The Short Game

iOS Gaming & Leo’s Fortune In this episode, Raygan and Nate are joined by friend of the show Laura Nash as we talk about Leo’s Fortune in particular, and the present and future of iOS smartphones as a gaming platform in general. Leo’s Fortune won an Apple Design Award in 2014 but it’s the one game that none of us had played in time for our Apple Design Award Winners 2014 episode a few weeks ago. This week, we attempt to remedy the oversight. This also gives us the opportunity to discuss in depth the strengths and weaknesses of iOS and other touch screen devices as gaming platforms. We talk about asynchronous multiplayer, “augmented reality” and the future of quality gaming on a platform where games can seem a little ephemeral, or even disposable. Links for this episode Clickteam – Multimedia Fusion 2 TowerFall California Extreme | An arcade game and pinball celebration Snacks ‘n Jaxson – Videogame by Bally Sente Catball Eats It All (iOS) | Joystiq Spaceteam: Cooperative Party Game for Phones and Tablets 11 – Apple Design Award Winners 2014 | The Short Game Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze for Wii U Rube Goldberg Trailer for Leo ‘s Fortune [Original video] Leo’s Fortune Rube Goldberg [Behind the scenes] Tomorrow Corporation : Little Inferno Sometimes You Die on the App Store on iTunes Sonic the Hedgehog 2 on the App Store on iTunes BADLAND – Atmospheric Side-Scrolling Action Adventure Game from Frogmind Rolando (video game) – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Soosiz for iPhone and iPod touch, Soosiz HD for iPad Astronut on the App Store on iTunes Waking Mars GBA4iOS Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Google Ingress – Augmented reality game Sphero Robot Ball | Game System for iOS and Android Sword & Poker on the App Store on iTunes Thanks to Laura for guest-hosting on our podcast this week. Laura J. Nash (laurajnash) on Twitter Space Happens Season 1: How to Save the Universe by The Fake Geek Girl — Kickstarter “A satire developed, written & produced by women in comedy. A slash fic between feminism and science fiction. In witty webseries form.”

This time on The Short Game, your three hosts unite to discuss Super Giant Games new action RPG for PS4 and Windows PC, Transistor. We discuss the game’s painterly art, its unique setting, and terrific customizable combat system. We also share in depth game tips and strategies, and after the spoiler break (at about 56 minutes in) we speculate about the game’s effecting ending. Transistor is available on Windows through Steam ($20) and on the Playstation 4 ($20.) Expect it to take about 6-7 hours to complete the first play-through.   (art by DeviantArt’s JenZee, art director of the game) Links for this episode The Wirecutter – the best site on the internet for reviews of tech products The Wirecutter’s Best $500 TV Close Castles from Threes! developer Asher Volmer Hoard – action arcade game for PS3 and Steam where everybody’s a dragon. Bastion – SuperGiant’s first game Gustav Klimt – painter of the famous The Kiss Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom by Cory Doctorow Check out Game Plus, a great YouTube channel and friend of the show.

Towerfall Ascension This week we discuss Matt Thorson(@MattThorson) of Matt Makes Games multiplayer masterpiece, Towerfall Ascension. Towerfall is an arena multiplayer platform fighting game for two to four players. It draws on inspirations like SNES platformers, the Smash Bros series, and the fighting game genre to weave a simple, elegant, and ridiculously fun and hilarious party-fighting-game. You have absolutely got to play it. Available on Steam for Mac, Windows, and Linux – $15 Available on the PS4, currently free as a part of the PlayStation Plus subscription (normally $15) If you’d like to see what the game looks like in action (and you do) have a look at this great multiplayer gameplay footage from GameSpot. Links for this episode: Papers, Please – A Dystopian Document Thriller Sunset – a first-person video game thriller – Kickstarter Galatea – Interactive fiction by Emily Short Savoir-Faire – Interactive fiction by Emily Short Frotz – Play interactive fiction on your iPhone or iPad Blood & Laurels – new interactive fiction in the Versu engine by Emily Short As you can probably tell, we huge admirers of Emily Short. Civilization Revolution 2 – Out Now for iOS As it turns out this game doesn’t have multiplayer yet. So much for our plans. OUYA – $99 Android microconsole Towerfall Polygon Game of the Year 2013 Teslagrad – a great game with slightly off jump physics Braid – another great game with slightly less than Towerfall level physics Castle Crashers Puyo Puyo Puyo Pop Fever Doctor Robotnik’s Mean Bean Machine Eurogamer on Towerfall Competitive Towerfall at EVO 2014 Nidhogg – another fantastic indie fighting game Starwhal – Just The Tip – a third indie multiplayer fighting game

Apologies in advance for the sound quality of this episode and for its late release. Your intrepid podcast host was moving cross country this week and our equipment and schedule did not cooperate as planned. 2013-14 has been great for iOS gaming, and Apple has picked five great games to honor with Apple Design Awards at this year’s World Wide Developers Conference. We’ve played (nearly) all of them and share our impressions with you! Threes A tiny puzzle game that grows on you Threes on the iOS App Store – $2.99 Threes on the Google Play Store – $2.99 Threes on the Amazon App Store – $2.99 *(Currently on sale for $1.99.) * Monument Valley An illusory adventure of impossible architecture and forgiveness Monument Valley on the iOS App Store – $3.99 Monument Valley on the Google Play Store – $3.99 Monument Valley on the Amazon App Store – $3.99 Blek Watching it move is like watching magic Blek on the iOS App Store – $2.99 Blek on the Google Play Store Out Now! – $2.99 Blek on the Amazon App Store – $2.99 Device 6 A surreal thriller in which the written word is your map Device 6 on the iOS App Store – $3.99 Leo’s Fortune A beautiful platform adventure game. Leo’s Fortune on the iOS App Store Links for this episode: The Apple Design Awards Toribash Wario Land 4 – Jeremy Parish reviews the game for 1Up in 2011 Nancy Morse’s review of Wario Land 4 Mario Maker Threes by Asher Volmer, for iPhone, iPad, Android, and soon Xbox One PuzzleJuice, also by Asher Volmer, for iOS Why 2048 sucks and Threes is a Masterpiece The “Threemails” – a publication of the complete process of the game including design documents and emails between the creators, with a note on rip-offs Video – Asher Volmer (developer of Threes) meets Alexy Pajitnov (developer of Tetris) and Henk Rogers (founder of The Tetris Company) Threes OST by Big Giant Circles Whale Trail Canabalt Blek trailer The Room and The Room Two Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors – an escape-the-room visual novel for the DS Simogo’s Complete Guide to References & Inspirations in DEVICE 6 The Prisoner – TV show Beat Sneak Bandit Year Walk for iOS Year Walk for PC & Mac Transistor

In this episode, we discuss a game that probably all of you have played: Valve’s incredibly popular distraction from Half-Life 3 development, Portal. Portal is a game so influential it likely requires no introduction. In this episode, Raygan and Shane break down the qualities that made the game was so successful, and its widespread impact on gaming in general. We command you: GO PLAY PORTAL AGAIN! Portal is available on nearly every platform you could want, including: Through Steam for Windows, Mac, and Linux – $9.99 As part of the Orange Box for Xbox 360 or individually as a download from Xbox Live Arcade – $14.99 As part of the Orange Box for Playstation 3 On Android, currently only on the Nvidia Shield – $9.99 Links for this episode The Last Guardian Our Broken Age Episode The Banner Saga Casual Shenanigans Podcast on YouTube Star Citizen The Veronica Mars Movie Transistor Transistor Trailer Bastion for iOS Portal available on the Nvidia Shield The original Portal trailer Portal: The Flash Version ASCIIPortal Narbacular Drop Download Narbacular Drop The Orange Box Johnathan Coulton Still Alive – YouTube link Portal’s patched ending Teslagrad – $9.99 on Steam Our Thomas Was Alone episode Thinking with Time Machine

This episode was recorded in two parts. In the introduction, recorded just a few days ago, Host and Bro-host discuss the recent announcements at E3, Tom Cruise movies, and a great quick video game about pseudo-nazi-airplane-submarines! In the second half, we wrap up our recent board game special with a lively discussion of Dominion. Links for this episode: The Introduction No Man’s Sky – YouTube Trailer Nintendo announces Splatoon – YouTube Trailer Nintendo announces Zelda for the Wii U – YouTube link The Witcher 3 gets a release date – YouTube link Edge of Tomorrow – staring Tom Cruise NPR’s Pop Culture Happy Hour – Edge of Tomorrow Luftrausers – Official Site Luftrausers on Steam – $9.99 Ridiculous Fishing – Official Site Ridiculous Fishing on the iTunes Store – $2.99 Cloned At Birth: The Story of Ridiculous Fishing – Polygon The Conclusion to the Board Game Special New to Dominion – DominionStrategy.com Tanto Cuore for iPhone/iPad Dominion on Amazon – $30 Memoir ’44

In this, our first very special episode, we take a bit of a detour and talk about a gaming passion that has less to do with keyboards and gamepads, and more to do with cardboard and dice. This is our first Board Game Special, and we discuss some of the games that brought us into board gaming as a hobby, with a special focus on games that are both quick to play and quick to teach. We got so carried away talking about great board games that the episode ran long, so we’ve broken it into two parts. Join us next week for episode 9b! Links for this episode Avalon Hill Axis & Allies Settlers of Catan Carcassonne Carcassonne on Amazon – around $25 Carcassonne for iOS – $9.99 Small World Small World 2 for iPad Small World on Amazon – $39 Reiner Knizia’s Samurai for iOS Space Hulk on iOS or PC/Mac BoardGameGeek Geeklist of Online Boardgames Days Of Wonder online games Game Table Online Ticket to Ride Ticket to Ride on Amazon – $38 Ticket to Ride on iPad Ticket to Ride Marklin Edition Ticket to Ride Alvin & Dexter (Monsters) Age of Steam on BoardGameGeek Find a board game group on MeetUp.com New York Board & Card Games Group Saint Louis Board Game Group BoardGameGeek.com

This week we discuss Terry Cavanagh’s indie gaming masterpiece VVVVVV. Inspired by the Commodore 64 generation of games, this game presents a tough challenge to even the most experienced gamer, while still clocking in at a descent length. Clever level design and a great focused game mechanic make this game shine. The game is available: – Steam for Mac, PC, and Linux – $4.99 – Direct from Develper DRM free for Mac, PC, and Linux – $4.99 (or $7.50 with the soundtrack) – From the Nintendo 3DS eShop – Coming soon for several other platforms including PSVita, iPhone, iPad, Android, and Ouya Expect the game to take between 2 to 4 hours to complete depending on your skill level and willingness to persevere against sometimes absurd difficulty. Pre-show topics American Elsewhere by Robert Jackson Bennett (Novel) Paranoia RPG Kero Blaster for PC Kero Blaster for iPhone Mario Golf Links for this episode The name’s meaning and other curiosities QWOP Shahid Ahmad of Playstation on the Directional Podcast Interview with developer Terry Cavanagh from Rock Paper Shotgun Playing VVVVVV on the iPad (YouTube link) Terry Cavanagh’s website featuring many of his flash games Super Meat Boy The Gravitron (…oh god the graviton…) The Elephant Secret… Revealed! There is no spoiler break for this episode, as we all concurred that there wasn’t really that much story to spoil. Correction: Raygan stated that the game was available on the Humble Store but this is not the case. It was previously included in a Humble Bundle but it is only available through Steam and DRM Free through the developer’s website, sold using the Humble Widget. We regret the error.

This week, we discuss the silly, silly platform adventure game Octodad: Dadliest Catch. Octodad is a game about controlling a slippery octopus in a suit through levels filed with tons of tiny physics-enabled objects while trying not to attract attention. Nobody can know your secret octopus nature! The trailer is absolutely fantastic. This little game is one of our favorites yet. Octodad is available for the PS4, Mac, Windows, and Linux. Expect it to take about 2 hours to complete. Direct from Developer – $14.99 Steam – $14.99 PS4 – $14.99 Pre-show topics include: Raygan is finally playing Earthbound Also he’s really into this Nvidia Shield thing. Nate finally got MLB 14: The Show for PS4, but is stymied by day one updates and DLC. The strange career of Romango. Shane can’t decide which game to play next: Mercenary Kings Metal Slug 3 on Steam (PC port by DotEmu) Child of Light

In our 6th episode, we discuss Thomas Was Alone, Mike Bithell’s game of jumping and friendship. Thomas Was Alone is available for Mac, PC, and Linux, as well as on the Playstation Network for PS3 and PSVita Steam for Mac, PC, and Linux – $9.99 PSN for PS3 & Vita – $9.99 or FREE for PS+ subscribers Since the recording of this episode, Thomas Was Alone was also released for iPad! App Store for iPad – $8.99 Expect the game to take about 3 and 1/2 hours to complete. Follow Mike Bithell on Twitter. He’s really interesting. David Housden’s soundtrack for the game is fantastic. Other topics include: Raygan is really bad at Titanfall We muse on the non-gaming uses of Occulous Rift Nate is looking forward to MLB 14 The Show for PS4 (Polygon link) Lost Vikings, Blizzard’s 90s character switching puzzle platformer. Now available for FREE on Battle.net. Edit: The original version of this episode that went out was missing the Spoiler Break sound effect in the middle of the episode. Oops. Thanks to all who reported the issue.