Tyler’s Save File: February 2026
The month of love... or obsession.
How did I get through all this in the year’s shortest month? First, I stumbled upon three(!) games that latched onto my brain like a coked-up leech at a blood bank. Second, I needed sleep like I needed pitons and a rope—basically essential, and steadfastly refused. That’s a Cairn thing, but I digress.
This RAM shortage is wild. I fully expected to type up my hype for the Steam Machine’s release date and… well, nothing. Limbo. The more I refuse to believe the panic, the worse it gets. Hopefully, something gives without resorting to a streaming dystopia or insane “new normal” pricing. Also, let’s pretend for a bit that I’m not thinking about the 32GB of RAM I gave my brother-in-law for his computer last year.
Speaking of selfish, I’ve absolutely loved the start of this year for gaming, and February kept my sunny vibes going strong.
Cairn
I literally started dreaming of Mount Kami. It gripped me so thoroughly, I couldn’t stop thinking about the climb, day in and day out. Every handhold was a deliberate choice that became second nature each time I started over. The challenge of scaling the rockface without safety gear and permadeath turned on was exhilarating. Despite several falls, I never once felt like I wouldn’t immediately jump back onto that crevice for another go.
Aava’s obsession and devotion to reaching the summit were both inspiring and heartbreaking as the story went on. While I ultimately loved the ending I chose, it was something I had to sit with for a while and reflect on.
Mewgenics
I’m not a big fan of toilet humor or gross things in general. Looking at the newest game from the Binding of Isaac devs, I was hesitant about whether I could get past the art style and overall tone. What I wasn’t expecting was to be absolutely slack-jawed by the depth and uniqueness of every single run. It’s wild to me that I’m only a quarter of the way through, even though I’ve already sunk over fifty hours. This will be something I keep coming back to all year long.
EVE Online
I originally had The Chef’s Shift in this spot, and then, for whatever reason, my dumb brain said, “What if you gave EVE a real shot?” Well, sometimes you give the shot, and sometimes the shot… um… gives… nope, lost it.
The point is, for whatever reason, this game is all I’m thinking about as the month closes out. Maybe it’s scratching the tiny itch for Star Wars Galaxies, an MMO where you can do other things besides straight combat. Truthfully, I should’ve written this entry yesterday, when I was bright-eyed and a mining god. This morning, I’ve already lost two ships worth 100 million ISK and am feeling pretty low. But, much like Mount Kami and the theme of my year so far, I just keep climbing back up.
Roundup
Games
The Chef’s Shift — On the surface, this game is a cooking simulator where you run a restaurant. Beneath that, there’s a surprisingly good mob story. Oh, and you play the whole game by typing. It’s kinda awesome, and being able to use my keyboard collection is a bonus.
MIO: Memories in Orbit — This game immediately pulled me-o (HAH!) into the world with the fantastic art style and animation. I’m not looking for another tough Metroidvania after last month’s Nine Sols, but it might be something I come back to. The Ori vibes are a good thing.
Escape from Ever After — It has a lot of charm if you like the Paper Mario aesthetic, but it just didn’t hold my interest. Well made, though!
League of Legends —
BlitzcrankNautilusZiggs main.
Books
Tangled in Tinsel by Trilina Pucci — Look, I’m well aware it’s well past Christmas, but aside from a couple of extremely dirty Santa jokes, this is basically as much a Christmas book as Die Hard is a Christmas movie. (4/5)
Shows
A Man on the Inside (Season 2) — I don’t know what it is about Ted Danson, but he charmed the pants off me for a second time. It plays some character development a little safe, but it feels wholesome nonetheless. (4/5)
Movies
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery — It might be easy to call the whodunit early on (my wife loves it when I do that), but the route to the finale is definitely worth watching. Going in blind, it’s not the theme I expected, but I enjoyed it! (3/5)