Frequently Asked Questions

What is this?

This is Confessions of a Crap Gamer, a blog about video games run by a guy who is admittedly not exactly the best at video games.

So you suck at games?

Well, I'm not the worst gamer ever but... yeah, I have no delusions about being any good when it comes to games.

 So what started this whole mess?

My friends pestered me into it. Honestly I was initially against being "yet another pointless gaming blog." But several of my friends look to me for opinion on games, and I've been playing video games for years so... might as well start writing about some of the more interesting games I've encountered. I don't have any plans for becoming anything big, but hopefully at least a couple people get some use out of it.

Besides, I had nothing better to do.
 

What's this blog about?

Currently, I write reviews about PC games, leaning somewhat towards hidden gems or obscure or overlooked titles, though I don't have many hard and fast rules on what I can and can't review. Just that they need to be available digitally on PC.

To be honest, while I say I write reviews - and I do try to give a fair look at any given game's strengths and weaknesses - The truth is it's more like I write recommendations. I tend to pick what games to cover based almost entirely on wither or not I think people might be interested in them. Basically, I see my job here as less separating the good from the bad, and more pointing out games worth looking at that might have slipped under the radar.

Hidden gems? So is the blog only about obscure stuff?

I don't have any hard rules about what games can or can't be covered by the blog. But when given the chance, I like pointing people to interesting stuff they might have overlooked, and I shy away from popular titles somewhat.

Why? Do you hate popular games?

Not at all! I've played plenty of big name games like Portal and Civilization V, the only reason I shy away from talking about them is because I feel my doing so is somewhat pointless. Plenty of people much more talented than myself have talked at great length about these games. I'm sure most readers are well aware of how excellent these games are, and don't really care what I think about them or want to read yet another Dark Souls or XCOM review.

Why downloadable PC games only?

I only cover PC games because I prefer to get my own screenshots, and I don't have the gear necessary to readily get material on other systems. I also restrict myself to downloadable games because I want to recommend games that people can readily get hold of. Digital distribution means that for any game I review, I can simply point to the game's store page on Steam, GoG, or wherever else it might be available.

This is extremely useful for older games that would otherwise be out of print. Even with sites like Amazon making things easier, getting hold of older games second-hand can be both difficult and extremely expensive. Using sites like GoG lets me bypass this.

What games do you play?

I'll play almost anything. I lean a somewhat towards RPGs and strategy games, and I like racing, but I also have plenty of action games, bullet hell shooters, etc.. I'm not a picky gamer.

Also, I'm a bit of a sucker for good Pinball game. I'm not all that great at pinball, but I love playing it.

Anything you don't like?

I'm not very big on horror games. I don't like being scared, I don't like things jumping at me. While I do enjoy some games that incorporate bits of horror, like Allan Wake or Left 4 Dead, A lot of Horror games don't sit well with me. on the whole it's not really my thing add I'm honestly not the guy you want to look to for thoughts on games like Five Nights at Freddy's or Amnesia.

What stores do you check when reviewing games?

I check the following stores to see if a game is available:

Steam
GoG
GamersGate
Desura
The game's website where available

I can check other stores if there's major demand for it, but I'm not interested in being super-comprehensive on this. I have most of the popular sites covered, so that should do it for most games.

How about soundtracks?

I check Steam and Bandcamp for soundtracks. Again I can check other places if there's enough demand. I know for example, that GoG often includes the soundtrack with games there as an extra, though it's common enough bonus there that I tend not to make any note of it.

What about DLC and Expansions?

If I use any important ones? I'll be sure to note it in my review. I'll note most classic games tend to be available as a gold or complete edition that includes all expansions or DLC. In those cases I'll be sure to note if something is actually missing.

What about Early Access titles?

I don't review early access games. I don't hate them, I actually have quite a few games that are or at least were on early access. it's just the problem with early access is the game could change drastically, or worse yet, get canceled and either one would make my review worthless. I'd rather wait until a game is fully out before reviewing, though I could figure out a way to do early access reviews if there's a demand for it.