No Small Games

Depart on a heartwarming and homey adventure with your bestie Bubba in Cozy Caravan. This chill management sim, developed by 5 Lives Studios , entered Early Access in May 2024. In this game, you'll travel around an adorable and picturesque countryside in a bee-drawn caravan, taking in the sights and helping out the local townsfolk. In Episode 31 of No Small Games, Esnueil (or Essy, for shot) joins...

If you love a good board game night, it might just be time to call up your friends, pop that popcorn and... fire up your PC! In this very special B-B-B-BONUS episode of No Small Games, Kate and Emily got to sit down with Chark (or alonechark, as she goes by online) to talk about digital adaptations of board games! Specifically, the NSG team got the hookup through Chark to try out the beta version...

Welcome back to the NSG Indie Game Roundup, our monthly series featuring indie games news, plus game demos and new release discussions. August was a wild month for our co-hosts, but in the end, Emily and Kate played quite a few games and demos that they're excited to share with you! From the brand new horror title Dark and Deep, to the playful music-maker ODDADA, to the cute and colorful dungeon c...

In episode 30 of No Small Games, Kate and Emily get to the bottom of what is going on in Lorelei and the Laser Eyes. You'll get the perspectives of both puzzle-positive (Emily) and puzzle-averse (Kate) players, as we dig into the core question: did Simogo make this game TOO hard? The hosts get philosophical at the end as they dig into the messages and themes of the game's story. But the biggest my...

In Episode 29 of No Small Games, our hosts are joined in their review of INDIKA by special guest OrzulsPlace, who affectionately goes by Orzul, Orzu, or Zuzu. Before they dive into the game discussion, Emily and Kate get to know Orzul better, learning about their deep connection to music and the bands they plays in. During their discussion of INDIKA, Orzul and Kate discuss their personal connectio...

Welcome back to the NSG Indie Game Roundup, our monthly series featuring indie games news, plus game demos and new release discussions. This summer continues to be hot and heavy with indie game releases, and we've got some big drops to discuss from July! Kate played Clickolding on its release day (and now will never look at a clicker counter the same way again). Emily got into the climbing mindset...

In Episode 28 of No Small Games, special guest Jen (known online as JenIsOnline) joins Kate and Emily to review the horror puzzle game, Bendy and the Ink Machine. Jen sheds light on some of the intricate lore beneath the surface of Bendy, including Alice Angel's origins and the identity of some of the cursed creatures who stalk the studios. The three discuss which chapters they enjoyed most, which...

Join Kate and Emily for episode 27 of No Small Games for their review and plot recap of Bramble: The Mountain King. You'll hear the two share their scariest moments, favorite boss fights, and overall thoughts on the Scandinavian folk adventure. PLUS, this episode features one of the biggest disagreements the two have had about a moment in a featured game! Timestamps 00:00:00 - Intro 00:08:45 - Wee...

Welcome back to the NSG Indie Game Roundup, our monthly series featuring indie games news, plus game demo and new release discussions. Our second installment of Indie Game Roundup was a whirlwind and so was the month of June! This month we're discussing Steam Next Fest, which took place from June 10-17 and featured over 1800 game demos. Next Fest is one of our favorite events of the year and we co...

What really happened at the Crow Country amusement park two years ago? Special Agent Mara Forest is on the case. We're kicking off our Scary Summer season with a review of Crow Country from SFB Games, which released earlier this year. You play as Mara, who has just arrived to investigate a missing person's case at the abandoned amusement park. The further you get into the park, the more the plot t...

This year brought us a huge showing of indie game announcements at Summer Game Fest, and we were truly blown away by the volume of exciting news delivered in the participating showcases. In this special Summer Game Fest edition of No Small Games, you'll hear our recap of our biggest highlights from these events. We're bringing you our favorites from Day of the Devs, Devolver Direct, Wholesome Dire...

Sky: Children of the Light is a cozy MMO, developed by thatgamecompany, the studio behind Journey and Flower. The game places a focus on exploration, discovery, and wholesome player interactions. Consent and cooperation are baked into engagement between players. In the latest No Small Games developer chat, Kate and Emily chatted with Amelia Razinha, Community Manager at thatgamecompany. They discu...

Introducing No Small Games' Indie Game Roundup!! A new monthly series featuring indie games news, plus game demo and new release discussions. This first installment of Indie Game Roundup is almost as jampacked with indie game news from May 2024 as the month itself! Once a month we'll now be featuring all the news that's fit to print about the games and demos we've been playing, indie game events a...

Snufkin returns after a long winter away, only to discover all is not well in Moominvalley... The musical adventure, Snufkin: Memory of Moominvalley by Hyper Games, opens with Snufkin's return, and his single-minded desire to reconnect with his dear friend Moomintroll. During the Moomins' winter hibernation, many changes have impacted the valley. The river has run dry, the grass has wilted, and od...

Henry took a summer job in the wilderness to get away from his life, but he could never have guessed what he was getting himself into... Firewatch, developed by Campo Santo, is a first-person mystery game where you play a brand new fire lookout in the wilds of Wyoming. Our main character, Henry, has left behind the rubble of his old life to pursue the solitude of the forests. His only lifeline is...

There is no problem too great for the sword of Adalia de Volador... except maybe her annoying brother and witty crush! En Garde! is a swashbuckling action adventure game with a huge helping of flourish and panache. Players fight their way through the story as vigilante hero Adalia de Volador as she tries to foil the evil Count Duke's schemes. The combat is smooth, approachable and delightfully pla...

What you see is literally what you get in Viewfinder, where players solve puzzles by bringing photographs to life. Viewfinder is a first-person puzzle adventure game that encourages the player to experiment and explore within its beautiful, surreal environments. You use photographs scattered throughout the world (or that you capture yourself) to manipulate the spaces and create brand new structure...

PAX East 2024 was huge for No Small Games and brought about many firsts for the podcast! Not only was it the team's first time at the expo, it was also Kate and Emily's first time meeting in person and first live event together. And we're bringing you along with us for our highlights from the show!  This episode is packed with our impressions of the demos we played, clips of interviews we recorded...

Trevor Hills just discovered he's the least popular star of the most popular TV show in America... and now he hast to run for his life. American Arcadia follows two protagonists: the unassuming everyman Trevor Hills and the clever, strategic, and mysterious Angela Solano. After a sending a series of shocking and surreptitious messages to get Trevor's attention, Angela reveals a truth that will tur...

Thank you to all of our listeners, guests, and supporters for making it a fantastic first year of No Small Games! In No Small Games' inaugural Yearbook Episode, we are recapping and reminiscing about the first full year of the show. Get a peek behind the curtains as Kate and Emily reflect on each season, their lessons learned and their successes, as they ventured into their first year of podcastin...

In the latest No Small Games developer chat, Kate and Emily talk with Juho about his creative process and the design and development of his latest game, Hyperdrive Inn. Juho describes the facets of his career, from journalism to R&D development, that all ultimately led him to his work in game development. The three discuss his upcoming title, and the non-linear design process behind this non-l...

Starting fresh can be hard to do, especially when your past keeps popping back up to fight you... In Thirsty Suitors, developed by Outerloop Games and published by Annapurna Interactive , you play as Jala, a young woman returning to her hometown for the first time in years. Jala is intent on moving forward after a recent big breakup, but first must rebuild the many past relationships she left in t...

Befriend both cute and formidable friends to fulfill the brutal yet rewarding role of Spirit Guide... Explore a forgotten village and it's surroundings as you help bring peace to unsettled spirits, who are longing to move on. Kena: Bridge of Spirits, developed and published by Ember Lab , features intense combat and heartfelt stories of love and loss. On a quest to find and reconnect with her fath...

Imagine a week where being accused of murder isn't the wildest thing that happened to you... because you just discovered every Greek god you had ever heard of is real. That's exactly the week that main character Grace is experiencing in the game Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical, developed by Summerfall Studios.  After a chance (or maybe fated) encounter with the muse Calliope, Grace finds herse...

Ho ho ho!! Santa came early this holiday season and he (or she) is brining us indie games! Buckle up for a very special holiday episode of No Small Games!! Kate and Emily are joined for the first ever Secret Santa Games, by guests Bo_Po and DiscoCola, the co-hosts of the indie game podcast Underplayed. The four got together for a festive Secret Santa event where all the gifts were indie games! Thi...