Woodling Gameblogging Awards 2019
Dec. 14th, 2019 07:47 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kjorteoCeline:
Award time is upon us once more! After how well having Sara around last time went for both her and everyone in the audience, we're doing this together once more. 2019 sure was a thing (more on that in a post to come,) but we still managed to work some really good games in there. So, let's honor them!
Sara:
We decided do use simple "Celine:" and "Sara:" (and "Xyzzy:") tags this year rather than the icons, both for accessibility and because it's just easier. That gives us more time we can spend talking about games. :v
Rita Repulsa award for Achievements in Backlog Liberation
Some games are long, some are hard, some have just been in the backlog forever. Whatever the reason, this award honors the games whose eventual completion made us say, "Finally! After ten thousand years, I'm free! It's time to conquer Earth!"
Nominees:
Changed
Chocolate Castle
Detective Pikachu
Shovel Knight: Shovel of Hope
Vice: Project Doom
Celine says:
Chocolate Castle is probably the closest thing we had this year to a "finally crossing off something I've been working on for years" moment, at least one the size of previous winners like Pokemon Mystery Dungeon. Vice: Project Doom was indeed the earliest I became aware of a game's existence, yes, having first had my interest piqued by a Nintendo Power article back in childhood. However, the time from when I actually started playing it to completion was, you know, about average. Chocolate Castle was one I started playing way back when I first bought the bundle it came in in 2011, and have been picking at it off and on until this year. Because it's a bunch of Klotski puzzles and I was honestly stumped on a lot of them for a long time, I feel like not still having to go back and finish this one is the biggest weight-off-my-shoulders feeling this year.
Winner: Chocolate Castle
Sara says:
Okay, that's a good guess, and you know how I feel about puzzle games that you fall too hard into at the expense of sleep. XD That said, I tried really hard to be more positive with this category this year, and I think I found a good one. Shovel Knight was another one that's been on your to-do list for years--not as many as Chocolate Castle, but still a good lot of years anyway. You approached it with the same "do maybe one stage a weekend" picking at it over time approach, until it fell by the wayside for so long that you got a new system, upgraded from Shovel Knight 3DS to the entire Treasure Trove on Switch, started over and slowly picked your way through it again, and now here we are with it finally cleared. All without having looked up or spoiled what actually happened to Shield Knight until you beat the game and saw for yourself, despite its massive popularity and pop cultural presence. That's a good list of qualifications, right?
Winner: Shovel Knight: Shovel of Hope
Crying Bulbasaur award for Achievements in Emotional Devastation
Whether it makes us cry, warms our heart, makes us think about our lives, or otherwise makes us feel things, this award is to honor the games that took us on a journey through the strongest emotions.
Nominees:
Changed
Adventures With Anxiety
Arcade Spirits
City of Heroes
The Way Remastered
Celine says:
Whoof. A lot of this comes down to a semantics argument of how you define the category. Arcade Spirits is the only game on this list that made me actually literally cry, with an intervention scene at your lowest point that hit me for 9999. The Way Remastered weighed more on both of us, with an ending that kind of makes both of us stare off into the middle distance even now. But who gets the pizza trophy?
... Arcade Spirits. Arcade Spirits is a game about carrying a lifetime worth of pain with you almost like dull depressed background noise, finally getting your hopes up for the first time in years, being forcefully reminded how much it hurts to do that, and then pushing through because we've come too far to let it end like this, God damn it. There's a very good reason I cried in that scene. I was not mentally or emotionally ready for the entire family to come together like that and... do that. That has to be one of the best final act troop-rallying moments I've ever seen, in any media.
Winner: Arcade Spirits
Sara says:
Take Celine's first paragraph verbatim, except I'm going the other way.
The Way Remastered... hurts. It hits close to home for us in a lot of ways that it would be a spoiler to explain, and made us have to rethink some of our long-term plans. It brings up a deeply uncomfortable truth that we're still reeling from. It's heavy. It's uncomfortable. It's impactful and it really deserves the win here.
Winner: The Way Remastered
Hint Coin award for Most Puzzling Puzzler
This award celebrates the headaches, confusion, and eventual triumph and/or shame in using a walkthrough that come with the best puzzle games and puzzles in games.
Nominees:
Changed
Chocolate Castle
Detective Pikachu
Farnham Fables episode 4: Little Dog Dreams
Pas De Deux
Celine says:
Chocolate Castle is the puzzliest game on this list, by far, but some of the Klotskier Klotski levels got quite tedious and unenjoyable. Changed was a fun and charming game all throughout, but it's probably the least puzzley game in the category specifically for puzzles. Looking over this list, Detective Pikachu strikes me as the game that most has it all. It's a puzzle game specifically about puzzles, in that you are a detective team gathering clues and cracking cases like a furrier Ace Attorney Investigations. It's also a fantastic game overall, full of charm and personality, with engaging gameplay and a great plot. It's probably the best example of puzzle and everything else you're going to find in this category in a year where we didn't play an actual Professor Layton game.
Winner: Detective Pikachu
Sara says:
I really want to give this to Changed, because I love Changed and I want to give a lot of things to Changed. But it's very hard to argue with Celine's logic. I... yeah. You know what? Yeah. I just remembered how relatable their relationship is (at least in the game version) and yeah.
Sara says: Detective Pikachu
Wing of Wyvern award for Most Retro Nostalgia Trip
Whether it is an actual classic game or a modern pixel-fest reminiscent of one, this award honors the games that really take you back to Tantagel Castle.
Nominees:
City of Heroes
Family Dog
Istaria: Chronicles of the Gifted
Shovel Knight: Shovel of Hope
Vice: Project Doom
Celine says:
Oh, ow. This one hurts. The comments in the nominees post predicted that Family Dog would take this in a landslide, and it very well could win; they're not at all wrong about how much that game meant to me and my childhood. That said, I think they overlooked how much of my life of that era was City of Heroes and especially Istaria. Istaria... God. I remember when I first got back into it after all that time away, in December of last year. I remember just going to all these towns and cities I used to know. Sslanis. Tazoon. Kion. Names and locations that I used to rattle off in conversation with clanmates like trivia answers, a factoid to feel vaguely pleased with myself for knowing and recalling. Suddenly I was there. I was in Tazoon. It wasn't just a name to drop for "only 90s kids remember" cred; it was a place I was standing in and getting screenshots. In any other year, Istaria is this category.
But it's going against Family Dog. ffffFFFFUCK. Fuckfuckfucking FUCK. Fuck.
Um.
Istaria. It has to be Istaria. I'm sorry. I want to give this to Family Dog. Family Dog absolutely deserves it. Those of you who guessed it really are not wrong in just how much it deserves this. But that feeling, and... I guess Family Dog was kind of always there, you know? I had the ROM and eventually the cart on eBay, I could just go through it and do another run at any time. Istaria was lost to me for years, and then I was welcomed back into this world that I remembered but somehow never thought I'd see again.
It's a flimsy as hell justification but I have to go with it as the only reason Istaria edges out Family Dog on this one, because I mean. God. Literally how else can I decide?
Winner: Istaria: Chronicles of the Gifted
Sara says:
Celine and I aren't supposed to collaborate on our voting. We're supposed to come up with our choices independently, specifically so we can't just use each other to split difficult votes. If a category comes down to two games who really both deserve it, having me around isn't just a convenient excuse to give one nod to each. We're each real people with our own opinions, we're each approaching this in terms of how we would vote if ours was the only vote, and if we both think game A edges out game B, no matter how narrowly it does, then so be it.
This is the one time I kind of bent that rule for her, because this is maybe one of the hardest decisions she's ever faced in these awards and just... I had to help the poor dear. I mean, look at her. This one hurt. *Hugs*
Besides, I don't have quite as strong memories of Istaria, and we played through Family Dog together as a couch game. You know those are special to me. Celine specifically and strongly thought of me while playing through it, because she wanted me to be a part of this memory. She was taking something precious to her, a piece of her childhood self, and sharing it with me. That's special. Obviously I'm going to honor that. Thank you, Celine. <3
Winner: Family Dog
Little Cup award for Achievements in Fluff
Not every game needs to be a long and serious epic. This award honors the light and/or little palate cleansers, because games are fun.
Nominees:
Adventures With Anxiety
Becalm
Bugs and Kisses
The Racoon Who Lost Their Shape
Qvabllock
Celine says:
Okay, after the anguish of the last category, I'm glad to be back to something a little easier. Adventures With Anxiety is a half hour browser game, yet it was very nearly in overally GOTY contention this year. In fact, I had this whole paragraph written out about how it was the only one on this list that was in the discussion for best game period, let alone best specifically tiny game, until Sara had to pull me aside and remind me that hey no we actually bumped that one to the honorables at the last second. I'd forgotten we had to do that. It was definitely on the cusp, and kind of still is in my view. Anyway, it packs a moving, emotional, and profound journey of discovery and enlightenment into a half-hour browser game, and if that's not worth honoring then I don't know what is.
Winner: Adventures With Anxiety
Sara says:
I'll tell you what is. Remember when we played through Becalm as a couch game and I got immersed enough to do the "Ackptth" thing when the visuals showed us floating underneath a waterfall? And this isn't even a VR game. It's... arguably not really a game, period, but shhh it's gorgeous and light and fluffy and peaceful and meditative. It's pretty, it's neat, it's relaxing, and goodness knows we need more relaxation in our lives.
Winner: Becalm
Piece of Heart award for Warmest Fuzzy
Whether it's a short indie romp or a long epic, and whether heartwarming moments are in the plot directly or just as a project that feels like it was made with love, this award honors games that make players feel good inside.
Nominees:
Adventures With Anxiety
Arcade Spirits
Bugs and Kisses
City of Heroes
Istaria: Chronicles of the Gifted
Celine says:
Another one that the comments section said was going to be an easy obvious no-contest choice, another one where I think the comments section perhaps underestimated the strength of the competition. I do think they were actually right on this one anyway; it was just a narrower victory than they were expecting.
Arcade Spirits is basically a walking Piece of Heart award, uplifting heartwarming Care Bear moments baked so hard into the plot of this indie game about depression that that's literally just what Arcade Spirits is. If we were going by the actual in-game content, it would win in a walk.
But real-life meta-considerations are a thing, and it's going against Istaria.
See Wing of Wyvern for how much just being back in this land meant to me. It's also worth mentioning the memories I've made with my new friends and guildmates, a certain particular dragonfriend who even got close enough to become a sort of crush of mine, and said dragonfriend and I are even giving back to the game ourselves now. (He joined the development team and is tearing through bugfixes left and right, Sara and I are community moderators on the official Istaria Discord server, and I'm even working on an idea for a quest submission that hopefully they might implement if they like it.) This ancient MMO had a rocky start and has been existing in the "Oh God, Istaria still exists?" tier ever since, but seeing the amount of love and volunteer work and community spirit that has kept it going this whole time is nothing short of inspiring.
Winner: Istaria: Chronicles of the Gifted
Sara says:
I'm bailing Celine out again, but not on purpose this time. XD Again, Istaria is more her thing than mine, I think, but man did Arcade Spirits hit us both. For different reasons in my case (IRIS is relatable content) but its being an entire game about daring to open your heart and be happy and hopeful again really cannot be denied.
Winner: Arcade Spirits
Furry Little Body award for Achievements in Anthropomorphic Appeal
Because sometimes you just need a silly little award to acknowledge that one character you want to bang.
Nominees:
Adventures With Anxiety
Bugs and Kisses
Changed
Detective Pikachu
Istaria: Chronicles of the Gifted
Celine says:
I will admit that Detective Pikachu made a really good contest out of it this year. Pokemon games seem to have an inherent advantage in this category, and this one even comes with an attractive middle-aged musician.
And Changed is... I mean, you've seen that trailer, right? Here's our actual furry fetish game for the year. One that, much like Monster Mind before it, ends up offering so much more than the furbait appeal as well. It has a sweet story, Puro is a good boy, it has a fantastic soundtrack...
And then there's Istaria. Dated as the graphics may be, it's an early fantasy MMO and you know how much Would there is in the entire world even before you get into all the monsters I take an abnormal interest in. (And there are quite a few, trust me. I may have a thing for beetles, okay?) Besides, this game has dragons in it. I even befriended one on Discord. And really, how can you argue with that?
Winner: Istaria: Chronicles of the Gifted
Sara says:
Winner: Changed
Golden Pheasant award for Artistic Achievement
Regardless of what the game actually does with them and whether it works overall, this award celebrates the truly outstanding and impressive feats in a game's assets, be the graphics, music, voice acting, game engine, or anything else.
Nominees:
Bugs and Kisses
Changed
Moss
Shovel Knight: Shovel of Hope
The Way Remastered
Celine says:
Moss makes an incredibly strong case, especially in the full immersion that is VR, but this really comes down to Changed vs. The Way Remastered. Which, I know I'm potentially dooming myself to a repeat of the Golden Pheasant GOTY curse by narrowing it down to the two games among these five that are even nominated for Woodlings' Choice. I could have picked Moss here and guaranteed that the streak wouldn't continue, but... I also said I couldn't snub them if they were truly deserving, and they are. The Way Remastered is this year's Superbrothers (which was Sara's Golden Pheasant winner last year) in that it's an artsy game with jaw-dropping pixel art graphics and a solid soundtrack. Changed is this year's Tadpole Treble (which was my Golden Pheasant winner last year) in that its graphics are slightly less sophisticated yet oozing with cuteness and charm and incredibly effective for the personality the game's trying to convey, and the soundtrack is an absolute must-have filled with memorable tunes that won't leave your head, like, ever.
By that logic, I should go with Changed here like I went with Tadpole Treble last year, but 1) keep in mind just how close those two were, and 2) compared to Superbrothers, The Way Remastered has really taken a step up even farther in the graphics and sound (especially graphics) departments. Its pixel art outdoes the actual art game. Every time we sat down to play this game, I just could not get over "Gosh, this is gorgeous. Like, look at this. This is really really gorgeous." I think it has... not a huge edge here, but a comfortable one.
Winner: The Way Remastered
Sara says:
Changed has A- to solid-A graphics and S++ music; The Way Remastered is the other way around. We agree on this. All that's left is personal weighing of which we find more important. On that front, Celine flipped her precedent from last year because The Way Remastered's graphics were even better, and... I might have to do the same for Changed's music. I love chiptunes, and Changed offers some truly outstanding ones, possibly the best since Mega Man Unlimited which I wasn't there for or it might have actually won something. :P And it's full of visual eye candy. I mean, it's a fetish game; everyone's supposed to look appealing, right? And they do. So yeah, I feel pretty good about this pick all around.
Winner: Changed
Trap Devised by Satan award for Game Most Likely Not Done Yet
Backlogs are immense, time is finite, and most games can be crossed off the list and moved on from once completed. However, some games deserve a special mention for their lasting appeal and replay value. This award honors the ones that don't want to be over.
Nominees:
Arcade Spirits
Becalm
Chocolate Castle
Family Dog
Farnham Fables episode 4: Little Dog Dreams
Celine says:
... Arcade Spirits. It immersed me in this world with an entire cast that grew together and became a family. In the end, I hooked up with one of them, a couple of the others drifted apart and went their separate ways in the end. There are people there I never got close enough to learn what their deal is, and I'm intensely curious. Visual novels always encourage going back and seeing every route, and this one is no exception.
Winner: Arcade Spirits
Sara says:
... Yeah, pretty much. I want to say Becalm because it's quick and easy and right there ready to be revisited at any time, but Arcade Spirits is the one that really feels not done yet.
Winner: Arcade Spirits
Extra Life award for Most Deserving of a Second Chance
Not every played game is completed. Most of the abandoned ones were abandoned for a reason, and quickly forgotten. Could some of them find redemption and a path back onto the active to-do list, though? Maybe these ones could....
Nominees:
Downwell
GET OUT of this Dungeon
Moss
Plants vs. Zombies 2
Skies Above
Celine says:
This comes down to Moss vs. Skies Above. Moss is the one I want to play again because it was outstanding and I miss it already, but I can't until I buy and set up a VR rig which we currently don't have. Skies Above is the one that's free and literally right there and the only thing stopping me is a vague sense of "ehhhh." As always, I'm going to lean a bit optimistically and follow my heart for this category.
Winner: Moss
Sara says:
Also as always, I'm going to lean with my head and predict the one more likely to actually happen. :v
Winner: Skies Above
Stan S. Stanman award for If You Only Buy One Game from This List....
Whether it's an overlooked indie gem or a well known game that deserves its reputation, this award honors the one game each year that everyone reading this really owes it to themselves to check out.
Nominees:
Adventures With Anxiety
Arcade Spirits
Changed
The Racoon Who Lost Their Shape
The Way Remastered
Celine says:
Adventures With Anxiety is important. It's important for people who've struggled with anxiety to see a fantastic metaphor for coping with and understanding it, getting helpful advice and coping strategies, and being reassured that they're not alone. It's important for people who haven't struggled with it to understand what it's like, and to see it in a way that makes sense and is easy to understand. Hell, I even paiddavidn to play this on his donation stream (note: contains commentary/voices from him and me) because I believe that strongly in it. For everyone else, it's a short and free browser game. Literally why not?
Winner: Adventures With Anxiety
Sara says:
... The Way Remastered's ending really sticks in my craw and I need to talk about it with someone. Please play it so we can discuss. Please?
Winner: The Way Remastered
Sqrlmog's Choice award for Sqrlmog's Choice
Another silly for-fun category. We pick five games, and XyzzySqrl picks one among them!
Nominees:
Arcade Spirits
Changed
City of Heroes
Family Dog
Istaria: Chronicles of the Gifted
Xyzzy says:
I actually did choose Arcade Spirits. For one, there is a Sqrl's Choice that is actually my choice, and I chose it. Therefore, I choose Arcade Spirits for you a second time running.
Winner: Arcade Spirits
Woodlings' Choice award for Best Game Overall
The grand prize as well as the most personal one. After all the other categories, after honoring every game for whatever it does best and whatever other demographics that might appeal to, this is the one that we, Celine and Sara Kalante, found to be our personal overall favorites.
Nominees:
Arcade Spirits
Changed
Detective Pikachu
Istaria: Chronicles of the Gifted
The Way Remastered
Celine says:
This category is always tough, isn't it? Whoever wins is going to do so by a hair, and there isn't any one of these five that would be a bad choice, really.
At the risk of flirting with the curse, I feel like this one comes down to Changed vs. The Way Remastered again. This is the category where the gameplay counts too, and gameplay-wise, the other three are slightly more basic, you know? Look, it's a really close five-way coin flip here, so I'll take whatever flimsy justifications to narrow the field down I can get.
Changed has personality and charm, a certified good boy, and some pleasant memories of couch-gaming this even when it was far less convenient to do so because the keyboard didn't work super great with the Steam Link. It had some frustrating bits, yes, but mostly they were memorable challenges that felt amazing to overcome on the whateverth try. The writing was so solid that even a dodgy translation couldn't hurt it. (If anything, it's actually kind of fitting in a way; Puro is supposed to sound a bit ESL due to his background/circumstances.)
The Way Remastered is a fantastic and nearly-flawless game, don't get me wrong. It scratches the Another World itch but it's even better, with a poignant story, clever puzzles, and gameplay that captures all of Another World's challenge without its over-the-top frustration (except maybe at the very very end.) It is great, and absolutely deserving of this award.
But Changed is special for us. And in the end, I think I have to follow my heart here.
Winner: Changed
Sara says:
... Yeah. Look, for what looks on the surface like a fetish game, there's just so much to Changed. It's moving. Like, really, genuinely moving. The Way Remastered and Changed both struck a chord with me; they're both relatable to me, to my relationship with Celine, I saw a lot of myself in each. But while The Way Remastered used that link to be... troubling, Changed just feels good. It's a story of friendship, of overcoming the odds, of you and the good boy being happy and living together andI ship it so hard
... It's good. It's touching. The plush is on my shrine for a reason, okay? Like, a reason besides the hotness. There's a soul here. And so I'm very much with the woodrat on this one.
Winner: Changed
Sara: Oh, would you look at that? You finally broke the Golden Pheasant curse (congratulations!) but I inherited it instead. How's that for a twist ending? :P I mean, I already split them last year so I'm fine, but still. XD ... Hey, Celine?
Celine: Yeah?
Sara: *Hugs* Thank you for having me here for these. I like getting to weigh in on games and just... be a part of this with you. And thank you to our readers, too. I'm glad I'm welcome, you know? ^^ ... But yeah! This wasn't a good year in real life in at least a few ways, but we sure found some gems on the game front.
Celine: We did! And thank you for doing this with me, love. <3 Next year?
Sara: Heck yeah. <3
Award time is upon us once more! After how well having Sara around last time went for both her and everyone in the audience, we're doing this together once more. 2019 sure was a thing (more on that in a post to come,) but we still managed to work some really good games in there. So, let's honor them!
Sara:
We decided do use simple "Celine:" and "Sara:" (and "Xyzzy:") tags this year rather than the icons, both for accessibility and because it's just easier. That gives us more time we can spend talking about games. :v
Rita Repulsa award for Achievements in Backlog Liberation
Some games are long, some are hard, some have just been in the backlog forever. Whatever the reason, this award honors the games whose eventual completion made us say, "Finally! After ten thousand years, I'm free! It's time to conquer Earth!"
Nominees:
Changed
Chocolate Castle
Detective Pikachu
Shovel Knight: Shovel of Hope
Vice: Project Doom
Celine says:
Chocolate Castle is probably the closest thing we had this year to a "finally crossing off something I've been working on for years" moment, at least one the size of previous winners like Pokemon Mystery Dungeon. Vice: Project Doom was indeed the earliest I became aware of a game's existence, yes, having first had my interest piqued by a Nintendo Power article back in childhood. However, the time from when I actually started playing it to completion was, you know, about average. Chocolate Castle was one I started playing way back when I first bought the bundle it came in in 2011, and have been picking at it off and on until this year. Because it's a bunch of Klotski puzzles and I was honestly stumped on a lot of them for a long time, I feel like not still having to go back and finish this one is the biggest weight-off-my-shoulders feeling this year.
Winner: Chocolate Castle
Sara says:
Okay, that's a good guess, and you know how I feel about puzzle games that you fall too hard into at the expense of sleep. XD That said, I tried really hard to be more positive with this category this year, and I think I found a good one. Shovel Knight was another one that's been on your to-do list for years--not as many as Chocolate Castle, but still a good lot of years anyway. You approached it with the same "do maybe one stage a weekend" picking at it over time approach, until it fell by the wayside for so long that you got a new system, upgraded from Shovel Knight 3DS to the entire Treasure Trove on Switch, started over and slowly picked your way through it again, and now here we are with it finally cleared. All without having looked up or spoiled what actually happened to Shield Knight until you beat the game and saw for yourself, despite its massive popularity and pop cultural presence. That's a good list of qualifications, right?
Winner: Shovel Knight: Shovel of Hope
Crying Bulbasaur award for Achievements in Emotional Devastation
Whether it makes us cry, warms our heart, makes us think about our lives, or otherwise makes us feel things, this award is to honor the games that took us on a journey through the strongest emotions.
Nominees:
Changed
Adventures With Anxiety
Arcade Spirits
City of Heroes
The Way Remastered
Celine says:
Whoof. A lot of this comes down to a semantics argument of how you define the category. Arcade Spirits is the only game on this list that made me actually literally cry, with an intervention scene at your lowest point that hit me for 9999. The Way Remastered weighed more on both of us, with an ending that kind of makes both of us stare off into the middle distance even now. But who gets the pizza trophy?
... Arcade Spirits. Arcade Spirits is a game about carrying a lifetime worth of pain with you almost like dull depressed background noise, finally getting your hopes up for the first time in years, being forcefully reminded how much it hurts to do that, and then pushing through because we've come too far to let it end like this, God damn it. There's a very good reason I cried in that scene. I was not mentally or emotionally ready for the entire family to come together like that and... do that. That has to be one of the best final act troop-rallying moments I've ever seen, in any media.
Winner: Arcade Spirits
Sara says:
Take Celine's first paragraph verbatim, except I'm going the other way.
The Way Remastered... hurts. It hits close to home for us in a lot of ways that it would be a spoiler to explain, and made us have to rethink some of our long-term plans. It brings up a deeply uncomfortable truth that we're still reeling from. It's heavy. It's uncomfortable. It's impactful and it really deserves the win here.
Winner: The Way Remastered
Hint Coin award for Most Puzzling Puzzler
This award celebrates the headaches, confusion, and eventual triumph and/or shame in using a walkthrough that come with the best puzzle games and puzzles in games.
Nominees:
Changed
Chocolate Castle
Detective Pikachu
Farnham Fables episode 4: Little Dog Dreams
Pas De Deux
Celine says:
Chocolate Castle is the puzzliest game on this list, by far, but some of the Klotskier Klotski levels got quite tedious and unenjoyable. Changed was a fun and charming game all throughout, but it's probably the least puzzley game in the category specifically for puzzles. Looking over this list, Detective Pikachu strikes me as the game that most has it all. It's a puzzle game specifically about puzzles, in that you are a detective team gathering clues and cracking cases like a furrier Ace Attorney Investigations. It's also a fantastic game overall, full of charm and personality, with engaging gameplay and a great plot. It's probably the best example of puzzle and everything else you're going to find in this category in a year where we didn't play an actual Professor Layton game.
Winner: Detective Pikachu
Sara says:
I really want to give this to Changed, because I love Changed and I want to give a lot of things to Changed. But it's very hard to argue with Celine's logic. I... yeah. You know what? Yeah. I just remembered how relatable their relationship is (at least in the game version) and yeah.
Sara says: Detective Pikachu
Wing of Wyvern award for Most Retro Nostalgia Trip
Whether it is an actual classic game or a modern pixel-fest reminiscent of one, this award honors the games that really take you back to Tantagel Castle.
Nominees:
City of Heroes
Family Dog
Istaria: Chronicles of the Gifted
Shovel Knight: Shovel of Hope
Vice: Project Doom
Celine says:
Oh, ow. This one hurts. The comments in the nominees post predicted that Family Dog would take this in a landslide, and it very well could win; they're not at all wrong about how much that game meant to me and my childhood. That said, I think they overlooked how much of my life of that era was City of Heroes and especially Istaria. Istaria... God. I remember when I first got back into it after all that time away, in December of last year. I remember just going to all these towns and cities I used to know. Sslanis. Tazoon. Kion. Names and locations that I used to rattle off in conversation with clanmates like trivia answers, a factoid to feel vaguely pleased with myself for knowing and recalling. Suddenly I was there. I was in Tazoon. It wasn't just a name to drop for "only 90s kids remember" cred; it was a place I was standing in and getting screenshots. In any other year, Istaria is this category.
But it's going against Family Dog. ffffFFFFUCK. Fuckfuckfucking FUCK. Fuck.
Um.
Istaria. It has to be Istaria. I'm sorry. I want to give this to Family Dog. Family Dog absolutely deserves it. Those of you who guessed it really are not wrong in just how much it deserves this. But that feeling, and... I guess Family Dog was kind of always there, you know? I had the ROM and eventually the cart on eBay, I could just go through it and do another run at any time. Istaria was lost to me for years, and then I was welcomed back into this world that I remembered but somehow never thought I'd see again.
It's a flimsy as hell justification but I have to go with it as the only reason Istaria edges out Family Dog on this one, because I mean. God. Literally how else can I decide?
Winner: Istaria: Chronicles of the Gifted
Sara says:
Celine and I aren't supposed to collaborate on our voting. We're supposed to come up with our choices independently, specifically so we can't just use each other to split difficult votes. If a category comes down to two games who really both deserve it, having me around isn't just a convenient excuse to give one nod to each. We're each real people with our own opinions, we're each approaching this in terms of how we would vote if ours was the only vote, and if we both think game A edges out game B, no matter how narrowly it does, then so be it.
This is the one time I kind of bent that rule for her, because this is maybe one of the hardest decisions she's ever faced in these awards and just... I had to help the poor dear. I mean, look at her. This one hurt. *Hugs*
Besides, I don't have quite as strong memories of Istaria, and we played through Family Dog together as a couch game. You know those are special to me. Celine specifically and strongly thought of me while playing through it, because she wanted me to be a part of this memory. She was taking something precious to her, a piece of her childhood self, and sharing it with me. That's special. Obviously I'm going to honor that. Thank you, Celine. <3
Winner: Family Dog
Little Cup award for Achievements in Fluff
Not every game needs to be a long and serious epic. This award honors the light and/or little palate cleansers, because games are fun.
Nominees:
Adventures With Anxiety
Becalm
Bugs and Kisses
The Racoon Who Lost Their Shape
Qvabllock
Celine says:
Okay, after the anguish of the last category, I'm glad to be back to something a little easier. Adventures With Anxiety is a half hour browser game, yet it was very nearly in overally GOTY contention this year. In fact, I had this whole paragraph written out about how it was the only one on this list that was in the discussion for best game period, let alone best specifically tiny game, until Sara had to pull me aside and remind me that hey no we actually bumped that one to the honorables at the last second. I'd forgotten we had to do that. It was definitely on the cusp, and kind of still is in my view. Anyway, it packs a moving, emotional, and profound journey of discovery and enlightenment into a half-hour browser game, and if that's not worth honoring then I don't know what is.
Winner: Adventures With Anxiety
Sara says:
I'll tell you what is. Remember when we played through Becalm as a couch game and I got immersed enough to do the "Ackptth" thing when the visuals showed us floating underneath a waterfall? And this isn't even a VR game. It's... arguably not really a game, period, but shhh it's gorgeous and light and fluffy and peaceful and meditative. It's pretty, it's neat, it's relaxing, and goodness knows we need more relaxation in our lives.
Winner: Becalm
Piece of Heart award for Warmest Fuzzy
Whether it's a short indie romp or a long epic, and whether heartwarming moments are in the plot directly or just as a project that feels like it was made with love, this award honors games that make players feel good inside.
Nominees:
Adventures With Anxiety
Arcade Spirits
Bugs and Kisses
City of Heroes
Istaria: Chronicles of the Gifted
Celine says:
Another one that the comments section said was going to be an easy obvious no-contest choice, another one where I think the comments section perhaps underestimated the strength of the competition. I do think they were actually right on this one anyway; it was just a narrower victory than they were expecting.
Arcade Spirits is basically a walking Piece of Heart award, uplifting heartwarming Care Bear moments baked so hard into the plot of this indie game about depression that that's literally just what Arcade Spirits is. If we were going by the actual in-game content, it would win in a walk.
But real-life meta-considerations are a thing, and it's going against Istaria.
See Wing of Wyvern for how much just being back in this land meant to me. It's also worth mentioning the memories I've made with my new friends and guildmates, a certain particular dragonfriend who even got close enough to become a sort of crush of mine, and said dragonfriend and I are even giving back to the game ourselves now. (He joined the development team and is tearing through bugfixes left and right, Sara and I are community moderators on the official Istaria Discord server, and I'm even working on an idea for a quest submission that hopefully they might implement if they like it.) This ancient MMO had a rocky start and has been existing in the "Oh God, Istaria still exists?" tier ever since, but seeing the amount of love and volunteer work and community spirit that has kept it going this whole time is nothing short of inspiring.
Winner: Istaria: Chronicles of the Gifted
Sara says:
I'm bailing Celine out again, but not on purpose this time. XD Again, Istaria is more her thing than mine, I think, but man did Arcade Spirits hit us both. For different reasons in my case (IRIS is relatable content) but its being an entire game about daring to open your heart and be happy and hopeful again really cannot be denied.
Winner: Arcade Spirits
Furry Little Body award for Achievements in Anthropomorphic Appeal
Because sometimes you just need a silly little award to acknowledge that one character you want to bang.
Nominees:
Adventures With Anxiety
Bugs and Kisses
Changed
Detective Pikachu
Istaria: Chronicles of the Gifted
Celine says:
I will admit that Detective Pikachu made a really good contest out of it this year. Pokemon games seem to have an inherent advantage in this category, and this one even comes with an attractive middle-aged musician.
And Changed is... I mean, you've seen that trailer, right? Here's our actual furry fetish game for the year. One that, much like Monster Mind before it, ends up offering so much more than the furbait appeal as well. It has a sweet story, Puro is a good boy, it has a fantastic soundtrack...
And then there's Istaria. Dated as the graphics may be, it's an early fantasy MMO and you know how much Would there is in the entire world even before you get into all the monsters I take an abnormal interest in. (And there are quite a few, trust me. I may have a thing for beetles, okay?) Besides, this game has dragons in it. I even befriended one on Discord. And really, how can you argue with that?
Winner: Istaria: Chronicles of the Gifted
Sara says:
Winner: Changed
Golden Pheasant award for Artistic Achievement
Regardless of what the game actually does with them and whether it works overall, this award celebrates the truly outstanding and impressive feats in a game's assets, be the graphics, music, voice acting, game engine, or anything else.
Nominees:
Bugs and Kisses
Changed
Moss
Shovel Knight: Shovel of Hope
The Way Remastered
Celine says:
Moss makes an incredibly strong case, especially in the full immersion that is VR, but this really comes down to Changed vs. The Way Remastered. Which, I know I'm potentially dooming myself to a repeat of the Golden Pheasant GOTY curse by narrowing it down to the two games among these five that are even nominated for Woodlings' Choice. I could have picked Moss here and guaranteed that the streak wouldn't continue, but... I also said I couldn't snub them if they were truly deserving, and they are. The Way Remastered is this year's Superbrothers (which was Sara's Golden Pheasant winner last year) in that it's an artsy game with jaw-dropping pixel art graphics and a solid soundtrack. Changed is this year's Tadpole Treble (which was my Golden Pheasant winner last year) in that its graphics are slightly less sophisticated yet oozing with cuteness and charm and incredibly effective for the personality the game's trying to convey, and the soundtrack is an absolute must-have filled with memorable tunes that won't leave your head, like, ever.
By that logic, I should go with Changed here like I went with Tadpole Treble last year, but 1) keep in mind just how close those two were, and 2) compared to Superbrothers, The Way Remastered has really taken a step up even farther in the graphics and sound (especially graphics) departments. Its pixel art outdoes the actual art game. Every time we sat down to play this game, I just could not get over "Gosh, this is gorgeous. Like, look at this. This is really really gorgeous." I think it has... not a huge edge here, but a comfortable one.
Winner: The Way Remastered
Sara says:
Changed has A- to solid-A graphics and S++ music; The Way Remastered is the other way around. We agree on this. All that's left is personal weighing of which we find more important. On that front, Celine flipped her precedent from last year because The Way Remastered's graphics were even better, and... I might have to do the same for Changed's music. I love chiptunes, and Changed offers some truly outstanding ones, possibly the best since Mega Man Unlimited which I wasn't there for or it might have actually won something. :P And it's full of visual eye candy. I mean, it's a fetish game; everyone's supposed to look appealing, right? And they do. So yeah, I feel pretty good about this pick all around.
Winner: Changed
Trap Devised by Satan award for Game Most Likely Not Done Yet
Backlogs are immense, time is finite, and most games can be crossed off the list and moved on from once completed. However, some games deserve a special mention for their lasting appeal and replay value. This award honors the ones that don't want to be over.
Nominees:
Arcade Spirits
Becalm
Chocolate Castle
Family Dog
Farnham Fables episode 4: Little Dog Dreams
Celine says:
... Arcade Spirits. It immersed me in this world with an entire cast that grew together and became a family. In the end, I hooked up with one of them, a couple of the others drifted apart and went their separate ways in the end. There are people there I never got close enough to learn what their deal is, and I'm intensely curious. Visual novels always encourage going back and seeing every route, and this one is no exception.
Winner: Arcade Spirits
Sara says:
... Yeah, pretty much. I want to say Becalm because it's quick and easy and right there ready to be revisited at any time, but Arcade Spirits is the one that really feels not done yet.
Winner: Arcade Spirits
Extra Life award for Most Deserving of a Second Chance
Not every played game is completed. Most of the abandoned ones were abandoned for a reason, and quickly forgotten. Could some of them find redemption and a path back onto the active to-do list, though? Maybe these ones could....
Nominees:
Downwell
GET OUT of this Dungeon
Moss
Plants vs. Zombies 2
Skies Above
Celine says:
This comes down to Moss vs. Skies Above. Moss is the one I want to play again because it was outstanding and I miss it already, but I can't until I buy and set up a VR rig which we currently don't have. Skies Above is the one that's free and literally right there and the only thing stopping me is a vague sense of "ehhhh." As always, I'm going to lean a bit optimistically and follow my heart for this category.
Winner: Moss
Sara says:
Also as always, I'm going to lean with my head and predict the one more likely to actually happen. :v
Winner: Skies Above
Stan S. Stanman award for If You Only Buy One Game from This List....
Whether it's an overlooked indie gem or a well known game that deserves its reputation, this award honors the one game each year that everyone reading this really owes it to themselves to check out.
Nominees:
Adventures With Anxiety
Arcade Spirits
Changed
The Racoon Who Lost Their Shape
The Way Remastered
Celine says:
Adventures With Anxiety is important. It's important for people who've struggled with anxiety to see a fantastic metaphor for coping with and understanding it, getting helpful advice and coping strategies, and being reassured that they're not alone. It's important for people who haven't struggled with it to understand what it's like, and to see it in a way that makes sense and is easy to understand. Hell, I even paid
davidn to play this on his donation stream (note: contains commentary/voices from him and me) because I believe that strongly in it. For everyone else, it's a short and free browser game. Literally why not?Winner: Adventures With Anxiety
Sara says:
... The Way Remastered's ending really sticks in my craw and I need to talk about it with someone. Please play it so we can discuss. Please?
Winner: The Way Remastered
Sqrlmog's Choice award for Sqrlmog's Choice
Another silly for-fun category. We pick five games, and XyzzySqrl picks one among them!
Nominees:
Arcade Spirits
Changed
City of Heroes
Family Dog
Istaria: Chronicles of the Gifted
Xyzzy says:
I actually did choose Arcade Spirits. For one, there is a Sqrl's Choice that is actually my choice, and I chose it. Therefore, I choose Arcade Spirits for you a second time running.
Winner: Arcade Spirits
Woodlings' Choice award for Best Game Overall
The grand prize as well as the most personal one. After all the other categories, after honoring every game for whatever it does best and whatever other demographics that might appeal to, this is the one that we, Celine and Sara Kalante, found to be our personal overall favorites.
Nominees:
Arcade Spirits
Changed
Detective Pikachu
Istaria: Chronicles of the Gifted
The Way Remastered
Celine says:
This category is always tough, isn't it? Whoever wins is going to do so by a hair, and there isn't any one of these five that would be a bad choice, really.
At the risk of flirting with the curse, I feel like this one comes down to Changed vs. The Way Remastered again. This is the category where the gameplay counts too, and gameplay-wise, the other three are slightly more basic, you know? Look, it's a really close five-way coin flip here, so I'll take whatever flimsy justifications to narrow the field down I can get.
Changed has personality and charm, a certified good boy, and some pleasant memories of couch-gaming this even when it was far less convenient to do so because the keyboard didn't work super great with the Steam Link. It had some frustrating bits, yes, but mostly they were memorable challenges that felt amazing to overcome on the whateverth try. The writing was so solid that even a dodgy translation couldn't hurt it. (If anything, it's actually kind of fitting in a way; Puro is supposed to sound a bit ESL due to his background/circumstances.)
The Way Remastered is a fantastic and nearly-flawless game, don't get me wrong. It scratches the Another World itch but it's even better, with a poignant story, clever puzzles, and gameplay that captures all of Another World's challenge without its over-the-top frustration (except maybe at the very very end.) It is great, and absolutely deserving of this award.
But Changed is special for us. And in the end, I think I have to follow my heart here.
Winner: Changed
Sara says:
... Yeah. Look, for what looks on the surface like a fetish game, there's just so much to Changed. It's moving. Like, really, genuinely moving. The Way Remastered and Changed both struck a chord with me; they're both relatable to me, to my relationship with Celine, I saw a lot of myself in each. But while The Way Remastered used that link to be... troubling, Changed just feels good. It's a story of friendship, of overcoming the odds, of you and the good boy being happy and living together and
... It's good. It's touching. The plush is on my shrine for a reason, okay? Like, a reason besides the hotness. There's a soul here. And so I'm very much with the woodrat on this one.
Winner: Changed
Sara: Oh, would you look at that? You finally broke the Golden Pheasant curse (congratulations!) but I inherited it instead. How's that for a twist ending? :P I mean, I already split them last year so I'm fine, but still. XD ... Hey, Celine?
Celine: Yeah?
Sara: *Hugs* Thank you for having me here for these. I like getting to weigh in on games and just... be a part of this with you. And thank you to our readers, too. I'm glad I'm welcome, you know? ^^ ... But yeah! This wasn't a good year in real life in at least a few ways, but we sure found some gems on the game front.
Celine: We did! And thank you for doing this with me, love. <3 Next year?
Sara: Heck yeah. <3