Favorite PC short-play games?

Blackhawk · Post by **Blackhawk** » Mon Nov 23, 2020 12:54 pm

I could use something for when I don't want/don't have time for a full-on PC game. Something that you can spend ten minutes with and feel like you did something, and at the same time can spend an hour with without feeling like you're doing the same ten-second gameplay loop over and over.

coopasonic · Post by **coopasonic** » Mon Nov 23, 2020 1:25 pm

I know we've talked about Hades a lot here and it tends to be more like 20-30 minutes (unless you are really bad then it can be faster) but it really fits the bill for me.

I feel like this is what rogue-likes are designed for, though 10 minutes is a pretty tight window to get any fun in.

Sudy · Post by **Sudy** » Mon Nov 23, 2020 1:28 pm

That's what I used to use Hearthstone for, but I know its multiplayer mode isn't your bag. I myself tired of trying to keep up as a F2P player, but recently I've been tempted to try it again.

Desktop Dungeons also used to fill that void for me, but I don't really have a game like that right now. Maybe a quick run in D2, or an original Doom map or two.

stimpy · Post by **stimpy** » Mon Nov 23, 2020 1:32 pm

I've been playing Slay the Spire in short bursts lately.
It's a tough game, though.
Have only made it past level 3 once in the 50 or so rounds I've played.

NickAragua · Post by **NickAragua** » Mon Nov 23, 2020 1:58 pm

Jupiter Hell is pretty fun for me. It's basically Doom Rogue-Like but without the IP. The twist is that it's "turn-based" in a sense, the monsters only do stuff when you do stuff. It's got a pretty complex gameplay mechanics system under the hood. You level up, gather and modify guns and armor, manage limited ammo, etc against a variety of demonic bad guys. What it usually boils down to for me is I'll be in the zone, plowing through crowds of imps and zombies with my 12 gauge pellet shotgun and then some giant robot will come out and stomp me flat in about two actions. Turns out they've got stuff like armor rating and penetration, and you're supposed to keep a big gun around to fight those. I just forget most of the time. As a result, I rarely get past the fifth or sixth level.

Despite 3D graphics, it does have rag dolls and persistent bodies, so you get to observe the results of your handiwork and watch stupid monsters get punted over railings and into bottomless pits.

Progression unlocks more gameplay modes and challenges.

Nuclear Throne is a standard rogue-like. As with the Jupiter Hell, usually I get to the fifth or sixth level then die, so it normally doesn't take more than ten minutes. Graphics are pretty cartoony (like, "deadpool" cartoony), but that's part of the charm. Progression unlocks more characters and better starting guns (and I think more level-up mutation options, but I don't know for sure).

Hrothgar · Post by **Hrothgar** » Mon Nov 23, 2020 2:07 pm

That's what I use Pinball FX3 for. While it's possible to go on a great run on a table, it's rare to go over 10 minutes. Each play can help you earn experience, learn the table and power up bonuses that will increase your future scores. Even though I've hit the level max, I'm not even close to maxing out the bonuses on all the tables. There are multiple modes and challenges for each table. There's light asynchronous multilplayer if you want. There's also local multiplayer. There are 99 tables now so plenty of variety. Deep sales on table are common if you don't need the latest and greatest.

Brian · Post by **Brian** » Mon Nov 23, 2020 2:08 pm

My wife absolutely loved the Indiana Jones Desktop Adventures from back in the Win95/2000 era.

Quick adventures that can be done in less than an hour on average.

She would love to have a working copy of this again.

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Mon Nov 23, 2020 2:50 pm

Turmoil

jztemple2 · Post by **jztemple2** » Mon Nov 23, 2020 3:16 pm

Door Kickers was always a good choice for me, especially with the random mission generator.

Anonymous Bosch · Post by **Anonymous Bosch** » Mon Nov 23, 2020 3:21 pm

Brian wrote: ↑Mon Nov 23, 2020 2:08 pm My wife absolutely loved the Indiana Jones Desktop Adventures from back in the Win95/2000 era.

Quick adventures that can be done in less than an hour on average.

She would love to have a working copy of this again.

Renowned Explorers: International Society may scratch a similar itch. It plays akin to an Indiana Jones version of FTL, with a suitably amusing dollop of British imperialism and derring-do for flavour:

Blackhawk · Post by **Blackhawk** » Mon Nov 23, 2020 3:34 pm

Oof, this is my fault: I should have mentioned that I don't really enjoy insane difficulty/roguelikes. Just games where you can launch, do something worthwhile in ten or fifteen minutes, then quit. Something good for when you have to leave in 20-30 minutes, but don't want to just mindlessly click links.

NickAragua · Post by **NickAragua** » Mon Nov 23, 2020 3:37 pm

Marvel Puzzle Quest?

Tao · Post by **Tao** » Mon Nov 23, 2020 3:42 pm

Fell Seal: Arbiters Mark - Once you get a little bit established you can generally run a mission in about 10-20 minutes, conversely you can also spend multiple hours progressing the story and building characters

Warhammer 40K: Inquisitor - Similar vein, once you get going you can drop in and run a mission in about 10-20 minutes, either progressing the story line or just doing random missions

Sentinels of the Multiverse - I can usually finish a game in a short time frame but some games can go on longer but you always have the option to save and exit

Gems of War - This is truly my "need to kill 10 minutes before I leave" game - Match 3 game with a deeper meta then Bejewled in similar fashion to Marvel PQ. A single match typically takes 2-3 minutes or less, I can also knock out the 3 daily dungeons in less then 10 minutes, etc. etc.

Daehawk · Post by **Daehawk** » Mon Nov 23, 2020 3:58 pm

Isgrimnur wrote: ↑Mon Nov 23, 2020 2:50 pmTurmoil

This is it! Very addictive and quick quick maps. Had to force myself to uninstall it.

Anonymous Bosch · Post by **Anonymous Bosch** » Mon Nov 23, 2020 5:48 pm

Blackhawk wrote: ↑Mon Nov 23, 2020 3:34 pm Oof, this is my fault: I should have mentioned that I don't really enjoy insane difficulty/roguelikes. Just games where you can launch, do something worthwhile in ten or fifteen minutes, then quit. Something good for when you have to leave in 20-30 minutes, but don't want to just mindlessly click links.

Depending on the particulars of your roguelike-aversion, Sky Rogue may fit the bill:

It's definitely not insanely difficult to pick up and play, especially if you're at all familiar with arcade-style flight sims like Starfox and Afterburner. The controls and overall feel are buttery smooth, and it includes a wide variety of weapons and loadouts to choose from that are all fairly intuitive and highly satisfying to use (there are mods that can add pretty much any aircraft you can possibly imagine, too). It also includes a splitscreen local co-op mode, which you and your kids would likely enjoy immensely.

Blackhawk · Post by **Blackhawk** » Mon Nov 23, 2020 6:18 pm

Anonymous Bosch wrote: ↑Mon Nov 23, 2020 5:48 pm

Depending on the particulars of your roguelike-aversion

I dislike 'The fun is in overcoming the challenge' as a core gameplay element. I dislike 'Play until you lose and then start over from scratch.' And I dislike the 'Learn by failing repeatedly until you get it right.'

I am more tolerant of those rogue-lites that use death to build you up (Void Bastards, Endless Space) where there is still an end goal, and where progress is assured provided you're not playing really, really bad. Again, I still don't want insane difficulty.

The Meal · Post by **The Meal** » Tue Nov 24, 2020 10:45 am

Dream Quest (with the caveat that this is a roguelike but it fits within your acceptable roguelike framework)

disarm · Post by **disarm** » Tue Nov 24, 2020 11:28 am

Tetris Effect...great for jumping in quickly and losing yourself in the music and visuals

coopasonic · Post by **coopasonic** » Tue Nov 24, 2020 11:32 am

The Meal wrote: ↑Tue Nov 24, 2020 10:45 am Dream Quest (with the caveat that this is a roguelike but it fits within your acceptable roguelike framework)

The original rogue-like deckbuilder. Possibly still my favorite.

The Meal · Post by **The Meal** » Tue Nov 24, 2020 11:51 am

coopasonic wrote: ↑Tue Nov 24, 2020 11:32 am
The Meal wrote: ↑Tue Nov 24, 2020 10:45 am Dream Quest (with the caveat that this is a roguelike but it fits within your acceptable roguelike framework)
The original rogue-like deckbuilder. Possibly still my favorite.

Last night I just got the (stupid) Druid to get the boss below 850 HP (for the first time ever). I've been playing this game (generally on mobile platforms) since it was originally mentioned on these boards, daily.

Slay the Spire is in this vein, but is not a drop-in-and-play-for-10-minutes game, IMO.

dbt1949 · Post by **dbt1949** » Tue Nov 24, 2020 1:23 pm

Battle Brothers can be played for a short time each session. Say one battle lasting 10-15 minutes or more battles if you want to play longer.

Blackhawk · Post by **Blackhawk** » Tue Nov 24, 2020 2:53 pm

I will look at some of these, thanks.

Zenn7 · Post by **Zenn7** » Wed Nov 25, 2020 7:06 pm

Daehawk wrote: ↑Mon Nov 23, 2020 3:58 pm
Isgrimnur wrote: ↑Mon Nov 23, 2020 2:50 pmTurmoil
This is it! Very addictive and quick quick maps. Had to force myself to uninstall it.

On sale on Steam, bundle w/ DLC for $7.18.

I had it on ignore but from seeing it here, now I've got it in my cart and debating. Especially with the short play and still build up.

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Wed Nov 25, 2020 9:51 pm

Zenn7 wrote: ↑Wed Nov 25, 2020 7:06 pm
Daehawk wrote: ↑Mon Nov 23, 2020 3:58 pm
Isgrimnur wrote: ↑Mon Nov 23, 2020 2:50 pmTurmoil
This is it! Very addictive and quick quick maps. Had to force myself to uninstall it.
On sale on Steam, bundle w/ DLC for $7.18.

I had it on ignore but from seeing it here, now I've got it in my cart and debating. Especially with the short play and still build up.

Go watch some videos of it.

Kasey Chang · Post by **Kasey Chang** » Wed Nov 25, 2020 10:31 pm

Carrier Deck doesn't last that long but it can be more than 20 minutes.

Stable Orbit auto saves, so you can resume at any time.

Most racing games have pre-set lengths, right? So it's more about finding the right genre.

Void bastards is fun as long as you don't go raid too many ships.

Zenn7 · Post by **Zenn7** » Sat Nov 28, 2020 1:13 am

Knights or Galaxy of Pen & paper games?

The Galaxy of Pen & Paper +1 edition is part of a build your own bundle on Fanatical.com right now. If it's the only game you get (it's the only 1 I got today), it's just $1.

wonderpug · Post by **wonderpug** » Sat Nov 28, 2020 4:06 pm

Sudy wrote: ↑Mon Nov 23, 2020 1:28 pm That's what I used to use Hearthstone for, but I know its multiplayer mode isn't your bag. I myself tired of trying to keep up as a F2P player, but recently I've been tempted to try it again.

Take a look at Legends of Runeterra if you haven't already. I jumped ship from Hearthstone to Runeterra at the start of the year and it's a happy complete replacement for me. Much more F2P friendly, and it brings a lot of good new ideas to the table for the genre.

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Sat Nov 28, 2020 5:22 pm

I just started Cultist Simulator, and it seems to fit somewhat.

Baroquen · Post by **Baroquen** » Sun Nov 29, 2020 3:42 pm

I went back to Gems of War. As much as it seemed I played it earlier, there's a ton I never did. And they keep adding more gaming-treamills of things to do, so it's kept me playing. Short sessions seem ideal.

Anonymous Bosch · Post by **Anonymous Bosch** » Sun Nov 29, 2020 4:09 pm

BTW, here's another title I've recently been enjoying in small doses:

It's highly reminiscent of FTL: Faster Than Light but with a swashbuckling, Lovecraftian eldritch horror theme. YMMV, but I've found it to be surprisingly enjoyable. Suffice to say, it's definitely NOT safe for Smoove, as illustrated below:

Spoiler:

Blackhawk · Post by **Blackhawk** » Sun Nov 29, 2020 4:52 pm

So... much... tentacle penetration!

Baroquen · Post by **Baroquen** » Sun Nov 29, 2020 5:54 pm

I'm surprised that game's been out over a year and I don't recall seeing a mention of it. Sounds like something right up the OO alley.

EzeKieL · Post by **EzeKieL** » Sun Nov 29, 2020 11:38 pm

Dungeons of Dredmore

Defense Grid

Sword of the Stars: The Pit

noxiousdog · Post by **noxiousdog** » Mon Nov 30, 2020 1:05 am

Isgrimnur wrote: ↑Mon Nov 23, 2020 2:50 pmTurmoil

Surprisingly fun.

wonderpug · Post by **wonderpug** » Mon Nov 30, 2020 10:39 am

noxiousdog wrote: ↑Mon Nov 30, 2020 1:05 am
Isgrimnur wrote: ↑Mon Nov 23, 2020 2:50 pmTurmoil
Surprisingly fun.

Yeah I gave it a try as well and it turned into a mini marathon session. Also trying and enjoying Carrier Deck.

coopasonic · Post by **coopasonic** » Mon Nov 30, 2020 11:41 am

Since I am back at it with the new season that started recently, Diablo 3!

I can do 2-3 rifts in 10 minutes, gain a few paragon levels, maybe get an upgrade.

Also, I have a character that can annihilate anything you can play at level 1 so I could have you level 70 in about 20 minutes and maybe another 20-30 minutes to check off all the chapter items to get the season set.

TheMix · Post by **TheMix** » Mon Nov 30, 2020 11:45 am

coopasonic wrote: ↑Mon Nov 30, 2020 11:41 am Since I am back at it with the new season that started recently, Diablo 3!

I can do 2-3 rifts in 10 minutes, gain a few paragon levels, maybe get an upgrade.

Also, I have a character that can annihilate anything you can play at level 1 so I could have you level 70 in about 20 minutes and maybe another 20-30 minutes to check off all the chapter items to get the season set.

Heh. I debated multiple times posting this. I'm in the same boat. My character can annihilate T16. I'm only playing because it's "comfortable and familiar". But at least I do still enjoy it. My memory is that BH was "over" D3, though.

Oh, and in case it wasn't clear, I'm also happy to help anyone that wants to level. Though since my character's set revolves around moving quickly, it might be tough to keep up.

coopasonic · Post by **coopasonic** » Mon Nov 30, 2020 11:50 am

Yeah, I recall the same but I thought it worth a mention. I am "over" D3 a couple weeks into each season, but I enjoy going back. I guess there is no sense of immersion, but who can get immersed in 10 minutes anyway!

TheMix · Post by **TheMix** » Mon Nov 30, 2020 11:59 am

I do enjoy it more when I have a goal. The last few/handful of seasons the carrot was completing all the chapters and getting the extra stash tab. I think I've now gotten all the stash tabs that I can. So I was thinking maybe it would be worth it for the new pet. Unfortunately, I think this season is going to be a no-go. There are a few of the conquests that I can't do (or don't want to invest the effort to do). And this time they served up all of them. I think there is only one conquest that I'll be able to knock out. Since I need 3 to complete everything....

Blackhawk · Post by **Blackhawk** » Mon Nov 30, 2020 2:31 pm

TheMix wrote: ↑Mon Nov 30, 2020 11:45 am My memory is that BH was "over" D3, though.

Not exactly. I enjoy playing new characters and new seasons. I'm just easily frustrated about how the post-set portion of the season plays out (it always seems really grindy to me, and requires a lot of dedication and time for minor rewards.)