The Short Game

The famous Roottree sisters and their parents, heirs to a billion dollar candy empire, have suddenly died in a plane crash. The inheritance is in question, with a massive family tree full of potential beneficiaries.  Fortunately, it’s 1998 and you know how to use the internet. We discuss this exciting free entry into the Obra-Dinn-like mystery game sub-genre.  You can play the game for free on the web at the developer’s itch.io page. Expect it to take between four and eight hours depending on your research style, and whether or not you have a smart friend like Laura to help.

This week Nate and Laura cover Jusant, somehow our second 2023 tower game and our second 2023 climbing game — but micro-genres aside, Jusant’s got plenty of charms of its own. Don’t Nod, the creators of Life is Strange, blend a rock-solid control scheme with scenic vistas and meditative vibes. Expect it to take about 4-8 hours, depending on your route planning and completionism.

We’re a little late, but it’s time to talk about The Short Game’s Game of the Year! As with previous years we’re also handing out many superlatives, including returning awards like Dirtbag of the Year. Patrons also get access to our unedited, recorded planning meeting where we hashed all of this out. Support us on Patreon if you want to hear that nonsense! (00:00) - Introduction (05:32) - Game of the Year (10:42) - The "Short Hike" award, or DemiGOTY (14:06) - Dirtbag of the Year (19:52) - Galerius of the Year (22:26) - Mario of the Year (26:09) - Late to the Party Award (31:07) - Best Reissue (34:31) - Best Mobile Game (39:09) - Best Airplane Game (42:20) - “I’m Hungry and I’m Crying” Award (45:48) - “What Is A Game” of the Year (52:13) - “I’m Glad I Quit The Casino, But I Still Loved This Game” (57:07) - Playdate Game of the Year (01:00:51) - Long Game of the Year (01:03:17) - Best Game My 6 Year Old 100%’d Three Times (01:08:15) - One More Thing (01:13:50) - Outro

Laura and Raygan manage to shift one small shovel of their pile of shame before the holidays. We’re so glad to have made time for Chants of Sennaar, an incredible puzzle adventure game in which you climb a Tower of Babel, learning languages as you go. (00:00) - Chants of Sennaar (35:25) - What's Making Us Happy This Week (35:37) - Raygan - Doom Guy and a new Murderbot book (46:26) - Laura - Superhero Cartoons (50:54) - Outro (52:02) - Spoiler Break

The latest game from Short Game favorite Inkle has proved to be a bit divisive. Laura enjoyed it, but Raygan hit some major issues that spoiled the experience. It made for an interesting conversation! (00:00) - A Highland Song (52:33) - What's Making Us Happy This Week? (52:36) - Laura - Milk Punch (55:56) - Raygan - A Bride's Story (01:01:09) - Shane - Super Mario Brothers Wonder (01:07:59) - Warning: Spoilers for Tears of the Kingdom Ending (01:09:30) - Wrap up (01:12:49) - Spoiler Break

Oh dang it’s a holiday weekend and we don’t have time to prep for an episode… Let me see what everybody else on the internet is doing right now… … So here’s the Short Game Holiday Gift Guide! (01:52) - "Gamer Gifts" (08:11) - Game Plushies (12:39) - A Large Tray (14:36) - Controller Storage (17:10) - Boppy (19:23) - RGB shit? (21:42) - Setting up a retro handheld for a kid (26:52) - Goose Game Key Holder (31:18) - Shane is a Bandana Guy (34:48) - Controllers as gifts? (46:12) - Video Game Vinyl (53:44) - Outro

Dive into the twisted world of a horror adventure where the task is to slay a princess—if you dare! Explore narrative complexity and moral dilemmas in gaming, echoing classics like 'Doki Doki Literature Club.' Discover how player choices shape unique outcomes and enhance emotional engagement through sound and art. The discussion meanders through cinematic themes, humorous movie reflections, and quirky real-life encounters, all while celebrating the richness of interactive storytelling and its replayability.

Orb! Orb orb orb orb orb. Orb Orb? Orb Orb Orb!… (00:00) - Cocoon (40:50) - What's Making Us Happy This Week? (40:59) - Shane - Frieren: Beyond Journey's End (44:34) - Raygan - Nintendo DSi (49:11) - Laura - MCU: The Reign of Marvel Studios (55:48) - Outro

We continue our coverage of IFComp 2023 with a few more games AND THEN WE GET KICKED IN THE NUTS!!!! [00:02:39] LAKE Adventure Follow-up by B.J. Best [00:08:27] Assembly by Ben Kirwin [00:19:05] The Whisperers by Milo van Mesdag [00:26:38] Fix Your Mother’s Printer by Geoffrey Golden [00:35:32] CODENAME OBSCURA by Mika Kujala [00:43:01] Put Your Hand Inside The Puppet Head by The Hungry Reader [00:48:54] DICK MCBUTTS GETS KICKED IN THE NUTS by Hubert Janus [00:57:54] All the Troubles Come My Way by Sam Dunnachie (00:00) - Intro (02:39) - LAKE Adventure Follow-up (08:27) - Assembly by Ben Kirwin (19:05) - The Whisperers by Milo van Mesdag (26:38) - Fix Your Mother's Printer by Geoffrey Golden (35:32) - CODENAME OBSCURA by Mika Kujala (43:01) - Put Your Hand Inside The Puppet Head by The Hungry Reader (48:54) - DICK MCBUTTS GETS KICKED IN THE NUTS by Hubert Janus (57:54) - All the Troubles Come My Way by Sam Dunnachie (01:02:01) - Outro

Gordy and the Monster Moon is a bite-sized exploration-driven game about a pumpkin astronaut going on spooky adventures. It’s also a tiny part of the Frog Fractions extended universe, brought to us by Jim Stormdancer. It’s made entirely in Pico-8, and is available on Steam and itch.io for $4. It’s a great short game that made for a quick conversation, so Shane also brings us a seasonally appropriate game from IFComp 2023: Dr Ludwig and the Devil by SV Linwood. It’s a mad scientist puzzle parser game that’s full of character and humor, and also Satan. (00:00) - Introduction (06:01) - Gordy & The Monster Moon (27:31) - Dr Ludwig and the Devil by SV Linwood (38:50) - What's Making Us Happy This Week? (39:00) - Laura - Fort Green Partk Pupkin Costume Contest (40:45) - Raygan - Pirate Weekend at the Texas Renaissance Festival (42:21) - Shane - NYTimes Connections (52:02) - Nate - Ready or Not (55:06) - Outro