A couple weeks ago, Steam had World of Goo on sale for five bucks. At that value, there were no more excuses for me not to get the game.

We’ve all heard how awesome the game is, and I agree with everything that’s been said. The art, music, and mind-stimulating gameplay combine for a sublime experience. It was the first game since Braid that simply made me smile when I started playing.


My reaction to World of Goo.

It didn’t take me long to realize that the game was easily worth its regular $20 price. That got me thinking about why I didn’t buy earlier. I realized it’s because I tend to play a lot action games, and I don’t often play puzzle games.

Thus the title of this post. I think we all tend to get comfortable with certain types of games. Whether it be a whole genre, or a series of games. We don’t necessarily get closed minded to newer or different experiences, it’s just that we know that we will enjoy a new game in that particular genre or series. There is simply less uncertainty with a game that is more geared to our tastes, compared to something that we have less exposure to.

I had been going from serious action game to serious action game, so playing World of Goo was like a breath of fresh air. I certainly don’t like those action games any less, but there is something to be said for stimulating different areas of your brain.


Don’t worry, I'm not abandoning you guys.

So I say, branch out from what you know. Try something completely different than what you normally play. I’m not saying abandon those games you know and love, I’m just saying add a little spice to your gaming life. See what the big deal is about all those JRPGs (I’m trying this myself), or find out why Halo is such a polarizing series.

I’ve found that Burch’s Indie Nation posts are a convenient and cheap way to find out about some really different stuff.

Another overlooked source of variety are those Community games on Xbox Live. Sure, a lot of them are shit, but there’s some interesting stuff on there too.


Sidenote: My newest addiction came from the Community games channel. Called ZP2K9, it’s made by James Silva, the same guy who made the highly anticipated The Dishwasher: Dead Samurai. ZP2K9 is a 2D multiplayer shooter.
<br/><a href="http://video.msn.com/video.aspx?vid=826bfa6e-6cd8-43d0-9aa9-ac3da7175288" target="_new" title="ZP2K9 Gameplay clip">Video: ZP2K9 Gameplay clip</a>
It’s similar to Soldat, but with much more fun and goofier powerups and weapons. Plus you can run on walls and ceilings. At 200 points, it’s definitely worth it, and it’s thus far the only Community game I’ve felt compelled to purchase. If anyone else has this, let me know so we can play.


Some people advocate taking on new hobbies, such as cooking, to enrich your life. I say try out new games and genres to enrich your gaming life.

And if you do want to learn how to cook, learn from the ghetto gourmet himself, Coolio: