Goodbye 2024
Well then. Twenty-twenty-five, at last we meet. Fireworks, presents, final examsā¦ But first, a time for me to reflect upon the year past. Buckle up, get some tea, this is a long one.
2024 was a year like no other, which seems to be part of the
course ever since 2020. Much happened in the world beyond,
though I neither care nor want to list everything here. It was
a big enough year for me personally. Having finally finished
high school, I set out on the path to higher education - and in
fact lucked into precisely the field and university I wanted. I
also re-discovered the love for reading - and found more games
to play in the process. And, as a relatively recent yet
noticeable and welcome change, I at last began re-evaluating
how I approach the digital side of life. I canāt even put
everything here - it would be an understatement to call this
the best year of my life in a while. The best yet? Who knows.
What matters is ensuring it doesnāt become the best ever.
:)
Education
Higher! Better! Faster! Oh-god-exams-in-a-week! This year
saw me move out of the cosy nest of my school and into the
equally exciting and dreadful world of university. After not
having to prepare for anything and generally living with a
somewhat relaxed approach to formal education, a place where
you can quite literally be expelled for failing was one hell of
a cold shower. I canāt deny that it did wonders for my
productivity, but it remains to be seen at what cost. Rest
assured, Iām still getting my concerningly long sleep, as
hobbies were sacrificed instead. :')
Iāll skip elaborating on the choice of university. I knew which one I wanted to go to since September, and to the horror of my parents - and amusement of my peers - it wasnāt the one I was planning on for the previous many years. I didnāt have a Plan B or C, as it was unlikely I wouldnāt be admitted somewhere internally.
Despite knowing I wanted to pursue a degree in āCSā for a while, it was hard to settle on what exactly that entails in practise. Computer Science is an enormous field with wildly different specialisations. Though most of us code, a āweb devā and a ādata scientistā are unlikely to use the same tools or have the same skills. In the end, for me it boiled down to a choice between Software Engineering (SE), Information Security (InfoSec) and what I will refer to as Theoretical Computer Science (TCS) to differentiate.
I knew Iād be most happy in SE - I love ācodingā and working with computers while avoiding āalgorithmsā and other āmathematicalā parts of the field. Iādo do decent in InfoSec as I had relevant experience in competitions and olympiads. TCS would be a recipe for misery, with far too much math and several mostly academic disciplines, which annoy me as someone who heavily prefers things with a practical purpose. As such, when submitting my application, I naturally placed TCS at the top, followed by InfoSec, and didnāt put SE anywhere at all. Yeah.
Why? I suppose it was idealism with some overconfidence sprinkled in. You see, while some programmers struggle with impostor syndrome, I know that I am already perfect and could definitely dive into a codebase or create something new. More seriously, I do believe that the difficulty of learning āprogrammingā is overblown, and didnāt think I needed an education focused on what Iām already decent at. Instead, I sought to improve on my weaker points - math. I know that without an incentive I wouldnāt learn it, and you never know when it might come in handy. That traditional CS is sometimes slightly more valued in job searching was also a factor, as was the fact that an education focused on fundamentals is one more likely to be useful long term. Besides, we have a course on compilers - how cool is that?! For the record, not trying to downplay the value of SE or InfoSec, both great degrees.
At the start of the academic year, I believe it was our dean
who suggested spending the first semester how weād want to
spend all the rest. For how simple that advise was, it is
precisely it that kept me from going very easy on myself or
cheating on exams. I have not cheated in any meaningful
capacity, and in fact failed an exam for it. I wish this was a
weak flex, but youād be surprised how much some āCS studentsā
dread CS. While the Cool Kidsā¢ were out partying and using
ChatGPT, I was studying the blade Scheme Programming
Language and Ivan IVās correspondence. The Tsar had a lot to
say about functional programming, by the way. Itās hard not to
be slightly bitter about the way things work, but you know
what, thatās what I signed up for. Striving to beat
āfreeloadersā in life is a good motivating factor.
The reason for dedicating such effort to studying is not some imagined virtuous superiority to my peers, but rather (like with much else), fear. You see, I messed up during the pandemic-induced online studying and never managed to truly recover. I couldnāt become an engineer because I neglected physics, I had to needlessly struggle because I didnāt pay attention in math. I know first hand the dangers of incurring academic debt and falling behind. Never again.
Things experienced
Reviews. This is what this site was originally about, yet I find my skills in this regard lacking. What to say but the same āIt was great, why would I play a game that wasnātā and āThis book had a plot and I enjoyed itā? Nonetheless, it feels appropriate to look back at what I went through this year. Below is a list of some of the games & books I experienced menu-to-credits, front-to-back, in 2024. I wrote down a short āreviewā for each. I hope this helps me avoid being like that Emerson guy below. (I really liked the quote and wanted to insert it)
āI cannot remember the books Iāve read any more than the meals I have eaten; even so, they have made me.ā
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
Letās see whatās on this thing
Stardew Valley
I was convinced this was a typo on Steam Replayās side, but nope, started January. My confusion might stem from how much I played Stardew for a game thatās new to me, let alone one in an unfamiliar genre. Most of the playtime was in spring, which tells you everything you need to know about how miraculous it is that Iām in university.
I donāt know why SDV captivated me so much. I am not one for farming, ācuteā or ācozyā games, and I feel more comfortable in either a linear journey with hand-holding or a total sandbox - this game is awkwardly in the middle. For all intents and purposes, I should not have enjoyed it as much as I did. And yet I did. Perhaps precisely because itās a middle ground and offers both freedom to do your own thing and a progression of āstoryā. Will keep an eye on the ālife simā genre in the future, as well as wait for the right time to get back into this particular time-sink, perhaps with mods added in. The two-week Minecraft phase now has a farming-themed friend.
OneShot
I finally booted up OneShot in February after sustained nagging from an acquaintance (hi Nick!) over quite a while. It was a bit ironic playing it through a virtual machine, as the Linux support is dodgy and the World Machine Edition wasnāt out yet.
Itās a short indie with a 4th wall gimmick and a story thatās neat but (subjectively) not āmind blowingā. Yet it simply has a vibe that radiates throughout, making it a warm, even if short, memory. As an interesting observation, I guarantee you are bound to occasionally run into someone spotting a Niko profile image on the internet.
The Talos Principle II
Line-of-sight puzzles, text and audio logs. I did not expected The Talos Principle to become one of my favourite videogame series, period. Yet I canāt not love it for the warmly optimistic view of humanity it takes - even if neither game features āhumansā. In a world of doom and gloom, The Talos Principle II shines with by taking a stand - you know, people are pretty awesome. Though the sequelās vibrant cast break the sense of solitude (as the theme and story demand), the memorable moments of reading quotes from ancient texts, real or otherwise, on old-fashioned terminals are still here, now with breathtaking views in the background. And, of course, so are tons of extremely clever puzzles - and ways to cheese some of them. This time, there was more variety in puzzle mechanics, which I found welcome.
Road to Elysium was memorable because, among other things, I finally decided to take my time with a puzzle and see it to the end instead of rushing, even if it takes a while. I played it over a whole month, but finished all 3 storylines 100%. The DLC was definitely a very welcome addition.
A Space for the Unbound
You know, itās somewhat funny. One day I claim indies with
āā¦ as metaphor for mental healthā as a trope are a tired
concept, and the next Iām playing - and praising - this. This
was a lovely game, to be honest. Absolutely gorgeous art
style with an interesting take on 3D navigation in a 2D space
to back it up and an intriguing story with a couple moments
where everything suddenly falls into place mean Iāll remember
it for a while. My 3rd favourite āEnd of the world, sort ofā
story? :P
Hollow Knight
I tried, okay? It pains me that I could not truly enjoy HK, and feel a little emmbarassed every time I mention that to my friends, many of whom did. I donāt want to blame the game or genre for my apparent inability to love the tough-yet-fair combat, the sense of being lost, and the non-linearity of not just the absent story, but the progression itself. Because thatās part of what makes Hollow Knight great! I suppose this was an exercise in accepting that not every āgoodā game is a one I will enjoy. Nonetheless, waiting for Silksong. If itāll ever releaseā¦
Lacuna and Between Horizons
Had to group these two together. The 2D solve-a-murder-oh-god-it-gets-worse games by DigiTales Interactive were a surprise hit for me. The concept of picking an answer out of countless options and only getting OneShotā¢ at it was very interesting, and the stress of not knowing whether you were right until after some time made it doubly so. Alas, I am still grappling with FOMO in regards to getting The Good Ending and found myself looking up a couple answers, which was all the worse because I only did that to check the conclusions I already came to - and it turned out I had perfect (Stellar?!) performance every a single time! I didnāt even need it, ughā¦ hopefully I wonāt spoil myself like this in the coming year, and will instead trust my absolutely perfect sleuthing instincts.
The Stanley Parable: Ultra Duluxe
Iāll admit it, Iām a āprivateerā. Or, rather, was one before I got my own money and moved to Linux where paying Gabe Newell is simply more convenient than messing with bottles of wine. Iād like to think I ended up paying for everything I acquired throughā¦ alternative means. At the very least, thatās what I want lawyers to think. Whatever the case, this summer sale I suddenly remembered really enjoying The Stanley Parable: UD when it released, and ruled my memory of it was distant enough to try again.
This was a joy to go through. Though some of the jokes didnāt land as well because I vaguely remembered them, the themes of corporate greed and squeezing any idea dry instead of letting go hit even more.
Firewatch
Another case of putting off a game because I already know the ending, Firewatch was saved by a 95% sale meaning I got it for less than a hot dog at my universityās cafeteria. I thought watching a YouTube essay a few years ago meant I knew everything. Boy, was I wrong. Firewatch was a pleasant way to spend an evening, with its famous art-style (how often do you see a fire lookout tower wallpaper?), interesting (though eventually tiring) gameplay of navigating the world with a map, and a story that isnāt, in fact, ruined by the ending - having played and learned context, I actually found it fitting. I think a quote from a certain series perfectly encapsulates why I was wrong about writing off Firewatch:
āThe ending isnāt any more important than any of the moments leading up to it.ā
- Kan Gao, āTo the Moonā
The Witness
Closing the trio of āI know how it goes, yet here we areā is a weird pretension by Jonahton Blow that looks like a puzzle. Jokes aside, while I do think I wouldāve gotten more out of The Witness had I not known the twistā¢, I do think itās an enjoyable game to just turn everything off and sit with your thoughts to. Havenāt actually finished it yet, as university got in the way and couldnāt find time to pick it up (despite doing many other things since, yes). Will definitely return to it at some point, as I want to figure out all the puzzles I came across but didnāt get.
Satisfactory
Factory building. Factories. Impo- wait no, thatās a different kind of factory. For years, I looked at the factory building genre with longing. They sound so fun - building your own complicated base and in a way solving optimisation and logistic puzzles! The problem, of course, is that building said bases usually takes lots of time, which I sadly didnāt have before - and donāt have now, either. Nevertheless, I figured it canāt be that bad, and jumped into Satisfactory after the v1.0 release. It wasā¦ fun! Really fun! I loved trying to optimise energy and build my own sick idea of infrastructure, and the first-person nature meant the game was both pleasant to look at and had mostly familiar - or easily learned - controls. As with The Witness, I had to stop playing to not fall behind academically before even reaching coal production. But ONE DAY I WILL RETURN TO YOUR SIDE.
Just a To the Moon Series Beach Episode
Speaking of Impostor Factories, the first half of
the conclusion to a video-game series beloved by me was
released in September. Of course, I immediately neglected the
exam that was 3 days away for the occasion and played it
there and then. What a game. I canāt call it a good
stand-alone entry, instead it feels like a very long
epilogue. But I also canāt call it underwhelming. On
the contrary, it left me speechless, and though many of the
answers to looming questions were āexpectedā, that didnāt
make them any less impactful. For reasons I mentioned above,
Iām not ārecommendingā JaTtMSBE here. Instead, Iām
recommending the whole To the Moon series. Each game
is equally amazing, and we are even getting the
third final game one dayā¢.
I must be in a simulation by the way, because I scored 20/20 on the exam.
Digital Minimalism
If you were around me in the past two months, this is your que to exclaim āAha! So thatās why the sudden switch to hating technology!ā
Over the past year, Iāve become increasingly concerned
with my, and everyone elseās, usage of technology. Having
always sneered at the āphonebadā crowd, I am now the one
ringing the alarm. This book isnāt a cause, itās an effect of
how I feel. Even if much of the advise doesnāt fit my
situation (good luck leaving your smart-phone at home as a CS
student), I think reading it gave me the energy to pick on a
fight - that I probably canāt yet win. But I will eventually!
Just you watch me become a hermit distinguished
gentleman who needs no internets!
How the Steel was Forged
After reading some Bulgakov, I really needed a break fromā¦ whatever it was. Capitalism? Bourgeoisie? Though I wouldnāt categorise myself as a āsocialistā, let alone a ācommunistā, I firmly have a favourite side in the 1917 revolution. And mr. āowning a 7-room apartment is fine because Iām a doctorā just isnāt that.
I often heard this book mentioned as a prime example of what is sometimes called āsocialist realismā, and it did not disappoint. It was a slightly hard read at times, particularly toward the end, but that is for the better. āWe ought to read the kind of books that wound and stab usā, right?
āā¦Š Š¾Š½, Š”ŠµŃŠ³ŠµŠ¹, ŃŠ±ŠøŠ²Š°ŠµŃ Š“Š»Ń ŃŠ¾Š³Š¾, ŃŃŠ¾Š±Ń ŠæŃŠøŠ±Š»ŠøŠ·ŠøŃŃ Š“ŠµŠ½Ń, ŠŗŠ¾Š³Š“Š° Š½Š° Š·ŠµŠ¼Š»Šµ ŃŠ±ŠøŠ²Š°ŃŃ Š“ŃŃŠ³ Š“ŃŃŠ³Š° Š½Šµ Š±ŃŠ“ŃŃ.ā
- ŠŠøŠŗŠ¾Š»Š°Š¹ ŠŃŃŃŠ¾Š²ŃŠŗŠøŠ¹, āŠŠ°Šŗ Š·Š°ŠŗŠ°Š»ŃŠ»Š°ŃŃ ŃŃŠ°Š»Ńā
To Kill a Mockingbird
I read this book as a kid, and though I didnāt remembered much, I did remember that it was part of how I almost ended up pursuing Law as a degree. On a re-read in original language, itās really a Great book. I donāt think I can put it into words, itās simply Great with a capital G. I highly recommend it to everyone.
āI wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. Itās when you know youāre licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what. You rarely win, but sometimes you do.ā
- Harper Lee, āTo Kill a Mockingbirdā
GRIS
You thought A Space for the Unbound was gonna be the last? Nope, more magical-game-about-being-sad. Gris is.. Iām gonna say it. Itās a A Bird Story-like. Or a Journey-like. Abirdjournia. Yes, I like the sound of that. Gris is an abirdjournia, which, if you are familiar with either Journey or A Bird Story (a huge stretch), means that itās a game so dedicated to show-donāt-tell and so deep into the layers of metaphor you start to second guess if itās actually a metaphor or just pretty-looking and sounding nonsense. Though to be fair, in this case I got what the game was going for. And it is indeed pretty and good-sounding.
KLETKA
KLETKA is a co-op survival game thatās somewhat similar to
Lethal Company. You and a group of friends descend down an
infinite soviet housing block full of anomalies in an
elevator that wants to devour you. Itās extremely fun and
funny, and I canāt wait to see what the updates bring. But
this isnāt why itās here. Itās here because itās the latest
way me and my close friends have been passing the time, and
thatās what makes it special. :)
Honourable mentions
I couldnāt hope to list everything, especially as I try to actually release this post by 2025. Here are some of the things I simply didnāt have time to write about (or I couldnāt find enough to write about). If I find the energy, might expand on some of these in an edit.
Books:
- Dune (not the movie)
- The Man In the High Castle
- Prisoners of Geography
- Make it Stick
Games:
- Ultrakill (hi Shadow!)
- American Arcadia
- Rakuenā¦
- ā¦and Mr. Saitou
- Return of the Obra Dinn
What comes next
I donāt know, really. But itās time for a resolution. People say itās a bad idea, they say resolutions never work, but I never made one and hey, itās my life and this sounds fun! I suppose 3 nice goals to strive for in 2025 are these:
- Avoid having to re-take any exams, keep total screen time under 6h daily
- Finish at least 6 books and 3 games from my backlog
- Delete most of my online accounts and backup all of my data to local servers
Sounds manageable, right? Though this list is heavily biased by what was already on my mind, I find all 3 to be good ideas and not too ambitious to wake up on January the 1st and wonder āwhat was I thinking?!ā.
End
I guess this wraps it up. There was originally much more in this post, even a hall of shame for things I wasted money on, but I decided to keep it short. Going into 2025, in some strange version of DunningāKruger effect, I feel like I simultaneously know more and less about what I want from life and what I find interesting. Perhaps thatās called growing up. Perhaps Iāll find all the answers in the coming months.
Genuinely excited for the next year. So many plans, so many ideas, so so SO MUCH! What surprises me is how fast and yet slow time flies. Hour-to-hour, thereās more time on my hands than ever before. Yet I look at the calendar and wow, I couldāve sworn it was still November!
See you in another (countdown to 2026 here), eh?