Like that Buddhist teaching of there being two pains: the actual pain of an arrow striking you, and the pain that arises by your reactions to the arrow. You can't control the first pain, but you have some control over the second.

I'll check it out, thanks!

Spec Ops is so damn good. I've been itching to replay it and see if it's as good as I remember. It's been so long.

Well the best overall for me has to be Disco Elysium. Game is just astounding. Tears at my heart. Pentiment is a close second. But my god was that one a bit more miserable. Recommend for anyone that enjoys a good story.

From purely a fun standpoint, Rollerdrome and Hi-Fi Rush were absolutely killer. Incredibly tight gameplay. Super satisfying to "get good" at. Rollerdrome was the first game I was motivated enough to 100%, it was that fun.

It's kind of crazy looking back at how many games I got through in a year. Could've sworn I had played these years ago. What is time, even? 🫠

Hey, I just finished the Dishonored DLC this year! This game never comes to mind when I think of my favorite games, but when I actually think about it I love so much about it.

Mechanics are satisfying and smooth, art direction has a nice oil-painting style to it, world is simultaneously bleak and beautiful. I wish the story was more interesting but the gameplay more than makes up for it.

Dishonored 2 has been gorgeous so far. I don't know if you've gotten to the mansion level yet, but oh man that environment is a trip. Has to be one of the coolest maps I've ever seen in a game.

The headphone decibel meter on the watch doesn't mirror the phone. I like to make sure I'm not blowing my ears out listening to music, but the watch one only ever shows if music is played directly from the watch, so if I want to know how loud my headphones are I have to pull out the phone.

For the longest time I thought it was a bug so I spent months chatting with support. Took forever to get anywhere because the support reps weren't really familiar with the feature, lol...

Yeah my knowledge of the background lore is vague at best so it sounds like Bloodlines is my best bet. Thanks!

I gravitate toward dark and depressing media so much. I could probably stand to fit more hopeful stories into my life so I'll check out Monk & Robot. Thanks!

Yeah, shoot me your best book for someone new to the universe!

Tangentially related, but are there books for the "end times" Warhammer universe? (I forget what it's called. The universe that the Vermintide games take place in.) I love that setting from what little I've seen of it.

Oh my god, book 8 was incredible! By far my favorite of the series. And yeah even though I've had such a fill of The Expanse I was still hungering for more by the end of it all.

I'll check out your suggestions, thanks! I've always been vaguely interested in the Warhammer universe so maybe it's time to give it a try.

Haha, well you're right, the setting of the Aubrey series does not sound like my cup of tea, but you've convinced me!

Sounds like my kind of story. Thanks!

Ahh, the Bobbieverse... for when we can't get enough of our favorite Martian. 😉 Jokes aside, I always feel more confident jumping into books from someone who has similar tastes, so thanks for the recommendation! I know, disliking Hitchiker's Guide is bordering on blasphemy.

I started Project Hail Mary and I think I was irked by the protagonist, if I remember right. But the book has such glowing reviews, maybe it'll be better for me as an audiobook.

Thanks for the other recommendations as well! I am probably going to shoot for a lighter read before diving into another series. I don't know if I can jump into an incomplete series though. I'm putting off on reading the Game of Thrones books because I'm worried I'll get incredibly invested and then they'll never be finished. Maybe I should just embrace the journey though. There's still fun to be had even if everything doesn't get tied up.

Honestly watching The Expanse was how I got into the series in the first place so I might check out the show first and if I like it, then get the books. Thanks!

I was so hyped for Darktide. After playing through the launch, all my hype is gone. I'll return eventually but it's hard to get excited again after the initial stumble.

I wanted to enjoy it, but man there were so many irritating bugs when I played last year. Progress lost multiple times. Disconnects from server. I've wanted co-op in Fallout for ages but this wasn't it for me.

If you could recommend only one for someone new to the games, which would it be?

Just finished Pentiment. It was a wonderful, miserable experience. Don't know how people can stomach multiple playthroughs.

Also just finished Doom Eternal. Mixed feelings overall but I like the idea of the counter-heavy combat system. I just wish they dialed back the number of mechanics a bit.

My current addiction is Kingdom Come: Deliverance. I was skeptical at first but man do I love the immersion in this game. The minigames like alchemy and lockpicking are fun and engaging. The combat is kind of Mordhau-lite which means it requires more thought than just spamming attack. The dialogue is surprisingly funny at times, the story interesting enough, and the voice acting is solid. And I like how the quests aren't all simply "go to the marker"--you have to actually follow clues and pay attention.

I bought Alan Wake 2 literally a day before the sale, not thinking it would go on sale. And now I'm waiting for a patch anyway because some lighting bugs were introduced in the last patch. Oops. Kinda sucks but I'm still very excited to play it!

Looking at my review weirdly gave me a more positive perspective on how I see my life. It helped me realize I'm kind of blessed with the work-life balance I have that I'm still able to play so many games into adulthood.

Also it's neat to see what I played early in the year. Things I could've sworn I'd played a couple years ago. A little reminder that time isn't moving as quickly as it sometimes feels.

Just to find some plot or writing style I thoroughly enjoy. I have a hard time getting hooked on books these days. I'm hoping I just haven't yet found what speaks to me.