Oxymoron, paradox, pun

6. Assonance:
Craft a dialogue exchange between two characters in which the repetition of vowel sounds emphasizes an emotional undertone, mirroring the resonance of a distant melody.
7. Onomatopoeia:
Create a scene where the ambiance is enriched by onomatopoeic elements, such as "the rustling leaves and chirping crickets setting the nocturnal symphony."
8. Oxymoron:
Introduce a character torn between the juxtaposition of two conflicting traits, like a "gentle warrior" navigating the complexities of their identity.
9. Irony:
Develop a plot twist where the very occupation that a character despised becomes their saving grace, adding an ironic layer to their personal journey.
10. Pun:
Construct a humorous situation where a clever pun serves as a catalyst for an unexpected turn of events, bringing levity to the narrative.

1. Simile: Her smile was as bright as the sun.
2. Metaphor: Time is a thief.
3. Hyperbole: I've told you a million times.
4. Personification: The wind whispered through the trees.
5. Alliteration: Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.
6. Assonance: The rain in Spain falls mainly on the plain.
7. Onomatopoeia: The bee buzzed around the garden.
8. Oxymoron: Deafening silence filled the room.
9. Irony: The fire station burned down.
10. Pun: I used to be a baker because I kneaded dough.
11. Euphemism: He passed away peacefully in his sleep.
12. Juxtaposition: The old house stood next to the modern skyscraper.
13. Anaphora: I have a dream...
14. Epiphora: Love, love, love – that's what it's all about.
15. Zeugma: He stole my heart and my wallet.
16. Chiasmus: You forget what you want to remember, and you remember what you want to forget.
17. Litotes: The test was not a total disaster.
18. Synecdoche: All hands on deck.
19. Antithesis: It was the best of times; it was the worst of times.
20. Paradox: Less is more.
21. Allegory: Animal Farm by George Orwell.
22. Metonymy: The White House issued a statement.
23. Sarcasm: Nice job on the presentation – if you were aiming for confusion.
24. Understatement: The hurricane disrupted some outdoor activities.
25. Cliché: Time heals all wounds.
26. Anthropomorphism: The clock seemed to mock him as it ticked away.
27. Symbolism: The dove is a symbol of peace.
28. Paronomasia: I used to be a baker because I kneaded dough.
29. Malapropism: I'm going to the store to buy some orangutans.
30. Homophone: They're going to their house over there.
31. Epanalepsis: Blood hath bought blood, and blows have answered blows.
32. Polyptoton: Love is not love which alters when it alteration finds.
33. Catachresis: I could feel the darkness wrapping its cold arms around me.
34. Epistrophe: See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil.
35. Hypophora: What is the meaning of life? It's a question we all ponder.
36. Anadiplosis: The strength of the team is the team.
37. Ellipsis: Some people prefer cats; others, dogs.
38. Asyndeton: I came, I saw, I conquered.
39. Polysyndeton: They laughed and talked and danced and sang.
40. Enjambment: The moon was high, casting a silver glow on the water, as I walked along the shore.
41. Caesura: To be or not to be, that is the question.
42. Meiosis: It's just a scratch; I don't need a bandage.
43. Epizeuxis: Never, never, never give up.
44. Antimetabole: I know what I like, and I like what I know.
45. Aposiopesis: If you don't stop that, I'll—
46. Paralipsis: I won't mention his previous mistakes, but...
47. Hendiadys: Let's go for a walk and a talk.
48. Apophasis: I won't even mention the rumors about his past.
49. Prosopopoeia: The storm howled as if it were an angry beast.
50. Acrostic: Friends are the flowers in the garden of life.

1. Simile:
Definition: A figure of speech that compares two different things using the words "like" or "as."
Example: The night sky was like a vast canvas, scattered with stars as bright as diamonds.
2. Metaphor:
Definition: A figure of speech that implies a comparison between two unrelated things, stating that one thing is another.
Example: Time is a thief, silently stealing moments from our lives.
3. Hyperbole:
Definition: A figure of speech involving exaggerated statements not meant to be taken literally.
Example: The suitcase weighed a ton, making it nearly impossible to carry.
4. Understatement:
Definition: A figure of speech where a writer deliberately represents something as much less than it actually is.
Example: The storm brought a bit of rain; nothing too major, just a small flood in the living room.
5. Personification:
Definition: A figure of speech where human qualities are attributed to non-human entities.
Example: The wind whispered secrets through the ancient trees.
6. Assonance:
Definition: The repetition of vowel sounds within nearby words in a sentence.
Example: The melody of the evening breeze gently swept through the fields of wheat.
7. Onomatopoeia:
Definition: The use of words that imitate the sound they describe.
Example: The door creaked open, and footsteps echoed in the empty hallway.
8. Alliteration:
Definition: The repetition of initial consonant sounds in neighboring words.
Example: The playful puppy pranced through the park, chasing butterflies.
*9. Oxymoron:
Definition: A figure of speech that combines contradictory terms.
Example: The comedian's humor was both dark and lighthearted, creating an unsettling joy.
10. Irony:
Definition: A figure of speech in which words express a meaning opposite to their literal interpretation.
Example: The fire station burned down while the firefighters were on vacation—what a twist of irony.
11. Pun:
Definition: A play on words that have multiple meanings or sound similar but have different meanings.
Example: Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana.
12. Juxtaposition:
Definition: Placing two elements side by side to present a contrast.
Example: In the bustling city, the serene park offered a juxtaposition of tranquility amid the urban chaos.
13. Synecdoche:
Definition: A figure of speech where a part represents the whole or the whole represents a part.
Example: "All hands on deck" implies the need for the assistance of the entire crew.
14. Metonymy:
Definition: A figure of speech where one term is substituted with another closely related term.
Example: The White House issued a statement on the recent policy changes.
15. Zeugma:
Definition: A figure of speech where a word applies to multiple parts of the sentence.
Example: She stole both his wallet and his heart that fateful night.
16. Epiphora:
Definition: The repetition of a word or phrase at the end of successive clauses.
Example: The forest was mysterious, the mountains were majestic, and the rivers were enchanting.
17. Euphemism:
Definition: Substituting a mild, indirect, or vague term for a harsh or blunt one.
Example: She passed away peacefully in her sleep, euphemizing the concept of death.
18. Anthimeria:
Definition: The use of a word in a grammatical form it doesn't usually take.
Example: She bookmarked the page to return to the thrilling story later.
19. Chiasmus:
Definition: A figure of speech in which the order of terms in one of the clauses is inverted in the other.
Example: "Do I love you because you're beautiful, or are you beautiful because I love you?" - Cinderella
20. Allusion:
Definition: A brief and indirect reference to a person, place, thing, or idea of historical, cultural, literary, or political significance.
Example: His ambition was Caesar-like; he aimed to conquer not only Rome but the hearts of its people.
21. Allegory:
Definition: A narrative in which characters and events represent abstract ideas or moral qualities . Example: Orwell's "Animal Farm" serves as an allegory for political corruption and the abuse of power.
22. Metonymy:
Definition: A figure of speech in which one word or phrase is substituted with another closely associated with it.
Example: The pen is mightier than the sword, emphasizing the power of the written word over physical force.
23. Sarcasm:
Definition: The use of irony to mock or convey contempt.
Example: "Nice job on the presentation," she said, her tone dripping with sarcasm as the audience chuckled.
24. Understatement:
Definition: A figure of speech where a writer deliberately represents something as much less than it actually is.
Example: The mountain climber faced a slight challenge as he ascended Everest, navigating only a few treacherous crevices.
25. Cliché:
Definition: An expression or idea that has become overused to the point of losing its original meaning.
Example: The detective followed the suspect's trail like a bloodhound, relying on the cliché methods of his trade. *

Hello, I often hear this saying "Ibu mampu menjaga walau 10 anak tapi sorang anak pun payah payahan menjaga ibunya". in criticism of this art https://ibb.co/dkz5Bjy
When i apply and deduct every scenario, I cant help but think this is a backward thinking, it serves nothing but make you feel like crap unjustifiably as a child to a mother. let me just say caring for your mother UNIVERSALLY should be done, but to guilt trip children these scenario of context (in the picture} is just BOGUS, a conclusion that derived from lack of critical thinking ability (Open for discussion}
Let us be realistic here, it just happens that the mother is a STAY-AT-HOME mom. those who grew up with office-working mothers saja merasa kana besarkan dengan 2nd mother I.E (Nannies, Aunt, Grandparents}, kana passing passing penjaga, cannot compare situations or you'll create a logical paradox.
All expenses for STAY-AT-HOME mothers are taken care of by the fathers, so Mothers often dont need to worry about outside world other than house chores and caring children, take away all these things, the mothers would have to work and wouldnt have time to take care of the children, leaving them with the care of 2nd parents. which what i listed as Nannies, Aunts, Grandparents etc but grown up children has only themselves to work and find rezeki to thrive in society
I propose in face value there is nothing wrong with the picture, it even feels wrong for me to say there is nothing wrong with the picture because this very scenario has been passed around generations upon generations that we should just accept it.
In addition ,In the comparison picture, I only see the mother caring for their children, where is the grandmother? why didnt the mother care about the grandmother?. oh, because she already has her hand full *BUSY BEING A HOUSEWIFE* so she passes it to other who seemed to be less busier, often a single sibling to take care of the grandmother, and its the same circle of false dilemma and hypocrisy again

Wall of text and massive spoilers follow. Read at own risk.
--
Have you ever scrolled Returnal in an attempt to understand Returnal’s lore?
Have you ever watched a YouTuber break down their interpretation of the nuances, or maybe you’ve crawled the scout logs, audio files, xenoglyphs and Helios logs yourself looking for answers to understand Selene’s experience?
In your search, did you ever find concrete story fragments — or read them in the comments — that directly contradicted what you thought was an otherwise sound, logical interpretation of the game?
You’re not alone, my friend!
Returnal is a game full of paradoxes. How are you ever going to make sense of a single one of them when the paradoxical nature of Returnal is the whole point?
--
Within Returnal lies a series of paradoxes, contradictions and oxymorons within a larger paradox.
Spend a few minutes digging into the narrative breadcrumbs and you’re bound to find something that doesn’t add up, or is just proper-unsatisfying.
I’ll start with smaller examples; these feel more poetic than outright contradictory in any way that would harm the story’s cohesion, yet they set the stage for something larger to be built on top of them -

• “My end is waiting at the beginning…” (AST-AL-002)
• “…on the edge of my sight I see a black sunrise beneath the ocean, when will it break through the surface?” (AST-AL-046)
• “Myriad eyes beholding in the longing dark sunlight as it rains like pitch… (AST-AX-002)
• “I’ve had… visions? And headaches that fracture into future events I’ve already experienced…” (AST-AL-044)
• The CreatoDestroyer — whose simple presence in the Sentient lore creates a contradiction due to the opposing natures of both descriptors. Is this person a protagonist or an antagonist? How can they be both at the same time?

These are contradictory, but maybe not outright paradoxical if you want to be really particular. Let’s go a little deeper then, because it isn’t just text and collectibles that conflict with themselves, it’s much larger strokes of the game’s story.
We also see that…

• Selene is alive, yet finds her own dead corpses throughout the game
• Selene must first ascend the mountain in the desert in order to descend into the depths. Her descent into the depths is what’s required for her to mentally ascend beyond her trauma.
• Theia is the Astronaut. Selene is the Astronaut.
• The more Selene descends into madness & insanity during her time on Atropos, the more she truly unravels the truth of what’s happening to her and gains an understanding of why she is there
• Selene is at the heart of Sentient culture despite her arriving on Atropos long, long after Sentient civilization collapsed
• She is the CreatoDestroyer and is depicted in their Xeno-Archives

What does all this contradiction do to those of us trying to piece together the game’s narrative?
--
It makes it impossible to do.
If you’ve delved into the lore, I bet you came out with a great interpretation of Returnal… that almost worked. It almost clicked, almost tied up all loose ends, and was almost good enough to warrant a Reddit post, if not for that one indisputable thing.
Maybe it was…

• Are there two car crashes in Selene’s life, or one?
• Is Helios Selene’s brother, or son? Or both?
• In the cutscene at the end of Act I, do we seen Selene driving Helios, or Theia driving Selene?
• Is Atropos real? Or does it only exist in Selene’s head?
• Is the Astronaut Theia or Selene?
• Was Theia pregnant? Did Selene have a brother? Was Helios abused? Did Selene have an abortion? Did Selene kill her mother?

Pick one of the above to fit your interpretation of Returnal and you’re bound to find another that contradicts it. You’ll always find one logical leap you have to take or one plot point you have to omit to make the story make sense.
If Atropos is real, then you’re going to have a hard time explaining how Selene is at the center of the Sentient’s culture or why Selene shot down her own spaceship. If Atropos is in Selene’s head, those things can now make sense, but instead you have to contend with her escape from the planet after defeating Nemesis or the suggestions the game gives that Selene was found mentally unstable and not permitted to join Astra.
If Theia is driving the car and Selene is in the backseat, then why is Selene wearing the same wristwatch that Helios wears in House segment 5? If Selene is driving the car and Helios is in the backseat, then why does the news broadcast in House segment 3 name Theia as the driver and mention her spinal injuries (which are corroborated by the hospital visions)?
And so on, and so forth.
Returnal’s story is a puzzle that no matter how hard you work to assemble it, there’s always going to be one piece that doesn’t fit. Explain Returnal one way, and you’re bound to hit a roadblock that sends you derailing into a lake.
--
Don’t misunderstand me, though! The building blocks that make up Returnal’s narrative are beautifully layered and intricately weaved throughout our experience with the game; they ebb and flow with Selene’s own confusion, they crescendo as Selene’s madness does — it’s all so expertly done.
But they’re also just a series of impossible paradoxes that should serve to snap the story’s cohesiveness in half.
And yet they don’t. But why is that?
--
If you aren’t aware, Returnal’s developers have outright stated that there never was an agreed upon narrative.
Here’s Game Director Harry Krueger on the topic in this video:

Harry Krueger: I would often get asked, so you know what’s really the mystery of Atropos? Is this all in Selene’s head? Is she really there? Did this happen? And I’m like, those are exactly the kind of questions we want players to be asking. Mikael Haveri: So the answer would be yes. Harry Krueger: So the answer would be all of the above, yes.

And here’s Senior Narrative Designer, Eevi Korhonen admitting there was no agreed upon version of the story — even internally.

One thing Harry was adamant about was there would be no agreed upon story even internally… When I talk with my team sometimes internally we still find [that we all have different understandings of Selene’s actions and the story as a whole]. We are still internally at-odds sometimes about what the story means.

Remember the bullet points from earlier? All the paradoxes, contradictions and contrasts we outlined above? They’re all impossible to be true at the same time.
And yet, from the mouths of the game’s very creators, they are all true at the same time.
--
I think one reaction to the above that would be reasonably valid would be frustration in the direction of the developers for just mindlessly throwing some paint splatters at the wall and calling it art.
One could read those statements and apply them to Returnal and see it as a careless, unfinished and pointless mess with no ability to teach, show or tell us anything due to its creators offhanded attitude towards crafting a connected narrative.
While I believe one can react in that manner, I worry it would be fairly reductive.
You see, Returnal leaves its narrative disconnected and bewilders its player with paradox on purpose. The game makes use of its vague and ambiguous storytelling and world to create an effect on the player and it is this very effect that ratchets up the experience of playing Returnal at all.
I’d argue that you can reconcile Returnal’s incoherent story fragments and paradoxes by squaring your own experience as a player with that of Selene’s.
This game’s narrative and its paradoxes are a mindfuck. Players must face all of the above discussed paradoxes as well as plenty more confounding, impossible situations, drip-fed to them slowly over time incoherently, erratically and seemingly randomly. Returnal’s story is in part difficult to consume and understand because of the nature of its diffusion to the player; flashbacks are short and lacking context, clues are presented outside of chronological order (consider the audio logs) and discoveries that would link everything together are not made until deep into the game. When the player does receive story bits, they come in the form of paradoxes or as the musings of a madwoman.
As our Selene speaks more and more worried nonsense in the game’s second act, so too does our confusion compound based on what we are finding around us. Returnal’s worldbuilding and setting enhance the experience of confusion and uncertainty by creating paradoxical and impossible situations — What is this music and why is Selene obsessed with it? The Crimson Wastes have somehow become frozen? Atropos’ moon is repaired? How can the Sentients know about The Astronaut?
From the get-go, our experience playing Returnal is much like Selene’s living in it — a constant state of disarray, of confusion, of uncertainty. What’s happening to us? What is real and what is not?
Returnal layers paradox on top of ambiguity in its worldbuilding and narrative diffusion to simulate a mirrored experience between the player and Selene in which both are stuck in a cycle of constantly questioning reality.
This, in a sense, syncs the player and Selene. Both are confused. Both want answers. Both feel a need to plunge themselves deeper into the endless, unknown abyss.
The player, now more connected and able to easily identify with their avatar in this manner, must at the game’s conclusion take part in a form of moral gymnastics upon discovering that their avatar — someone they grew to understand, trust and relate to — was likely an abusive, selfish killer.
When the player understands this, the experience of engaging with Returnal shifts powerfully. Players now have additional context with which to grapple with Atropos, its inhabitants, Selene’s past and her mental or physical fate.
We can see now how the paradoxical nature of Returnal brought us here and how it was the point all along.
With a new lens to peer through, Returnal takes on new shapes and forms. It almost begs for a second playthrough to view the game’s previous experiences through this newly earned understanding.
Good thing Act III exists.
--
So, Returnal’s narrative isn’t concrete on purpose.
It’s completely against my usual nature to say this, but I love that about this game. The muddiness of the narrative and setting dovetails brilliantly with the ambiguity of Selene’s mental health and the confusion of the player.
The story does not need a concreteness to it because the narrative and worldbuilding themselves have used paradox and impossibility to establish a confusion & uncertainty, even hinting that it is a confusion and uncertainty that is unsolvable.
Somehow, understanding that — for me — ended up solving it.
Huh. What a paradox.
--
You can’t answer Returnal’s narrative non-continuities because the game’s story creates a paradox. It’s disparate cues, incidents and plot points are all true at the same time, even though they cannot be.
In the swirling, disorienting whirlpool of Returnal’s lore, the fates of The Severed, The CreatoDestroyer and The Astronaut disconnect, unravel and spiral into one tapestry…” (AST-AX-017)
And it’s beautiful.

6. Assonance:
Craft a dialogue exchange between two characters in which the repetition of vowel sounds emphasizes an emotional undertone, mirroring the resonance of a distant melody.
7. Onomatopoeia:
Create a scene where the ambiance is enriched by onomatopoeic elements, such as "the rustling leaves and chirping crickets setting the nocturnal symphony."
8. Oxymoron:
Introduce a character torn between the juxtaposition of two conflicting traits, like a "gentle warrior" navigating the complexities of their identity.
9. Irony:
Develop a plot twist where the very occupation that a character despised becomes their saving grace, adding an ironic layer to their personal journey.
10. Pun:
Construct a humorous situation where a clever pun serves as a catalyst for an unexpected turn of events, bringing levity to the narrative.

1. Simile: Her smile was as bright as the sun.
2. Metaphor: Time is a thief.
3. Hyperbole: I've told you a million times.
4. Personification: The wind whispered through the trees.
5. Alliteration: Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.
6. Assonance: The rain in Spain falls mainly on the plain.
7. Onomatopoeia: The bee buzzed around the garden.
8. Oxymoron: Deafening silence filled the room.
9. Irony: The fire station burned down.
10. Pun: I used to be a baker because I kneaded dough.
11. Euphemism: He passed away peacefully in his sleep.
12. Juxtaposition: The old house stood next to the modern skyscraper.
13. Anaphora: I have a dream...
14. Epiphora: Love, love, love – that's what it's all about.
15. Zeugma: He stole my heart and my wallet.
16. Chiasmus: You forget what you want to remember, and you remember what you want to forget.
17. Litotes: The test was not a total disaster.
18. Synecdoche: All hands on deck.
19. Antithesis: It was the best of times; it was the worst of times.
20. Paradox: Less is more.
21. Allegory: Animal Farm by George Orwell.
22. Metonymy: The White House issued a statement.
23. Sarcasm: Nice job on the presentation – if you were aiming for confusion.
24. Understatement: The hurricane disrupted some outdoor activities.
25. Cliché: Time heals all wounds.
26. Anthropomorphism: The clock seemed to mock him as it ticked away.
27. Symbolism: The dove is a symbol of peace.
28. Paronomasia: I used to be a baker because I kneaded dough.
29. Malapropism: I'm going to the store to buy some orangutans.
30. Homophone: They're going to their house over there.
31. Epanalepsis: Blood hath bought blood, and blows have answered blows.
32. Polyptoton: Love is not love which alters when it alteration finds.
33. Catachresis: I could feel the darkness wrapping its cold arms around me.
34. Epistrophe: See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil.
35. Hypophora: What is the meaning of life? It's a question we all ponder.
36. Anadiplosis: The strength of the team is the team.
37. Ellipsis: Some people prefer cats; others, dogs.
38. Asyndeton: I came, I saw, I conquered.
39. Polysyndeton: They laughed and talked and danced and sang.
40. Enjambment: The moon was high, casting a silver glow on the water, as I walked along the shore.
41. Caesura: To be or not to be, that is the question.
42. Meiosis: It's just a scratch; I don't need a bandage.
43. Epizeuxis: Never, never, never give up.
44. Antimetabole: I know what I like, and I like what I know.
45. Aposiopesis: If you don't stop that, I'll—
46. Paralipsis: I won't mention his previous mistakes, but...
47. Hendiadys: Let's go for a walk and a talk.
48. Apophasis: I won't even mention the rumors about his past.
49. Prosopopoeia: The storm howled as if it were an angry beast.
50. Acrostic: Friends are the flowers in the garden of life.

1. Simile:
Definition: A figure of speech that compares two different things using the words "like" or "as."
Example: The night sky was like a vast canvas, scattered with stars as bright as diamonds.
2. Metaphor:
Definition: A figure of speech that implies a comparison between two unrelated things, stating that one thing is another.
Example: Time is a thief, silently stealing moments from our lives.
3. Hyperbole:
Definition: A figure of speech involving exaggerated statements not meant to be taken literally.
Example: The suitcase weighed a ton, making it nearly impossible to carry.
4. Understatement:
Definition: A figure of speech where a writer deliberately represents something as much less than it actually is.
Example: The storm brought a bit of rain; nothing too major, just a small flood in the living room.
5. Personification:
Definition: A figure of speech where human qualities are attributed to non-human entities.
Example: The wind whispered secrets through the ancient trees.
6. Assonance:
Definition: The repetition of vowel sounds within nearby words in a sentence.
Example: The melody of the evening breeze gently swept through the fields of wheat.
7. Onomatopoeia:
Definition: The use of words that imitate the sound they describe.
Example: The door creaked open, and footsteps echoed in the empty hallway.
8. Alliteration:
Definition: The repetition of initial consonant sounds in neighboring words.
Example: The playful puppy pranced through the park, chasing butterflies.
*9. Oxymoron:
Definition: A figure of speech that combines contradictory terms.
Example: The comedian's humor was both dark and lighthearted, creating an unsettling joy.
10. Irony:
Definition: A figure of speech in which words express a meaning opposite to their literal interpretation.
Example: The fire station burned down while the firefighters were on vacation—what a twist of irony.
11. Pun:
Definition: A play on words that have multiple meanings or sound similar but have different meanings.
Example: Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana.
12. Juxtaposition:
Definition: Placing two elements side by side to present a contrast.
Example: In the bustling city, the serene park offered a juxtaposition of tranquility amid the urban chaos.
13. Synecdoche:
Definition: A figure of speech where a part represents the whole or the whole represents a part.
Example: "All hands on deck" implies the need for the assistance of the entire crew.
14. Metonymy:
Definition: A figure of speech where one term is substituted with another closely related term.
Example: The White House issued a statement on the recent policy changes.
15. Zeugma:
Definition: A figure of speech where a word applies to multiple parts of the sentence.
Example: She stole both his wallet and his heart that fateful night.
16. Epiphora:
Definition: The repetition of a word or phrase at the end of successive clauses.
Example: The forest was mysterious, the mountains were majestic, and the rivers were enchanting.
17. Euphemism:
Definition: Substituting a mild, indirect, or vague term for a harsh or blunt one.
Example: She passed away peacefully in her sleep, euphemizing the concept of death.
18. Anthimeria:
Definition: The use of a word in a grammatical form it doesn't usually take.
Example: She bookmarked the page to return to the thrilling story later.
19. Chiasmus:
Definition: A figure of speech in which the order of terms in one of the clauses is inverted in the other.
Example: "Do I love you because you're beautiful, or are you beautiful because I love you?" - Cinderella
20. Allusion:
Definition: A brief and indirect reference to a person, place, thing, or idea of historical, cultural, literary, or political significance.
Example: His ambition was Caesar-like; he aimed to conquer not only Rome but the hearts of its people.
21. Allegory:
Definition: A narrative in which characters and events represent abstract ideas or moral qualities . Example: Orwell's "Animal Farm" serves as an allegory for political corruption and the abuse of power.
22. Metonymy:
Definition: A figure of speech in which one word or phrase is substituted with another closely associated with it.
Example: The pen is mightier than the sword, emphasizing the power of the written word over physical force.
23. Sarcasm:
Definition: The use of irony to mock or convey contempt.
Example: "Nice job on the presentation," she said, her tone dripping with sarcasm as the audience chuckled.
24. Understatement:
Definition: A figure of speech where a writer deliberately represents something as much less than it actually is.
Example: The mountain climber faced a slight challenge as he ascended Everest, navigating only a few treacherous crevices.
25. Cliché:
Definition: An expression or idea that has become overused to the point of losing its original meaning.
Example: The detective followed the suspect's trail like a bloodhound, relying on the cliché methods of his trade. *

6. Assonance:
Craft a dialogue exchange between two characters in which the repetition of vowel sounds emphasizes an emotional undertone, mirroring the resonance of a distant melody.
7. Onomatopoeia:
Create a scene where the ambiance is enriched by onomatopoeic elements, such as "the rustling leaves and chirping crickets setting the nocturnal symphony."
8. Oxymoron:
Introduce a character torn between the juxtaposition of two conflicting traits, like a "gentle warrior" navigating the complexities of their identity.
9. Irony:
Develop a plot twist where the very occupation that a character despised becomes their saving grace, adding an ironic layer to their personal journey.
10. Pun:
Construct a humorous situation where a clever pun serves as a catalyst for an unexpected turn of events, bringing levity to the narrative.

It was a really satisfying April for me, churning through 6 games on my "high priority" backlog, with four of those delivering. Then I sprinkled in a few others as well for a total of 9 games completed during the month, slightly exceeding March's output and leaving me with an optimistic outlook for the rest of the year, especially since the games seem to be getting better and better on average as the months roll on.
​
(Games are presented in chronological completion order; the numerical indicator represents the YTD count.)
​
#18 - Doki Doki Literature Club Plus! - PC - 7.5/10 (Solid)
If I had illusions going into this game that it was a basic dating sim, they were quickly dispelled by the half dozen or so graphic content warnings I got when I launched the thing. “Don’t let kids play this game.” “Don’t let kids even see this game.” “Don’t let most adults see this game, either.” “Are you sure YOU want to see this game?” “REALLY sure?” These aren’t the sorts of messages traditional dating sim games try to hammer home, now are they?
So I can’t quite call Doki Doki Literature Club a bait and switch: I knew something was amiss, even if I didn’t know exactly what that something was. Ironically though, that made the actual dating sim part of the game harder to get through. I’m not really a fan of the genre in the first place and wouldn’t have even touched DDLC if I hadn’t been nudged in that direction by people who have a decent handle on my tastes, but for an hour I was just reading a lot of paint-by-numbers dialogue and engaging in a repetitive, generally unfun minigame, and the only thing that kept me going was the curiosity generated by those cryptic content warnings: the knowledge that eventually, the other shoe was going to drop.
Once it finally did, it still took a little more time for me to be get fully engaged since there’s still a bit more repetitive gameplay to slog through, but as things ramped up I found myself really getting into it and wondering where things would end up going. Overall I think it’s a very clever, unique game that provides some interesting philosophical food for thought, and I appreciated the way it deconstructs the dating sim genre even as it hews perhaps a little too closely to that genre’s classic tropes.
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#19 - Death Stranding: Director's Cut - PS5 - 9/10 (Outstanding)
Death Stranding plays nothing whatsoever like Hideo Kojima's previous game (Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain), and yet you need only complete a handful of missions before you can clearly see the shared DNA of the two. The gameplay objectives are simple. The world is mostly empty, save for scattered points of civilization and interest that force deeper engagement. The ask of the player to engage with this loop anywhere from dozens to hundreds of times feels incredibly audacious on paper, and indeed about halfway through the game's first act I started to debate dropping the game altogether because it felt like the writing was on the wall: engage in this tedium ad nauseam just to get whatever little morsels of story lunacy Kojima is willing to drip-feed you, and hope that story is all worth it in the end.
Death Stranding's gameplay - when it finally allows you to play at all - begins as Post-Apocalyptic FedEx Simulator. You'll find yourself asking questions like "So this entire game is just walking from point A to point B and trying not to fall down?" But Death Stranding also does something brilliant to keep you hooked. No, I don't mean the mysteries of the story and setting, which are still interesting and generally unfold in worthwhile ways. Rather, Death Stranding's gameplay is also like the proverbial onion, always with another layer to discover. Crucially, these layers are also previewed in subtle ways as you go, putting the carrot on the stick to keep you moving forward. Every time you begin to feel like you just can't deliver another daggone package, some new option or mechanic will appear that completely changes your relationship with the game. Maybe it's a new kind of structure you can make that eases traversal in some way. Maybe it's a new piece of equipment that gives you an entirely new approach to certain situations. Incredibly, this organic evolution of gameplay continues almost all the way up until the game's extended, more linear cinematic concluding chapters. So yes, by the midpoint of the first act, I felt like I might want to put it down. By the early second act, however, I was blown away by what the game had revealed itself to be, and pretty soon it was all I could think about. I'd fall asleep at night to the mental exercise of planning my next few actions: go get materials from here, use them over here, thus creating the infrastructure I need to handle this other order, and so forth.
The clincher is that while Death Stranding is a single player game, it's also an online cooperative game. Your primary mission is to rebuild America, and to do so by connecting each individual location to the "chiral network" - the internet, essentially. When you connect an area, the game likewise connects you to a network of other players, and shares some of their structures with you in your game even as the stuff you build gets shared out automatically to them as well. This all happens in real time. I experienced moments where I'd had a half finished bit of building, gone to bed, and the next night somebody else had finished it for me. I had a moment where I was walking and saw a pole start materializing right next to me, which then turned into a very useful bit of infrastructure I was immediately able to integrate into my own. So it's a game about the lonely desolation of walking this beautiful yet empty landscape, and yet also a game about making unexpected connections that drastically change your outlook on the world. The story smartly parallels these gameplay beats, and I found that (after the hours of awkward Kojima end-game exposition dumps) I was able to not only understand all the weirdness, but also be genuinely moved by the story's telling in a way I didn't think possible.
It's so hard to adequately describe Death Stranding without spoiling its magic, and I think that's why Kojima called it "the first Strand-type game." It really is a totally unique experience cobbled together out of mostly familiar parts. "So this entire game is just walking from point A to point B and trying not to fall down?" I mean, kinda yeah! But it's somehow also so much more than that. And just like The Phantom Pain before it, it's unreasonably addictive. When you see how fast your feelings of "I can't possibly be arsed to deliver one more package" turn into "Man I gotta go, but lemme just squeeze in one more package," you'll understand. Until then, I'll be waiting for you on the Beach.
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#20 - Mario Golf - GBC - 5.5/10 (Semi-Competent)
"Uh, n-now eventually you might have dinosaurs on your, on your dinosaur tour, right? Hello? -knock knock knock- Hello hello? -exhale- Yes?"
This is how I felt about the Game Boy Color version of Mario Golf the whole way through. When you start a new game you get to choose from four normal characters, and then you're plopped in a clubhouse full of other normal, everyday people, and told you need to get better at golf to beat the four course champions of the area: four more normal people who just happen to be pretty good at golf. "Uh, you will eventually have Mario in this Mario game, right?" Oh sure, if you manage to find someone else with the game and use a link cable to play a multiplayer session, you can pick Mario and Luigi, but beyond that all you get is a framed picture of Mario in the clubhouse office and a general encouragement from the club's directors to get good enough at golf that you can someday beat him. If you do manage to beat all four regular champions, then you get a credit roll, after which loading your save unlocks the secret fifth course full of Mario-themed designs, and it's here that you can actually try to beat Mario in a tournament. Of course, tournament play consists of you just taking your shots by yourself and then seeing a scoreboard between rounds, which means you never actually get to interact with Mario in any way. So to be clear, this is a game called Mario Golf and Mario is literally a post-game optional absentee final boss.
All this leads me to believe that Mario Golf was never actually intended to be Mario Golf at all. It's rather a robust (for the time and system) golfing adventure RPG that I have to think Nintendo requested some late visual rebranding for in order to slap the Mario name on top. That's fine I suppose, because the idea of a golfing RPG is a really good one, as long as the core golfing mechanics are good. And here I'm happy to report that they mostly are. You've got your club selection, shot types, the standard combination power and accuracy meter...all your typical trappings, and they all work. Generally speaking, it feels good to play, barring a few unfortunate exceptions. For one, the 8-bit limitations of the system mean that the slopes on the greens are shown with simple chevrons, and it can be very difficult to tell from them where precisely a slope starts or ends, which can ruin some delicate putts. Speaking of putting, the 30ft putter works great, but the next one up is a 100ft putter, which is a nightmare to use, with lines that are hard to see and a power gauge that demands unreasonable pixel-perfect precision. There's also a 200ft putter but nowhere in the game to ever make use of it, so the fact that they went 30/100/200 instead of something like 30/60/90 is really silly. Finally, there are times when the ball preview - where you'll hit with a perfect shot - simply lies to you. You might nail the shot, even in no wind conditions, then land 40 yards OOB for no apparent reason. This happened rarely, but it obviously is a game ruiner when it pops up, since every shot counts.
Still, it's fun to visit different courses and do various field challenges, getting small XP rewards for successful completions. Sadly, the leveling system is atrocious. Each level gets you a skill point which allows you to improve your drive distance by 2 yards, your overall wind resistance, your fade/draw, or your overall control (accuracy forgiveness on the shot gauge). That's great on paper and the first few level ups really give you those warm fuzzies, and then you notice the next time you level that your stats all go down. Your drive distance doesn't decrease, but every other stat decays upon level up, such that it takes 3-4 levels to incrementally improve since the others are just you treading water to fight stat decay. It feels awful as a system. Then there's the enormous difficulty spike of the fourth course, where every hole has double digit wind and the fairway itself is littered with tangle bushes that give you for all intents and purposes an instant bogey, all while the target score for victory gets ever further out of reach.
So yeah. From an idea perspective, Mario Golf for the Game Boy Color is terrific. From a gameplay perspective, it's pretty solid. But from a design perspective, it's a major let-down. As such, I can't recommend this game. Instead I'll just recommend Golf Story on the Switch, which this game inspired, but which actually got the design part of the equation right.
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#21 - Prey (2017) - PC - 8/10 (Great)
I found out after finishing Prey that it was created as a kind of spiritual successor to System Shock 2, which I've never played. But that checks out, because Prey gave me very strong flashbacks to playing BioShock, itself a spiritual successor to System Shock 2, and so these games can all sort of be said to form one nice extended family. The opening of Prey recalls - even if it doesn't quite match - the grandeur of BioShock's descent into Rapture, and its first few hours of gameplay are similarly sublime, creating this fantastic blend of excitement, mystery, and fear as you come to terms with the fact that a hostile alien species has begun massacring everyone on the Talos space station. The gameplay evolves around similar lines of BioShock, giving you creative weaponry and the option to acquire special powers, but Prey goes beyond that formula into a realm of true player expression: with few exceptions, you can access areas of the station in multiple different ways, making almost any character build viable for exploration. Critically, you get a "GLOO Cannon" that, in addition to its combat usage, can create actual climbable platforms on wall surfaces, allowing you to literally create your own traversal options as you play.
This level of player freedom extends to the story as well, where you have multiple possible end goals depending on your choices and role-playing preferences. Similarly, you'll get various NPC quests that you can also handle in different ways, and the outcomes of these smaller quests can have big potential impacts in your available options for the main one. And I should note that these choices are not just the simple black and white moral choices a lot of games use. No "give this starving person food or murder them" kinda stuff here. Instead Prey continually presents you with meaningful ethical dilemmas where both sides have merit and there's not necessarily any "right" answer. Sometimes this isn't even an explicit choice but just the way you go about playing the game. As an example, there are auto-defense turrets around the station that are pre-programmed to detect alien genetic signatures and fire on them. Naturally, these turrets do not fire on humans. But the psionic abilities you can unlock through gameplay come about by copying small elements of the alien genome onto yourself. This can give you wild new abilities that can absolutely turn the tide in the conflict against those very aliens and even save some lives you wouldn't otherwise be able to, but it's like the Ship of Theseus: at what point have you become more alien than human? Will those anti-alien turrets turn on you, and if they do, is it worth it? This isn't a question of good or evil, but of saving lives vs. sacrificing your own humanity and suffering the consequences. That's good stuff.
I think Prey fell a little bit short for me in two areas. First, there's a good bit of ping-ponging back and forth between different areas of the station as you progress through the game, and while you can make these treks easier through certain gameplay actions, there's a high rate of enemy respawning that makes it all a bit more tedious. Enemies only respawn when you advance the story, but they also respawn every time you advance the story, so functionally you might as well be playing NES Mega Man, and that becomes a little tedious. Secondly, while the whole game delivers from start to finish, it does peak in those first few hours, especially because the first kind of enemy you see is the best and most engaging one. As the threats mount bigger and badder you'll find yourself handling foes in more or less the same kinds of ways and treating the game like a more straightforward first-person shooter, whereas it opened with the promise of being a really unique suspense/horroshooter proposition. It's not a disappointment per se, but I do wish they'd found a way to keep that feeling more prevalent into the game's middle and latter stages as well.
Overall though, a very easy recommend.
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#22 - Superliminal - PS5 - 8.5/10 (Excellent)
Superliminal is a first person puzzle game with gameplay that revolves around optical illusions. Interactive objects change size based on the way you perceive them within the gamespace: change your viewing angle and your distance from other surfaces and a small object can become a very large one or vice versa. It's hard to actually explain, and indeed I had some trouble with the tutorial stages just understanding what I was actually meant to be doing (plus a minor technical issue that prevented the right solution from working the first time, but we got there). It's like...did you ever see that old Kids in the Hall sketch with the guy crushing people's heads? Superliminal basically asks the question "What if you could actually pluck their tiny heads and then bring them closer to you so they were enormous heads instead?" It's bizarre but makes for really fertile ground for puzzles.
It's all rationalized in game by the main plot premise: you are a patient checked into an experimental sleep clinic that offers therapy through lucid dreaming. All the weird stuff you see and do in the game is thus easily handwaved away as "well, you're dreaming," punctuated by the beeping alarm clock that begins each new level as you "awake" to yet more layers of dream. It goes for the Portal 2 style of narration humor, meeting you with periodic voiceovers that become increasingly panicked with your inability to escape the dream, even as they stay outwardly calm, and the vibe works well even though it doesn't reach the heights of Portal 2's comedic writing. But then again, what does?
I did encounter occasional issues where the game's physics engine just couldn't handle the sheer force of weird that was happening on screen and forced a checkpoint restart, but often this was a result of me trying an incorrect solution anyway, so no huge loss. There's also some achievement-related fluff that wastes your time since you can't be sure if it's important, given the nature of the game, so I'd be in favor of slimming that stuff down a bit. In general though, once I managed to get my head around Superliminal's core mechanic, I found a very rewarding adventure full of more surprising mind-bends than I would've thought possible in such a short (~3-4 hours) amount of play time. Definitely worth checking out on sale or on a subscription platform.
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#23 - Super Meat Boy Forever - PC - 6/10 (Decent)
The original Super Meat Boy was one of the first real indie hits, a celebration of "kaizo" style super-hard platforming combined with a strange but memorable aesthetic. Then, well, nothing happened for ten years. The designer of the first game left "Team Meat" to create more acclaimed titles like The Binding of Isaac, while the developer just kinda...disappeared. So when news broke that Super Meat Boy was coming back a decade later, there was concern (how will it feel without the guy who actually designed the thing?), more concern (it's being made for mobile devices?), still more concern (it's an auto-runner?), and even more concern (it's procedurally generated?!). Yes, Super Meat Boy Forever certainly looks like Super Meat Boy on the surface, but underneath it's a whole 'nother thing going on.
So it was a pleasant surprise for me that most of my concerns just kind of evaporated when I played the game. For one, while SMBF did eventually come to mobile platforms, the mobile-only vision was abandoned during development in favor of releasing the game as a full sequel. For another, while it's true that every non-boss stage is generated by a random seed, all that seed is doing is stitching together the thousands of actually-hand-crafted challenge snippets into a new order. It's not that the new designers of SMBF had no ideas to bring, but rather that they had so many they didn't want to ditch them and just let the algorithm show players a random selection on each playthrough. And honestly, that's easily the biggest strength of this game: it's exceptionally creative. Without fail every single level I played introduced a brand new mechanic/object to the action, and then played with and iterated upon that idea until the stage's end. Then the next stage would have its own new thing, but you'd still get some of the previous elements sprinkled in there as well, though most mechanics are confined to their overall campaign chapter. This kept the gameplay constantly feeling fresh and exciting, and each difficult stage was pretty satisfying to get through. The auto-running aspect meant it was less about raw platforming skill (though you still need plenty of that), and more like a puzzle platformer where the execution of the solution is half the battle. It was very cool.
Unfortunately, not all was well in Foreverland, as I had a lot of problems with inputs. Many mechanics in SMBF utilize screen freeze and/or hitstop, and often these effects eat your inputs. Considering that level challenges and especially bosses require high levels of precision timing, the sloppy input buffer resulted in a ton of unnecessary frustration. The mid-air attack was by far the worst offender on this, with an unforgiving number of active frames and an outright refusal in some cases to activate at all, seemingly for no reason. When every boss fight is an increasingly trial-and-error affair that, once figured out, still requires nearly flawless inputs to clear, having unreliable inputs is really a death sentence for fun. I loved playing through the stages of SMBF, but I spent hours on boss fights that I genuinely loathed. This was enough for me to skip the post-game bonus chapter and the "dark world" challenge levels altogether, and I also didn't bother with any of the online stuff (daily levels, leaderboards, etc.). I was all too happy for the game to be over, but I remain nevertheless very impressed with the sheer quantity and quality alike of the platforming ideas Super Meat Boy Forever introduced.
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#24 - Pikmin - Switch - 7.5/10 (Solid)
I've got a real love/hate relationship with deadlines. In the working world one of my primary strengths is that I work very well under pressure, and can usually deliver high quality work quickly. However, despite my ability to perform in this way, it's also true that I just...really don't like working under pressure. I'm by nature a more careful, methodical, thorough kind of person; the kind who feels like if you're going to do anything, you've got to do it the right way, and the right way often takes time. It's such an integral part of my nature that whenever I'm met with a tight deadline, I'd rather work more hours to do things well than produce "good enough" work and still have my free time. I can't live with myself otherwise. And so the paradox: I hate working under deadlines, but I do my best work under deadlines.
Well, Pikmin is a game about deadlines. You've got 30 days to get 30 parts to repair your ship, and if you don't, you die. You can also only search for these pieces during the daytime, because night brings deadly predators who will kill you if you don't skedaddle by sundown. Each day lasts for around 13 minutes of real time, and I trust you're now starting to get a sense of why I felt existential dread as soon as I finished the tutorial-style first day. If someone asks you how many hours Pikmin takes to finish, you can just say "Well, 13 x 30 = 390, so I guess it lasts for 6.5 hours, because any longer and you're mathematically toast." Every day is a 13 minute window of feeling like "if I don't get a ship part now I might as well already be dead," and that's a pretty tough sell for someone like me who just wants to explore.
And yet, just like in the real world, I found that Pikmin brought out the best in me in this regard. The game is divided into a handful of regions where your ship parts are scattered, but each piece requires you to solve an environmental puzzle of some sort. Some of these are very simple (walk over here with the correct kind of Pikmin) while others are much more complicated (use blue pikmin to open a new route so yellow pikmin can get the ship part so red pikmin can transport it through the hazard), and all of them feel great to figure out. Plus the changes you make to the environments (defeated enemies, destroyed barriers, built bridges) are persistent from day to day, so the game naturally creates this kind of "external planning phase" where even when you're not playing you're mapping out your next moves in your head so you can maximize your production on the next day. And that part was really satisfying. So it's hard not to recommend Pikmin, because it really is a well designed gameplay loop. But between the terrible pathing logic of the pikmin themselves, the frustrations of trying to whistle for your army using a tiny targeting reticle that inevitably doesn't get what you need it to, and my general irrational grumpiness at being subjected to time constraints, I can't quite call it a masterpiece. It's imperfect fun, well worthy of checking out.
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#25 - Murder by Numbers - PC - 5/10 (Mediocre)
Synopsis: a murder mystery visual novel that operates like the investigation phase of the Ace Attorney games, but to find evidence you have to solve nonogram (think Picross) puzzles. I mean, that sounds like the exact kind of gameplay synthesis I never knew I wanted, doesn't it? It's one of the only random freebie games I'd never heard of that actually shot its way to the top of my backlog on concept alone. And at first blush, the game was everything I wanted it to be. The character art is great, the music is way better than it ought to be (courtesy of the Ace Attorney franchise's own composer), and the act of looking around a room for puzzles to solve was a fun twist. Unfortunately, the honeymoon phase wore off partway through the second of the game's four cases, and from there the warts just got uglier and uglier. It's a brilliant concept on paper, but Murder by Numbers consistently falls short of executing that concept in a satisfying way.
For one thing, there's a big disconnect in tone. The game clearly wants to capture that Ace Attorney vibe, and succeeds in creating some fun characters along those lines, but the balance between funny, strange, and serious elements just isn't there. At first the writing feels like a fresh take on the formula, using a female protagonist and being developed in the West with Western sensibilities in mind. But soon you sense that the writers were so averse to the typical Japanese conservative values in Ace Attorney that they swung the pendulum alllll the way in the other direction, to the point where by the third case you're investigating an apparent hate crime, and that's simply not fun anymore. Then the final case features a series of increasingly implausible situations that destroys any remaining writing credibility the game had left.
Even the strengths of the game wear thin. The idea of solving nonograms to investigate is wonderful on paper and great fun initially, but as the puzzles become more complex it completely destroyed the pacing, and the jazz rock soundtrack repeats so often that even the stellar music begins to grate a little. For that matter, the puzzles aren't even satisfying to reveal, as every object you find is pictured at a close-up and oblique angle that ensures nothing looks like what it's supposed to. "Oh, this one's a hat!" "" "Welp." Finally, the game has a number of bugs, glitches, and otherwise problematic design choices; in one instance my save files inexplicably reverted to the previous day, losing hours of progress despite the game's own menus acknowledging that I had done much more. So no, I can't recommend Murder by Numbers, as much as I would've liked to. If you want nonograms, go play Picross. If you want a murder mystery visual novel, play Ace Attorney. And if you want both at the same time, please take my word for it: no, you really don't.
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#26 - Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion - PC - 6/10 (Decent)
If you go into nearly all your games blind as I try to do, this is a game title that raises many more questions than answers. I knew it was low on time commitment and that it would involve a cartoon turnip, but that's about as far as my foreknowledge stretched. So imagine you're me and you don't know what you're getting into: what kind of game do you think this is going to be, based on the title alone? If your answer was anything other than "heavily simplified 2D Zelda clone," I'm afraid you're in for a rude awakening. Which isn't to say I don't like playing 2D Zelda clones or that I was disappointed in the genre this thing turned out to be, but it didn't quite feel like a fit, you know?
To be fair, perhaps that feeling is only as prevalent in my mind because there's precious little tax evasion in Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion. A more accurate title would be something like "Turnip Boy Was Alleged to Have Previously Committed Tax Evasion and Has Now Been Sentenced to Public Service", but I do understand how that might've been deemed a bit too wordy. Nevertheless, the adventures of Turnip Boy boil down to little more than running fetch quests for the various sentient fruits and vegetables populating his village and its surrounding environs. That is to say, if you'll excuse the pun, there's simply not much meat to this game.
The writing is fun if not incredible, the puzzles simple without being mindless, the combat functional though uninspired. Even still, it holds up well enough that my only true complaint is a shocking one for a game with a 2-3 hour total runtime: it needs a run button! There's so much trudging back and forth for all the fetch quests that not being able to speed up a little bit kills the otherwise great pacing. Overall, there are worse ways to burn a couple hours of a lazy afternoon, but I wouldn't recommend anyone go out of their way to check it out.
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Coming in May:

• I mentioned in the review there for Turnip Boy that I try to go into most games as blind as possible, and despite being burned on a number of occasions, I don't expect that to change. So it is that I approach a game called Ancient Enemy knowing nothing beyond "Something to do with cards," and I suppose we'll see what we find from there.
• But there's benefit in the familiar, too, and that's why I dove into Rogue Legacy 2 a handful of years after having a positive experience with its predecessor. It's pretty much exactly what I thought it'd be, and there's nothing wrong with that at all.
• What isn't quite what I expected is Contra: Hard Corps, the next in line of my grand Contra journey. Though that's not a bad thing either, necessarily; just a matter of being mentally taxed in a slightly different way than I'm used to from the franchise. Don't worry though: I'll see it through. I always do.
• And more...

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1. Simile: Her smile was as bright as the sun.
2. Metaphor: Time is a thief.
3. Hyperbole: I've told you a million times.
4. Personification: The wind whispered through the trees.
5. Alliteration: Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.
6. Assonance: The rain in Spain falls mainly on the plain.
7. Onomatopoeia: The bee buzzed around the garden.
8. Oxymoron: Deafening silence filled the room.
9. Irony: The fire station burned down.
10. Pun: I used to be a baker because I kneaded dough.
11. Euphemism: He passed away peacefully in his sleep.
12. Juxtaposition: The old house stood next to the modern skyscraper.
13. Anaphora: I have a dream...
14. Epiphora: Love, love, love – that's what it's all about.
15. Zeugma: He stole my heart and my wallet.
16. Chiasmus: You forget what you want to remember, and you remember what you want to forget.
17. Litotes: The test was not a total disaster.
18. Synecdoche: All hands on deck.
19. Antithesis: It was the best of times; it was the worst of times.
20. Paradox: Less is more.
21. Allegory: Animal Farm by George Orwell.
22. Metonymy: The White House issued a statement.
23. Sarcasm: Nice job on the presentation – if you were aiming for confusion.
24. Understatement: The hurricane disrupted some outdoor activities.
25. Cliché: Time heals all wounds.
26. Anthropomorphism: The clock seemed to mock him as it ticked away.
27. Symbolism: The dove is a symbol of peace.
28. Paronomasia: I used to be a baker because I kneaded dough.
29. Malapropism: I'm going to the store to buy some orangutans.
30. Homophone: They're going to their house over there.
31. Epanalepsis: Blood hath bought blood, and blows have answered blows.
32. Polyptoton: Love is not love which alters when it alteration finds.
33. Catachresis: I could feel the darkness wrapping its cold arms around me.
34. Epistrophe: See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil.
35. Hypophora: What is the meaning of life? It's a question we all ponder.
36. Anadiplosis: The strength of the team is the team.
37. Ellipsis: Some people prefer cats; others, dogs.
38. Asyndeton: I came, I saw, I conquered.
39. Polysyndeton: They laughed and talked and danced and sang.
40. Enjambment: The moon was high, casting a silver glow on the water, as I walked along the shore.
41. Caesura: To be or not to be, that is the question.
42. Meiosis: It's just a scratch; I don't need a bandage.
43. Epizeuxis: Never, never, never give up.
44. Antimetabole: I know what I like, and I like what I know.
45. Aposiopesis: If you don't stop that, I'll—
46. Paralipsis: I won't mention his previous mistakes, but...
47. Hendiadys: Let's go for a walk and a talk.
48. Apophasis: I won't even mention the rumors about his past.
49. Prosopopoeia: The storm howled as if it were an angry beast.
50. Acrostic: Friends are the flowers in the garden of life.

On behalf of veterinary professionals everywhere, I felt compelled to write an open letter to herp enthusiasts in general - but as a Ball Python owner myself, I wanted to address it to y'all specifically.
Dear Reptile Lovers:
You don't know me, but I've been working in veterinary medicine for most of my working adult life and have had a fascination with living things of all stripes and scales since I was very young. For all my knowledge, education, and research, I want to offer my sincerest apology on behalf of my field. We have let you down.
We are not as well educated in herpetology as we should be, with reptile ownership growing exponentially across the globe. This is not to say we do not have any education on the subject: even as a technician, we have multiple aspects of exotic medicine in which we are trained, including (but not limited to) microscopy of blood and procurement of samples. But even with this attention, it is drastically overshadowed by our education in Small Animal medicine - the overall umbrella for dogs and cats - and even Large Animal medicine - reserved for horses, cows, and other livestock. To be perfectly transparent, birds get more specific study than reptiles do.
To that end, finding a veterinarian (nevermind a technician) with both knowledge and skill in the matters of reptile health is a difficult feat.
While it is true that more and more individuals are applying to veterinary medicine programs with a love of and fascination with herpetology, the industry itself is still drastically understaffed while paradoxically being intensely competitive. It is (by the numbers) easier to get into a human medical school than a veterinary one. To say nothing of the success rate, we also are one of the most at-risk industries for suicide, having recently overtaken dentistry for that dubious distinction. There are never enough of us to go around, burnout is high, and even the lifespan of a technician's career is about 5-10 years at best.
Why am I telling you all this?
Because I want to help you push us to do better.
The governing bodies of veterinary medicine can only do so much from the inside. We don't have enough research into proper husbandry, nutrition, socialization, or habituation of reptiles, and research grants are more typically given to more popular species. I'm not suggesting you crowdsource grant money, but maybe with your help, we can crowdsource data.
I'm not skilled enough in research yet myself - I hope to soon pursue a masters in animal sciences in the next few years - so I cannot spearhead this movement yet. However, you can either as individuals or as a collective contact the AVMA (or it's relevant counterpart in your country) to offer data for research purposes. What you see in your day-to-day, what works, what doesn't: all of this is critical in-vivo data we simply cannot replicate in a laboratory setting at such a scale. (Pun not intended.)
In closing, we need you more than we realize, and we need you to light a fire under our industry to get reptiles a better chance at receiving proper medical care. We are failing reptiles as a Class, and reptile owners as a group. I am sorry on behalf of my industry that we have done so in such a spectacular fashion. It isn't enough that exotic medicine is a footnote, and certainly not enough that it is something one must specialize in to be of any amount of worth in the field.
Thank you for reading this wall of text. I hope you'll consider what I've said, and I hope also that I live to see our views on and abilities in reptile medicine grow as fast as the hobby's popularity.
Sincerely, A Grumpy Old Lady Technician

1. Simile:
Definition: A figure of speech that compares two different things using the words "like" or "as."
Example: The night sky was like a vast canvas, scattered with stars as bright as diamonds.
2. Metaphor:
Definition: A figure of speech that implies a comparison between two unrelated things, stating that one thing is another.
Example: Time is a thief, silently stealing moments from our lives.
3. Hyperbole:
Definition: A figure of speech involving exaggerated statements not meant to be taken literally.
Example: The suitcase weighed a ton, making it nearly impossible to carry.
4. Understatement:
Definition: A figure of speech where a writer deliberately represents something as much less than it actually is.
Example: The storm brought a bit of rain; nothing too major, just a small flood in the living room.
5. Personification:
Definition: A figure of speech where human qualities are attributed to non-human entities.
Example: The wind whispered secrets through the ancient trees.
6. Assonance:
Definition: The repetition of vowel sounds within nearby words in a sentence.
Example: The melody of the evening breeze gently swept through the fields of wheat.
7. Onomatopoeia:
Definition: The use of words that imitate the sound they describe.
Example: The door creaked open, and footsteps echoed in the empty hallway.
8. Alliteration:
Definition: The repetition of initial consonant sounds in neighboring words.
Example: The playful puppy pranced through the park, chasing butterflies.
*9. Oxymoron:
Definition: A figure of speech that combines contradictory terms.
Example: The comedian's humor was both dark and lighthearted, creating an unsettling joy.
10. Irony:
Definition: A figure of speech in which words express a meaning opposite to their literal interpretation.
Example: The fire station burned down while the firefighters were on vacation—what a twist of irony.
11. Pun:
Definition: A play on words that have multiple meanings or sound similar but have different meanings.
Example: Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana.
12. Juxtaposition:
Definition: Placing two elements side by side to present a contrast.
Example: In the bustling city, the serene park offered a juxtaposition of tranquility amid the urban chaos.
13. Synecdoche:
Definition: A figure of speech where a part represents the whole or the whole represents a part.
Example: "All hands on deck" implies the need for the assistance of the entire crew.
14. Metonymy:
Definition: A figure of speech where one term is substituted with another closely related term.
Example: The White House issued a statement on the recent policy changes.
15. Zeugma:
Definition: A figure of speech where a word applies to multiple parts of the sentence.
Example: She stole both his wallet and his heart that fateful night.
16. Epiphora:
Definition: The repetition of a word or phrase at the end of successive clauses.
Example: The forest was mysterious, the mountains were majestic, and the rivers were enchanting.
17. Euphemism:
Definition: Substituting a mild, indirect, or vague term for a harsh or blunt one.
Example: She passed away peacefully in her sleep, euphemizing the concept of death.
18. Anthimeria:
Definition: The use of a word in a grammatical form it doesn't usually take.
Example: She bookmarked the page to return to the thrilling story later.
19. Chiasmus:
Definition: A figure of speech in which the order of terms in one of the clauses is inverted in the other.
Example: "Do I love you because you're beautiful, or are you beautiful because I love you?" - Cinderella
20. Allusion:
Definition: A brief and indirect reference to a person, place, thing, or idea of historical, cultural, literary, or political significance.
Example: His ambition was Caesar-like; he aimed to conquer not only Rome but the hearts of its people.
21. Allegory:
Definition: A narrative in which characters and events represent abstract ideas or moral qualities . Example: Orwell's "Animal Farm" serves as an allegory for political corruption and the abuse of power.
22. Metonymy:
Definition: A figure of speech in which one word or phrase is substituted with another closely associated with it.
Example: The pen is mightier than the sword, emphasizing the power of the written word over physical force.
23. Sarcasm:
Definition: The use of irony to mock or convey contempt.
Example: "Nice job on the presentation," she said, her tone dripping with sarcasm as the audience chuckled.
24. Understatement:
Definition: A figure of speech where a writer deliberately represents something as much less than it actually is.
Example: The mountain climber faced a slight challenge as he ascended Everest, navigating only a few treacherous crevices.
25. Cliché:
Definition: An expression or idea that has become overused to the point of losing its original meaning.
Example: The detective followed the suspect's trail like a bloodhound, relying on the cliché methods of his trade. *

Have you ever wondered about truth? What is truth, and what does it mean for something to be true? Are there many truths, or just one? Where did the concept of truth even come from?
I like understanding the history of words. Deep insights can be found by simply tracing the bloodlines of our language. And so, as per my habit, I was diving deep through etymogical waters, trying to get to the bottom of the truth -- somewhat literally in this case.
Here is what I found:
The word "truth" originates from the Old English treowth, which is a derivative of treowe, meaning "faithful, trustworthy." This itself stems from the Proto-Germanic treuwaz, which translates to "having or characterized by good faith" and comes from the Proto-Indo-European root deru- or dreu-, which means "to be firm, solid, steadfast." The same root leads to other words like "tree" and "trust," which also carry connotations of firmness and steadfastness.
Huh! Isn't that interesting? This seems to imply that "truth" is simply something that is durable. Something that can be relied upon. In fact, the word "durable" itself traces back to the same root deru-!
The truth is simply that knowledge which is reliable!
Now, as a software engineer, reliability is something I am deeply familiar with. One interesting aspect of reliability is that it is a spectrum. Nothing in the world is absolutely reliable; and the more reliable something is, the more simple it tends to be. This is exactly the same as truth. The truth is simple. This makes intuitive sense, but is also well-recognized in scientific circles, see "Occam's Razor."
But why must truth be simple? The universe is so complex. Shouldn't truth also be complex in order to encompass reality? This is quite a paradox. If anything, greater truth-value should be correlated with greater complexity. But scientists consider simplicity to be a foremost virtue, with simple solutions often being given the labels "elegant" and "beautiful." What gives?
Here is another paradox: different people can believe completely different versions of the truth, and yet be able to function in the world equally well. Consider quantum physics and classical Neutonian physics: they cannot be reconciled, and yet they both present accurate and truthful versions of how the world works. What! But shouldn't there be only the one truth, the absolute truth, and the whole truth?
The paradoxes are resolved when one considers truth for what it really is: a thought form that happens to also be reliable. This understanding of truth is hinted at by the etymology I noted above. Truth is durable in the face of honest and ongoing observation. It can be tested and still survive. Durability against the ravaging onslaught of further evidence is the key indicator of the truth-value of a thought.
Note that in this understanding, truth is a thought form. Truth is not objective reality as distinct from the subjective. Truth is just a map of reality, overlaid on top of sensory phenomena.
This is, potentially, an explosive realization.
The notion of an "objective truth" is revealed to be a subjective thought (because truth is simply a durable thought form). And so, "objective truth" is an oxymoron, and cannot exist in reality. Reality, itself, is beyond truth and can never be known.
As a perfectionist, I personally find this liberating. No longer do I have to search and search; there is no absolute Truth that I can know. I only have my own understanding, and all I can do is make that understanding incrementally more durable. And this, I can do simply through honest and ongoing observation. In some sense, then, my understanding is a collaboration between myself and the universe; a dance of simplicity, beauty and elegance where the truth both knows and is known.

6. Assonance:
Craft a dialogue exchange between two characters in which the repetition of vowel sounds emphasizes an emotional undertone, mirroring the resonance of a distant melody.
7. Onomatopoeia:
Create a scene where the ambiance is enriched by onomatopoeic elements, such as "the rustling leaves and chirping crickets setting the nocturnal symphony."
8. Oxymoron:
Introduce a character torn between the juxtaposition of two conflicting traits, like a "gentle warrior" navigating the complexities of their identity.
9. Irony:
Develop a plot twist where the very occupation that a character despised becomes their saving grace, adding an ironic layer to their personal journey.
10. Pun:
Construct a humorous situation where a clever pun serves as a catalyst for an unexpected turn of events, bringing levity to the narrative.

1. Simile: Her smile was as bright as the sun.
2. Metaphor: Time is a thief.
3. Hyperbole: I've told you a million times.
4. Personification: The wind whispered through the trees.
5. Alliteration: Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.
6. Assonance: The rain in Spain falls mainly on the plain.
7. Onomatopoeia: The bee buzzed around the garden.
8. Oxymoron: Deafening silence filled the room.
9. Irony: The fire station burned down.
10. Pun: I used to be a baker because I kneaded dough.
11. Euphemism: He passed away peacefully in his sleep.
12. Juxtaposition: The old house stood next to the modern skyscraper.
13. Anaphora: I have a dream...
14. Epiphora: Love, love, love – that's what it's all about.
15. Zeugma: He stole my heart and my wallet.
16. Chiasmus: You forget what you want to remember, and you remember what you want to forget.
17. Litotes: The test was not a total disaster.
18. Synecdoche: All hands on deck.
19. Antithesis: It was the best of times; it was the worst of times.
20. Paradox: Less is more.
21. Allegory: Animal Farm by George Orwell.
22. Metonymy: The White House issued a statement.
23. Sarcasm: Nice job on the presentation – if you were aiming for confusion.
24. Understatement: The hurricane disrupted some outdoor activities.
25. Cliché: Time heals all wounds.
26. Anthropomorphism: The clock seemed to mock him as it ticked away.
27. Symbolism: The dove is a symbol of peace.
28. Paronomasia: I used to be a baker because I kneaded dough.
29. Malapropism: I'm going to the store to buy some orangutans.
30. Homophone: They're going to their house over there.
31. Epanalepsis: Blood hath bought blood, and blows have answered blows.
32. Polyptoton: Love is not love which alters when it alteration finds.
33. Catachresis: I could feel the darkness wrapping its cold arms around me.
34. Epistrophe: See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil.
35. Hypophora: What is the meaning of life? It's a question we all ponder.
36. Anadiplosis: The strength of the team is the team.
37. Ellipsis: Some people prefer cats; others, dogs.
38. Asyndeton: I came, I saw, I conquered.
39. Polysyndeton: They laughed and talked and danced and sang.
40. Enjambment: The moon was high, casting a silver glow on the water, as I walked along the shore.
41. Caesura: To be or not to be, that is the question.
42. Meiosis: It's just a scratch; I don't need a bandage.
43. Epizeuxis: Never, never, never give up.
44. Antimetabole: I know what I like, and I like what I know.
45. Aposiopesis: If you don't stop that, I'll—
46. Paralipsis: I won't mention his previous mistakes, but...
47. Hendiadys: Let's go for a walk and a talk.
48. Apophasis: I won't even mention the rumors about his past.
49. Prosopopoeia: The storm howled as if it were an angry beast.
50. Acrostic: Friends are the flowers in the garden of life.

1. Simile:
Definition: A figure of speech that compares two different things using the words "like" or "as."
Example: The night sky was like a vast canvas, scattered with stars as bright as diamonds.
2. Metaphor:
Definition: A figure of speech that implies a comparison between two unrelated things, stating that one thing is another.
Example: Time is a thief, silently stealing moments from our lives.
3. Hyperbole:
Definition: A figure of speech involving exaggerated statements not meant to be taken literally.
Example: The suitcase weighed a ton, making it nearly impossible to carry.
4. Understatement:
Definition: A figure of speech where a writer deliberately represents something as much less than it actually is.
Example: The storm brought a bit of rain; nothing too major, just a small flood in the living room.
5. Personification:
Definition: A figure of speech where human qualities are attributed to non-human entities.
Example: The wind whispered secrets through the ancient trees.
6. Assonance:
Definition: The repetition of vowel sounds within nearby words in a sentence.
Example: The melody of the evening breeze gently swept through the fields of wheat.
7. Onomatopoeia:
Definition: The use of words that imitate the sound they describe.
Example: The door creaked open, and footsteps echoed in the empty hallway.
8. Alliteration:
Definition: The repetition of initial consonant sounds in neighboring words.
Example: The playful puppy pranced through the park, chasing butterflies.
*9. Oxymoron:
Definition: A figure of speech that combines contradictory terms.
Example: The comedian's humor was both dark and lighthearted, creating an unsettling joy.
10. Irony:
Definition: A figure of speech in which words express a meaning opposite to their literal interpretation.
Example: The fire station burned down while the firefighters were on vacation—what a twist of irony.
11. Pun:
Definition: A play on words that have multiple meanings or sound similar but have different meanings.
Example: Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana.
12. Juxtaposition:
Definition: Placing two elements side by side to present a contrast.
Example: In the bustling city, the serene park offered a juxtaposition of tranquility amid the urban chaos.
13. Synecdoche:
Definition: A figure of speech where a part represents the whole or the whole represents a part.
Example: "All hands on deck" implies the need for the assistance of the entire crew.
14. Metonymy:
Definition: A figure of speech where one term is substituted with another closely related term.
Example: The White House issued a statement on the recent policy changes.
15. Zeugma:
Definition: A figure of speech where a word applies to multiple parts of the sentence.
Example: She stole both his wallet and his heart that fateful night.
16. Epiphora:
Definition: The repetition of a word or phrase at the end of successive clauses.
Example: The forest was mysterious, the mountains were majestic, and the rivers were enchanting.
17. Euphemism:
Definition: Substituting a mild, indirect, or vague term for a harsh or blunt one.
Example: She passed away peacefully in her sleep, euphemizing the concept of death.
18. Anthimeria:
Definition: The use of a word in a grammatical form it doesn't usually take.
Example: She bookmarked the page to return to the thrilling story later.
19. Chiasmus:
Definition: A figure of speech in which the order of terms in one of the clauses is inverted in the other.
Example: "Do I love you because you're beautiful, or are you beautiful because I love you?" - Cinderella
20. Allusion:
Definition: A brief and indirect reference to a person, place, thing, or idea of historical, cultural, literary, or political significance.
Example: His ambition was Caesar-like; he aimed to conquer not only Rome but the hearts of its people.
21. Allegory:
Definition: A narrative in which characters and events represent abstract ideas or moral qualities . Example: Orwell's "Animal Farm" serves as an allegory for political corruption and the abuse of power.
22. Metonymy:
Definition: A figure of speech in which one word or phrase is substituted with another closely associated with it.
Example: The pen is mightier than the sword, emphasizing the power of the written word over physical force.
23. Sarcasm:
Definition: The use of irony to mock or convey contempt.
Example: "Nice job on the presentation," she said, her tone dripping with sarcasm as the audience chuckled.
24. Understatement:
Definition: A figure of speech where a writer deliberately represents something as much less than it actually is.
Example: The mountain climber faced a slight challenge as he ascended Everest, navigating only a few treacherous crevices.
25. Cliché:
Definition: An expression or idea that has become overused to the point of losing its original meaning.
Example: The detective followed the suspect's trail like a bloodhound, relying on the cliché methods of his trade. *

6. Assonance:
Craft a dialogue exchange between two characters in which the repetition of vowel sounds emphasizes an emotional undertone, mirroring the resonance of a distant melody.
7. Onomatopoeia:
Create a scene where the ambiance is enriched by onomatopoeic elements, such as "the rustling leaves and chirping crickets setting the nocturnal symphony."
8. Oxymoron:
Introduce a character torn between the juxtaposition of two conflicting traits, like a "gentle warrior" navigating the complexities of their identity.
9. Irony:
Develop a plot twist where the very occupation that a character despised becomes their saving grace, adding an ironic layer to their personal journey.
10. Pun:
Construct a humorous situation where a clever pun serves as a catalyst for an unexpected turn of events, bringing levity to the narrative.

1. Simile: Her smile was as bright as the sun.
2. Metaphor: Time is a thief.
3. Hyperbole: I've told you a million times.
4. Personification: The wind whispered through the trees.
5. Alliteration: Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.
6. Assonance: The rain in Spain falls mainly on the plain.
7. Onomatopoeia: The bee buzzed around the garden.
8. Oxymoron: Deafening silence filled the room.
9. Irony: The fire station burned down.
10. Pun: I used to be a baker because I kneaded dough.
11. Euphemism: He passed away peacefully in his sleep.
12. Juxtaposition: The old house stood next to the modern skyscraper.
13. Anaphora: I have a dream...
14. Epiphora: Love, love, love – that's what it's all about.
15. Zeugma: He stole my heart and my wallet.
16. Chiasmus: You forget what you want to remember, and you remember what you want to forget.
17. Litotes: The test was not a total disaster.
18. Synecdoche: All hands on deck.
19. Antithesis: It was the best of times; it was the worst of times.
20. Paradox: Less is more.
21. Allegory: Animal Farm by George Orwell.
22. Metonymy: The White House issued a statement.
23. Sarcasm: Nice job on the presentation – if you were aiming for confusion.
24. Understatement: The hurricane disrupted some outdoor activities.
25. Cliché: Time heals all wounds.
26. Anthropomorphism: The clock seemed to mock him as it ticked away.
27. Symbolism: The dove is a symbol of peace.
28. Paronomasia: I used to be a baker because I kneaded dough.
29. Malapropism: I'm going to the store to buy some orangutans.
30. Homophone: They're going to their house over there.
31. Epanalepsis: Blood hath bought blood, and blows have answered blows.
32. Polyptoton: Love is not love which alters when it alteration finds.
33. Catachresis: I could feel the darkness wrapping its cold arms around me.
34. Epistrophe: See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil.
35. Hypophora: What is the meaning of life? It's a question we all ponder.
36. Anadiplosis: The strength of the team is the team.
37. Ellipsis: Some people prefer cats; others, dogs.
38. Asyndeton: I came, I saw, I conquered.
39. Polysyndeton: They laughed and talked and danced and sang.
40. Enjambment: The moon was high, casting a silver glow on the water, as I walked along the shore.
41. Caesura: To be or not to be, that is the question.
42. Meiosis: It's just a scratch; I don't need a bandage.
43. Epizeuxis: Never, never, never give up.
44. Antimetabole: I know what I like, and I like what I know.
45. Aposiopesis: If you don't stop that, I'll—
46. Paralipsis: I won't mention his previous mistakes, but...
47. Hendiadys: Let's go for a walk and a talk.
48. Apophasis: I won't even mention the rumors about his past.
49. Prosopopoeia: The storm howled as if it were an angry beast.
50. Acrostic: Friends are the flowers in the garden of life.

1. Simile:
Definition: A figure of speech that compares two different things using the words "like" or "as."
Example: The night sky was like a vast canvas, scattered with stars as bright as diamonds.
2. Metaphor:
Definition: A figure of speech that implies a comparison between two unrelated things, stating that one thing is another.
Example: Time is a thief, silently stealing moments from our lives.
3. Hyperbole:
Definition: A figure of speech involving exaggerated statements not meant to be taken literally.
Example: The suitcase weighed a ton, making it nearly impossible to carry.
4. Understatement:
Definition: A figure of speech where a writer deliberately represents something as much less than it actually is.
Example: The storm brought a bit of rain; nothing too major, just a small flood in the living room.
5. Personification:
Definition: A figure of speech where human qualities are attributed to non-human entities.
Example: The wind whispered secrets through the ancient trees.
6. Assonance:
Definition: The repetition of vowel sounds within nearby words in a sentence.
Example: The melody of the evening breeze gently swept through the fields of wheat.
7. Onomatopoeia:
Definition: The use of words that imitate the sound they describe.
Example: The door creaked open, and footsteps echoed in the empty hallway.
8. Alliteration:
Definition: The repetition of initial consonant sounds in neighboring words.
Example: The playful puppy pranced through the park, chasing butterflies.
*9. Oxymoron:
Definition: A figure of speech that combines contradictory terms.
Example: The comedian's humor was both dark and lighthearted, creating an unsettling joy.
10. Irony:
Definition: A figure of speech in which words express a meaning opposite to their literal interpretation.
Example: The fire station burned down while the firefighters were on vacation—what a twist of irony.
11. Pun:
Definition: A play on words that have multiple meanings or sound similar but have different meanings.
Example: Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana.
12. Juxtaposition:
Definition: Placing two elements side by side to present a contrast.
Example: In the bustling city, the serene park offered a juxtaposition of tranquility amid the urban chaos.
13. Synecdoche:
Definition: A figure of speech where a part represents the whole or the whole represents a part.
Example: "All hands on deck" implies the need for the assistance of the entire crew.
14. Metonymy:
Definition: A figure of speech where one term is substituted with another closely related term.
Example: The White House issued a statement on the recent policy changes.
15. Zeugma:
Definition: A figure of speech where a word applies to multiple parts of the sentence.
Example: She stole both his wallet and his heart that fateful night.
16. Epiphora:
Definition: The repetition of a word or phrase at the end of successive clauses.
Example: The forest was mysterious, the mountains were majestic, and the rivers were enchanting.
17. Euphemism:
Definition: Substituting a mild, indirect, or vague term for a harsh or blunt one.
Example: She passed away peacefully in her sleep, euphemizing the concept of death.
18. Anthimeria:
Definition: The use of a word in a grammatical form it doesn't usually take.
Example: She bookmarked the page to return to the thrilling story later.
19. Chiasmus:
Definition: A figure of speech in which the order of terms in one of the clauses is inverted in the other.
Example: "Do I love you because you're beautiful, or are you beautiful because I love you?" - Cinderella
20. Allusion:
Definition: A brief and indirect reference to a person, place, thing, or idea of historical, cultural, literary, or political significance.
Example: His ambition was Caesar-like; he aimed to conquer not only Rome but the hearts of its people.
21. Allegory:
Definition: A narrative in which characters and events represent abstract ideas or moral qualities . Example: Orwell's "Animal Farm" serves as an allegory for political corruption and the abuse of power.
22. Metonymy:
Definition: A figure of speech in which one word or phrase is substituted with another closely associated with it.
Example: The pen is mightier than the sword, emphasizing the power of the written word over physical force.
23. Sarcasm:
Definition: The use of irony to mock or convey contempt.
Example: "Nice job on the presentation," she said, her tone dripping with sarcasm as the audience chuckled.
24. Understatement:
Definition: A figure of speech where a writer deliberately represents something as much less than it actually is.
Example: The mountain climber faced a slight challenge as he ascended Everest, navigating only a few treacherous crevices.
25. Cliché:
Definition: An expression or idea that has become overused to the point of losing its original meaning.
Example: The detective followed the suspect's trail like a bloodhound, relying on the cliché methods of his trade. *

6. Assonance:
Craft a dialogue exchange between two characters in which the repetition of vowel sounds emphasizes an emotional undertone, mirroring the resonance of a distant melody.
7. Onomatopoeia:
Create a scene where the ambiance is enriched by onomatopoeic elements, such as "the rustling leaves and chirping crickets setting the nocturnal symphony."
8. Oxymoron:
Introduce a character torn between the juxtaposition of two conflicting traits, like a "gentle warrior" navigating the complexities of their identity.
9. Irony:
Develop a plot twist where the very occupation that a character despised becomes their saving grace, adding an ironic layer to their personal journey.
10. Pun:
Construct a humorous situation where a clever pun serves as a catalyst for an unexpected turn of events, bringing levity to the narrative.

1. Simile: Her smile was as bright as the sun.
2. Metaphor: Time is a thief.
3. Hyperbole: I've told you a million times.
4. Personification: The wind whispered through the trees.
5. Alliteration: Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.
6. Assonance: The rain in Spain falls mainly on the plain.
7. Onomatopoeia: The bee buzzed around the garden.
8. Oxymoron: Deafening silence filled the room.
9. Irony: The fire station burned down.
10. Pun: I used to be a baker because I kneaded dough.
11. Euphemism: He passed away peacefully in his sleep.
12. Juxtaposition: The old house stood next to the modern skyscraper.
13. Anaphora: I have a dream...
14. Epiphora: Love, love, love – that's what it's all about.
15. Zeugma: He stole my heart and my wallet.
16. Chiasmus: You forget what you want to remember, and you remember what you want to forget.
17. Litotes: The test was not a total disaster.
18. Synecdoche: All hands on deck.
19. Antithesis: It was the best of times; it was the worst of times.
20. Paradox: Less is more.
21. Allegory: Animal Farm by George Orwell.
22. Metonymy: The White House issued a statement.
23. Sarcasm: Nice job on the presentation – if you were aiming for confusion.
24. Understatement: The hurricane disrupted some outdoor activities.
25. Cliché: Time heals all wounds.
26. Anthropomorphism: The clock seemed to mock him as it ticked away.
27. Symbolism: The dove is a symbol of peace.
28. Paronomasia: I used to be a baker because I kneaded dough.
29. Malapropism: I'm going to the store to buy some orangutans.
30. Homophone: They're going to their house over there.
31. Epanalepsis: Blood hath bought blood, and blows have answered blows.
32. Polyptoton: Love is not love which alters when it alteration finds.
33. Catachresis: I could feel the darkness wrapping its cold arms around me.
34. Epistrophe: See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil.
35. Hypophora: What is the meaning of life? It's a question we all ponder.
36. Anadiplosis: The strength of the team is the team.
37. Ellipsis: Some people prefer cats; others, dogs.
38. Asyndeton: I came, I saw, I conquered.
39. Polysyndeton: They laughed and talked and danced and sang.
40. Enjambment: The moon was high, casting a silver glow on the water, as I walked along the shore.
41. Caesura: To be or not to be, that is the question.
42. Meiosis: It's just a scratch; I don't need a bandage.
43. Epizeuxis: Never, never, never give up.
44. Antimetabole: I know what I like, and I like what I know.
45. Aposiopesis: If you don't stop that, I'll—
46. Paralipsis: I won't mention his previous mistakes, but...
47. Hendiadys: Let's go for a walk and a talk.
48. Apophasis: I won't even mention the rumors about his past.
49. Prosopopoeia: The storm howled as if it were an angry beast.
50. Acrostic: Friends are the flowers in the garden of life.