I only found out about Hypnospace Outlaw recently as well!
However I didn't play it, I just watched other people play it (many other people, actually, though I bet there's still a lot I missed).
Which is unfortunate but I don't think I would have bought it anyway considering I can't really afford to be buying anything, especially not games that seem so bizarre that I have no way to judge whether I'd enjoy them or not.
I wish I had, though.
Nonetheless I found it extremely interesting. It's hard to describe why I liked it so much, because if I listed anything good about it I could probably list multiple other instances in other games where I just didn't care.
Maybe it's just the right combination of things to make it a compelling experience. I don't know.
It was surprising to see you play it, it didn't immediately seem to me like you'd enjoy it, especially the whole "moderating a community of angry teens" thing.
But based on this post you seem to have gotten completely different things out of it than I did, so I guess that assumption was both right and wrong.
Anyway, yes there is a little bit more to the game like mentioned. Having not played it myself I can't really tell what triggers the last bunch of progression, though.
1
Tobias 1104~4Y
I've now finished, and feel so much more satisfied than I did when I thought I'd reached the ending before! Now it's a memory I'll cherish rather than "that was weird and frustrating - with some moments of greatness - but I'm done now".
Watching someone play it would be an immensely different experience though since you wouldn't have to experience the frustration of not knowing what to do next first hand! That's really the main bit I didn't exactly enjoy about it, though it was also more satisfying in the end to know I'd got to where I did through my own problem-solving, I suppose.
Moderating communities of angry teens isn't exactly my favourite thing in the world!! But I don't think I actually expected there'd be much of that going in - probably because I didn't really know what to expect - and it turns out there wasn't really much of it in the end anyway!
Being unwilling to pay due to uncertainty about whether or not you'd enjoy it definitely makes sense, though it concerns me as a creator since I know I'll need to get around that somehow. I feel that Sindrel Song sold so poorly because of that. Are you more likely to pay for games that seem familiar? (I definitely understand not exactly being able to afford any though! I know I should be playing some since I'm trying to make a living from making my own, so I need to be inspired by what other people are doing, but even spending $10 on a new game each week feels uncomfortable...)
1
Refurin24~4Y
Usually when it comes to strange games, I just go by word of mouth, from people whose opinions I trust and whose wallets are larger than mine, I guess.
I've come across many great games just by having them recommended to me, because I am too lazy to look for or try out games myself.
Unfortunately nobody recommended Hypnospace Outlaw to me, I just came across a video and watched it and next thing I knew I'd been watching it for 12 hours.
So I guess I can't be much help there.
Though in general I'd say that I'm less likely to question an RPG (even a weird one) than a "90s internet simulator adventure game thing", because it seems more like an experiment than a game.
And even beyond that, since Hypnospace Outlaw is all things considered not very gameplay-driven, I don't have all that much of a reason to play it now that I've seen it beyond digging around for things I didn't see. Which would be fun but I can't really justify paying full price for the game like that, since like mentioned I am very lacking in money.
But if the mechanics and gameplay of a game are satisfying and interesting, then watching the game be played will be more enticing than offputting.
Recent-ish examples for me would be Slay the Spire and Spelunky. But they're both roguelikes which might be an unfair advantage on that front.
These days any time I actually want to play a game, I'll do everything in my power to stay completely blind on it. Which can be difficult when they're really popular and years old.
Also as far as game recommendations go, I recently played a game called OneShot after having bought it years ago and it seemed like you'd maybe like it but at the same time it seems like you maybe wouldn't.
I found the story-telling and setting and everything to be pretty enjoyable and impactful and it doesn't really have much gameplay getting in the way of it, but it also uses some puzzles that I found out of place and not very fun. And I suspect you'd like them even less than I did.
So I don't really know. Feel free to ignore the suggestion.
1
Tobias 1104~4Y
OneShot seems to have almost 16,000 Steam reviews, so I imagine it was a hit back in its day? I've never heard of it. I just bought it since it's on sale and less than £5, so I'll play it later so I can maybe figure out what made it successful. I also prefer to go in blind, so that's what I'll be doing! Thanks for the recommendation!
However I didn't play it, I just watched other people play it (many other people, actually, though I bet there's still a lot I missed).
Which is unfortunate but I don't think I would have bought it anyway considering I can't really afford to be buying anything, especially not games that seem so bizarre that I have no way to judge whether I'd enjoy them or not.
I wish I had, though.
Nonetheless I found it extremely interesting. It's hard to describe why I liked it so much, because if I listed anything good about it I could probably list multiple other instances in other games where I just didn't care.
Maybe it's just the right combination of things to make it a compelling experience. I don't know.
It was surprising to see you play it, it didn't immediately seem to me like you'd enjoy it, especially the whole "moderating a community of angry teens" thing.
But based on this post you seem to have gotten completely different things out of it than I did, so I guess that assumption was both right and wrong.
Anyway, yes there is a little bit more to the game like mentioned. Having not played it myself I can't really tell what triggers the last bunch of progression, though.
Watching someone play it would be an immensely different experience though since you wouldn't have to experience the frustration of not knowing what to do next first hand! That's really the main bit I didn't exactly enjoy about it, though it was also more satisfying in the end to know I'd got to where I did through my own problem-solving, I suppose.
Moderating communities of angry teens isn't exactly my favourite thing in the world!! But I don't think I actually expected there'd be much of that going in - probably because I didn't really know what to expect - and it turns out there wasn't really much of it in the end anyway!
Being unwilling to pay due to uncertainty about whether or not you'd enjoy it definitely makes sense, though it concerns me as a creator since I know I'll need to get around that somehow. I feel that Sindrel Song sold so poorly because of that. Are you more likely to pay for games that seem familiar? (I definitely understand not exactly being able to afford any though! I know I should be playing some since I'm trying to make a living from making my own, so I need to be inspired by what other people are doing, but even spending $10 on a new game each week feels uncomfortable...)
I've come across many great games just by having them recommended to me, because I am too lazy to look for or try out games myself.
Unfortunately nobody recommended Hypnospace Outlaw to me, I just came across a video and watched it and next thing I knew I'd been watching it for 12 hours.
So I guess I can't be much help there.
Though in general I'd say that I'm less likely to question an RPG (even a weird one) than a "90s internet simulator adventure game thing", because it seems more like an experiment than a game.
And even beyond that, since Hypnospace Outlaw is all things considered not very gameplay-driven, I don't have all that much of a reason to play it now that I've seen it beyond digging around for things I didn't see. Which would be fun but I can't really justify paying full price for the game like that, since like mentioned I am very lacking in money.
But if the mechanics and gameplay of a game are satisfying and interesting, then watching the game be played will be more enticing than offputting.
Recent-ish examples for me would be Slay the Spire and Spelunky. But they're both roguelikes which might be an unfair advantage on that front.
These days any time I actually want to play a game, I'll do everything in my power to stay completely blind on it. Which can be difficult when they're really popular and years old.
Also as far as game recommendations go, I recently played a game called OneShot after having bought it years ago and it seemed like you'd maybe like it but at the same time it seems like you maybe wouldn't.
I found the story-telling and setting and everything to be pretty enjoyable and impactful and it doesn't really have much gameplay getting in the way of it, but it also uses some puzzles that I found out of place and not very fun. And I suspect you'd like them even less than I did.
So I don't really know. Feel free to ignore the suggestion.