iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Nick??????? @ilkkawhat.bsky.social · 24/06/2025

The next Next Fest will be in October, so I'll see you guys again for another thread then! Back to semi-regular posting and semi-regular playing games that are NOT just demos (Even if I haven't been kinda doing that already the past week lol... I was getting burnt out lol) [4/4]

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Nick??????? @ilkkawhat.bsky.social · 24/06/2025

Overall this was probably the best Next Fest for me in a while. I posted about *25* different games out of the 52 I played. And that's almost half which is amazing! And there was a LOT of variety among these games too from story, to controls, to gameplay, which is great. [3/4]

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Nick??????? @ilkkawhat.bsky.social · 24/06/2025

In all honesty, if a demo I had in the first post didn't get posted here and you went "Huh that one looks interesting!" Give it a run yourself, form your own opinion. As previously stated these are just my favs that I ended up playing and enjoying a LOT. [2/4]

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Nick??????? @ilkkawhat.bsky.social · 24/06/2025

And with THAT the Next Fest thread is OVER! It took longer than expected but that's life. I did originally have a small thing of "Honorable Mentions" planned that didn't make the main thread but realized it was a lot of "I mean it's good, just not for me at all." [1/4]

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Nick??????? @ilkkawhat.bsky.social · 24/06/2025

'Holstin' (Sonka) Do you like camera angle changes in your survival horror? Cause we got 'em! Easily a feature that makes this one standout, alongside the story setting of a small Polish town. Very strong art direction & story too. This could be the next big survival horror imo. #NickDoesNextFest

A scene from the opening few moments of the game. In it our main character Tomasz, enters a bathroom in a subway station. Through an isometric view point, Tomasz can be seen in front of some closed stall doors. There's yellow growths all over the walls. The door he entered in is still left ajar. A character portrait of Tomasz is shown in the bottom left corner of the screen. He looks disgruntled or confused. Subtitle text at the bottom of the screen says: "Tomasz: Excuse me, is everything alright?"

An over the shoulder third-person view that appears while aiming at enemies to shoot with your gun. A reticle appears in the middle of the screen. The scene itself has a pixel art of Tomasz from the back side, aiming his weapon. The environment itself has shifted to a 3D PSX-Like art. An enemy stands in front of the player with two orange weak spots highlighted on them.

An interaction with the character Fifi. Fifi is a trader who you can barter with using cigarettes for more ammo. Fifi's character portrait shows him holding his jacket open in a textbox "sleazy under the radar illicit goods dealer" manner. The overall scene takes place outdoors near a gas station that can be barely seen in view. More of the odd yellow growths are around on the ground and blood splatters can be seen near them on the road. A Building and a bus can be seen in the background. Subtitle text at the bottom of the screen reads: "Fifi: Remember this, yeah? Whatever you get from me, you didn't. And it ain't from me."

A side-view camera for platforming. In this shot Tomasz, who is minimalist pixel art, stands outside a window on an apartment building. The window is lit a pale yellow. More of the strange yellow growths can be seen on the side of the building. Various other windows are in the shot, most being black. A balcony can be seen in front of another lit window. A prompt of using the "F" key to enter can be seen at the bottom.

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Nick??????? @ilkkawhat.bsky.social · 22/06/2025

'Tormented Souls 2' (Dual Effect) Okay so OUTSIDE of the performance issues for the first 20~ minutes, I had a great time! I played on "Assisted" due to things & stuff, but it felt good to have an autosave safety net. Curious to see how this one builds on the story of the first. #NickDoesNextFest

An in-game cutscene of Caroline and her sister Anna meeting a nun from the health retreat they'll be staying at. Anna hides behind Caroline to the point where you can just barely see her. Caroline on the other hand is in full view. She stands taller than Anna with medium length brown hair. A leather eye patch adorns her right eye. She's dressed in a red dress with ribbons and lace accents at the top and a leather jacket covering her shoulders. She has a necklace with a large sun and moon pendant in addition to a simple black choker. The nun stands with back towards the frame only showing the back of their veil. Subtitle text at the bottom says: "Say, "hello", Anna. Sorry. It takes her a little while to get to know people."

A whiteboard with a message written in blood on it. An information box at the bottom denotes this same information. The message says: "Do Not Let Shadows Embrace You" with blood splatters around it. It is illuminated by candles.

An overview of a tape recorder used for saving your game manually. A green pointing index finger cursor is situated above a green button the tape recorder. A manual next to the tape recorder has this button circled with "PRESS" written with an arrow in red, drawn over top of it. To the right side of the screen is an overview of an inventory including what's currently equipped (nothing), health status (Fine), and 20 inventory slots in a secondary inventory tab denoted with a crossed image of a needle and a bullet. In the first inventory slot is a tape that can be used with the tape recorder. Text in a subtitle from Caroline says: "A tape recorder, I've used one of these before..."

Caroline stands over the body of a brutalized nun. The nun's face has been smashed to a red bloody pulp that has left a trail of blood on the floor around them. The area is dimly lit by the light from Caroline's lighter. Of what can be seen includes a fancy chair, a nice cabinet, and a window. Other windows can be seen in the background of the shot in which the light coming in from them is the only light that can be seen. Caroline stands with back towards the camera due to the fixed angles used in the camera system in the game. Thought text at the bottom from Caroline says: "This nun was brutally murdered by that monster... I must save Anna!"

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Nick??????? @ilkkawhat.bsky.social · 22/06/2025

'PIGFACE' (titolovesyou) A Hitman (Hitwoman?) game tailored to your own choices & pace; it packs quite a punch! I personally went for a faster route on the "Farmhouse" map with a Sledgehammer + Pistol and had one hell of a fun time! Definitely wanna try the other weapons too! #NickDoesNextFest

An opening interior from the game. A worn down room within a warehouse. Graffiti liters the walls that have been illuminated by a tv screen showing static. There's empty bottles on some tables and the ground. There's a piece of cardboard on the floor acting like a bed and two large laundry carts to the side.

Our player character, Exit, faces an enemy with a hammer. This is from the tutorial section in which you may choose which melee weapon you'd like from the starting area. I chose the hammer making this a hammer battle. Exit's partially taped hand can be seen in the right corner holding the hammer. The enemy that stands before Exit, stands partially crouched rushing towards her. They hold a hammer in their right hand. The enemy character is wearing ripped jeans, a white tank top, and a yellow & black mask.

An overview of the "Farmhouse" job from the laptop in your apartment which you use to buy new gear & accept jobs. Green text on a mainly black pop-up states "Derelict farmhouse somewhere outside the city, currently occupied by a group calling themselves "The Smilers". Orders are to find a sample of their drugs, some folder containing information about their other hideouts, and to kill as many of them as you can." Additional information at the bottom shows a payout of $2000 with a bonus of $500. Under an image of the farmhouse is an "Accept Job" button.

Outside the farmhouse, Exit stands with a sledgehammer in her hands. Yes, both hands are being used to grasp the sledgehammer. The overall map is lit extremely dimly by only the moon that's been covered in clouds. Of what can be seen there's trees, power lines, and plenty of long grass. The farmhouse sits in the back of the shot standing out due to it having a slightly blue hue.

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Nick??????? @ilkkawhat.bsky.social · 20/06/2025

'DOCTOR VISCERA' (Liminal Road) So ummmm about that time I actually did it... I glitched the doctor! I GLITCHED THE DOCTOR, HE GOT STUCK ON A BED AND HE STAYED THERE! I was free to roam around at the small cost of triggering his music lol. Here's a compilation of that. [2/2] #NickDoesNextFest

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Nick??????? @ilkkawhat.bsky.social · 20/06/2025

'DOCTOR VISCERA' (Liminal Road) A VERY intense & hard stealth game that I failed at many times. (I did eventually do it, more on that in a sec...) Holds a lot of promise but defo needs some adjusting. But also this is the earliest ver. of the demo possible so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ [1/2] #NickDoesNextFest

A corpse that's been wrapped in sheets and rope sits on the floor of a tile shower. It lays in a pile of blood. The scene is illuminated by the glow of a headlamp.

An overview of a dark foyer. The foyer is barely illuminated by green lighting. Of what's visible there's a chandelier, a second floor, and multiple doors. Textures on what's visible vary from wood to metal to stone to brick.

A chalkboard with some bright green splatters on it. A tooltip with a magnifying glass shape states: "I need a chemical solution to remove this". The player character is seen holding a key that is denoted as the "chest key" via an inventory pop-up at the bottom of the screen. The inventory has 2 total slots.

The aforementioned Dr. Viscera catches the player character. His model features a green motif from green hulk-like skin to glowing green glasses. His mouth is open with a wide grin showing both rows of teeth. He holds a needle with an unidentified green fluid in his right arm with a movement that points it towards the character like he is going to inject them with it.

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Nick??????? @ilkkawhat.bsky.social · 17/06/2025

'You Shouldn't Be Here' (Doomster Entertainment) A very stylish visual novel with some kickass monsters to boot. There's an underlying story of what *may* be a time loop, but I can't confirm. The demo is about 20% of the game, I did it in 20 mins. So maybe 1hr for the full game. #NickDoesNextFest

A pixelated shot of an alleyway is on the left side of the screen in a box. The alleyway is situated behind a building and next to a fence. Other buildings can be seen in the background. A red and black sky dooms above the city. Text in light yellow on the right side reads: "The air smells strange, almost like static electricity."

A shot of a door at the end of the alleyway. Our character has a piece of paper in their hand, blocking off part of the door visually. The note looks rather worn. Text to the right side reads: "In the shape of the infinite, I am one. Swallowed by an ocean of bliss. No choices to be made, no stories to unfold, no riddles to solve. No, nothing at all."

A shot of a monster emerging from behind a building. The monster has a grotesque face with sharp yellowing teeth that are sparingly place around their mouth that is a deep red. They have bulging blue eyes that are wide with hunger. They're crawling forward into the black of the street that engulfs their void-like body.

A strange plum-coloured man stands in the center of the shot. He has down-turned yellow eyes and a rather upset expression. He wears no clothes. He stands in front of two doors that are painted in yellow and red tones. Text to the right side reads: "You've already been here, haven't you? You shouldn't be here."

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Nick??????? @ilkkawhat.bsky.social · 17/06/2025

Soooo um.... Next Fest is *technically* over. But I'm still not done yet. I got demos to finish man lol. So let's continue with the "I'm now late but that's okay" section.

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Nick??????? @ilkkawhat.bsky.social · 16/06/2025

'Clown Is Hungry' (Vidas Games) Kat the Pizza Girl just can't get her shit together & deliver a pizza to a pizza-addicted clown. She keeps dropping it! But it's okay, you can make a new one out of anything! Big props to Kat's VA (Kwirkee) for absolutely SELLING the character. #NickDoesNextFest

A circular white sign with a red border sits behind a picket fence outside a dimly lit house. A flashlight beam illuminates the text upon the sign. The sign reads: "No, I did not order a pizza. Bye."

A trophy display case from inside the clown's house. The case is made of red-coloured wood. Many trophies of various sizes from small to large are displayed inside. A plaque in front of a large trophy reads: "#1 Place Best Pizza Eater"

The pizza inventory with a mess of a new pizza to replace the first one Kat dropped. The pizza slices start normal with stuff like onion, cheese, pepperoni, and tomato for toppings. And then quickly goes off the rails with entries of watermelon and mustard. The watermelon slice is coloured to match the skin of a watermelon with small slices on top. The mustard slice is solid yellow with a bottle of mustard placed on top.

Kat the pizza girl has done it AGAIN and dropped another pizza. A pizza box that says "Kat's Pizza" on it is open and facing the ground. Kat is on her knees in the background and pointing towards this. Subtitle text says: "I'm already late to the part. I don't even make pizzas. I just deliver them."

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Nick??????? @ilkkawhat.bsky.social · 16/06/2025

'Mailbound' (Batata Frita Games) A strange one where you attempt to revive your reporting career by exploring the game studio where your sister disappeared. But things are still working... There's a strange program on all the computers too. Curious about the full story here. #NickDoesNextFest

A sign from outside the office. It says "Red Newton Games" with a photo of a face mostly in shadows. The visible parts of the face are highlighted in red. Text in a subtitle reads: "Ugh. Talk about branding... 'RNG', there's no doubt this is the place."

A shot from inside the office. Still open blinds illuminate the area. A red couch sits in front of a wooden table. There is a dead plant to the right of the couch.

A .txt file from a notepad app is open on a desktop computer interface. Styled like the Windows 2000 IU, it's very minimal and has a "retro" feel. The .txt file is titled "rework notes.txt" and it reads:
"Rework the dark fantasy action RPG into a fucking erotic game

MUST CHANGE:
- Curse lore, maybe characters have the curse of thirst
- All character dialogue, especially Maria's
- Replace male characters with women (try to convince Larus to keep key male characters)
- Write-in romance sequences

NICE TO HAVE:
- A proper justification of why they wear such sort clothing
- Anna asked to avoid changing anything that will require art reworks (impossible)"

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Nick??????? @ilkkawhat.bsky.social · 15/06/2025

'You've Changed' (Burkus) The most unique anomaly game I've played. Love the retro style to death, it makes it harder than it looks! I was maybe *too good* & didn't trigger any jumpscares... (Whoops!) But I'm very ready for the full thing & I think I'll play the demo some more. #NickDoesNextFest

An overview of the kitchen (Room 1 of 3) from the "House" arcade level. The kitchen has green walls, blue tile flooring, and many wood/brown cabinets with a few ajar. Grey countertops house various items from a knife block to a drying rack for dishes. A fridge is also present with various magnets and a box of various items on the top. A small window in the kitchen looks out to a tree.

An anomaly is present in the bathroom in this shot. A shadow figure can be seen behind a light blue shower curtain. The bathroom itself has sky blue tiles on the walls and darker blue tiles on the floor. A bathtub with a shower is present. A toilet and a sink with a double faucets are also present in the room. Various items lay on the floor including a bathmat and used towels.

An anomaly is present in the bedroom. A severed horse head sits upon the bed in the middle of the room. There is a bloodstain underneath it that reaches onto the pink duvet of the bed. A menu for identifying what type of anomaly is present is displayed on screen. It has options for "Altered", "Extra", "Mimic", "Missing", "Moved", and "Evil". A "Cancel" button displays underneath.

An end-screen recap from after a round. It displays the following in white text on a solid black background.
"Anomalies successfully contained
Health remaining: 94
Anomalies identified: 16
Anomalies missed: 0"
A "Continue" button sits in the bottom left corner.

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Nick??????? @ilkkawhat.bsky.social · 15/06/2025

'CloverPit' (Panik Arcade) This is the stuff gambling addictions are made of. I'm serious. I sunk 2 hours into this trying to "beat" it and you can bet your ASS I did in the end :) Either way, if you want a highly replayable + high stakes slots game, this is your new obsession. #NickDoesNextFest

An overview of the main slot machine desk. A janky looking slot machine with a pull lever on the right side sits among some clutter to the left side of the desk. On the right there's a shelving unit with a counter showing a horseshoe on it. The counter displays 0/7. On the left wall there's a list of what each symbol means plus their payout and probability. On the right wall is a list of how each line multiplier works.

An overview of the Lucky Charms, Computer, and Phone area. 3 of 4 Lucky Charms boxes are full, the empty one displays "NULL" instead of a coin amount. There's a button to reset the charms displays with a coin counter at the bottom right of the display. A strange "computer" with only arrow keys and two buttons sits next to the Lucky Charms display, it shows a terminal input on its screen. A red rotary phone hangs on the wall. "Don't Trust Everyone" is written above it in scratched text.

A closeup of the slot machine while playing. At the top left side of the screen there's a current coin amount and how many spins are left in the round. There are currently 6 coins with 2 being added, there are 6 spins left. The screen of the slot machine shows various symbols such as diamonds, coins, lemons, cherries, 7s, bells, and clovers. A smaller screen above it shows text that says: "SPIN!!!". The pull lever is highlighted with a yellow outline and a cursor shaped like a grabbing hand is hovered over it. An instruction box at the bottom shows "SPIN!" with a graphic of a highlighted left mouse button.

An overview of the phone display when answered. The handset of the phone shows on the left side. The receiver and transmitter face towards the right of the screen. A speech bubble coming out of the transmitter says "What's going on? Where are you?". Three choices are given underneath. The first choice says "I'll bring you a present! Diamonds manifest more often (+1) permanently." The second choice says "Gold and Diamonds are a good investment! Double the value of diamonds and coins." The third choice says "I've been trying to eat healthy. Cherries manifest more often (+1) permanently." Two additional buttons are underneath the choices. The first says "Reroll (- 1 Clover Ticket)". The second says "Be Right Back".

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Nick??????? @ilkkawhat.bsky.social · 14/06/2025

'Livber: Smoke and Mirrors' (InEv Games) An EXCELLENT story-driven visual novel that will leave you with more questions than answers. (Also the art is GORGEOUS!) The demo has 2 endings, I got the "US" ending & will be going back later for the other. Excited for the final game!

The opening screen to the game. White text on a black background reads:

"I see her in my dreams. Her, and that house on the edge of a cliff. Everything changed after reading that letter. The one bearing her name: My old love, Lilith.

Five years ago, on a dark night, they took her from that house. Executed her for black alchemy. I was the one who turned her in.

But now... she's calling me back to the house. Wants to bury her breath in my sins. But how? That's what I have to find out."

The first set of narrative choices within the game. A painting of a house on a cliff next to a body of water displays in the background. The house itself is large but dimly lit, trees surround the house to the left side. The moon is shown glowing yellow. The waves of the body of water crash against the cliff with fervor. A text box displays on the right side. It has a black background and a flourished gold border.

Text in the box reads:
"Narrator - In the East, a howling whirlwind stirs, far beyond the Hook Port, a port build from the beached ships of Livber: you don't see it, you don't hear it. Yet you know the force it wields, the power that shifts all of Gaia. It is a womb where the winds are born. But you are here. Eyes closed, standing silently in the twilight.

Five years later... you find yourself at this very door again, waiting, a letter in your hand."

3 Choices are written below:
"1. - Waiting for what?"
"2. - (Read the letter.)"
"3. - What choice did I have?"

A letter appears on the screen. It is stained from various substances including blood. A small flower is attached to it. It reads:
"My love,
If you're reading this, it means there's still something of me left in your heart. Like I always told you, death is far too ordinary a thing to separate us.

I will bear our child in our home. Beneath the place we shared. You should be with me. Inside me... because our creation cannot remain unfinished.

Come. Walk through the darkness. Complete us. We were always meant to be one, and we still can be, my love. All it takes is courage. All it takes is for you not to fear.

I wait for you in the eternity,
Lilith"

Now inside the house we face Lilith. She is lit by a singular candle in the middle of a wooden dining table. A plate is placed in front of her with utensils to the sides. She's a pale woman with long yet limp auburn hair. She's dressed in a black dress with a red covering. There's a nefarious look upon her face.

The textbox reads:
"-drowned in herself. Tragic... though I used to think it was funny. But now... now I understand why she did it."

"You - "W...why?""

"Lilith - "Because some obsessions are meant to take hold of you. They must go deep, they must become a part of you. Like you... like me. Or like you being a part of me. You understand, don't you, my love? You must be inside me. Neither of us is complete until we are one, shells... shells within shells... Empty spaces..."

There is a button to continue underneath.

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Nick??????? @ilkkawhat.bsky.social · 14/06/2025

'ODDCORE' (ODDCORP) [CONTINUED] This is genuinely so fast-paced that I had a hard time taking screenshots so here's a video to show you what it's all about. I clear a level, heal by shooting some $ouls at my feet, and visit the hub world all in just 40~ seconds. [2/2] #NickDoesNextFest

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Nick??????? @ilkkawhat.bsky.social · 14/06/2025

'ODDCORE' (ODDCORP) A fast-paced simulated shooter that combines liminal space aesthetics & roguelike elements. You have 5 (extendable) minutes to clear as many levels as possible. But beware, there *is* horror lurking about in the simulation and it WILL try to kill you. [1/2] #NickDoesNextFest

A setting from the tutorial of the game that is a long hallway. A red square design carpet leads up a ramp. Wallpaper on the walls showcase a green field and cloudy skies. A metal entrance gate is pushed open. A sign near the top of the ceiling says "INTO THE ODDCORE THEME PARK RESORT" . There's a clock mascot cutout behind a desk with a speech bubble that is illegible due to a pixel filter. Text above the main game UI says: "Before we proceed any further, I'm gonna need your signature!"

A paper on a black background. A header at the top of the paper denotes it as being from ODDCORP who are "Here to serve you and your loved ones". The paper describes terms for using the "Oddman" piece of technology in the game.

"III. ODDMAN TERMS

Do not share it with anyone under no circumstances!

Once you start the oddcore with this device, you are lended a free-of-charge 5:00 minutes to experience the ride.

Extra time or upgrades can be purchased at the hub.

Each trip back to the hub during the run will put a 1 $oul tax on all your upgrades.

Important features of Oddman V3:
- B to portal back to the hub
- Store $ouls collected from entities
- Right stick press to spend $ouls to purchase time or upgrades at the hub
- In dire situations, there are 2 ways you can restore health, kill enemies or dispatch their $ouls at your feet.
- Plays your favorite music!"

A signature at the bottom says "I understand" with a smiley face.

An overview of the "in-game" hub from when the ODDMAN is running. To the left is a giant slot machine that says "SOUL SLOTS" this is used for upgrades. To the right is a giant clock mascot, shooting $ouls at him can restore your time back up to 5 minutes. The hub room is covered in old arcade style carpet designs. A pink strip leads to a pink doorway, this is the portal out of the hub.

An example of a "Missing" level within the simulation. "Error" is displayed on the Oddman device. The level itself is comprised of a hallway with white walls and tan flooring. There's a window with a cloudy blue sky at the end of the hallway. Clocks of various size and shape are scattered on the floor. Text written on the walls says "it's time to get up" and "did you lose the day" with the word "day" being cut off.

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Nick??????? @ilkkawhat.bsky.social · 13/06/2025

'Fire in the Dark' (MirrorForge) The Meta Horror Game, a beloved genre of mine! Nothing is scarier than our own fears & consciousness... Well, except for playing a horror game about them & having it interact with your "real" world. I feel a stellar entry to the genre incoming. #NickDoesNextFest

A close-up of an art piece of a snarling dog with mouth open baring teeth and tongue out. The art piece is done in red and black. A VHS distortion is overlaid on the piece. Text in the center of the screen reads: "The darkness is filling your mind"

An overview of a desktop computer with a program open. The open program is titled as "Game Emulator" and shows a page for a game entitled "Fire in the Dark". The game page displays some key art of the meta game including the 4 characters of the game, the status of the game ("Ready"), and a blurb about the game with a large green "Launch" button underneath.

The game blurb reads: "Fire in the Dark is a survival strategy game set in a world consumed by endless darkness. In the last bastion of light-a lone campfire-you must guide a group of diverse characters, each with unique skills and challenges, through the horrors that lurk in the shadows."

An overview of the "Teleportation Crystal" item. The crystal is purple and sits on a gold base. Behind it is a swirled blue, black and red background. Text underneath reads "I received this strange crystal from a knight in the mysterious castle. I can use it to teleport back to the castle at (B). Hmm... It distorts very strangely. I've never seen anything like this."

A lone knight stands in a dark and mysterious castle. He is clad in silver armor and stands straight. Text from the knight reads: "Because in this world the darkness is a material manifestation of your fears and unresolved emotions." Gold text underneath this denotes a choice for the player to respond with. In this case only one choice is given, "I see..."

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Nick??????? @ilkkawhat.bsky.social · 13/06/2025

'That Time I Got Trapped in an Office Dungeon' (Lost Gator Collective) A uniquely bizarre one where you watch security cams and control the subjects... I mean fellow employees, you see. Tank controls, fixed cameras, and puzzles; what more could you want in your office dungeon? #NickDoesNextFest

A CCTV with a live camera feed titled "CAM_01". The camera is pointed towards the inside of a room from a corner. The room has cream coloured carpet and blue wallpaper with clouds on it. A person stands near a large door that says "(EXIT)" over it in big lettering. There is a green button next to the door. Various doctors office equipment is around the corners of the room. Text at the bottom in a subtitle reads: "Not liking these clouds."

An overview of the CCTV office setup. 9 TVs stand stacked upon each other on a desk. The first 5 of which are currently displaying a camera feed. A sticky note with controls for the game is attached to the bottom of the center-most TV. A poster behind the TVs on the right side says "HANG IN THERE" with a cat hanging from a branch. On the desk lay VHS tapes and a VHS player. There is a mysterious pipe/chute hanging from the ceiling on the left side.

An overview of an employee file for an employee/subject named "Claire Cramer". It states she is from Cleveland, Ohio with a bloodtype of A- and a 3.21 GPA. A notes section says she has "Adept visual processing". Underneath she is listed a "Candidate for neural interfacing". A picture of her to the right shows a woman with light coloured long hair and glasses in a blouse standing in front of the cloud wallpaper from earlier.

The manager pops in to say hello! The manager is a shadow person with a large white grin and lightly yellowed glasses. He is holding onto the wooden door of the room. Behind him is a small sliver of solid white. A text box at the bottom reads: "Manager: "Hey tiger! How's my new QA captain doing? Hope you're settling in!""

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Nick??????? @ilkkawhat.bsky.social · 13/06/2025

'One-Eyed Likho' (Morteshka) So this one has been on my radar since the first teaser trailer dropped because I was instantly reminded of 'Mundaun'. But this is a whole other animal in the best of best ways. HIGHLY recommend if you're a fan of folklore of any sorts. It's fire ;) #NickDoesNextFest

An old man sits at a table in a pub facing the player. He has white hair and a white beard. A mug sits in front of him to the right. Text on the screen reads: "Tailor: Or were you dreaming?" Underneath are multiple choices for the answer. The choices are: "Eye", "Raven", or "Crescent moon". The circle next to "Raven" is highlighted indicating this is the answer that will be chosen. More text underneath reads: "Tailor: You don't look so good..."

An outdoors shot of a building that is part of a town centre. A sign barely illuminated on the building reads "Anteka", the K is crooked. A tree is seen to the left side of the building. More buildings are seen in the background with a starry night sky behind them.

A raven with a glowing eye sits next to a key on a tree stump. They key is rather standard minus the large circular bow with an eye on it. There's a carving on the center of the tree stump that is circular in nature. Mushrooms are growing out the stump and around the stump in a circle.

A strange cloth baby lays among moss in a wooden cradle. The cradle is draped with blankets and hangs from the ceiling. Subtitle text at the bottom reads: "Smith: A cradle... With an evil spirit."

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Nick??????? @ilkkawhat.bsky.social · 13/06/2025

'The Oily Depths' (Ryan R. Burns) Nothing is scarier than deep sea oil mining... Right? WRONG. Don't pump oil quick enough? Congrats! Your oxygen is getting cut because fuck you! I had a solid 5 minutes where I ran around like a chicken w/ my head cut off. Fun times...

A note from your sleeping quarters in game. It says "I remember the storm. The waves. Then, going under. I awoke to a voice giving me orders. I don't know where I am, but at least I'm alive. I fear I may not make it to -" The final word is covered in an ink splatter.

An overview of the dual rock drilling/oil pumping rig. To the left is a screen showing current and remaining layers. Each layer is noted by type (Oil or Rock [Shortened to RCK]). The rig itself is currently in oil pumping mode therefore a pipe is clamped securely in place. In front of it is a Start/Stop button and a lever for changing from drilling to pumping. The lever is currently set for pumping. Text at the bottom reads "Start/Stop" due to the reticle being pointed at the button.

A corridor from inside the submarine rig leading to a command center for driving the submarine. A map, compass, and part of a steering wheel can be seen through the opening on the left side of the screen. On the right there's a poster comprised of text on the corridor wall. The poster states "Directive 2: Oxygen is a privilege granted by the directive."

An overview of the command center for the submarine. To the left is a map with a cross reticle representing the sub. It shows a barely illuminated path with the majority of the screen being black. Above this is the screen that shows the area of the next spot to mine from by way of distance and angle. All are written in plain text, current distance is 927 Meters with an angle of 106 degrees.

In the center is a steering wheel and compass showing current direction as an angle. The compass is currently pointed near 90 degrees.

To the right is a level for speeding up the rig or stopping it. It has 3 speeds indicated by a line on the side. It is currently set for the top most line which is "Fast". The middle line is "Slow". The bottom line is "Stopped". Above this is a countdown timer for the Oxygen Level. When the timer reaches 0 the oxygen will be cut. It displays "02:27:61".

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Nick??????? @ilkkawhat.bsky.social · 12/06/2025

'Caput Mortum' (WildArts Games) This has gotta be up there for "Games with weird control schemes" in my book. I played w/ the recommended Controller setup and *oh boy the learning curve*. BUT I absolutely loved the atmosphere and style of this one & I'm excited to play more! #NickDoesNextFest

From the opening scene of the game. A path leading down into some valleys is blocked by a large tree branch. Behind the branch are many wooden crosses. An information box at the top states "Press the triggers to look left and right." with a drawing of video game controller triggers.

A white-skinned hand coming out of a long-sleeved white shirt occupies the middle of the screen in front of a fancy wooden door. The hand is in a resting position with fingers slightly folded. An information box at the top of the screen states "Use the analogue stick to move your hand. Press the bottom face button to perform an action" with drawings to represent the analogue stick and highlighted face button.

An open diary/book sits on a chest in a room that has been dimly lit red. There is a sparkle in the middle of the book to represent that it can be interacted with. The player's hand holds part of a circular medallion to the right side of the screen. Text at the bottom reads: "The first paragraph reads: "The human condition is that of a caged animal complacent with the labor it forced upon itself. Farmers, artisans, and poets; buffoons toiling day and night on meaningless things.""

A statue of a man and a snake with human features (mainly hands) sits in the middle of an antechamber. The room is lit by lights that resemble faces with light coming out of their eyes and mouths. Above the statue on the ceiling is a blue and yellow star design. To the left of the screen, a door can be seen covered in cobwebs.

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Nick??????? @ilkkawhat.bsky.social · 12/06/2025

'除灵事务所' (YINGGUO GAME) How do I explain I've lost almost 9 hours of my life to a "sexy" horror card game demo? I guess like that... Okay the "sexy" stuff does nothing for me at all (too gay) BUT ohhhh the game play is so much fun. Nice blend of roguelite, zuma, and match-3. #NickDoesNextFest

An overview of a level map. The level map is a branching path with choices between supplies, safe houses, supply trade area, battles, and unknown area (a random previously mentioned area or a trade opportunity/mini game). Dangerous Evil Spirits are also marked on the map, these cannot be avoided. To the left there's a small description of the case you're dealing with including a photo.

An overview of the "Mad professor ghost" battle. There's a track in the shape of an elongated in which cards travel down. There's 4 green cards and 2 yellow cards on the track. They are organized as 1 Yellow, 2 Green, 1 Yellow, 2 Green. In my hand there are 5 attack cards, 2 Yellow, 3 Green. One of the green attack cards has a special ability, the rest are basic. Each card takes 1 stamina, I have 4/4 available stamina.

An overview of the Dance Teacher evil spirit. The Dance Teacher is considered a "Dangerous Evil Spirit" which allows for her to be collected after battle. With a brief description of her character there's an informative text bot that says "[You can cultivate this evil spirit in the soul breeding room and take it with you to gain its ability]". Each Evil Spirit comes with an added ability card but also a negative effect for having them equipped.

An overview of the Principal's evil spirit battle. There's 2 tracks in this one leading to the player's health bar (Currently at 99/100). There's assorted Red, Green, and Yellow spirit cards on both tracks. There's various colour-corresponding cards in my hand. There is an odd-card out that is a "Mirror" item card. This one allows a card on the field to duplicate to potentially trigger an elimination.

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Nick??????? @ilkkawhat.bsky.social · 11/06/2025

'Liminophobia' (Mindin Studio) I like my liminal space games without enemies. So imagine my delight when the description for this one said "No monsters." Yes... It's just a walking/swimming sim at the end of the day, but if you like liminal spaces & exploring them, give it a go. #NickDoesNextFest

A pure white tile corridor. Seven large pillars fill the left half of the screen. Light bounces off the pillars. To the right of the screen there is an entryway at the end of the corridor. The entryway is noticeably darker.

Large statues of hands reaching up towards a light source. They are all submerged in water leading to a blue hue.

Mannequins posed in strange positions. Three lay in various states on the floor. One faces a corner while standing up. Another is partially hanging by their feet through a circular hole in a tile wall.

A large tile bust of a human head. The head is done in classical sculpture style. 4 folding beach chairs are posed in front of the head. A tree can be seen in the foreground of the shot to the left. In the background there's a cloudy but blue sky.

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Nick??????? @ilkkawhat.bsky.social · 11/06/2025

'AM' (BrocBois] [CONTINUED] I wanted to actually add a video so you have an idea of what I mean cause I don't think the pics do it justice... Also there's a LOT more to this than it seems there is on the surface... This is gonna be a good one. [2/2] #NickDoesNextFest

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Nick??????? @ilkkawhat.bsky.social · 11/06/2025

'AM' (BrocBois) I was unprepared for this demo and I'm gonna blame the fact I can't drive IRL partially as to why lol. It's just a normal driving game... "Normal" is in the eye of the beholder. I don't think Alan Wake-ing demons while you drive is "Normal" but ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ [1/2] #NickDoesNextFest

A shot of the player car going down the road. On the road in front of the player are left turn arrows and a guardrail. The road itself is surrounded by a lush forest. The player's car UI consists of a dashboard, steering wheel, rear-view mirror, radio, and buttons for the headlights and front window wipers.

Another shot from the front view of the car. This time focused on a church with tentacles extruding from it. The tentacles are big, thick, and dark grey/black. The largest protrudes into the darkness while smaller ones stick out from the cracks in the bricks around the larger tentacle.

A demonic being in the passenger seat facing the player character. The being has horns, white eyes, pale skin, and a exposed mouth that has been slit cheek to cheek. The lower jaw of the being seems torn off leading to an overly exposed tongue and overall large "Ready to eat you" mouth shape. The player character shines a flashlight covered in Jesus stickers towards the demon.

A headless being in the backseat of the car. The being has a colourful uniform in shades of pink and highlighter yellow. Blood covers the uniform.

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Nick??????? @ilkkawhat.bsky.social · 10/06/2025

'Flesh Made Fear' (Tainted Pact) I <3 when a fixed camera & tank controls game hits *just* right. Add in an odd town and even odder events, and you've got me good. Plus the demo lasted WAY longer than I expected. For my RE fans, check this out, you'll get a kick out of R.I.P. #NickDoesNextFest

An art piece from a story cutscene. In the piece that's mainly done in red, shadows overlook an ID card belonging to one "Dr. Victor Ripper" who is "M.K.Ultra Project Lead". Voice over subtitles at the bottom read: "What was once Victor Ripper was now a husk, twisted by his own creation."

An opening cutscene from inside the game with the driver of the R.I.P. Squad van, Zach. Behind him are fellow squad members Katya & Jack. Subtitles from Zach speaking state: "I gotta admit, this place has all the markings of a horror movie. Seriously, what kind of guy calls a place 'Rotwood'? Sounds like the name of a lousy punk band."

An environmental overview of a tree carved into the shape of a mouth that is wide open. Blood paints the tree in red while bark-less pieces form almost white teeth. There's a shiny gleam from inside the mouth of the tree. Jack stands to the right of it looking towards it. In a subtitle Katya states: "This place just keeps getting better, doesn't it? What kind of sick mind carves a tree into a mouth?"

A shot of Jack on top of a water tower overlooking a mound of fleshy/meaty discarded parts of indeterminate origins. A red light from the water tower basks the scene in red while a small bit of white from Jack's flashlight allows the true colour of the mound to be seen.

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Nick??????? @ilkkawhat.bsky.social · 10/06/2025

'No, I'm not a Human' (Trioskaz) "WHO THE FUCK DID I JUST LET INTO MY HOUSE?!" - Me, every time I let someone in. This absolutely INSANE demo has made me even more hyped for this game. HIGHLY recommend this one. The less you know about this one going in, the better. #NickDoesNextFest

A middle-aged man in a layered jacket and sweater stands outside a door. He is viewed through a peep hole giving a slight fish eye lens distortion to the overall scene that is lit in hues of green and blue. Some text in a box next to him says: "My cousin called me. The news over there is saying there's something weird going on with the sun."

A living room that is empty of humans and/or visitors. In front of a large yet empty wooden entertainment center sits a couch and a recliner. Over the couch is a small silver cross.

A peak out a window shows a strange man on a footpath. He stands on an angle with a distorted face, long limbs, and a bare chest. His pale body sticks out against a dark green and black environment. Text at the bottom states: "A man as pale as death itself is standing on the footpath."

A woman with her right shoulder raised in a fashion that allows her figure to resemble a backslash stands on the left-hand side of the screen. She looks a bit worse for wear overall. On the right-hand side of the screen there's a text box that says "So... Do I fit the description?" Underneath are two choice text boxes. The first says "Leave her alone", while the second says "Take out your gun".

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Nick??????? @ilkkawhat.bsky.social · 10/06/2025

'The Gretlow Tapes' (Aegon Games) Am I allowed to say this one reminded me of 'MADiSON'? ...Because it truthfully did. But I still enjoyed it! Strange as hell story going on and that drew me in more than the gameplay honestly. Interested in particular to see where that goes. #NickDoesNextFest

Through a digital camera/camcorder UI overlay a door with police tape blocking it off can be seen. Railing and stairs leading down to the door can be seen just barely in frame. Text on the UI dates the scene for 9:48pm on October 13th, 2000.

A Polaroid image of a dark shadow figure standing next to/partially inside a dining room table. The dining room is in a bit of a disarray with the window boarded up in the background and bottles all over the table and floor. The Polaroid is centered on the screen with a slight tilt to the left.

A preview of camera shot taken from the in-game camera. The image displays on a blue background. In the shot itself a wooden cradle rests in a corner of a room with bloody hand prints on the floor and walls around it.

Another shot from the Camera UI. This time in a cellar/basement. A pale woman with greying hair in a bloodied white dress is lunging towards the player/camera. The date & time in the bottom left-hand side now shows 9:55pm on October 13th, 2000.

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Nick??????? @ilkkawhat.bsky.social · 10/06/2025

'Lost Infinity' (Void Echo) I wish this demo was a LOT longer. Took me about 5~ minutes to run thru both sets of dialogue choices. BUT I did extremely enjoy the art style, atmosphere, and story setup I was given nonetheless. Definitely will be keeping an eye on this one. #NickDoesNextFest

A man painted in blue stands out among a monochromatic background. He's dressed in a leather jacket and partially unbuttoned dress shirt tucked into pants with a belt. From his face he appears to be around 30-40, with mid-length hair. A speaker name on the left states his name as "Faith". Text at the bottom says "I've been sitting for too long. It's been a week since the last time I left the house. Before, I used to like going for a walk every day and admiring what once resembled a human."

A blue cat with eyes wide stands out among a monochromatic bed. Text at the bottom from Faith states "Little fellow, don't be sad. I'll be back in no time."

Faith (still in blue) sits on a park bench under a tree, smoking. The left-hand side of the screen is plagued by a black fog-like substance. He states in a text-box at the bottom: "Here it is: Neurometal in all its glory, metal earth, grass, trees, and faith of humanity."

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Nick??????? @ilkkawhat.bsky.social · 10/06/2025

'Hate You' (PALINI) Alone, in the arctic, decrypting codes... What could go wrong?! A lot. Including inputting the same error code command 9 times til you've typed it right... Very thrilling and fun but also I breathed a huge sigh of relief when I was done (I GOT *THAT* TENSE) #NickDoesNextFest

A manual in game with instructions about how to use various parts of the decryption tools. The right page depicts multiple potential error codes one of the decryption programs may throw at you and the commands you can use to solve them.

A closeup of the decryption computer terminal. Text on the left side depicts error code "MANTAT1" with the command code "SPANSER" being input by the user allowing them to continue on the decryption process until another error code, "03PXDEADBEEF" appears. Underneath an incorrect code, "KIRO-BUS" has been input, leading to no progress in continuing. Another code, "10101" has been input underneath it allowing for decryption to continue.

Another decryption screen from the game. This one depicts a phone with various numbers under letter keys. (Think inverse of a standard telephone keypad.) A series of letters on the right side of the screen come together to form a 6 digit number that is input into a phone on the desk (off screen).

An environmental shot of the left-hand side of the desk and the left window of the room/building. In-between a desk lamp that is dimly lit and a red notebook, a brain sits on a blood red arrow pointing towards the window.

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Nick??????? @ilkkawhat.bsky.social · 09/06/2025

'Meat Engine' (Involution Entertainment) Boomer shooter to its core this one doesn't disappoint with its fast-paced gameplay. Definitely has the "Meat" too (I think this is like the meatest meat world to ever meat world lol). Super satisfying weapons to top it off too! #NickDoesNextFest

A skeleton-like enemy in a meat corridor. The enemy is not armed and coincidentally only has one arm. The play character holds a bone whip in their right hand.

A save point in the game. A strange NPC sits next to a staff of sorts whilst clutching their belly. The NPC is made of exposed meat and bones. A plant glows green to the right of them.

An overview of an environment in the game. The environment features multiple levels and platforms for the play to jump and move around on. Larger features among the meat walls include a non-functional dragon made of bone. The player character holds the "Rifle" weapon in both their hands.

Another environment from the game. This one has multiple platforms and large vein or tentacle-like features made of bone. The player character holds the "Handcanon" weapon in their right hand. It is made of bone and resembles a pistol.

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Nick??????? @ilkkawhat.bsky.social · 09/06/2025

It is officially STEAM NEXT FEST (June '25) time again! I told myself to not download so many demos this time & still ended up with... 52 demos! I don't have half as much restraint as I thought... I'll be posting about the demos I enjoyed & recommend in the thread below ⬇️ #NickDoesNextFest

Grid image 1 of 3. This grid includes the following 24 demos: 'AM', 'Cameraman: The Pilot Episode', 'Caput Mortum' ,'Circus of Pain', 'CloverPit', 'Clown is Hungry', 'Cursed Bloodline', 'DOCTOR VISCERA', 'Fire in the Dark', 'Flesh Made Fear', 'The Gretlow Tapes', 'Hate You', 'The Hilltop Funeral', 'Hlína', 'Holstin', 'Invisible Wall', 'IzanamiYako', 'Lammana', 'Liminophobia', 'Livber: Smoke and Mirrors', 'Lost Infinity', 'Mailbound', 'Meat Engine', 'MillenniumDream'

Grid image 2 of 3. This grid includes the following 24 demos: 'MOTTAINAI GHOST', 'Niraya of ■■', 'Niskala Sacred Knowledge of Leyak', 'No, I'm not a Human', 'ODDCORE', 'The Oily Depths', 'One-Eyed Likho', 'oneway.exe', 'Phantom House', 'PIGFACE', 'Quaso Studio : The Liven Collection', 'Ravenhille: Awakened', 'Sanity Loops', 'Shuttered', 'The Stare', 'Sunken Engine', 'That Time I Got Trapped in an Office Dungeon', 'Them', 'Tormented Souls 2', 'Uncanny Tales: 1992', 'VanillaBeast: Mystery Kink', 'The Vanished Soul', 'The Vineyard', 'The Wellmonts'

Grid image 3 of 3. This grid includes the following 4 demos: 'Who are you!?', 'You Shouldn't Be Here', 'You've Changed', '除灵事务所'

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Nick??????? @ilkkawhat.bsky.social · 09/06/2025

Trying to get my Next Fest demos downloaded and every "Install Demo" button is broken this is such a fucking mess lollllllllllll Bad enough the event page launched late

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Lin_Mysaferoom @linlin940322.bsky.social · 09/06/2025

Your friends will meet him When you’re gone DARKNESS IS ALWAYS WATCHING YOU And I’m watching you too Alan 👀 #AlanWake2 #AlanWakeFanart

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Nick??????? @ilkkawhat.bsky.social · 30/05/2025

Who needs Arm Day when you can play RATSHAKER™ with Mouse & Keyboard.

Large red text in the middle states "KEEP SHAKING" in all capital letters over a scene of a 3D arm holding a 2D Screaming Rat in an orange field with a beige sky. There's a "RATSHAKER METER" at the top that is roughly 60% filled. In the bottom left corner is control instructions on how to shake the rat by moving the mouse.

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AVERY @mulletsg.bsky.social · 24/05/2025

Hesitation Marks #ALANWAKE

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Nick??????? @ilkkawhat.bsky.social · 24/05/2025

Also yes I counted wrong and for some reason thought "New Skin" was gonna be 10 this year... that's next year lol. But hey what's done is done now and that's just a lil bit more towards media preservation from me :)

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Nick??????? @ilkkawhat.bsky.social · 24/05/2025

I was gonna add pics of all the ones I fixed up then didn't lol so here they are, we got: CRX - Love Me Again / Falling (7" Vinyl) CRX - New Skin (CD) POTF - Alexander Theatre Sessions (CD) POTF - Ghostlight (CD) May update more later if I find anymore to add to from my scans :)

A screenshot of an overview of the images for CRX's "Love Me Again / Falling" 7" vinyl single from Discogs.com. Image previews at the bottom show the front cover, back cover, and each side of the vinyl. The single was released in 2018 meaning it has taken 7 years for it to be updated with these images.

A screenshot of an overview of the images for CRX's "New Skin" CD from Discogs.com. Image previews at the bottom show the front cover, back cover, CD, booklet, and tray inserts. The album was released in 2016 meaning it has taken almost 10 years for these images to updated. (Also yes I miscounted in my original post lol)

A screenshot of an overview of the images for Poets of the Fall's "Alexander Theatre Sessions" CD from Discogs.com. Image previews at the bottom show the front cover, back cover, CD, gatefold booklet, and tray inserts.

A screenshot of an overview of the images for Poets of the Fall's "Ghostlight" CD from Discogs.com. Image previews at the bottom show the front cover, back cover, CD, booklet, and tray inserts.

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Nick??????? @ilkkawhat.bsky.social · 24/05/2025

Chat can I make it better/worse... I've now uploaded scans from a CD that is gonna 10 years old this year.... Yep.

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Nick??????? @ilkkawhat.bsky.social · 24/05/2025

This entire time it's just been the web shop image from 7 years ago and now all it takes is one mega fan to be like "Haha yeah so I slapped this fucker into my printer/scanner combo in the household and yeah proper scans"

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Nick??????? @ilkkawhat.bsky.social · 24/05/2025

Uploading proper scans from a 7" that released 7 years ago to Discogs is a fuckin trip.

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Nick??????? @ilkkawhat.bsky.social · 24/05/2025

Ended up finally getting those done after like 3? 4? hours.... Gonna save recropping and restraightening for tomorrow cause I kinda wanna redo ALL the ones I've done so far

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Nick??????? @ilkkawhat.bsky.social · 24/05/2025

I've spent the majority of the day trying to crop and straighten some CD scans only to find out there was a fucking smudge on the scanner glass for the last two I've done + the one I had left to do....

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Will @willtpj.bsky.social · 23/05/2025

Waiting for Alan to turn up so he can show him what he's been up to UwU Pose reference from @trueref.bsky.social #AlanWake #MrScratch #AWAN @remedygames.com

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