The year-s best games are under 10 hours - Polygon's 2018 Games of the Year
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Date: 2023-12-10
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Comments and reviews: 30
-kakao-katze
I remember my closest friend downloaded Florence and played it in the bathrooms at lunch and one day she just told me how fast it went and how surprised she was. With the length, she said nothing about the story or gameplay. She was going on about how surprised she was that this short game costed her the amount it would be for a typical downloadable game on the phone, and at the time, I was surprised too. But sure time might seem to factor into how much a game is worth monetarily, it is what you get out of it and the experience that you judge it by.
Clearly, my friend must have not gotten much out of it because despite playing it, she still only focussed on the time and money spent whilst people with satisfying experiences would have come back with a story of how personal it is to them, meaning that the stories will be literally what they made of the game.
So having that said, how do I feel about this topic? Well.
Just play your damn game, if you're not enjoying it, there may be either a learning curve in gameplay or mindset (like if you're looking at the game from the right angle) or it's just not your cup of tea.
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I remember my closest friend downloaded Florence and played it in the bathrooms at lunch and one day she just told me how fast it went and how surprised she was. With the length, she said nothing about the story or gameplay. She was going on about how surprised she was that this short game costed her the amount it would be for a typical downloadable game on the phone, and at the time, I was surprised too. But sure time might seem to factor into how much a game is worth monetarily, it is what you get out of it and the experience that you judge it by.
Clearly, my friend must have not gotten much out of it because despite playing it, she still only focussed on the time and money spent whilst people with satisfying experiences would have come back with a story of how personal it is to them, meaning that the stories will be literally what they made of the game.
So having that said, how do I feel about this topic? Well.
Just play your damn game, if you're not enjoying it, there may be either a learning curve in gameplay or mindset (like if you're looking at the game from the right angle) or it's just not your cup of tea.
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-DimT670
There is another issue here I don't see many people address. How well does the game work as an open world compared to its theme. Hear me out.
There are a lot of open world games. A lot. And you see a lot of series that didn't use to be open world. This sometimes creates a dissonance. You play the game and can't help but feel like this game would be better off not being open world. For example, farcry works because the sidequests fit into the story of being a fish out of water exploring the jungle. Or in Witcher, the side quests and hunts fit because you are exactly that, a Witcher, and a lot of the sidequests fit right in the themes of the short stories.
But take a game like assassin creed odyssey. The you look at the game and the sidequests don't fit. They don't fit the theme. I'm not saying they aren't well done they are and I love em. But they kinda don't work thematically, especially with the relative immediacy of the main quest. Same for god of war. It doesn't fit.
This year we had none of the open world games where the open world fit the theme.
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There is another issue here I don't see many people address. How well does the game work as an open world compared to its theme. Hear me out.
There are a lot of open world games. A lot. And you see a lot of series that didn't use to be open world. This sometimes creates a dissonance. You play the game and can't help but feel like this game would be better off not being open world. For example, farcry works because the sidequests fit into the story of being a fish out of water exploring the jungle. Or in Witcher, the side quests and hunts fit because you are exactly that, a Witcher, and a lot of the sidequests fit right in the themes of the short stories.
But take a game like assassin creed odyssey. The you look at the game and the sidequests don't fit. They don't fit the theme. I'm not saying they aren't well done they are and I love em. But they kinda don't work thematically, especially with the relative immediacy of the main quest. Same for god of war. It doesn't fit.
This year we had none of the open world games where the open world fit the theme.
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-oh-no-plz-no2299
I think the bigger games are more popular because more often than not, you choose how you want to play. You choose your character and their story and their path, and that takes a lot longer. However, I can play Skyrim for hours, but aen't interested in any of the current AAA games except Spiderman. Of those indie games, I'd only play the phone one, and once I'd completed the story, I wouldn't play it again. I like games that you can play over and over and get a different complete story. If that means playing a bigger game like Skyrim to avoid more strategy, multiplayer, or war-like, endless grinding games, so be it.
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I think the bigger games are more popular because more often than not, you choose how you want to play. You choose your character and their story and their path, and that takes a lot longer. However, I can play Skyrim for hours, but aen't interested in any of the current AAA games except Spiderman. Of those indie games, I'd only play the phone one, and once I'd completed the story, I wouldn't play it again. I like games that you can play over and over and get a different complete story. If that means playing a bigger game like Skyrim to avoid more strategy, multiplayer, or war-like, endless grinding games, so be it.
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polygon
I don't think that people like them because they are shorter, but that they like them because the story was good or the game was fun, personally i don't like shorter game's since some game's ( -cough- just cause 4 -cough- ) are really short and cost 60 US dollars. But i like short and long game's, and it's sad to see that some game's are really good but short because the creator(s) probably don't have enough time to make it longer since those kind of games you never really want them to end because you love them so much.
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I don't think that people like them because they are shorter, but that they like them because the story was good or the game was fun, personally i don't like shorter game's since some game's ( -cough- just cause 4 -cough- ) are really short and cost 60 US dollars. But i like short and long game's, and it's sad to see that some game's are really good but short because the creator(s) probably don't have enough time to make it longer since those kind of games you never really want them to end because you love them so much.
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-zinoelgato
Being an old man (43yo) and lots of everyday responsibilities I usually doesn't have the time to play a +40h games these days. And on top of that I'm sick and tired of the AAA titles who doesn't engage me at all. The games that has engaged me, entertained me and most of all meant something to me are games like Celeste, Hollow Knight, Dead Cells and The Messenger, just to mention a few, and they have given me something that the AAA games have failed to do.
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Being an old man (43yo) and lots of everyday responsibilities I usually doesn't have the time to play a +40h games these days. And on top of that I'm sick and tired of the AAA titles who doesn't engage me at all. The games that has engaged me, entertained me and most of all meant something to me are games like Celeste, Hollow Knight, Dead Cells and The Messenger, just to mention a few, and they have given me something that the AAA games have failed to do.
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-koakumasen8112
I agree very much with the sentiment of appreciating good, short indie games; mainly because I don't like the opinion that games should be judged/based/priced on long hours/playtime, which is what I feel the AAA industry is pushing for these days. But open world games have their place too; what else would tide us over until the next indie hit comes out?
Also, Solo represent, for real good insight into oneself (and puzzles.
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I agree very much with the sentiment of appreciating good, short indie games; mainly because I don't like the opinion that games should be judged/based/priced on long hours/playtime, which is what I feel the AAA industry is pushing for these days. But open world games have their place too; what else would tide us over until the next indie hit comes out?
Also, Solo represent, for real good insight into oneself (and puzzles.
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-owenstroud5656
They're not better simply for the fact they're shorter. But, what in my opinion it was instead of making a 60 hour game that's grindy and has padding, they decided to condense all the fun into a 10 hour game which makes it consistently fun. Games can be fun that are this long, breath of the wild, GTA 5, persona 5 and a bunch more. It's just these developers decided to condense the fun.
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They're not better simply for the fact they're shorter. But, what in my opinion it was instead of making a 60 hour game that's grindy and has padding, they decided to condense all the fun into a 10 hour game which makes it consistently fun. Games can be fun that are this long, breath of the wild, GTA 5, persona 5 and a bunch more. It's just these developers decided to condense the fun.
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-spyroisrad4668
Short games are ok but honestly I don't see the meaning in playing a game with no real depth of gameplay. I feel like most indie games focus on story and gameplay and that's a fun experience. until they end like thirty minutes in. Most of the time I want to play a game over and over again and have some new content to discover but you can't really manage that with small indie games.
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Short games are ok but honestly I don't see the meaning in playing a game with no real depth of gameplay. I feel like most indie games focus on story and gameplay and that's a fun experience. until they end like thirty minutes in. Most of the time I want to play a game over and over again and have some new content to discover but you can't really manage that with small indie games.
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-darkgladiator27
Well, if the gameplay stays fresh and entertaining from beginning to end, then I have no problem with long games. Sometimes, I do prefer something that-s suitable for bite sized sessions though, because I tend not to have much time on my hands. But then again, if a long game lets me do just that and still be enjoyable through time, that should not be a problem for anyone.
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Well, if the gameplay stays fresh and entertaining from beginning to end, then I have no problem with long games. Sometimes, I do prefer something that-s suitable for bite sized sessions though, because I tend not to have much time on my hands. But then again, if a long game lets me do just that and still be enjoyable through time, that should not be a problem for anyone.
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-paradoxacres1063
This is all very interesting, Jenna. but I still consider 2018 as the -Year of the Single Player AAA- Video games (Dad of War, Spider-Man, Red Dead 2, Assassin's Creed Odyssey.
This year, Sony & Rockstar proved to the game industry that there is _still_ demand for good Single Player games, dammit ->: (-
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This is all very interesting, Jenna. but I still consider 2018 as the -Year of the Single Player AAA- Video games (Dad of War, Spider-Man, Red Dead 2, Assassin's Creed Odyssey.
This year, Sony & Rockstar proved to the game industry that there is _still_ demand for good Single Player games, dammit ->: (-
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-the_kindman
your video does make a point worthy bringing up, but who on earth thought that -into the breach- would make any sense on this list? it's like a counter-example of how open ended games, that are endlessly replayable, are freaking fantastic. i mean seriously guys. .also, merry xmas everyone: -)
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your video does make a point worthy bringing up, but who on earth thought that -into the breach- would make any sense on this list? it's like a counter-example of how open ended games, that are endlessly replayable, are freaking fantastic. i mean seriously guys. .also, merry xmas everyone: -)
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polygon
It's not about length. It's about quality. How long a game is is only one factor in how good it is, and a game being short or long can work against it in some contexts. Like most qualities that can be assigned to art, it should be judged on a case by case basis.
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It's not about length. It's about quality. How long a game is is only one factor in how good it is, and a game being short or long can work against it in some contexts. Like most qualities that can be assigned to art, it should be judged on a case by case basis.
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polygon
I have to be honest, I'm getting tired of open world video games. I love Horizon Zero Dawn, but I get tired of it so quickly because I feel I need to do all the side stuff to level up for story content and for the extra story that side content offers.
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I have to be honest, I'm getting tired of open world video games. I love Horizon Zero Dawn, but I get tired of it so quickly because I feel I need to do all the side stuff to level up for story content and for the extra story that side content offers.
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-f_u_n_k_y
I'd definitely say that The Red Strings Club is one of the best short games of the year. It takes only about 3 or 4 hours to complete on the first try, though it has some replay values out of different ways of information gathering and dialogue.
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I'd definitely say that The Red Strings Club is one of the best short games of the year. It takes only about 3 or 4 hours to complete on the first try, though it has some replay values out of different ways of information gathering and dialogue.
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-newentry. -. 8086
I played moss on PSVR. That shit was more than twenty dollars, made in unreal, and took less than 5 hours. I enjoyed it and I don-t regret purchasing it. Which is weird because I felt like so much was missing but I still feel satisfied.
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I played moss on PSVR. That shit was more than twenty dollars, made in unreal, and took less than 5 hours. I enjoyed it and I don-t regret purchasing it. Which is weird because I felt like so much was missing but I still feel satisfied.
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-timothysmith8341
Celeste has become one of my favorite games of all time. I always put it in my top 5 after playing it. Its like she said, its super hard because it's supposed to be. You get to feel the anxiety your character is going through
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Celeste has become one of my favorite games of all time. I always put it in my top 5 after playing it. Its like she said, its super hard because it's supposed to be. You get to feel the anxiety your character is going through
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-Freef_01
But
What about all the other small indie-games released in 2018 that were great?
What about all the other great ones?
Seriously I only enjoyed enter the breach on that list and I HATE SHORT TITELS!
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But
What about all the other small indie-games released in 2018 that were great?
What about all the other great ones?
Seriously I only enjoyed enter the breach on that list and I HATE SHORT TITELS!
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-Prymecrafter
Gotta disagree. Non of the games listed as -games that stand out- entertained me in the slightest. This video is far too brief and spread far too thinly to address this topic correctly.
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Gotta disagree. Non of the games listed as -games that stand out- entertained me in the slightest. This video is far too brief and spread far too thinly to address this topic correctly.
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-rubyquaildesign
As a Melbournian (Where Florance was developed and set) it-s always nice hearing people talk about Florence. Getting a Borek at the Vic market has been immortalised in games.
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As a Melbournian (Where Florance was developed and set) it-s always nice hearing people talk about Florence. Getting a Borek at the Vic market has been immortalised in games.
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-dynamicgecko1213
One of the games I found too short was Inside. It was an extremely well-polished game. But it took like 2 hours. It felt like more could be delivered from the game's world.
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One of the games I found too short was Inside. It was an extremely well-polished game. But it took like 2 hours. It felt like more could be delivered from the game's world.
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-skipskip7737
i prefer one short game that will make me wanting for more and will be memorable than a 100+ game (or games) that have a lot of cool moments but no memorable ones
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i prefer one short game that will make me wanting for more and will be memorable than a 100+ game (or games) that have a lot of cool moments but no memorable ones
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-angelgirl976
I am torn. Some of my fav games are on the shorter side. 15 hours or less. But I also respect any developer who can make an 80 hour game amazing all throughout
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I am torn. Some of my fav games are on the shorter side. 15 hours or less. But I also respect any developer who can make an 80 hour game amazing all throughout
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-QueenFondue
I didn't appreciate how possible Celeste was until I started playing it. Sure, it's challenging, but it's nowhere near as frustrating as I was expecting.
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I didn't appreciate how possible Celeste was until I started playing it. Sure, it's challenging, but it's nowhere near as frustrating as I was expecting.
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-divalea
I love shorter games. I want to be satisfied, I want to enjoy the art. That-s why Donut County was my jam to play, but I watched Cuphead let-s plays.
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I love shorter games. I want to be satisfied, I want to enjoy the art. That-s why Donut County was my jam to play, but I watched Cuphead let-s plays.
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-CoryMck
Reviewer bias. The people who's job it is to review games are more likely to refer unique and short games compared to the average consumer.
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Reviewer bias. The people who's job it is to review games are more likely to refer unique and short games compared to the average consumer.
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-thebeatsalive
I just can't devote 40-60 hours for games anymore. I love shorter more narrative games. Games up to 30 hours are what I like now.
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I just can't devote 40-60 hours for games anymore. I love shorter more narrative games. Games up to 30 hours are what I like now.
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-destho4308
One of the best released this year goes by the name Bomb Chicken. A blast to play, what a treat so short and sweet. Nitrome rocks!
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One of the best released this year goes by the name Bomb Chicken. A blast to play, what a treat so short and sweet. Nitrome rocks!
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-suspectizm
Red Dead should have been way shorter in just killing Dutch and Mica earlier and explore more intersting stories of Redemption
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Red Dead should have been way shorter in just killing Dutch and Mica earlier and explore more intersting stories of Redemption
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-genderenigma8276
my top 3 favorite 'small' games:
1: UNDERTALE (and Deltarune)
2: Celeste
3: What Remains of Edith Finch (Cry)
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my top 3 favorite 'small' games:
1: UNDERTALE (and Deltarune)
2: Celeste
3: What Remains of Edith Finch (Cry)
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-dang. 9125
I-m 16 hours into Celeste and I-m not even done with my first play through let alone B and C and getting all the strawberries
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I-m 16 hours into Celeste and I-m not even done with my first play through let alone B and C and getting all the strawberries
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