November Update! -> Gaming Challenge 2024 Completed!!!!!

This month I was on vacation from Uni and from Work, so goddayum I played a lot lmao, completed a total of 8 games that counted towards Challenges, a total of 135h spent on game completions in November.

18-2. A visual novel or text-based game – Alone With You - Great idea, but grew repetitive and predictable very quickly.
20-2. A game set in the far future – Titanfall 2 - Actually a great FPS, didn't expect much, so was gladly surprised.
21. A game with a female protagonist - Control - Absolutely fantastic experience, great gameplay and a great narrative.
30. A game with a diverse cast – Not For Broadcast - Probably the best game in the genre I've played, loved it from start to finish.
31. A cornerstone to gaming culture – Half Life 2 - Finally got to know up close one of the most famous PC games ever, incredible to experience it.
43. A game that one of your favorite artists worked on - (Sam Lake) Quantum Break - Great narrative but horrible gameplay, but still fun.
44-2. A game that you have beaten before and are replaying – Borderlands 3 - Replay of one of the most fun Borderlands.
46-1. A studio's very first game - Pizza Tower - Absolutely incredible game, fun, innovating and great gameplay, love it!

My current progress for future planning:

✅️ 01. A new game (released within the past year) – Baldur's Gate 3
✅️ 02. An old game (released 10+ years ago) – LIMBO
✅️ 03. A really old game (released 20+ years ago) – Hot Wheels: World Race
✅️ 04. An ancient game (released 30+ years ago) – Mike Tyson’s Punch Out
✅️ 05. A time sink (50+ hours) – WWE 2K23
✅️ 06. A quick completion (less than an hour) – Pineapple on Pizza
✅️ 07. A game you got for free – Little Nightmares
✅️ 08. A game you've been wishing and waiting for – Hellblade 2
✅️ 09-1. A remake or remaster of a game – Bioshock 1 Remastered
✅️ 09-2. A game that received new translations after release – Firewatch
✅️ 10. A game with 6+ endings – As Dusk Falls
✅️ 11. A collection of games – SEGA and Mega Drive Collection
✅️ 12. A game recommended to you by someone else – SpiritFarer
✅️ 13. A game whose title could describe your life – Duck Game
✅️ 14-1. A game with an alliterative title – Pico Park
✅️ 14-2. A game whose title contains the name of a color – Sonic and the Black Knight
✅️ 14-3. A game whose title starts with a number - 20 Minutes Till Dawn
✅️ 15. A game that heavily focuses on flight – Exo One
✅️ 16. A game from a genre you don't usually play – Who Pressed Mute On Uncle Marcus?
✅️ 17. A game that is themed around dogs or cats – Stray
✅️ 18-1. A game that features multiple genres – It Takes Two
✅️ 18-2. A visual novel or text-based game – Alone With You
✅️ 19. A game where you play as an antihero or a villain – Suicide Squad: KJL
✅️ 20-1. A game set in a historical time period - Pentiment
✅️ 20-2. A game set in the far future – Titanfall 2
✅️ 21. A game with a female protagonist - Control
✅️ 22. A game without any humans – Journey
✅️ 23. A game where you play as a robot or an alien – High On Life
✅️ 24. An arcade-style high score game – Pac-Man Championship 2
✅️ 25-1. A game set in a world you would like living in – LEGO 2K Drive
✅️ 25-2. A game whose protagonist you'd want to be friends with - Sea of Stars
✅️ 26. A game where you play as a bug or an aquatic creature – SpongeBob: BFBB Rehydrated
✅️ 27. A game that was adapted from another medium – Beyblade: Metal Fusion
✅️ 28. A game you watched someone else play first – Portal 2
✅️ 29. Another person’s favorite game – Elden Ring
✅️ 30. A game with a diverse cast – Not For Broadcast
✅️ 31. A cornerstone to gaming culture – Half Life 2
✅️ 32. A game that starts with the same letter as in your username – Tiny Tina’s: Wonderlands
✅️ 33-1. A “threequel” (third part of a series) – Amnesia: Rebirth
✅️ 33-2. A spin-off game – Alan Wake's American Nightmare
✅️ 34. A bright and cheerful game – Garfield Lasagna Party
✅️ 35. A game containing a real or fictional religion – Chants of Sennaar
✅️ 36. A game that heavily features either fire or ice - Devil Daggers
✅️ 37. A game that heavily features money – Turnip Boy Robs a Bank
✅️ 38. A game with a subtitle – Alba: A Wildlife Adventure
✅️ 39. A game that surprised you - Lil Gator Game
✅️ 40. A post-apocalyptic game - The Last of Us: Part 1
✅️ 41. A game with a short title (4 letters or less) – Fe
✅️ 42. A game that has a red retirement rating on HLTB (16.7%) - LOVE - A Puzzle Box
✅️ 43. A game that one of your favorite artists worked on - (Sam Lake) Quantum Break
✅️ 44-1. A game you previously retired or put on hold – New Super Mario Bros. Wii
✅️ 44-2. A game that you have beaten before and are replaying – Borderlands 3
✅️ 45. A game in someone else’s 2024 Gaming Challenge - What Remains of Edith Finch (R2D2)
✅️ 46-1. A studio's very first game - Pizza Tower
✅️ 46-2. A studio's most recent game – TOEM
✅️ 47. A game that had its HLTB times on a purple/red/gray background - Drift86
✅️ 48. A HLTB Game of the Month (Jan-2024) – Pony Island
✅️ 49. A game listed on the HLTB stats page – Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
✅️ 50. A game chosen by the HLTB randomizer – Bionic Commando 1987

50/50 Completions
9/9 Alternatives
0/5 Bonuses.

Bonuses:
- Four games, released in the four quarters of a given year of your choice
- A single game released in the same year as the previous four, but during the same month as your birthday (Closest to the date)

❌Birthday Bonus - Leximan - 13/08/2024 (Exact date)
⏩ Q4 2024 - Enigma of Fear
⏩ Q3 2024 - FC 25
⏩ Q2 2024 - Duck Detective
❌ Q1 2024 - Balatro

I took a bit long to post my update, since then I have already finished Enigma of Fear for my Q4 2024 and also Duck Detective for Q2 2024, and have clocked 75h in FC 25.

I know FC 25 isn't really a "completable" game, but every year I submit my completion by finishing the 2 "story" modes, Player Career and Manager Career, so I guess I'll count it, since it's a bonus.

October update!

End of semester, plus tiredness, and a CS2 big update dropping made me spend almost no time completing "Story Games", and just so I wouldn't end the month without any completions, on the last day I finished a single game lol.

33-2. A spin-off game – Alan Wake's American Nightmare - Great addition to the Alan Wake family, fun play, but way less experimental.

Now I'll have a month to finish everything else as I'm on a break.

A game where you play as a bug or an aquatic creature was another category I did not like. I am willing to put my money down, that whoever thought it up was thinking about Hollow Knight just like the person who came up with the Cat or Dog category was thinking about Stray.

As a personal opinion - I consider myself someone interested in games, if I see a category that I can’t come up with at least 5 games to match in 15 minutes, it should not be there. It would have been better to just do “a game where you play as an animal” to bundle all those strange fringe challenges.

I would like to see many more people joining in, and for that, I believe we should create a list that is simple, with 50 well-defined categories, each giving you plenty of choices and avoiding ambiguous definitions or ones aimed specifically at gamers. I actually created such a list back in March for my amusement, but I have a feeling that I will not do the challenge next year so not sure I have the right to butt in 😊

While I disagree from Cat or Dog category being limited (besides there being an obvious choice that is stray), I do understand the frustration on the bug or aquatic category, but I honestly don't think it was that bad, it was definitely on the harder side, yet I don't see it as a problem if you have to scroll a bit on your list or shop for a category. I had to do a bit of thinking since I've already played some games that would've fit, but quite easily I found many contenders in stores and then chose the one that I felt most interested, which ended up being incredibly good.

But also I indulge you to join in on the discussions we have on the transition of the year, which we try to form the best and most fun Gaming challenge!

Challenges (36/50)
Bonus (0/5)
Alternatives (2/9)

Games beaten in September:
✅Inside 28. A game you watched someone else play first (partially or in full)
✅ Timespinner 30. A game with a diverse cast
✅MOLEK-SYNTEZ 40. A post-apocalyptic game
✅Tadpole Treble 26. A game where you play as a bug or an aquatic creature
✅Just A To The Moon Series Beach Episode 43. A game that one of your favorite artists worked on (artist, developer, musician, voice actor/actress, etc.)
✅[Alternative] Marco & The Galaxy Dragon 46-2. A studio's most recent game (at the time when you started playing the game)
✅WarioWare Gold 37. A game that heavily features money, gold, or economics

Hi everyone! I hope you're all doing well. I'm playing some really fun games, and lots of cool stuff is going on in my life. This may be a bit early, but for the 2025 gaming challenge, would someone else like to take the role of hosting the thread and creating a list of challenges? I've done it two years in a row, and I'm a bit busier nowadays. Happy gaming!

I might not be the best person to host it, but I really love the tradition of the Gaming Challenge, and I'd gladly keep it going on for 2025!

Regarding the "Someone else's favorite game", that Finnedorb mentioned not having a game for the category, mine is Outer Wilds, honestly, I'm sure I'll never play anything like it ever.

September update!

Had a good start, then slowed down, but came back strong and will still keep going! Finished 7 challenge games and spent (79h) on them.
And I want to shoutout R2D21999, which I used their list for Category 45, and I chose What Remains of Edith Finch, didn't expect it but my god what a beautiful game, absolutely stunning experience.

02. An old game (released 10+ years ago) – LIMBO - Classic and genre defining, fun and way easier than I remembered it to be!
07. A game you got for free – Little Nightmares - Impressive visually and world building wise, I wasn't expecting such an experience.
28. A game you watched someone else play first – Portal 2 - Glad I finally decided to put this game to bed, fantastic story writing.
29. Another person’s favorite game – Elden Ring - Far from a perfect game, but still extremely addicting and a somewhat great play.
40. A post-apocalyptic game - The Last of Us: Part 1 - Incredible game as we all know, but I thought it was deeper emotionally.
42. A game that has a red retirement rating on HLTB (16.7%) - LOVE - A Puzzle Box - It deserves the high retirement, lol.
45. A game in someone else’s 2024 Gaming Challenge - What Remains of Edith Finch (R2D2) - Absolute masterpiece, how didn't I play this before...

My current progress for future planning:

✅️ 01. A new game (released within the past year) – Baldur's Gate 3
✅️ 02. An old game (released 10+ years ago) – LIMBO
✅️ 03. A really old game (released 20+ years ago) – Hot Wheels: World Race
✅️ 04. An ancient game (released 30+ years ago) – Mike Tyson’s Punch Out
✅️ 05. A time sink (50+ hours) – WWE 2K23
✅️ 06. A quick completion (less than an hour) – Pineapple on Pizza
✅️ 07. A game you got for free – Little Nightmares
✅️ 08. A game you've been wishing and waiting for – Hellblade 2
✅️ 09-1. A remake or remaster of a game – Bioshock 1 Remastered
✅️ 09-2. A game that received new translations after release – Firewatch
✅️ 10. A game with 6+ endings – As Dusk Falls
✅️ 11. A collection of games – SEGA and Mega Drive Collection
✅️ 12. A game recommended to you by someone else – SpiritFarer
✅️ 13. A game whose title could describe your life – Duck Game
✅️ 14-1. A game with an alliterative title – Pico Park
✅️ 14-2. A game whose title contains the name of a color – Sonic and the Black Knight
✅️ 14-3. A game whose title starts with a number - 20 Minutes Till Dawn
✅️ 15. A game that heavily focuses on flight – Exo One
✅️ 16. A game from a genre you don't usually play – Who Pressed Mute On Uncle Marcus?
✅️ 17. A game that is themed around dogs or cats – Stray
✅️ 18-1. A game that features multiple genres – It Takes Two
⏩ 18-2. A visual novel or text-based game – Alone With You
✅️ 19. A game where you play as an antihero or a villain – Suicide Squad: KJL
✅️ 20-1. A game set in a historical time period - Pentiment
❌ 20-2. A game set in the far future – Titanfall 2
❌ 21. A game with a female protagonist - Control
✅️ 22. A game without any humans – Journey
✅️ 23. A game where you play as a robot or an alien – High On Life
✅️ 24. An arcade-style high score game – Pac-Man Championship 2
✅️ 25-1. A game set in a world you would like living in – LEGO 2K Drive
✅️ 25-2. A game whose protagonist you'd want to be friends with - Sea of Stars
✅️ 26. A game where you play as a bug or an aquatic creature – SpongeBob: BFBB Rehydrated
✅️ 27. A game that was adapted from another medium – Beyblade: Metal Fusion
✅️ 28. A game you watched someone else play first – Portal 2
✅️ 29. Another person’s favorite game – Elden Ring
❌ 30. A game with a diverse cast – Not For Broadcast
❌ 31. A cornerstone to gaming culture – Half Life 2
✅️ 32. A game that starts with the same letter as in your username – Tiny Tina’s: Wonderlands
✅️ 33-1. A “threequel” (third part of a series) – Amnesia: Rebirth
❌ 33-2. A spin-off game – Alan Wake American Nightmare
✅️ 34. A bright and cheerful game – Garfield Lasagna Party
✅️ 35. A game containing a real or fictional religion – Chants of Sennaar
✅️ 36. A game that heavily features either fire or ice - Devil Daggers
✅️ 37. A game that heavily features money – Turnip Boy Robs a Bank
✅️ 38. A game with a subtitle – Alba: A Wildlife Adventure
✅️ 39. A game that surprised you - Lil Gator Game
✅️ 40. A post-apocalyptic game - The Last of Us: Part 1
✅️ 41. A game with a short title (4 letters or less) – Fe
✅️ 42. A game that has a red retirement rating on HLTB (16.7%) - LOVE - A Puzzle Box
⏩ 43. A game that one of your favorite artists worked on - Quantum Break
✅️ 44-1. A game you previously retired or put on hold – New Super Mario Bros. Wii
⏩ 44-2. A game that you have beaten before and are replaying – Borderlands 3
✅️ 45. A game in someone else’s 2024 Gaming Challenge - What Remains of Edith Finch (R2D2)
❌ 46-1. A studio's very first game - Pizza Tower
✅️ 46-2. A studio's most recent game – TOEM
✅️ 47. A game that had its HLTB times on a purple/red/gray background - Drift86
✅️ 48. A HLTB Game of the Month (Jan-2024) – Pony Island
✅️ 49. A game listed on the HLTB stats page – Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
✅️ 50. A game chosen by the HLTB randomizer – Bionic Commando 1987

Bonuses:
- Four games, released in the four quarters of a given year of your choice
- A single game released in the same year as the previous four, but during the same month as your birthday, if you are up to the challenge, try to be as close to the day itself as you can
46/50 Completions
4/9 Alternatives
0/5 Bonuses.

Only 4 Completions and 5 Alternatives to go! But I surely still want to complete the bonuses too.

Way too late, but may I join y'all now? Been on a roll so i'll probably have a decent chunk of the 50 done.

Feel free to join in!

Better late than never.

August update!

Had a good start, but then had a lot of college exams, had a pause, but then dedicated the rest of my month to finish Elden Ring (Finished only in September). Spent (35h) in 5 games that counted towards challenges.

09-2. A game that received new translations after release – Firewatch - I will always love Firewatch, incredible delivery of an incredible idea!
15. A game that heavily focuses on flight – Exo One - Great concept and fun to play while in the correct mood.
22. A game without any humans – Journey - One of the early indie games that prioritizes experience over gameplay, and it pays off.
36. A game that heavily features either fire or ice - Devil Daggers - From the pits of hell, you are sure to have one hell of a time playing this!
38. A game with a subtitle – Alba: A Wildlife Adventure - Really cute game and fun mechanics.

Here is my current progress, and the games I'm playing/planning to play.

✅️ 01. A new game (released within the past year) – Baldurs Gate 3
❌ 02. An old game (released 10+ years ago) – Darksiders 2 / LIMBO
✅️ 03. A really old game (released 20+ years ago) – Hot Wheels: World Race
✅️ 04. An ancient game (released 30+ years ago) – Mike Tyson’s Punch Out
✅️ 05. A time sink (50+ hours) – WWE 2K23
✅️ 06. A quick completion (less than an hour) – Pineapple on Pizza
❌ 07. A game you got for free – Little Nightmares
✅️ 08. A game you've been wishing and waiting for – Hellblade 2
✅️ 09-1. A remake or remaster of a game – Bioshock 1 Remastered
✅️ 09-2. A game that received new translations after release – Firewatch
✅️ 10. A game with 6+ endings – As Dusk Falls
✅️ 11. A collection of games – SEGA and Mega Drive Collection
✅️ 12. A game recommended to you by someone else – SpiritFarer
✅️ 13. A game whose title could describe your life – Duck Game
✅️ 14-1. A game with an alliterative title – Pico Park
✅️ 14-2. A game whose title contains the name of a color – Sonic and the Black Knight
✅️ 14-3. A game whose title starts with a number - 20 Minutes Till Dawn
✅️ 15. A game that heavily focuses on flight – Exo One
✅️ 16. A game from a genre you don't usually play – Who Pressed Mute On Uncle Marcus?
✅️ 17. A game that is themed around dogs or cats – Stray
✅️ 18-1. A game that features multiple genres – It Takes Two
⏩ 18-2. A visual novel or text-based game – Alone With You
✅️ 19. A game where you play as an antihero or a villain – Suicide Squad: KJL
✅️ 20-1. A game set in a historical time period - Pentiment
❌ 20-2. A game set in the far future – Titanfall 2
❌ 21. A game with a female protagonist - Control
✅️ 22. A game without any humans – Journey
✅️ 23. A game where you play as a robot or an alien – High On Life
✅️ 24. An arcade-style high score game – Pac-Man Championship 2
✅️ 25-1. A game set in a world you would like living in – LEGO 2K Drive
✅️ 25-2. A game whose protagonist you'd want to be friends with - Sea of Stars
✅️ 26. A game where you play as a bug or an aquatic creature – SpongeBob: BFBB Rehydrated
✅️ 27. A game that was adapted from another medium – Beyblade: Metal Fusion
❌ 28. A game you watched someone else play first (partially or in full) – Portal 2?
⏩ 29. Another person’s favorite game – Elden Ring
❌ 30. A game with a diverse cast – Not For Broadcast
❌ 31. A cornerstone to gaming culture – Half Life 2
✅️ 32. A game that starts with the same letter as in your username – Tiny Tina’s: Wonderlands
✅️ 33-1. A “threequel” (third part of a series) – Amnesia: Rebirth
❌ 33-2. A spin-off game – Alan Wake American Nightmare
✅️ 34. A bright and cheerful game – Garfield Lasagna Party
✅️ 35. A game containing a real or fictional religion – Chants of Sennaar
✅️ 36. A game that heavily features either fire or ice - Devil Daggers
✅️ 37. A game that heavily features money – Turnip Boy Robs a Bank
✅️ 38. A game with a subtitle – Alba: A Wildlife Adventure
✅️ 39. A game that surprised you - Lil Gator Game
❌ 40. A post-apocalyptic game - The Last of Us
✅️ 41. A game with a short title (4 letters or less) – Fe
❌ 42. A game that has a red retirement rating on HLTB (10% or higher) - LOVE - A Puzzle Box
❌ 43. A game that one of your favorite artists worked on - Quantum Break
✅️ 44-1. A game you previously retired or put on hold – New Super Mario Bros. Wii
⏩ 44-2. A game that you have beaten before and are replaying – Borderlands 3
❌ 45. A game that is on someone else’s HLTB 2024 Gaming Challenge List - EricTBar (The Invincible)
❌ 46-1. A studio's very first game - Pizza Tower
✅️ 46-2. A studio's most recent game – TOEM
✅️ 47. A game that had its HLTB times on a purple/red/gray background - Drift86
✅️ 48. A HLTB Game of the Month (Jan-2024) – Pony Island
✅️ 49. A game listed on the HLTB stats page – Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
✅️ 50. A game chosen by the HLTB randomizer – Bionic Commando 1987

Bonuses:
- Four games, released in the four quarters of a given year of your choice
- A single game released in the same year as the previous four, but during the same month as your birthday, if you are up to the challenge, try to be as close to the day itself as you can
39/50 Completions
4/9 Alternatives
0/5 Bonuses.

I took a bit long to post my update, since then I have already finished Elden Ring, started Alone With You and re-started Borderlands 3.

I've only done three challenges in August... however, these are the last three of the main challenge I have to do.

I still want to do the bonus challenges, but I am technically done with the 2024 challenge.

Here's my collection: https://www.howlongtobeat.com/user/R2D21999/lists/29881/R2D21999-2024-Challenge

09-1. A remake or remaster of a game - The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening (2019) - This is a remake of the Game Boy version.

10. A game with 6+ endings - Vampire Savior: The Lord if Vampire - This is also known outside of Japan as Darkstalkers 3. And if you know anything about fighting games, is that they have multiple characters, and sometimes each one of those characters has their own storyline to go through with their own endings. Especially so with something like Darkstalkers. I think there's 10 characters? So at least 10 endings.

44-2. A game that you have beaten before and are replaying - Lego DC Super-Villains - I beat this in 2019, before joining the site. I beat it again now.

Jan: 14 games
Feb: 5 games
Mar: 13 games
Apr: 7 games
May: 4 games
June: 6 games
July: 6 games
Aug: 3 games

Congratulations on finishing the Gaming Challenge! I think you are the first this year!

I too wish to complete the whole challenge, including the alternatives and the bonus. I hope to have enough time till the year ends!

July update!

Slow month, could've played more, but got addicted to Fifa Pro Clubs... Completed 5 games and spent (35h) in them.

11. A collection of games – SEGA and Mega Drive Collection - Had Golden Axe + Sonics and others, actually quite a good collection.
13. A game whose title could describe your life – Duck Game - My whole internet personality is based on being a dead duck, and the game is really fun.
16. A game from a genre you don't usually play – Who Pressed Mute On Uncle Marcus? - Pretty fun, but needed to be more of an investigation game.
19. A game where you play as an antihero or a villain – Suicide Squad: KJL - Incredible from start to finish, I loved the narrative and characters!
34. A bright and cheerful game – Garfield Lasagna Party - Not a good game, but it's garfield!

Here is my current progress, and the games I'm playing/planning to play.
Collection Link

✅️ 01. A new game (released within the past year) – Baldurs Gate 3
❌ 02. An old game (released 10+ years ago) – Darksiders 2
✅️ 03. A really old game (released 20+ years ago) – Hot Wheels: World Race
✅️ 04. An ancient game (released 30+ years ago) – Mike Tyson’s Punch Out
✅️ 05. A time sink (50+ hours) – WWE 2K23
✅️ 06. A quick completion (less than an hour) – Pineapple on Pizza
❌ 07. A game you got for free – Little Nightmares
✅️ 08. A game you've been wishing and waiting for – Hellblade 2
✅️ 09-1. A remake or remaster of a game – Bioshock 1 Remastered
⏩ 09-2. A game that received new translations after release – Firewatch
✅️ 10. A game with 6+ endings – As Dusk Falls
✅️ 11. A collection of games – SEGA and Mega Drive Collection
✅️ 12. A game recommended to you by someone else – SpiritFarer
✅️ 13. A game whose title could describe your life – Duck Game
✅️ 14-1. A game with an alliterative title – Pico Park
✅️ 14-2. A game whose title contains the name of a color – Sonic and the Black Knight
✅️ 14-3. A game whose title starts with a number - 20 Minutes Till Dawn
⏩ 15. A game that heavily focuses on flight – Exo One
✅️ 16. A game from a genre you don't usually play – Who Pressed Mute On Uncle Marcus?
✅️ 17. A game that is themed around dogs or cats – Stray
✅️ 18-1. A game that features multiple genres – It Takes Two
❌ 18-2. A visual novel or text-based game – Alone With You
✅️ 19. A game where you play as an antihero or a villain – Suicide Squad: KJL
✅️ 20-1. A game set in a historical time period - Pentiment
❌ 20-2. A game set in the far future – Titanfall 2
❌ 21. A game with a female protagonist - Control
⏩ 22. A game without any humans – Journey
✅️ 23. A game where you play as a robot or an alien – High On Life
✅️ 24. An arcade-style high score game – Pac-Man Championship 2
✅️ 25-1. A game set in a world you would like living in – LEGO 2K Drive
✅️ 25-2. A game whose protagonist you'd want to be friends with - Sea of Stars
✅️ 26. A game where you play as a bug or an aquatic creature – SpongeBob: BFBB Rehydrated
✅️ 27. A game that was adapted from another medium – Beyblade: Metal Fusion
❌ 28. A game you watched someone else play first (partially or in full) – Portal 2?
⏩ 29. Another person’s favorite game – Elden Ring
❌ 30. A game with a diverse cast – Not For Broadcast
❌ 31. A cornerstone to gaming culture – Half Life 2
✅️ 32. A game that starts with the same letter as in your username – Tiny Tina’s: Wonderlands
✅️ 33-1. A “threequel” (third part of a series) – Amnesia: Rebirth
❌ 33-2. A spin-off game – Alan Wake American Nightmare
✅️ 34. A bright and cheerful game – Garfield Lasagna Party
✅️ 35. A game containing a real or fictional religion – Chants of Sennaar
❌ 36. A game that heavily features either fire or ice -
✅️ 37. A game that heavily features money – Turnip Boy Robs a Bank
❌ 38. A game with a subtitle – LOVE / Alba
✅️ 39. A game that surprised you - Lil Gator Game
❌ 40. A post-apocalyptic game -
✅️ 41. A game with a short title (4 letters or less) – Fe
❌ 42. A game that has a red retirement rating on HLTB (10% or higher) - LOVE - A Puzzle Box
❌ 43. A game that one of your favorite artists worked on - Quantum Break
✅️ 44-1. A game you previously retired or put on hold – New Super Mario Bros. Wii
❌ 44-2. A game that you have beaten before and are replaying – Neon White / Sayonara Wild Hearts
❌ 45. A game that is on someone else’s HLTB 2024 Gaming Challenge List -
❌ 46-1. A studio's very first game - Pizza Tower
✅️ 46-2. A studio's most recent game – TOEM
✅️ 47. A game that had its HLTB times on a purple/red/gray background - Drift86
✅️ 48. A HLTB Game of the Month (Jan-2024) – Pony Island
✅️ 49. A game listed on the HLTB stats page – Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
✅️ 50. A game chosen by the HLTB randomizer – Bionic Commando 1987

Bonuses:
- Four games, released in the four quarters of a given year of your choice
- A single game released in the same year as the previous four, but during the same month as your birthday, if you are up to the challenge, try to be as close to the day itself as you can
35/50 Completions
3/9 Alternatives
0/5 Bonuses.

I'm currently playing Elden Ring... first FromSoft game I'm actually trying to finish, but as I'm slumped with college and work, I don't have any motivation to play a game so hude and vast, might end up only finishing it by the end of the year.

Mine would be the unknown Adventures of Chris, I think there was a beta test phase a bit before the release date, and that is where I found out about it, played the beta and had fun.

Bought the game and had fun again! The gameplay is a bit clunky, but the handdrawn style and the whole lighthearted mood bought me out and made me enjoy my experience, while still being a hard game!

I was going to catalogue my time in "SEGA Mega Drive and Genesis Classics", but I couldn't find it on HL2B, so I created the informations and details of the game which went by "/game/136757", but then I found by accident it actually exists as game/21445, but with the "Wrong name", which is why I didn't find it, but the steam page is correct.

I Guess you can delete my addition, since it is redundant and I'll use the one that already exists.

June update!

Got really sick early on, but then I could enjoy my little break, and went on a gaming spree, spent a total of (75h) in games of the challenge this month.

03. A really old game (released 20+ years ago) – Hot Wheels: World Race - Acceleracers will forever live in my heart.
26. A game where you play as a bug or an aquatic creature – SpongeBob: BFBB Rehydrated - Pretty fun and also funny.
35. A game containing a real or fictional religion – Chants of Sennaar - One of the best puzzle games I've played, really fun and creative mechanics, and lore.

39. A game that surprised you - Lil Gator Game - I was wondering what game would enter in this category all year long, it's so specific but also vague, this was gonna be "Game without humans", I was having fun playing, but then the train hit me by the end, such an important message and a beautiful one too, I was sobbing, somehow it felt like home, like something that could or should've happened in my life, this game found a special place in my heart, it is made with love!

46-2. A studio's most recent game – TOEM - Pretty fun mechanic, and is a great lighthearted puzzly game.
49. A game listed on the HLTB stats page – Star Wars Jedi: Survivor - Somehow EA made a second really good game, fixed stuff and didn't choke, Happy me!

Here is my current progress, and the games I'm playing/planning to play.
Collection Link

✅️ 01. A new game (released within the past year) – Baldurs Gate 3
❌ 02. An old game (released 10+ years ago) – Darksiders 2
✅️ 03. A really old game (released 20+ years ago) – Hot Wheels: World Race
✅️ 04. An ancient game (released 30+ years ago) – Mike Tyson’s Punch Out
✅️ 05. A time sink (50+ hours) – WWE 2K23
✅️ 06. A quick completion (less than an hour) – Pineapple on Pizza
❌ 07. A game you got for free – Little Nightmares
✅️ 08. A game you've been wishing and waiting for – Hellblade 2
✅️ 09-1. A remake or remaster of a game – Bioshock 1 Remastered
❌ 09-2. A game that received new translations sometime after release – Disco Elysium?
✅️ 10. A game with 6+ endings – As Dusk Falls
❌ 11. A collection of games – SEGA and Mega Drive Collection
✅️ 12. A game recommended to you by someone else – SpiritFarer
❌ 13. A game whose title could describe your life – Aces and Adventures
✅️ 14-1. A game with an alliterative title – Pico Park
✅️ 14-2. A game whose title contains the name of a color – Sonic and the Black Knight
✅️ 14-3. A game whose title starts with a number - 20 Minutes Till Dawn
❌ 15. A game that heavily focuses on flight – Exo One
❌ 16. A game from a genre you don't usually play – Case of the Golden Idol
✅️ 17. A game that is themed around dogs or cats – Stray
✅️ 18-1. A game that features multiple genres – It Takes Two
❌ 18-2. A visual novel or text-based game – Alone With You
⏩ 19. A game where you play as an antihero or a villain – Suicide Squad: KJL
✅️ 20-1. A game set in a historical time period - Pentiment
❌ 20-2. A game set in the far future – Titanfall 2
❌ 21. A game with a female protagonist - Control
❌ 22. A game without any humans – Yoku’s Island Express
✅️ 23. A game where you play as a robot or an alien – High On Life
✅️ 24. An arcade-style high score game – Pac-Man Championship 2
✅️ 25-1. A game set in a world you would like living in – LEGO 2K Drive
✅️ 25-2. A game whose protagonist you'd want to be friends with - Sea of Stars
✅️ 26. A game where you play as a bug or an aquatic creature – SpongeBob: BFBB Rehydrated
✅️ 27. A game that was adapted from another medium – Beyblade: Metal Fusion
❌ 28. A game you watched someone else play first (partially or in full) – Portal 2?
❌ 29. Another person’s favorite game – Elden Ring
❌ 30. A game with a diverse cast – Who Pressed Mute On Uncle Marcus?
❌ 31. A cornerstone to gaming culture – Half Life 2
✅️ 32. A game that starts with the same letter as in your username – Tiny Tina’s: Wonderlands
✅️ 33-1. A “threequel” (third part of a series) – Amnesia: Rebirth
❌ 33-2. A spin-off game – Alan Wake American Nightmare
⏩ 34. A bright and cheerful game – Garfield Lasagna Party
✅️ 35. A game containing a real or fictional religion – Chants of Sennaar
❌ 36. A game that heavily features either fire or ice -
✅️ 37. A game that heavily features money – Turnip Boy Robs a Bank
❌ 38. A game with a subtitle – LOVE / Alba
✅️ 39. A game that surprised you - Lil Gator Game
❌ 40. A post-apocalyptic game -
✅️ 41. A game with a short title (4 letters or less) – Fe
❌ 42. A game that had a red retirement rating on HLTB when you started playing it (10% or higher)
❌ 43. A game that one of your favorite artists worked on - Quantum Break
✅️ 44-1. A game you previously retired or put on hold – New Super Mario Bros. Wii
❌ 44-2. A game that you have beaten before and are replaying – Neon White / Sayonara Wild Hearts
❌ 45. A game that is on someone else’s HLTB 2024 Gaming Challenge List -
❌ 46-1. A studio's very first game - Pizza Tower
✅️ 46-2. A studio's most recent game – TOEM
✅️ 47. A game that had its HLTB times on a purple/red/gray background - Drift86
✅️ 48. A HLTB Game of the Month (Jan-2024) – Pony Island
✅️ 49. A game listed on the HLTB stats page – Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
✅️ 50. A game chosen by the HLTB randomizer – Bionic Commando 1987

Bonuses:
- Four games, released in the four quarters of a given year of your choice
- A single game released in the same year as the previous four, but during the same month as your birthday, if you are up to the challenge, try to be as close to the day itself as you can

30/50 Completions
3/9 Alternatives
0/5 Bonuses.

I'm currently playing Suicide Squad and having an absolute blast with it!

Also, I'm very impressed to how I had the time last year to finish all 62 Categories by July, I've just reached 50% of this year and it's been almost the same time.

May update!

Back with the PC, ended up finishing 3 Nintendo Wii games I never had the energy to complete, and then started finishing my pc games again! A total of (88h) that counted towards categories.

08. A game you've been wishing and waiting for – Hellblade 2 - What a fantastic experience, delivers and improves on everything from HellBlade 1, I loved it!
09-1. A remake or remaster of a game – Bioshock 1 Remastered - After 8 years I finally finished it, great story and ambience, but gameplay is outdated.
14-2. A game whose title contains the name of a color – Sonic and the Black Knight - Honestly, way better than I thought it was gonna be.
27. A game that was adapted from another medium – Beyblade: Metal Fusion - More marketing product than game, but its acceptable.
32. A game that starts with the same letter as in your username – Tiny Tina’s: Wonderlands - An improved and creatively-free borderlands game, fantastic!
44-1. A game you previously retired or put on hold – New Super Mario Bros. Wii - One of the hardest games I've played, partially due to Wii's horrible controls too.
48. A HLTB Game of the Month (Jan-2024) – Pony Island - The first showing inside the mind of Daniel Mullin, it's a great game, but could be way better.

Here is my current progress, and the games I'm playing/planning to play.
Collection Link

✅️ 01. A new game (released within the past year) – Baldurs Gate 3
❌ 02. An old game (released 10+ years ago) – Darksiders 2
❌ 03. A really old game (released 20+ years ago) – Chrono Trigger
✅️ 04. An ancient game (released 30+ years ago) – Mike Tyson’s Punch Out
✅️ 05. A time sink (50+ hours) – WWE 2K23
✅️ 06. A quick completion (less than an hour) – Pineapple on Pizza
❌ 07. A game you got for free – Little Nightmares
✅️ 08. A game you've been wishing and waiting for – Hellblade 2
✅️ 09-1. A remake or remaster of a game – Bioshock 1 Remastered
❌ 09-2. A game that received new translations sometime after release – Disco Elysium?
✅️ 10. A game with 6+ endings – As Dusk Falls
❌ 11. A collection of games – SEGA and Mega Drive Collection
✅️ 12. A game recommended to you by someone else – SpiritFarer
❌ 13. A game whose title could describe your life – Lost in Random?
✅️ 14-1. A game with an alliterative title – Pico Park
✅️ 14-2. A game whose title contains the name of a color – Sonic and the Black Knight
✅️ 14-3. A game whose title starts with a number - 20 Minutes Till Dawn
❌ 15. A game that heavily focuses on flight – Exo One
❌ 16. A game from a genre you don't usually play – Case of the Golden Idol
✅️ 17. A game that is themed around dogs or cats – Stray
✅️ 18-1. A game that features multiple genres – It Takes Two
❌ 18-2. A visual novel or text-based game – Alone With You
❌ 19. A game where you play as an antihero or a villain – Suicide Squad: KJL
✅️ 20-1. A game set in a historical time period - Pentiment
❌ 20-2. A game set in the far future – Titanfall 2
❌ 21. A game with a female protagonist - Control
❌ 22. A game without any humans -
✅️ 23. A game where you play as a robot or an alien – High On Life
✅️ 24. An arcade-style high score game – Pac-Man Championship 2
✅️ 25-1. A game set in a world you would like living in – LEGO 2K Drive
✅️ 25-2. A game whose protagonist you'd want to be friends with - Sea of Stars
❌ 26. A game where you play as a bug or an aquatic creature – Yoku Island Express
✅️ 27. A game that was adapted from another medium – Beyblade: Metal Fusion
❌ 28. A game you watched someone else play first (partially or in full) – Portal 2?
❌ 29. Another person’s favorite game – Dark Souls 1
❌ 30. A game with a diverse cast – Who Pressed Mute On Uncle Marcus?
❌ 31. A cornerstone to gaming culture – Half Life 2
✅️ 32. A game that starts with the same letter as in your username – Tiny Tina’s: Wonderlands
✅️ 33-1. A “threequel” (third part of a series) – Amnesia: Rebirth
❌ 33-2. A spin-off game – Alan Wake American Nightmare
❌ 34. A bright and cheerful game –
❌ 35. A game containing a real or fictional religion – Chants of Senaar?
❌ 36. A game that heavily features either fire or ice -
✅️ 37. A game that heavily features money – Turnip Boy Robs a Bank
❌ 38. A game with a subtitle – LOVE / Alba
❌ 39. A game that surprised you -
❌ 40. A post-apocalyptic game -
✅️ 41. A game with a short title (4 letters or less) – Fe
❌ 42. A game that had a red retirement rating on HLTB when you started playing it (10% or higher)
❌ 43. A game that one of your favorite artists worked on - Quantum Break
✅️ 44-1. A game you previously retired or put on hold – New Super Mario Bros. Wii
❌ 44-2. A game that you have beaten before and are replaying – Neon White / Sayonara Wild Hearts
❌ 45. A game that is on someone else’s HLTB 2024 Gaming Challenge List
❌ 46-1. A studio's very first game - Pizza Tower
❌ 46-2. A studio's most recent game (at the time when you started playing the game)
✅️ 47. A game that had its HLTB times on a purple/red/gray background - Drift86
✅️ 48. A HLTB Game of the Month (Jan-2024) – Pony Island
⏩ 49. A game listed on the HLTB stats page – Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
✅️ 50. A game chosen by the HLTB randomizer – Bionic Commando 1987

Bonuses:
- Four games, released in the four quarters of a given year of your choice
- A single game released in the same year as the previous four, but during the same month as your birthday, if you are up to the challenge, try to be as close to the day itself as you can

Currently playing Jedi Survivor, but might take a while, I'm kinda mixed in exploring everything or playing the story, so I end up doing nothing lol.

24/50 Completions
3/9 Alternatives
0/5 Bonuses.

Typically with vague categories the solution really is just "up to you". Like if you think you can make an argument to yourself about something that constitutes diversity under any of those topics, go for it, the original ideas weren't to be excessively strict but just prompts to encourage you to play something from your backlog.

I agree some of the worst prompts tend to be prescriptive ones, i.e. you can't know ahead of time if it contains such elements, typically you won't know if a cast is diverse in any way until after you play it. You can choose to define diverse any way you like for the context of the goal. Maybe it is just a cast with couple of characters of different persuasions, or maybe it's a huge cast of varying attributes, doesn't really matter.

My favourite goals are usually the ones like "play a party game" or "a strange game" simply because of the myriad ways you can interpret that. Genre, game title, literally or subversively. It can be fun thinking outside the box on things like that.

Yeah, I go by the same mindset too, just at the top of my mind, when I see/play a game and there is a wide variety of different people that is enough for the category.

Barely think about it, last year I went with Road96, this year I wen't with a FMV with a big cast.

Normally I struggle more in categories which you have to play the game before knowing if it fits (for example 39. A game that surprised you) and other ones in the style, but I don't mind it too much, just makes it harder to plan beforehand haha.

April update!

Guess luck hasn't been on my side recently, same as last year (May 2023) PC Broke again (Motherboard again) college, work... Kinda Ruff... But well, while I still had a PC I finished 3 games that counted (18h).

04. An ancient game (released 30+ years ago) – Mike Tyson’s Punch Out - Incredible classic, actually a great game by todays standards and addicting!
17. A game that is themed around dogs or cats – Stray - One of the most visually astonishing games out there, but lacked on the gameplay.
25-1. A game set in a world you would like living in – LEGO 2K Drive - Good racing and a fun game all around, but ruined by predatory monetization system.

Here is my current progress, and the games I'm playing/planning to play.
Collection Link
My current progress for future planning:

✅️ 01. A new game (released within the past year) – Baldurs Gate 3
❌ 02. An old game (released 10+ years ago) – Darksiders 2
❌ 03. A really old game (released 20+ years ago) – Chrono Trigger
✅️ 04. An ancient game (released 30+ years ago) – Mike Tyson’s Punch Out
✅️ 05. A time sink (50+ hours) – WWE 2K23
✅️ 06. A quick completion (less than an hour) – Pineapple on Pizza
❌ 07. A game you got for free – Little Nightmares
❌ 08. A game you've been wishing and waiting for – Hellblade 2
❌ 09-1. A remake or remaster of a game – Bioshock 1 Remastered
❌ 09-2. A game that received new translations sometime after release – Disco Elysium?
✅️ 10. A game with 6+ endings – As Dusk Falls
❌ 11. A collection of games – SEGA and Mega Drive Collection
✅️ 12. A game recommended to you by someone else – SpiritFarer
❌ 13. A game whose title could describe your life – Lost in Random?
✅️ 14-1. A game with an alliterative title – Pico Park
❌ 14-2. A game whose title contains the name of a color
✅️ 14-3. A game whose title starts with a number - 20 Minutes Till Dawn
❌ 15. A game that heavily focuses on flight – Exo One
❌ 16. A game from a genre you don't usually play – Case of the Golden Idol
✅️ 17. A game that is themed around dogs or cats – Stray
✅️ 18-1. A game that features multiple genres – It Takes Two
❌ 18-2. A visual novel or text-based game – Alone With You
❌ 19. A game where you play as an antihero or a villain – Suicide Squad: KJL
✅️ 20-1. A game set in a historical time period - Pentiment
❌ 20-2. A game set in the far future – Titanfall 2
❌ 21. A game with a female protagonist - Control
❌ 22. A game without any humans -
✅️ 23. A game where you play as a robot or an alien – High On Life
✅️ 24. An arcade-style high score game – Pac-Man Championship 2
✅️ 25-1. A game set in a world you would like living in – LEGO 2K Drive
✅️ 25-2. A game whose protagonist you'd want to be friends with - Sea of Stars
❌ 26. A game where you play as a bug or an aquatic creature – Yoku Island Express
❌ 27. A game that was adapted from another medium (book, movie, etc.) – Castlevania
❌ 28. A game you watched someone else play first (partially or in full) – Portal 2?
❌ 29. Another person’s favorite game – Dark Souls 1
❌ 30. A game with a diverse cast – Who Pressed Mute On Uncle Marcus?
❌ 31. A cornerstone to gaming culture – Half Life 2
❌ 32. A game that starts with the same first letter as in your username – Titanfall 2 / Tiny Tina
✅️ 33-1. A “threequel” (third part of a series) – Amnesia: Rebirth
❌ 33-2. A spin-off game – Alan Wake American Nightmare
❌ 34. A bright and cheerful game –
❌ 35. A game containing a real or fictional religion – Chants of Senaar?
❌ 36. A game that heavily features either fire or ice -
✅️ 37. A game that heavily features money – Turnip Boy Robs a Bank
❌ 38. A game with a subtitle – LOVE / Alba
❌ 39. A game that surprised you -
❌ 40. A post-apocalyptic game -
✅️ 41. A game with a short title (4 letters or less) – Fe
❌ 42. A game that had a red retirement rating on HLTB when you started playing it (10% or higher)
❌ 43. A game that one of your favorite artists worked on - Quantum Break
❌ 44-1. A game you previously retired or put on hold – Bioshock 1 / Cook Food Delicious
❌ 44-2. A game that you have beaten before and are replaying – Neon White / Sayonara Wild Hearts
❌ 45. A game that is on someone else’s HLTB 2024 Gaming Challenge List
❌ 46-1. A studio's very first game - Pizza Tower
❌ 46-2. A studio's most recent game (at the time when you started playing the game)
✅️ 47. A game that had its HLTB times on a purple/red/gray background - Drift86
❌ 48. A HLTB Game of the Month – Pony Island (Jan-2024)
❌ 49. A game listed on the HLTB stats page – One of the Sony PC ports
✅️ 50. A game chosen by the HLTB randomizer – Bionic Commando 1987

Bonuses:
- Four games, released in the four quarters of a given year of your choice
- A single game released in the same year as the previous four, but during the same month as your birthday, if you are up to the challenge, try to be as close to the day itself as you can

Was progressing in Bioshock Remastered, after 8 years of having bought it, I was so close to finishing it, when pc went Kaput... :(

18/50 Completions
1/9 Alternatives
0/5 Bonuses.

March update!

Ended up finishing only 2 games that fit in categories totalling (217h) although, part of that time wasn't done in march itself, but I guess it counts, have been busy with college and work, but happy to have put the mammoth of games behind me!

01. A new game (released within the past year) – Baldurs Gate 3 - Incredible game in all senses, but too huge, would've enjoyed it more if shorter!
05. A time sink (50+ hours) – WWE 2K23 - Last played WWE11, and was flabbergasted with how incredible the game and the career modes are, had a blast!

Here is my current progress, and the games I'm playing/planning to play.
Collection Link

✅️ 01. A new game (released within the past year) – Baldurs Gate 3
❌ 02. An old game (released 10+ years ago) – Darksiders 2
❌ 03. A really old game (released 20+ years ago) – Chrono Trigger
❌ 04. An ancient game (released 30+ years ago) – Mike Tyson’s Punch Out
✅️ 05. A time sink (50+ hours) – WWE 2K23
✅️ 06. A quick completion (less than an hour) – Pineapple on Pizza
❌ 07. A game you got for free – Little Nightmares
❌ 08. A game you've been wishing and waiting for – Hellblade 2
❌ 09-1. A remake or remaster of a game – Bioshock 1 Remastered
❌ 09-2. A game that received new translations sometime after release – Disco Elysium?
✅️ 10. A game with 6+ endings – As Dusk Falls
❌ 11. A collection of games – SEGA and Mega Drive Collection
✅️ 12. A game recommended to you by someone else – SpiritFarer
❌ 13. A game whose title could describe your life – Lost in Random?
✅️ 14-1. A game with an alliterative title – Pico Park
❌ 14-2. A game whose title contains the name of a color
✅️ 14-3. A game whose title starts with a number - 20 Minutes Till Dawn
❌ 15. A game that heavily focuses on flight – Exo One
❌ 16. A game from a genre you don't usually play – Case of the Golden Idol
❌ 17. A game that is themed around dogs or cats - Stray
✅️ 18-1. A game that features multiple genres – It Takes Two
❌ 18-2. A visual novel or text-based game – Alone With You
❌ 19. A game where you play as an antihero or a villain – Suicide Squad: KJL
✅️ 20-1. A game set in a historical time period - Pentiment
❌ 20-2. A game set in the far future – Titanfall 2
❌ 21. A game with a female protagonist - Control
❌ 22. A game without any humans -
✅️ 23. A game where you play as a robot or an alien – High On Life
✅️ 24. An arcade-style high score game – Pac-Man Championship 2
❌ 25-1. A game set in a world you would like living in -
✅️ 25-2. A game whose protagonist you'd want to be friends with - Sea of Stars
❌ 26. A game where you play as a bug or an aquatic creature – Yoku Island Express
❌ 27. A game that was adapted from another medium (book, movie, etc.) – Castlevania
❌ 28. A game you watched someone else play first (partially or in full) – Portal 2?
❌ 29. Another person’s favorite game – Dark Souls 1
❌ 30. A game with a diverse cast – Who Pressed Mute On Uncle Marcus?
❌ 31. A cornerstone to gaming culture – Half Life 2
❌ 32. A game that starts with the same first letter as in your username – Titanfall 2 / Tiny Tina
✅️ 33-1. A “threequel” (third part of a series) – Amnesia: Rebirth
❌ 33-2. A spin-off game – Alan Wake American Nightmare
❌ 34. A bright and cheerful game –
❌ 35. A game containing a real or fictional religion – Chants of Senaar?
❌ 36. A game that heavily features either fire or ice -
✅️ 37. A game that heavily features money – Turnip Boy Robs a Bank
❌ 38. A game with a subtitle – LOVE / Alba
❌ 39. A game that surprised you -
❌ 40. A post-apocalyptic game -
✅️ 41. A game with a short title (4 letters or less) – Fe
❌ 42. A game that had a red retirement rating on HLTB when you started playing it (10% or higher)
❌ 43. A game that one of your favorite artists worked on - Quantum Break
❌ 44-1. A game you previously retired or put on hold – Bioshock 1 / Cook Food Delicious
❌ 44-2. A game that you have beaten before and are replaying – Neon White / Sayonara Wild Hearts
❌ 45. A game that is on someone else’s HLTB 2024 Gaming Challenge List
❌ 46-1. A studio's very first game - Pizza Tower
❌ 46-2. A studio's most recent game (at the time when you started playing the game)
✅️ 47. A game that had its HLTB times on a purple/red/gray background - Drift86
❌ 48. A HLTB Game of the Month – Pony Island (Jan-2024)
❌ 49. A game listed on the HLTB stats page – One of the Sony PC ports
✅️ 50. A game chosen by the HLTB randomizer – Bionic Commando 1987

Bonuses:
- Four games, released in the four quarters of a given year of your choice
- A single game released in the same year as the previous four, but during the same month as your birthday, if you are up to the challenge, try to be as close to the day itself as you can

Back to playing many games, but still a bit slumped!

15/50 Completions
1/9 Alternatives
0/5 Bonuses.

Febuary update!

Ended up finishing only 4 games that fit in categories totalling (33h) but I have been grinding on Baldur's Gate 3, which is a mammoth of a game to finish and played a lot of Minecraft with friends and in total I played (~141h) this month.

10. A game with 6+ endings - As Dusk Falls - Good story, really bad technical difficulties but ends up being a fun game.
24. An arcade-style high score game - Pac-Man Championship Edition 2 - Great Pac game with new mechanics that keep it fresh.
47. A game that had its HLTB times on a purple/red/gray background - Drift86 - Fun arcade drifting game, but nothing more than that.
50. A game chosen by the HLTB randomizer - Bionic Commando 1987 - Still can't believe this game is about reviving Hitler, it's a really bad and hard but unique.

Here is my current progress, and the games I'm playing/planning to play.
Collection Link

⏩ 01. A new game (released within the past year) – Baldurs Gate 3
❌ 02. An old game (released 10+ years ago) – Darksiders 2
❌ 03. A really old game (released 20+ years ago) – Chrono Trigger
❌ 04. An ancient game (released 30+ years ago) – Mike Tyson’s Punch Out
⏩ 05. A time sink (50+ hours) – WWE 2K23
✅️ 06. A quick completion (less than an hour) – Pineapple on Pizza
❌ 07. A game you got for free – Little Nightmares
❌ 08. A game you've been wishing and waiting for – Hellblade 2
❌ 09-1. A remake or remaster of a game – Bioshock 1 Remastered
❌ 09-2. A game that received new translations sometime after release – Disco Elysium?
✅️ 10. A game with 6+ endings – As Dusk Falls
❌ 11. A collection of games – SEGA and Mega Drive Collection
✅️ 12. A game recommended to you by someone else – SpiritFarer
❌ 13. A game whose title could describe your life – Lost in Random?
✅️ 14-1. A game with an alliterative title – Pico Park
❌ 14-2. A game whose title contains the name of a color
✅️ 14-3. A game whose title starts with a number - 20 Minutes Till Dawn
❌ 15. A game that heavily focuses on flight – Exo One
❌ 16. A game from a genre you don't usually play – Case of the Golden Idol
❌ 17. A game that is themed around dogs or cats - Stray
✅️ 18-1. A game that features multiple genres – It Takes Two
❌ 18-2. A visual novel or text-based game – Alone With You
❌ 19. A game where you play as an antihero or a villain – Suicide Squad: KJL
✅️ 20-1. A game set in a historical time period - Pentiment
❌ 20-2. A game set in the far future – Titanfall 2
❌ 21. A game with a female protagonist - Control
❌ 22. A game without any humans -
✅️ 23. A game where you play as a robot or an alien – High On Life
✅️ 24. An arcade-style high score game – Pac-Man Championship 2
❌ 25-1. A game set in a world you would like living in -
✅️ 25-2. A game whose protagonist you'd want to be friends with - Sea of Stars
❌ 26. A game where you play as a bug or an aquatic creature – Yoku Island Express
❌ 27. A game that was adapted from another medium (book, movie, etc.) – Castlevania
❌ 28. A game you watched someone else play first (partially or in full) – Portal 2?
❌ 29. Another person’s favorite game – Dark Souls 1
❌ 30. A game with a diverse cast – Who Pressed Mute On Uncle Marcus?
❌ 31. A cornerstone to gaming culture – Half Life 2
❌ 32. A game that starts with the same first letter as in your username – Titanfall 2 / Tiny Tina
✅️ 33-1. A “threequel” (third part of a series) – Amnesia: Rebirth
❌ 33-2. A spin-off game – Alan Wake American Nightmare
❌ 34. A bright and cheerful game –
❌ 35. A game containing a real or fictional religion – Chants of Senaar?
❌ 36. A game that heavily features either fire or ice -
✅️ 37. A game that heavily features money – Turnip Boy Robs a Bank
❌ 38. A game with a subtitle – LOVE / Alba
❌ 39. A game that surprised you -
❌ 40. A post-apocalyptic game -
✅️ 41. A game with a short title (4 letters or less) – Fe
❌ 42. A game that had a red retirement rating on HLTB when you started playing it (10% or higher)
❌ 43. A game that one of your favorite artists worked on - Quantum Break
❌ 44-1. A game you previously retired or put on hold – Bioshock 1 / Cook Food Delicious
❌ 44-2. A game that you have beaten before and are replaying – Neon White / Sayonara Wild Hearts
❌ 45. A game that is on someone else’s HLTB 2024 Gaming Challenge List
❌ 46-1. A studio's very first game - Pizza Tower
❌ 46-2. A studio's most recent game (at the time when you started playing the game)
✅️ 47. A game that had its HLTB times on a purple/red/gray background - Drift86
❌ 48. A HLTB Game of the Month – Pony Island (Jan-2024)
❌ 49. A game listed on the HLTB stats page – One of the Sony PC ports
✅️ 50. A game chosen by the HLTB randomizer – Bionic Commando 1987

Bonuses:
- Four games, released in the four quarters of a given year of your choice
- A single game released in the same year as the previous four, but during the same month as your birthday, if you are up to the challenge, try to be as close to the day itself as you can

Slowing down on completion amounts because of BG3 which I'm having fun, but it's so huge that it's hard to finish, but hope to finish it soon enough and get back to playing more games (Kinda miss the wider variety of games played).

13/50 Completions
1/9 Alternatives
0/5 Bonuses.

January update!

Ended up finishing 11 games that fit in categories, (161h) played this month, I had a lot of fun with most games, but ended up playing some bad let downs too.

06. A quick completion (less than an hour) – Pineapple on Pizza - Funny and short, but really likeable.
12. A game recommended to you by someone else – SpiritFarer - Great idea, although bad gameplay, thought I'd like it more.
14-1. A game with an alliterative title – Pico Park - Incredible at what it offers, but made me hate my friends hahaha.
14-3. A game whose title starts with a number - 20 Minutes Till Dawn - Really fun bullet hell mobile game, played while I had no energy lol.
18-1. A game that features multiple genres – It Takes Two - Incredible game, especially loved how fresh it kept by adding different styles.
20-1. A game set in a historical time period - Pentiment - Genius game, had an absolute blast playing and exploring everything.
23. A game where you play as a robot or an alien – High On Life - Fun and light FPS story game, had a lot of fun.
25-2. A game whose protagonist you'd want to be friends with - Sea of Stars - Became such a special game to me, loved it, and specially the protagonist.
33-1. A “threequel” (third part of a series) – Amnesia: Rebirth - Had huge expectations, since it's Amnesia Series, but disliked this one so much.
37. A game that heavily features money – Turnip Boy Robs a Bank - I love Turnip Boy and everything the games have been offering!
41. A game with a short title (4 letters or less) – Fe - Incredible idea and visuals, but ATROCIOUS gameplay, was a huge struggle to finish.

Here is my current progress, and the games I'm playing/planning to play.
Collection Link

⏩ 01. A new game (released within the past year) – Baldurs Gate 3
❌ 02. An old game (released 10+ years ago) – Darksiders 2
❌ 03. A really old game (released 20+ years ago) – Chrono Trigger
❌ 04. An ancient game (released 30+ years ago) – Mike Tyson’s Punch Out
⏩ 05. A time sink (50+ hours) – WWE 2K23
✅️ 06. A quick completion (less than an hour) – Pineapple on Pizza
❌ 07. A game you got for free – Little Nightmares
❌ 08. A game you've been wishing and waiting for – Hellblade 2
❌ 09-1. A remake or remaster of a game – Bioshock 1 Remastered
❌ 09-2. A game that received new translations sometime after release – Disco Elysium?
⏩ 10. A game with 6+ endings – As Dusk Falls
❌ 11. A collection of games – SEGA and Mega Drive Collection
✅️ 12. A game recommended to you by someone else – SpiritFarer
❌ 13. A game whose title could describe your life – Lost in Random?
✅️ 14-1. A game with an alliterative title – Pico Park
❌ 14-2. A game whose title contains the name of a color
✅️ 14-3. A game whose title starts with a number - 20 Minutes Till Dawn
❌ 15. A game that heavily focuses on flight – Exo One
❌ 16. A game from a genre you don't usually play – Case of the Golden Idol
❌ 17. A game that is themed around dogs or cats - Stray
✅️ 18-1. A game that features multiple genres – It Takes Two
❌ 18-2. A visual novel or text-based game – Alone With You
❌ 19. A game where you play as an antihero or a villain – Suicide Squad: KJL
✅️ 20-1. A game set in a historical time period - Pentiment
❌ 20-2. A game set in the far future – Titanfall 2
❌ 21. A game with a female protagonist - Control
❌ 22. A game without any humans -
✅️ 23. A game where you play as a robot or an alien – High On Life
⏩ 24. An arcade-style high score game – Pac-Man Championship 2
❌ 25-1. A game set in a world you would like living in -
✅️ 25-2. A game whose protagonist you'd want to be friends with - Sea of Stars
❌ 26. A game where you play as a bug or an aquatic creature – Yoku Island Express
❌ 27. A game that was adapted from another medium (book, movie, etc.) – Castlevania
❌ 28. A game you watched someone else play first (partially or in full) – Portal 2?
❌ 29. Another person’s favorite game – Dark Souls 1
❌ 30. A game with a diverse cast – Who Pressed Mute On Uncle Marcus?
❌ 31. A cornerstone to gaming culture – Half Life 2
❌ 32. A game that starts with the same first letter as in your username – Titanfall 2 / Tiny Tina
✅️ 33-1. A “threequel” (third part of a series) – Amnesia: Rebirth
❌ 33-2. A spin-off game – Alan Wake American Nightmare
❌ 34. A bright and cheerful game –
❌ 35. A game containing a real or fictional religion – Chants of Senaar?
❌ 36. A game that heavily features either fire or ice -
✅️ 37. A game that heavily features money – Turnip Boy Robs a Bank
❌ 38. A game with a subtitle – LOVE / Alba
❌ 39. A game that surprised you -
❌ 40. A post-apocalyptic game -
✅️ 41. A game with a short title (4 letters or less) – Fe
❌ 42. A game that had a red retirement rating on HLTB when you started playing it (10% or higher)
❌ 43. A game that one of your favorite artists worked on - Quantum Break
❌ 44-1. A game you previously retired or put on hold – Bioshock 1 / Cook Food Delicious
❌ 44-2. A game that you have beaten before and are replaying – Neon White / Sayonara Wild Hearts
❌ 45. A game that is on someone else’s HLTB 2024 Gaming Challenge List
❌ 46-1. A studio's very first game - Pizza Tower
❌ 46-2. A studio's most recent game (at the time when you started playing the game)
❌ 47. A game that had its HLTB times on a purple/red/gray background
❌ 48. A HLTB Game of the Month – Pony Island (Jan-2024)
❌ 49. A game listed on the HLTB stats page – One of the Sony PC ports
⏩ 50. A game chosen by the HLTB randomizer – Bionic Commando 1987

Bonuses:
- Four games, released in the four quarters of a given year of your choice
- A single game released in the same year as the previous four, but during the same month as your birthday, if you are up to the challenge, try to be as close to the day itself as you can

I tried to finish #50 before Febuary but I ended up missing the deadline by 10 minutes, so it will go into the next update, even though it's already finished.

10/50 Completions
1/9 Alternatives
0/5 Bonuses.

Heyo folks! I'm currently building my "predicted" list so if any of you need inspiration or even to choose a game for #45, although I'm sure I'll swap a lot of games to fit all categories, also I'm putting the collection link if any want to follow or keep checking my progress

Here is how I'm currently planning to do:

Collection Link On the collection I will update as soon as I complete a game, or find a lock (Game that I won't swap categories)

❌ 01. A new game (released within the past year) – Baldurs Gate 3
❌ 02. An old game (released 10+ years ago) – Darksiders 2
❌ 03. A really old game (released 20+ years ago) – Chrono Trigger
❌ 04. An ancient game (released 30+ years ago) – Mike Tyson’s Punch Out
❌ 05. A time sink (50+ hours) – WWE 2K23
❌ 06. A quick completion (less than an hour) – Pineapple on Pizza
❌ 07. A game you got for free – Little Nightmares
❌ 08. A game you've been wishing and waiting for – Hellblade 2
❌ 09-1. A remake or remaster of a game – Bioshock 1 Remastered
❌ 09-2. A game that received new translations sometime after release -
❌ 10. A game with 6+ endings – As Dusk Falls
❌ 11. A collection of games – SEGA and Mega Drive Collection
❌ 12. A game recommended to you by someone else
❌ 13. A game whose title could describe your life – Lost in Random
❌ 14-1. A game with an alliterative title
❌ 14-2. A game whose title contains the name of a color
✅️ 14-3. A game whose title starts with a number - 20 Minutes Till Dawn
❌ 15. A game that heavily focuses on flight – Exo One
❌ 16. A game from a genre you don't usually play – Case of the Golden Idol
❌ 17. A game that is themed around dogs or cats - Stray
❌ 18-1. A game that features multiple genres, or is a mashup of different genres
❌ 18-2. A visual novel or text-based game – Alone With You
❌ 19. A game where you play as an antihero or a villain – Suicide Squad: KJL
❌ 20-1. A game set in a historical time period
❌ 20-2. A game set in the far future
❌ 21. A game with a female protagonist - Control
❌ 22. A game without any humans
❌ 23. A game where you play as a robot or an alien
❌ 24. An arcade-style high score game – Pac Man DX
❌ 25-1. A game set in a world you would like living in -
❌ 25-2. A game whose protagonist you would want to be friends with - Sea of Stars
❌ 26. A game where you play as a bug or an aquatic creature – Lil Gator (SemiAquatic?)
❌ 27. A game that was adapted from another medium (book, movie, etc.) – Castlevania
❌ 28. A game you watched someone else play first (partially or in full) – Portal 2?
❌ 29. Another person’s favorite game – Dark Souls 1
❌ 30. A game with a diverse cast – Who Pressed Mute On Uncle Marcus?
❌ 31. A cornerstone to gaming culture – Half Life 2
❌ 32. A game that starts with the same first letter as in your username – Titanfall 2 / Tiny Tina
❌ 33-1. A “threequel” (third part of a series) – Amnesia: Rebirth
❌ 33-2. A spin-off game – Alan Wake American Nightmare
❌ 34. A bright and cheerful game
❌ 35. A game containing a real or fictional religion
❌ 36. A game that heavily features either fire or ice - Sea of Stars
❌ 37. A game that heavily features money, gold, or economics
❌ 38. A game with a subtitle – LOVE / Alba
❌ 39. A game that surprised you -
❌ 40. A post-apocalyptic game -
❌ 41. A game with a short title (4 letters or less) – Prey/ECO/Embr
❌ 42. A game that had a red retirement rating on HLTB when you started playing it (10% or higher)
❌ 43. A game that one of your favorite artists worked on - Control / Quantum Break
❌ 44-1. A game you previously retired or put on hold – Bioshock 1
❌ 44-2. A game that you have beaten before and are replaying – Neon White / Sayonara Wild Hearts
❌ 45. A game that is on someone else’s HLTB 2024 Gaming Challenge List
❌ 46-1. A studio's very first game - Pizza Tower
❌ 46-2. A studio's most recent game (at the time when you started playing the game)
❌ 47. A game that had its HLTB times on a purple/red/gray background at the time you started playing it
❌ 48. A HLTB Game of the Month – Pony Island (Jan-2024)
❌ 49. A game listed on the HLTB stats page – One of the Sony PC ports
❌ 50. A game chosen by the HLTB randomizer - Bionic Commando 1987

Bonuses:
- Four games, released in the four quarters of a given year of your choice
- A single game released in the same year as the previous four, but during the same month as your birthday, if you are up to the challenge, try to be as close to the day itself as you can

Challenges (50/50)
Bonus (5/5)
Alternatives (7/7)

Games beaten in December:
✅ [Alternative] 1080° Snowboarding 38-1. A sports game
✅ Doom 18. A cornerstone to gaming culture
✅ [Alternative] Ori and the Blind Forest: Definitive Edition 07-2. A Golden Joystick award winner (any year)
✅ [Alternative] Happy Game 42-2. A dark, gritty, or violent game
✅ We Were Here 33. A game that includes a co-op mode
✅ Noitu Love 30. A game developed by a single person
✅ I Have Low Stats But My Class Is "Leader" So I Recruited Everyone I Know To Fight The Dark Lord 19. A game with a long title (has 8+ words or a word containing 13+ letters)

Horray! Challenge complete! I hope everybody had fun with the challenge this year.

The 2024 challenge is nearly ready, I just need two more challenge categories to put in then it should be ready tonight.

Congrats on finishing the Challenge! I'm already stoked for the 2024 one too!

The list is challenge filled out, and I've updated the first post in the thread to reflect it. You can start putting together your lists if you'd like.

Thank you so much for organizing the event!!

Bright and cheerful is a perfectly good way to put it, so I think that descriptor for it is fine. I feel like the 15+ year one could either just say "a dead franchise" to give more leeway to people, although looking it up there's more 15+ year entries than I thought. Or maybe say "hasn't had a main installment" in case of games with like one random spinoff mobile game or w/e the past 15 years? Or maybe just not count mobile games, since a lot of dead franchises have random mobile games (IE Wild Arms hasn't had a new game since 2007...except for Wild Arms: Million Memories, a random mobile game that didn't even last two years and never left Japan).

I like the idea of Speedrun as an alternate category to something, but I don't know what. I kinda like the idea of birthday month as a main challenge (maybe over time travel?) but if not it being the fifth bonus works. Is there a way to search HLTB for retirement rates? If so then that over Metascore can work.

I agree with everything said!!

A Dead Franchise is a great way of giving freedom on the choice. And I also do like the birthday challenge enough to see it being on the main 50, although I understand that it fits perfectly as the 5th bonus.

And about the retirement rates, I got the idea from a HLTB post on twitter which showed the highest rates for 2023.

Hi! A bit of a progress update, as the list is nearly filled out. There’s 5 spots remaining for challenges, and we currently have 9 alternatives. Last year had 7 alternatives, and I’d like to keep alts at a cap of 10.

Here are a selection of challenges that’ve been suggested:
- A game with 4 or more difficulty options
- Beat a game with a metascore below 70
- A game from a series that hasn’t recieved a new installment in 15+ years
- A game featuring time travel
- A game that explores mental health themes
- A game with a perfect score from a major reviewer (The selection is 148 compared to Game of the Month’s 156, so I think it’s a managable number to pick from)

Also I put the “light and fluffy” suggestion down as “bright and cheerful” as I thought the latter was a more clear descriptor, I can use the former if people want that one.

Finally we also need to establish bonuses. The running idea is “four games from the four quarters of a chosen year” (Example: Q1 2011, Q2 2011, Q3 2011, Q4 2011) as well as a fifth bonus related somehow to your birthday. Maybe “a game released in your chosen year in the same month as your birthday” and it can be said that if you’re up to it, try the same week or the exact day.

I like the 5 bonuses, I feel that they are definitely fun and way different from last year, look forward to seeing what games fit in it.

From the challenges that you showed, I think the time travel one shouldn't get in just to keep things fresh, try to differ from 2023.

And by curiosity, the "game from a series that hasnt recieved a new one in 15+ years". Are there that many games to choose from? There are some obvious ones, but 15 years might restrict the options a bit too much and lead to repetitions in entries. Although there probably are many obscure franchises I do not know about.

As a recommendation, if we are considering to play a "bad game", a metascore below 70, maybe we could use the retirement stat from HLTB such like:
* A game with a Red Retirement Rate on HLTB (Above 10%). / A game with a Very High or above retirement rate on HLTB (above 15%)

And also something that might be fun is a category (or alternative) envolving a speedrun attempt, not many people catalog speedruns here and it be fun to see the game of choice on the lists of something like:
* A Speedrun attempt on any game

I think it's fun because in my mind each person would choose a game they are good at and know how to finish it quickly, but I also understand how a person would not want to do it, so maybe it can be the last alternative, thrown as a 44-3 alternative? It fits the pattern.

Really liking how the list is growing, but one category I didn't really like in the 2022 challenge because it felt too restrictive was

33-1. A “threequel” (third part of a series)

Maybe we could substitute the third part of a series for "A game from a series / franchise", Maybe worded differently hahaha but I think that this can incentivize a person to discover a game series and maybe like it or not, or even continue playing one that ended up being retired, instead of playing specifically the third one.

And some suggestions:
* A game that explores mental health themes

* A game with a player-driven economy or trading system

And I really liked the idea of "a game from the same birthday (day and month)", or atleast close to the date.

Thank you for taking the lead in organizing our challenge for 2024! These are some categories that could be fun!

* A game from a genre you don't usually play (I liked how this challenge made me reflect on my most played genres)

* A game where you don't play as the story protagonist (Might not be a wide range of games this happens)

* A Live Action game

For now I only came up with these, but I'm thinking about more suggestions.