🎲 Issue #6 - Strange Finds

The other week, I tossed up a feedback thread about a new format. The plan: actually fill the Upcoming Games category with (gasp) articles on upcoming games. I killed the old index/gallery ages ago (RIP, huge pain in the ass to maintain), but I still want a quick way to snapshot and spotlight titles without turning it into a full-time job. Or something that I hate doing.

Think something I can refresh every few months or just link back to when it’s relevant. (Hm, maybe linking back to it is the play…)

I started with Nomad: Steppeborn Saga because there isn’t a ton of info yet, which made it easier to test the layout without getting buried in details.

The free Patreon thread for feedback is live; drop thoughts there or just reply to this email. I think it’s solid. I’ll wait another day or two for commentary, and then I’ll start adding games.

Gamers

Project Wayback just hit Open Beta, which means the floodgates are officially open: expect ALL THE SPOILERS. I say spoilers because I’m firmly team #survivalgamesmeansfigureshitout (wink, nod, insert unfinished article here). If you actually want to discover things for yourself, maybe don’t binge creator content right now, haha.

For those who do like to dig into every last mechanic and plot twist, we’ve got a separate channel in the Hashtag Discord where you can spill all the details without wrecking it for the rest of us. (Yes, I will scruff people and deposit them there as needed.)

Speaking of plot twists—September marks one year since Project Castaway washed up on Early Access shores. You might remember my original Curator blurb from back when I got to poke around during testing, right before the EA launch:

Latest patch notes lay out their road to 1.0: co-op, achievements, Steam Deck support, and “more.” Cool on paper, but this is all mega time-intensive. (And that’s even assuming they’ve been putting in the work to make it multiplayer from the start.)
Meanwhile, the game is still Mixed on Steam, with most complaints about bugs, glitches, and basic systems not behaving. The latest developer response to one of these complaints was, “The patch added the ability to turn these things off.” Call me tinfoil head, but that reads less like “we’ll fix it” and more like “they’re optional now, so it’s fine.”

Updated Curator:

Curator Additions: Railborn, Drownlight, Ashwake, God Save Birmingham, Surviving Mars: Pioneer, ATMOSFAR, Romestead, CrisisX, Of Peaks and Tides, Frostliner, 30 Days on a Ship
Curator Tweaks: Cairn

Testing, Testing

Speaking of my curator, I’m experimenting with a small idea to highlight some of the curator additions each week. Basically, I add X amount, then I pick out Y amount (bear with me, I’ll get specific at some point), and then do a small video spotlighting them. Maybe it’s my favorites! Maybe it’s the shittiest one! Who knows.

I thought it would be a neat way to draw attention to specific titles, and who doesn’t like a fancy trailer?
(Imma fix that thumbnail, though, so my face is less BIG RED BUTTON, but you can hit that to watch and, hey, follow Hashtag on YT, eh?)

Dev Stack

Hashtag

Folks always wonder how I do what I do, so I broke it down on Patreon. Naturally, that just led to more questions, haha.

I know when I spell it all out it probably sounds a little unhinged, but honestly the systems and routines are what do most of the heavy lifting. That’s the whole “how the sausage is made” bit. Speaking of which, I should probably do a write-up on the tools I use someday. (Future me problem.)

Read the rest (for free!) on our Patreon→

Random

The original plan was to ship this issue on Monday morning, but I got stalled and wrapped up in finishing this logo because my ADHD brain decided to bulldog clench on something specific, leaving me with negative spoons to function. So then the new plan was Tuesday mid-day, and then that got tossed into fucking outerspace when I was dragging my humid & sweltering carcass out to the dumpster and thought I saw a cat hiding under one of the staff vehicles.

Turns out my eyesight was accurate (first time, too, because my glasses are hella thick and bless everything for contacts) and I actually managed to snag it. Bedraggled, she was PLUS fleas and MINUS oooh, about a good few pounds in weight, clocking in at a scrawny five pounds.

Big thanks to everyone who tossed a little extra in the Ko-Fi kitty for the wandering waif. That went straight to getting her sorted with a bath, flea treatment, good food, fecal (clean!), and a cozy crate stocked with the comforts she was missing. She’ll be off for proper vetting in the next day or two. If you kick in specifically for her, just mark it in your note so I know to drop it in her piggy bank instead of Hashtag’s.

Here she is, post 2x baths to remove mud and nastiness.

Next week I’ll try and be a little more on the ball, assuming life doesn’t crop up in more interesting ways.

Also, quick shout-out to our Patreon paid supporters! Not only do they keep the lights on for Hashtag in general, but I was able to get this nifty new icon made for the newsletter. (Fiverr ftw.)

(This meandering newsletter brought to you by this song on repeat.)

- Jordan