just sacrifice a stamina, that’s fine. If you don’t sacrifice your stamina and you don’t waste
(1h 22m 36s)
the time, even better. Either way works for me.
(1h 22m 38s) Al:
[laughs]
(1h 22m 52s) Aislinn:
I’ve done a little bit of cooking, I will say I also have not done too much cooking.
(1h 22m 56s)
I wish I have, I want to do more cooking, but my quests have just been having me do
(1h 23m 2s)
many other things that I want to do more. But I mean, very simply, I didn’t really
(1h 23m 8s)
write down on the notes just because it’s good, it’s standard. I don’t know if it’s necessarily
(1h 23m 13s)
anything outstanding, but it’s fine. I like that it exists. I appreciate that it exists so I can
(1h 23m 22s)
basically be able to replenish my stamina throughout the day more. But that’s also kind of a standard
(1h 23m 26s)
thing in, I would say, a number of different farming games. So it’s good. No, nothing outstanding. Nothing
(1h 23m 34s)
to complain about at the moment. If there is something, I will follow up at a later point because I
(1h 23m 38s)
just haven’t had enough experience with the cooking to really say too much. But it’s good.
(1h 23m 46s) Al:
I’ve never come across cooking that I actively enjoy in these games.
(1h 23m 50s)
It’s all just about how much I would do or don’t dislike it, right?
(1h 23m 55s)
And it’s like how much time it takes to create a thing.
(1h 23m 59s)
So I haven’t actually done any of the cooking.
(1h 24m 1s)
Do you get recipes and can you just like click on a recipe and make a bunch of one recipe
(1h 24m 8s)
or something like that?
(1h 24m 8s) Aislinn:
“I believe you can. I’ve only made like one thing at a time, but I believe you can. I feel like you should be able to. It would not make sense to me if you couldn’t do that, because then that would go against the rest of the game. So I think you can. But yeah, I just haven’t had enough. I probably have had more experience with cooking than you, but I would argue it’s not all that much more.”
(1h 24m 9s) Al:
Or are you not that far?
(1h 24m 18s)
Right. Yeah.
(1h 24m 36s)
So it looks like they don’t have like proper bulk cooking, but if you make a recipe you can just like there’s a button press to just make it again
(1h 24m 45s)
So you can just like press it and it will keep making it
(1h 24m 46s) Aislinn:
Oh, yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. That’s what it is. Which is fine. Again, it’s not something that upset me. So it’s not something that I like took major note of.
(1h 24m 51s) Al:
Yeah, and it uses a
(1h 24m 53s)
Yeah
(1h 24m 55s)
Yeah, it’s just like I like the idea of like going out and like catching a bunch of fish and then going and cooking them all
(1h 25m 2s)
And it’s just like you just got to keep pressing the button and that’s fine
(1h 25m 6s)
but like I guess whatever it’s it’s it uses your your storage as well so
(1h 25m 13s)
like the crafting it’s basically exactly the same as the crafting right as long as
(1h 25m 17s)
long as you’re gonna press the button and you have the thing that it needs to
(1h 25m 20s)
do it it’s gonna do that thing which is good for sure
(1h 25m 21s) Aislinn:
Yeah, big help, big quality of life, help.
(1h 25m 29s)
You’re good, you’re good.
(1h 25m 31s)
Yeah, this is really not too much I can add with cooking, because I need a little bit more time with it to really have like a full full opinion,
(1h 25m 39s)
but it’s just been, it’s been generally good. I would say, as someone that are good.
(1h 25m 39s) Al:
Yeah, yeah, I think cooking is such in in my experience cooking is like such a minimal thing in farming games that
(1h 25m 50s)
It’s like yeah, you do it to complete tasks and to get stamina
(1h 25m 56s) Aislinn:
That’s fair. I’m looking forward to sinking time into cooking just because I enjoy a cooking
(1h 25m 56s) Al:
Right, and it’s like so the the less I can do to cook the things I want to cook the better in my in my
(1h 26m 10s) Aislinn:
mechanic here and there. I mean, I enjoyed magical delicacy for a reason. I enjoyed the cooking
(1h 26m 15s)
mechanic and there, even though I was sitting there going through like five billion different
(1h 26m 19s)
resources to figure out how to cook certain things. Once it was done, I was like,
(1h 26m 23s)
Cool! I’m happy with the end result, and then I just moved on.
(1h 26m 26s)
So it’s like a very, like, in the moment gratifying moment, but it’s not something that I initially rushed to do.
(1h 26m 33s) Al:
It’s not something you’re praying that you can continue to do as fast as the first thing in your day is going to go do some cooking because you just love it so much.
(1h 26m 40s) Aislinn:
No. No. I like it. It’s on my list of things that I want to do sooner rather than later.
(1h 26m 46s)
It starts like working through, like, making different recipes, because that’s like, the idea of doing that is fun to me.
(1h 26m 51s)
but I am really trying to figure out the way to get to the mines.
(1h 26m 56s)
Peace out!
(1h 26m 58s) Al:
So there are mines in this game.
(1h 27m 1s)
I haven’t actually experienced it because apparently I have unlocked it.
(1h 27m 4s)
I’ve just not done them yet.
(1h 27m 4s) Aislinn:
Oh, no, I’m still working on it.
(1h 27m 7s) Al:
Have you done the first oblisk and dungeon?
(1h 27m 11s)
No.
(1h 27m 11s)
Oh no, I haven’t finished the oblisk.
(1h 27m 13s)
I’ve done the dungeon that unlocks the first oblisk,
(1h 27m 16s)
but I haven’t finished the oblisk to unlock the mine.
(1h 27m 19s)
So the dungeons are these like platforming challenges.
(1h 27m 24s) Aislinn:
Oh, yeah!
(1h 27m 27s) Al:
So you unlock.
(1h 27m 28s)
The first dungeon and it’s the only dungeon you like have to do to like continue playing the game and unlock more things
(1h 27m 36s)
But there are other ones that you can do as well and the idea is that they’re just they’re relatively simple platforming challenges
(1h 27m 42s)
But they’re they also have like a speedrun feature built into them
(1h 27m 46s)
So like there’s people online who doing them like a few seconds and it’s very funny the things they do to make it go as fast as possible
(1h 27m 54s)
But yeah, as you progress the story you unlock the the first dungeon
(1h 27m 58s)
and you do it and then once you’ve done that you unlock the first obelisk and then the first obelisk has like you have to give it a bunch of stuff and once you’ve given it a bunch of stuff then you will finish that and it will unlock the mines and the mines are I think pretty standard in terms of mines and they have some like machines in them to make resources as well but like they have you know clusters and you attack the clusters to get items.
(1h 28m 28s)
You break the nodes to get items from the thing and the reset every day. Yeah, I don’t think there’s a huge amount to see especially as neither of us have done the mines sadly.
(1h 28m 43s) Aislinn:
I’m surprised that you haven’t made your way over to the minds, but I did see, I mean, I do see like in the trailer that it looks like you can like ride a car.
(1h 28m 54s) Al:
There is a mine cart, yeah.
(1h 28m 55s) Aislinn:
Which is so cool.
(1h 28m 57s)
I, you can go even faster and you can look like it flies. So I’m very excited to get to that point. I’m very, very, like, I already love mining in every farming game I’ve played so far.
(1h 29m 10s)
This might be, this looks like it has potential to be.
(1h 29m 13s)
The best mining, just solely because of the speed of that car and how fast you can get
(1h 29m 18s) Al:
Yeah, and the mining is like I’m double checking with a video, but yeah, the mining is pretty
(1h 29m 20s) Aislinn:
through these areas.
(1h 29m 22s)
It looks so satisfying.
(1h 29m 29s) Al:
standard. It’s just like there’s nodes and you hit them with your axe and your pickaxe and you
(1h 29m 34s)
get the stuff. But watching this video is reminded me, did you know that your tools can like hit
(1h 29m 39s)
multiple items at once if you’re in the right place? I love that. Yeah, you’re using the same
(1h 29m 41s) Aislinn:
Yes, I’ve noticed that with trees. I can I’ll accidentally hit multiple trees and I’m like yes
(1h 29m 46s)
I’m not wasting my stamina
(1h 29m 48s) Al:
you’re using the same amount of stamina, but you’re hitting two different trees. It’s fantastic.
(1h 29m 49s) Aislinn:
Yes
(1h 29m 51s)
Yes, yes, yes, yes, it’s wonderful. Oh
(1h 29m 52s) Al:
It works the same for the nodes in the mine as well.
(1h 29m 55s) Aislinn:
Thank God, that’s awesome. That’s great. Oh, this game is great. This game is so good
(1h 29m 59s)
I just I can’t believe how
(1h 30m 2s)
much thought has been put into all these little tiny things to make this game so much more
(1h 30m 8s)
elevated. I’m gonna guess it’s been an
(1h 30m 11s)
very very long time to be fair but still even though it’s been worked on
(1h 30m 14s) Al:
[laughing]
(1h 30m 16s) Aislinn:
for like such a long time it feels like a modern game like you would think
(1h 30m 20s)
that because it’s been worked it’s it started being worked on like a long
(1h 30m 22s)
time ago that it would still have like old mechanics in it but it feels so
(1h 30m 26s)
modern yeah both of us will get there
(1h 30m 28s) Al:
Yeah, I agree. So yeah, sad that I haven’t managed to do the mine yet, but I’ll get there
(1h 30m 36s)
We’ll get there. We’ll get there
(1h 30m 38s)
I think that’s most of the mechanics. Have I missed any mechanics?
(1h 30m 42s) Aislinn:
um I think I think we’re good I think I’m just thinking off at the top of my
(1h 30m 50s)
head now in general I think we’re mostly good
(1h 30m 53s) Al:
Cool. All right, I don’t want to talk too much about like the characters and the story and stuff like that
(1h 30m 59s)
But I think I would like to say that this is a funny game
(1h 31m 3s)
Is like legitimately funny is not like cringe funny is like I’m actually finding myself amused by
(1h 31m 9s) Aislinn:
it is very charming, it is very very charming and very silly and I so far love no booger junior
(1h 31m 21s)
and how just child
(1h 31m 25s)
just literally such a child and so silly and I just love
(1h 31m 30s)
Mikan is an interesting character too Mikan is like the first the first character that you meet right
(1h 31m 30s) Al:
Mm-hmm
(1h 31m 35s) Aislinn:
yeah first character that you meet but
(1h 31m 37s) Al:
And they’re character you you travel to the island with
(1h 31m 39s) Aislinn:
the I have admittedly kind of I guess spoiled myself a little bit in regards to looking at the
(1h 31m 48s) Al:
shocking.
(1h 31m 48s) Aislinn:
character designs I know shocking right cuz I otherwise hate Spark first there I hate spoiling
(1h 31m 53s)
things for myself but looking at like just like the I think for whatever reason I decided I
(1h 31m 58s)
wanted to look at like the romanceable characters characters some of these character designs
(1h 32m 4s)
are awesome and I can’t wait to meet them and see their personalities because like every single
(1h 32m 9s)
character that I’ve met so far being is it okay for me to list some of the early on
(1h 32m 15s)
characters okay great so that’s what I kind of figure but I was like let me just make sure so
(1h 32m 17s) Al:
sure I don’t think it will mean much to people.
(1h 32m 23s) Aislinn:
obviously Mikan no boo no boo junior and then I have Riku mac miss curator and I feel like I’m
(1h 32m 35s)
for getting someone. Oh, I’m forgetting.
(1h 32m 39s)
Someone and someone else that I will eventually remember, but all their characters feel like I say as I’m forgetting someone.
(1h 32m 49s)
All of their characters feel like they stand out very much so. And then looking at the designs, especially one in particular, that is just so simply adorable.
(1h 33m)
Why is their name a song? I have no idea, but they’re just a little penguin with glasses. I just, they’re so…
(1h 33m 9s)
cute and so well designed. I think that’s like another thing that sometimes I struggle with with some farming games that have like the little, I guess you could call it started.
(1h 33m 22s)
You can also call it Persona-esque where it’s like you have the dialogue and then you have the character and their expressions and everything on the side and whatnot. I don’t know what game is like the first game or like one of the most important games that did that.
(1h 33m 34s)
but seeing all the different characters and how they’re designed.
(1h 33m 39s)
They look so, so, so nice, and I wish I liked, like, some games that I wish I could like
(1h 33m 46s)
them more, but I can’t like them more just because I don’t like the character designs.
(1h 33m 51s)
So I like, be it long story short, I like these characters a lot.
(1h 33m 52s) Al:
Yeah, that’s fair
(1h 33m 55s)
Yeah, yeah, I do you reminded me that we should probably talk about like just the overall like building up of the town as well
(1h 34m 2s)
Because like that’s a pretty fundamental part of it
(1h 34m 5s)
Because obviously you start off with just me cannon and Nobu
(1h 34m 8s)
And then you you slowly add more people to the island as you build it up and it’s it’s it’s a fun kind of like you know
(1h 34m 18s)
different way to to do that than be just like
(1h 34m 22s)
you know, here’s a village that you’re joining and it is what it is and it’s kind of static and you’re building up but in a less artificial way than say animal crossing feels.
(1h 34m 35s) Aislinn:
Yes. Yes. I had to think about that. Yes, I agree. It feels more meaningful rather than just
(1h 34m 46s)
here’s another villager that you just added to your town because you like this villager because
(1h 34m 50s)
it’s cute and it’s gonna have like the same like 20 lines of dialogue for the rest of your life as
(1h 34m 54s)
you play this game like it obviously we haven’t sunk enough time into this game to really see
(1h 34m 59s)
like how much dialogue do they truly have but every character feels it.
(1h 35m 5s)
intentional with their role within the game that I’ve met so far and they all I’m hoping and I’m
(1h 35m 12s)
assuming their personalities are all very distinct but just their character designs alone are all
(1h 35m 18s)
very very distinct despite them being different types of animals they all feel very unique
(1h 35m 24s)
which I appreciate. I’m very excited to be a song. So cute. Such a cute penguin.
(1h 35m 25s) Al:
Yeah, I agree. All right
(1h 35m 32s)
All right, well, I feel like that’s that’s everything we want to talk about so to conclude on this game
(1h 35m 39s)
It’s good go player. It’s good game. I think it to be a bit more more detailed on that
(1h 35m 45s)
I think if you like farming games, but quite often feel like they can be a bit slow and a bit
(1h 35m 55s)
Jamie, I think this is a good game to try because it can you can still go slowly if you want you can take your time
(1h 36m 3s)
But you can also zoom about the place and do what you want and like just do the stuff and
(1h 36m 9s)
And you know do what you want as fast as you want to do it really which I really like
(1h 36m 12s) Aislinn:
Yes.
(1h 36m 14s) Al:
I feel like it’s almost the perfect ADHD farming game because there’s no
(1h 36m 20s)
There’s no getting bored. There’s no like oh this took a second too long, so they
(1h 36m 25s)
are from my distraction is gone, whichever you like.
(1h 36m 26s) Aislinn:
It does keep you constantly engaged, but actually I just remember one more like mechanic thing
(1h 36m 33s)
or control thing that I also really, really like is that in the options, they give you
(1h 36m 37s)
the option to, because sometimes for some people, some people get, it seems to be overwhelmed
(1h 36m 42s)
by the amount of quests that they give you in one shot.
(1h 36m 45s)
So there’s an option, I forget what it’s called, but there’s an option that you can toggle,
(1h 36m 50s)
and it’ll give you less quests in one go, so you get less overwhelmed.
(1h 36m 54s)
But also your days are longer.
(1h 36m 56s)
And when you are chopping down trees or breaking rocks or something, you are generally getting more resources as well, if you want to just feel like you don’t, if you don’t want to feel as rushed because the day is is going to end soon.
(1h 37m 15s)
So I’ve been really enjoying this, this, that is that option that combines everything, but this also a separate option if you want to have just simply just less quests in one go. And it’s another option if you want to just simply have longer days.
(1h 37m 26s)
So I have the longer days one toggle because I don’t like time limits if I can pause time whenever I could I would, but as of right now.
(1h 37m 31s) Al:
I have literally never felt like I need any more time in this game.
(1h 37m 38s) Aislinn:
Yeah, though in this game, in this game it’s been very good, so I haven’t had to worry about that, but I like the option that I can have longer days and then if I want to go to sleep early, I can go to sleep early, but just giving myself any way to give myself more time.
(1h 37m 52s)
I will happily take and if I had that option is there.
(1h 37m 56s)
Is wonderful, although I don’t know when that option was introduced because I didn’t notice it until pretty recently so I don’t know where that came from but yeah, that’s my last bit about like little nitpity details but overall conclusion wise, I agree with you that this is a great game that constantly keeps you engage you can play it at your own pace, if you want to speedrun it like you said you could speedrun it if you want to take your time you can take your time, the immersion,
(1h 38m 23s)
the, just the world of Snacko in general.
(1h 38m 27s)
Just feels very whimsical and grounded and silly and all the mechanics that all work together.
(1h 38m 38s)
Despite us having experience with them, i.e. the cooking and the minds and stuff.
(1h 38m 45s)
I’m sure when we dive into those mechanics more, they will also all tie together really nicely and respect your time well.
(1h 38m 53s) Al:
For sure, agreed. Good game. Go play up.
(1h 38m 56s) Aislinn:
Great game.
(1h 38m 58s)
Wonderful game.
(1h 38m 58s) Al:
Let’s talk about it. Let’s talk about it more in the game of the year episode.
Outro
(1h 39m 2s) Aislinn:
Yeah.
(1h 39m 2s) Al:
All right, thank you, Aslan, for joining me for this episode.
(1h 39m 7s)
Is there anything you would like to share with the audience?
(1h 39m 8s) Aislinn:
Um, I guess the usual y’all can find me just about anywhere.
(1h 39m 15s)
Uh, A-Strainer, A-I-S-Trainer, um, streaming at least hopefully once a week on Twitch as of this episode coming out.
(1h 39m 26s)
Yes, as of this episode coming out, it will have been my cat’s first birthday.
(1h 39m 32s)
And me and my husband will have built a wonderful cat tower for them that I foresee may fall over because they are crazy because I have an orange cat.
(1h 39m 42s) Al:
He didn’t buy the cat Christmas tree.
(1h 39m 45s) Aislinn:
So.
(1h 39m 48s)
No, well, we might try to make it a Christmas tree. We’re not sure. We have to build the, we have to build the, the, the cat tree first. But, um.
(1h 39m 56s)
I digress. Y’all can find me just about anywhere except Twitter, um, at A-Strainer. And also my husband and I have moon coo which we really need to make time to record.
(1h 40m 7s)
So there will be an episode that drops at some point this month in regards to most likely being present on social media.
(1h 40m 16s)
Is I think the topic that we want to do, don’t hold me to it, but that’ll be coming. And then top K-pop songs of 2025.
(1h 40m 26s)
That’s my plug.
(1h 40m 26s) Al:
you you can find the podcast this podcast on tumblr and on blue sky at ths pod you can send us
(1h 40m 34s)
feedback on our website harvestseason.club this episode you can tell us what if you haven’t played
(1h 40m 42s)
it’s knuckle and you would what design would.
(1h 40m 47s) Aislinn:
Ooh. And if it’s not a tuxedo cat, you’re wrong. I’m just kidding.
(1h 40m 52s) Al:
You can also find on our website links to everything to do with the podcast, including a link
(1h 40m 56s)
to our Patreon, patreon.com/thspod where you can get access to our slack and talk to us there.
(1h 41m 4s) Aislinn:
Fun times!
(1h 41m 4s) Al:
You can also get access to our bonus episodes of the podcast.
(1h 41m 8s)
We have one upcoming, at least one upcoming, our favorite non-farming games of the year, which
(1h 41m 16s)
We have recorded and edited and is scheduled to come out before the game.
(1h 41m 21s) Aislinn:
Oh, okay, you can also find in that slack.
(1h 41m 25s)
You can find out if Al is the witch
(1h 41m 31s)
witch out of three brothers or if that’s three siblings.
(1h 41m 34s) Al:
No, brothers. Yeah, I don’t have any brothers.
(1h 41m 37s) Aislinn:
Witch, which one are you?
(1h 41m 39s)
You can only find out in the slack.
(1h 41m 41s) Al:
Possibly the weirdest plug for this lack ever.
(1h 41m 43s) Aislinn:
It could work, you never know.
(1h 41m 46s) Al:
I think that’s everything. Thank you, Azeland again for joining me.
(1h 41m 51s) Aislinn:
He is always appreciated.
(1h 41m 53s) Al:
Thank you listeners for listening, and until next time, have a good harvest.
(1h 41m 56s) Theme Tune:
The Harvest Season is created by Alma Henry, with support from our patrons, including our
(1h 41m 56s) Aislinn:
Have a good harvest, yay!
(1h 42m 6s) Theme Tune:
pro farmers, Kevin Stewart, Analisa.
(1h 42m 10s)
Our art is done by Micah the Brave, and our music is done by Nick Burgess.
(1h 42m 15s)
Feel free to visit our website, harvestseason.club for show notes and links to things we discussed
(1h 42m 20s)
in this episode.
(1h 42m 31s) Al:
I’ve forgotten my juice, give me two seconds.
(1h 42m 31s) Aislinn:
Ah! No problem.
(1h 42m 39s) Al:
There we go, I’m back. I can’t podcast without some liquid.
(1h 42m 44s) Aislinn:
Some sippy sippy or some sort.
(1h 42m 47s) Al:
Why did you have to see it like that?
(1h 42m 50s) Aislinn:
I mean, because I have my two sippies.
(1h 42m 53s)
I got the rest of my matcha and I got my water.
(1h 42m 56s)
I got to have my sippies.
(1h 42m 57s) Al:
Alright, so PCP is very good, right? Let’s do this!
(1h 43m 1s) Aislinn:
Yes, I am ready.
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