No Small Games

Ep. 7 - Cult of the Lamb

Do you have what it takes to build a loyal following, take on the old gods and become the one true cult?
Cult of the Lamb bridges multiple genres, bringing farming simulation, base building and resource management together with adrenaline-packed roguelike combat, to create an immersive and addictive gaming experience. Players serve an ominous figure, The One Who Waits, by cultivating a following and taking on the Old Gods.
In the seventh episode of No Small Games, Kate and Emily review their experiences playing the cute and cozy roguelike Cult of the Lamb, by Massive Monster. The two discuss their favorite in-game weapons, the ideologies with which they guided their followings, and the dangers of modern-day cults.
Episode Timecodes
Weekly Boss Battles ✦ 00:13:58
Cult of the Lamb Game Review ✦ 00:21:45
Next Episode's Game Announcement ✦ 01:24:20
Check out these Friends of the Podcast
That's Tabu podcast, hosted by Emerald
Underplayed podcast, hosted by Bo_Po and DiscoCola
Jane Wright (aka creativejanewritght) on Instagram
A Quick Correction
In this episode, Kate mentions the "Federal Church of Latter Day Saints" but meant to say the Fundamentalist Church of Latter-day Saints.
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
 

Ep. 6 - Stories Untold feat. Krysta Hope

Experience the tug of nostalgia but be careful, sinister truths await you in the hearts of the analog devices in Stories Untold...
Developed by No Code and published by Devolver Digital, Stories Untold is an experimental narrative-driven horror game, told over the course of 4 distinct episodes.
In the sixth episode of No Small Games, Kate and Emily welcome their first ever special guest, Krysta Hope aka HopingForHorrror, to chat about and review Stories Untold. The three discuss their history with the horror genre, what their boundaries are, and what scares them the most. Join the No Small Games hosts and special guest for thoughtful discussions, lots of laughs, and Siri-induced jumpscares.
Episode Timecodes
Weekly Boss Battles ✦ 00:04:20
Stories Untold Game Review ✦ 00:30:42
Stories Untold Spoilers ✦ 01:19:20
Episode 7 Game Announcement ✦ 01:56:26
Meet our Guest
Krysta Hope, your favorite final girl, is a horror content creator bringing cute and creepy vibes to your timeline! In her videos, she features horror video games, movies, TV and other media. Best of all, Krysta always brings her thoughtful and witty HopingForHorror-brand perspective to the horror space.
Follow Krysta on the following platforms:
TikTok
Instagram
Twitter
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

Bonus - Wholesome Direct 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
 

Bonus - Pride

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
 

Ep. 5 - Terra Nil

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

Ep. 4 - One Hand Clapping

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

Ep. 3 - Hundred Days

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

Bonus - Indie World Showcase

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