‘It has been many months of hard work to get to this moment.’

Available natively on Linux!

A metroidvania that’s equally interesting as it is a bummer.

Some quick n’ dirty thoughts regarding the new Smash Bros-like game around the block.

Sonority. According to the Merriam Webster dictionary, one of the definitions of the word is as follows: The perceptibility or distinctness of speech sounds when spoken in a context in which stress, pitch, and sound duration are constant. It could also be interpreted as the state of being sonorous, as in producing sound, full or loud in sound. I don’t blame you if you’re a little confused as to what “sonority” or “sonorous” means.

Fraymakers is a game that I’ve been following closely. It’s basically a pixel-art platform fighter with mechanics that are akin to the Smash Brothers series. The team behind it is McLeodGaming, who also made Super Smash Flash and Super Smash Flash 2. This was originally slated to be released in Early Access on Steam back in August. It’s been pushed back and now we’ve finally got a release date: January 18th.

Though this is rare, there might be a game or two in your Steam library which – even though it may have a native Linux version – will force the use of Proton when you run it. For instance, when running CrossCode, your Steam Deck (or Linux desktop) will prefer Proton over the native version, because Steam apparently thinks Proton is better. Maybe you don’t want to use Proton and play the game as is, natively.

Less than a month after the arrival of the point & click adventure Return to Monkey Island, the game now has native Linux support. This is available as a public beta. The Tweet that Ron Gilbert sent out contains a link to the instructions on how to opt-in to the beta…but the link to the guide is dead if you’re not logged into Steam and you have the game in your account.

Professor Nimroder, your former teacher, has gone mad and is attempting to wake the cursed King Minos. Your goal, as the player, is to enter the trapped Vaults of Minos and to stop him. Per the press documentation, The Vaults of Minos, developed and published by Thunder Perfect Witchcraft, “is a fluid arcade jump n’ run with procedural generation” and rogue-like elements. Every run that you make, the traps, the level design, and the bosses will all be different.

I’m a sucker when it comes to racing games. Not so much the simulation type, but more so the arcade-y racers with weapons. Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit, PocketCars, and GRIP are just a few examples. It’s thrilling action that’s almost akin to fighting games. The Wipeout series is another example. It was certainly an excellent IP at its’ core. Anit-gravity racing machines loaded with turrets, mines, EMPs, the whole nine yards, set in a futuristic era.