One of the coolest things about working at viraltrendingcontent is recommending new, exciting games to play, whether it’s indie games, cozy games, board games, or just the best of the year. We’re always playing a huge variety of games — it’s part of the job! — so we’re able to keep you up to date on what’s what. Lists are an easy way to recommend a whole bunch of games at once, but it’s also fun to get into personal recommendations.
That’s why we started this open thread: to help you find your next favorite game. Want something to play while waiting in line? We can help. Looking for something to play with a friend without a console? We’ve got ideas. Want a masterpiece of a fantasy game that’ll last you hundreds of hours? Yep, we’ve got a suggestion there, too. So ask away!
From 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. EDT, I will be in the comments section down below answering your questions and fielding requests for what you should play. You can and should chime in with your own recommendations, or simply chat about what you’re playing.
Now, a little about me and what I like to play: I’m Nicole Carpenter. I’ve worked as a reporter at viraltrendingcontent for (almost) five years. When I’m not at work or playing video games, I like to paint with watercolors, knit socks, play hockey, read anything about dragons, and enjoy my yellow fountain pen collection. (What does that mean? Lots of refilling pens with ink and cleaning others out — a surprisingly time consuming task — and writing and drawing. Sometimes I just look at and admire my pens like they’re beautiful, useful gemstones.)
As for work, when I want to sum up my job quickly, I tell people I cover the business and culture of the video game industry. What that looks like in practice is a mix: Last year I wrote about how Barbie Fashion Designer was made, and this year I spoke with people who made Kim Kardashian: Hollywood, two iconic “games for girls”; I’ve spent a lot of time covering the burgeoning union movement in the industry, including creating a printable zine; sometimes I dig into data to highlight issues like the video game funding gap for marginalized developers; and I can usually answer the question of why a random game is suddenly viral.
But I also play a lot of games and write reviews and criticism. Most recently, I’ve played Duck Detective, Animal Well, and Lorelei and the Laser Eyes. But I also love playing Fortnite and Halo with friends; working on my Stardew Valley farm or building out a story in The Sims 4; and obsessing over Suika Game on my phone. The last game I spent more than 100 hours in (besides Suika Game) is Starfield, a game I was pretty “meh” on at first, but I got sucked in the more I played it.
Now it’s time to turn it around to you. What would you like to play this weekend? Leave a request in the comments and I’ll get to it between 3:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. EDT. Details help — let me know what you’re looking for, some idea of your taste, and any other relevant info you feel like sharing, like the consoles you have access to, or what it was about the game you’re looking to emulate, if anything. I’ll reply to the comments with recommendations — and if I don’t have a great suggestion, I’ll ask the rest of the team.
