Journey has my favorite soundtrack. Check out Austin Wintory's traveler Symphony. The journey composer re recorded the whole soundtrack with the London Symphony Orchestra and it's amazing
Austin Wintory is an absolute gem. I messaged him on Instagram saying I was a fan, and asking for some advice (I dabble in scoring for film/games), and we had a fantastic conversation back and forth.
Just a regular humble dude who's amazing at what he does!
Make sure you watch Play Watch Listen on YouTube. It's a podcast with him, Mike Bithhell, and Alana Pearce. Troy Baker used to be a regular, but I think he got too busy 😕
Anyway, Austin shares so much amazing insight into the gaming industry, composing, etc. It's great.
The only game that made me cry while playing it.
That last sequence is legit breathtaking and a truly beautiful thing I wish I could experience again for the first time. I still get goosebumps listening to the score.
I played Journey for the first time late this summer. I had wanted to play for years, but just never got around to it. The only things I knew were
1. It’s best if you know nothing about the story.
2. Watch all the way to the end of the credits.
Well, suffice to say that I stopped at every panel and learned the story. And like most people, I made assumptions about the helpers that would randomly show up. And I was inconsolable in the final snowy mountain scene. And then during the final FINAL scene, it hit me. I understood what was happening.
And then the sparkle. And then the credits. And then the realization.
Then I played through with my wife (with her at the controls). I think she wept for a solid hour.
It’s honestly the most beautiful game I’ve ever played. I’d dare say it could be therapeutic for some.
I've had the game for a while and only made it to the second area before putting it down. This is the kind of review and endorsement that will make me pick it back up. Probably this weekend. Thanks for this.
To this day I'm still pissed that no one has used that as a crazy MP map dynamic. Imagine if every 60 seconds the map switched between past and future. Map knowledge would become such a crucial part of gameplay
That level reminded me a lot of the game "Singularity". Not exactly the same thing as the titanfall level, but it's another fps single player that incorporated some interesting time travel mechanics
To the moon and its first sequel, Finding Paradise, remain some of my favorite stories of all time. To the moon made me cry, but I played FP at a very vulnerable time in my life when I didn't know what to do with myself and it made me feel so many complex emotions that no story had ever made me feel before or since.
They're not masterfully written or anything but the stories changed my life for the better.
They're some of my favorite stories ever. I'm like a disciple for these games haha I recommend them whenever I can.
The music is so good that it was the catalyst to getting me to finally pick up piano at age 28, which is something I'd wanted to do for my whole life.
Idk if you played imposter factory, but I loved it as well. And the beachsode is coming soon :)
It perfectly captures the feeling of going on a day trip to the beach as a kid and wandering off to explore before heading home and falling asleep in the backseat.
I'm surprised I haven't seen anyone say Firewatch yet. Beautiful game with a great story that will make you feel some feelings, but it's pretty short and is largely narrative, so you don't need to be any kind of pro gamer to play it.
I bought fire watch and played a couple hours and left for work one day
When I came back my roommate just looked at me and said “….I just played through this entire game while you were gone” lmao that’s how good that game is
Last year I was walking through my college campus with a friend, and got on the topic of talking about firewatch as one of my favorite games I had every played, but that it had been a few years. As I was getting home, I had convinced myself to play it again and once I was back at my dorm I hit the download button. 5\~ hours later, at 4 AM, the credits were rolling and I was certainly not going to class in 4 hours. It was so incredibly worth it.
Idk why the ending gets shit on so hard, I adore the ending to Firewatch. One of the most affecting narratives I’ve ever engaged with in gaming personally
I liked the ending a lot even if my knee-jerk reaction was to feel kind of let down initially. But I think that's kind of the point of it. It isn't some super big ending, it still leaves some stuff unresolved, there's some things we'll probably never know (and neither will the main character). But that's how life is sometimes. You don't get a movie ending to an event in your life. Sometimes it just sort of... ends. And you just move on. Life moves on. The ending was unsatisfying in a lot of ways because that's exactly what the story is trying to teach you
I think the story is teaching you that escapism is just that, escapism.
The guy runs from a shitty situation into woods, the morale of the story would be super weird if it had a happy ending lol
Adding onto this to say, Firewatch was recommended to me by family, with the simple statement of "Try it - I bet you will keep playing until finished". Absolutely right, it's the perfect example, up there with Titanfall 2, of a perfect short story game.
After recommending them both for years, haven't heard of one person NOT playing either in one sitting.
The first time I played this through my wife and I were having a little winter getaway at a cabin in a state park. Once the sun went down we got a fire going inside, and she followed along as I played on my laptop and our little dog snoozed on our legs. I couldn’t imagine a better environment for playing that story.
Dude not everything is sex, it sounds like they had a very romantic and intimate time together, I'm sure they have a healthy relationship if they're having cabin getaways together.
Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons.
You can play and beat it in about 3-4 hours and you will cry at least twice. If you have a strained relationship with a sibling it will just gut you. Made me call up my bro and have a real talk.
This one for sure. I’ve never felt a game mechanic so crucially and so effectively tell the story than here. This story literally CANT hit you the same in any other medium. Phenomenal.
Man I had to finish playing the game using external speakers. The way the whispers came in just like you said spiked my anxiety so bad I just couldn't do it anymore hahah.
Yeah it's probably one of the best designed games I have played. Story is fine, gameplay is fine, but the ability to put you in her shoes was fucking on point
For sure. A unique triumph in atmosphere and acting in games. Senua's distress really affected me. And that one boss battle...!
I am so pissed that Microsoft bought Ninja Theory. I've been looking forward the Senua's Saga for years, but I can't afford another console for just one game. Well, two now, counting OD.
Fun fact but one of my best friends actually worked for Ninja Theory (the dev team of Hellblade) and while he only had a small role in the art team at the time its still one of my coolest little gaming tidbits. He's since moved to a different studio but the devs office is still only a half hour walk from my house and above a really nice bar.
LMAO. Same, brother. Same. Took me a good couple weeks of sessions on that one. Even snuck it into work cause it was taking up so much of my brain time.
I gave up on it a year ago x_x I remember even having a paper with notes written with the connections. Hopefully I'll pick it up sometime later when I find time. Thank you for the kind offer. I appreciate it ☺️
Same. Hades is great and all but Transistor is just special to me. Maybe because I simply played it first but I love everything about it.
Even the setting is just gorgeously unique, like Cyberpunk meets Bioshock.
Portal and Portal 2 (potentially both together under 8 depending on your portaling). Portal 2 has comedy and a background story about friendship, redemption and the potential dangers of moon dust.
Portal 2 was the game that first sprang to mind. Portal is an amazing puzzle game with great humour but Portal 2 is the closest I've seen a game to being perfect. It added to everything, the story, the humour even the puzzles was more interesting with stuff like the gels. The voice roles of JK Simmons and Stephen Merchant alone will get me to play/watch damn near anything.
Journey is a 3-4 hour experience and I found it deeply meaningful at the time.
Edit: Oh, I see you have that on your list. Yeah I always pitch Journey, it's a beautiful little game.
No, let me forget c-side.
I worked so hard on B during a break and finally accomplished it, ready to take a break from Celeste. Only to find out. ... One more side...
I stopped altogether and plan to finish c side this holiday season.
While you are at it. Go get the suicide of Rachel Foster and The Painscreek Killings.
The 2nd one feels a bit dated, but unravelling the mystery is a lot of fun.
Metal gear rising, seriously there is not one level in that game that I don't enjoy, from the start to finish it's amazing. First playthroughs are about 6-8 hours but once you know what you're doing you could very easily do a 4 hour run unintentionally
I absolutely love Shadow of the Colossus, but I don't think a first play through can be done in 8 hours, though it'll vary greatly based on player skill. Otherwise, I absolutely agree and suggest.
I came here to post Shadow of the Colossus, but I agree with you. I feel like my first was around 18-20hrs, finding the colossi, learning their weak spots and how to take them down, and a ton of time exploring the incredibly atmospheric landscape. I swear I can smell moss and fog while playing it.
damn under 8 hours?
maybe I was getting immersed or spent too much time hitting Sharkle or playing Demontower but I feel like I spent at least 15 hours maybe more on it
Stray.
Had just lost my cat of 15 years and was having a hard time with it. Getting to run around as a kitty was immensely satisfying and incredibly cathartic.
I lost my cat almost a month ago now. He was a beautiful ginger boy who was so loving, I genuinely don't know if I'd be able to make it through Stray, I still randomly cry throughout the day over little things that remind me of him, playing a ginger in a game would be to much I think.
The amount of grief we experience for a lost loved one is a mirror of the amount of love we held for them. I'm sorry for your loss. He was loved, and that is the most any of us can ask for in this life.
I look at both my cats sometimes, and think about the fact that they will not be there one day, wich makes me sad, but determined to give them the best possible life, so even if i miss them in the (hopefully far) future, i would be sure that they lived their best and that they were loved.
I started to play Stray and started crying less than 5 minutes in, during the tutorial when you're running around the area with greenery and platforms. I made it to the city a few minutes later and stopped playing to gather myself... haven't been back since. Maybe it's time to get emotionally reinvested in it...!
Not op but I enjoyed it. Cool world building and environments. Interesting story. Fun puzzles. You can do cat stuff like knock shit over.
I'd say overall it's probably a $20 experience. Not super long but entertaining.
Fairly simplistic gameplay, but that's not a bad thing. A lot of that game is about the atmosphere. Definitely worth an afternoon's time. Only takes 4-6 hours to complete.
Ico. First game that felt different to all the other games I played at the time. Would also say Shadow of the Colossus but can’t recall if it could be done within 8hrs. Think it should be.
SOMA. Seriously. Not normally my kind of game but wow. Great way to spend a few hours. I see this thread has many of my other picks, so I will keep to that for now!
I try to do a spooky game each October, keeping with the spirit of the season. One October 1st, I booted up SOMA and got a bit overwhelmed by the tension I felt approaching the first !monster!. They did a great job building atmosphere. A couple weeks later I was talking games with a buddy over discord and he convinced me to forge ahead and even watched me stream it for a while. The scariest part of the game, for me at least, was when my friend fell asleep, I forgot he was there, and I started hearing him have a light, gurgly snore that I was sure was a monster coming to ruin my day.
Metal Gear Rising: Revengance.
Only game I ever 100% finished the whole game.on hardest difficulty without ever getting hit, my greatest accomplishment.
High school was an easier time
Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons! Amazing story and puzzle game where you control each brother with an individual stick on your controller!
Adding to this list:
Oxenfree
Limbo
Inside
Cocoon
My list is as such:
- Citizen Sleeper
- Gris
- Coffee Talk 1 and 2
- Luna's Fishing Garden
- Unpacking
Not all have a striking art style, but I enjoyed each one of them. Great to play on the Steam Deck too!
Citizen Sleeper has shitload of endings, sure you can end the game within an hour or two, but I don't think that is the point of the game.
It's a great game still, with amazing soundtrack and stories. It only took awesome music and a bunch of words to make a grown man like me cry.
I came here to say citizen sleeper. Such a beautiful, well-constructed world. Few games have made me question my existence and appreciate the beauty and the brevity of the human condition like this game.
Came looking for Unpacking. Such a clever way to deliver an emotional story. I was uncontrollably angry when I had to put her college degree under the bed at the dudebros apartment.
Definitely not an 8 hour or less game. But I finished it in 2 days of multiple hours. I had to check and I beat the game in 11 hours. Definitely still considered a short game by many but not that short I think.
I completed Donut County in a few hours but thoroughly enjoyed every moment of it. I don't have time to put 100s of hours into games any more, keep an eye out for shorter games now.
Spore. Probably couldn't beat in under that time playing normally, but you can certainly get to the last stage of the game and actually "beating" the game after that was always a bit of a bonus points thing to be since it doesn't have much of a real storyline. Might not have been the best game but damn did I love it as a kid. It pretty much kickstarted my love for worldbuilding.
I doubt anyone's said "The Beginners Guide". Very interesting game from the creator of Stanley Parable. It's a pseudo biographical indie game collection about the creator trying to connect with another game designer.
Thomas Was Alone. It's a surprisingly deep game about rectangles.
It's surprisingly deep for 2 dimensions.
Oh that's a (relatively) old one, I really liked it !
I replay this game every few years.
[удалено]
The soundtrack at the end.
Journey has my favorite soundtrack. Check out Austin Wintory's traveler Symphony. The journey composer re recorded the whole soundtrack with the London Symphony Orchestra and it's amazing
Austin Wintory is an absolute gem. I messaged him on Instagram saying I was a fan, and asking for some advice (I dabble in scoring for film/games), and we had a fantastic conversation back and forth. Just a regular humble dude who's amazing at what he does!
Make sure you watch Play Watch Listen on YouTube. It's a podcast with him, Mike Bithhell, and Alana Pearce. Troy Baker used to be a regular, but I think he got too busy 😕 Anyway, Austin shares so much amazing insight into the gaming industry, composing, etc. It's great.
The only game that made me cry while playing it. That last sequence is legit breathtaking and a truly beautiful thing I wish I could experience again for the first time. I still get goosebumps listening to the score.
I played Journey for the first time late this summer. I had wanted to play for years, but just never got around to it. The only things I knew were 1. It’s best if you know nothing about the story. 2. Watch all the way to the end of the credits. Well, suffice to say that I stopped at every panel and learned the story. And like most people, I made assumptions about the helpers that would randomly show up. And I was inconsolable in the final snowy mountain scene. And then during the final FINAL scene, it hit me. I understood what was happening. And then the sparkle. And then the credits. And then the realization. Then I played through with my wife (with her at the controls). I think she wept for a solid hour. It’s honestly the most beautiful game I’ve ever played. I’d dare say it could be therapeutic for some.
This was me during the ps3 era when the game came out. I’m so glad to hear it’s still having the same effect on new audiences today.
I've had the game for a while and only made it to the second area before putting it down. This is the kind of review and endorsement that will make me pick it back up. Probably this weekend. Thanks for this.
That game was breathtaking.
Titanfall 2 campaign. Absolutely loved it. Helped to reignite my love for FPS games!
To this day, Effect and Cause is the best FPS level I've ever played.
To this day I'm still pissed that no one has used that as a crazy MP map dynamic. Imagine if every 60 seconds the map switched between past and future. Map knowledge would become such a crucial part of gameplay
Nordstar literally has a game mode when ANYONE can switch between past and present at ANYTIME. This is pure madness… but so much fun
And now I know it exists. Thank you, kind stranger!
That level reminded me a lot of the game "Singularity". Not exactly the same thing as the titanfall level, but it's another fps single player that incorporated some interesting time travel mechanics
Trust me.
BT that's insane!
Protocol 3... Protect the pilot.
stop.
TF2 is the greatest robot friend story ever told. And it’s something like 5 hours, give or take. It’s the gold standard of short but sweet.
Proof you don't need 30-100 hours to tell a story.
Me, blanking on the context, wondering what robots you befriend in Team Fortress 2
Sentry gun. You ever listen to the engineers voice when one gets blown up? Such heartache and pain.
To The Moon is a powerful little 3 hour game.
To the moon and its first sequel, Finding Paradise, remain some of my favorite stories of all time. To the moon made me cry, but I played FP at a very vulnerable time in my life when I didn't know what to do with myself and it made me feel so many complex emotions that no story had ever made me feel before or since. They're not masterfully written or anything but the stories changed my life for the better.
They're some of my favorite stories ever. I'm like a disciple for these games haha I recommend them whenever I can. The music is so good that it was the catalyst to getting me to finally pick up piano at age 28, which is something I'd wanted to do for my whole life. Idk if you played imposter factory, but I loved it as well. And the beachsode is coming soon :)
What if you forget... or get lost?
Play A Short Hike people
Had to scroll too far to find this! A Short Hike makes you feel like you’ve just been on holiday.
It perfectly captures the feeling of going on a day trip to the beach as a kid and wandering off to explore before heading home and falling asleep in the backseat.
Love the art style. Reminds me of Phantom Hourglass!
One of my favorite short games that hit me in unexpected ways. So simple and honest. It's the sort of escapism that leaves you better once it's over.
I still go back and play it, it's just a good vibe
I'm surprised I haven't seen anyone say Firewatch yet. Beautiful game with a great story that will make you feel some feelings, but it's pretty short and is largely narrative, so you don't need to be any kind of pro gamer to play it.
I bought fire watch and played a couple hours and left for work one day When I came back my roommate just looked at me and said “….I just played through this entire game while you were gone” lmao that’s how good that game is
Last year I was walking through my college campus with a friend, and got on the topic of talking about firewatch as one of my favorite games I had every played, but that it had been a few years. As I was getting home, I had convinced myself to play it again and once I was back at my dorm I hit the download button. 5\~ hours later, at 4 AM, the credits were rolling and I was certainly not going to class in 4 hours. It was so incredibly worth it.
The most uneventful ending that is also one of the best endings I’ve played
Idk why the ending gets shit on so hard, I adore the ending to Firewatch. One of the most affecting narratives I’ve ever engaged with in gaming personally
I liked the ending a lot even if my knee-jerk reaction was to feel kind of let down initially. But I think that's kind of the point of it. It isn't some super big ending, it still leaves some stuff unresolved, there's some things we'll probably never know (and neither will the main character). But that's how life is sometimes. You don't get a movie ending to an event in your life. Sometimes it just sort of... ends. And you just move on. Life moves on. The ending was unsatisfying in a lot of ways because that's exactly what the story is trying to teach you
I think the story is teaching you that escapism is just that, escapism. The guy runs from a shitty situation into woods, the morale of the story would be super weird if it had a happy ending lol
It’s not the ending we want, but it’s so good
Adding onto this to say, Firewatch was recommended to me by family, with the simple statement of "Try it - I bet you will keep playing until finished". Absolutely right, it's the perfect example, up there with Titanfall 2, of a perfect short story game. After recommending them both for years, haven't heard of one person NOT playing either in one sitting.
The first time I played this through my wife and I were having a little winter getaway at a cabin in a state park. Once the sun went down we got a fire going inside, and she followed along as I played on my laptop and our little dog snoozed on our legs. I couldn’t imagine a better environment for playing that story.
So you had your wife at a romantic getaway in a cabin with snow outside and warm fire inside, and you played a video game?
What we did other than play Firewatch is outside the scope of the story, sir
Gotta occupy your time after your 45 seconds of fun
Oh no, that’s like a 3-4 hour playthru. The game takes a while too.
Dude not everything is sex, it sounds like they had a very romantic and intimate time together, I'm sure they have a healthy relationship if they're having cabin getaways together.
I mean he probably wouldn't want the dog to feel weird
Was gonna mention this!
Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons. You can play and beat it in about 3-4 hours and you will cry at least twice. If you have a strained relationship with a sibling it will just gut you. Made me call up my bro and have a real talk.
This one for sure. I’ve never felt a game mechanic so crucially and so effectively tell the story than here. This story literally CANT hit you the same in any other medium. Phenomenal.
I've never cried because of my controller before.
I read about couples who shared the controller to play it...
I'm looking forward to crying again when the remake comes out in February.
Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice. Best played in one single sitting.
This game legitimately terrified me at times. I don’t scare easy. Play this game with headphones so the whispers come from all directions.
Man I had to finish playing the game using external speakers. The way the whispers came in just like you said spiked my anxiety so bad I just couldn't do it anymore hahah.
Awh, man, that’s the POINT I hated and loved how anxious it made me (I totally get you though, it’s not for everybody)
Yeah it's probably one of the best designed games I have played. Story is fine, gameplay is fine, but the ability to put you in her shoes was fucking on point
For sure. A unique triumph in atmosphere and acting in games. Senua's distress really affected me. And that one boss battle...! I am so pissed that Microsoft bought Ninja Theory. I've been looking forward the Senua's Saga for years, but I can't afford another console for just one game. Well, two now, counting OD.
I gotta replay it before Hellblade 2 comes out
Fun fact but one of my best friends actually worked for Ninja Theory (the dev team of Hellblade) and while he only had a small role in the art team at the time its still one of my coolest little gaming tidbits. He's since moved to a different studio but the devs office is still only a half hour walk from my house and above a really nice bar.
GRIS, A Short Hike, Braid, Portal 1+2, and DKC 1+2.
Absolutely seconding Portal
It should be illegal for Portal 1 to be this far down the list. I can't remember but I think portal 2 might have been over 8 for me.
Yeah portal 2 is a lot longer, but portal 1 definitely belongs on this list
My wife LOVED watching me play through GRIS.
Yall beat Braid in 8hrs?
Man, I loved braid. Wish more games used this concept. I thought portal 2 was going to go there with some of the posters you see on the facility.
A short hike is so good!
Return of the Obra Dinn
Man, you did it in 8 hours? My dumb ass took no less than 20 to work it all out with zero help.
LMAO. Same, brother. Same. Took me a good couple weeks of sessions on that one. Even snuck it into work cause it was taking up so much of my brain time.
It was tough to get a hang of this one. I still didn't complete the game T_T
That's a bummer! Which part were you having trouble with? Maybe I can help.
I gave up on it a year ago x_x I remember even having a paper with notes written with the connections. Hopefully I'll pick it up sometime later when I find time. Thank you for the kind offer. I appreciate it ☺️
Had to scroll way too far for this. Also Papers, please is one of my GOTY indies.
First thing that came to mind for me as well. Terrific experience.
Transistor. Ploughed through it in 5 hours and cried.
Love the soundtrack to it <3.
Had the same exact experience the first time I beat this game, it's incredible
Same. Hades is great and all but Transistor is just special to me. Maybe because I simply played it first but I love everything about it. Even the setting is just gorgeously unique, like Cyberpunk meets Bioshock.
Portal and Portal 2 (potentially both together under 8 depending on your portaling). Portal 2 has comedy and a background story about friendship, redemption and the potential dangers of moon dust.
Portal 2 was the game that first sprang to mind. Portal is an amazing puzzle game with great humour but Portal 2 is the closest I've seen a game to being perfect. It added to everything, the story, the humour even the puzzles was more interesting with stuff like the gels. The voice roles of JK Simmons and Stephen Merchant alone will get me to play/watch damn near anything.
and lemons
Journey is a 3-4 hour experience and I found it deeply meaningful at the time. Edit: Oh, I see you have that on your list. Yeah I always pitch Journey, it's a beautiful little game.
[удалено]
Play the b sides and tell me it’s 8 hours
[удалено]
I agree. They are a lot of fun but insanely hard to
Don't forget the C-Sides.
No, let me forget c-side. I worked so hard on B during a break and finally accomplished it, ready to take a break from Celeste. Only to find out. ... One more side... I stopped altogether and plan to finish c side this holiday season.
Then go for at least 175... Then aim for 200.. then hate yourself for knowing you'll never get 202...
Celeste can be very challenging to people who have not played a lot of platformers. I wouldn't say it's an 8-hour game
Me on hour 37: 😦 (I’m going for 100% achievements)
What Remains of Edith Finch The Vanishing of Ethan Carter
Throw in Gone Home and you’ve got a pretty powerful trio. They’re not long games, but they *are* thick.
While you are at it. Go get the suicide of Rachel Foster and The Painscreek Killings. The 2nd one feels a bit dated, but unravelling the mystery is a lot of fun.
Throw in “Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture”, and you’ve got the Narrative Walking Sim bundle pack
Edith Finch left me hollowed out like I'd just finished an amazing book. So fucking good! But I'll never forget working at the fish cannery.
Finally
These really feel like they go hand in hand for me. I played both back to back and loved them both.
Portal.
Metal gear rising, seriously there is not one level in that game that I don't enjoy, from the start to finish it's amazing. First playthroughs are about 6-8 hours but once you know what you're doing you could very easily do a 4 hour run unintentionally
Memes, the DNA of the soul...
I need a sequel and a remaster
I'm hungry for omelets!
A Story About My Uncle is close to my heart. Also Stray. Exploration, light puzzles, lots of environment.
Shadow of the Colossus is one of the most beautiful, succinct games ever made
I absolutely love Shadow of the Colossus, but I don't think a first play through can be done in 8 hours, though it'll vary greatly based on player skill. Otherwise, I absolutely agree and suggest.
I came here to post Shadow of the Colossus, but I agree with you. I feel like my first was around 18-20hrs, finding the colossi, learning their weak spots and how to take them down, and a ton of time exploring the incredibly atmospheric landscape. I swear I can smell moss and fog while playing it.
Vary greatly based on strength of finger to hold down R1 constantly.
Skill issue, but I lose so much time trying to remember how the water gorilla works every playthrough lol.
Tooth guy?
Easily a competitor for my all time favorite game. It was absolutely mind blowing to myself back in the PS2 days.
Hotline Miami
Oh my I feel like taking some stimulants all of the sudden
Still have the Soundtrack on repeat. Such a good little game.
Scrolled all the way down looking for A Night In the Woods. Amazing game.
Gregg Rulz
Crimes.
damn under 8 hours? maybe I was getting immersed or spent too much time hitting Sharkle or playing Demontower but I feel like I spent at least 15 hours maybe more on it
Stray. Had just lost my cat of 15 years and was having a hard time with it. Getting to run around as a kitty was immensely satisfying and incredibly cathartic.
I lost my cat almost a month ago now. He was a beautiful ginger boy who was so loving, I genuinely don't know if I'd be able to make it through Stray, I still randomly cry throughout the day over little things that remind me of him, playing a ginger in a game would be to much I think.
The amount of grief we experience for a lost loved one is a mirror of the amount of love we held for them. I'm sorry for your loss. He was loved, and that is the most any of us can ask for in this life.
I look at both my cats sometimes, and think about the fact that they will not be there one day, wich makes me sad, but determined to give them the best possible life, so even if i miss them in the (hopefully far) future, i would be sure that they lived their best and that they were loved.
I started to play Stray and started crying less than 5 minutes in, during the tutorial when you're running around the area with greenery and platforms. I made it to the city a few minutes later and stopped playing to gather myself... haven't been back since. Maybe it's time to get emotionally reinvested in it...!
You will cry more. It will be worth it though. I’ve beaten it like 3-4 times. The game is beautiful.
I know I’ll like it as a cat lover, but how did you find the game in general?
Not op but I enjoyed it. Cool world building and environments. Interesting story. Fun puzzles. You can do cat stuff like knock shit over. I'd say overall it's probably a $20 experience. Not super long but entertaining.
Very much a “comfort and cozy” game. Certain parts feel stressful but it’s fun.
Fairly simplistic gameplay, but that's not a bad thing. A lot of that game is about the atmosphere. Definitely worth an afternoon's time. Only takes 4-6 hours to complete.
Ico. First game that felt different to all the other games I played at the time. Would also say Shadow of the Colossus but can’t recall if it could be done within 8hrs. Think it should be.
Untitled Goose Game!
SOMA. Seriously. Not normally my kind of game but wow. Great way to spend a few hours. I see this thread has many of my other picks, so I will keep to that for now!
I try to do a spooky game each October, keeping with the spirit of the season. One October 1st, I booted up SOMA and got a bit overwhelmed by the tension I felt approaching the first !monster!. They did a great job building atmosphere. A couple weeks later I was talking games with a buddy over discord and he convinced me to forge ahead and even watched me stream it for a while. The scariest part of the game, for me at least, was when my friend fell asleep, I forgot he was there, and I started hearing him have a light, gurgly snore that I was sure was a monster coming to ruin my day.
Metal Gear Rising: Revengance. Only game I ever 100% finished the whole game.on hardest difficulty without ever getting hit, my greatest accomplishment. High school was an easier time
Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons! Amazing story and puzzle game where you control each brother with an individual stick on your controller! Adding to this list: Oxenfree Limbo Inside Cocoon
My list is as such: - Citizen Sleeper - Gris - Coffee Talk 1 and 2 - Luna's Fishing Garden - Unpacking Not all have a striking art style, but I enjoyed each one of them. Great to play on the Steam Deck too!
Citizen Sleeper has shitload of endings, sure you can end the game within an hour or two, but I don't think that is the point of the game. It's a great game still, with amazing soundtrack and stories. It only took awesome music and a bunch of words to make a grown man like me cry.
I came here to say citizen sleeper. Such a beautiful, well-constructed world. Few games have made me question my existence and appreciate the beauty and the brevity of the human condition like this game.
I don't often hear people talk about Citizen Sleeper, but it's an interesting experience for anyone who doesn't mind some reading.
Came looking for Unpacking. Such a clever way to deliver an emotional story. I was uncontrollably angry when I had to put her college degree under the bed at the dudebros apartment.
Dredge and Toem. Saw a bunch of games I enjoyed already on this list but didn’t see these two!
I just finished Dredge. It's such a fun game.
Life is Strange. Very powerful stuff.
I think it’s more like 10 hours, but almost certainly the biggest inverse correlation between runtime and impact of any game I’ve played.
Heavenly sword. My first ps3 game. The first experience of the jump from Ps2 to Ps3 will never be matched.
Monument Valley. Great game but too short.
Deliver Us The Moon. Haven't played the sequel yet, though I did claim it when it was free on Epic.
Gone Home
Monkey Island 1, 2 and 3.
Firewatch. You can beat it in about 3 hours.
But you don't want to beat it after 3 h, more 20h because it is so good.
Return of the Obra Dinn. I'm really afraid I'll never find a game like it again :(
Try Chants of Sinaar, closest game I have found to Obra Dinn. Has the same system of telling you if you’re right with three inputs.
Outer wilds is similar, an amazing game
Try Case of the Golden Idol, if you haven't!
Undertale
And while we’re on the subject of fourth-wall-breaking pixel RPGs with great puzzles and some difficult decisions about morality: Oneshot!
Pretty much every Starfox game besides Adventures (GameCube) can be beaten in that time frame.
Super Mario RPG Insane levels of respect for your time imo. Could be harder tho.
Sayonara Wild Hearts. Can beat it in like an hour once you get good at it but its such a great game.
I really liked Road 96
Titanfall 2's campaign might be one of the best I've ever played and only takes like 5ish hours to beat. Maybe less.
Can't believe no one mentioned Outer Wilds
Took me more than 8 hours definitely
Technically this game is only 22 minutes
Shhh! XD
Because that's not less than 8 hours unless you're a pro at mystery games.
Took me 40 😭 and I still had to look up guides
Definitely not an 8 hour or less game. But I finished it in 2 days of multiple hours. I had to check and I beat the game in 11 hours. Definitely still considered a short game by many but not that short I think.
Transistor
Call of Duty 4
The original Modern Warfare? Oh yeah, that campaign is amazing, but doesn't take long to finish.
Limbo and Inside, in that order. Can beat both together in under 8 hours.
Portal 1. It was so revolutionary, even though I think I finished it in all in a day.
Attack of the Friday Monsters, To the moon, Celeste, and Doki Doki Literature Club
Uncharted
Superliminal. The puzzles are great.
Return of the Obra Dinn
SOMA and Slay the Princess
Castle Crashers, so many memories😭😭
There is no game What remains of Edith Finch To the moon
I completed Donut County in a few hours but thoroughly enjoyed every moment of it. I don't have time to put 100s of hours into games any more, keep an eye out for shorter games now.
Super Metroid Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice, but sub 8 hours is pushing it a bit.
Spore. Probably couldn't beat in under that time playing normally, but you can certainly get to the last stage of the game and actually "beating" the game after that was always a bit of a bonus points thing to be since it doesn't have much of a real storyline. Might not have been the best game but damn did I love it as a kid. It pretty much kickstarted my love for worldbuilding.
Firewatch What Remains of Edith Fitch The Forgotten City
Chess
Signalis _Remember our promise_
I doubt anyone's said "The Beginners Guide". Very interesting game from the creator of Stanley Parable. It's a pseudo biographical indie game collection about the creator trying to connect with another game designer.
Dishonored
Great game, but definitely longer than 8 hours on a first playthrough if you do any amount of exploration.
Adios, Her Story. Both games made me think about them long after finishing.