Short and Quick Games from Itch.io #1

Hello everyone! Here in the Short and Quick games bits we're going to talk about the short games which take less than 5 minutes to complete, or don't fit into other categories of entries that I have. Anyway, let's take a look!

 

1. Politicats

Source: Screen Capture in Game

 

Politicats is a point and click game created by Myriad Game Studios, where your job is to click on the cats in order to keep them awake enough to vote on bills passing through their cat house. The game is short, and has little real challenge or story in it, but seeing those cats in those little suits are just so dark cute. 

This game wasn’t really what I expected, and I don’t know if that is good or bad. I liked the idea of political cats, but I felt like the game was lacking in a lot of aspects. I did enjoy the graphics, although the game is short—but perhaps that is for the better? A more challenging mechanic might have made this game much better. The itch.io page for this game seems to have been removed, but you can still download it to try from the game jam page *here*

2. I Ruff You

Source: In Game Screen Capture

I Ruff You is an adorable dog to dog romance game created by So Good Games, where you are simply a dog looking for love. You start in a dog park with a few other dogs to talk to(and a squirrel). Over the course of a few days, see if you can woo your way into their heart!

The game is short, but the graphics are cute and uniquely styled, and the music is pleasant. I also thought it was cute that the dogs don’t speak English, but they bark and bow wow. However, the local squirrel speaks English! The game over all is cute, and only takes about 10 minutes to complete. You can try it free for yourself on Itch.io *here*

3. Response

 Source: Itch.io Page

 

Response is a simple game about helping others, and how you make decisions in your life. The game is created by Doombrowski, where you play as a blue guy, who looks like a cousin to purple guy from Five Nights at Freddy’s. You walk around and can help others—like getting a cat out of a tree, or fixing a car. 

The game is short, but that doesn’t mean it’s bad. At the “ending” I ended up with one of 2 outcomes. Either I died for bring in the wrong place at the wrong time, or the store clerk died. I don’t know if there is a way to prevent this from happening, or if this is meant to be a statement about our world. I suppose it could be. Anyhow, the game is free so you are welcome to try it on Itch.io for yourself *here*.

4. The Midnight Park

 Source: In Game Screen Capture

The Midnight Park is a relaxing escape from reality walking simulator created by Olivia Haines. This little game involves you exploring a strange park in the dark. There are eyes peering through the dark, and strange animals roaming/floating. This game feels much more like a dream sequence to be honest. 

I really loved the appearance of this game. The trees look like they’re drawn with chalk pastel crayons, and the environments are vibrant and well created. The music is nice, and the game is relaxing. I was expecting a surprise jump scare, but it didn’t happen. The creator said he original intention involved isolation and anxiety in children, where the playground is a safe space for kids. And I could feel the isolation and anxiety through the work. Well done!

The game is quite short, but was an enjoyable little experience anyway. You can try the game for yourself by downloading free from Itch.io *here*.

Thanks for sharing some of your time with me, and happy gaming!

Bell