Schmarn
Studio Arhoj – Stickers
My favorite Danish glassware maker sells stickers now! Ok, to be fair, Studio Arhoj did always sell a lot a different things besides glassware – postcards, bricks (no, really), tote bags, you name it. But I have a soft spot for stickers, so obviously I'm getting some.
This one, for example, will look great on my laptop AND sums up my current state of mind perfectly.
Check them out here. They are all really fun!
Marie Asaba
This illustration made me laugh out loud:
The cat has no idea what’s going on. Why is it suddenly being lifted? Why can’t it just go back to whatever it was doing? But the child doesn’t care – it’s cuddle time!
I really love these soft, whimsical impressions of children and their pets by Marie Asaba, a Japanese illustrator I discovered through the Spoon & Tamago blog.
From her current show, this portrait of a girl also really stood out to me.
Best of all, you can order prints directly from the gallery. I haven’t checked yet if they ship to Germany, but I have to admit — I’m tempted!
Be deeply confused
I’ve long believed that games are the perfect tool to figure out how to deal with all sorts of cultural problems. They are a safe space to prototype reactions to the big shifts we face as a society – like when a new technology suddenly changes how we communicate, work, or assign value.
You know, just like AI does at the moment.
In this light I enjoyed the latest episode of Post Games a lot. In it Chris Plant sits down with Frank Lantz, the creator of Universal Paperclips (the game where you play as an ever-optimizing AI determined to make as many paperclips as possible). During their conversation, Frank Lantz makes a point that I feel deeply, too:
“I think that, to me, the correct stance to have about all this stuff is one of deep confusion. I think if you're not, like, slightly confused and like, look, I'm not sure what's going on, then I think you're not paying attention. (...) You know, there's a whole bunch of obvious positions one can hold right now, where obviously these things are not living. They're just, you know, algorithms. It's just math. It's just a complicated text predictor (...) I think that's crazy. I also think it's crazy to be like, oh, no, it's obvious that this is the godhead and that we're just on the verge of being destroyed by this thing that is going to be to us the way we are to ants. I don't think it's right to have a lot of certainty. I think a kind of deep uncertainty and curiosity is the best thing to have about this stuff.”
Games can help us deal with this uncertainty. Just like they did countless times before.
"Fantasy Life i - The Girl who Steals Time" is a great fit for the Switch 2
I started to play the new Fanatsy Life game with a bit of hesitation. I had heard a lot of good things about it – especially from the folks at Into the Aether – but I didn't really connect with the previous installment on 3DS.
Turns out my worries were unfounded. It's a great "best of cozy games" package, full of fun characters and endless (!) distractions.
With all its charm, the game feels right at home on the Switch 2. Honestly, this could have made for a great platform exclusive launch title. For whatever reason, though, Nintendo and Level-5 didn’t go that route with this release in the series. Still, I’d always recommend playing something like this on a portable system. Being able to fish, mine and craft in between what ever life throws at you is the best way to enjoy a game like this.
Worms
Important Research
Nintendo Music is a Great Productivity Tool
I think that the Nintendo Music App is one of the coolest products the company has released in a while. Obviously, it is great for listening to your favorite soundtracks. But did you know that it is also one of the best productivity apps out there?
The app has a nifty feature that allows you to extend the playtime of certain tracks. Just pick a duration and the track will seamlessly loop. This is something needed in video games anyway, since developers cannot be certain how long you will stay in any given area, for example.
It turns out that this is also really helpful if you want to focus for a given time – just like you would with a Pomodoro timer. Set the duration, get stuff done, and once the next tune starts, you know it is time to stop and take a break.
Great little feature!
Up
Switch 2 - Impressions
I got my Switch 2 on launch day. The store where I had my pre-order placed had messaged me the day before saying there was a chance it might be delayed. So I spent Thursday morning anxiously refreshing my inbox, waiting to find out whether I could pick it up or not.
Picking it up in-store turned out to be a pretty pleasant experience. While in line, I chatted with other people who had pre-ordered their consoles – an instant connection, thanks to all of us putting money down months ago. Capitalism! Topics ranged from the launch line-up (lacklustre, their opinion), the accessories (not needed) to pricing (too expensive). Still, we all walked out grinning, consoles and games in hand.
The smile didn’t vanish when setting up the console itself: The return of menu music! Yes, only for set-up, but still a welcome surprise. More of this, please, Nintendo! (My hope is, that now that they have played it relatively save when it comes to the hardware, maybe they can invest more into playful companion software.)
The other thing that immediately struck me, was just how big the Switch 2 is. It’s enormous! That’s great when it comes to actually seeing things on the display (great screen, btw), but less so for carrying this thing around or holding it over longer stretches of time. I immediately started to anticipate the inevitable arrival of the Switch 2 Lite, to be honest.
The only real Switch 2 game I played so far was Mario Kart World. It’s a delight. So much charm when it comes to the characters and the world – I kind of want to hug all of my little racer buddies (especially the cow)! Both Grand Prix and K.O. Tour are great modes that truly feel different to precious iterations, thanks to the interconnected world. And some of the stages are just mind-blowing. During my race on the returning Rainbow Road, I kept wanting to stop and just take in the scenery. But I guess this is what the free driving mode is for (which, to be honest, I haven’t explored that much yet).
So yeah, I am happy!
Lake time
Woaw Lamps
Ok, how cool is this lamp by design studio Nader Gammas? It totally looks like little glowing mushrooms on a tree branch – though I think it is more inspired by old candle holders. As a fan of all things Mario, I'm immediately sold.
So playful. You can get them here.