June 2017 Community Game-Along: Puzzle Games

Puzzle Game Community Game-Along June 2017 Chic Pixel

Hello, June! It’s a busy month for video games, especially with all the E3 news coming up, so I though it would be fun to select a less time-intensive theme for this month’s Community Game-Along. But then again, how much time you decide to spend with a puzzle game is entirely up to you!

Puzzle games are perfect for fitting in a few minutes here and there during your commute or while waiting for leftovers to heat up (am I the only one that does this?!), so be sure to grab a game and share your impressions throughout the month using #PuzzleGameMonth! If you’re not sure what to play, never fear, because I’ve rounded up a few recommendations!

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Introducing the Chic Pixel Picks TeePublic Curator Store!

Chic Pixel Picks TeePublic Curator Store

If you’ve been following Chic Pixel for a while, you know I love all things cute and nerdy. It’s pretty much one of my life goals at this point to surround myself with as many things that fit into those categories as possible! I also feel it’s really important to support independent artists who create awesome, unique products, so I’m always on the lookout for cool new creators on the internet. That’s why I’m thrilled to announce that I’ve teamed up with TeePublic to offer a curated storefront featuring all my favorite designs from artists such as miski, Paulina Ganucheau, and more!

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NieR: Automata Review

NieR: Automata review Chic Pixel

Despite having put over 45 hours into NieR: Automata, I still can’t believe it exists. Director Yoko Taro has become something of a niche gaming icon over the years, but due to some very, very rough edges, NieR: Automata‘s predecessor NieR only achieved a small cult following among the few who saw past the subpar gameplay and lackluster graphics to appreciate its atmosphere and heavy-hitting themes.

I fall in the camp of folks who saw what NieR had to offer in terms of an overall experience, but always left my short sessions with the game infuriated by the miserable gameplay. It was clear to me that Yoko Taro had a lot of great ideas that would shine if he only had a just few more resources at his disposal… And lo and behold, those resources have finally come in the way of Platinum Games, a development studio that excels in smooth-as-butter action gameplay!

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Tokyo Gacha World Review

Tokyo Gacha World Subscription Box Review Chic Pixel

These days, you can buy almost anything from Japan your heart desires online, but there’s one kind of item that’s always been particularly hard to find: Gachapon! Because gachapon toys are generally only sold through machines that spit out a random capsule toy, living outside of Japan means you miss out of the surprise of putting a few hundred yen into a machine, turning the knob, and waiting with baited breath to see what comes out… But with Tokyo Gacha World, a subscription box dedicated to gachapon, you can experience the delight of receiving random gachapon every month!

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Chic Pixel Plus Episode 54 – Reading Too Much (Into It)

In another overdue episode of Chic Pixel Plus (which should no longer be an issue after Anne submits her thesis in July, promise!), we talk about whether or not we read too much into the media we consume, and Anne gets a little heated up about Twitter Discourse™. Sarah talks about what it was like to make a point and click adventure game for Resist Jam, Anne shares some early NieR: Automata impressions, and Granblue Fantasy comes up once again. Don’t miss Sarah’s impressions of the Kingdom Hearts concert in Tokyo at the end!

00:01:58 Resist Jam (Sarah and Roy’s game Rootless)
00:10:38 Kawasaki Kenko on Takarazuka Revue during the US occupation (audio)
00:14:09 Free! movies announced
00:18:46 Talking about games on the internet
00:35:28 NieR: Automata early impressions
00:40:21 Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
00:48:44 Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid
00:58:29 Granblue Fantasy Corner
01:07:11 Kingdom Hearts concert

Opening ♫ – “stay gold” – Utada Hikaru
Closing ♫ – “Dearly Beloved (Kingdom Hearts II version)” – Yoko Shimomura

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