this week's brew 🎧
​what we played this week + supplementary materials to help you dig deeper.

The 90s are alive and well this month for Geeks & Grounds ~ we're playing Lost Records: Bloom & Rage! This game oscillates between memories of summer for high schooler, Swann, and her present day reunion with those friends.
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Of course, this isn't a simple reunion: there seems to be a mystery surrounding the events of that fateful summer of 1995, and we'll be diving in over the next four weeks to discuss and dish about the game.
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For our first week, it's pretty light and breezy: we're meeting each of the four girls, getting to know them, and seeing how those friendship dynamics are playing out. Expect lots of reminiscing of our own as we discuss in the latest episode!
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Reflection Question

Share your response by writing back to this message, submit a voice recording to be included in next week's episode, share in the community Discord, or simply ponder as you play!

• Are you still in touch with friends from childhood (e.g. high school)? Whether you are, or not, do you think you'd go to a reunion of your friend group? Why or why not?

Pour Over

Supplementary recs to expand on what we're playing ~

• Read: Paper Girls, a YA comic about four friends who discover an otherworldly mystery!
• Hike: Swann enjoys a good session out in nature...so why not embrace a bit of that? This week, while you're out, try seeing what birds, critters, graffiti, or other interesting sights you see. Bonus points if you take the time to take pictures, record clips, and make a mini memoir of your own (if you do, share it in our Discord!)
• Watch: Not for the faint of heart, but if you're looking for a darker take on flashbacks to high school, teenage girl friend groups, and a horror-themed mystery to unravel, Yellowjackets is a gripping series to watch! I'm only on Season 2, so no spoilers if you're already in the midst of the latest season! ​
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Next Week's Brew: We're continuing in Lost Records: Bloom & Rage by finishing up Tape 01 - Bloom! Releasing on April 22nd, our conversation will start after the discovery of the cabin, and go all the way to the end of the first tape. What is the mystery we'll discover?!

the pastry case 🥐
​our grab-bag of topics related to the industry and other media we've engaged with.

Jenny -

• Play: Blue Prince, Castle V Castle (Demo)
• Watch: Love on the Spectrum​
• Listen: Shivers (Ed Sheeran)​
• Read: Mistborn - The Wax and Wayne Arc (Brandon Sanderson)​

Joel -

• Play: Okami​
• Watch: White Lotus Season 3​
• Listen: Alligator Bites Never Heal (Doechii)
• Read: Monstress Volume 9​

This Weeks' Game Releases

Two titles that I'm keeping an eye on, and that may be worth picking up if you'd like something new to enjoy!

​Bionic Bay | Apr 17​ Puzzle Platformer Atmospheric Action As a scientist transported (via workplace, uh, accident) to a biomechanical world, your goal is to traverse hazardous obstacles to get home. This is great for fans of precision platformers, and (I feel) a must-play for platformer fans who also love the rush of speed-running. Shoutout to the beautiful visuals that I think truly must be appreciated in motion!

​Tempopo | Apr 17​ Puzzle Music Psycheldelic Rescue and restore a music garden in the game from the studio behind Unpacking! This is a VERY different title, so don't go in expecting the same experience -- but if you love cause and effect, creating mini systems, and logic puzzles, this may be up your alley! I loved the music and how the puzzles gradually increased in complexity.

Stay in the loop -- listen to the weekly podcast on Spotify and Apple, hang with the community in Discord, and find us on Instagram!

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Thanks for joining our digital café this week -- talk soon!

Jenny