{Disarmed} 49 short (and essential) games for people who have little time
Raised in a time when video games lasted us for months (neither our economy nor their difficulty helped there), we got used to measuring the quality of games by how long they could keep us hooked on the screen, but now, Following that table that shows that the older we get, the more money we have and the less time we have, our priorities and quality values have completely changed.
Today we want to take advantage of those dead times of the summer afternoons in front of the fan to pay tribute to that relationship of minutes and quality, and for this we have selected 47 video games that you can spend in an afternoon . Authentic essential jewels in which to invest less than six hours and, despite this, leave completely delighted.
Between 1 and 2 hours
'A Short Hike'
Available on PC and Switch
One of those adventures that you start out of curiosity and get hooked in a few minutes. 'A Short Hike' can be a small, humble and short game, but it is also one of those essential gems of the indie world that sooner or later you should give yourself. Climbing the top of a mountain has never been so fun and endearing.
'Abzu'
Available on PC, PS, Xbox
Hand in hand with artists and creatives who passed through 'Flower' and 'Journey' , 'Abzu' immerses us in an oceanic journey in search of the secrets that are hidden in its depths. It will neither challenge you nor have you glued to the screen for more than two hours, but every minute of its experience is an absolutely essential journey.
'Chuchel'
Available on PC
Amanita Design already demonstrated with 'Machinarium' or 'Botanicula' that theirs was to create games in which the humor and charisma of their characters were the main claim. With 'Chuchel' they repeated the formula with a format halfway between the puzzle and the graphic adventure that turned out to be just as delicious and endearing.
'Donut County'
Available on PC, PS, Xbox, Switch, iOS, Android
A surreal adventure in which some holes have begun to swallow everything they catch. As a puzzle we must be that dark abyss and, working to make it bigger, absorb from small objects to entire buildings. 'Donut County' is a very fun game that also has a most outrageous script.
In xiaomist.com Teach a child to code without a PC or robots: board games, printable kits, books and free resources'Gorogoa'
Available on PC, iOS, Android
We had the opportunity to meet its creator, Jason Roberts, a few weeks ago, and he confirmed what the game already let the naked eye glimpse, that the visual work of this magnificent puzzle game is titanic. 'Gorogoa' is undoubtedly one of the most important titles of the latest batch of indies, and also an essential experience.
'Grow Home'
Available on PC, PS, Xbox
Born from the most creative branch of Ubisoft , this 'Grow Home' invites us to scale worlds full of plants while we pollinate them and make everything grow more and more. A game in which physics seems like everything until you discover that, in addition to being fun, it can also be tremendously beautiful.
'Her Story'
Available on PC, iOS, Android
It has more of a visual novel than a video game, after all, almost all you do is sit and watch videos of police interviews, but the process of discovering what is hidden behind 'Her Story' is so powerful that it is inevitable to qualify it as the best detective game you can find on the market.
'Journey'
Available on PC, PS, Xbox
A timeless classic in which neither time, nor end, nor mechanics matter in the least. Let's say that 'Journey' is like Lost, where what really matters is the road, and here it is full of unforgettable moments in which it is visually impossible not to stay for sweet potato paste.
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Available on PC, PS, Xbox, Switch
Although it is not the first game to experiment with this idea, 'Minit' has managed to position itself as an essential jewel. Here the proposal is to overcome the adventure in just 60 seconds, but of course it will have to be done in different phases and opening shortcuts in each attempt that allow us to overcome that challenge.
'Monument Valley'
Available on iOS, Android
Probably one of the most talked about mobile games in recent years, an adventure in which, based on puzzles, we will go through beautiful levels based on Escher's pictures of stairs . 'Monument Valley' is one of those games that you have to play to understand how much you can do with very little.
'Pikuniku'
Available on PC, PS, Xbox and Switch
'Pikuniku' is one of those Martians that is literally impossible not to enjoy. A nice video game that mixes puzzles, platforms and graphic adventure to deliver one of those proposals as fresh as it is fun that is impossible to put down. A great job of Japanese experimentation.
'Pony Island'
Available on PC
A game about ponies that ends up being a door to the underworld? More or less, but the grace will not be in the animals, but in how we will hack the game to be able to reach the end and get out of its curse alive. 'Pony Island' is a game that surely does not enter through the eyes, but it certainly remains in the memory for a good season.
In xiaomist.com Simulation video games: this is how we have gone from the science behind 'SimCity' to the virtual tractor championships'Superhot'
Available on PC, PS, Xbox
You have played many action games. You have killed, massacred and you have excelled in shootings in which in a " solo against the world " you had all the options against. However, you have not played anything like 'Superhot' , a title in which you can do that as if it were a puzzle and feel like John Wick himself in the process.
'That Dragon, Cancer'
Available on PC, iOS
The Green family lost their son in 2014 and thought they would create a video game about the experience to try to make the world understand what it means to go through something like this. 'That Dragon, Cancer' is a very tough game, but both the adventure and the documentary of its development, Thank Your for Playing, are works as necessary as they are recommended.
'The Unfinished Swan'
Available on PC and PS
A rarity that began playing with something as simple as changing the bullets of an FPS for paint balls. Thus, in 'The Unfinished Swan' you will have to make your way through completely black or white worlds to try to guess where the path is. Logically it is much more than that and it plays with other mechanics, but that first shot and the stain on the wall is an experience that will hardly be erased from our memory.
'What Remains of Edith Finch'
Available on PC, PS, Xbox
When it comes to telling stories with minimal interaction, we have experienced proposals of all colors, but none like this one. 'What Remains of Edith Finch' tells the story of a family haunted by death as we explore the house where each of the members have been raised and relive the last minutes of each one of them.
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'80 Days'
Available on PC, iOS, Android
As apparently simple as traveling the globe in 80 days , as complicated as knowing how to manage where to start, what senseres to bring, Mr. Fogg's health and how to manage the limited budget that must take you from your door to your door. home through nearly 200 cities along the way.
'Door Kickers'
Available on PC
A game of 'StarCraft' or 'Civilization' may take you as long as playing this entire list, but that doesn't mean that strategy games can't be as short as they are intense. In this case, the real-time strategy takes us to a group of commandos that must break into different locations to secure objectives and end terrorist attacks. A tactical and simple game, but also very demanding.
'Firewatch'
Available on PC, PS, Xbox
Here is 'Firewatch' another adventure in the style of what has been commonly called " walking simulator ", in this case the story of Henry, a man who, fleeing from his wife's illness, decides to spend an isolated summer while working as a guard forest. You will soon discover that loneliness is not only uncomfortable, it also holds more of a danger.
'Inside'
Available on PC, PS, Xbox
The creators of 'Limbo' were crowned a year ago with the launch of a game very similar to their popular hit, but even more rounded, beautiful and disturbing. In 'Inside' we control a child who seems to escape the dangers of a totalitarian and dystopian society, but as we move forward it gives the impression that instead of running away, what we do is get closer and closer to the core of all problems.
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Available on PC, PS, Xbox
Released seven years ago, 'Kane & Lynch: Dog Days' failed to keep audiences or critics happy, but over time it has become a cult game for its action scenes, the harshness of its story and a camera at "found footage" style shoulder that has ended up garnering a legion of fans.
'Layers of Fear'
Available on PC, PS, Xbox
'Layers of Fear' is one of the best horror games of recent years, the kind that force you to play during the day so that the scares and their setting don't end up driving you out of your mind. In it we put ourselves in the shoes of a failed painter who wants to paint a picture of his late wife. A pity that it does not seem like such a good idea to her and she chases us through the rooms of the house that one day they shared.
'Little Nightmares'
Available on PC, PS, Xbox
'Little Nightmares' is the game that Tim Burton would give birth to after playing 'Limbo' (if any of those things were to ever happen). Platforms and puzzles of decaffeinated difficulty for a game in which the visual ends up being everything. Disturbing like few others, as soon as it has you eating a rat like going through a sea of shoes that seems to be taken from the container of a death camp.
'Portal'
Available on PC, PS, Xbox
There is no other game on the list that deserves more attention than this one. The pity is, if you haven't played 'Portal' already , you probably know too much about it. If neither is your case, start playing and don't look for anything else about it, you just need to know that it is a puzzle game in which a portal gun is its absolute protagonist.
In xiaomist.com The 54 most difficult video games in historyScott Pilgrim vs. the World: The Game '
Available on PC, PS, Xbox
Here we have a rather complex case. Paul Robertson , the king of gif pixel art, gave birth to this essential adventure with a beat'em up spirit based on the comic by Brian O'Maley , but due to licensing problems the game ended up disappearing from the face of the earth . If you are a fan of lost causes you have two options, or pray that O'Maley's desire to see him again online becomes a reality, or move heaven and earth to try to find it. Both are just as recommendable.
'Stacking'
Available on PC, PS, Xbox
From the hand of the legendary Tim Schaffer we have another one of those games with which to spend an afternoon more than easy. In 'Stacking' we handle a small Russian doll that wants to save her family and, for this, we will hide ourselves inside other larger dolls to take advantage of their role and abilities when it comes to unlocking areas and overcoming puzzles. Originality by flag with a game that is as endearing as it is entertaining.
'To the Moon'
Available on Android, iOS, Switch, PC
Without a doubt one of the best stories that you can throw to your face in terms of video games. 'To the Moon' is closer to a visual novel than a normal game, but the drama and humor that surrounds each of its pixels is a gift. Few games have made me cry, and this is one of them.
Between 5 and 6 hours
'A Way Out'
Available on PC, PS, Xbox
The classic story of the prisoner who tries to escape from prison has an unexpected twist here: you will not be able to overcome it alone. Raised as a cooperative game that can be enjoyed locally, 'A Way Out' is one of those experiences that smells new despite being based on things that we have already seen in a thousand places. A fantastic job at the mechanics and cinematography level that is worth playing with someone you trust on the other side of the couch.
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Available on Nintendo 3DS
It is the only game on the list that requires a specific platform, Nintendo 3DS , to be enjoyed, and no, by that I do not mean that it is worth buying one just to play this, but it is one of the few essential digital games from the console. 'BoxBoy!' and its sequels are platforms in which being able to create boxes to get from point A to B is, in addition to a videogame design lesson, a hilarious ride.
'Call of Juarez: Gunslinger'
Available on PC, PS, Xbox
When it came out back in 2013, nobody gave a penny for 'Call of Juarez: Gunslinger' and, surprisingly, going out of the main saga and aiming for madness as a flag worked wonders for him. A Western tale based on shots and explosions in which the ability to slow down the time to shoot is just one of the many tricks that you can end up pulling out of your sleeve if you improve the main character.
'Furi'
Available on PC, PS, Xbox
When game mechanics are everything, the rest is practically priceless. However 'Furi' manages that beyond its trial and error based on challenges bullet hell, parry, dash and sword strokes, its aesthetics and soundtrack enter your eyes and ears with the force of a locomotive. An indie blessing that sadly hasn't gotten all the attention it deserved.
'Lovers In A Dangerous Spacetime'
Available on PC, PS, Xbox
Without a doubt 'Lovers In A Dangerous Spacetime' is one of the most original and fun proposals on the list. It is a cooperative action and shooting game for up to 4 players in which we move around a ship to control it. It can be played alone, but it goes without saying that if you have no one next to you to blame for crashing, you lose a lot of fun.
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Available on PC, PS, Xbox
Second time we mentioned 'Bayonetta' in this text and we must give thanks to them, to the good people of Platinum who decided to take the character of Raiden from the 'Metal Gear Solid' saga and give him a great game at the height of his choreographies with a sword in hand. A hack'n slash challenge that will delight any player wanting to face a festival of futuristic swordsmanship.
'Quake'
Available on PC, PS, Xbox
It is not the oldest game on the list (it arrived a few months after one of the following titles), but it can be a bit shocking to see it here sharing a gap with much more recent titles. The reason? 'Quake' has been so important to everything that has come after that it inevitably has to appear in almost every hole where it can, so at about six hours long (a couple more if you want to make the gum even longer), no one can throw me out. in face that I put it here and, as a gift, I do a favor to those who have not yet given it a chance.
'The Sexy Brutale'
Available on PC, PS, Xbox and Switch
Fans of mystery and adventure games have a vein here. 'The Sexy Brutale' poses a twist on the classic idea of the Cluedo in which you have to go through a mansion to discover the murderer. A groundhog day in which to relive the night trying to prevent the characters from crossing or not finding the homicidal object with which we have seen him murder someone.
'Undertale'
Available on PC, PS, Xbox
The indie RPG par excellence, as well as one of the most awarded and acclaimed games in recent years. It is difficult to talk about 'Undertale' when recommending it without falling into possible spoilers that can ruin the plot, so yes, it is one of those games that you must enjoy to understand it. Don't let its aesthetics back you down, 'Undertale' hides much more than that in its guts and, following the simile, it is the best tripe dish that you are going to eat in a long time.
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Available on PC, PS, Xbox
We approached him saying " what a beautiful thing " and, although that thought remained alive throughout the game, there was more praise that had little to do with his aesthetics. 'Unravel' is smart, funny and even has a story that has managed to touch the potato of more than one.
'Vanquish'
Available on PC, PS, Xbox
The 'Bayonetta' of shooters, a game that leaves all other shooting titles in diapers and, after reaching PC, one of the most recommended options on Steam. 'Vanquish' is frenzy in capital letters, such a fun option that the only bad thing we can throw at it is having been short enough to earn a place in this compilation.
'Wolfenstein: The Old Blood'
Available on PC, PS, Xbox
It is the prequel to the well-known 'Wolfenstein: The New Order' and the game for which you will play 'Return to Castle Wolfenstein' thanks to all the winks it offers. Undoubtedly one of those video game design lessons in which, based on continuous shootings, it is possible to deliver a rhythm in which difficulty, fun and humor always go hand in hand.
Bonus track: less than 1 hour
'Emily is Away'
Available on PC
The first free game on the list, all the more reason to approach it without hesitation. A text game in which you try to get your friend / crush back from high school as if you were in Messenger times. If you went through something similar in the 90s, you're going to be delighted with it.
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Available on PC, Android, iOS and Switch
Born on mobiles and grown by its tremendous success, this love story dressed as an interactive adventure is one of the most emotional and adult that has passed through my eyes in a long time. 'Florence' is what the video game world needs in order, between simple puzzles and pastel colors, to continue pointing to that maturity that we have been demanding.
'Klocki'
Available on PC, iOS
Another of those great masterpieces when it comes to puzzles , this time for a price as ridiculous as its difficulty and duration. 'Klocki' would be the typical game to pass the time if it weren't for the fact that several mechanics are hidden inside that make it a little gem.
'Metal Slug'
Available on PC, PS, Xbox, iOS, Android, Switch
The game on the list with the most years (and months) behind it. An arcade that, due to its recent appearance on Nintendo Switch (although it has been seen on almost any platform you have at home), can become the ideal pastime for a stormy summer afternoon or for that dead time that you will have while you wait for it to be chill the gazpacho.
'Moirai'
Available on PC
You are a farmer and you must find a woman who has disappeared in a mine. It will take you 15 minutes to beat the game. I imagine that with those two phrases it will not have caught your attention, so I will also tell you that the game is free (you can download it here ) and that, in one way or another, it will drive you completely crazy. Seriously, don't think twice and give it a try.
'Monster Loves You!'
Available on PC
The tale of a monster, you, in which based on decisions you will decide what kind of monster you are. 14 endings await you in this adventure in which the text comes first. The second thing is that you know English to enjoy it as it deserves. The third thing is that you have a little more time the next afternoon to play 'Monster Loves You!' and see to what extent everything can change.
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Available on PC
Born out of nowhere and raised to the Olympus of video games, 'The Stanley Parable' is the game that made walking simulators fashionable based on madness and an excellent story. A unique, complicated and accessible title that deserves your full attention. Of course, if your proposal calls you minimally, avoid reading about it.
'Thirty Flights of Loving'
Available on PC
'Thirty Flights of Loving' is an experimental title in which the narrative is everything. It's really worth it to see how far you can go with some innovation, and if you're a development fanatic, playing it with feedback from its creator is a real treat. It includes 'Gravity Bone' , its prequel, but do not expect that between the two it will occupy you more than half an hour.
Updated September 2021. -
The news 49 short games (and essential) for people who have little time was originally published in xiaomist.com by R. Márquez .
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