Some Resources For Using Non-Copyright Music in a GameDev

When I went to learn what was involved in making my visual novel, this surprisingly was not so simple. Do not get me wrong, I'm here to give you the goods, but when it comes to music, graphics, or anything really, the way copyright protection works is stern yet often confusing. So, let me get you going here. Don't fret--or do! I'm here to tell you that things are not hopeless. More specifically: how to obtain copyright-free music. So, let me paint the picture: copyrights. Yes, "copyrights." Copyright is the law that protects the intellectual property of artists, writers, and…

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The Last Friend is a Great New Game With Dog Buddies Out Now

In between monitoring my every action, eShop suggested I check out what demos were out. I had really been looking for them though! So, this game The Last Friend showed up as a demo out. The art looked cool and didn't seem too derivative of anything course. So, I downloaded it and loaded it up. The Last Friend is a brawler kind of game with some turret defense mechanics. Most importantly, however, is all your sidekicks are dogs! WHAT. I think this is actually going to be a pretty cool game because of the variety of levels, learning curves, gentle humor, and wonderful dog companion fun. So, let's do this.

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The Lightbringer (Demo) is What I Played Today

This is kind of random. No, really, it is. Might as well roll for initiative. Anyway, I've been spending a ton of time on the Switch lately, since I was traveling with the handheld recently and got kind of used to it. However, I recorded it while playing on my TV, so I don't know. Anyway, was looking back through some of my YouTube videos and realized a lot of you like demos for some reason. So, this one was on the eShop and I gave it a spin. Here we go again with this kinda cute boomerang whirling puzzle solver: The Lightbringer.

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Date Night Bowling is a New Dating Game by Way Down Deep

For the record, I am a big fan of Way Down Deep and their dating sim releases over the last year like the socially distanced romance sim Romantic Distancing and the popular release Half Past Fate. I've been eyeing Date Night Bowling since I first saw it in an upcoming games roster. So when the opportunity to play it on Switch arose, I snagged it and slipped on some bowling shoes. Eww, digital ones! I jest. Anyway, what we've got here is a combination of a very pleasant to look at video game with plenty of replay value and a pretty darn decent bowling simulator for the Switch. It's about $8 right now on sale. I decided to play through a date and flip through the options, I'll tell you what I observed here. Overall, to begin with, it's a good game.

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Alchemic Cutie is a Bright, Colorful, & Adventurous RPG

Update: Alchemic Cutie is, once again, a game running across my desk, slated for Nintendo Switch, PS4, and PS5 for June 2023. I really have no particular context for describing it after so long, but when I tested it on PC I felt that it fits into the few neat descriptors of bright, colorful, cute. It's an RPG. In all fairness, it is a monster collection game, à la Pokemon-style games. In the realm of indies, it bridges stylistic notes of games like Arietta of Spirits as well as Potion Party, but goes a little more Zelda in its cutesy…

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Spooky Station and Other Great Halloween Indie Games

Spooky Station, Fifo's Night, Haunt the House, Pumpkin Jack, and Monster League. Spooky Station is actually 9 games too, I was boggling over what games to include, but I ultimately realized: how about everything? Let's go! Fifo's Night is some major deep cuttage, which we love here. And some recent covered games too! Are you ready for this frightful/thoughtful indie Halloween game list? Anything could happen…

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Monster League Will Make You Think Differently About Kart Racing Games

It did The Mash! Monster League is essentially a complete kart racing Halloween game from the makers of Medieval Dynasty. It sits on the roster of Early Access titles and has since 2019, but fans are still playing it and are still nudging the team for a full release even now. Nobody really knows what is happening, but I had a lot of fun with this game and encourage you to purchase it at its fairly modest price for your co-op party, your Twitch, or just playing something different. At the very least, why not be a bit thematic and go for the Halloween vibe this fall.

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Pumpkin Jack is the Best Spooky Game Out There Now

I petitioned my friends yesterday for a list of games they consider Halloween thematic for an easily spooked dude like myself. I knew of Pumpkin Jack as a backburner game that I had seen last year and lamented myself for not having my affairs in order to get it on the review list! That was during that standalone year of 2020 that had enough triggers as it is. That's why, when my peers suggested Pumpkin Jack I was excited to see it as a standing contender. And to be honest, some of the non-straight-up horror genre games this year are not the type of visual fantasticness that Pumpkin Jack is. So, after plunking down the kinda premium toll on Steam, I'm here to tell you why Pumpkin Jack is worth the cost if you are into indie platformers and want something that's bound to get you into the Halloween spirit--all-year-long!

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Blake is a Colorful Grit Filled Cyberpunk Visual Novel

Blake is an interesting new visual novel from LegendOri Productions about a complacent computer programmer turned vigilante in a futuristic cyberpunk city. The primary scenario within the game involves a new technology that can make somebody totally anonymous. Even amongst the modern people-tracking computers of its era, a criminal of heinous description is leaving a fatal trace and incidentally has decided to start toying with Blake's sanity.

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Onirism is A Colorful Dream & Nightmare World

"Onirism" is a good example of another game where French indie dev teams are making games potent in fun and translates to a wide audience. This goes beyond exaggeration and is an interesting subject to me, but one which I don't know a lot about. Regardless, I committed to this game, so I'll take you through a brief but satisfactory run down of the world of Onirism. Additionally, the game recently received a major update and has a ton of new content. Let's go!!

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