Many long years ago (that is, February 2013) I started a blog series called Thursday Impressions. It lasted for a little over six months, and I thoroughly enjoyed doing it. At the time I had a great many games on Steam, and I thought it would be cool if every week I'd play a game for 30-90 minutes and write up what my first impressions were. This was a great excuse to check out a good number of games in my Steam library that I might not otherwise get around to playing.
At the end of each mini-review, I'd give a verdict. The two main verdicts were "Keep playing," if I thought the game was good and that I'd want to keep playing, and "Stop playing," if the game was bad or I felt that I, personally, wouldn't want to continue. I also took creative liberties and stuck in some other verdicts as well. I'd also give a little blurb summarizing why I'd chosen each verdict. Additionally, the verdicts chosen were based on my personal opinion, and so the "Stop playing" verdicts did not necessarily mean the game in question was not a good game. It simply meant that it was not what I like to play.
Now, clearly a lot of time has passed since I did this series. It's been over a year since it ended, and a lot of things have changed. I thought it would be cool to go back and look over all my Thursday Impressions, and let the world know how they all turned out. Did I actually keep playing some? Did I actually stop playing others for good? Well, you should keep reading to find out.
If you want, you can go and read through all of the Thursday Impressions articles here. I apologize, as many of the image links appear to be broken.
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Thursday Impressions: World of Goo
February 7, 2013
A classic indie game, and one of the first to make itself known to the mainstream gaming industry. It's a puzzle game, which generally isn't my thing, but it has an incredible soundtrack. I thought so even when I wasn't a soundtrack nerd.
Original Verdict: Keep playing... for a while.
What Happened: I don't believe I played the game again after the Impressions piece. If I did, it wasn't for very long. The reason for my original verdict was that I really sucked at puzzle games and didn't know for how much longer I'd even be able to get in the game before being stumped for good. That being said, however, I have since known other people who have played and very much enjoyed the game, and I still listen to that soundtrack on occasion.
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Thursday Impressions: Bullet Candy
February 14, 2013
This game was a Return to Sector 9-esque space shooter. It was pretty fun.
Original Verdict: Keep playing, but only if I ever get around to it.
What Happened: I never got around to it.
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Thursday Impressions: Glowfish
February 21, 2013
This was my kind of game. A gorgeous 2D side-scrolling adventure game that oozed enjoyment. The experience was a ton of fun, and I had every intention to keep playing. The blurb under the verdict even said this: "I'm loving Glowfish so far, and while the previous games in this blog series weren't really my kind of game, this was. I'll keep playing, and perhaps even review it when I'm done."
Original Verdict: Keep playing.
What Happened: I never played the game again. I have no idea why.
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Thursday Impressions: Lume
February 28, 2013
This was a puzzle game. It was really cute, but right from the beginning it was full of puzzles that I had no idea how to solve. I'm sure other people would love this game.
Original Verdict: Stop playing.
What Happened: I stopped playing. It was really cool; just above my head.
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Thursday Impressions: Oozi: Earth Adventure
March 7, 2013
I loved this game. It wasn't yet a game on Steam—it was only in the Steam Greenlight—but that has since been amended. It was a 2D side-scrolling platformer where the developers wanted to focus on the fun aspects of 2D platformers, rather than the puzzle or punishment aspects. It worked out great, except for that stupid water.
Original Verdict: Definitely keep playing.
What Happened: I may have played a bit more after writing the Impressions piece, but then once again I never played again. Once again, I have no idea why.
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Thursday Impressions: Cogs
March 14, 2013
This game was taking standard slider puzzles to the next level, by adding in 3D puzzles and all sorts of other twists. I know some people who would really enjoy this game.
Original Verdict: Stop playing.
What Happened: I stopped playing. It's a really cool concept, but I'm awful at slider puzzles.
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Thursday Impressions: Lone Survivor
March 21, 2013
I'm not one for horror. This one was pretty unique (at the time) because it took the survivor horror genre and put it into a 2D side-scrolling game, and that hadn't really been done before. I actually really enjoyed the story, but in the end I chickened out from playing further. This was one of the good horror games that try to mess with your head rather than terrify you through jump scares.
Original Verdict: Keep playing... maybe.
What Happened: I didn't keep playing, but maybe someday I will.
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Tuesday/Thursday Impressions: TNGB Edition
March 26 and March 28, 2013
Okay, so, I had a plan for this week. IGN's series The Next Game Boss was coming to a close on its second season. I had this plan where I'd releases a special Tuesday Impressions article on the 26th, the day of the finale, for the winning game of the competition. Then I'd release a Thursday Impressions piece for the runner-up on the 28th. Something happened and those plans fell through, and instead I just wrote up this little update.
What Happened: Eventually the full versions of the games that made it to the finals were released, and I finally played them both well over a year after the TNGB season ended. They are both now two of my favorite games of all time. I won't spoil which games they are; you should go watch the show. The first season is really good too, albeit completely different.
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Thursday Impressions: Caveman Craig 2
April 4, 2013
This was the sequel to an old Game Maker game that I and my brothers played many years ago. The first game was fun, but its sequel looked so much funner. It turns out it was. Unfortunately, it's been over a year and a half since I wrote this piece, and this game is still not on Steam. I guess people just don't know a good game when they see one.
Original Verdict: Keep playing.
What Happened: I kept playing until the difficulty curve was too much for me to continue. I believe I made it to the final level, and I had a blast the entire time. This game is very definitely recommended.
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Thursday Impressions: Magnetis
April 11, 2013
This was one of those Tetris-style games that are so fun. It honestly wasn't one of the most fun that I've played of the subgenre, but I still had fun with it.
Original Verdict: Um, okay. Keep playing?
What Happened: See, I like the game, but didn't really find anything special about it to keep drawing me back. I don't believe I played it again.
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Thursday Impressions: NyxQuest
April 18, 2013
I have never been able to beat this game. Every time I've played it I've been drawn in by the lore and Greek mythology-rich story, but then I get bored and stop. I do think it's kind of funny (and cool) that the game takes place in a post-apocalyptic Ancient Greece. I actually recommend you read this Thursday Impression; it's one of the more interesting ones.
Original Verdict: Indifferent.
What Happened: Still haven't beaten it.
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Thursday Impressions: To the Moon
April 25, 2013
I finally played this game from start to finish about a year after this Thursday Impression. In fact, I'd forgotten that I even wrote up a piece on it after the first time I'd played it. To the Moon is an incredible and emotional story. It will yank you through many twists and turns, while leaving you plenty of time to break down and sob. The engine could have been more polished, but everything else about the game was absolutely incredible.
Original Verdict: Keep playing.
What Happened: A long time later I played and beat it. It was worth it.
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Thursday Impressions: Spectromancer
May 2, 2013
Spectromancer is a super fun game co-created by the creator of Magic: The Gathering. It's a turn-based game in which you control a mage who summons creatures and spells in order to defeat your opponent. I initially thought it looked boring, but after I finally played it for a Thursday Impressions piece I was pretty much addicted to it for a few weeks. Definitely check it out, if you're into that kind of thing. It's a shame you can't find the soundtrack anywhere.
Original Verdict: Keep playing.
What Happened: I kept playing for a while. It was fun.
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Thursday Impressions: Thomas Was Alone
June 6, 2013
This is another game for which I recommend you check out the original Thursday Impressions piece. It was quite the unique experience, and I did well in recording my thoughts for the first hour or so of gameplay. In short, you can say it's a story about rectangles in a computer program who realize that they're nothing but rectangles in a computer program. It's very interesting.
Original Verdict: Keep playing.
What Happened: I kept playing until I beat the game. I loved it. I thought the ending was a bit lacking, but overall it was a great game. Definitely recommended.
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Thursday Impressions: Proteus
June 13, 2013
This "game" is a simulation where you get to explore a beautiful, randomly-generated island. There's not a whole lot of point to it other than the fact that it's cool. Once again, I recommend you read the original Thursday Impressions piece.
Original Verdict: Approved.
What Happened: I haven't played it since writing the piece. Still a still cool experience, though.
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Thursday Impressions: Closure
June 20, 2013
This game is unique and a lot of fun. Nothing exists unless it can be seen. Platforms only exist if light is shining on them. It's a really cool concept for a puzzle game, and it's definitely recommended if you're good at that kind of game. Interesting fact: I believe this was the only game I played for Thursday Impressions where I rage-quit before writing up the article.
Original Verdict: Keep playing, if I can beat that level.
What Happened: I didn't keep playing, and I never beat that level, but I did get my friend to play the game and I believe he beat it.
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Thursday Impressions: And Yet It Moves
June 27, 2013
I still hate this game to this day. Mostly for the reason that people actually like it. It is easily the most unoriginal and boring gravity-shifting platformer I have ever played. Everything about it is dull, including the music and visuals. The fact that people would pay the full $10 for this game is ridiculous. If you're considering getting this game, just save yourself some boredom and forget it.
Original Verdict: Stop playing.
What Happened: What do you think happened?
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Thursday Impressions: Anodyne
July 4, 2013
This is a prime example of a game I did not play long enough before writing a piece. It's a game that was heavily inspired by 2D Zelda games and similar games in the genre. I had a ton of fun playing up to and through the first dungeon, and then I wrote a Thursday Impressions piece saying it was awesome.
Then I played more, and the game started getting... disturbing. Like, "messing with your head" and "what the heck am I playing" disturbing. I got considerably far in the game, but I stopped because I got stuck. Since then I considered replaying it a number of times, and never actually got around to it until very shortly before this article went up.
Original Verdict: Keep playing.
What Happened: I kept playing for a few hours worth of gameplay before getting stuck. I was certainly not prepared for the direction the game took, but now as I'm playing it again I'm a little more prepared for what to expect.
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Thursday Impressions: Uplink
July 11, 2013
This is a hacking simulator. It was a lot more fun than I thought it would be. I was awful at it.
Original Verdict: Keep playing.
What Happened: I realized how awful I was at the game, by the fact that I kept failing everything, so I stopped.
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Thursday Impressions: Little Inferno
July 18, 2013
Little Inferno is a game that looks pointless from all outside appearances. You have a furnace and you burn things. That's basically all you do. However, you're also given a subtle, gradual image of the world outside your home in the game universe, and it turns out to be a lot more in-depth than you might think at first glance. It's addicting, and various aspects pull you in and make you want to keep playing.
Original Verdict: Keep playing.
What Happened: I beat it.
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Thursday Impressions: Vessel
July 15, 2013
Vessel is a prime example of a game whose graphics and presentation are top-notch, but it wasn't really a great game because the gameplay was mediocre at best. I don't know what it is with programmers not knowing how to program a proper platformer these days. It's a trend that needs to stop. This game is a lot more puzzle-focused than it is platformer-focused, but that is not an excuse.
Original Verdict: Stop playing.
What Happened: I stopped. I really wanted to like the game—it was gorgeous—but it only turned out a disappointment.
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Thursday Impressions: Aquaria
August 1, 2013
For the (approximate) six month anniversary of Thursday Impressions, I didn't play a game I'd never played before. Instead, I played a game I'd first played about two years previous, and then hadn't been able to play since. I still want to go back and beat it. It's that good.
Original Verdict: Keep playing.
What Happened: I think I kept playing for a bit, but was unfortunately sidetracked and didn't end up getting very far. However, one of my friends has since beaten the game and he very much recommends it.
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Thursday Impressions: Geometry Wars
August 8, 2013
This one was a 2D top-down space shooter with really cool visuals. I believe it is actually one of the most successful indie games of its genre. My experience with it, however, was not very good, as for some reason the developers were stupid and decided to make the game easy to control for gamepad-users and very difficult for keyboard users. I now have a controller for my PC gaming, so it wouldn't be a problem, but failure to refine proper keyboard controls is incredibly lazy regardless, even if the game was intended to be played with a controller. I also didn't like the resolution settings, but I have a different monitor now so it might be different.
Original Verdict: Stop playing.
What Happened: I stopped, but now that time has passed and my gripes are no longer relevant, I might go back and try it again sometimes.
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Thursday Impressions: Fortix
August 15, 2013
This game was a lot of fun. It was also really short, and I actually beat it (on easy difficulty) in an hour before writing up the Thursday Impressions piece.
Original Verdict: Keep playing, I guess.
What Happened: I think I did keep playing for a bit, on the other difficulty levels. Then I bought and played Fortix 2, which was very refined and even better.
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Thursday Impressions: Zen Bound 2
August 22, 2013
This is a game where you wrap ropes around things. It's boring.
Original Verdict: Stop playing.
What Happened: I stopped playing.
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Thursday Impressions: Offspring Fling!
August 29, 2013
The final installment of Thursday Impressions was for a really cool puzzle-platformer game. I'm really bad at puzzles, so I was really bad at the game. But it's a very well-made game with great presentation and awesome music. It felt fitting to end on a good game.
Original Verdict: I really don't know.
What Happened: I didn't play it further.
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A few weeks later I would post this update that explained that the series was now on indefinite hiatus. It was a fun series to do, but I was ready to take a break. In the end it was a great run. Here's to memories, eh?
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