We're getting close to March which means 1 month away from April Fool's Day.
Who all is interested in doing a Secret Satan gift exchange this year?
If you haven't heard of it before, it's like Secret Santa except the aim is to get someone a game they will absolutely hate. Then we all play it on April 1st and share our misery (or surprise joy).
Going to put a $10 price charting value minimum like last year. In fact, last year's rules worked pretty well so I'll keep them the same:
Your game must have a minimum value of $10 based on Price charting for a game in similar condition. (If it's on the cusp, take a screenshot for proof). That makes things interesting so that we don't just buy the cheapest craptiest game in the gamestop bargain bin. Note you don't necessarily have to pay $10, that just needs to be its pricecharting value. If you have a poop game already that fits the bill, by all means feel free to use it
You can send multiple games if you want, but at least one of them must individually meet that $10 threshold. (So a $10 game plus a $2 bonus game is fine, but sending five $2 games by themselves is not).
Creativity in packaging or sending bonus items may be fun and hilarious, but is by no means required. If you do receive something creative, please take pics and share, it will be more fun for all of us.
Post a message saying you're in, or send me a PM and I'll get you on the list! If we get at least 8 participants (we had 10 last year) it's a go!
We'll get everyone assigned in the first week or so of March, and then everyone will have 2-3 weeks to find and send something to their target.
As a reminder, one of the survey questions will be whether you are uncomfortable being paired with any of the other participants. That way if there is a certain user (or multiple users) on the site, you can privately let me know. I will keep that request confidential and make sure that they won't be your Satan.
Pretty amusing as I was actually just having quite a lengthy discussion about bad games on discord last night. Without getting too much into it here, a lot of people haven't played truly awful games. Like if you are saying FF8 is the worst JRPG you've ever played, then you have simply avoided the truly heinous ones (and I am by no means an FF8 defender or fan).
Can't join this time around, but I'll be sure to view the discussions here. There are some awful and torturous games out there. Hope everyone enjoys. 😈
Giving s couple more days if anyone else wants to sign up. Will be sending out surveys on the 1st, then everyone has a week to complete them. After the week is up (or sooner if everyone gets them done quickly) I'll send out the assignments.
You should make sure to have your game shipped by May 23rd to give it enough time to reach its destination by April 1.
> How do you feel about steam/digital codes for this? We have had a user request only
> steam games from their Satan.
>
> It definitely makes it harder to go by pricecharting value in that case, since you
> can't resell digital games once the code is used.
>
> Looking for group feedback before I decide how to proceed.
>
>
I've never even bought a steam code before and don't have an account there. I wouldn't want to make one either, but I think you can get codes through other sites?
The idea itself seems fine since the person wants a steam code. Would just have to go off the current price and do a $10 minimum I guess. Though true CRAP might be cheaper.
> How do you feel about steam/digital codes for this? We have had a user request only
> steam games from their Satan.
>
> It definitely makes it harder to go by pricecharting value in that case, since you
> can't resell digital games once the code is used.
>
> Looking for group feedback before I decide how to proceed.
>
>
For that special case, I'd say the game has to be accepted by you, before being purchased for the recipient. That way you can see if it hits this exchange's limit.
I'd say steamdb.info is a good rough gauge for the current value of a Steam game.
Ok I'm going to allow digital if it's something people specifically request. But I'm lowering the threshold to $9.99 purchase price for digital instead of $10 pricecharting because (a) digital games typically end in .99 and (b) no used copies so no real means of pricecharting them.
I suppose you can research it's lowest sale price or how often it goes on sale, but it's simpler just to say if your victim is OK with digital, and you are sending digital, you're spending $9.99 or more (but you don't have to pay shipping, so there's that).
If you don't have a digital account and need to send someone a game, you can either send a gift code for that game, or a digital currency code for that amount with instructions on the game to buy, or we can work something where someone else buys and gifts the game on your behalf and you reimburse them (lots of people have steam so that should be easy)
The real problem is actual crapty games are usually only obtainable digitally, and if it exists physically it might be some stupid expensive LRG release.
> The real problem is actual crapty games are usually only obtainable digitally, and
> if it exists physically it might be some stupid expensive LRG release.
Yeah i'm really glad we are having the option of a digital gift if the person is ok with it. It opens up some real possibilities. Like i use Steam and there are a TON of options on Steam that would make for some true torture.
In about an hour, I'm going to go to a couple of used game stores and see if they have the sweet gem that I've picked out for my victim fellow gamer. I've got to try this game out too, just to get a taste of what I'm going to be putting that person through. I like to know what kind of experience they're going to have.
Game obtained! I look forward to shipping it out. Should we send our games at the earliest opportunity? Or should we all send them around the same time?
Last year, citizen zane had me as his victim, and since that element of surprise was gone, he sent me snippets of reviews of the game he was sending (obviously with any info identifying the exact game removed).
As a way to keep the fun energy in this thread going, feel free to post them here once you've decided on the game you are sending to your victim.
And for anyone reading, don't do a Google search on the snippets and spoil the fun (at least not until after April 1).
So here is my first snippet:
[GAME] for the [SYSTEM] is one of many [POPULAR IP] games that is just a wonder. As in, it's a wonder how this game ever passed quality control. ~ N. Durham on Amazon.com, rated 1 star
> Last year, citizen zane had me as his victim, and since that element of surprise
> was gone, he sent me snippets of reviews of the game he was sending (obviously with
> any info identifying the exact game removed).
>
> As a way to keep the fun energy in this thread going, feel free to post them here
> once you've decided on the game you are sending to your victim.
>
> And for anyone reading, don't do a Google search on the snippets and spoil the fun
> (at least not until after April 1).
>
Wonderful idea! I was wanting to do this again, but wasn't quite sure how to go about it. I plan on doing this until April 1st.
Graphics were a nightmare, choppy, and the levels and character models I could have done in Photoshop! The sound was just as horrid! Bad music, bad voice acting, and well it was just bad!
Updating the OP next to the victims' names once I have confirmation that the gift to them has been sent. That way no one can use this info to deduce who their Satan is
"The story is far, far, FAR too short. It feels like fanfiction written by a fourth-grader"
“I would suggest you not get this game. It was really bad. The only thing that was good was the change in the quality of the graphics compared to the other games"
"Anything that can be wrong with a game is in this one. Looks like [redacted] released this game before they even tested it because as far as I'm concerned this game is unplayable."
"This game is, simply, bad, in just about every way, from the uncomplicated, dated control system to the limited play boundaries surrounded by invisible walls, the poor camera, and unsatisfying play mechanics and the sometimes-disturbing graphics."
"The gameplay mechanics are chaotic, at best, the AI is plain dumb, the level-design is muddled, the scenario is boring… Well, there’s nothing to save here."
This game feels like some executives were out drinking one night and came up with a hairbrained idea for a video game. They then took it to the design team and just gave them a bunch of random ideas they had scribbled on the back of some cocktail napkins. The development team didn't really understand what the executives were hoping for and were too embarrassed to ask any questions. Plus, they didn't have the technical skills to execute it anyway, so they just phoned in the whole project to get the executives off their back...
May I name a few games I had to pass up because they didn't meet the price requirement? Don't worry, you won't be able to tell who I'm assigned to based on the list--it's pretty varied system-wise.
> May I name a few games I had to pass up because they didn't meet the price requirement?
> Don't worry, you won't be able to tell who I'm assigned to based on the list--it's
> pretty varied system-wise.
Sounds fun. Honestly the price requirement does make this a bit trickier. I understand the reasoning behind it but a lot of AMAZING KUSOGE is appropriately priced because no one wants that crap.
Largo Winch might be the worst game I've ever played, and it's a sub $5 PS1 game on pricecharting even now...
Sadly, there is no reason for anyone to play through [GAME]. The storyline is one that [LICENSED IP] fans already know; the gameplay is below that of Quest for Camelot; and better graphics and sound exist in 20-year-old Colecovision games. Furthermore, the game's password save system requires you to reach the end of a level before it offers you the ability to rejoin the quest, almost forcing a person to play the game. If [PUBLISHER], [DEVELOPER], and [IP OWNER] are lucky, people will forget this stinker quickly. [GAME] is quite possibly the worst [LICENSED IP] video game ever produced.
"While xxxxxxxx is a horrifically terrible experience, at least it's extremely short. What seems like a decade of isolation and cruelty is more like two and a half hours."
Bad news: I've been testing my NES throughout the day, and it is seriously on the fritz. It's a pain getting the image to display at all, and after about 15 minutes of play, the color goes and everything rapidly turns to static.
So if my Secret Satan bought me an NES game, I may not be able to play it at all.
The game that I bought arrives today. I can't wait to try it out!
"Abysmal in every way. The only possible reason there could be for purchasing it is to give as a present to a particularly hated relative - but that might be considered a little harsh."
I'm out of review sites. I could grab another review or two from Amazon, but everyone else reviewed the PC version (which is quite different) instead of this port.
There were plenty of games I wished I could send, but did not meet the price threshold. Some of the best include: The Cat in the Hat (based on the horrific Mike Myers movie--sounds peachy!) Star Wars: Jar Jar's Journey (an educational Phantom Menace game for young children) Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones (the most uninspired, dreary beat'em-up you'll find) Shrek (the funniest SM64 clone you'll find) Men in Black: The Series (easily the worst 2D action game I've played first-hand) Drawn to Life: The Next Chapter (a pitifully poor entry in a prolific, respected series)
There are many others, but I don't want to eliminate too many possibilities.
no metacritic score
no metacritic listing
(an educational Phantom Menace game for young children)
(the most uninspired, dreary beat'em-up you'll find)
(the funniest SM64 clone you'll find)
(easily the worst 2D action game I've played first-hand)
(a pitifully poor entry in a prolific, respected series)
