Mark Bramhill of the Welcome to Macintosh podcast joins us to discuss the winners of this year’s Apple Design Awards. The ADAs are Apple’s yearly recognition of outstanding design in software for iOS and MacOS, and this year five games were awarded. We talk briefly about the history of the awards, then dive into each game.

• Apple Design Awards 2017
• [00:14:46] Mushroom 11
• Mushroom 11 – The Short Game episode 71
• [00:20:20] Severed
• Severed – Covered on The Short Game episode 108
• [00:23:38] Blackbox
• [00:40:01] Splitter Critters
• [00:48:43] Old Man’s Journey
• [00:54:34] Non-game App Winners

Thanks again to Mark for joining us on this episode. Look forward to season 3 of Welcome to Macintosh coming this summer!

You can follow our show on Twitter at @_shortgame

Like the show? Support us by writing a review on iTunes!

Your hosts this week were:

• Raygan Kelly – @raygank
• Shane Kelly – @8bitShane
• Nate Heininger – @natestl
• Laura Nash – @laurajnash
• Mark Bramhill – @mcbramhill

Guest host Jupiter Hadley joins us to discuss the Ludum Dare 38. Ludum Dare is a game jam/competition where game developers attempt to create a game from scratch in 48 (or 72) hours. Jupiter brings her expertise and a long list of picks from the almost 3000 games made for this year’s jam.

[02:32] What is a game jam?
[04:04] What is Ludlum Dare?
[13:04] Honey Home
[16:09] Smalltrek
[18:39] Paisley Princess
[21:10] Krilgore
[26:34] Snowed In
[27:50] Super Kaiju Dunk City
[29:49] The Treachery of Game Dev
[33:44] Plonet Atek
[37:29] Floraison

[40:02] Rapid fire

Murder 38 – Episode One: A Small World
Ant Detective
The Deep
Until Tomorrow
Petty Puny Planet 38
A Mind Is A Small Place
Miniature Underwater Polo
Brainstorm 38
The Cashbags Man
Tiny Tony

Jupiter Hadley:
 
Twitter
Youtube
Patreon
IndieGameJams

You can follow our show on Twitter at @_shortgame

Like the show? Support us by writing a review on iTunes!

Your hosts this week were:

• Raygan Kelly – @raygank
• Shane Kelly – @8bitShane
• Laura Nash – @laurajnash

The Sexy Brutale is a stylish adventure puzzle game set against the background of a lavish casino mansion, trapped in a single, endlessly looping day. It’s a co-production between Spanish developers Tequila Works and UK developers Cavalier Game Studios. We discuss how the “groundhog day” mechanics and observation-based puzzle solving put a twist on the the adventure game genre.

The game is available on PS4, Xbox One, and for Windows via Steam, GOG, and Humble for $19.99. Expect it to take 6-8 hours to complete.

Spoiler break at 51:29.

You can follow our show on Twitter at @_shortgame

Like the show? Support us by writing a review on iTunes!

Your hosts this week were:

• Shane Kelly – @8bitShane
• Nate Heininger – @natestl
• Laura Nash – @laurajnash
• Raygan Kelly – @raygank

What Remains of Edith Finch is the second game from The Unfinished Swan developer Giant Sparrow and creative director Ian Dallas. It’s a sort of anthology game; a collection of family stories tied together by Edith Finch’s attempt to unravel a family curse as she explores her ancestral home. We had a great discussion about what this brings to the first person narrative game genre and why it’s been such a hot take machine. What Remains of Edith Finch is available for PS4 and Windows (Steam). Expect it to take two to three hours to complete.

Spoiler break at 52:18.

Links for this episode:

• Giant Sparrow (@giantsparrow) | Twitter
• Ian Dallas » A reasonable man
• 43: The Unfinished Swan – The Short Game
• The Remains of Isadore McMurtlemumsy
• Edward Gorey – Wikipedia
• Ian Bogost (@ibogost) | Twitter
• Video Games Are Better Without Stories – The Atlantic
• Giant Sparrow/Ian Dallas (What Remains of Edith Finch) – official AMA! : PS4
• The Sexy Brutale

You can follow our show on Twitter at @_shortgame

Like the show? Support us by writing a review on iTunes!

Your hosts this week were:

• Laura Nash – @laurajnash
• Raygan Kelly – @raygank
• Shane Kelly – @8bitShane
• Nate Heininger – @natestl

Daisuke “Pixel” Amaya helped define “indie” game development with his freeware masterpiece Cave Story. Several years later, his follow up was a strange and possibly under appreciated game. Kero Blaster is a side-scrolling shooter, but unlike Cave Story it draws more inspiration from games like Mega Man and Contra than it does from Metroid or Castlevania.

Kero Blaster came out in 2014 on iOS and later Windows, but recently got its first console release on PS4. We revisit the game and discuss how our perceptions of it have changed since its debut three years ago.

Kero Blaster is $9.99 on PS4 and Steam (Windows only), and $5.99 in iOS. Expect it to take 4-5 hours to complete, not counting the unlockable “Zangyou Mode.”

Links for this episode:

• Kero Blaster on PSN
• Kero Blaster on Steam
• Kero Blaster on the App Store
• 03: Cave Story – The Short Game

You can follow our show on Twitter at @_shortgame

Like the show? Support us by writing a review on iTunes!

Your hosts this week were:

• Raygan Kelly – @raygank
• Shane Kelly – @8bitShane
• Nate Heininger – @natestl

Cut Yourself! (Editor’s Note: Please do not cut yourself.) This week we’re talking the about the sort-of-first-party Nintendo Switch exclusive puzzle game Snipperclips. Break off a tiny controller and chat with us about this unusual game in Nintendo’s launch lineup.

Friend of the show Bryan Wade joins us as a guest. Thanks Bryan!

• How Gudetama, a lazy egg yolk with a butt, became an unstoppable cultural phenomenon – Vox
• Emily on Twitter: “”Crouch down” “Stand up” “No don’t take me with you!” “Put some pleases and thank yous in there!” #switchporndialogue”
• There Was Something Odd Going On With Nintendo Switch Game Snipperclips As I Had Already Played It A Year And A Half Ago – Bleeding Cool Comic Book, Movie, TV News
• Snipperclips – Nintendo Treehouse: Live with Nintendo Switch – YouTube
• Expanded Universe (@Luuuuuuuukecast) | Twitter
• Expanded Universe
• Bryan Wade (@wadebryanr) | Twitter

You can follow our show on Twitter at @_shortgame

Like the show? Support us by writing a review on iTunes!

Your hosts this week were:

• Raygan Kelly – @raygank
• Shane Kelly – @8bitShane
• Laura Nash – @laurajnash
• Bryan Wade – @wadebryanr

We’re hopping aboard Sophia III with Jason Frudnick to help him find his pet frog Fred in this remake/sequel to the classic NES shooter/platformer hybrid. We start with a brief discussion of the Blaster Master series before tunneling into the reboot. Blaster Master Zero is available on Nintendo Switchand 3DS for $9.99. Expect it to take about 8 hours to complete.

Links for this episode:

• Blaster Master Zero Official Site
• Retronauts Micro 57: A Blaster Master retrospective and Blaster Master Zero review | Retronauts
• Paprium is a new Mega Drive game four years in the making • Eurogamer.net

You can follow our show on Twitter at @_shortgame

Like the show? Support us by writing a review on iTunes!

Your hosts this week were:

• Raygan Kelly – @raygank
• Shane Kelly – @8bitShane
• Nate Heininger – @natestl
• Laura Nash – @laurajnash

The Short Game’s official Dungeon Master (that’s Shane) shares his tips on fitting Dungeons & Dragons into your life. D&D is having a bit of a moment lately, but it can still feel like “30 minutes of fun squeezed into four hours.” We discuss ways to enjoy the world’s greatest role playing game, while still respecting your time. We have tips for both Dungeon Masters and adventurers, and advice on organizing and running a game for busy adults.

Links for this Episode:

• The Game (@the_gamednd) on Instagram
• Doodle polls
• One Page Dungeon Contest 2016
• Dungeon Masters Guild
• donjon – RPG Tools
• Sly Flourish’s The Lazy Dungeon Master
• Building Encounters in 5th Edition Dungeons & Dragons: Sly Flourish
• SlyFlourish (@SlyFlourish) on Twitter
• Tales from the Yawning Portal | Dungeons & Dragons
• Fate (role-playing game system) – Wikipedia
• Fiasco – Bully Pulpit Games
• Kobold Fight Club – Online D&D Encounter Builder
• D&D Beyond (Beta)
• Dungeons and Dragons: Bryan’s Song — Duckfeed Presents (Shane DMs a session for the Duckfeed network)
• Sly Flourish’s Fantastic Locations
• Prepared: A Dozen Adventures for 5th Edition
• Book of Challenges: Dungeon Rooms, Puzzles, and Traps (3e) – Wizards of the Coast

You can follow our show on Twitter at @_shortgame

Like the show? Support us by writing a review on iTunes!

Your hosts this week were:

• Shane Kelly – @8bitShane
• Raygan Kelly – @raygank
• Nate Heininger – @natestl
• Laura Nash – @laurajnash

Night in the Woods is an story-focused adventure game that follows college dropout Mae Borowski as she comes home to distressed mining town Possum Springs and tries to reconnect with her family and friends. It’s a wonderfully written and animated story with tons of variety in the gameplay. Also, everyone is a talking animal.

Stick around after the spoiler break (at 45:28) for a discussion of the game’s themes and politics, as well as the ending and memorable story beats.

Night in the Woods is available for PS4, and on Mac/Windows/Linux via Steam and itch.io for $19.99. Expect it to take around 6 to 8 hours to complete.

This week we also have an after-show (at 01:12:00) discussion of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, a decidedly not-short game.

Links for this episode:

• Late Night Work Club
• @bombsfall on Twitter: “should be mentioned that the only NITW character with a canon voice/affect is Gregg. he’s the guy with the glasses. https://t.co/pteh6ncYkX”
• Scott Benson on Curious Cat
• Multi-album soundtrack by Alec Holowka available on BandCamp

You can follow our show on Twitter at @_shortgame

Like the show? Support us by writing a review on iTunes!

Your hosts this week were:

• Raygan Kelly – @raygank
• Nate Heininger – @natestl
• Laura Nash – @laurajnash
• Shane Kelly – @8bitShane

Linelight is a minimalistic puzzle game from Brett Taylor and his one-man development studio My Dog Zorro. It’s an action puzzle game distilled down to an incredibly streamlined form. We discuss what makes this deceptively simple puzzle game so engaging and even emotional.

Linelight is $9.99 on Steam and Playstation 4. Expect it to take less than five hours to complete.

Links for this episode:

• Linelight on Steam
• Linelight on Playstation 4
• 90: Expand – The Short Game
• Linelight Lavaboard mode announcement
• Flywrench | Messhof
• SOFT BODY
• 74: Bird Week! – The Short Game
• The Short Game’s brand new Twitch channel

You can follow our show on Twitter at @_shortgame

Like the show? Support us by writing a review on iTunes!

Your hosts this week were:

• Raygan Kelly – @raygank
• Shane Kelly – @8bitShane
• Nate Heininger – @natestl
• Laura Nash – @laurajnash