GUTGUN SDK

This free SDK (System Development Kit) serves as a collection of guidelines, advice, and tools to make custom content (MODS) for the GUTGUN solo RPG— or making your own FULL OF GUTS (FoG) games.

It also includes the GUTGUN SRD, which contains GUTGUN’s core rules.

The Knives Out movies are all wonderful, and the latest is no different. Wake Up Dead Man is less focused on the comedic elements as the other two films, which isn’t to say it’s not funny when it does dive into those— but it has a more somber note it wants to play.

There’s a certain, almost refreshing, kindness to these movies, despite them being whodunnit murder mysteries. Benoit Blanc is an endearing character that takes the “supernaturally genius detective” trope in a refreshing direction as, unlike your Sherlocks, Blanc isn't an attention hound. The spotlight isn't his goal, it's just the raw love of the game and genuine care for the victims that drives him.

Each film centers a living victim alongside the dead, someone who is particularly aggrieved by the rest of the cast. Each film follows them as a secondary (sometimes, arguably, primary) protagonist, and Blanc always takes care to give them the final, climactic victory— rather than seeking out glory for himself.

Wake Up Dead Man is a whodunnit involving the death of a right-wing extremist pastor, while his newly assigned assistant pastor becomes the biggest suspect. There's a lot of commentary, here, on the role of Christianity in American culture-- how it can be twisted, and wielded like a cruel cudgel. How it is so often seized by the greedy as a lever to gain wealth and power. Yet, it also speaks to how it can help people find peace, kindness, and purpose in their lives. This is most clearly explored through the opposing approaches both pastors take to their faith and work.

I think it's still ultimately critical of Christianity, but it's...nice, as an ex-Mormon, seeing something that acknowledges the nuance within the subject. Even if the scars run deeper, there were benefits to faith, when I had it. It's a good movie, you should watch it and the other two Knives Out films.

Lies of P is truly one of the best arguments for why we should do away with copyright. It's a retelling...ish of Pinocchio by way of Dark Souls. It's a game that is absolutely unafraid to wear its influences on its sleeves, to the point where I was often looking at pieces of level design and realizing exactly what game they'd been inspired by.

On its own merits, it makes some genuine improvements to the soulslike formula— much of which I do really hope to see in other games. For example, it combines the standard dodge roll gameplay with Sekiro-style parrying. While, yes, you can Sekrio parry your way through the game, you could opt to focus on traditional rolling, or play with a mix of both as you see fit!

Its story is also quite enjoyable, too, once you get over the initial shock of just how goofy the initial premise of steampunk Dark Souls Pinocchio is. Though, I do think its the side stories where it really shines. Lies of P perfectly hits those somber, heartwrenching notes often seen in the FROM titles.

It's a very enjoyable game up until its second half, where things get quite mixed. I found most of the bosses after a certain point repeated design choices that rub me the wrong way-- and I simply wanted the game to be over by the time I reached the end. I won't replay it, as I usually am itching to do when I finish a soulslike, but I would still genuinely recommend giving it a run!

I'm still, slowly, collecting my streaming music library as local files. As I go about doing so, I take a look at the artists I listen to and what bits of their discography I haven't gotten to.

My latest acquisition included much of the Guerilla Toss discography, including their most recent album, which I'd yet to listen to: You're Weird Now.

I won't even attempt to describe this via genre descriptors, as Guerilla Toss deliberately seek out ways to challenge those boxes. I will say that this album is wonderfully weird, creative, and has built a rather loud nest for itself in the folds of my grey matter these past few weeks.

I was honestly unsure of it at first, given how it's notably different from their earlier work in its precise sound, it's a little more poppy than psychedelic, but it grew on me quite quickly and I ended up enjoying even a song that I hated on my first listen!

I guess I'm weird now, too.

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