Instead of trying to accumulate all of my thoughts into one big post at the end the year (I may still do that too), I’ve decided to test out a running summary of the month. Kottke style. It will probably be more comprehensive than the year end bit at the very least.
Captains of the World - 2022 World Cup, mostly through the lens of the team captains. It barely touches on the human rights issues in Qatar and steers completely clear of how the event ended up there in the first place. It is in direct association with FIFA so that makes sense. (B)
Eater: Mise En Place - YouTube series that goes behind the scenes at Michelin star restaurants. They focus on a day in the life, they vary from good to great, but all clock in at 15-20 mins and don’t overstay their welcome. This stuff falls into the category of companion videos to other activities, but still holds up on its own too. (B-)
Tombs: Junji Ito Story Collection - Horror manga is not a medium or genre I’m well versed in, but I like Ito’s work a lot. You probably know him from the spirals, but this collection of short stories is a great introduction. (B)
Alan Wake 2 - Proper spooky video game in pretty package. The graphical fidelity mixed with FMV would be a technical achievement by itself. But then it tells a truly creepy story that constantly bends the lines between reality and nightmare. Gameplay wise it isn’t doing much new, but it felt like an evolution of the story telling and world building Remedy achieved with Control. (A)
Spots - Picked up this light and cool board game for one of the kids for Christmas. We ending up playing it a ton over the break and into the new year. It is a push your luck dice rolling game, with fun art, that is easy to teach, and quick to play. (A+)
Very Important People - Improv comedy show in the vein of a Barbara Walters interview. The guest is in full make up + costume and decides who they are on the spot. The host follows suit and hilarity and chaos ensue. (A)
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown - The first great game of 2024, simple as that. A modern entry into the metroidvania (search action) genre on par with Metroid Dread (2021) and Hollow Knight (2017). If you want more, I talked about it at length on Episode 225 of the SAMCast. (A+)
Dimension 20: Fantasy High - Started this when the third season was announced and have continued to make my way through the first season this month. This is solid entertainment, but also inspired me to kick off a campaign at home with my wife and youngest. More on that later. (B)
NikeCraft General Purpose Shoe - I’ve been eyeballing a second pair of one of my favorite shoes in a new color for a while. It seems like the partnership with Tom Sachs is dead in the ground, so there are no new runs or colors on the horizon. (A)
Tommy Fingers - I dedicated a Friday post to this channel. It is so excellent and I want so much more of it. (A+)