The criteria for this is very simple, all of these games can be completed in three hours or under (without using exploits etc). The reason for this? Well I find that sometimes, often in fact, that people just don’t have time to play a longer game. So I thought I’d show some of the shorter ones some love!
GNOG
Developer: KO_OP
Publisher: Doublefine Productions
Rrp: £7.19 (Steam) £7.99 (Epic) £8.08 (Humblebundle)
Released: 17th July 2018
Puzzle games have always been something I’ve enjoyed, I just find it relaxing to sit down and try and work my way through a problem that has no consequences if I get it wrong. This game very much embraces that idea.
You work your way through several monster faces, clicking, twisting and pulling on whatever reacts until you discover what the actual puzzle is and how to solve it. Typically this doesn’t take too long, for me it was typically about twenty minutes for each face. Its a very colourful and whimsical game with some great uplifting music that you get as a reward for completing a puzzle.
I do have one issue with it which is its clear to me that this game was designed with VR in mind and that being able to use a mouse was something added on later. This is evident from the way that the game reacts to mouse movement, for example turning a dial feels very imprecise because of a lack of feedback.
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A Short Hike
Developer: Adamgryu
Publisher: Adamgryu
Rrp: £5.79 (Gog.com, Steam and Epic)
Released: 30th July 2019
This game is perhaps one of the most relaxed games I’ve played in a long time. You have one sole goal, to get to the top of a mountain. You’ll need to do a few quests first before you can do it but once you’ve got those covered the whole things takes about twenty minutes? Maybe a little less. The thing is there are plenty of other things you can do on the way that will net you some rewards. Like playing the hit new game beachstickball, or running in a race.
I really enjoyed my time with this game, something nice and relaxed with no loss condition whatsoever. I will admit that I changed the graphics settings to one that was not recommended because the default style was incredibly pixilated and I much prefer the polygonal look.
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Framed Collection
Developer: Loveshack Enterainment
Publisher: Fellow Traveller
Rrp: £7.19 (Steam) £7.20 (Humblebundle)
Released: 17th May 2018
The Framed Collection is the reason I check through my discovery queue on steam regularly. You never know what interesting game will pop up. In the case of this one it was the visuals that convinced me to get it, I’ve always had an attraction to the comic book art style (which is part of the reason I own a comic book store) and this game makes great use not only of the style but of the convention of the comic book ‘frame’.
In this game you manipulate the comic book frames on screen in order to get your character through a series of challenges successfully. Sometimes this is as simple as rearranging them into a order so that your character isn’t caught by the police and in others it can mean reorientating them so that the character takes different path entirely. There are even a few that involve you having to time when to swap frames out and reuse them.
This title is definitely worth looking into although I will admit it does seem a bit pricey given the length. That being said it seems to appear on sale pretty often.
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Elegy for a Dead World
Developer: Dejobaan Games LLC, Popcannbal
Publisher: Dejobaan Games
Rrp: £10.99 (Steam)
Released: 10th December 2014
This game is… well its a writing prompt game. I’m not sure how else to put it really, you get to wander the landscape of a world and depending on what kind of person you are document it, or write it a eulogy or even just write prose. It’s such an interesting idea, and what makes it even more interesting is that what you write is shared with the world. It gets added to a archive of stories and creations, you can see how other people viewed what you witnessed and had a totally different perspective.
Another thing that makes this quite laudable is the fact that it has an… educational mode, of sorts. When you enter a world you get to pick whether you want a writing prompt, to fill in a blank, have a totally blank canvas to work with or do the grammar mode where you practise your grammar. I admit it I’m impressed on multiple levels. By the creativity of the team who made the game with their beautiful backgrounds and with what the community itself has created.
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Pinstripe
Developer: Atmos Games
Publisher: Armor Games Studios
Rrp: £10.99 (Steam) £12.22 (Humblebundle)
Released: 25 April 2017
I bought this game with the intention of giving it go after seeing Jim Sterling highlight it… that was two years ago, which should give anyone reading this just how long a backlog I have. However I have to say it was well worth the wait as I enjoyed my time with it immensely, enough to go back and run through the New Game plus mode.
The game put me in mind of old school Tim Burton films (specifically Beetlejuice) because even though it has a wonderfully whimsical and somewhat childlike aesthetic there is a dark undertone for those that care to scratch beyond the surface.
As puzzle platformers go this one is very good, the controls feel good and the puzzles aren’t overly complex, though if you have trouble or just really want to get on with the story the developers have put a walkthrough on their website.
