How Long To Beat

This week it gets personal with a special bonus episode within which Josh and Paula get to talk about one of their favourite games of all time. Except these games are perhaps not the most celebrated titles for various reasons, but they love them all the same. Maybe they can pique your interest as well?

HowLongToBeat forums - https://howlongtobeat.com/forum

Discord – https://discord.gg/v5F26Dk

Email - [email protected]

Music – Ian Edward (intro/outro) and Abatage (incidental)

Graphic design – M4thew and Pokepaw

00:00:00 - Intro

00:01:00 - Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth

00:35:15 - Kane & Lynch: Dead Men

00:59:35 - Final Thoughts

Sometimes a game can be so compelling that you can’t help but fire up the passion and go ham on everything you have to say. So it is with Paula’s current otome obsession, bringing an exclusive rant in today’s episode. There’s no discussion topic, there’s no time! Not when there are things that need to be said and stories that need to be told.

Meanwhile Josh has completed a few titles this week, retired a few more, and been playing some other stuff that’s nowhere near as compelling. That and it’s now clear who will be crowned the winner of our guessing game after next week’s edition… and it will surprise nobody!

HowLongToBeat forums - https://howlongtobeat.com/forum

Discord – https://discord.gg/v5F26Dk

Email - [email protected]

Music – Ian Edward (intro/outro) and Abatage (incidental)

Graphic design – M4thew and Pokepaw

00:00:00 - Intro

00:00:55 - Beaten

00:17:33 - Retired

00:28:31 - Playing (Paula)

01:29:25 - Playing (Josh)

01:40:16 - Guess The Game

Games Mentioned:

Josh: Returnal [PC], Railbound [PC], Ghosts N Ghouls [PC], Animal Well [PS5], Dragon Quest Builders [PS5], Who Did It? [PC], Harold Halibut [XSX], Planet Crafter [PC]

Paula: Let’s School [PC], Project Zomboid [PC], Tengoku Struggle: Strayside [Switch]

This week Josh and Paula are making connections, building relationships, and hopefully growing into better human beings all round. As Paula continues to adventure in the kitchens of hell, Josh has been reconciling with relatives, bridging cultures, and bringing justice to paper cut-out animals.

Never fret though, as the weird and wonderful keeps on going as they discuss what the term “indie” might mean in 2024. How has it changed since its original use, and is that even a good thing? These questions and more will be raised and possibly answered, but you’ll have to listen to find out.

Then it’s time for Josh’s brain to be on the spot once again as Paula quizzes him on a game he really should know. Will it be the redeeming round that puts him ahead? Or will he continue to trail behind as he forgets everything he ever knew?!

HowLongToBeat forums - https://howlongtobeat.com/forum

Discord – https://discord.gg/v5F26Dk

Email - [email protected]

Music – Ian Edward (intro/outro) and Abatage (incidental)

Graphic design – M4thew and Pokepaw

00:00:00 - Intro

00:01:42 - Beaten

00:34:41 - Playing

01:20:17 - What Does “Indie” Mean In 2024?

01:58:55 - Guess The Game

Games Mentioned:

Josh: Chants of Sennaar [XSX], Duck Detective: The Secret Salami [PC], Lil Gator Game [XSX], Harold Halibut [XSX]

Paula: Mini Metro [Android], Tengoku Struggle: Strayside [Switch]

Nothing beaten, nothing retired, this week has been all about progress. Paula continues to work her way through the layers and kitchens of hell, while Josh figures out strange languages, explores an underwater city, fights vampires, and rolls race cars.

Then the discussion turns to those pieces of plastic that promise a new world of gaming and an extension to the immersive promise of interactivity. That’s right, we’re talking video game peripherals; the good, the bad, and the strange.

Finally, Paula shows just how easy it is to play our weekly guessing game, but can she nail it yet again? Tune in to find out!

HowLongToBeat forums - https://howlongtobeat.com/forum

Discord – https://discord.gg/v5F26Dk

Email - [email protected]

Music – Ian Edward (intro/outro) and Abatage (incidental)

Graphic design – M4thew and Pokepaw

00:00:00 - Intro

00:01:36 - Playing

00:54:36 - Video Game Peripherals

01:53:26 - Guess The Game

Games Mentioned:

Josh: Baldur’s Gate 3 [PC], WRC 9 FIA World Rally Championship [PC], Returnal [PC], Harold Halibut [XSX], Chants of Senaar [XSX]

Paula: Tengoku Struggle: Strayside [Switch]

The theme and topic this week is what makes a game worth the time and money it takes to experience whatever it has to offer. Is it as simple as a dollar-per-hour equation? Or are there other factors that come into play? Spoiler: of course there are!

Meanwhile Josh has been fighting the jank of large late-game instability, while Paula gets into the groove of a new reality. Plus, could this be the redemption arc of Josh’s less than stellar guessing game record? The answer may surprise you.

HowLongToBeat forums - https://howlongtobeat.com/forum

Discord – https://discord.gg/v5F26Dk

Email - [email protected]

Music – Ian Edward (intro/outro) and Abatage (incidental)

Graphic design – M4thew and Pokepaw

00:00:00 - Intro

00:01:08 - Beaten

00:23:16 - Playing

01:17:50 - When Is A Game Worth It?

01:43:53 - Guess The Game

Games Mentioned:

Josh: Mortal Kombat 11 [PC], Baldur’s Gate 3 [PC], Expeditions: A Mudrunner Game [PC], Returnal [PC]

Paula: Norn9: Var Commons [Switch], Let’s School [PC], Beat Saber [Quest 2], Tengoku Struggle: Strayside [Switch]

This week Paula and Josh are having some fun and have put together a little game-soundtrack-themed quiz to play. Will they be able to identify the game based on a short clip of music? Or will Josh fail to remember anything at all and maintain his idiocy?!

Oh, and there’s the usual games they’ve been playing and the weekly guessing game as well… enjoy!

HowLongToBeat forums - https://howlongtobeat.com/forum

Discord – https://discord.gg/v5F26Dk

Email - [email protected]

Music – Ian Edward (intro/outro) and Abatage (incidental)

Graphic design – M4thew and Pokepaw

00:00:00 - Intro

00:01:38 - Beaten

00:20:10 - Retired

00:23:18 - Playing

01:11:55 - Music Quiz Time Fun Time

01:39:45 - Guess The Game

Games Mentioned:

Josh: Horizon Chase Turbo [PC], Beasts of Maravilla Island [XSX], Berry People [PC], The Last Case Of Benedict Fox [XSX], Expeditions: A Mudrunner Game [PC],Mortal Kombat 11 [PC], WRC 9 FIA World Rally Championship [PC]

Paula: Norn9: Var Commons [Switch], Let’s School [PC]

Every week Josh and Paula talk about the games they’ve been playing and what’s new in their gaming world, but in this special bonus episode, they get to talk about their favourite games of all time. 

Strap in for some spicy picks and discover some pure gems!

HowLongToBeat forums - ⁠https://howlongtobeat.com/forum⁠

Discord – ⁠https://discord.gg/v5F26Dk

⁠Email - ⁠[email protected]

⁠Music – Ian Edward (intro/outro) and Abatage (incidental)

Graphic design – M4thew and Pokepaw

00:00:00 - Intro

00:01:24 - Number 10

00:10:02 - Number 9

00:23:32 - Number 8

00:37:13 - Number 7

00:47:27 - Number 6

00:57:04 - Number 5

01:11:02 - Number 4

01:23:23 - Number 3

01:32:04 - Number 2

01:45:43 - Number 1

02:00:27 - The End

A new week is upon us and a new episode has landed!

Find out about Paula’s return to some of the more toxic corners of gaming on the internet, along with the wholesome conclusion to an excellent little cultural masterpiece. Witness Josh’s insufferable unwillingness to figure out who developed what in the deep mud trucking game series that he’s been ploughing for the last couple of weeks.

Then get deep as the discussion turns to representations of disabilities in video games and some of the thoughts and considerations that need to be made. Not to mention a bit of a rant on a controversy that sparked the conversation in the first place.

Top it all off with a round of the guessing game where Josh manages to really show just how well his memory works… or doesn’t. Tune in to find out!

HowLongToBeat forums - https://howlongtobeat.com/forum

Discord – https://discord.gg/v5F26Dk

Email - [email protected]

Music – Ian Edward (intro/outro) and Abatage (incidental)

Graphic design – M4thew and Pokepaw

00:00:00 - Intro

00:01:43 - Beaten

00:06:54 - Playing

00:52:12 - Disability Representation in Games

02:02:28 - Guess The Game

Games Mentioned:

Josh: Mudrunner [PC], Hasbro’s Battleship [PC], Expeditions: A Mudrunner Game [PC]

Paula: Venba [PC], League of Legends [PC], Norn9: Var Commons [Switch]

It’s been a long week of gaming and Josh has managed to finish off a few titles that he’s been working through for a while. On the other hand, Paula is still chipping away at a few core games that have been getting better and better as she continues to dive into strange worlds and traffic control systems.

The topic for discussion this week is the April Game of the Month over on HLTB, including this year’s April Fool’s pick, which Paula has a lot to say about. Although, it seems that not everyone in the community is as excited for a pigeon visual novel as our resident Otome expert.

Finally, Josh gets to quiz Paula on a game in their guessing game, but will Paula finally be pipped at the post? Tune in to find out.

HowLongToBeat forums - https://howlongtobeat.com/forum

Discord – https://discord.gg/v5F26Dk

Email - [email protected]

Music – Ian Edward (intro/outro) and Abatage (incidental)

Graphic design – M4thew and Pokepaw

00:00:00 - Intro

00:01:14 - Beaten

00:19:09 - Playing

01:18:39 - GotM: Valiant Hearts / Hatoful Boyfriend

01:45:19 - Guess The Game

Games Mentioned:

Josh: Botany Manor [PC], Love Is All Around [PC], Overload [PC], Open Roads [XSX], Gemini Rue [PC], Nour: Play With Your Food [PS5], Street Fighter V [PC], Horizon Chase Turbo [PC], Red Dead Redemption [PS5], Mudrunner [PC]

Paula: Mini metro [Android], Venba [PC], Norn9: Var Commons [Switch]

Have you ever reached that point in a game where you find yourself wading through pages and pages of instructional wikis, in an attempt to discover some indication of how to make some kind of progress? This week Paula and Josh are talking about so-called “wiki games” that keep their cards a little too close to their chest.

Before that though, Paula has continued her conquering ways and emerged victorious over all those that oppose her. Meanwhile Josh has managed to find all the hidden things and maintain the fractured timeline of a surprisingly intriguing puzzle game. Then it’s time to get the thinking brain installed once more, as he attempts to earn back some points in another round of the guessing game.

We hope you enjoy this (slightly delayed) episode!

HowLongToBeat forums - https://howlongtobeat.com/forum

Discord – https://discord.gg/v5F26Dk

Email - [email protected]

Music – Ian Edward (intro/outro) and Abatage (incidental)

Graphic design – M4thew and Pokepaw

00:00:00 - Intro

00:01:23 - Beaten

00:16:01 - Playing

01:07:26 - Wiki Games

01:52:20 - Guess The Game

Games Mentioned:

Josh: Crime O’Clock [PC]. Overload [PC], Love Is All Around [PC], Lil Gator Game [XSX], Botany Manor [PC]

Paula: Civilization V [PC], Norn9: Var Commons [Switch], Venba [PC]