I've been playing a bunch of Rusted Moss lately. It's a Twin Stick Shooter Metroidvania, which is appreciably different from the Hack and Slash type I normally play. Getting used to mouse-and-keyboarding a platform heavy game took a bit. And boy are there platforms.

While elements of Metroidvanias are there, this game leans way further into the platforming. I would say it's closer to Celeste than Hollow Knight. Imagine Celeste, but instead of a magic dash and climbing gear Madeline had a gun and a chatty grappling hook.

Anyways, I've been enjoying the heck outta this game and wanted to share. While you're here I will accept any and all Metroidvania recommendations. Except for Cookie Cutter probably.

So many books have characters remark "it was well past moonrise", or something else equally ridiculous, to show the passage of time at night. ~~The moon cycle is a month long (~27 days), not some paltry 24 hours.~~ If you know any authors please spread the word. Together we can stamp out this astronomical disillusionment!

[EDIT]

A smarter than me commenter below pointed out that, due to the way days work, it does indeed rise and set once a day. Hard to do a complete rotation and keep a celestial body in the sky. Womp womp, I am silly.

I should have instead argued that moon rise and set are not linked to sun rise and set, and that the moon doesn't exclusively rise and set at night. It is possible to have the moon out during the day time. They are on different schedules is all.

Sgt. Fern Spellman couldn't stay for any more questions as there was a report of a caricature artist welding a pencil two streets over.

Seriously, I don't think that thing was sharp at all.

This looks great. I love the raccoon take on classic RPG classes like Mess Magus (Wizard) and Dumpster Diviner (Cleric). You can get the PDF for as little as $10USD.

Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with Wet Ink Games. I just like raccoons and TTRPGs.

An older Air Fryer that used a halogen bulb for the heating element instead of a resistive coil. Here's Mr. T selling one.

My precious kitty loved laying in cat food flats and on pizza boxes.

This unofficial series follows human progression into the solar system. Starting from putting a base on the moon and going all the way to discovering ancient alien ruins outside our solar system.

I think it's pretty neat how optimistic and diverse it is. There's a prominent Native American character. Fantastic!

Caveat, some women get thrown in fridges pretty suddenly and for seemingly no narrative reason. Not all women though, so kind of weird.

You ever just want to eat a stack of meat? Want it covered in cheese and sauce? You're in luck! Check out Versato's. If you've ever had Vern's Pizza then this is similar.

These pizzas are heavy, and they are very tasty. The prices may seem high, but keep in mind that there's a lot of toppings per slice.

What is the Cypher System

The Cypher System is a setting-agnostic tabletop role playing game system designed by Monte Cook Games. It's less crunchy than D&D while still having a bit of math for the nerds in your party. Setting agnostic means it can be played in any setting and still make sense. You supply the story, Cypher is the mechanics. If building a whole new world isn't up your alley, then you can always try one of the currently published settings.

Old Gus' Cypher System Reference Document (OG-CSRD) aims to be an easy-to-use reference when running or playing a Cypher game.

The Cypher System Rulebook is a thick tome with a lot of stuff in it, but as it's setting-agnostic not all of that stuff is needed. You won't need any of the space or robot stuff if you're doing a fantasy game, for instance. That's where the OG-CSRD comes in handy. Ctrl + F your problems, or use the swanky hyperlinks. It's easier to navigate than the PDF version of the rule book, and it doesn't take up shelf space.

Settings

Monte Cook Games has released a number of settings. These add flavor to the base system and turn it into a full game. Most have a few premade adventures included to get you started. All settings require the Cypher System Rule Book (or OG-CSRD) to play.

Godforsaken - Sword and Sorcery

The Stars Are Fire - Sci-Fi and Space

Stay Alive - Spooky Horror

We Are All Mad Here - Alice in Wonderland Flavored

Claim the Sky - Modern Hopeful Superheroes

The Origin - Modern Gritty Superheroes

Unmasked - Eighties Dark Superheroes

First Responders - Exactly what it sounds like

Gods of the Fall - Celestial Fantasy

Predation - Time Travel and Dinosaurs

Stand Alone Games

There are also a few TTRPGs running on the Cypher System. Some are published by Monte Cook, others are licensing the system.

The Strange - You're basically an MTG Planeswalker

~~Old Gods of Appalachia - Eldritch Hillbillies~~

Vurt - Cyberpunk with questionable intimacy

Shotguns and Sorcery - Fantasy Noir

Upcoming Games

These aren't out yet, but the hype is real. It's Kickstarter and some untested creators, so bear with them.

Old Gods of Appalachia - Eldritch Hillbillies

Tidal Blades 2 - Fish, people, and fish-people

Harrow: The Blighted Plane - Burning Man Crystal Punk

Ptolus - Much loved, much less pronounced

And Many More

I mean, probably. I don't know everything, so feel free to add to the list.

Edit: I'm from the future and forgot that Old Gods of Appalachia isn't out for y'all yet. Fixed

This may be pretty niche, but if you've ever shopped for valves you've probably seen these weird symbols. Turns out they can be read, and they do mean something! I mean, I think words would work too, but all the power to valve people.

Actually though. I kinda like the sideways rain we were getting this afternoon. I walked across a parking lot and only one side of me was wet :D