My Life in WordsThoughts, scribbles, doodles, videos.
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Language is powerful. Hearing new phrases can be exciting, and easily incorporated into daily language simply through repeatition. Video games and streaming platforms Twitch are great examples; there are so many streamers who create their own words centered on memes, to the point where it's become an official term within a certain context, and video games have always had their own terminology that often doesn't leave the context of the game itself. "C9" is a popular phrase found in Overwatch. It means to leave the objective of the map uncontested during the final moments, and essentially grant a "free" win to the enemy team. "PUG" is an acronym for a group of random players joining together to complete an objective, a "Pick Up Group". These are phrases that are easy to understand and adapt to when hearing them in context, or sometimes even out of context. They're short words, relatable, and centered around things with tons of fans and exposure. However, there are a lot of words in the English vocabulary that are just as prevalant, if not more, that have a negative affect on many people. Curse words, slur words, derogatory language, these are all things that are regularly used in day-to-day speech. Often, when taken in context, these types of words aren't intended to be malicious or harmful, but a way to express a feeling like anger or frustration. The usage of negative words has expanded into daily lingo for a lot of people, but that doesn't mean that all of the words or phrases are OK or without consequence. Language is powerful. Words have the power to hurt people, to cause damage, especially if someone's been hurt that way before. Using terms that target demographics, specific people, genders, etc., can be a lot more harmful to the people around you than you realize. There are so many more ways to express a feeling or sentiment than to fall into language that can cause pain. English has some of the most wonderful and descriptive words borrowed from multiple languages, which means there are so many options and variations to get your point across without having to use charged up vocabulary. It's a brand new year, which means it's a great time to start fresh and improve something new and wonderful about yourself. Language is powerful, and using words to create a positive experience for someone else something to be admired.
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It's getting closer to that time of year again, where temperatures dip and people need to snuggle up to keep warm. Or maybe that's just a good excuse to take time away from playing on multiple screens and have some quality time together IRL and in-game. With game companies moving further towards having to own multiple copies of the same game for people to play together, what gems are left that enable some local fun?
Steam Games (in no particular order):
Some of my absolute favorites from this list, that even non-gamers can enjoy, are Overcooked, Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime, Ultimate Chicken Horse and Tiny Brains.
OvercookedOvercooked is a game, not surprisingly, about cooking. You and your friends (2-4 players) take the position of chef at a restaurant, and must do everything in your power to see the dishes come out prepared and on time. Chop, carry, stew, and fry your way to victory by creating meals as they appear on your screen. It takes some practice to get into the swing of things, and every time you think you have a handle on the mechanics, you've beat the stage and have a whole new set of challenges to overcome. This game is local co-op only, so get snuggled up, and then prepare to beat a hasty retreat as you drop yet another dish into the freezing waters on an ice level.
Lovers in a Dangerous SpacetimeLovers in a Dangerous Spacetime? What's that? Oh no! The forces of Anti-Love have attacked, and are threatening to take over the universe! Quick, into the Space Ship! It's up to you (and your friends) to show the universe that the forces of love won't go down so easily! This is an awesome 2-4 player couch co-op game that has a lot of flexibility in terms of how it is played. If you have someone you want to play a game with who maybe isn't super awesome at games, there are "jobs" on the spaceship that are simple, yet satisfying, to play. Shooting down colourful enemies, protecting the ship with a giant movable shield, or piloting the ship itself, every part of the ship serves an important purpose. The levels are randomly generated, so even if one person has played before, it's always going to be a new adventure for everyone.
Sit tight, lean back, and enjoy the ride as you rescue Space Bunnies in the name of love! Ultimate Chicken HorseA return back to platforming, Ultimate Chicken Horse's premise is simple: get to the end of the level. What makes the game more interesting and difficult is that each player gets to place various parts and machinery to create a "path". How difficult the path becomes is entirely up to the players. You can have a nice, gentle journey with stairs and wooden blocks, or introduce cannons, crossbows, rotating saws, to try and trip up the other players in the game. Oh, and as an added incentive to not take the nice route, the only way to get points is if not everyone completes the stage; otherwise, it's too easy and no points will be awarded. There are a bunch of animals to play as, a ton of levels to enjoy, and can be played with 2-4 players locally or online.
Note: this game functions a lot better with a controller. It has a similar dash/jump, where your jump is increased if you're dashing, as the Mario games, and it's pretty difficult to get used to when using a keyboard. Tiny BrainsEscape the lab of a mad scientist with your animal buddies as you traverse a giant maze of a room until you can escape to freedom. Combine powers with your furry friends, as each puzzle can be solved in multiple ways based on how you choose to combine your powers. A couch co-op exclusive with a Portal/Tim Burton vibe, the game can be completed with 2-4 players each controlling either an individual animal or swapping between them as needed. The levels are varied, from solving puzzles, to platforming, to defeating hordes of enemies. It's probably one of the shorter games on this list, coming in at 2-4 hours, but it's a wild ride with a fun story and memorable characters. If you want more of a challenge, there are leader boards for each level based on completion time!
Grab your favorite blanket, hook up your PC to your TV, and get settled in for night of old school gaming fun.
This is exciting! It's week two of the Overwatch League, and right in the nick of time, Blizzard announced that Twitch was going to be hosting all the games, in 720p/1080p! The games look gorgeous, the team colours are super fun to see, and the skins are out in game as well!
A lot of the teams seem to be more evenly matched than people initially thought, which makes the games way more exciting to see. Constant stomps and one-sided matches would be way more tedious to watch, so the fact that the base power level of the teams is relatively even is a pleasant surprise. Some teams are struggling more than others, and some may be concealing their true strength until the later stages, content to drop/tie a few maps but win the overall series to maintain their ranking on the leaderboards. The players from Contenders and the Overwatch World Cup are spread out through-out the teams, with only three teams having a single nationality (Korean), and there are enough star players everywhere that those watching can feel comfortable cheering for their favorite player, a team based on their geographical location, or even just their favorite team colours. Personally, I'm cheering for one of my favorite teams from Contenders, the Immortals roster that has picked up new players and turned into the LA Valiant. The colours are great, the players are fantastic, and they've already made some amazing plays. I can't wait to see what each week brings in terms of successes and challenges they'll face. Oh, also, new sprays and player icons have been released! Who to pick, who to pick, for a new player icon? I always want to pick Sombra, but ugh, her player icons are always off-centered, and this one is still no exception. I think, with all her inclusion in the Overwatch League so far, just seeing her icon or a player playing her won't cause as much immediate tilt, so I may just go for it anyway! Wish me luck! |
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