Holy shit! Seven months ago (wow, didn’t realize it had been that long), I made a YouTube video about Wild Side - the game that broke my heart because it kind of existed… then it didn’t… and maybe it did… or maybe it didn’t. (I’d been following it since, like, 2022 but on FACEBOOK.)
I wrote an entire article on it! I even dug up my friend from Poland who helped me navigate stock exchange websites in Polish during my deep dive on Serum. We put in the work!
So so much work.
Anyway: after six years of silence on their studio YouTube channel, VeCube recently dropped a video with updated gameplay (now third-person, crying inside) and said the game is still being worked on.
Looks like I’ll have to do a new video covering the changes, hmm.
Gaming
Catch up on the latest survival game updates in February 2nd’s Survival Roundup.
It’s on Reddit: simple, public, and low-friction to share. 😘
Outside of Survival: An Organizational Dino-Filled Disconnect
I’m slowly getting used to Steam Deck life, but I’ve discovered that I no longer have the button fluency I did in my youth (circa… PS2). I cannot do button-oriented mini-games - the “hit the specific button in time with the little event thing” stuff, like in Wartales. I know part of it is that I’ve completely scrambled A and B thanks to the Switch, but Y and X? I always have to look down.
Part of Deck is figuring out which game will feel fun (to me) on a handheld. And part of that is my own broken-brain thing where I feel like I have to either play old, familiar survival games or go as far from survival as possible. If it’s a new (to me) survival game, I can’t relax. I feel “on” - like I should be taking notes, grabbing screenshots, forming opinions. Makes it hard to feel like downtime.
Luckily, my Steam account boasts 21 years of backlog and forgotten games (especially random freebies, thanks, Humble Bundle!), so finding alternatives hasn’t been too hard.
Case in point: I fell deep into love (and then maybe immediately out of love, or at least into mild hatred) with Jurassic World Evolution 2. I don’t know why it works for me; it doesn’t seem like it should. But something about the light building, the little systems, and focusing on catching my tiny dinos and keeping them happy scratches the right itch. (But then weirdly I looked at Planet Zoo and it just seems meh even though I like zoo animals better than dinos?)
Anyway, I was having fun right up until one got loose and started terrorizing the park, and I discovered that I am an absolutely terrible shot from the helicopter with tranqs. At that point it stopped being cozy management and turned into frustration, and I bounced.
Why is it so hard to find my Deck zen? If you've got a game I should check out, send the name my way!
The Balance Between Optimism and Despair.
Apparently folks from GamesRadar sat down with Xbox Game Studios lead and former Rare boss Craig Duncan, who fielded a few questions about State of Decay 3.
"I think the [PR] in this room will murder me if I give you the answer to that," Duncan said. "So, here's what I'll say: I have done a number of visits to that studio in the last six to eight months. I have sat and played the game with the team a bunch of times. It's coming on really well. We're very excited about the franchise and its potential."
Given that games constantly trip and die close to the finish line ( hiiiii Ashes of Creation!), I will carefully avoid being either too hopeful OR too pessimistic about this news. (I really enjoyed SoD2, though, so...calming thoughts.)
Simply Hashtag
No website content last week, busy squashing issues at work and gathering data for tweaks to lore for The Infected. (Possibly.)
Steam Curator
If you’re tired of buying abandoned shit, broken shit, or shit shit - Join Us!
Curator Updates: {Undefined}, Deadly Desert, Bunker Survival, The Day After, Among the Trolls, V-Rising, Escape the Pacific, Sapiens, Brinefall, Pandemic Train, Duneborn
Here are some updated statistics for the Curator page!
580 Followers, 11 Group Members
222,187 Views Influenced
439 Reviews
3 Lists (If you have an idea for a list, hit me up!)
Patreon Changes!
I’ve made a change to the Hashtag Patreon (long read is here) - in a nutshell, I locked it down to paid backers only to make my work easier. That leaves folks with the free metric shit-ton of content/info that Hashtag produces on the site, newsletter, Discord, curator, and other spots. Now backers get extra.
Extra thoughts and behind-the-scenes glimpses.
Extra input, with the addition of the Glitterbunker and Nerdherd, two backer channels that exist in Discord.
Extra content, in the form of the upcoming Content Overflow posts.
Nothing’s being taken away. Some things are just being aimed at the people helping keep the lights on. (P.S. Content created before the change retains the same privacy settings, so there’s a lot of free stuff there to check out!)
Support Hashtag: Patreon keeps the lights on. If monthly subs aren’t your thing, consider Ko-Fi for one-offs, a Steam gift card, or share the newsletter link!
Create & Code
Developer or developer-minded folks, if you have a bucket of time (and snacks), check out this massive Reddit AMA about Steam Next Fest(s) featuring Chris Zukowski from How To Market A Game.
Most Indie Game Publishers Are "Predatory And Opportunistic," Says Manor Lords Publisher
More than half of gamedev professionals see GenAI as harmful, according to GDC’s latest survey
A collection of Godot Shaders and VFX. Also, a free Godot Node For Scattering MultiMeshInstances Along Path3D. (Speaking of Godot, check out this free course aimed at recreating Stardew Valley.)
Tool Talk: World Creator 2026.1 released, Blender posted their projects/goals for 2026.
Random things this week
Are VPNs really safe? The security factors to consider before using one. (Engadget) (ProtonVPN is running a huge deal right now, btw)
Censorship claims, investigations, and alternate apps: The U.S. TikTok app is off to a rough start (Tubefilter)
The Sluts Will Save Us: The Minneapolis Sex Shop Resisting ICE (Playboy)(🥂)
House Burping Reduces Air Stagnation and Improves Your Health (Outside)
Despite AI's Best Efforts, I Fixed My Kid's Airpods Through The Collective Power Of Human Troubleshooting (Aftermath) (I feel like there was a missed chance to use the word Suck in the title.)
The Art of Asking Questions: Make it easy for others to help by adding the right information (IEEE Spectrum) (I liked this!)
Am I the ONLY one who has never heard of Blacknut? Huh.
In appreciation for reading this far - and for being a newsletter subscriber - I’m gifting a handful of 1-month Hashtag Patreon subs. No hoops!
If you want one, grab it here. First come, first served. 🥂
Also! The Oddities & Curiosities Expo is crisscrossing the US this year - Becca and I had a great time last year!
Jordan
Survive, Thrive, Game On!
P.S. I read and respond to every email, so send questions, feedback, or criticisms my way. And a big thank-you to our Patreon subscribers ❤️
