What are you playing now?

[BBP]

Templars were not the bad guys in GK3. There's a general 'Secret Conspiracy' idea for a story line, think 'Stonecutters' for instance where people believe others are treated better by being part of something secret. The Templars represent a secret organisation that was at some point extremely powerful but they are not around to be insulted.

[Tawmis]

The Templars represent a secret organisation that was at some point extremely powerful but they are not around to be insulted.

Which also describes the Templars from Dragon Age.
https://dragonage.fandom.com/wiki/Templar_Order

They were "justified" in their cause "of rogue wizards for the safety of the world"... but their methods were harsh to some.

[Rath Darkblade]

The Templars in Dragon Age are a curious case. In the first game, the Templars are a reasonable bunch. In Dragon Age 2, they become extremely harsh (and the effects of the red lyrium on them don't help). By Dragon Age 3, they've gone completely off the rails.

I don't know what they're like in DA4, but if this trend is any guide, they're probably slaughtering every wizard they come across, just in case.

[BBP]

Slowing down in Blue Prince on purpose, as I was really whipping through it. Luckily there are new levels in Cats Love Boxes, a sokoban type crate pusher with proceeds going to cat-related charities.

[BBP]

The AIVD puzzle has been released, so I'm unavailable for the next 4 weeks. That'll show me down in Blue Prince!

[BBP]

Got back from Christmas vacation and spent most of it working on the blasted AIVD puzzle.

[BBP]

I've just discocered these. They're a lot harder than my daily Murdle!
https://cluesbysam.com/

[Rath Darkblade]

Yikes. These look complicated. =( Clue is complicated enough for me...!

I picked up Agatha Christie's Death On The Nile a while ago (on a modest special deal), and am enjoying it. The game put Poirot in the 1970s (disco era), so the fashions and hairstyles are, um ... interesting. It's not an era I'd normally associate with Poirot -- IIRC, by the 70s he was into his last cases (Christie died in 1976, and "Death On The Nile" is usually set in the 30s, since it was published in 1937).

The game created a secondary sleuth character called Jane Royce, with her own plot and crimes to solve. I'm not sure how this ties into "Death On The Nile", but I assume it eventually will.

Personally, I'm leaning towards the Poirot "purist" side -- i.e. the view that Christie's plots are perfect as they are (even if her characterisation of people is "of her time", so they wouldn't please everyone today), and there's no need to change the plot. I'm not fanatical about my "purism", so adding characters is fine, as long as it makes sense to do so. But the plot, and most of Christie's dialogue, is in the game -- which is good.

The depiction of Poirot himself is fine. I'm not sure how I feel about Poirot in a lounge suit, though. I think he is much too formal to wear one. During the game, he's invited to a cocktail party, so I think he would insist on wearing a suit and bow tie, rather than ... whatever the game has him wearing. *shrug* But that's just me. I understand the 70s were a much less formal time, though.

I also noticed this game includes quite a few mini-games, like making Poirot re-arrange suitcases in a car-boot, or getting him to fix a jukebox, in order to prove that his "little grey cells" are working. Personally, I don't really like these -- Poirot is a detective, not a jukebox repairman -- but past Poirot games did similar things, so I'm more or less resigned.

That's my review so far. On balance, I like this game. Feel free to take a look and see what you think.

[BBP]

I'm back on Blue Prince, now that the AIVD puzzle time has ended. Made some progress but now I'm stuck.

[BBP]

They Fixed Demon Crawl!!!

[BBP]

Just got the newest Devcat game, Forensic Felines and the Meowseum Mystery. Proceeds of the game go to cats in need.

[Rath Darkblade]

Just got the newest Devcat game, Forensic Felines and the Meowseum Mystery. Proceeds of the game go to cats in need.

If you're enjoying Forensic Felines, may I recommend Chicken Police? I played it and very much enjoyed it. It reminded me of classic noir novels by novelists like Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett.

The visuals and style are stunning, the voice acting is superb, the world-building is excellent. I recommend it!

As for me? I'm not playing any games right now. I'm elbow-deep in working on my latest novel, a historical fantasy set in Iceland in the year 1,000 AD, and featuring the daughter of Leif Eriksson (who the history books don't know much about). Also featuring people the history books do mention, Thor (but not as you know him) ... and and some very special draugar. (Mwa ha ha...)

[BBP]

I'm not entirely sure what to think of Forensic Felines. The game doesn't look good - a 3D environment but with 2D objects and haracters, looking more like a diorama. Controls were for some reason designed for a controller - lacking this you move around with WSAD and turn the camera with arrow keys. It all seems like this could have been done much more efficiently and aesthetically pleasingly in a 2D environment Laura Bow II style. Especially starting up the game feels clumsy.

That said, I found the environment well-landscaped (as a museum location should be) and the story so far works. We'll see how it goes.

[BBP]

Can't deny I finished it but am still not sure if I'd recommnd it.

There are no instructions on how to control anything or what a squiggly over a character or by a menu option means.

It's a linear adventure that you push forward by either exploring or talking to suspects. The linearity becomes a hinder at times.
The game shares the fill-in the blank mechanic, that The Golden Idol uses. Your notebook has a set text with plenty of missing words. You 'find' these words in dialogue and descriptions. Sometimes you'll be stumped over what a text is supposes to say. Like when you see: the _ _ the _ into a _. There's a hint system that tells you whether it's supposed to be a verb, object, person or location. Which helps but is not ideal.

If you like the puzzles in Golden Idol, give it a shot.

[BBP]

Meet Ribbit, a word puzzle I may include in my daily puzzle package:
https://www.puzzmo.com/puzzle/2026-05-30/ribbit