Orestis F
LightNews LightNews
banner
balthuk.bsky.social
Orestis F
@balthuk.bsky.social
60 followers 370 following 130 posts
Something something games something something culture
Based in Greece.
My projects: https://balthuk.itch.io/
Posts Replies Media Videos
balthuk.bsky.social
A very well written review that echoes my own thoughts on Bahnsen Knights, a short and sweet interactive fiction game that effortlessly lifted me away from my house and into this ominous, electric, violent, attractive world.
I've yet to move on from it.
www.eurogamer.net/bahnsen-knig...
Bahnsen Knights is magic in general, whether it's the plot that is so light-handed at pencilling in its themes, leaving the player to do the crucial part of writing that ties the narrative together, to the way that the action finds interesting gaps for you, whether you're manoeuvring a car on a busy road or realising that you have run out of interesting things to say to a vital contact, or whether you're using a Tarot Card system to organise the case you're making against the enemies who you've had to pretend to be pals with. It takes you deep. I emerged from it all in a daze, and then I went straight back in to see what else was contained within its space.
November 17, 2025 at 11:28 PM
balthuk.bsky.social
#MÖRKTOBER Day 18 - Wither
An image of a bug-like looking creature. Wherit Elusive bugs, found in damp, crowded houses. Can grow to the size of an ant. They are attracted to living beings and suck a mysterious grey liquid from their victims. Humans affected by this creature tend to be severely depressed and become catatonic. Only know way to get rid of Wherits is: Tie down a live pet or small animal in their environment. They will feast on that creature and can easily be sprayed with a vinegar and sulfur solution.
November 12, 2025 at 4:00 PM
balthuk.bsky.social
#MÖRKTOBER Day 11 - Scales
A linocut print on old yellowed out paper. The linocut depicts a scale weighing a skull and a butterfly. A linocut print on white fabric. The linocut depicts a scale weighing a skull and a butterfly.
October 28, 2025 at 12:30 PM
balthuk.bsky.social
#MÖRKTOBER Day 9 - Thorn (2/2)
The note's text is now all out of order. It reads: Week 11111SSSS I shall accept the honor of carrying the hideous thorn. I shall accept the honor of carrying the lovely thorn. I shall accept the honor of carrying the thorn. Carry The Thorn Bear The Thorn Witness The Thorn A letter written in golden paper, with multiple symbols of a crown and a dragon. It reads: These are the final documents before the dreadful event in the village square and his disappearance. After searching through his belongings at his lodgings, a small amount of coin was retrieved, of origin and value unknown, a number of yellow candles in a spiral, unburned, and a pile of clothes haphazardly thrown in all corners of the room with liquids of unknown origin, of green colour. A villager tasked with gathering up the belongings suffered severe burns after touching the clothes. Another has been amputated on both hands after both her arms began showing signs of sepsis. She is mentally unwell as well. Urgently requesting advice from the consulate. Robert Solomon of the King's Guards
October 27, 2025 at 11:18 PM
balthuk.bsky.social
#MÖRKTOBER Day 9 - Thorn (1/2)
Notes on an official looking paper: Week 4 It is said the first occurrence was during the first recorded famine. Some malevolent beings appeared. Some called them little devils, others swear they look like short humans, with snouts and slick, oily green eyes. Writings sometimes mention a moving shadow with no visible being in front of it. In any case, an offer was made for each instance. "Would you like to be freed from hunger?" "Do you wish your gaping head wound would close instantly?" "Can it be that both you and your child will live through the drought with this little water?" Regardless of the offer, every account I’ve heard about quotes these following lines. WOULD YOU carry The Thorn for us? WOULD YOU carry The Thorn for him? WOULD YOU carry The Thorn for her? WOULD YOU carry The Thorn for them? The note reads: Week 6 Subjects report miraculous improvement in health, extraordinary -- without food or water for prolonged periods and more. After a period ranging from one or two days up to dozens of weeks from the initial encounter, phantom pains appear. Their intensity and placement on the subjects' bodies range wildly, both among the subjects as well as during their days. Suspected: poisonous local herbs, malnutrition, unstable individuals with occult religious beliefs. The note is written in a confusing manner with some faint crooked text. It reads: Week 11 ..... I need to understand. WOULD YOU carry The Thorn for us? WOULD YOU carry The Thorn for him? WOULD YOU carry The Thorn for her? WOULD YOU carry The Thorn for them? WOULD YOU carry The Thorn for us? WOULD YOU carry The Thorn for him? WOULD YOU carry The Thorn for her? WOULD YOU carry The Thorn for them? WOULD YOU carry The Thorn for us? WOULD YOU carry The Thorn for him? WOULD YOU carry The Thorn for her? WOULD YOU carry The Thorn for them?
October 27, 2025 at 11:18 PM
balthuk.bsky.social
#MÖRKTOBER Day 6 - Husk
The Sirot    Sheltered deep within the forest, in a dark, barely standing hut, a dreadful figure resides. Severely hunchbacked, with long, stretched-out limbs. Its long and narrow head, protruding, reminds one of a hyena. It has been named The Sirot. The Sirot only has a singular worry. To preserve its weavers. In their nests, spread all across the surface of the hut, lay hideously juicy bugs, with their shimmering silvery bodies squishing around, building their nests, about the size of a hazelnut. Once its construction is complete, they huddle beside it and wait.  The Sirot, with jagged nails extending from its slender fingers, punctures the nests. Inside, chrome fibers dance irrationally inside their unstable structure. It is not exactly understood what is done with these fibers. The Sirot is handling the fates of individuals. Touching them, unravelling them, tangling them up, squeezing fibers together till they cut the life off each other. The bugs will consume the husk that remains and start anew.
October 27, 2025 at 10:52 PM
balthuk.bsky.social
Time to install this one, hearing good things about it 💫⌛
Another attempt to play a game to completion, with a completion time of > 20 hours, something that I've not done successfully to reach the actual game finale since...checks notes... 2023 with Tyranny, and before that 2022 with God of War.
Screenshot from GOG Galaxy installing The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. Give me strength.
May 21, 2025 at 3:28 PM
balthuk.bsky.social
Why do I go into this trying to photobash something for MÖRK BORG and come out with an vaporwave/ glitchy electronic album cover 🙄
Photobashed image, yellow and blue, with a figure looking down at you, holding a weird object. Her nose looks chopped off, her eyes are all asymetrical.
May 19, 2025 at 11:31 PM
balthuk.bsky.social
Playing through Jusant, which is charming, and ... I might need to try out that cult of a hobby called bouldering as well 😵

And I definitely need to figure out how to look this cool in sunglasses and a poncho somehow. I think these are inspired by Inuit goggles? en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snow_go...
A screenshot from Jusant. A rocky cliffside, with sparse vegetation. The main character is standing all cool looking with their poncho, and their cool looking sunglasses. Oh and a cute, blue blobby creature is on their shoulder. Inuit goggles made from caribou antler with caribou sinew for a strap
May 15, 2025 at 9:36 AM
balthuk.bsky.social
This sums up the experience of playing this + the weirdness of posting to a social media shaped hole in a network somewhere.
Screenshot from The Talos Principle. poster with a QR message saying: Sure, I could stick around here, set my hopes on eternal life, on righting every wrong. But the closest I'll ever get is these words on the wall before you.
March 19, 2025 at 11:14 PM
balthuk.bsky.social
My screenshots folder is filled to the brim with this one. I can only imagine what the original experience of this in a basilica must have been like.
Some plants in front of a deserted stone gate, with more plants overgrown around it. A red sky. In the backround, a yellow glow. A glowing orb, eye-like and structureless, illuminating some plants with a yellow light. A b&w landscape, with a hazy light in the background, illuminating two wire fences on either side of the camera.
March 11, 2025 at 4:28 PM
balthuk.bsky.social
Add to that striking visuals, and a photo mode that has reminded me that I love photography in a digital space as well, it's safe to say I'm looking forward to the remainder.
In-game photograph, of a nun, in front of a lit candle and a traditional painting of Jesus.
February 2, 2025 at 1:00 PM
balthuk.bsky.social
The game jam experience was amazing, I loved the last few days rushing to finish my submission. I got to play around with card game balance, audio editing, art, used Arcweave for the first time.
This is what a successful jam submission looks like.
(+ a lot of dirty dishes)

Onwards and upwards!
My messy to-do lists, all crossed out.
January 15, 2025 at 10:08 PM
balthuk.bsky.social
A story told in 2 pictures, Balatro got me too😓
Played Balatro for the first time today. 4.9 hours of play time...
January 2, 2025 at 7:37 PM