The Short Game

In a gripping narrative set 1,000 years in the future, players navigate a world shaped by alien occupation and human survival. The discussion highlights innovative storytelling through voice acting and sound design, revealing deep emotional layers within the game. A blend of humor and serious themes helps critique authority while exploring quirky characters. The hosts also share challenges faced during gameplay, from navigation difficulties to the impact of isolation on a community's shared memories. Overall, it's a fascinating exploration of humanity's resilience.

This is a show nominally about video games.

Dive into the unsettling world of a psychological horror game set aboard a doomed space freighter. Experience survival in claustrophobic settings, where the crew grapples with despair and haunting encounters. Explore its unique visual aesthetics inspired by retro games and surreal storytelling techniques. The podcast also discusses emotional struggles faced by characters amid chaos, with themes of addiction and responsibility. With tales of hallucinations and dark humor, this journey promises an intriguing blend of horror and narrative depth.

We cover a few more games before the close of the comp. Get those votes in!

This has been recommended to us a lot, so we finally decided to clean out those drawers and organize those bookshelves. A surprisingly fun series of tiny organization puzzles which added up to an interesting...

Laura and Raygan talk about another handful of games from this year’s interactive fiction competition. Thanks to the authors, and to all our patrons who are sharing their IFComp experiences on the Discord!

A quick episode about a very fast game. I Am Your Beast is the latest game from Strange Scaffold and Xalavier Nelson Jr. Even more “boomer shooter”-y than previous Short Game favorite El Paso, Elsewhere,...

Surprise! The comp started early! Well we were surprised anyway. We’re kicking off our coverage of this year’s IFComp with impressions of the following games: As with all our IFComp coverage, we need your help to...

Frog Fatigue and Frog Enthusiasm abound in this discussion of open world first person mountain climbing game Valley Peaks.

In this topic episode, Laura and Raygan go through their bookshelves to talk about the video game books they have enjoyed. Art books, game design books, history, and even novels.