Pronoun Palace

Obscenely fun and funnily obscene spell 'em up. What if Lex Bookworm was transmasc and a Slay the Spire character? Pronoun Palace! As far as roguelites go I think this is the one that's immediately impressed me most in recent years. The game feels very fresh, per-run abilites are all really interesting and fun to toy around with and every character has not only a unique mechanic, but some unique boss fights tailored to them. It gives the game a [i]lot[/i] of life and keeps it from falling into that roguelite trap of being able to "solve" the game very early. My only complaint at the moment is that (starting out at least) runs can take a WHILE. I think my longest was nearly 2 1/2 hours? You can save and quit at any time, but it does mean that when I finish a run I feel a bit mentally taxed. Either way, super fun game with good beats and a sprinkling of some refreshingly blunt sociopolitical commentary, you really can't go wrong with this one.

Dark Woke? Pronouns? Making me feel like a ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ idiot at English? This game has it all! Pronoun Palace truly feels like a game that's just... itself. It's like if Isaac was woke but still edgy in its humour. If Rainbow Capitalism is on it's way out with the current political climate, then I'll happily play a game that's actually willing to present it's message and double down. Trans rights, anti-capitalism, all without the sanatisation of a emotionless executive body. The blend of Slay the Spire with Bookworm is so good. Not only are you making the biggest words possible, but also using the right tiles for the situation. Defend against damage, clear out poisonous tiles, and much more! This game is woke as hell, and it likes it! Don't like it? Go back to [Insert Popular Game Here], ♥♥♥♥♥!

Kind of like scrabble but with more complexity and without having to play with people. Big fan of this game. Addictive. So so wish there was a version on mobile.

Went through a straight hour of Scrabble That Wants To Kill You. Only to find out the character I’ve been playing can’t spell. 10/10

This the first game I've played that truly simulates the trans experience of trying to get through any kind of bureaucracy. I too have to face off against cats, clowns, pool toys, Elmo, the embodiment of hostile architecture, and a piggy bank just to get some information in my official documents changed.

this game has made me miss my train station three times in the past 24 hours. it's a good game

played this on call with my friend and we arent americans so we started making up new words happy late pri demon th to all guys, trains and general fluids around the world

Absoluitely best-in-class spelling game. Word Play walked so Pronoun Palace could run. Endlessly charming, OST absolutely slaps, unapologetically queer, its perfect.

Pronoun Palace is a game where you fight against a drugged-up drag queen, a rubber sex doll, and Harrison Bergeron, all in an attempt to get back your pronouns after you were forcibly detransitioned. Funny how "irreverent" immediately springs to mind. Rick Veitch would call this game, these people, El Guano—the ♥♥♥♥. The developers are vituperative in their indictments: of parents, of the government, of impotent political activism. But don't mistake irreverence for hatred or nihilism. It's not about being cruel, it's about being rude. It all makes sense when we put it in the context of their former Binding of Isaac modding. Ed McMillan's behavior aside, that game series is likewise flippant in its portrayals of abortion, of suicide, of drug use. Not every take has to be tentative; there is value in the obscene. That's what it means to be El Guano: the ♥♥♥♥. And Pronoun Palace is *pure*. It is a scrabble roguelike in the legacy of Bookworm Adventures, not some Balatro-like engine builder with shops and passives. You get better at this game by learning and memorizing valuable words, not by finding the right synergy of relics. I'd estimate that you end of the game about twice as strong at you start it, a shockingly low ratio. And the low (initial) difficulty helps to ease players in to things, letting them experience the story and get out if that's what they want. The polish is genuinely surprising. In terms of gameplay, every single enemy presents a unique gimmick that will influence or limit the words you can play. There has been a clear turn *away* from frustrating mechanics like "word categories" in favor of more tile types and letter variations. The art features responsive UI and sprites reminiscent of McMillan's works. The character bios change as they retransition, the phone enemy responds when you tap it: small details that make all the difference. There is effort here, the kind of effort that obliges effort in turn. Effort to see and understand and engage with on its own terms. Demand more of your audience. Demand more of your art. Play Pronoun Palace.

Easily the most I have thought about the word "sluice" in my life.