#Beachstickball

[hardcoregamer]

10 Best Minigames In Video Games

There are quite a few games out there that are so confident their core gameplay is a smash hit that they will assign resources elsewhere to create games within their games. Game-ception, if you will. These games tend to be fun distractions that range from quick little asides to full-scale complex tactical wars, and most of them have more polish than they have any right to.

Take a look!

[callmearcturus]

Played A Short Hike using my Odin and Game Pass. It was REALLY cute! I liked the fact you can, just... pick how kind you'd like to be. Wanna play beachstickball? wanna help find this headband? wanna water sprouts? it's all up to you.

Scrollin thru to see what I should play next.

[noppythepon]

A Short Hike Review

Reviewpon time so soon? Well I did just go on a Short Hike :D

This game is a gem. Its short, its sweet, and had me smiling constantly. It is the definition of a wholesome game that just warms the heart. Its an open world game with one goal, get to the top of the island, but along the way there are a lot of things you can do (fishing, boating, beachstickball, and more) but the game never pushes you towards any of them. The entire time, what you do, when you do it, and how you do it, are all up to you. The music is very good and just flying around is satisfying as all heck. I genuinely struggle to think of any faults for the game aside from how short it is, but even that is a strength with giving you a game that doesn't overstay its welcome.

I give it ten gold feathers out of ten, everyone should play it.

[willows-and-clouds]

played a short hike today ❤️

didn’t finish it because i got distracted by gliding around the island and… beachstickball!

[sammybloo]

[ID: Screenshots of the game A Short Hike. Claire has driven the speed boat onto the Volleyball/Beachstickball Court. The young bird you can play against says, "alright i forgot one more rule / NO BOATS ON COURT! / get that thing outta here!" End ID]

[sapphirecrook]

I got 36 points with such ease I figured I'd treasure the moment by shaking off the post-inktober rust. Oof. On the plus side, my physical exercises and Chinese are getting better. Also buy A Short Hike it's great: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1055540/A_Short_Hike/

[scwamer]

BEACHSTICKBALL!!!

[blookmallow]

A Short Hike is rly cute... i dont have a lot to say about it but its a very pleasant experience. a rly nice vibe. i havent Done Everything but i feel like ive done enough exploring to know my way around/done most of the main objectives except the races 

heres a couple things

this is very... aminal crossing

fuck yes i found a graveyard 

I WAS JOKINGLY LIKE ‘haha im gonna dig up the graves’ BUT THEN I ACTUALLY DUG UP BONES FSJDG IM SO SORRY 

we stan a they/them champion racer turtle 

this poor guy is a mess and i dont know what to do for him fsdgj

he said a fish ate his camping permit so im guessing i probably need to catch the fish in question but i have no leads on where it might be and i... dont like fishing,

ive done it

i love it up here and the flight down is so good. this game is serotonin machine

i love games like this that are just genuinely fun to play around in, like. even if im not Doing anything, flying around the island is just Fun

i think my only minor issues are i wish there was a map, i get lost a lot and i know The Explore/stumbling on things is part of the fun but if im trying to figure out where a specific thing was i just get stuck wandering for ages bc i cant remember the trails and. i have a compass but knowing which way north is doesn’t really help me. im trying to find that one beach with the beachstickball court i dont care where north is 

like that really only helps if you already know which way you’re going, 

i think maybe like a note pad where you keep notes about things to accomplish/tasks people give you might help too, like you can mostly figure them out through. looking at the stuff in your inventory and talking to people again but i forget things 

anyway this game is really cute and good would recommend 

[fridge-reviews]

Mini Games 5

The criteria for this is very simple, all of these games can be completed in three hours or under (without using exploits etc). The reason for this? Well I find that sometimes, often in fact, that people just don't have time to play a longer game. So I thought I'd show some of the shorter ones some love!

GNOG

Developer: KO_OP Publisher: Doublefine Productions Rrp: £7.19 (Steam) £7.99 (Epic) £8.08 (Humblebundle) Released: 17th July 2018

Puzzle games have always been something I've enjoyed, I just find it relaxing to sit down and try and work my way through a problem that has no consequences if I get it wrong. This game very much embraces that idea.

You work your way through several monster faces, clicking, twisting and pulling on whatever reacts until you discover what the actual puzzle is and how to solve it. Typically this doesn't take too long, for me it was typically about twenty minutes for each face. Its a very colourful and whimsical game with some great uplifting music that you get as a reward for completing a puzzle.

I do have one issue with it which is its clear to me that this game was designed with VR in mind and that being able to use a mouse was something added on later. This is evident from the way that the game reacts to mouse movement, for example turning a dial feels very imprecise because of a lack of feedback.

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A Short Hike

Developer: Adamgryu Publisher: Adamgryu Rrp: £5.79 (Gog.com, Steam and Epic) Released: 30th July 2019

This game is perhaps one of the most relaxed games I've played in a long time. You have one sole goal, to get to the top of a mountain. You'll need to do a few quests first before you can do it but once you've got those covered the whole things takes about twenty minutes? Maybe a little less. The thing is there are plenty of other things you can do on the way that will net you some rewards. Like playing the hit new game beachstickball, or running in a race.

I really enjoyed my time with this game, something nice and relaxed with no loss condition whatsoever. I will admit that I changed the graphics settings to one that was not recommended because the default style was incredibly pixilated and I much prefer the polygonal look.

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Framed Collection

Developer: Loveshack Enterainment Publisher: Fellow Traveller Rrp: £7.19 (Steam) £7.20 (Humblebundle) Released: 17th May 2018

The Framed Collection is the reason I check through my discovery queue on steam regularly. You never know what interesting game will pop up. In the case of this one it was the visuals that convinced me to get it, I've always had an attraction to the comic book art style (which is part of the reason I own a comic book store) and this game makes great use not only of the style but of the convention of the comic book 'frame'.

In this game you manipulate the comic book frames on screen in order to get your character through a series of challenges successfully. Sometimes this is as simple as rearranging them into a order so that your character isn't caught by the police and in others it can mean reorientating them so that the character takes different path entirely. There are even a few that involve you having to time when to swap frames out and reuse them.

This title is definitely worth looking into although I will admit it does seem a bit pricey given the length. That being said it seems to appear on sale pretty often.

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Elegy for a Dead World

Developer: Dejobaan Games LLC, Popcannbal Publisher: Dejobaan Games Rrp: £10.99 (Steam) Released: 10th December 2014

This game is... well its a writing prompt game. I'm not sure how else to put it really, you get to wander the landscape of a world and depending on what kind of person you are document it, or write it a eulogy or even just write prose. It's such an interesting idea, and what makes it even more interesting is that what you write is shared with the world. It gets added to a archive of stories and creations, you can see how other people viewed what you witnessed and had a totally different perspective.

Another thing that makes this quite laudable is the fact that it has an... educational mode, of sorts. When you enter a world you get to pick whether you want a writing prompt, to fill in a blank, have a totally blank canvas to work with or do the grammar mode where you practise your grammar. I admit it I'm impressed on multiple levels. By the creativity of the team who made the game with their beautiful backgrounds and with what the community itself has created.

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Pinstripe

Developer: Atmos Games Publisher: Armor Games Studios Rrp: £10.99 (Steam) £12.22 (Humblebundle) Released: 25 April 2017

I bought this game with the intention of giving it go after seeing Jim Sterling highlight it... that was two years ago, which should give anyone reading this just how long a backlog I have. However I have to say it was well worth the wait as I enjoyed my time with it immensely, enough to go back and run through the New Game plus mode.

The game put me in mind of old school Tim Burton films (specifically Beetlejuice) because even though it has a wonderfully whimsical and somewhat childlike aesthetic there is a dark undertone for those that care to scratch beyond the surface.

As puzzle platformers go this one is very good, the controls feel good and the puzzles aren't overly complex, though if you have trouble or just really want to get on with the story the developers have put a walkthrough on their website.

[noahnelson4]

Beautiful Escapism in A Short Hike

 GAME STORY & COMMENTARY

Driving through dusk towards Hawk Peak Provincial Park, Claire is awaiting an eminent phone call, a scene very reminiscent of personal family trips which disconnected teenage me and my then new, months-old budding romantic relationship. Upon arrival, Aunt May informs Claire that the only place with reception is the top of Hawk Peak. Thus begins Claire’s short hike.

Without a map, guide or an in-game golden arrowed path to follow, you trek as Claire whose goal is to reach Hawk Peak’s summit. But, just as the island’s winds shift and flow, Claire’s attention fluctuates from that important phone call to living in the moment, disguised as talking with locals, helping new friends, learning the patience of fishing, soaring over beautiful vistas, racing parkour-style to lighthouses, playing beachstickball--- overall, getting lost in the journey.

As I progressed further and further up the mountain by collecting golden feathers (which serve as Claire’s growing stamina), I found more and more ways not to reach the summit. I wanted to soak in every second of Claire’s short hike by letting Mark Sparling’s enchantingly cute musical score seep in and out of each enticing lagoon, plateau and cave that I discovered. Each step I took and every conversation I had felt grounded in real life moments of spontaneity, creativity and life. The characters I met all spoke with conviction and charm, leaking light and joy into every minute of gameplay.

Upon summiting Hawk Peak, the feeling of cherishment for all the new experiences that led me here was delicate and breathtaking. The moments that follow Claire’s arrival at Hawk Peak’s peak flip the script in ways that are simple, yet profound and deeply touching as Claire, the teenage bird I thought I was playing as, shook her feathers to reveal who she really is.

GAME MECHANICS

WHAT I LIKED

A Short Hike has a minimal approach to style, story and graphics that extent to direction, HUD and menus. This approach fed to the simplistic, laid-back feeling of the story and gameplay in an engaging, present way. The camera angles take a few moments to get used to, but are handled in a way that the player doesn’t have to fuss with “am I looking the right way” or “why can’t I see that right”. Instead, the game offers angles that compliment every side of Hawk Peak Park for you. The hoping, climbing, running and gliding that improve with the collection of golden feathers play into who Claire is to the player. At first, I was hesitant to glide and climb, not knowing the island and still being unfamiliar with Claire, but as I grew more comfortable and collected more golden feathers, I was able to spread my wings and soar all over Hawk Peak Park with ease and pleasure, fully acclimated to my location and Claire’s character.

SUGGESTED IMPROVEMENTS

Upon completion of the game, the map of the island that I had in my head was well built, but I wish there was an in-game map that could be used to better navigate undiscovered sections of the world as they were found. Also, I would have loved to have dug up an old camera or have Aunt May give me a camera (with old pictures already on it possibly) at the end of the game. It would have been really special to pull out the camera while in a particularly scenic section and see what the world looks like through Claire’s eyes. Plus, it would make for a great photo mode.

CONCLUSION

Like all hikes that I have been on whether short or long, the joy is not in the destination, but in the journey. A Short Hike is a lovely reminder to take life breath for breath, step by step. Go at your own pace and enjoy the moments of escapism around you. This is a game that I will always have in my back pocket if I’m ever in need of a little short hike. 

A Short Hike is available now on Nintendo Switch or Steam.