Thursday Jun 22, 2023
Ep. 6 - Stories Untold feat. Krysta Hope
No Small Games
No Small Games is an indie game recap and review podcast brought to you by hosts Kate and Emily! They became friends while streaming on Twitch and bonded over their love of indie video games. In each episode of No Small Games, the two will discuss an indie game they both played independently. They’ll compare their experiences: the good, the bad, their most memorable moments of their playthroughs.
Listen on:
Episodes
Episodes
Monday Jun 12, 2023
Monday Jun 12, 2023
Wholesome Games held their third annual Wholesome Direct Indie Game Showcase on June 10, 2023, featuring footage and announcements from 70+ cute and cozy indie games. In this episode, the No Small Games hosts recap the direct and discuss the announcements that got them most excited from Saturday's presentation.
After recapping their favorite announcements from the Wholesome Direct, our hosts review the demo of the upcoming cute and cozy roguelike game Grimoire Groves, developed by Swiss game development company Stardust.
Links and Shoutouts
You can watch the full 2023 Wholesome Direct - Indie Game Showcase on YouTube.
If you want to check out Emily's spreadsheet of the Wholesome Direct announcements, you can view it on Google Sheets.
Shoutout to AbleGamers, a nonprofit committed to making gaming more accessible to people with disabilities and improving their lives through the power of games. Wholesome Direct partnered with AbleGamers with two commemorative t-shirts, all of whose proceeds go to supporting the nonprofit. You can see and purchase the shirts on The Yetee.
Lastly, shoutout to our friend Marcy, who is an amazing content creator and player of The Sims, Stardew Valley and many indie games! You can find Marcy as MarcyLaycelle on Twitch and YouTube.
Timecodes
Looking for a certain segment in this episode? Use the timecodes below to jump straight there:
Intro & Wholesome Direct General Recap - 00:00:40
Top 3 Kate & Emily Picks - 00:10:38
Kate & Emily's Individual Top 10 Picks - 00:23:56
Grimoire Groves Demo Review - 01:27:15
Grimoire Groves Demo
Grimoire Groves is a cute and cozy action roguelike where you play as a young witch embarking on a quest to learn new spells, get to know the forest spirits, and ultimately restore the Grimoire Groves back to a lush, natural state.
Inspired by games like Animal Crossing and Cult of the Lamb, the core gameplay is action-packed and very true to the roguelike genre, while removing the element of violence from the combat. Rather than fighting, your character uses witchy spells to grow the plants they encounter in the forest.
This game is currently in development by Stardust Studios.
Check out Grimoire Groves Demo
Keep in touch with us on social media:
Kate's Twitter ✦ https://twitter.com/katerblossom
Emily's Twitter ✦ https://twitter.com/aSpecificEgg
No Small Games Twitter ✦ https://twitter.com/NoSmallGames
No Small Games IG ✦ https://www.instagram.com/nosmallgames
Want to learn more and weigh in on what games we should play in future episodes? Check us out and leave a game suggestion at nosmallgames.com
Thursday Jun 08, 2023
Thursday Jun 08, 2023
Happy Pride Month!!
No Small Games is celebrating Pride by sharing some of our favorite indie games featuring LGBTQIA+ stories and characters. Indie video games and their developers are uniquely positioned to be able to tell stories that are too frequently left out of the mainstream, and to tell them in authentic ways. Kate and Emily shared their picks for 5 categories including: Favorite Game with a Queer Protagonist, Favorite Game with a Queer Storyline, and Favorite Game with Gay Parents.
After recapping their favorite indie games for Pride month, our hosts review the demo of the upcoming arcade-style action roguelike Quiver Quarrel, developed by Cheeky Lions.
Timecodes
Looking for the hosts' picks for certain categories in their Pride Month favorites? Jump to the timecodes below to hear their choices:
Intro & Catching up - 00:00:35
Favorite Game with a Queer Protagonist - 00:11:11
Favorite Game where You Can Choose to be Gay - 00:18:30
Favorite Game with Gay Parents - 00:25:45
Favorite Game with a Queer Storyline - 00:32:50
Games with LGBTQIA+ Themes That We haven't Played yet - 00:41:45
Review of Quiver Quarrel Demo - 00:46:30
Quiver Quarrel Demo
You can play the demo of the arcade-style action roguelike Quiver Quarrel for free on Steam!
"Guide five knights across increasingly treacherous terrain and through hordes of deadly monsters to save the royal children from marauding aliens, collecting as much precious goldfish as you can along the way."
Quiver Quarrel is in development by Cheeky Lions.
Check out Quiver Quarrel Demo
Keep in touch with us on social media:
Kate's Twitter ✦ https://twitter.com/katerblossom
Emily's Twitter ✦ https://twitter.com/aSpecificEgg
No Small Games Twitter ✦ https://twitter.com/NoSmallGames
No Small Games IG ✦ https://www.instagram.com/nosmallgames
Want to learn more and weigh in on what games we should play in future episodes? Check us out and leave a game suggestion at nosmallgames.com
Thursday Jun 01, 2023
Thursday Jun 01, 2023
Turn the concept of a city builder on its head and revitalize regions stripped of their natural ecosystems...
Terra Nil is an environmental strategy game that puts you in charge of an expedition to transform barren, desolate lands and bring them back to life. The game takes the classic UI and gameplay of a city builder and applies them to a natural landscape in desperate need of a little TLC. Terra Nil flips the concept of "progress" on its head. Instead of winning through the process on industrialization and natural resource consumption, you win by enriching and purifying soil and water, improving climatological conditions, and returning native species to their habitats.
In the fifth episode of No Small Games, Kate and Emily review their experiences playing Terra Nil, developed by Free Lives and published by Devolver Digital. Kate describes the deep emotions that get conjured up for her at the site of wind turbines. Emily shares which endgame spoiler she just couldn't wrap her head around. Find out which aspects of the game were most challenging for the hosts, and which were most fun, in this indie game review of Terra Nil.
Episode Timecodes
Weekly Boss Battles ✦ 00:04:08
Terra Nil Game Review ✦ 00:09:03
Next Episode's Game Announcement ✦ 00:48:47
Keep in touch with us on social media:
Kate's Twitter ✦ https://twitter.com/katerblossom
Emily's Twitter ✦ https://twitter.com/aSpecificEgg
No Small Games Twitter ✦ https://twitter.com/NoSmallGames
No Small Games Instagram ✦ https://www.instagram.com/nosmallgames
Want to learn more and weigh in on what games we should play in future episodes? Check us out and leave a game suggestion at nosmallgames.com
Thursday May 18, 2023
Thursday May 18, 2023
Your voice is a powerful thing, it can foster connection and drive back the darkness...
One Hand Clapping takes you on a journey alongside your little purple companion, to discover both your voice and your confidence in using it. Traverse beautiful 2D landscapes. Meet and learn from wise musical mentors. Sing your song to confront and banish the darkness without and within yourself.
In the fourth episode of No Small Games, Kate and Emily review their experiences playing the vocal 2D platformer One Hand Clapping, developed Bad Dream Games and published by Handy Games. Learn about thee hosts' personal relationships with singing and music and how they were reflected in each of their playthroughs, Find out which game areas were most challenging, and which were most fun, for each of them. Most importantly, find out what the heck a peeper is!
Episode Timecodes
Weekly Boss Battles ✦ 00:03:50
One Hand Clapping Game Review ✦ 00:12:40
Next Episode's Game Announcement ✦ 00:51:30
Keep in touch with us on social media:
Kate's Twitter ✦ https://twitter.com/katerblossom
Emily's Twitter ✦ https://twitter.com/aSpecificEgg
No Small Games Twitter ✦ https://twitter.com/NoSmallGames
No Small Games Instagram ✦ https://www.instagram.com/nosmallgames
Want to learn more and weigh in on what games we should play in future episodes? Check us out and leave a game suggestion at nosmallgames.com
Thursday May 04, 2023
Thursday May 04, 2023
Would you leave your whole life behind to go run a winery in Italy?
This episode's game protagonist, Emma, turns her whole world on its end when she gets an unexpected letter from an old friend of her grandfather. Through his notes to her and supportive members of her new community, she learns about the seasons on the vineyard, the complex decisions involved in winemaking, and the feeling of pride in tasting her very own new vintage.
In the third episode of No Small Games, Kate and Emily discuss their experiences playing the winemaking simulator Hundred Days, by Broken Arms Games. Learn about their take on wine culture and fine dining, their experiences wine tasting, and of course, their experiences playing this game.
Episode Timecodes
Weekly Boss Battles ✦ 00:01:00
Game Discussion ✦ 00:17:45
Next Episode's Game Announcement ✦ 01:03:20
Shoutout to the great books we've been reading!
Lockwood and Co. series, by Jonathan Stroud
Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow, by Gabrielle Zevin
All's Well, by Mona Awad
Keep in touch with us on social media:
Kate's Twitter ✦ https://twitter.com/katerblossom
Emily's Twitter ✦ https://twitter.com/aSpecificEgg
No Small Games Twitter ✦ https://twitter.com/NoSmallGames
No Small Games Instagram ✦ https://www.instagram.com/nosmallgames
Want to learn more and weigh in on what games we should play in future episodes? Check us out and leave a game suggestion at nosmallgames.com
Monday Apr 24, 2023
Monday Apr 24, 2023
B-b-b-b-bonus episode time!! On April 19, Nintendo blessed us with a slew of indie game announcements in their Indie World Showcase. This week, Kate and Emily recap and react to the news. What game's sequel announcement had Kate saying "it was all worth it"? What 2022 indie game is actually too cozy for Emily? Find out in the very first bonus episode of No Small Games!
Looking for the hosts' reaction to a certain game announcement? Check the timecodes below:
Mineko’s Night Market - 00:04:08
My Time at Sandrock - 00:06:05
PlateUp! - 00:08:27
Quilts and Cats of Calico - 00:11:22
Rift of the NecroDancer - 00:15:05
DLC's - 00:17:25
A Little to the Left: Cupboards & Drawers - 00:17:30
Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon: Puzzler's Pack - 00:19:30
Cult of the Lamb: Relics of the Old Faith Update - 00:20:15
Animal Well - 00:21:25
Crime O'Clock - 00:25:07
Teslagrad 2 - 00:26:12
Shadows Over Loathing - 00:28:06
Blasphemous 2 - 00:30:07
OXENFREE II: Lost Signals - 00:32:35
Keep in touch with us on social media:
Kate's Twitter ✦ https://twitter.com/katerblossom
Emily's Twitter ✦ https://twitter.com/aSpecificEgg
No Small Games Twitter ✦ https://twitter.com/NoSmallGames
No Small Games IG ✦ https://www.instagram.com/nosmallgames
Want to learn more and weigh in on what games we should play in future episodes? Check us out and leave a game suggestion at nosmallgames.com
Thursday Apr 20, 2023
Thursday Apr 20, 2023
Something is amiss in the sleepy town of Beacon Pines...
They say beauty is more than skin deep, but so is mystery in this game about growing up, learning difficult truths, and taking risks to protect your community. In the second episode of No Small Games, Kate and Emily discuss their experiences playing the cute and creepy narrative adventure Beacon Pines.
What was the most disturbing revelation in the twists and turns of the story? Who was the most charming of the woodland creatures who inhabit the town? Learn the good, the shocking, and the most memorable moments from their playthroughs.
Haven't played Beacon Pines yet and looking to avoid end-game spoilers? Listen for the new spoiler sound right before spoilers begin at the timecode below.
Spoilers start at 00:33:15 and end at 00:41:45
We hope you love this episode of No Small Games!
Keep in touch with us on social media:
Kate's Twitter ✦ https://twitter.com/katerblossom
Emily's Twitter ✦ https://twitter.com/aSpecificEgg
No Small Games Twitter ✦ https://twitter.com/NoSmallGames
No Small Games IG ✦ https://www.instagram.com/nosmallgames
Want to learn more and weigh in on what games we should play in future episodes? Check us out and leave a game suggestion at nosmallgames.com
Thursday Apr 06, 2023
Thursday Apr 06, 2023
Welcome to the very first episode of No Small Games!!
When life gets challenging, just tell yourself: at least I'm not a 24 year-old alligator trying to make it in the big city, worrying that his family is going to off him on his own birthday. Kate and Emily discuss their experiences playing the point-and-click adventure game Later Alligator. From the colorful cast of gator relatives, to engaging and vexing mini games, the pair share the good, the bad, and their most memorable moments from playing the game.
Haven't played Later Alligator yet and looking to avoid end-game spoilers?
Spoilers start at 00:43:33 and end at 00:52:05
We hope you love the first episode of this new podcast!
Keep in touch with us on social media:
Kate's Twitter ✦ https://twitter.com/katerblossom
Emily's Twitter ✦ https://twitter.com/aSpecificEgg
No Small Games Twitter ✦ https://twitter.com/NoSmallGames
No Small Games IG ✦ https://www.instagram.com/nosmallgames
Want to learn more and weigh in on what games we should play in future episodes? Check us out and leave a game suggestion at nosmallgames.com
Your Title
This is the description area. You can write an introduction or add anything you want to tell your audience. This can help potential listeners better understand and become interested in your podcast. Think about what will motivate them to hit the play button. What is your podcast about? What makes it unique? This is your chance to introduce your podcast and grab their attention.