Blippo+

The developers collaborated with Telefantasy Studios, a company that utilizes vintage production equipment for truly dated-looking footage. Blippo+ doesn't get its look from post-production, making it feel more authentically of another age, and when contrasted with the game's futuristic themes and outfits from decades past, it makes a wonderfully retrofuturistic television menagerie. It's entirely composed by YACHT as well, and the band's experimental electro-pop is extremely at home in Blippo+.

With the absolute domination of the streaming era, even people in their late 30s have begun to forget what channel surfing was like. Being insomniatic at 1 AM, trying to find something to lull you to sleep. Sure, you can throw on an terrestrial signal and hope for the best with your HD antenna nowadays, but it’s not even remotely the same. The mystery of it all is gone. If you end up seeing people acting wild on public access, it’s because you know what’ll be happening. Even services li...

Some games try to be fun and entertaining interactive experiences and some try to tell engaging and gripping stories, and some are desperately trying to be movies. But sometimes they manage to catch a vibe. You kids with your broccoli hair and your iPads might not remember the desolate feeling of flipping around basic cable or satellite TV on a weekday, trying to find something to watch, but there was a time when you were stuck with whatever happened to be on, and, buddy, that was it. And wha...

Blippo+ defies what makes a video game in favor of chasing a bygone era in television.

There’s been many times where I’ve uttered the words “this is the weirdest game I’ve ever seen.” It happened when I first played Shadow of the Colossus as I rode a horse across empty plains, unbothered by enemies as I approached a giant, moving, climbing puzzle. It happened when Superliminal twisted my mind into confusing shapes as I tried to understand its perspective-based puzzles. It even happened when I saw a trailer for Genital Jousting. Now it’s happened for possible the final time. Why? Because Blippo+ is the weirdest game I’ve ever seen.

For those that enjoy the unhinged, 80s style programming on offer here, you’ll get a kick out of sitting back and seeing what's on. For everyone else though, you may want to change the channel.

Overall a full playthrough — or watch-through — of Blippo+ takes about 20 hours. Its comedic programming features lovable and surprisingly badass characters, and the worldbuilding within the shows and forums piece together to form an engaging story. But a few of the shows, and the “end” of the story fall short, leaving me wanting more. Nevertheless, I’ve already found myself revisiting some of Blip’s shows. If you enjoy retro 1980s 1990s TV, especially science fiction, or you’r...