Oh wow, it’s already been one and a half years of me completely neglecting this website. Huh. Probably should do something about that.
Anyways, have ya played a game randomizer?
Essentially, a game randomizer is a mod which randomizes certain aspects of a game, most commonly some sort of unlockable items or collectibles. Some popular examples of randomizers are for franchises like Pokémon and Metroid. Well, at least the two examples I have heard about.
In a Pokémon randomizer, EVERYTHING about Pokémon gets randomized. Yes, EVERYTHING. What moves or elements they have, locations they appear in, the trainers they are used for and more. The only sacred thing is dice. A typical Metroid randomizer is a bit more tame, as in, only the locations of every item get scattered, with some checks done to prevent the save file from being impossible to beat.
Now, why do these exist? Has humanity once again asked if they can do it over if they should do it? Are we doomed to repeat the same mistakes we did in the past, proving that all of this is nothing but one giant simulation? Will these events transpire into a crescendo that ends with total destruction of the human civilization????
Probably.
However, when you love a game so much you know it like the back of your hand, replaying it gets really boring and repetitive. It’s a lot like with mac and cheese. The first time it tastes amazing, the second still tastes nice, but after the hundredth you start to get numb and full of it all. But what’s a lad got to do if they wanna experience the first time again? By slathering some ketchup on! Sure, it does not taste as good, but it’s a new experience. You can love mac and cheese again, even if it means that others will look at you funny. And when ketchup doesn’t do it, switch up the amount of ketchup, cheese or mac - god is dead anyways, so tinker away!
And since randomizers are, technically speaking, simple to implement as a mod, it has been done for plenty of games. So your favourite dish might just have a way to add ketchup on it! (Seriously, it’s scary just how many randomizers are out there.)
So, why can’t I get into randomizers?
I have always found the idea of randomizers very enticing. You basically turn a game into a puzzle box. I like puzzles! Also boxes! But the barrier to entry is simply too high. By the time someone decides to check out mods for a game, they probably know far too much about the game. The game has been solved. And these randomizers are made with that in mind.
If you take a look at any run of a randomizer, you’ll see that there is a lot of stuff to keep in mind. Going back to the Metroid example, there might be a crucial item that is only available in an area which you are not meant to be in. In one area, you only have so much time until you perish, so you just have to book it for the item. While fun if you know the map, there’s not a lot to gain for a player that decided to start with the randomizer. And if you dial back enough for things like this to not be required, that’s just adding less ketchup. Adding a teaspoon of ketchup won’t do much to solve this problem.
Also, the experience was not made with randomizing in mind. That means there is a lot of doing a bunch of nothing, if you can’t find the specific item in question. It’s not too often that even those with arcane knowledge need to use the ancient scripts called “wikis” to see where an item could be. I am a man with limited time on this planet. Listen, it took me 3 years to get a website to a point I somewhat like. I have enough problems already, I need not replicate them when I am taking a break. I may be insane, but even my insanity has its limits. Also, just in case I was not gatekept enough, none of the games I’ve played yet have a randomizer available, as far as I know. :/
By the way, ever played a sandbox?
Surely you have. I mean, Minecraft’s that. Even if you’ve just played survival mode and punched a bit of wood for a house, you have tried solving problems. “How to build a house? How do I make this game run without making my computer beg for mercy? What is the most torturous way to avenge my friend who exploded my dope as fuck ship for shits and giggles?” are just some of the problems you may have tried to solve. (You know who you are. I’m still not over it, dude.)
Solving these problems is fun because you’re usually trying to accomplish something that does not map out one to one from your mind to the game. Limitation breeds creativity, and you can get a load of fun from realizing the idea, no matter how jank. Each person’s mind is uniquely crazed, which entices lads to share their creations, ideas, problems and more with others. And that’s simply fun, especially in multiplayer. :]
Dude, don’t even get me started on when these sandboxes have realtime physics. Try as the dev might, all interactions cannot be tested. Physics always get approximated. Jank and bullshit is to be found and abused. Jank is fun. It gives character to even the most mediocre of experiences. Don’t even need to look that far to find examples of fun physics exploits. Rocket jumping probably wasn’t an intentional design decision, merely a result of the implemented logic behind explosions and player hitboxes.
So, why can’t I get into sandboxes?
By giving a player the sky as the limit, sometimes there simply is not a big enough limit to inspire one to be creative enough, which drops engagement. Sandboxes require you to participate in the creation of the fun, which can be exhausting, or for some simply too much work for the end result. Even though Minecraft has sold the most copies in the world, there’s a popular term that’s being thrown around it:
The 2 week Minecraft phase™.
Anyone that has played Minecraft knows about the cycle that most players go through.
- In some way, shape or form get reminded about Minecraft in a way that makes you want to play it again.
- You make a new world, maybe even invite some buddies over. Game time!
- You go through the game’s progression, have fun with it for a week or two.
- Ender Dragon defeated, shacks made, plans constructed, game left. Everyone slowly lose interest, world gets abandoned.
Does it suck? Yeah, kinda. Personally, I partially envy those capable of sustaining long term worlds that have grown with them over the years. My story is very different from those YouTubers.
I can vividly remember 3 worlds. The first was on Pocket Edition, where I got the gear, made a nice shack, and that was about it. Didn’t even get eyes of ender. The second world was with my friend Bean Man. We made each of our houses, made plans for silly things like hooter HQ and whatever else. Even pranked him by playing Cbat on loop under his base. This time I even made big plans with deep lore, to make it more resistant to change. However, Bean Man was not phased. He lost interest, which made my interest wain as well. Oh well. After that, I tried making a singleplayer world, this time in Beta for funsies. This time there was no lore, no big plan, so after getting diamond armour I lost interest once more.
World after world, all of which have been left behind as nothing more than mere memories. I can go back to all 3, I’m pretty sure, but I haven’t. Couldn’t even tell you why exactly. Do I just not get Minecraft? Surely not. But this has definitely bothered me for as long as those worlds have been left neglected. I’m just a couple clicks, yet it feels like I shouldn’t dare, almost.
From what I’ve seen, Bean Man tries to solve this with mods. Dodging a 2 week Minecraft phase with another 2 week Minecraft phase. So, for him, it’s more like a 2 MONTH Minecraft phase, which is just a bunch of those other phases combined into one. Man’s trying to run away from the inevitable, but always succumbs to burnout.
Wait, wasn’t this post about a silly indie game named eerily similarly to a famous painting?
Oh, right, I should probably explain what even is a “Mosa Lina”.
In case it means anything to you, Mosa Lina is my favourite game of 2023. In case you are not my friend who has heard me praise this game when I played it, the developer on the Steam store page explains Mosa Lina as “an aggressive take on the immersive sim”.
OK, fine, might not be the best explanation. Simply think of a 2D game where in each one-screen level you have to get all of the fruit and get back to the portal. The only catch? The items you can use and the levels you need traverse are randomly generated.
One may even say that this game is a more accessible version of a randomizer. Will it be me? ye
What makes Mosa Lina work, is that the levels are far shorter, taking only a couple minutes at most to beat (or miserably fail at), and randomization is at the foundation of the game’s design, meaning that the entry barrier is just the 5 bucks required to buy the game on Steam, NOT an entire game’s worth of content. Also, realtime physics allows for some fun. For example, fish. :]
Physics (and fish (sorta))
You are given a wide range of items, some of which create entities, some of which modify the environment, some of which make you question the developer. You can spawn frogs that eat fruit, you can shoot arrows which stick to surfaces. You can even make objects levitate, or flat out delete them.
“That sounds cool, but wait a minute. How are some measily spawned fish that flop around any useful for traversing giant gaps? A zero gravity area’s far more useful than that.”, a mere fool may think. But think again, Batman.
First, jump in the air. Got it?
Well, of course nothing cool happened! Read more than just step 1, ya dimwit.
Anyways, jump and shoot fish downwards at the same time.
Pretty cool, huh?
This game is full of interactions like this. The butterfly being affected by explosions, the camera being able to freeze its own ammo and so much more is possible. You can beat levels with simple tools, but you can also amass style points. And those plays are the most fun, especially if that is the only visible solution. B)
Better yet, since the game is heavily randomized, there are no intended solutions. There is only jank and bullshit. And that is what makes the game so replayable. A novel format with near infinite amounts of tomfoolery.
One may say that’s kinda like a sandbox. Am I gonna say i…
Wait a minute…
In Mosa Lina, I play each sandbox level for a few minutes. Challenge defeated, I move on to the next challenge the game gives me.
In that way, Mosa Lina is like those Minecraft survival worlds that I left behind all those years ago. Snapshots, memories, which I leave behind right after getting to the end, whatever I unconsciously decided it to be. The most I can do is enjoy the moment, and look back on previous snapshots, if I saved any. I mean, Mosa Lina literally has a button with which it can record each level.
This was staring right at me the whole time, and I didn’t notice until now.
I didn’t realize this while playing. This only came up when I was writing this silly rant-y review of a silly game I found super fun to play. Without knowing, the game spoke to my soul in a way I did not expect. It wasn’t because of the graphics, the audio, or the sillies. No. I was living through something oh so familiar, without even realizing it. Much like how a Minecraft world wizzes by without mention, only being remembered months, years, decades later.
btw check out mosa lina it is very cool
First of all, the game has Steam Workshop for custom levels! Sure, there are people that just expand on the original idea, but there are also other ones, like parkour or puzzle maps. But the vanilla+ stuff is my favourite, especially if with some extra sillies. My favourite pack even still is OOPS ALL BERRIES by WetBandit.
Also, the updates are also very silly. The dev embraces the chaos, and sees no problem with adding an offscreen planet, only for it to be removed a couple updates later just ‘cause. They are taking a break from Mosa Lina for now, but, you know, fun.
Also also, Mosa Lina inspired me so much that I came back from the dead to finish my website. Thanks, legally distinct painting game. :]
Also also also, here is grayfruit doing some slickies in the game. Could make you consider if the game is worth it to you.
Oh, right. Here is the link to the game on Steam. :]
And with that, see ya later. Hopefully, at a time where I don’t give up on something halfway through. 👋
Edit: I gave up halfway through while writing this script.