Yes, this giveaway is for any single(*) game, any price, on GOG. Want to finally try Witcher 3 GotY Edition? No Man's Sky (haha)? Some other new release? Go ahead and enter.

(*) For those of you who, like me, would prefer a bunch of smaller cheaper games, you may substitute the single game prize for a collection of up to 3 games up to 15$ (EDIT: The 15$ limit is only if you decide to go for a collection of up to 3 games instead of a single game. If you go for the single game, any price is fine).

Before you enter however, please read this.

Despite entering many giveaways here, and occasionally hosting some, I always believe in exchanging value for value. When I make a giveaway, the value of enjoyment I get from reading the entries, or from designing a puzzle and seeing the solutions, is always worth the price of the game that I offer. Even if I make simple "I'm in" giveaways or just offer a code that was given free by GOG and tons of which are floating around I get something in return: the fact that a fellow gamer is happy means the forums are more enjoyable place to spend time in, and hey, others are more likely to make giveaways that I can enter and win or offer their spare codes when it's me who missed GOG's offer. Even if no money exchanges hands, Adam Smith's invisible economic hand moves through the GA's on these forums. I can't ask for something more than I am giving, but I can ask for an appropriate exchange.

This giveaway is no different; if you want to be in, you have to earn it.

So, here is what I ask in return: take a moment, a minute, an hour, a day to stop and appreciate the beauty around you. Stop complaining; think of something positive. If you do that you have earned your entry in this GA.

Now, don't get me wrong. This isn't some kind of hippie "don't worry, be happy, everything is alright" act. Many things are wrong, unjust and should complained about and struggled against. I know things here on GOG haven't been the best lately, and I realize a lot of you might be going through problems in real life or otherwise. My point is about complaining about the little things while overlooking all the positive things that you do have, the examples of beauty around you. Have a positive outlook. Find that Pollyanna inside you. Don't make yourself miserable, don't self-pity; you're only hurting yourself.

If you enter, I'd ask you to take this request seriously. It might seem simple, but it's by no means a small price to pay. You do that, everyone benefits a little.

If you've read so far and want to enter, here are the instructions:

_ Say you're in.
_ If you want, mention what game(s) you're in for. This is not binding, should you win, you'd be able to change it, it's just for my own curiosity.
_ random.org will select the winner.
_ Everyone may join. No rep or other restrictions. I will only remove entries that I suspect are fake multiple accounts to prevent cheating.
_ You may do whatever you want with the prize. Re-gifting, trading... is allowed.
_ Initially I wanted this to be an Advent thing beginning with Advent and ending at Christmas. However I'll be busy this Sunday, and I know many people will probably will be busy Christmas day too. Therefore the GA will end sometime before Christmas. Probably around the 20th. Enough time for entrants to make use of GOG's Christmas sale if they don't win.

That's all. However if you want you may post something with your entry: write about something positive that happened to you this year, something that you're thankful for, or share a recipe, or post a joke, youtube link or anything you find interesting.

(Credits: inspired by Paul Lutus, creator of Arachnophilia which I used a lot back in my student days. Original article - from which I've copied quite a bit. Also interesting read: A Note about Freeware).

IF it is possible to be in for expansions/DLC, I would be in for Galactic Civilizations III: Crusade. The price is $14.99 IF someone with the base game buys it or $19.99 if not so I wouldn't know what value to assign this(single game of any price or collection of 3). I'd say I have a Steam key for a game from them I can gift but I dunno if that would be of equal value (as it's on Steam and I know some people don't necessarially like Steam). Current price for that game is $19.99. Also, keep in mind that for everything you hear that may put someone/something in a bad light, there is a second side you haven't been told.

Three engineering students were gathered together discussing the possible designers of the human body. One said, "It was a mechanical engineer. Just look at all the joints." Another said, "No, it was an electrical engineer. The nervous system has many thousands of electrical connections." The last said, "Actually it was a civil engineer. Who else would run a toxic waste pipeline through a recreational area?

thx for giveaway

In for

star wars dark forces II

NOT in.

I have decided to pass this time. A very sweet giveaway and the temptation sure is there.

im in. if possible, risk of rain :)
thanks for doing giveaway.
been really busy this semester, especially with final year project. hope everything turn out well. and hope for everyone a good day too.

....

Careware... reminds me of those cute carebeares I watched when I was young (among other). Back then we only had Swedish channels to rely on for cartoons. Especially Ducktales in Swedish are the most memorable, can't have Duscktales without. It just wouldn't be the same in Norwegian.

Speaking of freeware and the old days; even before the internet people were sharing knowledge and experience without the need for return. I believe the history would be very different if CP/M and Linux were more prominent and popular than IBM/MS. That's why open source is really only the positive drive behind progress where everyone can contribute.

I'm in, and thank you for the links. This a great idea, so if you agree I would see your giveaway on the table and meet you with another giveaway! (kind a like a known elf this time) ;-)

Irony is, "Sometimes money is not the best way to convey value. And sometimes money is so completely inappropriate that it destroys the transaction.", yet you have "I love gold" under your nickname :p

Not sue what I would want, right now. I'll tell you if I win.

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My grandfather past away last summer. He was kind of a father to me and he more or less shaped me. He would always call me whenever he needed help with his computer, networking, or just to tell me that he had bought a brand new mouse or that he was thinking about ideas and solutions. Not even his own son (my uncle) that lived next door would he call or even knock on the door. He and his wife didn't exactly care. My grandmother got into care shortly after my grandfather fell. The man just refused to give her up so he was doing everything for her. Even if it meant it would destroy him. I often think about how he would buy stuff just to keep him alive. Like almost he knew he would die. It's was strange, sad and frustrating to see him sink of tiredness, and desperation.

However, he was very kind to those around him, especially his grand- and great-grandchildren. Him and I were often together on journeys and shopping. Even if he never said anything I knew he appreciated the company.

Anyway, in short, I'm very grateful to have known him. I like to think I honoured him even though his own sons wouldn't care. But, a couple of week ago I received a pair of snowboots from my mother that was left over in their house. They really came in handy just as the snow settled in. I now walk in the same boots as he did once.

Great giveaway, and a very nice sentiment I wholeheartedly agree with. I'm very lucky in that although I live in the middle of a large city, outside my windows I'm actually sorrounded by a small patch of trees, grass etc. and plenty of birds live here. Sparrows, woodpeckers, jays, wood pigeons, crows and many others. Even a peregrine falcon dropped by this year (though that caused quite a commotion among the other birds). So in the middle of that concrete jungle I can look out my window and appreciate life rather than car traffic. I always find that comforting.

I'm in for Hand of Fate 2 or Deponia 4 - I can't quite make up my mind right now. I loved both the first HoF and the Deponia trilogy, so I'm anxious to play both.

I'd like to be in for Divinity: Original Sin, thanks!

With my certain...issues, you have no idea how hard your rule was for me :D. My brain automatically negates anything nice with suspicions and if-buts.
- "I have a beautiful woman who thinks I'm hot"- Wait, she seriously thinks I'm hot? Is she playing a prank? Is she bored? Is she trying to get something from me? etc.
- I'm spending a nice long weekend away from the polluted city- Yeah, but the sky is overcast so you can't do your stargazing, the water takes forever to heat up, the bed is really uncomfortable, etc.
- I got to enjoy a wonderful mountain hike after a long time- Yeah, but you didn't have time to make it to the peak like you usually do, you were arguing with your friend the whole way, you ended stuffing yourself with food when you got back down, etc.

Anyhow, dunno about big things and small things, but I'm staring up at the sky, it's still overcast, but even if I don't catch sight of a lot of stars, I have this fine blonde bitch at my side to keep me company and play with me :D
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8k3Iu_FP-Q

I'm in for Sudden Strike 4

A positive thing it happened to me this year, I started to feel ok/good with the hot summer(my problems don't allowed me to enjoy more than 25C temperature).

Thanks for the GA! I'd like to be in for The Suffering (I'm in for the suffering?!? Sounds kinda wrong when the requirement to a giveaway is to "appreciate the beauty around you" and to "think of something positive" :P) I did this and had a long look through the photos I took this year. Until last year photography was just a hobby, but this year it became my new (part time) job. I took more photos than in all the former years combined and made a pretty huge step as a photographer (I never really took photos of events and people before). I've met a lot of interesting people (celebrities, billionaires, porn stars), visited a lot of interesting places (Greenpeace's Rainbow Warrior, a vineyard, a menstrip bar where only women are allowed) and had quite a few 14 hours "work"days during the summer season - the worst part was to edit the photos when you come back home at 4 in the morning... It was exhausting as hell, but I enjoyed it a lot.

Looking through all these photos now, gives me a great feeling of happiness. It was an awesome year and I'm grateful that I was given this opportunity! I never enjoyed my work as much as this year. No matter what'll happen in the future: 2017 will always be in my memories. Thanks, 2017.

Just a few random shots I took this year

Thank you for your generosity :) I´m in for Cuphead.

And I would like to tell a true story:

Two or three years ago a pair of blackbirds made a nest in the flower box in front of my window. They had four fledglings. Three of them grew up fast and left the nest early. But there was one fledgling, that was smaller and weaker than the others. I watched them every day, and the parent birds didn´t mind. One day I saw, that one fledgling was missing. It was the small one, and I immediately knew what happened. So I ran down the stairs and found it lying on the ground. I was sure, the small bird didn´t survive the fall, but surprisingly it wasn´t even hurt. So I grabbed it, went back up home and put it back in the nest. But after that the bird had a streak of bad luck. I had to defend him against an attacking raven. Then the small bird started wandering around in the flower box, so that I had to watch him to not fall out of the nest again. It was really stressful. But at the end the bird survived and left the nest a few days after his siblings. Unfortunately I wasn´t there when it flew away, and I thought, I wouldn´t see it again. I was wrong. One day later the bird landed at the flower box and looked through the window. No joke! It didn´t fly away even when I pushed the curtain aside. It stood there and watched me for a whole minute. It was the same bird without doubt. I immediately recognized it. It was like the bird wanted to say goodbye or thank you or something. The situation was very emotional, even if this sounds absurd to others. Then it flew away and didn´t come back.

I finished making that post late yesterday and didn't have time to make my own post.

So about the positive things that happened to me this year:

• I finally managed to improve my brainfuck globe quine. Something I wasn't sure would be possible when I finished it last year.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ob2zLvE23Lo

If you're interested in brainfuck programming, you can find resources here:
https://esolangs.org/wiki/Brainfuck

I've also learnt and did some work on Piet:
http://www.dangermouse.net/esoteric/piet.html

• Starte working on a new project. Not only it's very interesting, it also meant I moved to Italy for 2 months, which meant I could visit San Marino and Monaco, and I'm this closer to my goal of visiting every European country.

• It was a good year for gaming. Finally got around to starting HoMM5 - a game I received as a gift almost 10 years ago now, but wanted to finish all the previous Might and Magic games first before I try it, having only played HoMM 1-3 before (some 5 years ago I started on MM1, and this year finally got to HoMM5, after finishing MM1-9, HoMM4 and some spinoffs like Chronicles and Crusaders in the process). Also this year, because I didn't have a gaming PC while in Italy, I managed to finish some old games that I meant to get around to fisnish some day, like Perestroika and Prince of Persia 1. Sometimes it isn't, and often it is. But I love gold because of what its stand for: money, wealth, high values, incorruptibility and elegance. We have gold medals for those who come on top, and use phrases like "golden age" or a "heart of gold". It's a reminder to me that one should always aim for the best in life.

Wow, dude. Those are amazing!