Sports Betting Reviews 2020 - Online Sportsbook Ratings

I don't know if this will be useful to anyone. So I write a line or two about every game I play, and decided to find all the incremental in my game journal and post them here. It starts with the latest games I've played and I think goes back to several years back. One thing I've realized is I have such a love-hate-hate relationship with this genre since I think I've hated 90% of the games and 100% of myself after each incremental phase. I usually angrily stop playing them for a while and restart them again, so this is more or less a journal of addiction, I suppose.
THE BEST GAMES I'VE PLAYED ARE THESE (no order):

1. Kittens Game
2. Antimatter Dimensions
3. Oil Tycoon

Honorable Mention: Eggs, Inc
The rest: more or less hated it
Additional comment if you decide to scan through it, I complain a lot, so it is perfectly reasonable and normal to think, "why the fuck are you even playing these games, idiot??".
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Time Idle RPG
This game was confusing. It tells me the game's resources is time, where you get 1 of it every second, but that's not really something as unique as I assumed. It would have been cool if time as resources meant you used it to deal with something related to time. Maybe time travel? Maybe slowing and speeding time?
Instead time as resource buys you stuff like a library. And then you buy a camp or something. Honestly, I wasn't really feeling it.
2
Path of Idling
The biggest cardinal sin for me when it comes to incremental is when a game has a lot of features and it just completely throws them all at you instantly. The joy of a great incremental is how things slowly open up and each new achievement feels progress.
The game is a RPG game and these are the things that opened up for me in the first few hours.
Combat which includes normal fighting, dungeon, raid, boss, PVP (locked, but it just needs an ascend, which I haven't done)
Skills
Hero upgrades which include Passive (strength, defence, stamina, intelligence), Train, and a huge Tree
Town which you can buy workers who get you various things like gold, orbs, knowledge, etc. You can upgrade stuff here.
Quest that also includes Perks and Skill quests.
Gear which 5 equipment slots, plus craft plus trade plus smelt
Also gear for your Pet, which is also another tab!
Now, here is the thing. Because I have all of this pretty much instantly, I don't really know which ones are helping me go past a well. How is adding 10 points in strength helping me? Should I have added five in strength instead and five in defence? I have already bought 20 or so upgrades in the Tree, but I have no idea if I am made the optimal choice. There is no real excitement with getting new gear. And so on.
The dev has added a lot of features, now it's time to rework the game, and have the features take their time.
2
Idle Slayer
The game is like a super simple platformer. Your character is running and any enemy it hits, it automatically slays it. There is no HP, and all enemies die in one shot. Your only active play is jumping occasionally to grab coins or hit the flying enemies. Also, you have a run skill that has a cool down.
With the coins, we get new weapons that give us more coins. Enemies give us souls which is used for the prestige system that provides us with an interesting skill tree which provides a lot of choices on the path you want to do in terms of upgrades.
So far excellent, however, the game has an extremely serious issue of pacing. The game initially progresses so fast that in the first hour or so, you get almost all the weapons aside from the last two, which then grinds down to a snail pace. You can upgrade your past weapons, but they never really get into play again. Reaching high levels of past weapons sometimes gave me upgrades of that weapon of 10,000% but they still did nothing to my overall coin per second. I think the pacing needs to be fully reworked. It would have been nice to get new weapons after certain prestige cycles, so that every new weapon feels like we have passed a significant wall. The best part of an incremental game for me is to face a wall, and when I finally break it, I feel powerful again for a while. This game feels like this though, powerful powerful powerful powerful WALL........break it....WALL. And so on. I'm still playing it as I want to get some of the skills, but I feel like it could have been so much better.
4
Exponential Idle
A very back to the foundation kind of incremental. The premise is that you are a student and working on a formula. There is a neat story where as you progress in the game, your character progresses through university. Each upgrade gives you more and more automation until I reached a stage where I would check back once every 2 or 3 days, click a 2nd layer prestige reset, and close it. Meaning the game was something like 5 seconds of game player every 2 days. I just opened it for this review and realized I had reached the end game. The story wraps up and it tells me "You can take a rest. Travel a bit. Go outside!" NO, DON'T TELL ME WHAT TO DO GAME.
3
Factoid
Factoid & Spark should have the same review as they are almost the same game with only small differences. The games are the most basic kind of incremental, where you buy something with resources, until you get the next thing which gives you more of the resources. Both give you upgrades to speed things up, and finally prestige and it's own prestige upgrades. That's it. It's nice little change of pace from all the recent incremental that sometimes do too much, but obviously due to the very simple nature of it, it does eventually feel pointless, specially after you more or less open up everything and the prestige upgrades just keep repeating.
3
Spark
Factoid & Spark should have the same review as they are almost the same game with only small differences. The games are the most basic kind of incremental, where you buy something with resources, until you get the next thing which gives you more of the resources. Both give you upgrades to speed things up, and finally prestige and it's own prestige upgrades. That's it. It's nice little change of pace from all the recent incremental that sometimes do too much, but obviously due to the very simple nature of it, it does eventually feel pointless, specially after you more or less open up everything and the prestige upgrades just keep repeating. 3
Antimatter Dimensions
Easily top 5 incremental on mobile. Does everything perfectly. You progress nicely, and when new features open it, not only is it rewarding but more importantly, it keeps adding new dimensions (lol) to the game. I'd at the end game as I write this, and I realize that there was no point in the game where it felt stale. Each new prestige layer made the game feel fresh and almost like a new incremental game.
5
Melvor Idle
It seems this game was mainly aimed at Runescape players, which is probably why it didn't click for me. It also run extremely slow on my phone which also played a part in me not really getting into.
2
A Girl Adrift
The animation is really pretty and is a nice change of pace for incrementals, but I didn't really like the too much active play. Really had to keep going back and forth to different areas to do the fishing which got too repetitive for me.
You travel to different areas of the map to catch fish, which you get points and then you upgrade stuff, but I didn't really find any real excitement about the upgrades because I kept having to go back to previous areas to fish similar creatures.
3
Archer: Danger Phone
I'm really annoyed how terrible of a game this was. Two things I like, the TV show "Archer" and incremental games, and it's done in the most lazy manner. The game is the worst aspect of idle games where it's just a straight path of clicking the next upgrade with absolutely zero decision making. Every once in a while there is a mini game where Archer gets to shoot others but it's done in the most basic form of early 2000s flash games, where the animation budget is probably 3 dollars. Same static background and both enemies and Archer have just two animation frames. The absolute laziness of it is almost insulting to the player, because it feels like we aren't even worth the effort.
There is an Archer story in the game which develops really fast, which is the only positive part, but no voice acting is again another evidence that the creators of the game weren't given any budget for this.
1
Home Quest
This game is way too slow. You have to collect materials to build your settlement but everything takes time, so you click for a few seconds, and then you have to leave the game. Which I'm fine with, but the problem isn't the idle part of it, it's how the idle part of it combines with constant checking of the game which annoys me. I like an idle game where you forget to start the game for a day, you come up to a lot of resources, but this is a game which needs you to check back in every 30 minutes or an hour to really get anywhere. I felt that the micromanagement was getting worse as I progressed (without any actual thing to do when I am active in the game) that made me give up.
2
Idle Industry
This is probably an interesting game, but I gave up because the one thing I really disliked was the amount of resources and manufacturing that very quickly opens to you. You can buy raw materials, and you can either sell these raw materials or turn them into finished goods and sell them either. And each of these has several upgrade options (increase selling price, increase production, etc). Without even really getting too deep into the game, I have around 20 raw materials and around 30 finished products. A satisfying part of this genre is to have things slow open up for you, which gives me a decent feeling of satisfaction. But the money I got would quickly open up new products, so I would just jump ahead and purchase more expensive ones, and after a while I had a lot of materials and products at zero, and was instead focusing on latter ones.
2
Masters of Madness
Somewhat neat atmosphere and visuals, but too much active clicking. Click, upgrade to get more per clicks, get minions to get you some points without clicking, typical clicker, but with the added benefit of almost no idling. I like idling incrementals but clickers is a hard no from me.
1
Soda Dungeon 2
Basically similar to the first one, as far as I could tell. I did "finish" it but maybe I shouldn't have, since it really is the same thing from early on, specially once you get all the heroes and you kind of sort out which characters work best, then it's just the same. But because it was somewhat short and no real wall, it was at least easy to stick to it to the end.
2
Bacterial Takeover
Played for a decent amount and was actually more interesting that I thought, given the buttload of ad incentives. You create and upgrade bacteria, attack planets, and eventually go into a blackhole to prestige. Most of the game was good, but the part that killed it for me was the prestige system. Once you prestige, planets get super easy to attack, which becomes a lot of active play. I realized that each prestige was taking me at least 30 minutes to get to where I was, and it was just meaningless clicking. It got to a point where I was putting off prestige because it seemed like it would be a hassle so I stopped.
2
LogRogue
Cute graphics. The hero sort of hopping to hit the tiny monsters is cute to look at, but how long can you look at it and do nothing before you realize that it's boring? I suppose this is a game where it's just not for me. I don't like to have my phone open on a game and just watch it like a crazy person and do nothing. My rule is simple for incrementals. While the app is open, be active, if there isn't any choices to make, close the app while resources build up or whatever. I don't like it being open while I do nothing.
3
A Kittens Game
Incremental games are so strange. I get in and out of the phases. I loved this for so long and so obsessively that I wanted to only play incremental games. And then, just like that, I was wondering why the fuck I was wasting my time with this. Has happened countless times before.
But still probably the best incremental ever.
5
A Dark Room
An incremental cult classic of sorts but I don't find it really matches the genre. There is a bit of incremental at the beginning with people huts and stuff but then its just a ascii exploring game, which wasn't interesting to me.
2
Little Healer
Saw it mentioned in the Reddit incremental forum in one of the posts and thought it was a healer themed incremental which sounded neat. But it's like being a healer in a raid in World of Warcraft without any if the extras. Just a couple of bars representing your team mates and you healing them while they fight the boss. I didn't even like playing the healer in WoW so no way would I play this game.
1
Clickie Zoo
Started playing for a few days until I realized there a beta released with the dev reworking the game completely from scratch and releasing it as "Idle Zoo Tycoon". So, played that instead but this seemed like a game I would enjoy anyway.
4
Idling to Rule the Gods
The UI and one drawing if your character is really ugly enough to be distracting to me. The game, seemed interesting and I eventually was into it, but seems like a game that has been constantly being updated, which is not always a good thing, because features are obviously updated regularly to it, making the whole thing a bit bloaty.
I guess, this is the problem with this game for me, it's too fat. Also, one main part of the game is that your character creates Shadow Clones up to a maximum limit. Which is fine except the clones can't be made in offline mode. This might not be a big deal in its original web browser game but that doesn't work as well in a mobile format.
2
Realm Grinder
This is one of the really popular incremental and it's fanbase seems to love it for it's depth, but to be honest, I don't play these games for the depth, I play it for the simple dopamine rush of doing the same thing over and over again. It relaxes.
Although, I didn't even get to the depth part because I dislike games where it rushes in the beginning. I constantly bought buildings, got spells, and got upgrades without even looking at the description. Apparently, later on, we can get complicated race upgades, which seems not what I'm looking for in such a genre.
2
Spaceplan
A short (!!) incremental with an actual story (!!!). That's two cool points for it but unfortunately, the game mechanics of increment genre isn't so good. It's a space game with nice visuals and a great ending (cool music set to cool graphics) but the game itself wasn't really that fun. This same exact game would have been better in a different genre (maybe something like "Out There"?)
3
Zombidle
Felt like idle games again and this is the kind of examples that kept me away. Too much clicking and seems like advancement will start to get irritating since it relies on IAPs
2
Eggs, Inc
While I was playing it, Eggs, Inc was probably my favorite Android game I had ever played. But like most incremental games, there comes a moment when I suddenly stop and think, what am I doing?
Because there is something fascinating about Incrementals. Their addictiveness is in a way the whole point. An incremental is less of a game and more an act of electronic addictiveness. What's the point?
Eggs, Inc is a very well made and fun incremental but even the best in its genre is still pointless.
4
Castle Clicker
Supposedly a mix of incremental and city building but didn't really find out since the clickings were way to much. I know this is supposed to be the genre but I like the incremental part more than the tapping part. This seemed to be a good way to hurt your fingers.
2
Endless Era
This RPG clicker game is like other such games but with horrible GUI and animations. Tap tap tap. It's my fault for downloading such games. Why would I ever think this would be fun???
1
Idle Quote
An incremental game with a unique twist. This time we get to make up quotes! The first negative about the game and this irritates me a lot is most of the quotes are fake. A quick search on Google and this proves it. Quotes are generally attributed to Buddha or Ghandi or shit like that and it's usually fake like most quotes on the internet. This kills the major possible advantage of the game because I thought coming up with arbitrary words would at least give me some quotes to learn. Aside from the this, the game isn't fun either because it slows down very quickly meaning you combine words very slowly at a certain stage of the game and then it becomes a boring grind.
2
Monster Miser
An incremental game with almost no graphics. We just see character portraits of monsters which we buy and then upgrade until we buy the next monster. Eventually we prestige which gives us multipliers. The only game choice is choosing between two monsters with each new monster with unique benefits. Annoyingly there is a max limit which I wish didn't exist because I wanted to prestige so much that I would be over powerful in upgrading like that "Idle Oil Tycoon". Still, pointless but reasonably fun.
3
Pocket Politics
An incremental take on politics sounds fun but it's so generic that it could have been about anything. A Capitalist idle game or a cooking idle game, it wouldn't matter. IAP was also the usual shitty kind.
1
Time Clickers
A shooter incremental sounds like a cool twist but it's not a FPS like I imagined it would be. I'm just stuck in a room and I was shooting blocks. Upgrades didn't give me any enjoyment since I was shooting fucking blocks.
1
Tap Tap Fish - Abyssrium
I thought this was going to be relaxing incremental but the ridiculous and generic IAPs and all the social integeration spoil it. Too much time is spent in them asking you to buy or share or tweet or post or give them a blowjob. And there is nothing relaxing about that.
2
Cartoon 999
Incremental game about comic book writers, but not the marvel DC kind, it seemed to be the webcomic one and I think it's a Korean developer so all the characters and injokes made no sense to me. The whole thing was just targeted to a very specific audience.
2
Dungeon Manager
Incremental games need to be simple but this is beyond simple, it's just upgrade a fighter to level 5, go to next dungeon character, do the same, and just continue without any of the delicious balancing of upgrades like other idle games.
2
Final Fortress
Incremental games are already pointless but when it's super heavy on IAP than its also annoying, but when it always has bugs that doesn't register my offline earnings, then it just needs a uninstall in its face.
The zombie skin was also crappy.
1
Mana Maker
Here is how I know this clicker isn't very good. It doesn't make me hate all clickers and my life and mobile gaming in general for being so addictive and pointless.
So fail, sorry.
2
Infinity Dungeon
The usual incremental RPG that I should probably never play again. Starts simple enough and then gets more or a chore as you play.
1
Another incremental game which I had promised myself not to play anymore because they are so pointless and repetitive and endless. Well, this wasn't infinite and had a goal at 999 level so I thought it was good but while the humor was cute, the game did become very repetitive. Every 10 levels the slimes changed but after every 100 levels the whole thing restarted and while the monsters got stronger, I seemed to get even stronger. So the game became easier as I progressed and there was no more challenge. By level 800, I gave up.
2
Tap Dungeon RPG
Okay, I'm running out of ways to complain about those incremental RPG games that all have similar problems. It starts off reasonably fast and fun but soon it seems like I am in a data entry job. Doing the same thing over and over again with little changes.
1
Dungeon 999 F: Secret of Slime Dungeon
Another incremental game which I had promised myself not to play anymore because they are so pointless and repetitive and endless. Well, this wasn't infinite and had a goal at 999 level so I thought it was good but while the humor was cute, the game did become very repetitive. Every 10 levels the slimes changed but after every 100 levels the whole thing restarted and while the monsters got stronger, I seemed to get even stronger. So the game became easier as I progressed and there was no more challenge. By level 800, I gave up.
2
Tap Dungeon RPG
Okay, I'm running out of ways to complain about those incremental RPG games that all have similar problems. It starts off reasonably fast and fun but soon it seems like I am in a data entry job. Doing the same thing over and over again with little changes.
1
Tower of Hero
You start on the first floor of the tower and keep fighting your way up by summoning your heroes (by clicking) and recruiting other fighters, get upgrades, level up, and then, ugh, here is the typical incremental RPG part, restart, get items, and do it ALL over again.
There is something fun about restarting and getting slowly stronger each time but it also feels so pointless after a while. Such a pointless genre now that I have played a billion of such titles, heh.
3
Pageboy
Yet another incremental RPG which I have no idea why I downloaded because I'm sick of the genre. I played a pageboy to a knight who does the fighting while I collect the lot. I collect the loot, buy stuff for the knight, and eventually I restart to do the same thing again and get better items but this game I didn't even RESTART! Because fuck it! Fuck it!
2
Idle Warriors
The story is cute. Human population is regressing while monster population is on the rise. So the humans start enslaving monsters to mine for them! The brave warriors beat the crap out of monsters, kidnap the bosses, and enslave them. The animation of monsters slaving away while speech balloons above them talk about their wife and children is funny.
But the game itself is another RPG incremental which I should start staying away from. These games are like a chore for me nowadays because I'm doing the same crap again and again. The blame is probably on me because it seems like a reasonably solid game. But hey, fuck it, I PERSONALLY didn't enjoy it.
2
Tap! Tap! Faraway!
Any game that is remotely like Tap Titan scares me. They are addictive at first and very fast moving but after every restart gets more and more annoying. It soon turns into a time eating activity with the player having to redo the initial levels to get relics to get better items to progress further to restart to get relics to and so on until the player realizes how much time he is putting in the game for a repetitive activity.
2
Auto RPG
Now that is a title the game developers didn't spend too much time on. RPG battles are automatic but I can help out by clicking like a mad man. I started with one hero but would get additional members in my party as the story progressed. Party members receive skills as as they level up and while all the skill usage is automatic, it did give me a sense of progression which is extremely important in a RPG and which I think is usually lacking in incremental games. It usually starts feeling useless but in this game at least there are new maps, new members, and an actual end sight!
There is an infinity stage once the last boss is defeated but I am glad the infinity stage happens AFTER the end and it's not the game itself.
4
Merchant
Hire a hero and send on to battle. The battles is done automatically and takes time, starts with something short like 10 seconds with each battle taking longer. The loot is raw materials which can be used to craft equipment which also takes real life time with better items taking longer. The crafted items can either be sold or equipped to the hero to make him be able to fight stronger monsters.
I was worried I would hate the longer crafting and fighting times because I hate games which I have to watch for a task to finish but even though the durations for longer, I had more to do. However, I don't know what would have happened in the end game because I gave up on it. New maps were exactly like the first map just with different heroes but the progression was similar in each level which felt that I was doing the exact same thing all over again but with longer task times.
2
Idle Oil Tycoon
This is the best idle game I played. It's graphics aren't just minor, they are none existent. It's just numbers, so basic that my sister thought I was on a stock market app.
It's such a simple concept. Invest, get oil, upgrade then like other idlers restart to get a bonus and do the full thing all over again. When I finished the game, I played the unlimited mode which I played until the unlimited mode couldn't handle the numbers anymore.
5
Soda Dungeon
This kind-of Idle Dungeon was great. I started with weak ass fighters who would fight on my behalf while I collected the loot. I then got to use the lot to upgrade the sofa bar to recruit more adventurers. Not sure why it was a sofa bar. Maybe they wanted to make it a family game and not have alcohol? Sounds weird but the sofa element in a RPG game sounds weirder.
The game only hit a brick for me when, like most other incremental games, there is no real closure. Once I thought I bet the big bad guy, it just goes on, harder but similar enough with no end in sight. Eventually, we have to stop playing right, but it always feels a bit like a let down when I don't feel like I have finished the game.
4
10 Billion Wives Kept Man Life
The two games from this company, 10 Billion Wives and Kept Man Life, have similar strengths and weaknesses.
I liked the silly premises from both. In 10BM, I had to get married as much as I could, using the loves I collect to marry more expensive wives! In KML, I'm a boyfriend who doesn't work and I have to please my career gf so she would take care of me.
Both start reasonably fast and I was willing to grind through difficult parts but the end game is like a brick wall. Passing through it to get all the achievements is pretty much impossible unless one puts in way too many hours. And it's a shame because I really wanted to get all the achievements to see all the tiny little extra stuff.
3
Adventure Capitalist
One of the better incremental games, but now that I am out of the short lived incremental fan phase, I realized how dumb the genre is. Tap, tap, tap, upgrade, do this a million times, reset, and do it all over again like a moron. The game does deserve credits for me acting like a moron and playing it for so long but I also cheated and got free cash and then if occupying became even more pointless.
3
The Monolith
A combination of an incremental and a civilization building game seemed like an excellent idea and in some ways, it was, specially how we get to upgrade through the ages from cavemen to futuristic. But no offline feature means that the resets aren't enticing.
2
USSR Simulator
An incremental game that has a great theme (USSR!) but absolutely horrible to enjoy, even though I did stick to it. After a certain upgrades, the game just turned into me popping in the game, clicking an upgrade and then forgetting about the game for a few days.
2
RPG Clicker
They should call these games tappers not clickers. We are not clicking anything on a touchscreen device. Anyway, tap tap tap level up buy weapons tap tap and uninstall.
1
Logging Quest Logging Quest 2
[Review is for the original and its sequel]
There is not much of a difference between the game. I actually played them both at the same time because the actual game is offline. You choose your hero, send them to a dungeon, and then come back to the game after a while to see how well they did. I thought an offline RPG like this might be interesting but then, if you don't really play a game, how much fun can it be?
1
Another pointless incremental. I was in an incremental phase and got so many incremental games that I know realize were absolutely pointless.
Hit a tree, buy upgrades, get a new hero, and continue hitting a tree. Not much offline it seems which is what I like about incrementals.
1
Galaxy Clicker
A space incremental that should have been a lot of fun. You get to upgrade your spaceship and buy new ones and explorer new planets. But first of all, the interface is so ugly that it makes playing the game less enjoyable. And a lot of things I didn't really get no matter how much I would play like the full exploring planets. The spaceships were nice, so it could have been fun.
2
Megatramp
A pretty pointless incremental kind of game. You are a tramp and then you can collect money to buy upgrades to make more money, with no strategy needed, nor any effort needs to be made to hurt your brain cells.
1
Inflation RPG
It supposed to be some kind of incremental RPG, I think, which has you resetting and getting more powerful and then fighting monsters to get insane levels. It is very unique but I couldn't get into it.
2
Widget RPG
Are you fucking with me? This is button bashing rpg in the most extreme manner. You get a widget, so you don't even have to open the game and distract yourself from the button bushing. Just click the button and the game plays behind the scenes and gets you experience, loot, and kills.
It's a ridiculous idea that is fun for a few minutes to see what they come up with but there is only so much button bashing you can do.
2
Capitalist Tycoon
I downloaded this game because I was in an incremental/idle game phase and really enjoyed AdVenture Capitalist. But this game is nothing like that. On the surface, it seems similar, buy small investments, make money, buy bigger investments, and so on.
But with this game, there is no offline mode, and you keep having to wake up managers, AND the goal is to see how much you make in one year. Bah. I prefer the incremental approach which makes you build and build and build, not try to rush it in just a year.
2
Clicking Bad
An incremental clicking game that is themed after Breaking Bad. It is a fun idea it's a very simple game with little to do aside from the obvious of upgrading and upgrading. The only twist might be to balance out making lots of money selling drugs and not attracting the law but even that is only a small challenge at the start. Eventually, you will get enough upgrades to bring the law risk so down that it makes no impact on the game play.
2
Zombie Tapper
A super basic incremental clicker game with a zombie team. Click click click to eat brains, use brains (?) to buy zombies to do the brain eating for you and then buy upgrades for your zombies, and buy new zombies and it all feels very pointless.
1
Bitcoin Billionaire
I started to enjoy incremental games, but it needs to have a good offline mode, because I don’t want to just play a game where I keep tapping. But that doesn’t mean I didn’t play. I played it, and I played a lot of it, because I could reset the game (like most incremental games) and it gives you a small benefit where you could finish the full game a bit faster (it gives you bonus income). So, I kept finishing and resetting, and each time the start to finish would shorten, so I thought I would reach a stage where I could finish each start-to-finish in an instant! It didn’t happen. I got bored first.
3
Tap Titan
An addictive tapping game. Just tap on the creatures, level up, get new skills, hire heroes, and then reset and to it all over again to progress further. It’s an incremental game where it depends on resets to progress, but no real offline bonus, so you have to be playing online. Which got boring, so I installed an app that does the tapping for me, which is actually a stupid way to play the game, but this isn’t an attempt to prove to anyone my intelligence. Anyway, thankfully something went wrong and my progress got deleted, WHICH WAS A GOOD THING, because the game was extremely addictive.
4
God Squad
I’ve realized most incremental games are stupid. Tap on monsters to kill, collect gold, buy Roman Gods, level them up, fight other monsters, and then get bored.
1

First, I'm sorry this is so long. Second - please be nice. We have debt, bad habits, and are Catholic. So if any of those things are going to get you spun up, just skip this one.
Section One: Assets and Debt Use this section to explain your current financial picture at large.
Everything here is joint – “M” and I have been married 22 years and we’ve had “smashed money” that whole time (and really for about a year before that).
Retirement Balance (and how you got there): Approximately $500,000 in a variety of IRAs and current 401(k)s.
Equity if you're a homeowner (and how much you put down and how you accumulated that payment). Bought our house in 2001 for $239,000 with 20% down (some aggressive saving and a gift from each of our parents). We refinanced, took some cash out for some home repairs, and reduced it to a 15-year loan in 2009 – our current equity would be about $195,000, but similar homes in the neighborhood are listed at $475,000-$525,000, so if we ever sell, we’re probably coming out ahead.
Savings account balance: $6,000
Checking account balance: $6,500
Credit card debt (and how you accumulated it): I hope you’re sitting down. Approximately $40,000. Yes, you read that right. How we accumulated it? The house is 90 years old and constantly falling apart, so we’ve had to charge things that needed to be done (some we wanted to have done, but some – like the time our oil burner stopped working in December – were needs). We had two dogs with numerous medical issues – I don’t want to calculate what they cost me, but they each had surgeries that were about $5,000 (each), plus other chronic and acute medical issues. And yes…for a while, we were doing and buying things we probably shouldn’t have (not bad things, just vacations, clothes, and non-essential home improvements) So…when I’m 100 and greeting people at Wal-Mart, I’ll at least have some good memories. That said, I can’t tell you the last time I used credit – if we can’t afford to pay cash, we don’t do it (and I say that fully realizing most people would feel that I shouldn’t do anything).
Student loan debt (for what degree): None – my husband went to the military and then to work after high school and I went back to community college later in life and paid as I went.
Anything else that's applicable to you: If my ex-husband dies before me, I’ll have about $6,000 in a money market that he must have forgotten about. When we divorced, he was supposed to liquidate all those accounts and give me half. He was an accountant and a SOB, so I never knew exactly what we had, but what I got seemed accurate (it paid for furniture, my wedding to M and part of this house, so I was OK with it). Lo and behold, a couple years ago, I found out we still have this money market account in both names. I tried to find him so we could liquidate/split it, but he’s missing. I get the statements here now, and the good part is he’s older than me, so I’m holding out hope he predeceases me and it will be mine.
Section Two: Income
Income Progression: I've been working in my field for a year and a half, my starting salary was $100,000. I did a salary story with the entire progression – long story short, I’ve made more, and I’ve made less, but this is probably about the average of the last five years.
My husband has been at his job for 14 years – he started there making around $75,000 and now makes $110,000. They usually give him a $10,000 bonus at the end of the year, but are always crying poverty if people ask for a raise. Prior to that, he worked for a company that paid very well and he had a 15-minute commute, but he got out one step ahead of their bankruptcy.
Main Job Monthly Take Home:
Me: $5,152
J: $6,230
Side Gig Monthly Take Home:
M is paid $1,300/month by our parish for serving as Youth Minister.
Any Other Monthly Income: $16.00
I get quarterly dividends on stock I was given when I was born (I may not have been born into money, but apparently my grandparents had friends who thought this was a good baby gift). The last few were around $50, so I divided by 3.
Section Three: Expenses
Rent / Mortgage / HOA fees (please specify how you split it if living with a partner): $3,043, which includes the property taxes and homeowner's insurance
Savings contribution: $500/month without fail (my bank transfers $100 if we get over $500 in, so once each paycheck and once when we put the church check in). More if I feel the savings needs a boost.
Debt payments:

• Credit card #1: $350/month (this is about twice the minimum)
• Credit card #2: $375/month (minimum payment)
• Credit card #3: $200/month (minimum payment - this is the next one getting whacked when #1 is paid off)

Donations: OK – anyone who isn’t screaming because I owe $40K is going to start now.

• $300/month to the church in the “collection basket” (it’s electronic, but same diff)
• $100/month to the church building fund (last year of a five-year pledge, thankfully – if I hadn’t promised to pay it, I wouldn’t)
• $25/month to Habitat for Humanity
• $20/month to Citymeals on Wheels
• ~$50/month to various other charities
• ~$100/month in food for the church food drive (we don’t have a food pantry, but collect food every week and anyone from the neighborhood can come take some. The rest is donated to several food pantries and soup kitchens in the Diocese).
• As far as volunteer hours, M and I both teach Religious Ed. I'm on the Parish Council and co-social media manager of the parish (basically, I schedule Facebook). M also videotapes the 5:00 Mass and the children’s worship message each week and uploads it to the parish YouTube channel.

Electric: $110
Gas (stove/hot water): $50
Oil: $250/month in the winter
Wifi/Cable: $179
Cellphone: $252 for both of us (I get mine expensed except $26 for my phone payment)
Subscriptions:

• $.99/month for iCloud Storage
• $545/month for life insurance for both of us, plus $202 quarterly for the life insurance policies we took out when we bought the house
• $17/month for NY Times online
• $10.86/month for Ring video doorbell
• $12.99/month for Netflix
• $9.99/month for Spotify (I think M gets reimbursed for this, because he has it for Youth Ministry)
• $119/year for Amazon Prime (yes, I know, I am an awful person)

Car payment / insurance: $295/month for my car (leased). My husband is driving a 10-year old car that is paid off. $128/month for auto insurance
Lawn care: $50/month
Commuting: Now that we’re in COVID times, I’ve been buying a 10-trip off peak railroad ticket every five days for $78.75. Pre-COVID, M and I each bought a monthly ticket for $270, and I took the subway most days for an additional $100/month. I fill up the car about once a month (~$36) and M fills his about every other week (~$70/month)
Saturday, September 26, 2020
7:45 am: Up and at ‘em! I get up, get coffee, check emails and social media and start the day.
8:00 am: M leaves the house for a long list of errands, the payment for which will be shown below. I put in a load of laundry and discover…a leak! There is a large pipe between our powder room sink (which I used when I woke up) and the outside world that runs through the basement and is apparently leaking. Yay whee. If you get one thing from this diary, let it be these words of wisdom – don’t buy an old house! No beautiful feature is worth the aggravation! I get the water (I hope it’s water) cleaned up, a load of laundry in, take a shower, do some picking up around the house, get dressed in a Rangers t-shirt and cut off distressed jeans, do my makeup (Olay microsculpting serum and Miracle Blur over the bottom of my face, pink, gray, and violet eyeshadows, a swipe of foundation under my eyes, black eyeliner, black mascara, and dark brown eye pencil. This is standard everyday makeup for me and will be repeated each day. I put volumizing mousse in my hair and blow dry it (also routine).
In the meantime, M gets a haircut ($30 including tip), sets up the video equipment at church, goes to CVS for passport photos that he needs for an application ($18.87), and goes to the religious goods store for a book of the Liturgy of the Hours ($42.31). He is starting formation for the diaconate (the process of becoming a Deacon in the Catholic Church) today, and they said he’ll need that book. He also needs the photos for his application, and he stops at the bank for two money orders – one to send with the background check request and one for his high school transcript ($26). On the way home, he picks up breakfast (brunch?) for us – classic New York BEC, SPK (bacon, egg, and cheese on a roll with salt, pepper and ketchup) for him and egg whites, turkey and swiss cheese on a whole wheat wrap for me ($10.78), as well as cigs for him and vape cartridges for me ($36).
The washing machine isn’t causing any additional leakage, so I move the wash to the dryer and start moving the winter clothes from the portable closet in front of the leaking pipe upstairs (they’re not wet, but we’re going to have to move the closet when the plumber comes).
After eating the egg sandwiches, we get changed for deacon class – I look like a good church lady in black slacks, a black and white flowered shirt with a black tank underneath, and black sandals with a chunky 2.5” heel. M goes with the classic golf shirt and dockers. While we’re getting changed, he mentions he needs new underwear, so I whip out the phone and order him some ($18.64).
6:30 pm: Home from deacon class and Mass and the groceries show up! I ordered them yesterday, but I don’t think the charge went through till today, so here goes. Asparagus, broccoli, celery, bananas, cucumber, lime, grape tomatoes, peaches, carrots, potatoes, spinach, lettuce, zucchini, frozen burgers, ground turkey, chicken breasts, whole chicken, fried chicken and a pot pie for J’s lunches, yogurt, sugar free pumpkin spice creamer (YES! I’ve been looking for it for weeks!), milk, heavy cream, OJ, k-cups, frozen green beans, cauliflower rice, stuffing mix, microwave rice, cake mix (the good ones were on sale), chicken broth, potato chips, and trash bags. Spent $154.95 including delivery, saved $14.50 (very low for me), tipped the delivery guy $10.
7:00 pm: After putting away all that food, what do we do? If you guessed order dinner, you’d be right! I don’t cook on Saturday unless we’re having company. We order from a new taco place – three each and “Mexican wings”. The wings were meh, but the tacos ranged from good to outstanding. $53.78 including tip. After dinner, M starts post-production of the Mass video and I do some laundry, watch the NASCAR race and the hockey game, and play games on my iPad. Remember, you’ll be old someday too!
11:00 pm: I go to the basement to pick up laundry and remember I wanted to order a new garden flag (this isn’t as random as it sounds – all my seasonal decorations are stored in the basement). I have had a cart set up for days with two garden flags ($6.99 each) and four magnetic mailbox covers for my parents for Christmas ($11.99 each) – they’ve talked about having a different one for each season, and I saw them when I was looking for a garden flag. Total with tax and free shipping: $61.94. I love Christmas and generally spend way too much on gifts so I’m trying to start shopping before December and at least spread out the pain. We went to a crafts fair a few weeks ago and I picked up a few things and now I’ve got this done – go me!!
12:30 pm: The hockey game is over (2 OT!) and I go to bed. M is napping waiting for his video production to finish.
Daily Total: $463.27
Sunday, September 27
7:00 am: The alarm goes off – ugh. It’s the first day of Religious Ed (virtual, but I have to do a 9:45 zoom with my 4th graders). Coffee, social media, shower, dress, makeup. Put on a black eyelet dress because we’re going back to church today so M can videotape First Communion. Do the usual makeup/hair thing.
10:30 am: My 4th graders are great and we’re ready to roll (M has on a shirt and tie in honor of the First Communion), and we’re off to Mass. Drop off the food I bought for our food pantry last week and help him video. Of course, the kids are adorable!
12:00 noon: We’re starving after church, so we stop at our favorite local pizza place on the way home. Get a variety of slices for $22.62, including a tip (we’re getting it to go, but I’m tipping everywhere, because I know restaurants have been hurt badly by the pandemic. These folks are in NYC and still haven’t opened inside dining.)
1:30 pm: Ate, ran more laundry, changed into the jeans I wore yesterday and a Yankees t-shirt and call the nail place. Of all my expenses, nails are probably the most non-negotiable – I’ve been getting my nails done for 40 years, and when I couldn’t do so during the lockdown, I was miserable. They can take me right away, which makes me happy.
3:00 pm: All 20 nails done – gel on the fingers and a regular pedicure with callus removal ($75 plus $15 tip = $90). I went with an autumn theme and got copper on the fingers and bronze toes – the nail polish looked in the jar like it would match the toes, but it doesn’t. Stop at CVS for eye cream (Olay for tired eyes) and mascara (L’Oreal Voluminous) - $27 with coupons. M asked me to pick up cigs on the way home, so I do, as well as vape cartridges, which I don’t technically need yet, but it will save a trip later in the week ($36).
3:30 pm: While at the nail place, I saw that one of our favorite local restaurants had a fire, which consumed an entire block of restaurants and small businesses. The Chamber of Commerce is doing a GoFundMe, and I donate $25 to the cause - $28.75 including the charge. I also notice that the weekly charge for my church donation went through ($75).
11:30 pm: Took a quick nap (the highlight of my week every week), put some fall decorations out, had our family Zoom call, laundry, got the end of the winter clothes moved upstairs, had dinner (roast chicken, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and roasted asparagus), made an apple crisp (I’m not a huge dessert person but M is and I like making desserts, so it works), watched baseball, football, the NASCAR race, and basketball, and took a quick shower. Bring a Light & Fit Toasted Coconut Vanilla yogurt (the best!) to bed, finish my book (“Next Stop, Chancey”) and find the next in the series on my iPad – I’ve read them all before, but I’m in the mood for something cozy, especially after reading about the Current Occupant’s taxes – ugh!) , and turn off the lights around midnight.
Daily Total: $279.37
Monday, September 28
6:45 am: I work from home M/W/F and so I can sleep in. Relatively speaking, anyway. Get dressed in a sleeveless top and shorts (despite the fall decorations, fall nails, and roast chicken/apple crisp, it feels rather summery out there), do makeup, have some coffee and scroll through emails/socials, move yet another load of laundry (I’m trying to get it all done before the plumber comes), find the number for the plumber and give it to M to call, get the trash out, and boil some eggs for breakfast this week. I’m sitting in front of the computer by 8:15, which is ok (technically, my hours are 8:30-5:30 – it’s usually more like 8:30-6:00, and on WFH days, starting at 7:30 is not unheard of). M drops off the car at the shop – I think I forgot to mention this, but he mentioned yesterday that when he was driving around Saturday, there was a grinding noise when he backed up. More joy to come, I’m sure.
9:45 am: I hear M on the phone with the garage – apparently, they can get a used part and do the job for $450. Not great, but it’s better than it might have been! He works from home basically every day except when he has to see customers, but thankfully we’re separated enough that we can hear each other but it’s not intrusive.
10:30 am: Between cursing at people on the phone, M calls the plumber and I grab some cheese and more coffee! I’d tell you about my job, but honestly, it’s not worth talking about. Basically, I go to meetings, take notes on meetings, and send follow-ups (I do other things, but that’s most of it). When I get off my 11:00 am meeting, I’ll find out when the plumber is coming. You guys are getting a much more exciting week than I expected!
12:30 pm: What a miserable day – it seems like everyone is annoyed! Take a break to eat a slice of leftover pizza and a Diet Coke (M finishes some rotisserie chicken from last week). He says the plumber may come today to look at the situation but can’t do the work till tomorrow.
6:00 pm: Keep my head down and get some work done in the afternoon and knock off for the day. Run downstairs and make dinner – “tacos” with strips of beef grilled with Korean barbecue sauce, shredded cabbage, cheddar cheese, pineapple salsa, cucumber slices, and lime inside warmed tortillas. Delicious, if I say so myself!
7:30 pm: I get on a Zoom faith sharing meeting and M gets on a Zoom religious ed class.
11:59 pm: Contemplated Sunday’s Gospel with my small group, watched Tampa Bay win the Stanley Cup, took a shower and set clothes out for tomorrow, and off to bed. M picked up the car after Religious Ed.
Daily Total: $450.00
Tuesday, September 29
5:45 am: Ugh. Up and out – I’m wearing a green dress with a black jacket and have black slingbacks in my bag. I have to walk 30 short blocks and five long blocks once I get off the train, so I’m traveling light. I used to take the subway to my office, but since COVID, I try to limit that as much as possible.
7:45 am: Off the railroad and walk uptown. I actually don’t mind the walk, because when I WFH, I walk very little – at the beginning of the lockdown, I had a nice walking routine, but lately the work seems to start the minute I wake up, so walking to work takes care of getting in those STEPS! I forgot my boiled eggs and I’m starving, so I end up buying an egg sandwich. $5.43
12:30 pm: Because I only go to the city twice a week and I have to walk uptown with all my work stuff, I don’t bring lunch often (pre-pandemic, I used to bring breakfast and lunch every day, but I also took the subway). Decide to run to Pret and my boss and co-worker both ask me to pick something up. Of course, no one (including me) has anything but a $20, so they both say they’ll get me next time. I get my favorite chicken parm wrap and a Diet Coke. $32
12:45 pm: I look at my personal email and discover that J’s car registration needs to be renewed. Hop on the DMV website and take care of that. $158.50. I also realize I never took out the sausages for tonight’s dinner and call M to ask him to do so. He mentions the plumber has still not shown up.
5:45 pm: Leave a little early to get to the Fed Ex office and make my train home. I’m a little later than I’d like to be and it’s raining, so I get the subway, which is thankfully empty, reasonably clean, and quick. $2.75
7:15 pm: M picks me up at the train station and mentions that he was so busy working that he didn’t take the sausages out. He asks me what I want to eat and we end up at Wendy’s. Cheeseburger, fries, and (surprise, surprise) a Diet Coke. He gets the same thing, but bigger. $19.75
11:30 pm: Avoid the debate by watching the Yankees pound the Indians. Usual routine (plus ironing a shirt for J, because he has to go to a customer tomorrow) and off to sleep. I’m up to Book 3 in the Chancey series, for those keeping score.
Daily Total: $218.43
Wednesday, September 29
5:30 am: Double ugh. Woke up to use the bathroom and couldn’t get back to sleep, so here we are. Get dressed (long-sleeved Yankees t-shirt, straight leg jeans), do the face, have some coffee, and try to avoid the fact that my boss sent me an email at 11:00 pm last night looking for changes to a document, which I said I would do today. Get the trash out, pick up a little around the house, and get to work by 7:00. OH, and despite the lack of plumber and his lack of general motivation, M moved the plastic closet…in front of the washing machine! Glad I bought him underwear, because I won’t be doing laundry any time soon. Now I’m wondering if he looked at the menu (I am an obsessive meal planner and post it on the fridge weekly) and that’s why he didn’t take the sausages out – he’s avoiding zoodles! He can run but he can’t hide – I have zucchini and I’m going to spiralize it sooner or later!
8:00 am: The document my boss needed is out, the agenda for our 9:00 am meeting is done, the morning emails are sorted (for now), and I got a link to our parish survey up on the Facebook page, so I make an egg and cheese on a tortilla and eat at my desk.
12:50 pm: Wednesday is conference call hell – I have recurring calls every Wednesday at 9:00, 10:30, and 11:30, and the added fun today of a 10:00. There’s also a webinar every Wednesday that I try to tune into. Grab some chips and a Diet Coke and go check it out.
2:15 pm: Still no damn plumber, but I’ll let M worry about that when he’s home tomorrow. My garden flags arrived, so that’s good. Hoping to get out and put the pumpkin one out before it gets dark, but the way today is going, that might not actually happen. However, I realize I never put dinner in the crockpot. Luckily, it only takes 3-4 hours on high, so I take care of that. It’s Tuscan Chicken with sun-dried tomatoes and spinach. By 2:30, I’m back at my desk with another Diet Coke and hard at it. Nightmares of rescheduling meetings, missing documents, etc.
6:45 pm: Still at my desk! OK, I took some time to send an email to the parish webmaster about the survey, update this, and read the R29 money diary of the day. But overall, I’ve been working with no apparent end in sight – I could easily be here all night, but I won’t be because (a) I’m falling asleep at my desk and (b) I have a 7:30 Religious Ed teachers meeting. Hopefully I won’t fall asleep during that. Make a list of things for my boss and I to review tomorrow and finish prepping dinner.
7:15 pm: Dinner was delicious – we had the chicken with rice for M and cauliflower rice for me, sautéed broccoli, and a basic salad (bagged spring mix, cherry tomatoes, cucumber). Now off to Zoom!
11:45 pm: The Yankees game is still on, but I’m showered, my clothes are set out for tomorrow, and I’m fading. Turn off the light and hope for a win.
Daily Total: $0.00 (bet you didn’t see that coming!)
Thursday, October 1
5:45 am: You know it…ugh. Get up, coffee, very quick scroll through the Yankees score/e-mail/social media. Get dressed in a black v-neck sweater, black and gray plaid skirt, and black jacket (not the same one I wore the other day). Am grateful the skirt fits – I gained some weight and am trying to resist buying clothes. Make sure I have the right shoes in my bag – I’m wearing high-heeled gray suede Mary Janes today.
8:15 am: At my desk and ready to go – I remembered to bring 2 hard-boiled eggs today, which I eat with coffee while looking through emails.
12:30 pm: Call after call after call, but I have a half-hour to eat. Run to the fancy buffet place that just re-opened for 2 meatballs, brussels sprouts, broccoli, salad, and the inevitable Diet Coke ($15.75). Manage to eat before my 1:00 pm call – go me!
3:30 pm: Leave to go to a job site and pick something up that has to be shipped to Italy. Something that's almost as tall as me, but thankfully not heavy. Taxi down there because I’m in a hurry and I can get reimbursed ($14.04, including tip), expensed.
4:00 pm: I get a cab to the Fed Ex office – thankfully the first one I see is a minivan, so I fit in just fine ($12.74, including tip), expensed.
5:30 pm: Well, that was harder than it needed to be – the Fed Ex office I went to didn’t have a box that would fit the item, so they suggested another Fed Ex office about 6 blocks away, so I had to walk through midtown Manhattan carrying an object almost as tall as me (it's 5' long and I'm 5'3" tall) while dodging oblivious people. Thankfully, the other office had my box, and they were super-sweet and helpful, but it took them forever to get it done. Bought the box and bubble wrap, which will be expensed (I brought the Fed Ex label, but I don’t remember the account number) ($43.54). Get a nice early train home, though!
6:45 pm: Wow, we’re eating when I’m usually getting the train! Cheeseburgers, tots (tater for J, cauliflower for me), green beans, and vinegar coleslaw with the end of the shredded cabbage. Get the kitchen cleaned and the dishwasher run and settle in to watch the Jets – I’m not holding out much hope, but you never know!
11:30 pm: I’ve showered, set out clothes for me and M (he’s seeing customers tomorrow), I prepped for Youth Group, which I’m leading because he’ll be working, and the Jets are winning, so I decide it’s time to sleep. Up to Book 5 of the Chancey series. I find series usually go downhill after about the third or fourth book, but I’m not sure what I feel like reading, so here we are. OH, at some point M must have gone to the convenience store, because there are vape cartridges on the table ($36).
Daily Total: $122.07; $70.32 expensed
Friday, October 02, 2020
6:00 am: Wake up, grab coffee, find out the Jets lost after all, do the morning e-mail/social media scroll. Leaving early to deal with that work errand has left me with a ton of stuff to do, so I get dressed (long-sleeved v-neck gray t-shirt, white tank because the v-neck is halfway to my belly button, dark wash skinny jeans), put out the trash, peel two hard-boiled eggs, and head to my desk.
12:30 pm: As always, call after call after call. Plus a bit of aggravation when my boss asks me at 10:30 for an agenda for the 11:00 call, which I sent him at about 7:30, and which he returns at 10:59 with the formatting looking like nothing on earth. Yay whee! And a project was mentioned that he forgot to tell me I’d do. So in case I thought I’d have nothing to do (that never happens on Fridays), that’s not happening. Anyway, between calls, I run downstairs for the lunch of champions – a Hot Pocket and a Diet Coke. Just that kind of day.
6:15 pm: Realize I have to run Youth Group at 7 and I haven’t even done my haimakeup. Get that done, heat up some frozen cauliflower rice/broccoli/cheese combination and add some leftover chicken. With a green salad on the side, surprisingly yummy.
8:15 pm: I am not a good youth leader…couldn’t get anyone talking about the subject of the day, which I thought would be a good one. I did make them laugh a few times, so that’s something.
M is going to have some expenses because he went to see customers today, but I don’t know what they are and his company will reimburse him, so I’m just leaving them out.
Daily Total: $0.00
This is the Week That Was:
Food + Drink: $326.06
Fun / Entertainment: $108 (if people can put drugs in as entertainment, I’m putting our nicotine in)
Home + Health: $61.94
Clothes + Beauty: $165.64
Transport: $638.03 (some of it will be expensed)
Other: $234.47
Lastly, reflect on your diary! How do you feel about your spending? Was this a normal week for you? Has this inspired you to make changes or has it given you a “wow I’m doing pretty good” confidence boost? Is there anything you’re actively working on? No need to answer any or all these questions but just use this space to write any thoughts you have!
This was a fairly normal week except for the car breaking and needing to be registered – we're saving some now that we WFH more because M will not bring food from home, but I used to bring breakfast and lunch at least four days a week. I know we should make changes, but I also know we don’t want to – honestly, if you looked at the way I lived 15 years ago, I’ve made a lot of changes already. We’re working on the credit cards – I’ve gotten rid of several already (paid off, not just moved balances around) and we don’t use them at all anymore (I can honestly say I don’t remember the last thing I charged). The bad news is that M’s car is on its last legs, and so I see car payments in our future. Hopefully, he’ll get something used – we have my car when we want to look good going somewhere (mine isn’t super-fancy, it just wasn’t hit by a bus and full of stuff for his job).
OH, and the plumber still hasn’t shown up! But that will be for next week’s expenses.

I’m a 37 y old Male that has struggled with frequent diarrhea for as long as I can remember. 3 years, I started a year long battle with anal itching. For those who suffer from these similar kinds of issues (IBS-D, Pruritus Ani, un-diagnosed Crohns, celiacs, etc.) know how these can also lead to extreme stress and quality of life impacts. And of course, I now believe these health symptoms are far more common than we think, and tend to go ‘under talked about’ due to the seemingly embarrassing nature ...which only adds to the stress for those suffering from them.
After 20+ years of actively trying to overcome this, I have finally got to a place where these issues are not significantly decreasing my quality of life. In the end, it’s also something I may have been able to discover much earlier, saving myself years of struggle by easily treating the possible root cause (Bile Acid Malabsorption). Below I’ll lay out my journey from a 10/10 down to a 1/10 on the symptom severity scale. I’m obviously not a doctor and my experiences are certainly unique to me, but maybe my story will provide some comfort to someone else out there suffering from some or all of my similar experiences.
Here are my key learnings: 1. You are not the only one battling these issues, 2. All the issues likely have some root cause, but YOU are not one of them. Whatever the root cause is, it is nothing to be embarrassed about and not your fault. Obviously, you are not choosing to have these ailments. 3. Find a GI specialist you trust and let them know you are ready to tackle this and do what it takes to figure it out. 4. Be patient, it might take a series of small changes that cumulatively add up to significant gains in symptom management and quality of life improvements, as you’ll see below, it took 20+ years of me researching and visiting 10+ doctors/specialists before a nurse practitioner mentioned Bile Acid Malabsorption (BAM) which for me seems to be one of the main root causes.
Now for my own detailed journey.
As a young kid (6-15) I can remember many instances of having urgent diarrhea accompanied by the ‘pain waves’ in the gut. I’d be at a birthday party, or driving somewhere in a van w/ group of friends and I’d get the first subtle pain wave knowing immediately I was in for trouble. The waves would come and go every few minutes, continually getting more intense. It’s terrible knowing there is only one way out of these (finding a bathroom) when you are in a situation when that is either not immediately available or would require others having to accommodate your (how do you tell everyone on your van that they all have to pull over at a gas station and wait while you spend time in the bathroom?). Needless to say, many of these memories remain w me to this day.
Then in college, the frequency of these episodes seemed to increase. I knew where every bathroom was in every building to hit up walking between any two classes. Although terrible, at least I could hide my conditions (I was usually alone walking between classes or lived alone in my apartment). Then I met my now wife, we moved in together. Well...now it became harder to hide how many times I needed to go to the bathroom. This is when the mental and emotional stresses started to pile up. I’m not outgoing and vocal about my health issues. I’m generally quite easily embarrassed. I tried to hide these conditions, the best I could, from my girlfriend. This was my own doing, and one of my key learnings. Don’t be embarrassed about any health issues, and yes, that included pooping and butt health issues. As you will see, it will take me many more years to start being more open about these issues.
In grad school, I finally snuck in to see a GI specialist. During the first meeting, they said we’d have to start with a colonoscopy. That was not what I wanted to hear, I was only 23 at the time and how could I do a colonoscopy procedure w/o telling my girlfriend about my issues (after all, someone would have to bring me to and from the procedure, right?). I skipped it and ghosted my GI doctor. Never went back. In hind-sight, I think what I wanted was for them to run other less invasive tests first (fecal samples, blood tests, etc.). Again, something that would allow me to continue hiding things. At this point, I started taking Immodium daily to control my diarrhea symptoms. I knew this wasn’t sustainable and was a bad solution, but having a peace of mind from my symptoms is such a relief, it’s hard to give it up.
Thru-out this entire time, I experimented w/ food and lifestyle changes. Nothing ever seemed to work. Eggs, dairy, protein powders, coffee, etc. Something might work for a week then, boom. If you’re experiencing this, you know how frustrating it is getting ‘hopeful’ and then experiencing that moment when you realize things maybe aren’t any better after all.
Several years later, I was about 31 years old when perhaps the worst symptom started to show up...anal itching (also known as pruritus ani). This is/was horrible. It came on one summer and lasted about 4 weeks then just went away. About a year later it came back and this time it stayed. I discussed w/ two different doctors, they performed some exams, thought it might be fungal or worms, etc. Tried cream after cream. They referred me to another GI specialist. After first consult they suggested to schedule a colonoscopy (again, before any other type of testing). I delayed and put it off, then my GI clinic closed down and that was that. For the 1st year or so, it was mostly just an intense itching. After just about every other topical cream you can think of (preparation, hydrocortisone, anti fungal, etc.) a doctor suggested I try using zinc oxide cream (baby diaper rash). This actually worked and so I began applying it daily and after every bowel movement. My suspicion is it served as some kind of a barrier layer to protect the sensitive skin around around my anus. This made me think perhaps something in my stool was irritating my skin.
Back to the diarrhea - I tried many lifestyle changes, many of which actually seemed to help. Let me summarize, starting with the peak of my diarrhea symptoms being at a level of 10/10 for a baseline of the worst.
Eating anything before working out. I gave up protein powders and pre-workout supplements and started working out first thing in the morning. This definitely helped eliminate my immediately after a workout (<1hr) BM (almost always diarrhea and very runny) that would occur about 80% of the time after working out. This brought me down to about a 8/10.
Eliminating pork. Of all the diet eliminations, surprisingly pork seemed to have the largest impact. I would always get the runs after a big breakfast. I always thought it was an egg allergy, or dairy, or grease,...then i ran out of things to try. But when i look back, I realize, pork was almost always part of a breakfast meal (bacon, sausage, ham, etc.). I’ve read up on the pork to see if it is a common food allergy. It doesn’t seem to be, except, I did read some articles about pork food allergies in people who are interesting also allergic to cats, which I am. In any case, eliminating pork brought me down to a 6/10.
Now back to the Pruritus Ani- by this time, I had been using Zinc Oxide cream daily after each BM for about a year and had been able to even stop using it most days. I noticed that only after a watery stool or diarrhea BM would the skin get irritated. It no longer itched as much as it hurt and seemed sore. But clearly, controlling my diarrhea through the lifestyle changes was enough to decrease my PA symptoms to just sporadic soreness/irritation after watery BM.
Finally, at the age of 36, after fighting and battling these things for as long as I can remember, I decided I was going to commit to leveraging the medical system to work through these, no matter how long and what I needed to do (I am very fortunate to have good medical coverage). I made an appointment w/ a GI specialist. And yes, it is daunting as the barrage of tests and procedures start getting laid out. Here’s what happened after my first GI visit:
They had me start taking Metamucil daily. This made a surprisingly positive impact, and I would say brought me from a 6 down to a 4/10 or 5/10 Blood work and gluten tests (breath tests) all showed negative for allergies/lactose intolerances, etc. Colonoscopy - This was an enormous stress reliever to have done and know that nothing major was going on w/ my insides. You can imagine after struggling w/ digestive issues for decades, my mind envisioned a ravaged intestinal tract. In hind sight, I get that a colonoscopy is a must have for diagnosing digestive issues to make sure nothing more important is going on. I wish I would have had this done years ago. It’s no biggie, just do it. A peace of cake.
In my follow-up visit with a NP in the GI clinic to review all the results of the blood, lactose and colonoscopy, they said everything looked normal and that there could be a few additional tests and diagnostics we could pursue or try, but I explained to them that the diarrhea was at about a 4/10 which I said was now at a level that I would call ‘manageable’. If I stick to the lifestyle changes I’ve made to get to that point (exercise, but not w/in hours of eating anything, daily Metamucil, pork elimination and a healthy diet) I feel like my symptoms would be tolerable.
Then, almost as an afterthought before the consult was about to end, I asked again about the pruritus ani one more time. This NP brought up something I have never heard of, after years of fighting this, searching symptoms online and speaking w/ 10+ doctors and specialists...Bile Acid Malabsorption (BAM). Strangely, this almost immediately seemed to best explain all the symptoms I’ve experienced over the years...too much acid entering the digestive tract w/ food. I’d imagine this excess acid can be harmful and irritating to the sensitive skin near the anus, especially over years and years of frequent exposure. This also explains why a non-medicated topical solution was so effective, cause it served as a ‘barrier’ more than anything. And like many IBS-D symptoms, it can cause pretty immediate diarrhea after eating food, which I often suffered from (if you’re reading this, I’m betting you’ve been at a restaurant waiting impatiently for the bill to come cause you know the clock is ticking...). The NP suggested I try a prescription for Cholestipol (a binder that is used for lowering cholesterol but works by binding the acid and preventing it from entering the intestinal tract- I think). At first, I even hesitated, ‘I’ve never heard of either these things and I don’t want to just start taking new meds if it isn’t needed, as I said, I’m floating around a 4/10 or 5/10 at this point’. I decided to try it, fully expecting disappointment.
It’s now been 3 months since I started taking Cholestipol daily. I have not had a single severe episode of diarrhea since!! Sure, a few less-pleasant BMs here or there after a big meal, but never in an urgent and explosive way I was so used to. I can say I’m down to a 1/10 (which for someone that lived at a 10/10 for awhile, this is unbelievably refreshing and amazing). PA symptoms are gone as I’d expect w/o any watery BMs.
I’ve been in this position before, I know there’s still a chance this was only temporary relief, but it has been as life altering as anything I’ve ever experienced. I really truly hope this can help someone else out there find some similar relief...IBS can be extremely challenging from both physical as well as the stress induced by the ‘social stygma’ attached to it. Have hope and keep working on it. Speak out so others can share and hopefully the world slowly comes around to realize these are real health issues that impact a lot more lives than we think.

I occasionally see people respond to my weekly Upcoming Releases posts with comments like “it's just a buncha' shovelware”, and I don't think people realize the potential in some of the games they're dismissing. And especially with Nintendo stepping back from their regular Nintendo Directs, I think there's likely to be a fair number of Switch players asking themselves, “so now what?”
Because of this, before we jump into the next month, I'm going through the list of upcoming games for that month that we know about, and highlighting the ones that have a strong chance of being worth paying attention to, as well as a brief snippet about the game explaining why it's worth watching.
I will specifically only be highlighting games that have a reasonably strong pedigree, or that are otherwise particularly noteworthy in some way beyond “this looks good, it could be interesting...”. This means that I'll likely be mentioning a lot of ports, as it's easier to know a game will likely be good if it was already good on another platform (I'm including games that scored 75 or higher on Metacritic on other platforms, 80% positive or higher on Steam, and/or 4 or higher rating on Google Play store). I'll also mention games whose developer has a decent track record for producing quality.
Oh, and before getting into the games, I should note that this is just the list we have available right now – there are likely to be new games announced after this list comes out, as well as games on this list that get delayed. Also, I should note that this is not a list of the only games worth getting on the Switch this month – just the ones that I feel can be backed up with more than just “feels” given what we know now. And of course, since these games aren't released yet, I obviously can't know they're good, they just look promising.
Two things I want to touch on for this month's list in particular. Firstly, this list includes a lot of games with vague “Summer” or “Q3” release dates, since September is the last month that could be considered either of those things. At least as far as anything we know, these games are announced to be coming out before the end of September, though of course these could also be targets that we'll find out have moved. Secondly, a lot of the games in this month's list have prior releases without a Metacritic score. I'm actually looking at this as a good exercise to see exactly how indicative Steam and Google Play user reviews are for predicting critical review scores of a Switch port. I suppose we'll see!
Anyway, on to the list!
9/2 – Piffle: A Cat Puzzle Adventure (Trailer) (No Metacritic Score as of 10/10/20) – Mobile developer Mighty Games has only one game on Metacritic with enough reviews to have a Metacritic score, but that score (for iOS game Shooty Skies) is a solid 83. However, that's not to say Piffle: A Cat Puzzle Adventure is an unknown entity – the game has been out on mobile devices since 2018, and currently has an average user rating of 4.3 on the Google Play store. This game is a cutesy take on the sort of Puzzle game where you release a multitude of balls (or in this case, cats) at an angle to try to take out blocks above. Clearly, this game is going to be on the more casual side of things, but if you want to get an idea what to expect, you can try it out on your smartphone now.
9/3 – Good Pizza, Great Pizza (Trailer) (No Metacritic Score as of 10/10/20) – This arcadey restaurant game (compare to Cook! Serve! Delicious!! 2 and the various “Cooking Tycoon” games already on Nintendo Switch) was released on iOS in 2014 and PC in 2018, and while neither version has enough reviews to have a Metacritic score, the PC version currently has an 87% approval rating on Steam with 230 reviews. This game distinguishes itself from other games in the genre with its clever, funny writing and bizarre customers.
Announced on 9/3 - 9/3 – Spellbreak (Trailer) (Metacritic Score: 74) – I didn't list this in my predictions but it did not have a release listed prior to its release. This is a free-to-play online battle royale third-person shooter that reviewers said was a nice magical twist on the genre. Note: This had a Metacritic score over 75, but then it dropped.
9/4 – Dirt Trackin 2 (Trailer) (No Metacritic Score as of 10/10/20) – This game was released some while ago on mobile devices (I'm having trouble seeing when, exactly), and while the graphics on this racing game are nothing special, it currently has an impressive 4.7 average userscore on Google Play, with over 1800 reviews. That's not the only thing noteworthy about this game, either – it looks like this game will support races for 20 players online. Given how much the Nintendo Switch needs quality racing games, hopefully this will help to fill that need.
9/4 – Lair of the Clockwork God (Trailer) (Metacritic Score: 82) – The PC version of this game released earlier this year, and currently has a score of 84 on Metacritic. This game is a clever hybrid of point-and-click adventure games and platformers, and critics loved its silly, “stupid” sense of humor and unique meshing of gameplay elements.
9/4 – Paradise Killer (Trailer) (Metacritic Score: 81) – This is a game I missed in my original predictions, but list here for those looking at this article after the fact. This is an open-world graphic adventure game where you're interviewing various suspects on an island to get to the bottom of a murder mystery.
9/4 – Roommates (Trailer) (No Metacritic Score as of 10/10/20) – The PC version of this game released back in 2014, but never got enough reviews to get a Metacritic score. However, players enjoyed it – the game currently has an 80% approval rating on Steam, with 80 reviews. This game appears to be a dating sim/life management sim-style game where players must manage the schedule, chores, and social life of a student in a college dorm.
9/7 – Shaolin vs Wutang (Trailer) (No Metacritic Score as of 10/10/20) – This game was released on PC in 2018, and while it doesn't have enough reviews for a Metacritic score, it currently has a 92% approval rating on Steam with over 750 reviews. This game is billed as a “indie casual fighting game”, aiming to appeal to a wider range of players than just fighting game diehards.
9/8 – AVICII Invector (Trailer) (Metacritic Score: 81) – When this game released on other platforms in 2019, it got scores ranging from 79-82. This is a music-rhythm game featuring the music of AVICII, with a stylish futuristic presentation. If you want to give it a try, this game has a demo out on the eShop right now.
9/8 – Meganoid (Trailer) (No Metacritic Score as of 10/10/20) – Mobile developer Orange Pixel's one game to get rated on Metacritic, Gunslugs 2, got a Metacritic score of 78. Meanwhile, this game released on mobile devices and currently has a Google Play user rating of 4.0 or 4.4 (depending on the version you go for). This is a challenging procedurally-generated action-platformer. Watching video, it kinda' puts me in mind of a fast-paced sci-fi Spelunky, though that's just speculation. Anyway, one of the versions of this game on Android is free with ads, so you can give it a try if you're curious.
9/8 – OkunoKA Madness (Trailer) (Metacritic Score: 82) – This game's predecessor, OkunoKA, got a Metacritic score of 80, and hopefully this follow-up will be just as good. This game is a super-fast challenging platformer.
9/8 – RPG Maker MV (Trailer) (Metacritic Score: 65) – This game, first released on PC in 2015, has yet to get enough reviews to get a Metacritic score, but players absolutely love it – Steam users give this game a 92% approval rating with over 3500 reviews. As the name indicates, the RPG Maker series is a powerful toolset for creating and sharing your own custom-made RPGs. What's more, the PC version currently costs $80, while the Nintendo Switch version will be selling for $50, making the Switch version the less-expensive alternative, for a change. Even cooler, you don't even need to buy the game to enjoy other players' creations – NIS America plans to release a free player alongside this game allowing anyone with a Nintendo Switch to download and play the RPGs made by other players (sadly, no cross-play with the PC version, though), so RPG fans without a creative bone in their body will have a lot to look forward to as well.
9/10 – Death and Taxes (Trailer) (No Metacritic Score as of 10/10/20) – This game released on PC earlier this year, and hasn't gotten enough reviews to get a Metacritic score. However, the reaction of players has been positive – the game currently has a 90% positive rating on Steam, with over 900 user reviews. This is a game that puts you in the role of Death, which is apparently a desk job that has you stamping paperwork and organizing your desktop. I get a vibe from this one that reminds me a lot of Papers, Please, so those who enjoyed that game may want to give this one a look.
9/10/20 – Deleveled (Trailer) (No Metacritic Score as of 10/10/20) – Developer Quantum Astrophysicists Guild has a solid track record when it comes to quality, boasting an average Metacritic score of 76. This game is a Puzzle-Platformer that has players controlling two squares above and below a series of platforms that must transfer their velocity to help each other past obstacles.
9/10 – Hotshot Racing (Trailer) (Metacritic Score: 76) – This is a game I missed in my original predictions, but list here for those looking at this article after the fact. This is a retro-style racing game that critics praised for its arcade-style racing and multiplayer play.
9/10 – MO:Astray (Trailer) (Metacritic Score: 86) – This game, first released on PC in 2019, was overlooked by critics, but it has an impressive 94% approval rating on Steam, with over 2250 user reviews. This is a platformer that has you playing a sticky ball of goo that can fling itself around and stick to walls.
9/10/20 – Othercide (Trailer) (No Metacritic Score as of 10/10/20) – This game already released on other platforms earlier this year, and the different versions of the game got an average Metacritic score of 76. This is a Tactics-style Strategy-RPG and critics praised its top-notch tactical gameplay.
9/10 – Tomoyo After -It's a Wonderful Life- CS Edition (Trailer) (No Metacritic Score as of 10/10/20) – This visual novel takes place after the events of Clannad, which got a Metacritic score of 83, and while the PC version of this game, released in 2016, does not have enough reviews for a Metacritic score, players are universally thrilled with it – the game has a 94% approval rating with 325 reviews. This game's story follows a pair of young lovers whose desire to spend a nice Summer together keep getting trampled on by unexpected house guests. Interestingly, this game also houses a game-within-a-game Tactics-style Strategy-RPG that players can partake in as well, for those looking for something beyond the standard visual novel gameplay.
9/10 – Wintermoor Tactics Club (Trailer) (No Metacritic Score as of 10/10/20) – This combination Tactics-Style RPG and Visual Novel (hey, didn't I just post about one of those?) got a Metacritic score of 81 when it released on PC earlier this year. Critics praised its lighthearted story and accessible gameplay.
9/11 – Firework (Trailer) (No Metacritic Score as of 10/10/20) – This game, released on PC in 2018, was overlooked by reviewers, and doesn't have many user reviews on Steam yet, but those who have reviewed it are unanimous in their response – the game has a 100% approval rating on Steam with 24 reviews. Judging from the trailers, this looks like an action-platformer that reminds me a lot of the Mega Man games.
9/17 – Intertial Drift (Trailer) (Metacritic Score: 79) – This is a game I missed in my original predictions, but list here for those looking at this article after the fact. This is an arcade racer with a unique two-stick control scheme.
9/17 – Fight Crab (Trailer) (Metacritic Score: 72) – This is a game I missed in my original predictions, but list here for those looking at this article after the fact. This is a game that has you fighting as various crabs wielding weapons. Critics praised its unique gameplay and sense of humor. Note: This game previously had a Metacritic score above 75, but that later dropped.
9/17 – Dog Duty (Trailer) (No Metacritic Score as of 10/10/20) – Developer Zanardi and Liza has mostly flown under the radar of critics, but their prior game, Battle Bruise, has a 91% approval rating on Steam with nearly 300 reviews. Dog Duty is a bit different, though, and appears to be a sorta' small-scale Real-Time Strategy game, with players commanding three units and positioning them to take out enemies. In any case, it certainly looks interesting.
Announced on 9/17 - 9/17 – Hades (Trailer) (Metacritic Score: 92) – I didn't list this in my predictions but it did not have a release listed prior to its release. This game is an action-packed Roguelike that critics praised for its excellent combat and fantastic story.
9/17 – Mini Motor Racing X (Trailer) (Metacritic Score: 72) – Critics overlooked this game when it released on multiple platforms in 2019, but Steam users liked it, with a 97% positive rating from over 35 user reviews. This game is also the successor to the iOS game Mini Motor Racing, which got a Metacritic score of 79. This looks to be a lighthearted racer with 4-player split-screen play and two different racing modes: top-down and behind-the-vehicle. Also, the Nintendo Switch version is getting new game modes, too. Given the lack of quality racing games on the Nintendo Switch, hopefully this will give players one more good option.
9/17 – Moero Crystal H (Trailer) (Metacritic Score: 74) – This is a game I missed in my original predictions, but list here for those looking at this article after the fact. This is a raunchy dungeon crawler that critics praised for its humor and solid gameplay. Note: This had a Metacritic score over 75, but it has since gone down.
Announced on 9/17 - 9/17 – Ori and the Will of the Wisps (Trailer) (Metacritic Score: 93) – I didn't list this in my predictions but it did not have a release listed prior to its release. This previously-Xbox One and PC exclusive sequel to Ori and the Blind Forest is a beautiful Metroidvania with a focus on platforming.
Announced on 9/1/20: 9/17 – Super Punch Patrol (Trailer) (Metacritic Score: 75) – Game developer Bertil Hörberg has a stellar track record, having produced the Gunman Clive games and Mechstermination Force, all games that received Metacritic scores of 79 or higher. His new game, Super Punch Patrol, is a Final Fight-style Brawler with a similar cel-shaded "sketchy" art style to Gunman Clive.
Announced on 9/3/20: 9/18 – Super Mario 3D All-Stars (Trailer) (Metacritic Score: 82) – Now that this is officially announced and dated, this is the easiest call in the world to make. Two of the games in this collection have been called "the best videogame of all-time" more than just about any other games out there, and Super Mario Sunshine is pretty damn good too. Nintendo would have to mess up this release pretty severely for it to not get a high Metacritic score.
Announced on 9/17/20: 9/17 – The Long Dark (Trailer) (Metacritic Score: 77) – This is a game I didn't have in my original predictions because it was released right when it was announced, but list here for those looking at this article after the fact. Critics praised this for being a solid, challenging survival game.
Announced on 9/1/20: 9/22 – Rebel Galaxy Outlaw (Trailer)(Metacritic Score: 83) – This game came out on PC in 2019, and Metacritic gives that version of the game a score of 77. Critics praised the game's space combat gameplay as being a spiritual successor to beloved classic Freelancer.
Announced on 9/10/20: 9/23 – Castlestorm II (Trailer) (No Metacritic Score as of 10/10/20) – The original Castlestorm got a Metacritic score of 78 when it released on the Nintendo Switch, and there's little reason to expect its sequel will fare any worse. This is a side-scrolling Tower Defense game that incorporates action and puzzle elements as well, with players building their towers and aiming a ballista at the enemy's tower to try to knock it down.
9/23 – Unrailed! (Trailer) (No Metacritic Score as of 10/10/20) – This game released on PC in 2019, and while critics overlooked it, the game has a nice 92% approval rating on Steam, with nearly 3600 user reviews. This game has a blocky “voxel”-style look that will undoubtedly draw comparison to Minecraft, as well as gameplay that has you mining for resources, but this game is a bit more focused, with players working together to try and build their train's tracks before it derails.
Announced on 9/3/20: 9/24 – Alluris (Trailer) (No Metacritic Score as of 10/10/20) – Released to multiple platforms in 2019, but not getting enough reviews to get a Metacritic score, the Steam version of the game has a 92% "very positive" rating with over 100 reviews. This is a card-based RPG with "choose your own adventure" elements.
9/24 – Dungreed (Trailer) (No Metacritic Score as of 10/10/20) – Yet another game critics overlooked but users thoroughly enjoyed, Dungreed's 2018 PC release has a 90% approval rating on Steam with 4575 reviews. This one looks to be a fast-paced action-platformer with RPG and Roguelike elements. Edit: Delayed until 10/27/20
9/24 - Embracelet (Trailer) (Metacritic Score: 84) – Developer Machineboy's prior game, Milkmaid of the Milky Way, earned an average Metacritic score of just over 75 between all of its versions, and its follow-up looks to be even more ambitious, with players exploring an island and using a magical bracelet to solve puzzles.
9/24 – Going Under (Trailer) (Metacritic Score: 82) – This is a game I missed in my original predictions, but list here for those looking at this article after the fact. This is a Roguelike critics praised for its goofy presentation and fun gameplay.
9/24 – Rivals of Aether – Definitive Edition (Trailer) (No Metacritic Score as of 10/10/20) – This platformefighting game was released on PC in 2015 and Xbox One in 2018, yet there still haven't been enough reviews for the game to get a Metacritic score. Users are absolutely ecstatic about the game, though – it has a 94% positive rating on Steam with over 11,600 user reviews. The Nintendo Switch version also promises to include all of the game's add-on content, including cameo characters like Shovel Knight and Ori.
Announced on 9/8/20: 9/24 – RollerCoaster Tycoon 3 Complete Edition (Trailer) (Metacritic Score: 71) – This classic management sim may be 16 years old now, but it's still beloved by many, and the PC version has a Metacritic score of 81. This release includes the Soaked and Wild expansions, as well as the series' signature Coaster Cam.
9/25 – Trollhunters: Defenders of Arcadia (Trailer) (No Metacritic Score as of 10/10/20) – While a licensed game based on a direct-to-Netflix children's series doesn't seem like a surefire bet when it comes to quality, this one is being developed by Wayforward, who has been extremely consistent in putting out quality game after quality game in recent years, even rising above mediocre licenses with fantastic games like The Mummy Demastered. Hopefully this game will be in keeping with their usual quality.
9/29/20 – Alwa's Legacy (Trailer) (Metacritic Score: 76) – This game got a Metacritic score of 78 when it released on PC earlier this year. Critics seem to be saying that this is a solid kid-friendly Metroidvania.
August/September 2020 - Sunless Skies: Sovereign Edition (Trailer) – Well, this didn't come out in August, so that just leaves September. This is a follow-up to Sunless Sea, which released on the Switch earlier this year. However, it is generally agreed that Sunless Skies is much improved over its predecessor, with the 2019 release of the game on PC getting a Metacritic score of 87. This is a game that balances RPG and survival elements with a dark, almost Lovecraftian atmosphere in an alternate-world Victorian England swallowed up under the Earth. Note: Delayed until TBA
September 2020 – Space Crew (Trailer) – This game is the successor to Bomber Crew, which got a Metacritic score of 75. Based on how Bomber Crew played, I'm guessing this one will have you controlling a spaceship by having you direct each member of the crew to control their own individual responsibility within the ship. Note: Delayed until October
Summer 2020 – Pixeljunk Eden 2 (Trailer) – The original Pixeljunk Eden got an average Metacritic score of just over 80, so there's good reason to expect its long-awaited sequel to be top-notch. This is a unique platformer that has you controlling a flea-like creature jumping and swinging on the scenery. Note: Delayed until Fall 2020
Q3 2020 – Nongunz: Doppelganger Edition (Trailer) – Nongunz was originally released on PC in 2017 and got a Metacritic score of 75. This is an Action-Platformer that critics praised for its challenging action. Note: Missed release date
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Anyway, that's what I could find for September 2020 on the Switch, but no doubt some of you have specific games you've got your eye on this next month. Please feel free to give a shout out to any game you feel deserves attention! :-)

Roblox is often used as a low hanging fruit video idea for youtubers where they only review the front page games which will inevitably be riddled with young children and that’s what people associate roblox with. On the other hand, roblox games can be extremely well built, professionally run, and even immersive; for example if you wanna play actual good anime games your best bet is roblox, there are a ton of great mmorpgs about most anime series, and these are much better than most company-made games as their devs listen to the community and don’t ONLY make shonen fighters. There are also a ton of good strategy, role play, and shooter games with great, mature, communities. If you wanna try some good games I’ll give you a list:
Zeppelin wars (aerial battles+base defense game)
Demon slayer rpg 2 (beautiful maps and challenging objectives)
Rise of nations (great world strategy game, comparable to hoi4)
Heroes online (pretty good mha game, good combat system)
Rogue lineage (An absolute masterpiece, a rogue like fantasy game with a giant map that can take days to explore, combat which is comparable to triple A games, and an endless amount of classes, content, and play styles. I would HIGHLY recommend giving this game a try if you’re in for a challenge)
AOT:U/AOT:P/AOT:V (these are 3 different games which are virtually the same, they’re attack on titan games where you go through training which can take a real week, join a military branch from the series, and go on missions and rank up, but the twist is, they’re “PD” games. Every mission has stakes, if you die in one your life is lost, and you have to start over as a cadet, these games all have their own lore and are the most immersive games out there, also theirs no need to worry about children because under 13’s are immediately banned, AOT:P is under maintenance so I’d suggest AOT:U)
Arsenal (it’s a popular FPS, it’s pretty good)
Attrition (a pretty good military vehicle/infantry game, the objective is to catch objectives and build bases around them while holding off the enemy)
These are just a few great games, I really hope you’ll try the ones that catch your eye, also I put game in quotation marks in the title because roblox is more of a game engine than a game itself.

This is a lengthy one, so TLDR at bottom.
I posted this in Pro Revenge, and got booted. I guess we had different views on that, but no matter, I still owned this guy, and think it should be posted.
Someone called it a mix between revenge and MC, so I'll post it here.
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If you want to skip the back story, I put a break in about mid way.
My better half and I are in the market for a home. We've been casually searching for 4 years, and this year we really kicked it into gear. We nailed down where we wanted to live, our price range, got approved, and actually found a house we wanted to put an offer on. We contacted an agent my husband found and said he though he wanted to work with (due to the guy's other interests and the niche he'd built himself in that area-right up our alley). Against my better judgement, we signed with the guy as our buyer's agent. I'll call him Agent Douche, for the purposes of this story.
So, Agent Douche was our exclusive buyer's agent. I personally thought he was a "yes man" but my husband didn't see it. He knew we would be buying sight-unseen (cannot be helped, yes it's unwise). He went to this property, and had ONLY glowing reviews. We asked if he saw any signs of water damage (husband has mold sickness, have to be careful), and he emphatically said there was none, whatsoever. It was "pristine". He kept telling us how amazing it was, how it wouldn't last, how we'd better offer a decent chunk over asking if we want to have a chance at it. We did not feel that was a good idea. Against his advice, we offered below asking, and it was readily accepted. First red flag for me is an agent forcefully urging me to offer above asking with no other offers on the table.
So we get the inspection, a guy Agent Douche recommended personally, and ended up paying twice what it should have cost ($875). I'll give the inspector credit though, that report was exceedingly thorough, and we got it back within a day. A cursory glance at the inspection report, though, showed a large area of wood floor under a window in the living room, in plain sight to Agent Douche, was BLACK from water seeping in. The guy says he's got 15 years of experience, he should have seen that. But, he isn't an inspector, and that's not necessarily his "job". But still, another sign he's playing "yes man" to get us to buy ANYTHING at the highest cost.
Anyhow, we immediately back out of that deal, and tell him why. He asks "Are you mad at me"? I was taken aback by this question coming from a grown man who says he's an ex marine, but whatever. I tell him it's fine, and that we must move on to another property. He seems quite upset by this, but agrees.
I get an email from the inspector two days later saying that he's gotten an email from the seller of that home, asking for "another" copy of our inspection, and that he will not send it to them without our consent, as we own it. I immediately ask Agent Douche if he sent our inspection to the seller after we backed out, and he says he did, and says "I'm sorry I should have asked". I tell the inspector that we do not want our inspection shared without our consent, and that if the man wants another inspection (the seller was loaded) he can pay for his own.
Over the next few weeks, Agent Douche sends us a handful of properties we had already excluded as out of our price range. Let me say, our price range is pretty high. If I can't find a home for under half a mil, I don't want one. I repeatedly tell him these are too expensive. There ARE homes within our range. Eventually he relents and sends one or two within our range. He's still not sending us anything that fits our criteria, though, like not even a little, and we're actually doing all the leg-work. I keep sending him homes we've found online. He comes up with one excuse or another as to why it won't work, but I tell him I want to see information on it. He's definitely irritated at this point, but sends me bits and pieces of information over the course of days.
After pulling out of the offer on the first home, Agent Douche has become increasingly difficult to reach. He's told my husband he's so busy that he must start turning people away. It becomes a running joke in our house: "Have you heard from Agent Douche about that house we sent him?" "HAHA yeah right". Homes hitting the market at this point were going under contract within 24 hours, due to low supply. So, him taking 2,3,4 days to get us basic information like whether or not there's an HOA, or what it uses for heat, are a detriment. He repeatedly urges us to make offers above asking on homes he hasn't even pulled info on, let alone set foot in. He says this is necessary because things are moving so quickly. I'm too uncomfortable to do this. He's playing around with $5,000 in Earnest Money, and just no.
I realized pretty quickly that he took us as clients only because we'd found the home already, and he thought it would be quick money for him. Can't say I blame him on that, but when it became clear that it was not the right property, if he did not have time for us, he should have sent us on our way.
We tell him we're feeling neglected, and it's taking too long to get answers on basic questions. He keeps saying "It's no big deal", like that somehow makes me feel better about not buying a home because he's too busy for us. We ask him if there is someone else at his brokerage we can work with who has time, but he owns it, so there's not.
We send him another home, and he actually went out and took a few 15 second videos there. We ended up making an offer. Again, he urges us to offer well over asking. I tell him that's not happening, and offer 30k under. Sellers countered at 25 under, and this is accepted by us.
Two days into contract, I have to ask him if we are actually under contract. NO contact from him one way or another, so no idea. He eventually responds and says we are. Ok great. 4 days into our 10 day inspection period, and still haven't heard word one from him. I finally ask him if we're planning to schedule any inspections. He says "I'll connect you tonight!" and then doesn't.
The next day, 5 days into this inspection period, I tell him we'd like to cancel the contract, and cancel our contract with him (again). The mold test we need will take 5-7 days, so we literally can't get it inspected in the time left. He immediately calls me, and it does not go well. I tell him we're unhappy, he calls me unreasonable, again says "It's no big deal", blah blah blah, but he begs for another chance. Literally he begged me. So, fine, whatever. One more chance.
We find the PERFECT property, and immediately email it to him. He says he's set an appointment to view it the next morning. Two days later, he finally sends us a totally different (MUCH more expensive) property. I tell him my husband has left to go there already, and MAY choose to see it when he's there, but that we are really interested in the other one we sent him, and ask if he ever make it out to see it. He responds with "You should make an offer on this one asap!!!" Like wtf dude? So again, I ask him point blank "Did you go see the other home at XYZ, or not" and he finally admits he didn't bother going to see it. And now, since it's been 2 more days, there's an accepted offer. He will not go see it so we might put a backup offer in. The next day I receive videos of the more expensive property, that I never asked for, nor wanted.
My husband then arrives, having 30 hours to go to this area to look at the area, and some properties, and meet Agent Douche. Husband texts updates on his trip to Agent Douche along the way, but never gets a response. I speak to Agent Douche the night before, telling him my husband will be there in the morning. I tell him to please call and coordinate with him, that he's available now to speak. He told me he would, when we ended our call, but didn't.
The next day my husband arrives, he texts to say he's arrived, and Agent Douche has no response. He waits, and waits, but still nothing. Tries to call, no response. After another 7ish hours, it's now dark, and our "agent" has ghosted him all day. Husband texts him to say we want out, that he's driven all the way here, and been ghosted.
Agent Douche flips his shit. Like instantly. He says he didn't ghost anyone, and that we never told him what day he was arriving, or that he got there (obvious and provable lies) and he "figured" he'd want to rest the whole first day. With 30 hours each way, and a full week taken off work for this, losing income, we did NOT want that, which he would have known had he asked, or coordinated at all.
(Skip to here if you're avoiding the back story)
Things fully collapse at this point, and become outright hostile.
He says immediately that we are in a contract with him, and there's nothing we can do. We have to work with him, OR we can agree to pay him 3% or get a new agent to agree to pay him a referral fee. "These are the ONLY terms I'll agree to. It's your best option, you should take it"
I think this would be reasonable, if our reason for cancellation were not his own negligence.
I tell him there is NO way in HELL I will allow him to profit for dicking us around. He literally laughs at me, and says I have no choice.
Bad idea.
I have an attorney look over the contract, and yes, we're fucked contractually. Funnily enough, the attorney tells me he is VERY aware of this guy, and he does this all the time. Apologizes that we're in this mess, but says there's nothing he can do about it. I ask him about posting reviews of our experience, that I'm worried about a defamation suit. He says that as long as it's true, and I have proof, I cannot be sued for defamation.
I call the real estate commission and speak with an investigator for the entire state. He asks where in the state this occurred, and I tell him. He says "is it Agent Douche?", and my jaw dropped. He says he gets a lot of calls about this guy, that there's lots of problems, but that he hides behind pretty ironclad contracts, so he continues to do this legally. He's been doing it for years, apparently. He tells us that if we try to circumvent the contract, we will almost certainly be sued by this man- he's done it before.
I tell Agent Douche that the least he could do if he doesn't have time to do his job, is release us. Again, he laughs. I tell him I will report these actions to the real estate commission. "HAHAHAHAJA" is his response. I tell him fine, then he can expect people to hear about what's happened to us online. He says "I will sue you". I tell him that I will only be posting a true account of events, with written proof, and therefore it is not libelous, and he can sue me, but will not win. He replies, "You two are psychopaths"
Now I really start to get angry.
I emailed Agent Douche and told him point blank that if his terms for cancellation were not acceptable to me, and mine were not acceptable to him, then we are still legally bound. As such, I FULLY expect him to do his job. I sent a list of houses we would never otherwise consider. He did nothing for 2 days, and for 2 days I asked him probably 10 times a day to send me documentation on them.
He asked if I even meant to send those to him, and I said "of course, you're my agent, ARE YOU NOT?". He sweetly replies that he is, and that he'll send the information that evening. I send him like 8 more listings, all in a different geographical area (the contract was for the entire state), and all WELL below our price limit. Like some were under 100k, and all were reallllly rough.
That evening, Agent Douche starts to try to 'team up' with my husband against me. For some reason he thinks this tactic will work because my husband avoids confrontation whenever possible. He emails my husband. He forwards the listings I've sent, and asks my husband if I am "mentally unstable", and says he thinks he should "get me some help". It does not go well, and husband tell him to "Pump his brakes" and that he has "no right" to talk about me that way. Agent Douche doesn't respond. Instead he writes me, telling ME he thinks I'm unstable. His logic is that I'm not happy with him, and don't want to work with him, and now I'm sending him properties, so I must be mentally incompetent.
I tell him again that we have 4 months left on our contract, and I am under no obligation to accept his terms for cancellation if they do not benefit me, just like he is not obligated to accept mine.
He emails my husband again, saying that he's got some agents who will "Be Reeeeaaallllyyyy nice to Vmizzle" and husband just says "we don't need your referrals dude".
Next day another agent calls me. Agent Douche wants me to sign with them instead, and they've already agreed to accept less commission so he will be paid. I have a lovely chat with the nice couple on the phone, and then tell them flatly that under no circumstances will I allow him to profit financially for doing this to us. He's become openly hostile, rude, and calls us names. They didn't really know what to say, so we amicably ended the call. They call me back a bit later (I suppose after talking to Agent Douche) and ask again if I'll consider signing with them just to be done with the situation, that buyers don't even pay the commission, and that they will even pay for my inspection! Wow. Once more I tell them no, that is not their responsibility and I won't allow them to go out of pocket for this clown. I tell them in no uncertain terms, that I would choose to wait out this contract before signing with anyone else. That I might consider signing with them (I never would because of their affiliation with him), but only if we were released fully from the contract beforehand.
I told them that if we somehow decided to purchase one of the two homes he 'showed' us, that I would feel obligated to pay him, but short of that, there is no way.
Agent Douche emails and texts more, calling me more names for refusing to sign his cancellation terms, even though he's done the same to me.
I again send him a handful of crappy listings, and very valid reasons I might want each property. He says nothing, and I ask him every 2-3 hours to send me documentation on them. That if he's still our agent, he's obligated to do SOMETHING. That he cannot legally refuse to fulfill his contractual duties, and still keep us in the contract. He must choose. At this point I'm building a pretty solid paper trail of begging him to do what his is contractually obligated to do, and evidence of his refusal.
Agent Douche has started to realize that I am NOT going to go away. I keep sending him properties, and keep at him to send me info, which he never does.
Finally, mercifully, Agent Douche texts me that he is terminating us as clients, and that we are free to work with whoever we want.
Two days later, he finally sends me the contract cancellation. We are elated, and sign quickly as it all is in order. After, though, I take a very close look at his actual signature on the page. He signed the cancellation "Fuckoff" instead of Agent Douche. Guy's a real class act.
Luckily, our attorney said through his laughs, that the cancellation is still binding, and if he did try to take us to court, he'd obviously have to explain to a judge that he signed a legal document with an expletive. He assured us that we finally were done with him!
The real estate commission investigator had actually asked me to keep him updated on the outcome of the situation. So, after hearing back from the lawyer that we were indeed done, I called him back to tell him. I told him exactly what happened, and that I just forced him to work with us until he realized he'd have 4 more months of me still not going away, so he cancelled. Mr. Nice Investigator could not stop laughing. He told me Agent Douche calls him regularly, and uses him as a point of contact because none of the other investigators will speak to him. He tells me the guy "Has a few screws loose". I tell him I hope he will tell anyone else in our position what worked, and to feel free to pass my info along if necessary. He readily accepts that offer, and we jovially end the call.
In the end I'm very glad I stood up to this asshole, and I have zero regrets.
We called his bluff, and I can pretty well bet that no one had done that to him before. He was absolutely used to bullying people into getting his way.
Fuck him.
TLDR;
Realtor doesn't do his job, won't let us out of the contract to work with someone who will, and thought he could force us into a situation where he gets paid to do nothing. So call his bluff, and force him to work with us and bug the shit out of him to do his job until he cancels it on his own.
PS:
There ARE some good realtors out there, this guy just wasn't one of them. The best realtor I EVER worked with was a woman who I'm not sure I'm allowed to name here, and I will sing her praises for literally the rest of my life. We didn't end up purchasing in the area, but desperately tried to give her money anyway because she was so wonderful and we thought she deserved it. She flat out refused. She stopped us from making an offer on a home because she saw what we didn't. Her knowledge was impressive, and I think of her often. She was in the NH/Maine area, so if you're there, PM me and I'll give you her name.
​
I want to clarify that we will absolutely be pursuing this man further with reviews, the NAR, and the state.
This literally JUST happened, so we haven't even had time to do that yet.

Here's why I think RKT (Rocket Mortgage) is going to become dominant in the mortgage industry, as well as potential risks and responses to those risks. **Please note: This is nearly all qualitative fundamentals. I don't spend much time on quantitative fundamentals for reasons I'd be happy to explain some other time. And it's sure as hell not technical analysis because....cmon. Also, I am focusing mainly on their Rocket Mortgage arm in this thesis. They have a few other branches (which will be important down the road), but right now mortgages are the main money makearea to focus on.
Strengths of their company

1. Their incredible focus on UX and UI, and a great all around customer experience. There app has 4.9 stars on the appstore, which says 1, it's a good app, but 2, people usually use the app as a medium to rate the service they get from the company, so in essence, rocket mortgage has 4.9 star rating on their mortgage service. They listen to customers and integrate their feedback.
2. Their focus on tech/data. Rocket mortgage is the only player in this space that is focusing relentlessly on a digital first experience.
3. The company is growing, which will only increase their economies of scale and allow them to get better rates as they grow.
4. The amount of data/data points they have on their customers is incredible. They are an order of magnitude ahead of competitors when it comes to data and analytics on their customers. They are essentially the Google of mortgages where data is concerned.
5. They have a refinancing retention rate of 75%, compared to the industry average of 22%. Refinancing is a large chunk of their revenue and is a very important part of any mortgage companies business.
6. Their potential for scalability is massive. In the past 10 years, we've seen a huge boom in software stocks. The reason is that software is infinitably scalable. It costs nothing (or extremely close to nothing) to add another user for a piece of software. This means the margins on the product can be incredibly high. This is similar to how Rocket Mortgage is operating. Since much of their mortgage process is automated and online, it is much cheaper for them to add new customers than their competitors.
7. People are treating them like a traditional mortgage company, when I think they are a fintech company. This may be the biggest area where I am wrong, but I don't think so. All the analyses I've seen on Seeking Alpha, etc, talk about them as a mortgage company. One bear case mentioned that their forward P/E is around 16, vs 8 or 9 for Citi or Wells Fargo, and they suggested that this was way too high (in case you're wondering their bear case was $20). However, I am thinking of them as a disruptive fintech (although certainly not as new as something like Square). If you look at it this way, and compare their forward P/E to Squares of 152, it looks like an incredible bargain. Now, I don't think their P/E should actually be anywhere near Squares, and they aren't a huge growth company like Square, but I think they are a lot more of a growth company than other people are realizing.

Positive shifts in the industry:

1. I believe we're going to see what happened to banking in the past 5 years happen to mortgages in the next 5-10. (Everything is moving online, digital banking, fintech disruption, traditional banks losing to more innovative players, etc.)
2. Haven't really seen much fintech disruption in the mortgage space yet, this means Rocket Mortgage can have the first mover advantage.
3. Difference between other fintechs and the mortgage industry is that in this industry there are much higher startup costs, and you really have to have a lot of experience to do well. Rocket mortgage has Plenty of experience, (started in 1985, so 35 years) but they still are the first to market with a digital only platform.
   
   1. Other mortgage companies can imitate the online experience, but they're not going to be winners.
   2. Think of your traditional banking app vs. new fintechs like Square or Cashapp. (Personally on the "traditional" side, I use U.S. Bank for banking and Charles Schwab for investing. Both of their apps/digital experiences are OK, but nowhere as good as other fintech apps I use like Cashapp or Wealthfront.)
4. Everything is moving towards digital. The boomers are dying, or at the very least, not buying very many more homes. The majority of new mortgages are going to be coming from Millennials, and soon enough, Gen Z. (There is the possibility that these generations buy less homes, as we have already seen. This is discussed in the Risks section). Millennials and Gen Z already do everything else on their phone and most of them will likely be interested in getting a mortgage on their phone/computer too.
   

Risks/reasons it could go wrong:

1. They are too dependent on the mortgage industry/housing market as a whole, as well as macro trends like interest rates. This is the biggest reason I'm not more bullish. The housing market is incredibly complex and hard to understand, much less predict. There is plenty of uncertainty right now surrounding COVID, government stimulus, and unemployment. The best response here is that over the long run the housing market is usually a good bet, as everyone knows they're not making more land and people usually still want to own a home, but there certainly is a fair deal of risk in this too.
2. This ties in to 1. above, but Millenials and Gen Z may not be as interested in buying homes as previous generations. I've seen stats saying 70% of Millenials still want to own homes, but it's hard to tell. My response here is that even if demand for houses falls a lot, I think Rocket Mortgage will still have a dominant enough competitive advantage that they will come out on top and the stock price will increase. For example, even if M and GZ demand for houses falls 20% compared to previous generations (which would be massive), my wager is that the majority of M and GZ who do get mortgages would go with Rocket, and their dominance will only increase in coming years as more things go digital.
   
   1. This also ties in to the above and point 1, but as ARK Invest CEO Cathie Wood says, "Innovations thrives in a crisis".
3. They get disrupted by a smaller fintech. I do think that we will see more fintech players in the mortgage space in the coming 5-7 years. However, as previously stated, I think the mortgage market is inherently harder to enter than something like peer to peer payments or online banking. Plus, they ARE ALREADY the disruptor in this space.
   
4. Price is overvalued because it's so new. This is another factor I'm somewhat worried about. I do very little quantitative analysis to determine fair market price. I usually just look at market history (not technical analysis because that's bullshit, but just general market price history). However, with so little data it is hard to tell what's a good price. That being said, when looking at All Time Highs and All Time Lows, it is more on the low side (currently at $23ish vs ATH of $35.)
   

Question Check: (I have a system of generic questions to evaluate each stock I invest in against. These are based almost completely off the work and process of both Stanley Druckenmiller and Warren Buffet).

1. Is the world changing in a way that is advantageous to them?
   1. Yes, everything, especially finance, is going digital. Mortgages haven't really caught up, but I think they will.
2. Does it have an asymmetrical risk/reward ratio?
   1. Maybe not as much as I would like (although companies like that are nearly impossible to find these days), but still yes. Upside could be huge if they become the dominant market player and realize 2-3 years of near monopoly position before incumbents catch up. Downside is likely only limited to US housing market downturn, which could be bad, but still recoverable.
3. Do you like the company and believe in the product?
   1. I like the company. I haven't used their product yet (too young for a house), but every single person I've seen on reddit who has used them liked them. And they have tons of great reviews in the appstore (for the process, not just the app)
4. Could you hold this stock forever?
   1. Maybe not forever, but at least 20-40 years.
5. Is it a company that is currently doing well that could do even better?
   1. Yes, they have been doing well for the past many years, but have really taken off with the introduction of rocket mortgage and I think will continue to do even better due to that.
6. Do you like and trust the management?
   1. This is one area I'm weak in. The only management I know of is the founder, but I like his drive a lot. In case you don't know, he founded the shoe resale startup StockX too.
7. Could this blow up and ruin me?/What are the odds it falls by a ton? ("Don't lose money"-Warren Buffet)
   1. Unlikely to completely blow up unless there is some huge unforeseen occurrence that no one predicted.
8. Would you buy the stock if it was 50% higher?
   1. Honestly, yes. 50% higher right now would mean 34.5, which is just about all time highs. I think we have a lot farther to go in the future.

I'd love to hear any feedback, especially risks/weaknesses I missed. Let's discuss.
TLDR: Rocket Mortgage is set to grow an insane amount over the next 5-7 years. Buy now.
p.s. Sorry for the clickbait title. As much as I try not to be a degenerate, I too love getting points from stangers on the internet, and I wanted people to click on my post.

Hello All,
I am excited to inform you all that I have passed my CISSP exam earlier this week. My old reddit account have some issues so created this new one, but I have to say that I read many of your posts which really helped me passing the exam.
Materials used:
I prepared exactly for around 3 months studying for 8 to 10+ hours each day except some free days in-between!

1. Sybex 8th edition (10/10) - Really good book to study and did all questions behind each chapters and online as well. My main study material!
   
2. Sybex practice questions book (8/10) - practiced all questions on book and online as well. Great to check your basic understanding of concepts.
   
3. Boson (8/10) - Good one but more technical than actual exam. Why you should use this? Because of their great explanation of each questions and LEAST, BEST, questions!
   
4. 11th hour book (10/10) - covers 90 percent of syllabus and best for a quick reference. I actually studied this book first before starting Sybex which I felt was a really good strategy and major factor of understanding everything properly.
   
5. Memory palace (10/10) - Best last day reference. Especially read all the exam tips, it will be really helpful.
   
6. AIO and CBK latest edition (I won't give any scores haha) - Only used as reference, but AIO will make you feel so dry and I won't recommend unless you like to read very much! CBK was good, but this also I used only as reference books.
   
7. Wentz wu book - really good one - It covers Domain 1 and the core cissp concepts!
   
8. Mike Chappelle's LinkedIn videos (9/10): Even though it is high level I found it really useful because it really helped me during the exam and his voice is really good!
   
9. Cybrary Kelly Videos: I bought it and only watched some, but I highly recommend you to watch her why you will pass CISSP on YouTube before the exam starts (10/10).
   
10. Did Adam Gordon's QoD on LinkedIn, Wentz Wu questions, and Luke free questions. I personally felt Wentz wu and luke questions are too tough and technical or out of scope to what they really ask in the exam. Those questions may lower your confidence so don't use unless you have a healthy mind, but Adam's questions are good in terms of free resources!
    
11. Thor question bank (6/10): I actually did not find it that much useful, but everyone says his videos are good, but I didn't use that for my preparation!
    
12. Mike Chappelle's cheat sheet were really good for last minute review.
    
13. Larry's CISSP exam tips 2020 video - 10/10 - spock vs kirk! Must watch everyone!
    
14. DISCORD: Certification Station and Thor's discord both 10/10 -24*7 - use it wisely and don't waste more time there because I have seen people arguing for one question for very long time. But most are really helpful.
    

Exam tips for all:
All I can say is study 50 percent and practice questions 50 percent. I practiced almost 6000 to 7000 questions in total from multiple paid and free sources. Please do official and quality questions - it is very important! Sybex both as noted above has around 2500+ questions from two sources, Boson, Adam QoD, Discord, Thor's etc.
What I felt was it does not matter what materials you use and It also does not matter how well you understand the concepts, it is all about how capable are you to apply it for the questions asked and not what to think or know it from your experience. Keep it simple!
Also people say think like a manager, yes that's correct but for you to think like a manger to answer the questions asked, you need to know the underlying technical concept or knowledge to answer it accordingly. So prepare accordingly!
At the end of the day, you need to select a answer from 4 choices - pray to god if you believe to select the right choice haha - last option if you haven't clue say research questions maybe!
Exam day:
I felt the exam super tough right from the start - because the first question made me felt it was out of syllabus lol.
I read questions and choices two to three times based on difficulty of the question. I would highly advice doing that. If you have really prepared well you can answer it objectively or subjectivey based on your efforts. One way or other you will be able to answer your questions. My exam ended a little over 100 questions. I went to the reception and the man was waiting with my results printed out saying big congratulations you have passed the exam! I felt so relieved and one of the important moments in my life in 2020 as most of time I was inside my home for many months now lol!
This journey was a roller coaster ride for me and thanks to this great forum!
Be positive, think positive, positive vibes only - much needed for the exam. I also read Think like a monk by Jay Shetty (while preparing for exam)! In the exam paper given, write things such as success, I will pass the exam, your dear god name if any and your favourite people name. I bet if you do this all with positive mindset you will sure pass the exam! It does not mean you have to do this, but it is just my kind recommendation 😊. Spreading positivity which we all need now especially during this time!
If you guys have any questions, please feel to comment, I am happy to answer all your questions. It's my time to give back!
Hope this post finds helpful for some and good luck to everyone who are preparing and going to give their exams soon! God bless everyone!

Original Post got moved for having a referral link, dropping the text of the review sans referral link here. Hope anyone considering mint mobile finds it helpful.
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Most people don’t question a hefty Verizon Wireless bill. The coverage and network quality have been industry bests for years and so the “You Get What You Pay For” mantra kept my family entrenched for 13 years. Verizon recently provided semi-deceptive sales tactics and indifferent customer service prompting an exploration of the options. Not surprisingly cheaper plans abound, so the question is…do other service providers provide ‘good enough’ quality to go along with their too-good-to-be-true price points.
Verizon did eventually make things right, but not until after hours on customer service chats and phone calls getting bounced between numerous Verizon associates. So like a slow rolling boulder loosened from it’s centuries-old resting place, my complacency had given way to a momentum pulling me from the “Can you hear me Now” network.
So where does one start if contemplating a change from the biggest, arguably best and most expensive cellular service? First let’s discuss key industry dynamics.

• The Big Players – Verizon, T-Mobile and AT&T who own their towers and networks. They invest in brick and mortar stores and offer discounts on new phones which they can do as their plans are expensive. You may notice Sprint is not in this list which is due to them merging with T-Mobile in the past year.
• The MVNOs – StraightTalk, Cricket, Mint Mobile, and a slew of other services buy time, in advance from the big 3. There are many names for these carriers, most are MVNOs (mobile virtual network operators) and they buy data and voice/text time at wholesale rates from the big guys. They save costs by limiting or not having Brick and Mortar expenses and getting discounted rates from the big networks through paying in advance for the bandwidth they will consume. These companies offer what are typically called Prepaid plans.
• MVNO Alternatives – The biggest is Google Fi, they have MVNO elements where they buy time from other providers TMo and US Cellular, but they also have invested heavily in wifi hotspot technology that avoids using data on cell networks wherever possible. Google Fi is not prepaid and you pay a prorated consumption amount for data. If you use little data each month, this is likely the cheapest big name option. But the cost can approach the bigger players if consuming a lot of cellular data. It’s definitely worth a look though if you want to cut costs and they now support most of the major smartphone brands.

Second, each company has their own distinct features. The importance of each differs on one’s personal preferences.

• Wifi Calling – This is critical for me. Living in the middle of a large neighborhood with few towers, our Verizon signal is always weak and so it’s necessary that I can place calls over our high-speed internet. Wifi calling, if you have strong internet, is clear, doesn’t break up and bridges the cell network gap when you regularly get 0 to 2 bars. And anywhere you get Wifi in the world, you can make calls and send texts. If you aren’t using it, this could be the easiest way to improve call quality from home, assuming your service provider offers it (the Big 3 all do, some of the MVNOs do not).
• International Service – Cell savvy travelers will say, “just order a temporary SIM card for international calls and data,” and I’m sure that works, but I hate the idea of dealing with a new number and other difficulties that come with switching a SIM card. So I want to be able to get calls, texts and a limited amount of data when I travel from the same number I use in the States. Some of the cheaper MVNOs don’t offer international options and while I’m not a frequent traveler, we do travel enough to make this feature a necessity.
• Hot Spot – Ability to turn you phone into a Wifi access point, connect PCs and tablets and then use mobile data to provide internet. A common feature on more expensive plans and a necessity for consumers that need to keep their laptop connected while on the go.
• Bonus Perks – If you are trying to get the best value possible, going with the service that provides one year of Disney+ may be a sign you are paying more than you need to, however there are some great perks out there like T-Mobile’s free minutes and data while flying on many major US Air Carriers, which would be a colossal deal for frequent travelers.
• Brick and Mortar Support – If you don’t like messing with Tech, having the option to walk into a store and have an associate fix your problem is a compelling reason to stay with one of the big providers.
• Payment Plans and Contracts – Almost all MVNO’s require pay-in-advance (PrePaid) and some require bulk purchasing 3, 6 and 12 month packages to get their best rates (Mint does). While I don’t see much risk in prepaying for a single month’s service, prepaying for 12 months brings risk as it’s unlikely you can get the money back in most scenarios. Contracts are the big guys way to lock your money into a promise-to-pay plan. Unless receiving a free or deeply discounted phone, I like to avoid contracts on the Big 3.
• Data Sharing Plans – Ability to pay for a set amount of data and share it between 2 or more lines, usually on a family plan. If a service doesn’t have data sharing, you will need more total data across all phone lines than what you’d need in a shared data plan to satisfy a family’s demand. As an example, we were on a 5GB shared data plan and would likely need 2.5-3GB per line if switching to a non-shared plan to ensure we don’t hit our data caps.

Lastly, let’s not forget Cost. After considering features and soliciting friends’ opinions about T-Mobile’s network (which weren’t great by the way), I found a plan that was too inexpensive not to try. Mint Mobile is an MVNO that piggybacks on the T-Mobile network. I’m trying their 3-month trial plan that provides unlimited talk/text and 3GB of 4G/5G data per month for $15/mo. They offer Wifi Calling, options to purchase International Prepaid Credits and had the cheapest plan I found along with many online reviewers calling them a top MVNO.
I don’t want anyone unhappy from something I recommend, so below are pros & cons to review before considering a switch. If you’d like to try it out, you can save $15 off their three month trial, which costs $45 paid in full ($15/mo) for the 3GB data plan before the $15 credit. If you need more data there are other offerings; $60 ($20/mo) for 8GB, $75 for 12GB and $90 ($30/mo) for the Unlimited data plan. I’ve also only been using their network for 3 weeks now, so your results may vary, but since the plans are cheap and you can bring your current phone, there is little financial risk to trying them out as long as you aren’t currently on a contract.
PROS

• Price – Bottom line first…Mint will save my family over $840/yr if we switch all 3 of our lines over. With 3 lines on Verizon and 5GB of shared data we paid well over $115 a month. Mint doesn’t do shared data, but 3 lines with 3GB data each (9GB total) costs $45 per month. Less than 40% of the cost of Verizon.
• Strong City Coverage & Respectable Network – T-Mobile, once the 4th biggest carrier, is now 2nd after merging with Sprint. T-Mobile’s network has been a couple bars stronger inside grocery stores and buildings than what I would get from Verizon in my town. This will vary based on your locale, but in Richmond, the coverage is great. I’m not certain if Mint uses the acquired Sprint towers but you can find the Mint Coverage Map Here. Full disclosure, I found Mint’s rural coverage on the map to be optimistic, see the Cons section below.
• Wifi Calling and Texting is Available – If you have strong internet at your house or in a hotel, you don’t need to rely on cell signals. Turn on wifi calling for clear VOIP-like calls over your cell phone. Not all MVNO providers offer wifi calling.
• Low Risk Trial – if you want the $15 credit you’ll have to add a 3 month plan at discounted rates. I tried the 3GB plan for my line at $45 over 3 months. If I hate it, I can port my number back to one of the big providers and take advantage of ‘New Line’ incentives that I wouldn’t have gotten from Verizon otherwise. With the referral you can pay as little as $30 for 3 months.
• No Risk Trial – if you want to forego the $15 credit you can buy a trial sim card kit off Amazon for $5 or less which will give you a weeks service to test the network for yourself. I tried this initially but I didn’t like that I couldn’t try out the full service (Wifi Calling, logging into a Mint account) and I didn’t like having a temporary phone number no one knew. I upgraded after 4 days.
• International Roaming – No, it’s not free, but it is available. You can buy international roaming credits to use international cell networks. For an infrequent international traveler, this is perfect as I’ll mostly use Wifi calling, but want emergency minutes on hand for the unforeseen.
• Hotspot is included!
• Phone Customer Service – I’ve called 3 times, never waited more than 3 minutes to talk to someone and they are helpful. A phone agent walked me through the number porting process, telling me how to start the port process on Verizon’s website with expert knowledge of Verizon’s website.
• No Data Overage Fees or Hard Caps – If I use more than 3GB of 4G data, no problem, Mint just slows me down from 5G/4G to 3G and then in theory I have unlimited 3G. If I need more cowbell then I can buy another gig of 5G/4G at $10 or 3 gigs at $20.
• Network Data Speed – I haven’t tested Mint’s 5G, but I’m getting full 4G LTE download speeds when I have 3-4 bars. 5G is a jaw-dropping evolution, but I’m doubtful the average user needs it, so I’m foregoing the expense of a 5G phone until the technology becomes ubiquitous. But for those that own phones for 4+ years and are buying soon, it may makes sense to go with a 5G capable device.
• Bring Your Own Phone – most all modern phones work on the network. Androids, Iphones, etc, if you have a phone that is 3yrs or newer, you likely won’t need to buy a new phone and the website will tell you if you have a compatible phone. Setup on my brand new Pixel 4a would have been terribly easy (had I not screwed it up), plop in SIM card, turn on and everything would have worked. Setup for my older Pixel XL (first generation) was trickier…see the Cons list.
• Ryan Reynolds – Mom and Dad love that campy Canadian, so they aren’t giving me grief about cheaping out on my cellular plan, since he owns the company.

CONS

• Initial Setup Complexity – This isn’t a whopper of a con personally as I’m a gadget geek, but this could be a tremendous dissatisfier for many. Upon initial setup with my first generation Google Pixel phone, I had to go deep into phone settings and configure a new ‘APN’. I’ve never done this before and I imagine Verizon would do this automatically. If you don’t set up the APN correctly things like wifi calling or MMS texting (group, image, gif text) will not work or worse yet, the phone won’t get data or calls at all. An internet search showed that there are 4-5 APN configs out there that customers use for different older phones. If any trouble setting up, don’t solve it yourself, call the phone contact center at (213) 372-7777 from a different phone and have them walk you through it. There is good news for owners of new phones as I acquired a Pixel 4a after joining Mint, and the out-of-the box APNs that came on the SIM card worked flawlessly. Unfortunately I was overthinking it, and tried to follow the same setup process from when I configured the first-generation Pixel APNs when I should have let it just work out of the box. I wasted a morning until I finally went to Mint’s chat channel and they guided me on how to get back to the defaults I should have used in the first place. In short, if you aren’t a fan of working with customer service remotely to dial in the functions of your phone and you have an older phone, Mint may not be for you.
• No Brick and Mortar Stores – This is a key way Mint passes savings onto the consumer. If you have a problem you must use their chat agents or their call center and can’t walk into a store for help.
• Prepay in Full – To get the absolute cheapest price after the 3 month intro rate, you’ll have to prepay for 12 months. For me this will be $180+taxes ($15/mo) for a year of 3Gig/month 5G/4G cell service or $240+taxes ($20/mo) if you want the 8GB plan. You can also prepay in full for 6 months or in 3 month increments, but the shorter duration prepays increase the monthly cost $5 and $10 respectively. If my 3 month trial goes off without a hitch I will purchase 12 months in full.
• Deprioritization – Since Mint buys coverage from T-Mobile when T-Mobile cell towers are overloaded, TMo reserves the right to slow data speeds for Mint customers to prioritize their direct customers. I haven’t experienced this yet and if my data slows down infrequently, I don’t see that as a huge deal, but it could be for anyone who’s phone is symbiotically growing into their hand.
• Rural Coverage – on a drive from Richmond to Boonesboro, MD, there were a number of dead zones on the country roads 20 minutes outside of Richmond and before Culpepper. From Culpepper, VA to Boonesboro, MD Mint had great coverage. I was driving these scenic byways while using a trial SIM card, and so maybe it’s possible the trial SIM accessed fewer towers, but I can’t be certain, so for now I’m going to assume the coverage map is optimistic. My wife’s Verizon phone had service in most of the rural areas, and only a few dead zones. Rural coverage is one of Verizon’s key strengths and a reason to keep their service if you live outside the burbs. Interestingly I’ve found several cases where Verizon’s suburb/city signals are weaker within buildings than T-Mobile’s (Mint Mobile).

OTHER SERVICES CONSIDERED

• T-Mobile – now that I’ve tested their network, I’m happy, but they will be more expensive than Mint although cheaper than Verizon. I recently saw a stat that said T-Mobile’s network covers 64% of the US and Verizon 73%, but don’t remember where. Cost difference between Mint Mobile and T-Mobile was too great to choose anything but Mint, but if I was a frequent flyer, their perks with minutes and data in the air would likely pull me into the fold. My daughter is crushed that she won’t get to take advantage of the free upgrade to an Iphone 11 deal on TMo at the time of writing this review.
• Google FI – Now supporting non Google phones and iPhone. Potentially they have the best coverage of all plans as they contract with several major networks. If you aren’t a heavy data user, Google Fi will also be fairly inexpensive. Not as cheap as Mint, but if you want that sweet spot of low cost and great coverage Google Fi may be the best bet if you aren’t data hungry. Fi charges $17 per line (at time of this blog) and a pro-rated $10 per gig of data used, so heavy data consumers would pay a lot on Google Fi. But people that keep data usage to less than 2 gigs a month can expect to pay less than $37/mo per line.
• AT&T – I didn’t look for long. The prices are equivalent to Verizon and their coverage is nationally the worst out of the big 3. I have an AT&T hotspot in our car and can confirm it drops out more frequently than what I’ve experienced on Mint in Virginia. So not paying the same as Verizon to get less.

DATA SAVING TECHNIQUES TO REDUCE YOUR BILL

• Obvious 1: Keep wifi on as often as possible.
• Obvious 2: Don’t stream video or do extensive web surfing on your cell phone if it can wait until you are on wifi, and less face it, it can usually wait.
• Turn on Wifi calling as for some providers this also prompts your phone to send data-using MMS (group) messages over wifi, saving cell data.
• Android phones have a data saver setting, you can turn this on to keep apps from running in the background. But it might also delay notifications from apps that need background data to do their thing.
• In settings there is usually a networks section where you can click on your cell provider, see how much data has been used this month and further drill into finding apps that are using the most data. Configure non-essential apps to not consume data in the background. Be careful not to do this for an app that is required to operate the phone.
• Chrome and many apps have settings to disable videos and audio from playing automatically, turn these auto-play settings off, if you can find them.
• Google Maps has an ability to download over wifi the map for a big section of most states. Downloading your region will enable Maps to use less data.
• YouTube and other video services usually allow you to downgrade video quality to 240p which is plenty good for cell phones and should use over 60% less data than 480p videos if you are hell bent on using a cell phone as a TV off of Wifi.

PARTING THOUGHTS

I’m happy with Mint Mobile’s service after 3 weeks. If you live in a big town or city, it may be a really good fit to save money. I wish I would have called their customer service when I initially had setup issues, rather than trying to figure it out myself. You should bring a phone and Mint Mobile doesn’t offer cell phone discounts but does appear to offer payment plans. If you need a new phone and don’t want to break the bank, you can’t go wrong with the Pixel 4a or Pixel 4a 5G coming out soon. And now that I’ve made the switch I don’t anticipate going back and spending more, but we’ll see if there are gotchas waiting in the wings.