Bold and Bizarre Games Bulletin (November)
It is November. We're in the thick of Q4's onslaught of big Christmas releases, AAA juggernauts and seven-figure marketing campaigns.
But Pantaloon cares not for that. We are here to share odd little games about eating dead things, sifting through trash and inspecting ancient artefacts (and our own stupid puzzle game, which has just been updated).
Strap in: here's your Bold and Bizarre Bulletin for November.
#1 The Hungry Fly
Out Now | Erupting Avocado
You are a fly. A dirty, insignificant bug, looking to feast on horrible dead things.
The Hungry Fly - which was surfaced in the recommendations channel of our Discord server this month - is the new game from Erupting Avocado, the devs behind The Repairing Mantis. In this disgusting successor, you'll explore a swamp, meeting its grotesque inhabitants and doing their bidding, all while sating your appetite for dead flesh. Cool.
#2 Dungeons of Blood and Dream
Out Now | Lori Vornoy
Oh, this one's wild. A procedurally-generated dungeon crawler with roguelike elements (because of coure, it's 2024) where you - the Blood Wizard, dope name - wield a grim assortment of bladed weapons and wondrous spells to fight through hordes of skeletons, zombies, slimes and other confrontational nasties. On paper it seems fairly a fairly typical dungeon-crawling affair, but then you watch it in motion and *chef's kiss*
#3 Trash Goblin
Early Access Out Now | Spilt Milk Studios
I feel like I resonate with the general mission and philosophy of a trash goblin: trawl through junk looking for gems, but ultimately realise they're all gems if you look at them through the right lens.
Trash Goblin - which hit launched into Early Access this month - is a shopkeeping game where you uncover and clean trinkets. Upcycle random junk to meet the eccentric requests of your store's odball customers before a pleasant loop kicks in: spend your earnings to upgrade your shop, buy new and better tools, customise your store, and upcycle more junk.
#4 Sorry We're Closed
Out Now | à la mode games
Sorry We're Closed is like the bastard child of Silent Hill and Persona; a neon-soaked survival horror game with swagger.
Combining fixed-camera exploration and stylish first-person combat, the game sees a number of familiar systems coalesce into something that feels genuinely very fresh, despite being laced with a heavy dose of nostalgia.
#5 The Children of Clay
Out Now | Messier
Here are five words you won't have seen in the same sentence before:
Stop. Motion. Archaeology. Horror. Game.
Indeed. The Children of Clay - inspired by Hungarian mythology - is unsettling to say the least, having you inspect ancient stone artefacts to discover dark secrets.
And you can play for free on Itch.io.
Reminder! Pantaloon's partnered games for November are Sokpop’s Luckitown, Bamboo EP and White Lavender
Solving this month’s Pantaloon Puzzle will allow you to choose which game you get, otherwise you will be delivered one at random. Primo subscribers will also be getting all three games.
Ensure you’re signing up to the newsletter to get a key on November 28th.
Ok. That’s yer lot for November - until next month x
pantaloon.