Take me out, to the black, tell 'em I ain't comin' back. Burn the land and boil the sea, I'll just play Link Dump... uh... Fri-dee... ? Hmmm, kinda catchy! Now where have I heard that one before? It's a mystery! Anyway, welcome back, dear friends and browncoats, to another installment of Link Dump Friday, and another batch of games delivered fresh from the great convection oven that is the internet.
A Ride Home - I might be tempted to call Gregory Weir the maverick of flash game design, if not for the fact that I hate people who call themselves or others mavericks, so we'll just say he's a pretty clever and creative guy instead. Made with Unity, this very short little experimental science fiction game allows you to explore unfamiliar territory. A little bit, anyway. While it doesn't quite feel like a full game at the moment, it still manages to evoke a sense of loneliness for the few minutes it'll take you to play.
Watermelon Bomb - Just buying watermelon is a minefield; you never know if what you're going to get is the sweet, succulent, melt-in-your-mouth nectar of the gods or a flavorless mash that dribbles unappetizingly down the back of your throat. Mmmmmm. Fortunately, this chain reaction game simplifies things by just asking you to hurl the fruit. At other fruit. Which then explodes. So you can buy more fruit... also to explode. It, um. It makes sense if you don't think about it.
Seven Child Goat - Something about goats has always creeped me out, probably because their eyes make them so untrustworthy. Fortunately, Minoto makes everything better. This little point-and-click puzzle game wants you to solve the problem of a marathon monkey treed by a bull, figure out what to do with the lazy bear hibernating in your inventory, and more. By the end of the game, you will be 100% equipped to deal with any goat-related issues that might arise in your future. But you still shouldn't ever trust them. Never turn your back on them. Goats, man. They freak me out.
Safe Landing - From Alex Miller, the fine soul who brought you Little Rocket, comes... even more little rockets! Kinda. This tricky little game is about trying to land your little rocket on a little landing pad without hitting any obstacles or running out of fuel. It's more mini-game than anything else, but it's simple, tricky, and besides; how can you hate anything with that soundtrack? You can't, that's how! Subject closed.
What a Dream! What a Nightmare! - When I was a kid, I used to have a reoccuring nightmare about having to run up an endless, crumbling staircase in the dark from a monster that was chasing me, while hands reached up between the steps and tried to grab my ankles. I always thought it was a combination of seeing the Evil Dead when I was four and generally being a weird kid, but it turns out it just means the fairy and the ogre were slacking off. In this avoidance game, your job as a pretty pink fairy is to trick the ogre trying to snare you in his net into catching the nightmares that are trying to hassle the little girl sleeping in the room instead. It's a little odd to get the hang of, but the whole thing is so lovely and simple it's worth checking out.
After playing the game and still being bewildered about the title, I read it carefully and realised it's "Chiled" goat...which is a mispelling of "child"...not "chilled" LOL. The Japanese title has "koyagi" which means kids/young goat.
Just played A Ride Home. My little sister loves 3D, but there are so few nonviolent 3d games except for Portal and maybe Fatale... does anyone know of anything else like that?
Hi there, this is your on-the-scene reporter Littleghost, here at what would have been the second leg of the Minoto marathon. However, it seems that Monkey has gotten himself snagged in a tree, and due to the unforeseen events I covered last time, the race has been canceled and I've been moved to investigative duty.
Right now I'm in the house of a family of goats, who are all quite listless and depressed as you can see because their poor mother Mouse has been unable to open the refrigerator for some time.
But fortunately, I see a key under the sofa. I'll just move this goat, and maybe this key will open something that can feed these starving kids.
Hopefully we can manage something before they start eyeing my all natural fiber suit.
Well, the key doesn't work on the refrigerator but it does on the trunk. Which unfortunately, yields only an alarm clock.
Nothing tasty so far, I'm afraid. Perhaps there's someone next-door that can help. No one's at the first house on the hill, but it does look like there's a tarantula and Fox in the second house over. But the tarantula isn't talking, and Fox is asleep.
I'm sure if I just use this alarm clock, Fox won't mind. Unless of course I wanted to keep the alarm clock in one piece.
Well Fox is a bit grumpy, but eager to help out with the camera on him.
Although I'm not sure what I'll do with a bed sheet.
I'll have to see if monkey or any of the folks next door might have an idea about that. It looks like the Panda family also has a bit of a food shortage, but are enjoying the weather. Even monkey, despite being treed by a bull is in quite good spirits about it.
Hold on, it's risk what with it being a red sheet and all, but I'm going to see if I can use the blanket to get Monkey down from the tree.
And in true Monkey fashion, he defies all expectation and flies off! That's our Monkey.
Although we really shouldn't leave this bull here, and it looks like I'll have to be the one to take it.
I'll just check back on some of the others, see if Fox is up and about. Looks like he's enjoying a brief stroll over by the house on the hill and the cart.
This cart seems like as good a place as any to tie up the bull for a while.
And here's a newcomer! Bear also not much for rising early. Or perhaps at all.
He isn't ready to part with his screwdriver just yet, so I'll have to take him along for now.
To be honest folks, I'm not really sure what to do right now, this is only my second day on the job, and I've had just as many titles.
So I guess taking a look at this alarm clock and having Bear help with it couldn't really hurt my ratings anymore.
It appears my reporters instincts have paid off!
Part of this clock is actually a piece of cheese. I've heard of things like this before.
It's amazing what companies will produce when quality standards aren't high enough. Let's check in and see if mother mouse has managed to get the refrigerator open yet.
I think at the very least, she can use this cheese to tide her kids over for a while.
And I can tell she's grateful but the kids don't seem to be as enthused Jay, but you know how picky eaters kids can be.
Looks like the refrigerator's just got a little bit of rust on it, I think I can pry it open.
Yet another sight on the job that I was totally not prepared for. Words just can't describe it.
There was a pudding in there that I'll grab real quickly, but the main concern is what appears to be a large brownish orange monster frozen in a solid block of ice.
However, it remains to be seen who is the victim in this scenario, and if indeed there was foul play involved. Perhaps it's best if we just distance ourselves from the scene right now while the police can gather some facts. Let's go see how the panda family is faring.
The kids and Mrs. mouse weren't interested in this pudding, so I thought you might be interested in it. Uh-oh, I didn't realize that it was in fact a weight. Yet another quality standards case to investigate. The FDA won't be happy about this one. I'm sorry Mr. panda, I'll just take that from you.
I think we'll see if Ms. tarantula is ready for comment.
Still struggling with that platter cover, eh? Here, let me just tie this weight on the string for you. It's a better use than dessert.
And she's quickly left the room! None of my interviews seem to be going out well today, folks. I can't apologize enough.
Of course, it wouldn't do well to just leave this wine here with so many children about.
Nothing to see here folks, let's move along to the picnic again.
Speaking of public safety, I'd better douse those embers with this win- oh shoot, that just made it flare up.
Cut that footage from the report, Mike. What's that? We're live?
Well, I guess there's no better place for this flaming stick than my pocket.
Wait, the forensics crew have just given me word that I'm needed back at the Goat family's house.
It seems they're attempting to melt the ice, but they need someone certified to hold a flaming twig. It's times like this when being a scout comes in handy, kids.
The surprises just don't stop with this job! Mr. Lion, do you have any comments?
Those are some pretty harsh words, understandable given the situation, but maybe I'd better just hold on to these tools for now.
Mr. Lion suspects Fox of the foul play, and we're racing now to his last known location!
Mr. Fox, when did you last see Lion, and do you recognize these tools? Oops, it seems like I may have given him the means to a getaway.
He's banging on the house door for a hideout! And it's opening!
It's one more of the kids, and it he's just as confused as all of us as to what is happening, but he's successfully incapacitated Fox.
I think that this has all wrapped to a close for now, but I'll definitely report back as soon as we find out anything more. Stay tuned, folks! This is Littleghost signing out.
I absolutely loved A Ride Home. That is all.
I thought A Ride Home was a beautiful little game, though I have to admit I was expecting a little more. Gregory Weir games are good stuff.
Ahahaha, oh Minoto.
The pudding that turned into a 1,5kg weight has the description: "Externals are a little strange". That pretty much sums up Minoto.
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Littleghost, you have GOT to do more walkthroughs in that format. That is HILARIOUS.
I think "Chiled" means "cooked using a Chilean recipe."
Ah, I do not remember the name of the fairytale that this is from.
I just found it. It's a Grimm Fairy Tale. I put it in spoiler tags to make it shorter.
The wolf and the seven little goats:
There was once an old goat who had seven little ones, and was as fond of them as ever mother was of her children. One day she had to go into the wood to fetch food for them, so she called them all round her.
"Dear children," said she, "I am going out into the wood; and while I am gone, be on your guard against the wolf, for if he were once to get inside he would eat you up, skin, bones, and all. The wretch often disguises himself, but he may always be known by his hoarse voice and black paws."
"Dear mother," answered the kids, "you need not be afraid, we will take good care of ourselves." And the mother bleated good-bye, and went on her way with an easy mind.
It was not long before some one came knocking at the house-door, and crying out: "Open the door, my dear children, your mother is come back, and has brought each of you something." But the little kids knew it was the wolf by the hoarse voice.
"We will not open the door," cried they; "you are not our mother, she has a delicate and sweet voice, and your voice is hoarse; you must be the wolf."
Then off went the wolf to a shop and bought a big lump of chalk, and ate it up to make his voice soft. And then he came back, knocked at the house-door, and cried: "Open the door, my dear children, your mother is here, and has brought each of you something."
But the wolf had put up his black paws against the window, and the kids seeing this, cried out, "We will not open the door; our mother has no black paws like you; you must be the wolf."
The wolf then ran to a baker. "Baker," said he, "I am hurt in the foot; pray spread some dough over the place." And when the baker had plastered his feet, he ran to the miller. "Miller," said he, "strew me some white meal over my paws." But the miller refused, thinking the wolf must be meaning harm to some one. "If you don't do it," cried the wolf, "I'll eat you up!" And the miller was afraid and did as he was told. And that just shows what men are.
And now came the rogue the third time to the door and knocked. "Open, children!" cried he. "Your dear mother has come home, and brought you each something from the wood."
"First show us your paws," said the kids, "so that we may know if you are really our mother or not." And he put up his paws against the window, and when they saw that they were white, all seemed right, and they opened the door. And when he was inside they saw it was the wolf, and they were terrified and tried to hide themselves.
One ran under the table, the second got into the bed, the third into the oven, the fourth in the kitchen, the fifth in the cupboard, the sixth under the sink, the seventh in the clock-case. But the wolf found them all, and gave them short shrift; one after the other he swallowed down, all but the youngest, who was hid in the clock-case.
And so the wolf, having got what he wanted, strolled forth into the green meadows, and laying himself down under a tree, he fell asleep.
Not long after, the mother goat came back from the wood; and, oh! what a sight met her eyes! the door was standing wide open, table, chairs, and stools, all thrown about, dishes broken, quilt and pillows torn off the bed. She sought her children, they were nowhere to be found. She called to each of them by name, but nobody answered, until she came to the name of the youngest.
"Here I am, mother," a little voice cried, "here, in the clock case." And so she helped him out, and heard how the wolf had come, and eaten all the rest. And you may think how she cried for the loss of her dear children.
At last in her grief she wandered out of doors, and the youngest kid with her; and when they came into the meadow, there they saw the wolf lying under a tree, and snoring so that the branches shook. The mother goat looked at him carefully on all sides and she noticed how something inside his body was moving and struggling.
Dear me! thought she, can it be that my poor children that he devoured for his evening meal are still alive?
And she sent the little kid back to the house for a pair of shears, and needle, and thread. Then she cut the wolf's body open, and no sooner had she made one snip than out came the head of one of the kids, and then another snip, and then one after the other the six little kids all jumped out alive and well, for in his greediness the rogue had swallowed them down whole. How delightful this was! so they comforted their dear mother and hopped about like tailors at a wedding.
"Now fetch some good hard stones," said the mother, "and we will fill his body with them, as he lies asleep." And so they fetched some in all haste, and put them inside him, and the mother sewed him up so quickly again that he was none the wiser.
When the wolf at last awoke, and got up, the stones inside him made him feel very thirsty, and as he was going to the brook to drink, they struck and rattled one against another. And so he cried out:
"What is this I feel inside me
Knocking hard against my bones?
How should such a thing betide me!
They were kids, and now they're stones."
So he came to the brook, and stooped to drink, but the heavy stones weighed him down, so he fell over into the water and was drowned. And when the seven little kids saw it they came up running.
"The wolf is dead, the wolf is dead!" they cried, and taking hands, they danced with their mother all about the place.
END
A Ride Home was short but the graphics and ambience were great.
I tried Watermelon Bomb, it was so short I beat it in less than 5 minutes.
Did anyone else expect headcrabs to jump out when you played A Ride Home?
Gosh I love Gregory Weir. He is amazing.
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