[Update#1: End Date] Monthly in a Month #46: The Bug Edition

question for the future events, as an example "Metro Exodus" was in a bundle, but later on everyone got the "Enhanced Edition". Is it okay to play "Enhanced Edition" for the event, since everyone who had the base game got it? \
And a second question, the same case, but the "enhanced Edition" was not given to the players, can I potentially still play it, since it's essentially the same game but with a few benefits, in terms of graphics and/or more content (normally that's the case)?

🥚

Should be able to make it for this month.

*1 minute previous playtime due to what I assume was unintentional launch
** 61 minutes previous playtime from idling for cards

1. Slime Rancher - The Adventure Continues!
2. Yoku's Island Express - Kickback and relax
3. Stories Untold - Stories, Told
4. SuchArt! - My brushes for a blaster!
5. TSIOQU - And they lived happily ever after...?
6. Moon Hunters - Abandoned

Finished slightly early by my lofty standards.

Games:

I am Fish from June 2022

Achievements - "Free At Last!"

I am Fish has plenty going for it with its charming aesthetic and novel concept. It's a shame that actually playing the game can often feel like a struggle against physics, but it's not unexpected given the lineage of I am Bread.

Rebel Inc. Escalation from October 2023

Achievements - "Mission accomplished"

I wasn't expecting to be as engaged with this as I was with Plague Inc., but the gameplay loop surprised me and I quickly found myself just as addicted as I was with the deadly diseases on my phone in 2012. Beating back insurgents is a tedious affair, but the rest of the mechanics mostly hold up to its forebear even if they don't really break new ground.

S.W.I.N.E. HD Remaster from July 2021

Achievements - "Just a hint of seasoning/Fat free diet"

Going back to an older remastered game can be an exercise in finding weaknesses in the AI at times, and SWINE could feel like that. The lack of base-building and macromanagement probably works to the remaster's advantage as those systems don't need to be updated and the player can focus on tactical decisions.

Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey from January 2021

Achievements - "Heritage"

This was a contentious game upon release, and the lead developer's sometimes-crass arguments against detractors didn't help. I could see some of the ideas he was going for, even if survival isn't normally my bag. Maybe in a few decades we can finally have a life-sim that delivers on all the wild promises that games like Spore and Black & White once foresaw.

Quantum Break from January 2018

Achievements - "Time Bandit"

Gameplay-wise, the game can overwhelm you with a lot of powers available all at once, which made it more comforting to play on the easiest difficulty to mostly ignore all of that when necessary. Some of the puzzles and checkpointing could be a bit annoying with not being able to tell where to go and where to use time powers.

The "part-TV show" portion felt novel, and I do love FMVs, but the direction and cinematography could feel lacking. Quantum Break feels like it's scratching the surface of something great, which is a bit of a downer given that a new game is unlikely and even if it does happen, the best performance of the first game (the late Lance Reddick) cannot continue. Despite the lack of connection to the greater Remedyverse, it is fun to see some of the concepts that were eventually employed in Alan Wake II.

Mind Scanners from August 2022

Achievements - "Mind Trainee"

The comparisons to Papers, Please are obvious, and the aesthetic of Mind Scanners mostly delivers, but the game's dystopia feels a bit too dull compared to the wackier and more outwardly oppressive world of its spiritual inspiration. Additionally, the scanning/device/evaluation gameplay felt a bit arduous and the difference between difficulty levels didn't seem too significant.