Tag: fun
Resident Evil 4 remake has a fun little ARG that makes you a special agent
If you’re in need of some plans this evening, and fancy some Resident Evil 4-related shenanigans, there’s an ARG that builds out some backstory.
In Resident Evil 4, you once again take up the mantle of the ever-handsome Leon Kennedy, sent on a mission to rescue Ashley Graham, daughter of the president of the US. Now, you can delve into some of the backstory for the game through babyeagleismissing.com, the Baby Eagle in question being a codename for Ashley. The site is a cute little ARG with some puzzles and the like to figure out, prompted by an important alert from Agent Greene of the Secret Service Northeastern Division.
Clicking through the portal will lead you to numerous agents telling you various things about the task at hand. It’s all stylised to look like some kind of low-tech device that you could use for tactful communication, and there’s various bits of evidence you have to go through to try and prepare for the mission to rescue Ashley, like piecing together a shredded document. It’s all quite cute, and is a fun way to spend a bit of time if you’re just too excited for Resident Evil 4 Remake.
: Funko stock sinks more than 25% after dismal outlook in a toy industry that isn’t much fun right now
Lil Gator Game Developer Interview: Make Your Own Fun With Adorable Sandbox Exploration
Lil Gator Game is a charming sandbox adventure from MegaWobble. It’s available for $19.99 on Steam, but it’s this month’s IGN Plus game and Plus members can get a Steam key as an IGN Reward and jump in right now.
Plus members – get your key for Lil Gator Game here on its IGN Rewards page. Not a Plus member? Learn more here. You can also follow the devs on Twitter.
Lil Gator Game Developer Interview
I sat down with Lil Gator Game devs Scott Slucher (Lead Developer) and Connor Quothe (Lead Writer) to talk about their inspiration, as well as what players can expect when they jump into this fun, lighthearted game.
The titular Lil Gator has a recognizable hat, tunic, and left-handed sword swing that will immediately look familiar to any Zelda fans, and Lil Gator Game wastes no time before making its love for that series explicit. When I asked why the main character was an alligator, Scott laughed and said, “because alligator is green and Link is green,” and although that isn’t the whole story, Scott was inspired by The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons, a fantastic duo from the Game Boy Color generation.
With such classic inspiration, it would be easy to mistake Lil Gator Game for a one-trick pony, but that’s far from the truth. Filling out the world and giving it life are myriad characters, each with fun personalities that make meeting and talking to them breezy and delightful.
The writing was inspired by Frog Detective’s conversational tone, as well as cartoons like Spongebob Squarepants, Fairly Odd Parents, and Foster’s Home For Imaginary Friends. Connor’s own theater and Dungeon Master background meant he had experience giving substance and personality to multiple characters, which Lil Gator Game’s broad cast of characters greatly benefits from.
Fueling the lighthearted and comedic side of the game (and leaning into the strength of the side characters) the side quests are inspired by the Yakuza series. “[They are] just weird little things you stumble into,” Scott said, “with a joke or moral message at the end, and then you move on.” Side quests are also incredibly short. There are tons of them, and they can generally be completed in under a minute, creating refreshing gameplay loops of exploration and levity.
The warm, welcoming tone of the game reminds me of A Short Hike, and Scott confirmed some other inspiration for Lil Gator Game was drawn from Kirby’s Air Ride and Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, which is reflected in Lil Gator’s focus on discovery and undirected play.
When asked about the team’s favorite elements, Connor said his were some Easter Egg items the player will find, and Robin (who was primarily responsible for creating the music) loves the game’s humor. Scott, who was inspired by long hikes near his Kentucky home, is most attached to the trees (which he reworked four times during development).
Scott had one final note to players. “I encourage people to look for ways to find their own fun… I have the concept of a “toy box” with this game. I tried to put in as many toys as I could, in the hopes that they’d be inspired by one of them and would play with it.”
What Is IGN Plus?
IGN Plus is the paid membership program for IGN, and right now you can grab an annual membership for just $29.99, or just $4.99 a month, if you prefer to go that route. You can also try it for just $1 for 30 days.
What you get as an IGN Plus member:
- Monthly Game keys (Like Lil Gator Game, & more)
- Removes all ads from IGN
- Grants 15% off most items at the IGN Store
- Gives you a MapGenie Pro membership (for tons of game maps & collectible locations)
- Unlimited access to IGN maps and checkpoints
- & more.
Brian Barnett writes reviews, guides, features, & more for IGN & GameSpot. You can get your fix of his antics on Twitter (@Ribnax) and Twitch (Ribnax) or check out his fantastic video game talk show, The Platformers, on Twitch & Apple Podcasts.
Skyrim and Fallout devs talk about some fun secrets in their games
I’m a sucker for well-hidden video game easter eggs, from Psychonauts 2’s strange mpreg cutscene to the ability to play as a baby in Mount & Blade 2, they’re all great they’re great. But it’s all too easy to walk past easter eggs without knowing they were even there. I’ve probably waved off multiple fun secrets, mistaking them for lore I didn’t understand or a questline I haven’t gotten to. So, my pea-sized brain enjoyed this video of game designer Steve Lee interviewing the devs behind Skyrim and Fallout as they reveal some dev secrets behind those games – including a cool egg.
Four savvy ways to make fun DIY toys while keeping costs low
FIDGET toys are fun, they can be irresistible to little hands hands and some of the many types are easy to make at home.
Using items you already have will keep costs low.
Try these simple ideas for DIY toys . . .[/caption]
Sensory games and gadgets can also help many children to keep calm and concentrate.
Try these simple ideas for DIY toys . . .
SPIN TO WIN: At Redtedart.com there are some brilliant ideas and templates to make your own DIY fidget spinners.
The website also has templates and inspiration for fortune tellers — foldable paper pop-up toys that kids just cannot get enough of.
STRING ’EM ALONG: For fingers that love to fiddle, try threading chunky beads on to a knotted shoelace, leaving space for them to move.
Finish off by tying at the other end too, for a cheap, easy toy that kids can pop in their pocket if they need to touch it during the day.
For a DIY fidget chain, add beads to four separate key rings, then link all the rings. It’s simple to put together but rewarding for the kids.
GET MESSY: Many young kids love to get their hand squidging around in stuff. Give them their wish by squirting a shallow tray with squirty cream or unperfumed shaving cream.
Add in some cooked spaghetti to give them something to swish their hands in. For cleaner, noisier fun, a sheet of bubble wrap is a firm favourite for youngsters — as long as they aren’t sensitive to loud sounds.
POM-COM: Put a smile on small faces by making soft, fluffy pompoms that are a sensory treat.
All you need is two cardboard circles and a ball of wool. Look online to find sites such as thesprucecrafts.com to find out how to make a quick-and-easy pompom from scratch.
Once you have mastered the easy technique, then you can make heaps of crafts including the pompom bag charm at Hobbycraft.co.uk/ideas, which is a great fiddle toy to take out and about.
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Leah’s little helper
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We Have a Ghost review: Supernatural fun with a comb-over Casper
Atomic Heart is twice as fun on easy mode
Want this BioShock clone to feel like BioShock? Play on the “Peaceful Atom” difficulty
Strive gets backing from Y Combinator to show kids that coding is fun
Strive is an online learning platform that teaches kids to code, but it wants to do more than just that. Developed with an active learning model that lets students take the lead in classes, Strive wants to instill in them a lifelong love of STEM subjects. The Singapore-based startup announced today that it has raised […]
Strive gets backing from Y Combinator to show kids that coding is fun by Catherine Shu originally published on TechCrunch