Introduction

Some people have recently mentioned to me that almost all my blog about “artistic objects” have been mostly negative.

I have decided for the end of this year, to do a blog post where I recommend stuff I loved this year!

For reference, this idea started because someone asked me for movies I actually like (after my last blog post), and when I sent a list and they commented it, I ended up asking “Do you think the only thing I watch is the (mostly slop) I blog about?”

Someone else then answered “I’ve only seen articles on your blog about that so… yeah” to which I answered the truth: “I usually have nothing complicated to say about the really good stuff other than “this was great””

And this is true, writing about stuff you like is so much harder than writing about stuff you hate!

On that note, here’s what you were looking for!

Spoilers will be minimal!

Movies

Please Stand By (2018)

IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4652650
Trakt: https://trakt.tv/movies/please-stand-by-2018

(Proper indie movie)

An amazing movie about an autistic woman with a dream, a road trip across the US to deliver a Star Trek script to a writing contest. It’s basic yet amazingly sweet, worth a watch!

9/10 - Recommended

Dinner in America (2020)

IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9058654
Trakt: https://trakt.tv/movies/dinner-in-america-2020

(Proper indie movie)

A punk love story, about a punk guy, meeting a nerdy girl that wasn’t that nerdy. One of the sweetest movies I’ve seen.

9/10 - Recommended

The Princess Bride (1987)

IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0093779
Trakt: https://trakt.tv/movies/the-princess-bride-1987

Simply a masterpiece, a cult movie that tries to subvert the rom-com adventure and ends up becoming one of the best, if not the best one. I was expecting to hate it, I ended up loving it.

10/10 - Recommended

TV Shows

Santa Clarita Diet (2017-2019 - Cancelled)

IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5580540
Trakt: https://trakt.tv/shows/santa-clarita-diet

A show about a normal suburban woman becoming a “zombie”… and the adventure of her family trying to cope with it. It’s one of the best “things” I’ve seen about “zombies” and love. It got cancelled at a pretty good point, most of the storylines are closed, so nothing is truly missing.

9/10 - Recommended

The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret (2010-2016 - Finished)

(Proper indie show)

A really obscure comedy show that seems to have flopped about an American guy going to work in London for a faceless company. It seems so basic but it becomes so much more than that. One of my friends considers it the best comedy show and I don’t fully disagree.

8/10 - Recommended

Arrested Development (2003-2019 - Finished)

IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0367279
Trakt: https://trakt.tv/shows/arrested-development

A classic show for a reason, but a really flawed one. Season 1 and 2 are, in my opinion, the best comedy show. Season 3 goes wobbly with a really bad side story (the MRF / Sharon Stone parts). Season 4 and 5 are worse (but never as bad as the Season 3 MRF parts), but are still worth a watch for the characters.

7/10 - Recommended

Games

SteamWorld Dig 2 (2017)

Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/571310/SteamWorld_Dig_2/
GOG: https://www.gog.com/game/steamworld_dig_2
PCGamingWiki: https://www.pcgamingwiki.com/wiki/SteamWorld_Dig_2

A sequel to SteamWorld Dig 1 (you don’t need to play it to enjoy that one) that expands and enhances everything from the first game: better gameplay, better soundtrack, better writing, better characters, better map…

A “light” metroidvania with little backtracking (and I say that as someone who doesn’t like metroidvania).

One of the best games I’ve ever played. Too bad the studio that made it was bought out and everyone who worked on it left the company.

8/10 - Recommended

Symphony of War: The Nephilim Saga (2022)

(Proper indie game)

An (easy-ish) tactics RPG made on RPG Maker that’s actually amazing. The favorite game of one of my friends, and with reason.

It has a lot of deep (and mostly optional) systems, amazing gameplay, a story that seems to be here for you to skip it.

The only flaw… literally just the engine, RPG Maker isn’t made for something this complicated. If you can accept this flaw, you’re in for a treat!

9/10 - Recommended

Marvel’s Midnight Suns (2022)

Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/368260/Marvels_Midnight_Suns/
PCGamingWiki: https://www.pcgamingwiki.com/wiki/Marvel%27s_Midnight_Suns

A Firaxis Marvel game. Yes, really.

I don’t even know where to start with that one… what can I say… It’s a game that shouldn’t exist.

It’s a game that came out near the end of the Marvel games “invasion”, when everyone was burnt out on them… it’s a game that flopped so hard Firaxis was basically killed because of it.

It’s a deep strategic game with a unique gameplay and no miss-at-99% of previous Firaxis games.

So why do I recommend it?

It’s a nearly AAA game that feels like an indie game. It kinda feels like the lead designer just told his team “if you think of a cool system, put it in the game”.

There is literally SO MUCH side content it’s weird, you have a main story and then you have dozens of hour of MEANINGFUL side content… you have “romance” (that are “friendship”) that almost feels like someone wanted to make a porn game but had to keep it PG, you have deep strategic gameplay you have busy work, crafting… there’s so much creative freedom that shouldn’t have been here yet it all meshes together to make something great!

9/10 - Recommended

Music

I’ll keep it brief, so I’ll just recommend groups/artists with one or two tracks from them. Most of those I’ve been listening to for years.

I’m gonna use Spotify links because Spotify is one of the only music “databases” where the artists with identical names are separated, and for some of the indie ones, it’s necessary… but don’t use Spotify.