00:00 [MUSIC]
00:03 This list is for anyone looking for something you can pick up and play
00:06 without having to invest lots of time.
00:08 In recent years, we've been treated to a host of wonderful indie games
00:12 that offer up memorable experiences,
00:14 from spooky experiences to relaxing gems
00:17 and immersive narrative adventures,
00:19 and of course, the game with a cat.
00:21 You're sure to find something here for you
00:23 in our roundup of six games you can finish in six hours or less.
00:27 "Do you have a problem?"
00:28 "Yeah, I got a problem with you."
00:29 "I'm not going to let you go."
00:31 "I'm going to get you out of here."
00:33 "I'm not going to let you go."
00:34 "I'm going to get you out of here."
00:36 "I'm going to get you out of here."
00:38 "I'm going to get you out of here."
00:40 "I'm going to get you out of here."
00:42 "I'm going to get you out of here."
00:44 "I'm going to get you out of here."
00:46 "I'm going to get you out of here."
00:48 "I'm going to get you out of here."
00:50 "I'm going to get you out of here."
00:52 "I'm going to get you out of here."
00:54 "I'm going to get you out of here."
00:56 "I'm going to get you out of here."
00:58 "I'm going to get you out of here."
01:00 "I'm going to get you out of here."
01:02 "I'm going to get you out of here."
01:04 "I'm going to get you out of here."
01:06 "I'm going to get you out of here."
01:08 "I'm going to get you out of here."
01:10 "I'm going to get you out of here."
01:12 "I'm going to get you out of here."
01:14 "I'm going to get you out of here."
01:16 "I'm going to get you out of here."
01:18 "I'm going to get you out of here."
01:20 "I'm going to get you out of here."
01:22 "I'm going to get you out of here."
01:24 "I'm going to get you out of here."
01:26 In case you need any more convincing,
01:28 you control a stray cat who falls into a world populated by robots
01:32 and must explore and solve puzzles to return to his family.
01:36 Which should take you around six hours.
01:38 Regardless of whether you're a cat lover
01:40 or just fancy a brilliant little platformer to sink into,
01:43 then Stray is an excellent romp.
01:46 Yes, it does help if you're a cat lover
01:48 because it's so beautifully animated
01:50 and captures the cat's personality so perfectly,
01:52 but there's also so much more to love here.
01:55 Between the alluring semi-post-apocalyptic story,
01:58 the dense atmospheric world
02:00 and the cast of quirky characters that inhabit it,
02:03 Blue Twelve Studios has created a fantastic experience.
02:06 What Remains of Edith Finch is an interactive walking sim
02:12 about the history of a cursed family living in the woods.
02:15 Lasting roughly three hours,
02:17 it presents an emotional range and depth
02:19 that's richer and more affecting
02:21 than dozens of other, much longer games that released in 2017.
02:25 Developer Giant Sparrow has crafted a series of bite-sized vignettes
02:29 akin to an anthology of short stories.
02:31 But while each tale differs in gameplay variety,
02:34 all share a bittersweet fondness for childhood,
02:37 family and friendship that tugs at the heartstrings
02:40 and tear ducts in ways you won't be expecting.
02:43 Set aside a cold, rainy evening by the fire for this one.
02:49 This split-screen co-op game has to be played with another human being,
02:53 either locally or online.
02:55 A Way Out is by far the longest game on this list,
02:59 taking an average of six hours to complete its story.
03:02 But the extended evening binge is well worth the journey with a friend.
03:06 Enjoyed together right next to each other on the same couch
03:09 or through the wonders of the internet.
03:11 Created by brothers, a tale of two sons, Joseph Farrars,
03:14 A Way Out is a co-op game like no other.
03:16 Maintaining and experimenting with the split-screen format
03:19 that is usually deployed as nothing more than a necessary evil
03:22 to accommodate local multiplayer.
03:24 Two players will take the roles of Vincent and Leo,
03:27 a pair of convicts on a high-stakes prison break.
03:30 And your subsequent escape is essentially made up of a diverse series of mini-games,
03:35 all of which revolve around tight co-op mechanics.
03:38 It's a unique, well-crafted experience
03:40 with a surprisingly engaging story at its heart.
03:43 Just make sure the person you're playing with is one you don't mind
03:46 spending six consecutive hours alongside.
03:48 Journey is a therapeutic odyssey set across a glistening desert landscape.
03:55 Completely wordless, deliberately cryptic,
03:58 and nay a hint of user interface in sight.
04:01 Journey is just two hours long, but its legacy will last a lifetime.
04:06 The story seems like nothing more than vague symbolism at first,
04:09 but developer That Game Company communicates its message
04:12 through a bespoke set of gameplay languages and rhythms
04:15 that elevates Journey's narrative into something much greater,
04:18 almost indescribable in its experimental impact.
04:22 It's also one of the few multiplayer games
04:24 to feel truly seamless in its interactions with other players.
04:28 And you'll still find fellow strangers making the same treacherous odyssey online to this day.
04:33 There are hundreds of theories and analytical think-pieces as to what it all means,
04:38 but at its core, Journey is exactly what it says.
04:41 It's an expedition from point A to point B that all of us can relate to.
04:46 Firewatch is our final game on this list and is a story-focused first-person adventure
04:53 where you play as a newly recruited park ranger running from a troubled past.
04:58 Developer Campo Santo condenses the events of several months
05:02 into a four-hour, lightly interactive adventure set in the Wyoming wilderness.
05:07 The results are as good as you'd expect from a story penned by the lead writer of Telltale's The Walking Dead.
05:13 With award-winning central performances from its two leads, Rick Sommer and Cissy Jones,
05:18 Firewatch uses Olly Moss' striking deception of rural America
05:22 as a backdrop for its meditation on aging and remorse.
05:26 There's more uplifting moments in there too,
05:28 and Campo Santo's knack for the written word creates some genuinely amusing moments.
05:33 Plus, you can pick up a turtle, so what's not to like?
05:37 Some will say Firewatch's story is a little on the disappointing side,
05:41 deliberately undercutting its central mystery with something much less exciting than it makes out to be.
05:46 But you'll have been glad to have embarked on this brief getaway to the country either way.
05:51 "You're not in your tower?"
05:53 "No, I'm not."
05:54 "Then who is?"
05:56 What's your favourite game to finish in an afternoon?
06:00 Let us know in the comments below and hit that subscribe button so you never miss another video.
06:05 See you in the next one.
06:06 [outro music]
Comments