This week on The Short Game, we're toodling around bicycle Valhalla in Wheel World, the open-world cycling game from the developers of Nidhogg. Laura and Shane explore beautiful Italian landscapes, customize bikes, and discuss why this might be the most relaxing racing game we've played.

This episode was recorded way back in the summer during our long hiatus. Hopefully you'll feel it holds up!

• (00:00) - Wheel World
• (41:35) - What's Making Us Happy
• (41:42) - Shane's New Bike
• (48:43) - Laura Talks Movies
• (58:18) - Wrap Up

In this episode of The Short Game, Nate, Laura, and Shane dive into BALL x PIT, a roguelite block breaker published by Devolver Digital. Recorded a couple of months ago, the episode comes out in time for the release of a free DLC adding new content to the game. The discussion covers the game's unique blend of ball-firing mechanics, character abilities, and city-building elements. Does BALL x PIT respect your time? Maybe, maybe not, but it's a good time either way.

A voice is saying your name. A WWII-era machine, long hidden in a church basement, whirs to life. Through a crackling speaker, a man asks you to find a stolen book. He only knows the title. Time is running out.

Inkle has made a Database Thriller. An Interface Game. Or are we just calling these SamBarlow-likes? And it's a taut 4 hours, and just $7, which is also five bucks.

• (00:00) - TR-49
• (45:34) - Spoiler Break
• (01:09:37) - Wrap-up

This week we are talking about Absolum, a roguelike beat 'em up from Streets of Rage 4 developers Guard Crush Games and publisher Dotemu. This was one of those games that would probably have been near the top of our 2025 GOTY list if we'd managed to all play and discuss it before the end of the year. It combines the incredible beat 'em up mechanics from Streets of Rage 4 with Hades-style progression mechanics. It really kicks ass. There's also one of our classic slightly too long digressions about the Steam Deck and Linux about 33 minutes in. Sorry, and you're welcome.

• (00:00) - Absolum
• (26:21) - Digression about Steam Deck and Linux
• (33:24) - Back to Absolum
• (52:42) - Wrap up

We're continuing to shake the cobwebs out of the podcast, and this week we're bringing you our coverage of IFComp 2025. Normally we cover the whole competition with multiple episodes as its running, but this year we didn't quite manage that. We couldn't escape 2025 without talking about the comp some though. In this "lost" episode (recorded in late October 2025) we discuss some of the games we had time to check out this year, including a few of the top winners.

We'll be releasing a patron exclusive "what's making us happy" episode next week (join us on Patreon!) followed by an episode on Absolum. See you in 2026!

• (00:00) - Intro & Welcome
• (00:52) - What Is IFComp?
• (04:45) - How We’re Covering IFComp 2025
• (06:12) - Detritus by Ben Jackson
• (19:48) - Lady Thalia and the Case of Clephan by N. Cormier
• (26:44) - The Wise-Woman's Dog by Daniel M. Stelzer
• (34:59) - The Secrets of Sylvan Gardens by Lamp Post Projects
• (48:43) - A Visit to the Human Resources Administration by Jesse
• (53:08) - The Little Four by Allyson Gray
• (59:11) - The Witch Girls by Amy Stevens
• (01:03:24) - HEN AP PRAT GETS SMACKED IN THE TWAT by Coral Nulla
• (01:08:44) - Wrap Up

It's been a weird year, but we're ready to round up the best Short Games of 2025! We're also awarding our other highly prized honors like Dirtbag of the Year and Most "Little Guy who Goes Around."

This might be the last episode of 2025, but it's also the first episode of The Short Game Season 2. We figured 444 episodes was enough for Season 1, and we are changing up our format slightly. We're looking forward to a great new year!

• (00:00) - Short Game Game of the Year 2025
• (10:08) - Dirtbag of the Year
• (15:37) - Most Little Guy Who Goes Around
• (22:54) - Best Galerius
• (33:25) - Best Mario
• (38:26) - Late to the Party
• (44:35) - Best game that nearly killed the podcast
• (48:37) - Gaming Moment of the Year
• (58:04) - Best Rerelease
• (01:01:22) - Shout out to games ineligible for GOTY
• (01:02:40) - Game of the Year 2025
• (01:08:31) - Wrap-up

After a somewhat unplanned summer break, the Short Game crew is returning to talk about the fourth chapter of Deltarune!

• (00:00) - 444: Deltarune Chapter 4
• (03:17) - Surprise! Structure is Different!
• (10:32) - Picking up right after Chapter 3
• (11:19) - Going to Church!
• (19:29) - Noelle's House
• (30:30) - You'll Never Make Me Play The Dark Route
• (35:56) - Back to the Church
• (49:23) - Climbing is Fun!
• (53:20) - Now we're going to spoil Nate
• (01:15:21) - Outro
• (01:17:17) - Outro

The Steam Deck is the number one console(ish) platform for playing ILLEGAL GAMES that Nintendo doesn’t want you to play! This week we’re talking about games that STEAL intellectual property from the RICH FAT CATS at Nintendo and their cronies and remix it into FREE GAMES for the PEOPLE.

• (00:00) - 443: Fan Games on Steam Deck
• (03:42) - What Counts as a Fan Game?
• (06:20) - Explaining Steam Deck Desktop Mode
• (16:38) - Where do you find fan games?
• (24:34) - The (Fan) Games
• (25:26) - Celeste: Strawberry Jam
• (33:42) - Other Fan Games of Indies
• (36:06) - Sonic Fan Games
• (38:36) - Sonic Robo Blast 2
• (41:24) - Sonic and the Fallen Star
• (44:14) - Sonic Triple Trouble 16-Bit
• (50:33) - Link's Awakening DX HD
• (01:09:16) - Streets of Rage Remake
• (01:21:37) - Lightning Round
• (01:22:24) - Zelda3
• (01:24:01) - Dungeons of Infinity
• (01:24:55) - ZIIAOL
• (01:26:11) - Decomps - Ship of Harkinian
• (01:27:38) - AM2R & Metroid Planets
• (01:28:51) - Wrap-up