I don’t know why I get geeky for games come fall.
Maybe it’s because a lot of big tentpole game releases release come autumn.
Maybe it’s because the weather gets colder and that means come night it’s time to hunker down under a blanket with a bottle of liquor, no pants, and an Xbox controller.
Maybe it’s because I’ve been preprogrammed by our alien overlords to feel this way.
Whatever.
Point is, I’m kinda hankering for games.
So. Make some recommendations.
Consider:
I have an Xbox 360.
I have a Mac.
I have iPhone / iPad.
Bonus points if you throw in the consideration of:
I do not have a metric buttload of time. Between the baby, the puppy, and, oh yeah, this whole writing thing, I always have less time than I expect when it comes to committing to games. So, any game recommendation is good, but games that require a reduced time commitment are even awesomer.
Also: feel free to recommend stuff coming out that I am not yet aware of.
Let the rec’s begin.
Alex Kane says:
Halo 4 comes out in November. Only game I’m buying in the foreseeable future–the Halo games have always been good, with the exception of maybe Halo 3: ODST, which was more of a slopped-together campaign expansion than a game in its own right.
Bungie and 343 Studios know how to tell a story, and they know how to make it fun as hell to experience, as well.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 looks pretty cool, but I doubt I’ll bother with it. Like you, my gaming time is limited.
October 1, 2012 — 12:57 AM
Danielle says:
Have you played Deadly Premonition for the 360? It’s…. unusual. It’s basically Twin Peaks: the video game. You play ridiculously eccentric FBI Special Agent Francis York Morgan as he wanders around a small town in Washington trying to solve the murder of Anna Graham. It’s got some really shitty shooting sections that put people off, since your first real introduction to the game is through one of them, but where it really shines is the open world and bizarre sense of humour. The story is really good, but it could be awful and I’d still like it because York is legitimately one of the best characters in video games ever.
Being open world how much time it takes to do is really up in the air. I think it’d take over 20 hours to 100%? I spent about 18 or so in it, if I recall correctly. Which I’m not entirely sure I do, it’s been a while.
If you’re still not really sure or want to check it out before hand, there’s an amazing let’s play of it over on SA that convinced me (and many others) to buy it in the first place: http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3368004
I also don’t remember if you’ve played Bastion or not but I feel like you must’ve because everyone has, and it was in the previous Humble Indie Bundle, and it’s amazing. I’m pretty sure it’s for Mac and it’s definitely for XBLA, so if you haven’t played it yet you should definitely check it out. It’s a fun beat-up style RPG for kids about apocalypse and genocide. That’s all I should have to say but I should also mention that the art, voice acting, and music are all amazing, and it takes about 8 hours to beat.
October 1, 2012 — 12:58 AM
David says:
Oh, wow, I am up too late. Okay, here are some games I’d recommend:
Angry Birds Trilogy: This just came out on the XBox, and collects the first three Angry Birds games in one high-def package. It’s a very casual, pick-up-and-play game with a minimal time investment (if you don’t get hooked).
Transformers: War for Cybertron: Probably the best interpretation of the Transformers, ever. Which won’t matter if you don’t like the franchise, but if you do, the game is a winner, and available on the cheap now that the sequel is out. The single-player campaign is fairly short, and autosaves, so you won’t need to spend too much time per sitting to make progress.
Borderlands 2: Start with World of Warcraft. Cel-shade it. Set it in the future. Throw in a sick sense of humor. Then turn the whole thing into a shooter. Good times. You can be killing a midget riding a monkey within an hour and a half. And, again, it likes to autosave, so you can drop out when you need to.
October 1, 2012 — 1:05 AM
Elijah Kaine says:
I can’t recommend Faster Than Light enough. It’s a strategy game that’s really low maintenance graphics wise but is so very very smart about the way it handles game play. It’s though as nails too. Seriously the game will beat you up and keep you coming back for more. It’s might remind you a bit of old school arcade games, or maybe star trek. There’s a lot of space combat.
Really what it’s good at though is forcing you into making tough choices. It’s what makes games like Civilization 5 so addictive. The game doesn’t allow you to back track, or reload saves, and doesn’t even expect you to be able to beat the game the first time through. You can save and quit anytime and it’s easy to just save the game if you need to bounce really quick.
Really give it a try, if your a strategy person and you like harder games that don’t hand things to the player just for playing the game.
http://store.steampowered.com/app/212680/
October 1, 2012 — 1:49 AM
Elijah Kaine says:
Also of course there’s XCom Enemy Unknown coming out from Fraxis. Turn based, squad tactics games that might feel a little bit like Table Top War Games.
I don’t think there going to have a Mac version but they will have a Xbox 360 version, and it’s already been well received in the way it handles playing a strategy game on the console. Fraxis are the same guys who did Civilization: Revolution on the Console and managed to make it extreamly playable.
Also, while the compelling game play might keep you glued to the console, I find saving and walking away in turn based games much easier then say a first-person shooter. Comes out Oct 9th for 360, PlayStation 3 and PC.
October 1, 2012 — 1:53 AM
Jeff Ellis says:
Telltale Games’s The Walking Dead. You can purchase the game for Mac through Steam for $25. This includes the first three episodes, as well as the next two episodes upon their release.
I was up until 6 this morning completing Episodes One and Two. It’s an adventure game akin to The Secret of Monkey Island or the Myst series (walk around, click on stuff until something happens, refer to said gameplay as “solving puzzles”) but with a choose-your-own-adventure twist. Every choice you make in the game changes the story dramatically.
As a writer and a gamer, I think you will really enjoy it. I know I do.
October 1, 2012 — 3:30 AM
Samuel says:
For the XBox 360 I’d like to suggest Borderlands 2, since the dialogue is hilarious, the world is pleasing to look and it the game-play is just well… fun! It won’t win any awards for challenging preconceptions or changing culture, but it’s damned fun to play and so long as it gives you jollies, right? Aside from mashing my ham-fists into the keyboard in an effort to produce something publishable, that’s what’s been consuming most of my time anyway.
For the computer though, you can’t go far wrong with Minecraft. It sort of has a Marmite effect on people, (ya either love it or ya just flat out hate it), but it’s relatively easy to pick up and you can switch it on and off when you like. There’s no story as such, since it basically relies on you building whatever you like, so time commitment is nil until you decide you want to make a blocky fortress/hovel/palace/luminescent space-wang, and then you only have to play for as long as you like.
October 1, 2012 — 4:06 AM
Susan Spann says:
While we have a Playstation, a WII, and a pair of XBox360s, I haven’t had time to touch them in years (my husband and son, however, use them regularly). My personal gaming addiction (World of War-crack) DOES require a metric butt-ton of time, so I’ll just leave the recommendations to someone with a bit more savvy for those who might need to put the controller down if the baby decides to try and eat the puppy.
October 1, 2012 — 4:12 AM
Fraser Alexander says:
Seconding FTL: Faster Than Light and Deadly Premonition. You’ll get a real kick out of both.
One recommendation I’d throw in would be Project Zomboid, which is an isometric Zombie survival RPG, which is to say, a fucking awesome zombie game. You can download it for Mac through the developer’s website, or through Desura, and it’s coming to Steam soon too.
There’s so much atmosphere and depth to the gameplay, but it’s not much of a time sink, because like FTL it features permadeath. And you aren’t going to live very long. But while you do, you’ll be cracking skulls and knee-deep in tainted brain slushies. It’s a good life.
October 1, 2012 — 4:32 AM
Robin says:
Have you played Limbo? It’s a rather small but crazy wonderful game, and perfect for fall. I played it on PS3, but it’s available on Xbox 360 as well. It’s a downloadable, and only 9.99 I think.
It’s a sort of fairy tale scary adventure, side-scrolling 2D platform game, mostly made up of shadows and silhouettes. I strongly recommend it.
October 1, 2012 — 5:53 AM
Asylos says:
Have you seen Dishonored? Xbox game, comes out next week. It’s going to be mission based so it should be able to be done in bits. I recommend looking it up on YouTube. There is a series of Tales from Dunwall story intros to the world.
October 1, 2012 — 7:17 AM
Kate Haggard says:
Seconding Bastion, FTL, and Dishonored. The first is arguably one of the most beautiful games ever made, down to the last detail. To the point you’ll buy the soundtrack and listen to it over and over again. The second is simply elegant and addictive. I’ll get back to you on the third next week.
For Mac/iPad – I dunno. If you haven’t played Plants vs Zombies by now, what’s wrong with you?
October 1, 2012 — 7:29 AM
Frank Cote says:
Dear GOD stay AWAY from FTL!!!! You’ll never write again!
It is a very addictive game.
The pro: The games are relatively quick. It’s a rogue-like. You CAN save at most times.
The con: It’s a GOOD rogue-like. While the games are quick, you’ll be tempted to play a lot of them.
Play at your own peril.
Outside of that Torchlight 2 has been pretty awesome so far. Someone above mentioned Transformers and I’d like to second that as well.
October 1, 2012 — 8:18 AM
D says:
http://slendergame.com/
October 1, 2012 — 8:24 AM
Tami says:
I saw a Borderlands 2 up there … I recommend picking up Borderlands 1 first, if you haven’t. Not because 2 is any less fun if you haven’t done 1 yet, but because 1 is SO MUCH FUN and it’s really cheap right now AND you can get it with all the DLC.
And you want the DLC.
Okay, to be honest? You really only want Dr. Ned’s Zombie Island, because that was quite possibly better than the original game was. I was laughing so hard I missed most of the Frankenbill fight. So, so good.
And I recommend it also because you can absolutely do little nibbles of quest bits, or just run out and hit a few of your favorite red chest locations and then stop. The story isn’t very deep (it’s decent, just … not too confusing) so you won’t get lost in “where was I again?”
And who doesn’t love painting their tires red with Skag blood?
Most of the little icky bits from 1 are fixed in 2 (such as a growing hatred of red rocks as background and heavy-on-the-back-end pacing for the story) but 1 was a helluva ride, with great music.
XB0X is what we played, but I know plenty of folks who played it on the PC. Aiming might be easier on PC, but even I got used to it on the XBOX and I’m not normally an FPS sorta gal.
Bonus points if you have a spouse who also likes to play, because you can play split screen local co-op and it doesn’t suck.
For iphone/ipad, Dragonvale is surprisingly good and simple and you could probably play it with the kid. (not the puppy, alas. There are games for pets, but mostly cats, methinks) You’ve got a park and you raise dragons and decorate. Simple, but after a while it gets to be a lot of fun to try and get one of EVERY kind of dragon (and they have limited-time dragons as well). It’s colorful and fun and very kid- and adult-who-is-kid friendly.
October 1, 2012 — 8:55 AM
Tami says:
Oops, one more recommendation. If you haven’t played the original Bioshock, there’s a reason it’s considered one of the best games ever made.
It, however, DOES have a deep storyline. You can absolutely log in and play for just a while, but you may be required to remember a few important names and why you’re doing X, Y, or Z. On the upside, if you’re ever lost, you can just follow the arrow to your quest objective.
Fantastic steampunky ambiance with zombies and a wonderfully twisty story.
October 1, 2012 — 8:57 AM
Emma Newman says:
Borderlands 2 when you want violence. Might and Magic Clash of Heroes when you want a simple yet captivating puzzle/strategy game that is easy to dip in and out of. And if you get into it, we could duel each other online :oD
October 1, 2012 — 9:04 AM
Peter Newman says:
Several people have mentioned Borderlands. That’s because it’s brilliant! You want it, you want it so bad! You may just not have realised it yet. A word of caution though: it’s way more fun with friends (not a problem for you though, right?). It supports local and online coop. So you can play with a pal on the couch like in the good old days or not if you prefer.
October 1, 2012 — 9:05 AM
terribleminds says:
I’ve got Borderlands (first), not the sequel.
Thanks for the rec’s so far!
Keep ’em coming!
— c.
October 1, 2012 — 9:06 AM
Wendy Wagner says:
For a short, rather eerie game, I recommend Limbo. You can beat it in about 3 hours and it’s beautiful and fun.
October 1, 2012 — 9:07 AM
Mike says:
I really need to go with Xcom as well. The individual missions are not that long, but the big picture of the game is something that will make you want to come back. there is real suspense. it engages the brain and provides thrills http://www.xcom.com/enemyunknown/
October 1, 2012 — 9:12 AM
Andrija Popovic says:
Borderlands 2: Start with World of Warcraft. Cel-shade it. Set it in the future. Throw in a sick sense of humor. Then turn the whole thing into a shooter. Good times. You can be killing a midget riding a monkey within an hour and a half. And, again, it likes to autosave, so you can drop out when you need to.
I can’t recommend Borderlands 2 enough. There are very few games where crazed psychos charge you, axes raised, screaming “PLUTO’S NOT A PLANET ANYMORE!” I’ve literally died laughing.
October 1, 2012 — 9:13 AM
Quinn says:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X304VLvnlDc
WELCOME TO THE LEAGUEEEEEEEE OF WENDIGGGGGGGG.
League of Lends will rock your Man Bear Pig Scrotum off. Is it fun? Yeah. Are the games short? Fuck yeah. One game of League takes anywhere from twenty minutes to an hour long, but they’re usually no longer than 40 minutes.
LoL is a MOBA style game with a lot to offer. Although there is leveling involved, I’ve found that it’s a fulfilling game with a lot to offer. There are five different roles to play. Along with the five roles there are over a hundred Champions that you may also play. Even better, it’s free to play, so you don’t have to go out and drop $50 on a game.
I suggest you play Draven. He has an awesome stache and a sexy voice–kinda like you! There are many bearded men, however, so the choice is up to you.
Mostly, I want you to play this because then I’d have an excuse to level my smurf.
Did I mention that I could teach you how to play?
HUEHUEHUEEUE.
October 1, 2012 — 9:19 AM
Quinn says:
WOW I REPEATED MYSELF SO MUCH I CAN’T TYPE FOR SHIT THIS EARLY.
FAK U WENDIG. YOU’RE A MEANIE.
October 1, 2012 — 9:22 AM
Chris Stonebender says:
+2 for Borderlands 2. But scratch that “It’s like WoW” thing. You can enjoy the shit out of it playing alone, and you can pick up a quick mission or a long involved one and either way if it turns out twenty minutes is all you have, then just like David said, the thing loves autosaving AND it’ll save upon quitting as well.
October 1, 2012 — 9:25 AM
Jeff Clough says:
“Minecraft” and “Europa Universalis III” tend to do it for me. Minecraft is pretty much my goto game of choice, because there’s generally something I can do in it regardless of my mood or the time I have.
October 1, 2012 — 9:35 AM
aut0poietic says:
++ Borderlands 2 — just lost an entire weekend to it.
Adding to that Darksiders 2, which I passed over on release, and now can’t stop playing. War was a lot of fun, powering your way through hordes of enemies. Death is the main character in this one and where War was a bruiser, Death is fast and acrobatic. Oh, and Death’s an asshole.
Another that’s easy to work your way through a piece of a puzzle, then shut it down and pick back up later.
October 1, 2012 — 9:37 AM
Bobby says:
I’ll second the Walking Dead recommendation. If you like the TV or comic book series, then you’ll love these games, which take place during the beginning of the zombie apocalypse with a separate group. Telltale has already released 3 of the 5 “monthly” episodes. They run about 3 hours or so a piece. Simply an amazing Choose-Your-Own-Adventure where every decision and conversation factors into your personalized story.
October 1, 2012 — 10:04 AM
Tim says:
I’m also seconding Dishonored. It’s _the_ big, exciting release this fall. I’ll also add my voice to Bastion (totally lovely) and Deadly Premonition (which is utterly insane, right Zach?). Bioshock and Minecraft, if you missed ’em, are both very influential and powerful. Dwarf Fortress has a reputation for having a learning cliff rather than a learning curve, but the emergent stories and mayhem are hilarious.
Finally, to offer something new, I’m currently getting a lot of fun out of Guild Wars 2. It’s the most civilised and casual-friendly MMO I’ve ever seen, and their pricing model — buy the box, no monthly fee, broadly irrelevant real-money shop — is extremely forgiving.
October 1, 2012 — 10:15 AM
Anthony Laffan says:
Most of these are just confirmations of other people’s recommendations.
Borderlands 2: I’ve been playing this on and off since launch. While it isn’t a “short” game, it is very easy to put down and go back into. There is plot, enough to keep you interested in things and even at times to make you go “but what happens next?!” but there is also the sense that you can just play when, and how, you want. I’ve been going through as Zero the alien/robot/cyborg/whatever ninja guy and it’s been a lot of fun. October 16th marks the release of the “Mechromancer” and I can’t wait to give her a shot.
Faster Than Light: Damn this game, damn this game so hard. It is so quick, so hard, and yet I can’t stop playing it. If you let your writer brain work while you play you will find yourself spinning epic yarns about your crew. I was sad when my pilot Aya died just 2 jumps away from completing the mission she had sacrificed so much to achieve. I laughed when my new mantis crew member took personal revenge on the entire enemy crew by himself. Good times. best part, it is generally short enough that you can do things like “phew, burned through X words in 45 minutes, I’ll reward myself with a quick jaunt of FTL and then back to writing for as long as that game lasted” and it works.
Dishonored looks neat but isn’t out yet so I can’t recommend it. I am expecting disappointment but only because they seem to really be pushing the “go through this mission how you want” style of gameplay which usually means a lot of effort goes into content you don’t see and that shortens the overall experience. Course, replayability is good too.
League of Legends…I don’t know if I want to recommend this. I mean, for you, maybe. You might learn some new ways to curse. The community is downright toxic, the game has a steep learning curve at first, and the tutorial is pretty much divine punishment on you for trying to learn their game. However, if you get into the game (and mute everyone else) you can have a lot of fun. It does Free 2 Play right (no selling power!) has a lot of characters, and I’ve had hundreds of hours of fun playing it. However, like all F2P games it WILL try to entice you to drop the mortgage into it on a monthly basis, and while games may only be 20-40 minutes long you can’t pause – or leave – during that time which makes it bad if you have an infant that needs tending to right the fuck now. Maybe when Bdub is older and not as prone to needing constant vigilance, or just when the wife is home and you still sneak away for an hour or so. That said, the characters and lore can be quite a source for inspiration and the community has a lot of good parts too.
October 1, 2012 — 11:33 AM
J.C. Hutchins says:
Vanquish: This thing is bananas. Imagine a third-person cover-based shooter like Gears of War, but on rocket-powered roller skates. Slick, speedy, just bonkers. Also: Far less dudebro chest-thumping. Doesn’t take itself too seriously. From Platinum Games, the crazy people behind Bayonetta. It came out in 2010, so you can pick it for a song.
Saints Row The Third: It’s GTA as written by lunatics, shoved through a Crazytron. This open world crime game is bonkers. Instead of taking itself so-very-seriously (as open world crime games often do), Saints Row 3 understands that *it’s a game,* that anything is possible, and players like to do impossible, crazy things.
Dust: An Elysian Tail: An XBLA game, well worth the money. A brilliantly designed 2D platformer with incredible art design. It’s like Metroid or Castelvania, but with talking animals. This is MUCH cooler than it sounds. Fun, exploratory gameplay.
Mark of the Ninja: Holy crap-on-a-cracker, this game is sooo good. Another XBLA game. Another 2D platformer, but with an unlikely twist: It’s a *stealth* platformer. Can you navigate obstacle- and guard-filled spaces without being spotted, or killing anyone? If you *do* choose to kill someone, can you do it silently? Slick design, terrific controls, great skill trees. You absolutely must download the demo to get a sense of this game.
Spec Ops: The Line: This is a third-person shooter in which you spend a lot of time shooting people in the face. I’m tired of shooting people in the face. But it does some very interesting things with tone and narrative. It’s the first game I’ve played that doesn’t celebrate the war you’re making, but instead showcases its horror and emotional destruction. I found it to be a psychologically harrowing experience.
October 1, 2012 — 11:44 AM
terribleminds says:
@JC —
You are the bee’s knees.
And I think I really need to play Saint’s Row The Third. If only because of the HOLY APESHIT factor. I need that factor. I need it.
— c.
October 1, 2012 — 11:54 AM
terribleminds says:
Things:
Anybody play FEZ?
Also — I’m a total Minecraft nerd. In fact, the wife even plays it with me. But we’re waiting for the XBOX adventure update before delving back in. I hear it’s “any day now,” but I’ve been hearing that for weeks.
— c.
October 1, 2012 — 11:55 AM
terribleminds says:
Oh! And both DISHONORED and FTL sound up my alley…
— c.
October 1, 2012 — 11:55 AM
Barry Napier says:
SLENDER
It’s free and you can download it in like 3 mins. It’s a super simple game but it hooked me. And it’s creepy as hell and you can beat it in like 8 minutes…after much trying, of course.
October 1, 2012 — 11:56 AM
Tom Crosby says:
Came here to recommend Borderlands 2, appears I don’t need to because everyone else is doing such a great job. So yeah, go with that.
October 1, 2012 — 11:59 AM
Robert says:
Braid .. I can’t describe it as anything other than a fantastic experience.. it’s arcade, it’s not expensive and it will have you saying “this is fucking impossible,” it will have you saying, “this is fucking brilliant,” and it will have you saying “oh, of course.. How stupid of me.”
October 1, 2012 — 12:05 PM
Lee Collins says:
I’ll second the Saints Row: the Third rec. Only just picked it up, but it is as described.
-Nier: mind-blowing action RPG that sadly received very little press. Characters, story, setting, and music are all superb. A few frustrating bits (ball-mashing puzzle temple, sometimes-awkward battles), but overall a completely worthwhile experience. Also has fantastic replay value due to added exposition on subsequent playthroughs.
October 1, 2012 — 12:07 PM
J.C. Hutchins says:
@Chuck: I’ve got FEZ. I really liked the whimsy of it, and the perspective-changing mechanic — some fun brainbending platforming comes from that. It’s worth downloading the demo, if only to see that mechanic in action.
I started to lose interest at the place where most folks probably leaned forward: I began to realize the game was something much more than a platformer — it was far deeper and complex than what I was expecting. Hidden shit. Nosebleed-inducing puzzles. Secret languages. It’s like you’re Mario trying to talk to God or something.
Too much for my wee brain and cramped schedule … but I’ve read that it’s a masterpiece.
October 1, 2012 — 12:07 PM
Chelsea says:
Assassin’s Creed III will be out in November!
October 1, 2012 — 12:12 PM
Mark H says:
Another recommendation for FTL. Great game, relatively short but challenging enough to keep me coming back. Lots of different ships to play and things to unlock, too. I kickstarted it earlier this year and I’m very pleased with the result.
October 1, 2012 — 12:18 PM
lgvazquez says:
Guild Wars 2… a top notch MMO, no monthly fee, and friendly players. OH, and they have a Mac client (even though I bootleg w/ Windows 7)
October 1, 2012 — 12:33 PM
P. Kirby says:
Hubby and I are currently working our way through Borderlands 2 and loving it. Of course, we played our way through Borderlands 1 a few times with different characters.
Looking forward to Halo 4 and Gears of War 4, although the latter isn’t coming out until 2013, I think.
Platform=Xbox
October 1, 2012 — 12:40 PM
Shiri Sondheimer says:
I try to avoid electronic games because I get sucked in and spend all of my free time effing around on them BUT there’s a great card game called Dominion we play with friends live AND there’s a Droid (and probably iPhone) version. As much or little strategy as you want, as much or little time as you want.
October 1, 2012 — 2:25 PM
Andrew jack says:
The Room on iOS is a really nice, creepy little puzzler. One review described it as “imagine the necronomicon was a puzzle box.”
October 1, 2012 — 2:42 PM
Eric Abarbanell says:
I’ve had my time devoured by Thief 2 recently. It’s an old game that Good old Games has rereleased… sheer sneaky medieval fun.
Also, Galactic Civ 2. Another older game, couple years old, but a fun ride, like Master of Orion with a much more cunning AI. you can finish a smaller game in a single evening, too, and it’s turnbased so it’s great for playing a few turns between writing binges.
October 1, 2012 — 4:33 PM
Ancalime says:
Literally every time anyone asks for game recs I recommend Saboteur, a 2009 game from Pandemic. It’s so much fun, and so stylish — you play an Irish racecar driver-turned-freedom fighter in Nazi-occupied Paris during WWII. The music is perfectly retro, the depiction of Paris is gorgeous (occupied areas start out in a stark black/white/red/yellow palette, blooming into full color when you raise spirits enough), and it has what I think is a fantastic ending. It also flew tragically under the radar, so you should be able to pick it up for cheap.
October 1, 2012 — 5:08 PM
wickedmurph says:
Download Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup. Free roguelike. It will eat your still-living soul. The number of times that the game has made me turn off the computer and storm out of the room are as numberless as the stars. And like a black hole it keeps me coming back.
October 1, 2012 — 6:52 PM
thenoirguy says:
I recommend Alan Wake if you haven’t played it. It’s about a writer shooting things he created in the face with guns and flashlights. Also you can pick it up for less than 20$ by now. Also also, the campaign should take you 8-10 hours. It’s engrossing and the time flies by pretty quickly. There’s also a semi-sequel, American Nightmare, that I haven’t played but looks fun on xbox live.
I also recommend the dead space series. It’s like resident evil 4 but in space. Both are less than 20$ and both are 10-12 hours of solid gameplay alien zombie shooting fun.
And indy games: World of Goo(for ipad) is very addictive and pretty short and Bindings of Isaac is fucked-up beyond recognition with a great soundtrack and can be short or long depending on your skill level.
And hey, have you heard of Slender?
October 1, 2012 — 8:26 PM
kacynielsen says:
I know roguelikes can certainly scratch that gaming itch. They’re cheap, addicting, and it’s easy to walk away from them in sheer contempt after confronting that icy queen known as permadeath. Afterwards you can get some good writing done.
FTL is the new one on the scene, and definitely worth checking out, so I’ll back it along with the others.
There’s also UnReal World. It’s a good one if you’re tired of the dungeon crawly aspect of roguelikes and need some fresh air. It takes place in Iron-Age Finland. You can trap, fish, tan hides, own pets, build shelters and cabins… hell, you can even be a hermit. There’s nothing quite as satisfying as surviving a Scandinavian winter through sheer ingenuity.
If you want more graphic fidelity, you can’t go wrong with Borderlands 2 and Dishonored. They’re safe bets if you want quality gameplay.
October 1, 2012 — 10:18 PM
Charles Tan says:
For iOS, a quick, addictive game that I play is the port of Neuroshima Hex! Plays better as an App compared to the gaming table, and the game is quickly resolved.
Depending on what you mean by reduced time commitment, Hero Academy and Outwitters are great tactical asynchronous games. Since it’s asynchronous, you can take your turn and go back to whatever work you’re doing… but it might take a few turns to resolve a game and you want a few games running in the queue. They’re fantastic turn-based strategy games though, the former incorporating some luck while the latter removing the luck factor.
October 2, 2012 — 2:30 PM
Jess Haines says:
My roommate found an excellent website yesterday that he passed on to me. Thought you might be interested, too:
http://www.gog.com
They have a ton of older PC games that you can’t necessarily find easily anywhere else these days. As soon as I wrap up my deadline, I’m totally playing Neverwinter Nights, Nox, Dungeon Keeper, and Myst again.
<3,
-J
October 2, 2012 — 3:24 PM
Christopher Robin Negelein says:
My suggestion? Some tabletop games. I am assuming you have a table under that iPad. 🙂 a lighter games for the busy father and mother like Hive (http://gen42.com/hive), Forbidden Island (http://www.barnesandnoble.com/p/toys-games-forbidden-island/19950161) and Carcassonne (http://www.riograndegames.com/games.html?id=48).
If you have company over, then Forbidden Island expands to 4 people while Carcassonne expands to 6.
You could also buy any two cheaper than a console game.
October 4, 2012 — 10:30 PM
Kevin Carpenter says:
Lots of good recommendations, but I thought I’d throw one out there that I haven’t seen yet.
Guild Wars 2.
Yes, I know you said you didn’t have a lot of time and so my god why am I suggesting an MMO to you?
Well, it’s got a Mac version (though it is currently in beta, maybe you do Bootcamp on the Mac?), it also doesn’t require a subscription fee. You buy the box (or digital copy) and you’re set.
The most important thing? It’s an MMO that’s actually fun to play, right out of the gate. What a concept, right? Killer graphics, amazing world design, some really compelling and unusual races (no generic elves or dwarves here). My favorite are the charr, who are essentially howitzer-toting werecats that live in a steampunk death star, constantly fighting off the ghosts of the human kingdom they had to vanquish to get their ancestral lands back. It’s completely amenable to solo play and there is no ‘end game’ you’re racing towards, all the fun stuff is up front.
FTL is a fun game, though it’s a little too frustration-inducing for me to get lost in it like other people seem to be able to. Especially because you really don’t know when you’re going to lose until it’s too late, even if you’re only half way through to the end. I know, it’s a Rogue-like, so it’s supposed to be frustrating, but there you go.
October 5, 2012 — 11:19 AM