We’ve completed Outer Wilds and the Echoes of the Eye DLC, so now it’s time for something new! I’ve gotten a whole host of suggestions over the past couple of months for our next stream game, so I’ve narrowed it down to just a few. Here’s your chance to cast your vote!
There are 8 options on the ballot! Intelligame uses Ranked Choice voting, so instead of voting for just one choice, you’ll choose your order of preference! Here’s how it works:
When the votes are tallied, if any option gets more than 50% of the 1st choice votes, it wins by default! If not, the option with the fewest 1st choice votes gets knocked off the list, and those votes are tallied for their 2nd choice instead. This process repeats until one game ends up with over 50% of the vote!
I love ranked choice voting because it means you can vote for the game you actually want instead of just shaping your vote to what you think might win. It’s a system I’d like to see used more often in politics, so we use it here as an example.
We’ve got 8 choices this time:
- Chicory
- Deltarune
- Hades
- Oneshot
- Rainbow Billy: The Leviathan’s Curse
- Sable
- Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin
- Unsighted
This vote’s deadline is Saturday, Nov 5th by midnight Pacific time. If you’re all ready to cast your vote, head on over to the ballot page! Otherwise, click through for some brief descriptions of each game.
Thanks so much for your vote! (And if you’re in the US, remember to vote in the midterm elections on Tue, Nov 8th!)
First up: Chicory and Deltarune
Chicory
From Steam: Chicory: A Colorful Tale is a top-down adventure game in a coloring book world where you can draw on anything. Use your painting powers to explore new places, solve puzzles, help your friends, and change the world!
Why this game: From what everyone’s told me, Chicory is a bright, colorful game that packs an emotional wallop. Jenny (Kimchica) said that this game carries some particular weight for creatives, and Alfador recently described it as “Imagine a coloring book, but sad all the time. But sometimes happy!” This game looks family-friendly with substantial depth, which is a perfect Intelligame holiday choice.
Deltarune
From Steam: UNDERTALE’s parallel story, DELTARUNE. Meet new and old characters in a tale that steps closer to its end, chapter by chapter. Dodge bullets in nonviolent RPG battles as you listen to funky, funky music.
Why this game: The Intelligame playthrough of Undertale put the game on my top 10 of all time list (both the playthrough and the top 10 list forthcoming). Undertale is an immense cult classic: its knack for mixing light-hearted moments with heavy emotional consequences created a game worth thinking about long after its conclusion. Deltarune is apparently no different.
If you’re ready: Cast Your Vote!
Next: Hades and OneShot
Hades
From Steam: As the immortal Prince of the Underworld, you’ll wield the powers and mythic weapons of Olympus to break free from the clutches of the god of the dead himself, while growing stronger and unraveling more of the story with each unique escape attempt.
Why this game: A roguelike: a game that resets most of your progress with each death, forcing you gain abilities and perfect your tactics. This one in particular features fast-paced action, a shockingly deep narrative, and characters made to pull at the heartstrings. Hard not to be excited about all of these facets.
OneShot
From Steam: You are to guide a child through a mysterious world on a mission to restore its long-dead sun.
…Of course, things are never that simple.
The world knows you exist.
The consequences are real.
Saving the world may be impossible.
You only have one shot.
Why this game: This game’sa subtle suggestion by our Mod Admin, Firestar, and she’s not steered the stream wrong yet. It looks like it plays in a space similar to Undertale: minimal graphics, but a narrative that can carry a LOT to talk about. Very much intrigued to know more.
If you’re ready: Cast Your Vote!
Next: Rainbow Billy and Sable
Rainbow Billy: The Leviathan’s Curse
From Steam: Rainbow Billy tells a universal coming of age story about dealing with changes in the world and accepting ourselves and the others around us! Sometimes it only takes a conversation, empathy, and a new point of view to make a world of a difference.
Why this game: After watching Moderator Smolecule play this on their stream, I knew we’d have to consider it for Intelligame. It’s a bright, kid-friendly title, and it uses that space to hold important conversations around mental health, community, and more. PLUS I think it’s got a Pokemon-like battle system of some kind?
Sable
From Steam: Embark on a unique and unforgettable journey and guide Sable through her Gliding; a rite of passage that will take her across vast deserts and mesmerizing landscapes, capped by the remains of spaceships and ancient wonders.
Why this game: For one, this game is GORGEOUS. It’s limited color palette and restricted frame rate make the visual identity of this game one for the ages. Sable is also a bit of a cult classic already: those who like it LOVE it, and using a low-violence open-world to explore a personal coming-of-age seems right up Intelligame’s alley.
If you’re ready: Cast Your Vote!
Finally: Sakuna and Unsighted
Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin
From Steam: Discover the true power of rice in Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin! Take on hordes of demons in side-scrolling combat to reclaim the land as Sakuna, a spoiled harvest goddess banished to a dangerous island. Then, return to your mountain village and tend a field full of glorious rice.
Why this game: Of Rice and Ruin combines two genres I love: farming and 2D action. On top of that: Sakuna starts out as a BRAT. Unlike many of the games we’ve played, Sakuna’s tale isn’t one of starting either as particularly wholesome or even blank slate. She’s a priss of a goddess who doesn’t much care for fulfilling her duties. I’d love to see more of what brings Sakuna to care for those around her, and there’s a pretty interesting rice farming sim in here too!
UNSIGHTED
From Steam: Awoken to a world ruined by war, Alma must traverse the vast city of Arcadia before the life force of her friends and herself withers away. Time is ticking, and every moment matters. Who will you save, and who will you leave to turn UNSIGHTED?
Why this game: If Metroid Dread hadn’t come out basically at the same time, I’d have been playing Unsighted. For as much as I loved Dread, I still hear I may have made the wrong choice. Unsighted carries emotional choices with exceptional weight: we’ll choose who gains consciousness and who becomes “unsighted.” A top-down action game with gripping story? Count me in.
Alright, it’s time! Head on over and cast your vote! If you want to chat with other Intelligamers about the choices, come by our Discord server.