I used to love these Sierra Games, full of puzzles and things to discover. They seem so simple by todayβs standards but maybe that is also why I loved them.
+3
May 13, 2025
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I donβt know what it is about them, maybe itβs the music or the terrible graphics, or maybe just remembering how it felt to have so much extra time on my hands that I could sit and play whatever free/cheap video game I could get my little hands on and disappear for hours on end without having to stress about deadlines or sleep schedules. Sometimes when its slow at work Iβll play some of the old soundtracks on my headphones to pass the time :)
Feb 27, 2025
spent maybe 15-20 minutes solving a puzzle in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle but when I got it I felt childlike joy and jumped out of my chair like Grandpa Joe going YIPPEE
May 4, 2025
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interactive versions of the popular puzzle book series
one of my favorite things in kids' media is stuff that goes WAY harder than it has any right to. it's so easy to phone this stuff in, but these games truly felt like so much love and care was put into them. i think walter wick, the man who did the art for the original ispy books, is a truly one of a kind artist, and while i'm not sure if he participated in the environments for these games, or if they're moreso just based on his work, but they absolutely nail the art here
also, there's a weird amount of replayability to these. you play through all the riddles, then it will give you the option to play again on a harder difficulty, and there will be other new elements, too. spooky mansion is the example everyone knows, where you get to go through escaping the house three times, and the final time feels like a cute little culmination moment (no spoilers in case you wanna see it for yourself)
my favorite still has to be ispy: treasure hunt. i don't what it is but they somehow made the environment of smuggler's cove feel like a real ass lived in town. and it feels huge!! and it feels like it has real history, like you can see the lives of the pirates passing through here. ALL THIS FOR FUCKING EDUCATIONAL KIDS HIDDEN OBJECT GAME. like who does this anymore??
unfortunately, i'm not sure if any are playable anymore save for maybe spooky mansion?? (not the ugly wii version, good LORD talk about a downgrade). however, i'm pretty sure all of them are findable on youtube playthroughs, so go check 'em out! if nothing else, they're great to fall asleep to
Apr 18, 2024
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Iβm not a parent and do not plan to be. Kids can wear me out fast with their high energy and noise level; it leaves me very over-stimulated. But itβs pretty extreme when people say they βhate kidsβ and I often feel itβs a reflection of their childhood and beliefs around how kids βshould be.β That they were expected to be quiet, obedient, and out of the way by their parents when they were little.
Itβs fucking hard to be a kid. Youβre dealing with a rapidly-changing body and underdeveloped brain, managed by flawed adults who are enforcing boundaries that you do not understand. Itβs confusing and hard to manage your feelings and honestly just a lot.
People are impatient with kids when theyβre brand new to the world and figuring it all out, and this is a time kids need a friend the most. Children can also be teachers to adults with how they are less habituated to the world. They teach us how to be free and open-hearted and silly and imaginative.
A good practice is to be kinder and gentler with kids. If that feels difficult, start with gentleness toward your inner child. Maybe thatβs the child in your life that needs your attention and kindness most.
Apr 16, 2025
May 6, 2025
I meant to post this yesterday. Absolutely beautiful morning for walk.
This morning is also beautiful but in a spring rain kind of way.
Mar 23, 2025