In recent years, we've been treated to a host of wonderful indie games that offer up memorable experiences without demanding too much of your time. From spooky experiences like Man of Medan to relaxing gems and immersive narrative adventures like Stray, you're sure to find something here for you in our round up of the best short games.
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00:00This list is for anyone looking for something you can pick up and play without having to invest lots
00:08of time. In recent years we've been treated to a host of wonderful indie games that offer up
00:13memorable experiences, from spooky experiences to relaxing gems and immersive narrative adventures
00:19and of course the game with a cat. You're sure to find something here for you in our roundup
00:24of six games you can finish in six hours or less. Man of Medan is a cinematic choose-your-own-adventure
00:33style horror story from Supermassive Games, the makers of Until Dawn, that takes around five hours
00:38to complete. This is the first episode in an ongoing anthology horror series from Supermassive.
00:45Man of Medan is plickest interactive scarefest on now, coming in between four and six hours
00:50depending on how many of your characters survive till the end.
00:58The best part is its novel, rather brilliant cooperative play online or locally with friends
01:03who can be responsible for different characters seafaring horror fest. It can take a while to get
01:08going in the early hours but Man of Medan is easily a stellar choice for any party, not least because of
01:14how quickly it can be beaten. Stray is a third-person cat adventure game. I know, might as well start
01:24that download now right? But in case you need any more convincing, you control a stray cat who falls
01:31into a world populated by robots and must explore and solve puzzles to return to his family. Which
01:37should take you around six hours. Regardless of whether you're a cat lover or just fancy a brilliant
01:42little platformer to sink into, then Stray is an excellent romp. Yes, it does help if you're a cat
01:48lover because it's so beautifully animated and captures the cat's personality so perfectly, but
01:53there's also so much more to love here. Between the alluring, semi-post-apocalyptic story, the dense
02:00atmospheric world and the cast of quirky characters that inhabit it, Blue 12 Studios has created a fantastic
02:06experience. What Remains of Edith Finch is an interactive walking sim about the history of a
02:14cursed family living in the woods. Lasting roughly three hours, it presents an emotional range and
02:20depth that's richer and more affecting than dozens of other, much longer games that released in 2017.
02:26Developer Giant Sparrow has crafted a series of bite-sized vignettes, akin to an anthology of short
02:32stories. But while each tale differs in gameplay variety, all share a bittersweet fondness for
02:37childhood, family and friendship that tugs at the heartstrings and tear ducts in ways you won't be
02:43expecting. Set aside a cold rainy evening by the fire for this one. This split-screen co-op game has
02:52to be played with another human being, either locally or online. A Way Out is by far the longest game on
02:59this list, taking an average of six hours to complete its story. But the extended evening binge is well
03:04worth the journey with a friend. Enjoyed together right next to each other on the same couch or
03:09through the wonders of the internet. Created by Brothers A Tale of Two Sons, Joseph Farras, A Way Out is
03:15a co-op game like no other, maintaining and experimenting with the split-screen format that is usually deployed
03:21as nothing more than a necessary evil to accommodate local multiplayer. Two players will take the roles of
03:26Vincent and Leo, a pair of convicts on a high-stakes prison break, and your subsequent escape is
03:32essentially made up of a diverse series of mini-games, all of which revolve around tight co-op mechanics.
03:39It's a unique, well-crafted experience with a surprisingly engaging story at its heart. Just
03:44make sure the person you're playing with is one you don't mind spending six consecutive hours alongside.
03:49Journey is a therapeutic odyssey set across a glistening desert landscape. Completely wordless,
03:57deliberately cryptic, and nay a hint of user interface in sight. Journey is just two hours long,
04:04but its legacy will last a lifetime. The story seems like nothing more than vague symbolism at first,
04:10but developer That Game Company communicates its message through a bespoke set of gameplay
04:15languages and rhythms that elevates Journey's narrative into something much greater, almost
04:20indescribable in its experimental impact. It's also one of the few multiplayer games to feel truly
04:26seamless in its interactions with other players. And you'll still find fellow strangers making the same
04:31treacherous odyssey online to this day. There are hundreds of theories and analytical think pieces as
04:37to what it all means, but at its core, Journey is exactly what it says. It's an expedition from point A
04:44to point B that all of us can relate to.
04:49Firewatch is our final game on this list and is a story-focused first-person adventure where you play
04:55as a newly recruited park ranger running from a troubled past. Developer Campo Santo condenses the
05:02events of several months into a four-hour, lightly interactive adventure set in the Wyoming wilderness.
05:08The results are as good as you'd expect from a story penned by the lead writer of Telltale's The
05:13Walking Dead. With award-winning central performances from its two leads, Rick Sommer and Sissy Jones,
05:19Firewatch uses Olly Moss' striking deception of rural America as a backdrop for its meditation on
05:25ageing and remorse. There's more uplifting moments in there too, and Campo Santo's knack for the written
05:31word creates some genuinely amusing moments. Plus, you can pick up a turtle, so what's not to like?
05:38Some will say Firewatch's story is a little on the disappointing side, deliberately undercutting
05:43its central mystery with something much less exciting than it makes out to be. But you'll
05:48have been glad to have embarked on this brief getaway to the country either way.
05:51What's your favourite game to finish in an afternoon? Let us know in the comments below,
06:02and hit that subscribe button so you never miss another video. See you in the next one.