Steam Machine 2
If this was going to be released imminently, I'd probably be annoyed that I've just built up a SFF desktop with vaguely similar specs.
Some Games I've Been Playing
These are some things I've been playing recently
Power Wash Simulator 2
I love the original game I've never powerwashed anything in real life and lack the room or need to do so but virtually cleaning a variety of scenarios is something I enjoy. Its a very zen game just slowly methodically cleaning everything with that pleasing ping noise as you finish a section the dirt and grime blasted off leaving clean gleaming surfaces.
Office Refresh 2025
As a sort of last minute thing last weekend I decided it was time to sort out my home office. I had planned on doing it at some point this year, but a combination of some decent deals on Amazon Prime day, and some exceptionally hot weather making cycling slightly too onerous meant I had a window of opportunity.
I had a list of tasks;
1) Repaint the room
2) Sort out miniatures display cases
3) Generally sort out storage
4) Upgrade from a laptop to a desktop
5) Sort out the desk area generally
Chill driving game - play in browser + mobile
I rather like this!
Particle Life running on WebGPU (runs in browser)
This has been hypnotically running on a second monitor while playing with Naomi.
Preparing for a Tough Day in the Office
This Sunday I have probably my hardest target ride of the year coming up. The Struggle Dales starts and finishes on my doorstep, and takes in 200km (125 miles for the luddites) of the Yorkshire Dales, going over some of the nastiest hills the organisers could find.
Is Marathon a the worst idea Bungie have ever had? ... probably yes
Marathon is the upcoming extraction shooter from bungie currently in closed alpha. They've been fairly open with it cancelling the NDA's that would usually bind such an early look at something like this so there is a lot of chatter in the intermanets and the youtubs.
Coffee ... you can spend a lot of money
I've always liked a nice cup of coffee and I've mostly been a french press, aeropress, or drip machine person for most of my life. I would drink the stuff at work out of the big filter coffee machines which were loaded with a dark roast made drinkable with some milk or what passed for milk (powdered stuff) in the more automatic machines.
Sandustry an interesting combination of a Factory and Cellular automata game
This popped up on Steam a while back while it's still in development it has a free demo that is pretty extensive. It is an interesting combination of factory game and cellular automata game (something akin to Noita or even elements of something like No Oxygen include's fluid and gas simulation) it involves mining sand and then processing it to get gold. It's one of those games that builds layers on layers so you start out mining sand and wetting it and then shaking it to get some gold. Then you get shakers which automate that separating gold from wet sand sand producing slag.
Electric Callboy "Elevator Operator"
I've been listening to a lot of Electric Callboy after their collaboration with Babymetal last year on Ratatata. I'm not usually one for Electroniccore but I find their mix of electronic and metal works for me and I enjoy the humor in their videos.
Their new song Elevator Operator has a suitably nuts video. I've never seen a samba break in the middle of a metal track before and to use that rhythm for the next section of beats is just fun.