Horses and GOG
The new indie game Horses has been banned from Steam, Epic, and now Humble. The only place to buy it legally is from Itch or GOG. I don't quite understand what specifically got the game banned, especially when it's simple to find games that violate the same rules for sale on every storefront (South Park, Hentai games, etc., which are fine and also shouldn't be banned). I think the biggest thing this shows it, just like with Itch, a small group of people are being allowed to drive the media we're allowed to consume.
This isn't a new thing. "Adult" games are being delisted or outright banned every month, typically because those games feature feature sex or LGBTQ+ themes. It's bullshit and hopefully this helps people focus on how it's a problem that a handful of storefronts decide what games we play. This problem has existed my entire life, and people were debating the impact big box stores had on consumer choice in the 80s when I was growing up. It felt like the Internet was going to democratize things, and I guess it did for a while, but now we're back with a handful of big companies controlling the overwhelming majority of the market.
I think voting with your dollars is important, and not supporting companies that don't align with your values is one of the most important things we can do in this "free market." With that said, there's no such thing as a blameless corporation and it's hard to enjoy games, or even support creators that are important to us, without eventually heading to Steam or Epic.
I'm not sure what the solution is right now, but I'm going to throw a few bucks to GOG and get Horses there. Below are a links to some games that you may also enjoy, all for less than US$2 each.
The RTS I played more than any other. This is the Commander Pack and includes things like the expansion packs as well. This was the first RTS to use 3d units. Build, explore, and destroy using tanks and planes!
This game got me back into adventure games when it came out. I remember buying the jewel case at a Walmart (ironically) and enjoying it a lot. There's a remastered version out now, but this one still holds up well.
Another P&C game but this time with a clown that interacts with the world primarily through hugging. The puzzles are pretty light but the atmosphere, story, and music are all top-notch. If you haven't played this you really should. Jay Tholen also made Hypnospace Outlaw!
It's DOSember so enjoy this Apogee platformer in all it's glory. I don't love this era of PC gaming, the games didn't grab me at the time, especially when I had Mario 3 on the NES, but I've enjoyed going back and playing through them now. I probably won't ever beat either of these, but it's a fun way to spend an hour. There's an updated version of this as well.
See above.
A fun and hilarious game that is a blast to play with younger kids. It's silly and simple and oozes charm.