Ep. 47 - The Crush House

No Small Games' summer season is heating up with The Crush House! In this "thirst-person shooter" from Nerial and published by Devolver Digital, you play as the producer on 1999's hottest reality TV show. You make every decision from casting, to what gets captured on camera, to running ad spots. As you get familiar with the house and the cadence of each season, you'll also start to unearth some of the sinister secrets behind the show. In episode 47 of No Small Games, Kate and Emily discuss how their experience playing The Crush House aligns with their tastes and preferences when it comes to watching reality TV. They compare notes on their strategies for casting and what to film for the game's various audiences. Did The Crush House sizzle or did it fizzle for our two hosts? Find out in this episode of No Small Games! Timestamps 00:00:00 - Intro 00:05:47 - Boss Battles 00:13:24 - The Crush House Discussion 01:19:55- The Crush House Spoilers 01:57:44 - Game Ratings 02:03:10 - One Small Thing 02:09:42 - Next Game Announcement Keep in touch with us on social media: Kate's Bluesky ✦ https://bsky.app/profile/katerblossom.bsky.social  Emily's Bluesky ✦ https://bsky.app/profile/aspecificegg.bsky.social  No Small Games Bluesky ✦ https://bsky.app/profile/nosmallgames.bsky.social  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

Welcome back to the NSG Indie Game Roundup, our monthly series featuring indie games news, plus game demos and new release discussions. The sun is out, the vacation vibes are bumpin', and that means another Summer Game Fest has dropped! Summer Game Fest 2025 was bigger and better than ever, with even more showcases and dozens of exciting indie game announcements. We are so lucky to be joined by Nick and Will from the Friday Night Gamecast podcast to discuss our highlights from eight of the SGF showcases this year. We had some great laughs and everyone's wishlists grew three sizes during this recording, and hopefully yours will too! Also, huge thanks to our newest Patreon supporters! In addition to other fun perks, members on Patreon get early access to all of the Indie Game Roundup episodes. If you love No Small Games and would like to support us in growing the show, while also unlocking fun, exclusive content, you can check out our Patreon page. You can find our full show notes, including links and shoutouts, on the No Small Games site: Indie Game Roundup - June 2025 Show Notes Timestamps 00:00:00 - Intro 00:04:20 - Icebreaker Question 00:12:43 - Summer Game Fest Intro 00:23:33 - Day of the Devs 00:33:33 - Frosty Games Fest 00:45:02 - Wholesome Direct 00:55:03 - Women-Led Games Showcase 01:07:38 - PC Gaming Show 01:22:25 - Black Voices in Gaming 01:34:28 - Latin American Games Showcase 01:45:00 - Southeast Asian Games Showcase 02:04:45 - Plugs! Meet our Guests Friday Night Gamecast ‪@fngcpod.bsky.social‬ Friday Night Gamecast is a podcast dedicated to all things video games! Nick and Will co-host the show, providing commentary and discourse surrounding games they’re currently playing, games industry news and more. Head on over there if you enjoy thoughtful discussion, ratings, reviews and fun arguments. Check out Will, Nick and Friday Night Gamecast on the following platforms: Friday Night Gamecast  FNGC on Bluesky  FNGC on Instagram  Will's Bluesky  Nick's Bluesky Keep in touch with us on social media: Kate's Bluesky ✦ https://bsky.app/profile/katerblossom.bsky.social  Emily's Bluesky ✦ https://bsky.app/profile/aspecificegg.bsky.social  No Small Games Bluesky ✦ https://bsky.app/profile/nosmallgames.bsky.social  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

Wanderstop, developed by Ivy Road, is a narrative cozy game that follows main character Alta on her journey to understand why her body and mind will no longer cooperate with her on her mission to be the best fighter in the world. She finds herself in a clearing in the forest, sitting on a bench with Boro, the owner of the Wanderstop tea shop. Players will accompany Alta as she makes tea, gets to know whimsical and strange customers, and attempts to understand the conflicts within herself. In episode 46 of No Small Games, Kate and Emily discuss how Wanderstop stacks up as an example of the cozy management sim genre, and their impressions of the unique pacing of the game. You'll also hear the hosts' very different and very personal experiences of burnout and healing. Of course, the discussion wouldn't be complete without answering the most important question of all: which was your favorite tea mug? We hope you love this very emotional episode and the start to our summer season! Timestamps 00:00:00 - Intro 00:05:26 - Weekly Boss Battles 00:15:40 - Wanderstop Discussion 01:34:04- Wanderstop Spoilers 01:47:55 - Game Ratings 01:54:35 - One Small Thing 01:57:49 - Next Game Announcement Keep in touch with us on social media: Kate's Bluesky ✦ https://bsky.app/profile/katerblossom.bsky.social  Emily's Bluesky ✦ https://bsky.app/profile/aspecificegg.bsky.social  No Small Games Bluesky ✦ https://bsky.app/profile/nosmallgames.bsky.social  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

Welcome back to the NSG Indie Game Roundup, our monthly series featuring indie games news, plus game demos and new release discussions. LudoNarraCon, Six One Indie Showcase, PAX East, oh my! We're beginning to ramp up towards the absolute fugue state that is Summer Game Fest. May brought us several huge gaming new events and showcases, and with those came many new indie game demos and full releases. We're sharing our favorite highlights from some of these events, as well as the demos we've played in the last month. We've also played some fascinating new games including Herald: The Interactive Period Drama, depelote and, of course, we're on the Blue Prince hype train. Want to hear more about PAX East specifically? Go check out our PAX East Recap episode! Also, huge thanks to our newest Patreon supporters! In addition to other fun perks, members on Patreon get early access to all of the Indie Game Roundup episodes. If you love No Small Games and would like to support us in growing the show, while also unlocking fun, exclusive content, you can check out our Patreon page. You can find our full show notes, including links and shoutouts, on the No Small Games site: Indie Game Roundup - May 2025 Show Notes Timestamps 00:00:00 - Intro 00:03:05 - Icebreaker Question 00:08:22 - Indie Game News 00:32:06 - Demos 00:52:44 - Kulebra and the Souls of Limbo 00:59:18 - Upstream 01:04:58 - despelote 01:09:24 - Herald: The Interactive Period Drama 01:14:00 - SpreadCheat 01:20:17 - Blue Prince Keep in touch with us on social media: Kate's Bluesky ✦ https://bsky.app/profile/katerblossom.bsky.social  Emily's Bluesky ✦ https://bsky.app/profile/aspecificegg.bsky.social  No Small Games Bluesky ✦ https://bsky.app/profile/nosmallgames.bsky.social  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

PAX East 2025 was an absolute whirlwind of meeting wonderful friends and colleagues, chatting with developers and publishers, and getting our hands on awesome indie game demos! Join us for our day-by-day PAX East 2025 recap, where we relive all the exciting and memorable moments we experienced at this year's event! No Small Games was honored once again with the opportunity to cover the show as media attendees in 2025, and we took advantage of every moment. In this recap episode, we're taking you directly onto the show floor for developer and publisher interviews. We're also reflecting on the game demos we got to play, and the overall PAX East experience compared to last year. Come along for the ride as we share all the highlights! Timestamps 00:00:00 - Intro 00:01:30 - PAX East First 2025 Impressions 00:16:08 - Thursday Recap 00:29:13 - Interview - Studio Hybrid 00:42:40 - Friday Recap 00:44:06 - Interview - GameTeam6 01:01:47 - Interview - Optillusion Games 01:16:58 - Saturday Recap 01:19:08 - Interview - Ritual Studios 01:38:51 - Sunday Recap Keep in touch with us on social media: Kate's Bluesky ✦ https://bsky.app/profile/katerblossom.bsky.social  Emily's Bluesky ✦ https://bsky.app/profile/aspecificegg.bsky.social  No Small Games Bluesky ✦ https://bsky.app/profile/nosmallgames.bsky.social  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

1000xRESIST, developed by Sunset Visitor and published by Fellow Traveler, took 2024 by storm in the indie game world. You navigate a strange yet slightly familiar futuristic society as Watcher, whose role is to be witness to the Allmother's memories. Touching on topics of resistance and social change, generational trauma, love, friendship and mother-daughter relationships, the game is almost beyond definition. This is a game you just have to experience (maybe even twice) to understand. In Episode 45 of No Small Games, Kate and Emily are joined by Jenny Windom, organizer of Wholesome Games and co-host of the Geeks & Grounds and The Indie Council podcasts. The three work to unpack everything going on in 1000xRESIST, although as the game teaches us, not everything can fit in the backpack. You'll hear their theories and most surprising moments from the game, as well as the criteria they used to make the most important decision of all. Huge thank you to Jenny for joining us! We hope you love this episode, but most of all we hope you go play this game! Timestamps 00:00:00 - Intro 00:03:40 - Weekly Boss Battles 00:12:10 - Meet Our Guest - Jenny Windom 00:24:55 - 1000xRESIST Discussion 03:22:10 - Game Ratings 03:27:04 - One Small Thing Meet our Guest Jenny (she/her) @kimchica.bsky.social Jenny "Kimchica" Windom, one of the organizers of Wholesome Games, works in indie game marketing. She currently works with the team at Ivy Road and supports the Spirit Swap team. She also co-hosts Geeks & Grounds, a monthly video game book club podcast, as well as The Indie Council.  Check out Jenny's content on the following platforms: Geeks & Grounds Podcast  The Indie Council  Bluesky  Instagram Keep in touch with us on social media: Kate's Bluesky ✦ https://bsky.app/profile/katerblossom.bsky.social  Emily's Bluesky ✦ https://bsky.app/profile/aspecificegg.bsky.social  No Small Games Bluesky ✦ https://bsky.app/profile/nosmallgames.bsky.social  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

Welcome back to the NSG Indie Game Roundup, our monthly series featuring indie games news, plus game demos and new release discussions. 2025 is ramping up, people!! April brought us more showcases, a huge number of new releases, and some brand new indie game demos to check out. We're unpacking our experiences with demos from the Galaxies and Triple-i Initiative Showcases. We're also sharing mini reviews of some spring indie game releases like Spilled!, Space Sprouts, Axyz, and more! Also, huge thanks to our newest Patreon supporters! In addition to other fun perks, members on Patreon get early access to all of the Indie Game Roundup episodes. If you love No Small Games and would like to support us in growing the show, while also unlocking fun, exclusive content, you can check out our Patreon page. You can find our full show notes, including links and shoutouts, on the No Small Games site: Indie Game Roundup - April 2025 Show Notes Timestamps 00:00:00 - Intro 00:01:25 - Icebreaker Question 00:04:30 - Indie Game News 00:34:42 - Demos 01:03:47 - Spilled! 01:07:54 - Space Sprouts 01:14:05 - Dad's Coming 01:19:28 - Axyz 01:25:44 - ibb & obb 01:30:50 - The Deadly Path 01:42:01 - Moonlighter 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

Afterlove EP, developed by Pikselnesia, is a slice-of-life story that follows a young musician named Rama, as he struggles to reconnect with his friends and his music in the wake of the death of his girlfriend. The game takes place in modern day Jakarta, and players will find themselves immersed in the sights and sounds of the city through the game's beautifully illustrated environments. You'll help Rama build back relationships with his bandmates as you practice for an upcoming gig. You'll guide him through the sweet and nerve-wracking world of dating. Most importantly, players can help Rama make sure he gets his butt to therapy so he can process all these new experiences and feelings. In episode 44 of No Small Games, Kate and Emily dive into the similarities and differences in their experiences of Afterlove EP. They discuss the Choices Matter gameplay: what worked well for them and what didn't. Most importantly, they reveal who they chose to date and how that worked out for Rama. We hope you love our discussion of this heartfelt game! Timestamps 00:00:00 - Intro 00:03:35 - Weekly Boss Battles 00:11:48 - Afterlove EP Discussion 01:40:47 - Game Ratings 01:44:30 - One Small Thing 01:49:35 - Next Game Announcement Keep in touch with us on social media: Kate's Bluesky ✦ https://bsky.app/profile/katerblossom.bsky.social  Emily's Bluesky ✦ https://bsky.app/profile/aspecificegg.bsky.social  No Small Games Bluesky ✦ https://bsky.app/profile/nosmallgames.bsky.social  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

Guacamelee is an indie classic, that released by in 2013 from DrinkBox Studios. This action platformer is a stylish take on the Metroidvania genre and its story and vibes were inspired by Mexican-culture and folklore. You play as a young farmhand-turned-luchador, who escapes the world of the dead using a magical mask. As you traverse these gorgeous map zones, both in the world of the living and the dead, you fight the evil Calaca's minions and gain new powers to push further in hopes of rescuing your dear Lupita. In episode 43 of No Small Games, Kate and Emily return to this classic indie game to see how it holds up today! They discuss the design of the platforming and special combat abilities and, of course, dissect the Metroidvania-style map. They also share their thoughts on the representation of Mexican culture in Guacamelee, relative to the many diverse representations we see today in indie games. Timestamps 00:00:00 - Intro 00:04:41 - Weekly Boss Battles 00:18:45 - Guacamelee Discussion 01:32:05 - Game Ratings 01:37:53 - One Small Thing 01:46:58 - Next Game Announcement Keep in touch with us on social media: Kate's Bluesky ✦ https://bsky.app/profile/katerblossom.bsky.social  Emily's Bluesky ✦ https://bsky.app/profile/aspecificegg.bsky.social  No Small Games Bluesky ✦ https://bsky.app/profile/nosmallgames.bsky.social  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

Surprise!! It’s a rare Tuesday edition of No Small Games. And there’s absolutely nothing unusual going on here. Just another totally normal episode of No Small Games, the indie game podcast hosted by Bo_Po and DiscoCola! In this episode, the two cover the beautiful action RPG Haven. In this game, developed by The Game Bakers, you play as two lovers who have escaped their home world together to forge a new future together on a mysterious planet. You’ll hear the hosts discuss their individual approaches to the combat and strategy of the game. You’ll also learn their reactions to the many steamy moments between the protagonists. But most of all, in case we needed to say it… APRIL FOOLS!! Thanks to the co-hosts of Underplayed for indulging us in this little bit of shenanigans, and for coming on to host this special episode of No Small Games! Timestamps 00:00:00 - Intro 00:06:13 - Boss Battles 00:13:33 - Haven Discussion 01:30:01 - Game Ratings 01:33:57 - One Small Thing 01:42:53 - Next Game Announcement Go Check out Underplayed On Underplayed, Bo_Po and DiscoCola review indie games of all kinds–the games with small budgets but big hearts, the lesser-known experiences with imaginative ideas. A typical episode has two main segments: first, the hosts each reveal and review a game that they’ve been playing in secret; then, they have an in-depth discussion on a prestigious title within the indie landscape. Find Underplayed on Social Media Twitch Underplayed: https://www.twitch.tv/underplayedpodcast Bo_Po: https://www.twitch.tv/bo__po DiscoCola: https://www.twitch.tv/discocola Bluesky Underplayed: https://bsky.app/profile/underplayedpod.bsky.social Bo_Po: https://bsky.app/profile/bo-po.bsky.social DiscoCola: https://bsky.app/profile/discocola.bsky.social Instagram & Threads https://www.instagram.com/underplayedpod/ https://www.threads.net/@underplayedpod Backloggd Bo_Po: https://backloggd.com/u/bo_po/ DiscoCola: https://backloggd.com/u/DiscoCola/ Keep in touch with us on social media: Kate's Bluesky ✦ https://bsky.app/profile/katerblossom.bsky.social  Emily's Bluesky ✦ https://bsky.app/profile/aspecificegg.bsky.social  No Small Games Bluesky ✦ https://bsky.app/profile/nosmallgames.bsky.social  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