These are my personal favorite games, books, and other things that I've found on itch.io. Some of them had a pretty big impact on me and how I think about life. Some of them are just really neat but they're far outside of the themes of the other collections I've curated.
Content: Rated G. Content warnings for body horror and involuntary transformation.
Medium: Interactive fiction created in Twine, in the style of a Choose Your Own Adventure book. There are a few meaningful choices at the beginning, and the rest is a linear story.
About: You live in a fairy tale land and need a magical makeover so you can sneak in to a party. You end up getting transformed into something pretty but weird. Depending on which guise you take on, you have a different adventure. The original concept was that this was supposed to be a parody of a fad for mobile games about make-overs.
Vibe: Beautifully written and humorous. Reminiscent of other fun, nostalgic deconstructions of folklore and fantasy, and just as good as the best of them: Fractured Fairytales, Dealing with Dragons, and Shrek.
Content: Rated PG. Some body horror and gore, but they're fine.
Medium: Illustrated fiction book.
About: A science fiction zine of interviews with mostly queer aliens.
Vibe: Tongue in cheek humor. Fun, silly, weird, and feel-good.
Content: Rated PG-13.
Medium: Interactive fiction created in Twine.
About: You wake up in the body of a billionaire and try to spend all his money before either the day ends or you get caught and stopped. (As a bit of artistic license, the game pretends these are all liquid assets that could be spent at a moment's notice.)
Most people find it difficult to think about very large numbers. This game is meant to make it easier to imagine just how much money a billionaire has by looking at everything that could be done with it if it was being used to solve familiar problems in the real world.
Playing this can have a long-term impact on how you think of the imaginary social construct of "money," the vast gulf between an ordinary person's idea of luxurious wealth versus someone who has more money than makes sense for a private individual to possess, and how the exact same number of dollars can be either life-changing or inconsequential to people of differing economic status.
Vibe: Comic mischief. Humor that punches up and not down. Economic outrage.
Content: Rated G.
Medium: Interactive fiction created in Twine, though its elaborate randomization and careful juggling of numbers in your stats makes it look much less like it was created with that tool. Impressive. Every play through is unique.
About: Science fiction. You are looking for a safe planet where the last humans could live, but it's a long and dangerous trip through space, and you might have to settle for a new home that's not so safe. The Earth is hard to replace.
Vibe: Grim, lonely, epic.
Content: Rated... uh... rated R, 18+. It's so non-explicit that the actual content could individually be considered to be PG, and it's not pornographic in intent or appearance, but all together it would be too sexually suggestive to play in a school or work setting.
Medium: A computer game, originally designed for phones and tablets that have multi-touch screens.
About: This rhythm game with abstract art graphics about pollinating flowers is an extended metaphor for making love, though nothing explicit is shown or named. Its focus is on being patient and taking your time, and being sensitive to what feels best to each unique lover. It was designed to provide actual educational value in improving one's skill at the intimate arts.
Vibe: Flirty, suggestive, cute, fun, mysterious, colorful.
Content: Rated G.
Medium: A journaling game.
About: Follow the prompts to journal about people who care about you in your real life. This can be about romantic or platonic love.
Vibe: Tender, positive. Good for a day when you need some self-care and a reminder that you're loved.
Content: Rated PG. The process of preparing dead bodies for burial or cremation is shown, though in a tastefully simplified way. There are still needles and other things that are uncomfortable to think about.
Medium: A computer game.
Story: This is a realistic story about what it's really like to be a mortician, preparing dead bodies for their burial or cremation, and attending their memorial services. This is about some real-world ethical problems involved in respect for the dead and their surviving loved ones. For example, environmental damage from embalming, nice mom and pop businesses getting bought out by uncaring corporations, getting pressured to up-sell when that feels exploitative, and families who ask you to go against the last wishes of the deceased.
Vibe: A lot of heavy duty feelings about things that you might not have thought about before, though the story ends on a hopeful note about being able to do what you feel is right. Good for a day when you have the strength to face the taboo topic of mortality. Expect to need a hug or at least some grounding, and to feel motivated to do some paperwork and research in real life for your own end-of-life plans instead of trying not to think about them.
Content: Rated G.
Medium: A journaling game.
About: Re-imagine what you did that day in the way that a character from a children's picture book might have done it in an even more charming and fanciful way.
Vibe: Genuinely cute, wholesome, fun, charming, uplifting. Good for helping you see and appreciate the little adventures in your everyday life.
Rated PG-13.
A collection of handbooks for anyone running or playing any sort of live-action role-play (LARP) or tabletop role-playing game (TTRPG) to make sure that it's an enjoyable and safe time for everyone involved.
Rated PG-13.
A handbook for anyone running or playing any sort of live-action role-play (LARP) or tabletop role-playing game (TTRPG) to make sure that it's an enjoyable and safe time for everyone involved.
