The Short Game

Thanks for sticking with us in 2020. We can’t wait to see what next year brings. 00:03:20: Game of the Year 2020: Kentucky Route Zero00:12:44: Shane’s Pick: Streets of Rage 400:20:37: Shane’s Bonus Pick: Grindstone00:28:04: Nate’s Pick: Wide Ocean Big Jacket00:31:20: Dirtbag of the Year: Mord00:34:12: Raygan’s Pick: Blaseball00:43:53: Laura’s Pick: Signs of the Sojourner00:49:18: Non-2020 Games We Loved In 202000:58:00: Other Memorable 2020 Gaming Experiences01:05:47: Outro The Short Game is supported directly by our listeners on Patreon! Supporters at any level get access to our Discord, where we discuss games, plan episodes, and talk about what we are playing in real time. You can also support us by writing a review on Apple Podcasts! You can follow our show on Twitter at @_shortgame Your hosts this week were: Raygan Kelly – @raygankShane Kelly – @8bitShaneNate Heininger – @natestlLaura Nash – @laurajnash (03:20) - Game of the Year 2020: Kentucky Route Zero (12:44) - Shane’s Pick: Streets of Rage 4 (20:37) - Shane’s Bonus Pick: Grindstone (28:04) - Nate’s Pick: Wide Ocean Big Jacket (31:20) - Dirtbag of the Year: Mord (34:12) - Raygan’s Pick: Blaseball (43:53) - Laura’s Pick: Signs of the Sojourner (49:18) - Non-2020 Games We Loved In 2020 (58:00) - Other Memorable 2020 Gaming Experiences (01:05:47) - Outro

Reigns developer Nerial worked with interactive fiction luminary Emily Short to adapt George Orwell’s classic allegory of the Russian revolution to video game form. But is it a farming simulator? Animal Farm is available for iOS and PC/Mac. A play-through is around 90 minutes to 2 hours, with many possible endings. The Short Game is supported directly by our listeners on Patreon! Supporters at any level get access to our Discord, where we discuss games, plan episodes, and talk about what we are playing in real time. You can also support us by writing a review on Apple Podcasts! You can follow our show on Twitter at @_shortgame Your hosts this week were: Raygan Kelly – @raygankShane Kelly – @8bitShaneNate Heininger – @natestlLaura Nash – @laurajnash (00:00) - Intro (01:29) - The Novel (10:06) - Orwell’s Animal Farm (50:24) - What’s Making Us Happy This Week? (50:28) - Shane - The Expanse (57:22) - Raygan - Captain Tsubasa: Rise of the New Champions (01:04:31) - Nate - Hades Story Gets Good! (01:06:40) - Laura - Movie Watch Alongs (01:10:31) - Outro

Abzu developer Giant Squid and publisher Annapurna Interactive released The Pathless last month, in a strange launch that positioned the game as one of the first “next-gen” indies while quietly also making it available on current gen consoles, PC, and even across all the devices that are part of Apple Arcade. It’s a departure from the Journey-derived style of Abzu but still brings some of that DNA, and blends it with an open world, Breath of the Wild inspired design. The Short Game is supported directly by our listeners on Patreon! Supporters at any level get access to our Discord, where we discuss games, plan episodes, and talk about what we are playing in real time. You can also support us by writing a review on Apple Podcasts! You can follow our show on Twitter at @_shortgame Your hosts this week were: Shane Kelly – @8bitShaneNate Heininger – @natestlLaura Nash – @laurajnash (52:12) - What’s Making Us Happy This Week (52:31) - Shane - Off Script With Sohla (57:14) - Nate - Truth Seekers (01:00:28) - Laura - Teenage Bounty Hunters (01:04:55) - Outro

Hades isn’t short! But we’re covering it anyway because we’re Supergiant Games superfans. We’re joined by friend of the show and Hades speedrunner Robert Hawks aka Rubella aka The Patron Saint of Bird Week, who helps us talk about the late game stuff we haven’t seen yet. Did we mention this game is long!? The Short Game is supported directly by our listeners on Patreon! Supporters at any level get access to our Discord, where we discuss games, plan episodes, and talk about what we are playing in real time. You can also support us by writing a review on Apple Podcasts! You can follow our show on Twitter at @_shortgame Your hosts this week were: Raygan Kelly – @raygankShane Kelly – @8bitShaneNate Heininger – @natestlRobert Hawks – @JesterRubella (00:00) - Hades (01:09:30) - Spoiler Break

We needed a low-prep episode for this holiday week, so we’re taking your questions! Thanks to our patrons and listeners who sent in their questions. We’d like to make this a recurring feature of the show, so if you have questions for the hosts, send them to us via Discord, Twitter, or the contact form on our website! (03:34) - Genres We Never Get To Talk About? (07:19) - What D&D Class Are You? (10:15) - Longest Game You Have Played? (16:06) - Other Podcasts You Listen To? (26:27) - Favorite Game Console? (28:00) - Games We Are Most Thankful For? (32:56) - Games That Made Us Think Short Games Were Worth Attention? (34:15) - What Indeed? (35:54) - Physical Spaces We Are Thankful For? (41:22) - Shortest Game That Is Still A Video Game? (45:28) - What’s Everyone’s Weebiest Game They Like (48:03) - Game You Keep Coming Back To? (50:10) - Most Ardent Non-Gaming Hobbies? (57:03) - Rarest Game You Own? (59:25) - Favorite Thanksgiving Dish? (01:02:49) - Outro

We’re continuing our coverage of IFComp 2020 with nine more games. We plan to return after the close of the comp to discuss the winners. Thanks for joining us for this year’s comp, and thanks to all the authors and to the IFTF for keeping the comp running! 00:02:01: Academic Pursuits (As Opposed To Regular Pursuits) by ruqiyah00:09:03: Lore Distance Relationship by Naomi “Bez” Norbez00:18:44: Captain Graybeard’s Plunder by Captain Graybeard’s Plunder00:25:42: The Cave by Neil Aitken00:34:24: Under They Thunder by Andrew Schultz00:42:37: Tavern Crawler by Josh Labelle00:52:26: A Calling of Dogs by Arabella Collins, Grey Havens00:58:16: You Couldn’t Have Done That by Ann Hugo01:02:20: Stand Up / Stay Silent by Y Ceffyl Gwyn01:05:50: Outro The Short Game is supported directly by our listeners on Patreon! Supporters at any level get access to our Discord, where we discuss games, plan episodes, and talk about what we are playing in real time. You can also support us by writing a review on Apple Podcasts! You can follow our show on Twitter at @_shortgame Your hosts this week were: Raygan Kelly – @raygankNate Heininger – @natestlLaura Nash – @laurajnash (00:00) - Intro (02:01) - Academic Pursuits (As Opposed To Regular Pursuits) by ruqiyah (09:03) - Lore Distance Relationship by Naomi “Bez” Norbez (18:44) - Captain Graybeard's Plunder by Captain Graybeard's Plunder (25:42) - The Cave by Neil Aitken (34:24) - Under They Thunder by Andrew Schultz (42:37) - Tavern Crawler by Josh Labelle (52:26) - A Calling of Dogs by Arabella Collins, Grey Havens (58:16) - You Couldn't Have Done That by Ann Hugo (01:02:20) - Stand Up / Stay Silent by Y Ceffyl Gwyn (01:05:50) - Outro

The Reigns franchise from developer Nerial and publisher Devolver Digital leaves medieval-ish times and blasts off into rock-and-roll outer space in this Apple Arcade exclusive that shakes up more than just the setting. Links for this episode: Reigns: BeyondTaskmaster on YouTubeEnthusiast! a podcast by Mark BramhillLaura’s profile on Fallen London The Short Game is supported directly by our listeners on Patreon! Supporters at any level get access to our Discord, where we discuss games, plan episodes, and talk about what we are playing in real time. You can also support us by writing a review on Apple Podcasts! You can follow our show on Twitter at @_shortgame Your hosts this week were: Shane Kelly – @8bitShaneLaura Nash – @laurajnash (00:00) - Reigns: Beyond (42:26) - Making us happy (42:45) - Laura - Taskmaster (48:25) - Enthusiast! (53:37) - Shane - Magic the Gathering Commander Legends (56:56) - Outro

We’re continuing our coverage of IFComp 2020 with a new crop of games, and J.J. Guest, winner of IFComp 2018 for his game Alias: The Magpie, is joining us to discuss several of this year’s games! 00:00:00: Intro – Thank you to our guest, JJ Guest!00:03:52: J. J. Guest on The Magpie Takes The Train00:06:46: Mother Tongue by Nell Raban00:12:44: Vampire Ltd by Alex Harby00:21:53: Jay Schilling’s Edge of Chaos by Robb Sherwin & Mike Sousa00:30:05: Electric word, “life” by Lance Nathan00:37:19: Entangled by Dark Star00:49:14: The Turnip by Joseph Pentangelo00:56:18: Vain Empires by Thomas Mack and Xavid01:03:37: Other Suggestions01:04:59: Outro For more on J.J. Guest’s games, check his page on IFDB, or his blog! The Short Game is supported directly by our listeners on Patreon! Supporters at any level get access to our Discord, where we discuss games, plan episodes, and talk about what we are playing in real time. You can also support us by writing a review on Apple Podcasts! You can follow our show on Twitter at @_shortgame Your hosts this week were: Raygan Kelly – @raygankShane Kelly – @8bitShaneLaura Nash – @laurajnashJ.J. Guest – @JJGUEST_IF (00:00) - Intro (03:52) - J. J. Guest on The Magpie Takes The Train (06:46) - Mother Tongue by Nell Raban (12:44) - Vampire Ltd by Alex Harby (21:53) - Jay Schilling's Edge of Chaos by Robb Sherwin & Mike Sousa (30:05) - Electric word, "life" by Lance Nathan (37:19) - Entangled by Dark Star (49:14) - The Turnip by Joseph Pentangelo (56:18) - Vain Empires by Thomas Mack and Xavid (01:03:37) - Other Suggestions (01:04:59) - Outro

With Reigns: Beyond coming to Apple Arcade on November 6th it seemed an appropriate time to re-release our episode from 2016 covering the original Reigns. This unlikely series has spawned a sequel, a Game of Thrones spin off, and numerous imitators, and is now heading to space. Neat! We’ll be back next week with more coverage of IFComp.

World of Horror draws inspiration from point and click adventure games, retro computers, horror manga, H.P. Lovecraft, and even recent rogue-lite games, and it’s a unique synthesis. It’s also notably a game “made by one dude in MS Paint”. Anything that gives us an opportunity to talk about Junji Ito for nearly a quarter of the episode is OK by me. Happy Halloween! The Short Game is supported directly by our listeners on Patreon! Supporters at any level get access to our Discord, where we discuss games, plan episodes, and talk about what we are playing in real time. You can also support us by writing a review on Apple Podcasts! You can follow our show on Twitter at @_shortgame Your hosts this week were: Raygan Kelly – @raygankShane Kelly – @8bitShane (03:06) - Junji Ito and other influences (13:42) - Gameplay and Interface (50:50) - Wrap Up