How Long To Beat

All hail the great leader! Paula has been on a rampage, conquering the world and gaining power until every other nation pledges their loyalty at her feet. Also, Josh retired another game and has been messing about with his PC hardware like a big nerd thanks to some over the top clock speeds heating things up to the point of no return.

This week the topic is all about modding games and some favourites that have been made over the years. However, not all mods are created equal, and sometimes Bethesda just needs to fix their own problems… get it together Todd Howard!

Oh and Paula makes another guess as she attempts to pull even further ahead in that guessing game that’s played at the end of each episode.

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

00:01:55 - Beaten

00:08:59 - Retired

00:14:10 - Playing

00:55:56 - MODs and Modding

01:53:50 - Guess The Game

Games Mentioned:

Josh: Bloodshore [PC], A bunch of shitty puzzle games [PC], Two Digits [PC], (the) Gnorp Apologue [PC], Overload [PC], Street Fighter V [PC], Berry People [PC], Crime O’Clock [PC]

Paula: Mini Metro [Android], Civilization V [PC], Pokemon Unite [Switch]

The streak has been broken, as Josh finally retired a game this week! There’s still a lot to talk about as he and Paula have been beating and playing a bunch of other titles, including one that they played together along with some friends from HLTB. Then get settled in because this week the discussion focuses on what it’s like to be a gamer from the perspective of a girl. Naturally Paula takes us through some of her experiences, both positive and perhaps a bit negative as well. Finally it’s another round of the guessing game where Josh attempts to get the brain cogs turning and claw back some points.

Please note: During our topic discussion this episode we talk about some things that may be difficult to listen to, so please look after yourself and talk to someone if you need any help.

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

00:01:47 - Beaten

00:46:02 - Retired

00:50:59 - Playing

01:06:46 - Gaming as a Girl

02:00:11 - Guess The Game

Games Mentioned:

Josh: Virtuaverse [PC], Rituals [PC], Monster Prom 3: Monster Road Trip [PC], Somerville [XSX], Infinite Guitars [XSX], Overload [PC], Gemini Rue [PC], Street Fighter V [PC],

Paula: Plague Inc. Evolved [PC], Monster Prom 3: Monster Road Trip [PC], Hatoful Boyfriend [PC], n-body [PC], Civilization V - Hotseat Duel [PC], New Pokemon Snap [Switch], Slice & Dice [Android], Mini Metro [android]

While Paula has stuck to a couple of longer-term adventures, this week Josh has been completing a bunch of shorter games and demos, while dipping a toe into the zombie apocalypse of the old west. Then it’s Game of the Month time again the discussion turns to Return of the Obra Dinn, which is ultimately a chance to raise Paula’s interest in playing it for the first time. Although, not before Josh attempts to confuse and bemuse when he throws up what could be a difficult game to guess in the guessing game… but is it really?

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

00:01:51 - Beaten

00:26:22 - Playing

01:10:14 - GotM: Return of the Obra Dinn

01:29:45 - Guess The Game

Games Mentioned:

Josh: Red Dead Redemption [PS5], Looking For Aliens [PC], Looking Up I See Only A Ceiling [PC], Alt-Frequencies [PC], Virtuaverse [PC], Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare [PS5]

Paula: Terraria [PC], Plague Inc. Evolved [PC]

This week Josh and Paula have been travelling through the same Rusty Lake game, while exploring other strange worlds and stretching their brains into recursive logic and world-wide disease manipulation. It’s been a bit of a week. However, all that is nothing compared to HLTB meeting an impressive milestone and prompting a discussion about how our hosts came to the site and how they use it. Finally there’s an absolute classic on the table for the guessing game… but is Josh’s brain still working well enough to figure it out? There’s only one way to know!

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

00:02:24 - Beaten

00:32:34 - Playing

01:13:39 - How we use HLTB

02:07:33 - Guess The Game

Games Mentioned:

Josh: Maquette [XSX], Lost Horizon [PC], Return To Grace [XSX], Poems & Codes (50 poem free update) [PC], Evan’s Remains [PC], Scriptic: Dead Man's Phone - Season 1: Redman [Mobile], Underground Blossom [PC], Virtuaverse [PC], You Don’t Know Jack 2015 [PC]

Paula: Underground Blossoms [PC], Terraria [PC], Plague Inc. Evolved [PC]

The nostalgia is strong again this week as Josh and Paula continue their trip down memory lane and discuss a number of games that may or may not hold up by today’s standards. Plus, they attempt to determine which elements might hold a game back, and why others manage to stay timeless and strong forever. Of course, they also have a good chat about the games they’ve been playing and see if Paula can continue her winning streak in another round of that guessing game!

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

00:01:18 - Beaten

00:11:21 - Playing

00:55:07 - Dated Games

02:00:25 - Guess The Game

Games Mentioned:

Josh: The White Door [PC], Samsara Room [PC], Forgotten Worlds [PC], Lost Horizon [PC], The Last Case Of Benedict Fox [XSX], Red Dead Redemption [PS5]

Paula: Terraria [PC], Radiant Tale

This week Paula has been beating all the games and playing even more, while Josh continues to work through the same old titles, plus a couple of new ones. There are clubs and deportations, cowboys and bears, even some angry organs and walls made of flesh. Then they get all “back in my day” and discuss some of the big changes that have happened over the years and what they think gaming might be like for a younger generation of gamers. Was everything better way back when? No… but there might still be some things worth missing either way. Finally, can Josh earn a few points back to even the stakes in the weekly guessing game? 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

00:01:30 - Beaten

00:25:59 - Playing

01:09:54 - Next Generation of Gamers

02:13:36 - Guess The Game

Games Mentioned:

Josh: McPixel 3 [XSX], 1943: The Battle of Midway (Capcom Arcade Stadium) [PC], Red Dead Redemption [PS5], Lost Horizon [PC], Baldur’s Gate 3 [PC]

Paula: Not Tonight [PC], The White Door [PC], Samsara Room [PC], Terraria [PC], Norn9: Var Commons [Switch], Pokemon Showdown [Browser], Pokemon Scarlet [Switch]

In this episode Paula and Josh have been spreading their wings and trying out a bunch of different games. Paula has been surviving through different world’s that may or may not be trying to kill her, while Josh has been moseying down memory lane and getting a bit retro and nostalgic. Quite the contrast to our topic of the week, which is the recent Steam NextFest, and we have a bunch of fresh demos and games to talk about that we each tried (with varying levels of success). Until finally, Paula has another attempt to out-guess the games and see if she can solidify her lead even further.

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

00:01:06 - Beaten

00:07:26 - Retired

00:11:41 - Happy Birthday?!

00:13:45 - Playing

01:13:07 - Steam NextFest

01:58:41 - Guess The Game

Games Mentioned:

Josh: Life is Strange: Before The Storm [PS5], Assetto Corsa [PC], Street Fighter V [PS5], Horizon Chase Turbo [PC], Lost Horizon [PC], Red Dead Redemption [PS5], Capcom Arcade Stadium (1942) [PC], We Need To Go Deeper [PC]

Paula: Project Zomboid [PC], Terraria [PC],  Not Tonight [PC], Norn9: Var Commons [Switch]

This week we get all romantic and have a big chat about everything Otome, Romance, and Valentine-related in video games, but not before we delve into everything we’ve been playing. Paula has levelled up her football skills while dealing with VIP clients and Pokemon Banks. At the same time Josh fought a giant foot, a tall ghost woman, and was swept up in the cringe of teen angst. Can he get over it in time to guess a game in the weekly guessing game? The answer may surprise you… (or not)… (in fact it probably won’t).

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

00:01:18 - Beaten

00:08:47 - Playing

00:59:21 - Valentines / Otome / Romance

02:01:32 - Guess The Game

Games Mentioned:

Josh: Super Adventure Hand [PC], Sid Meier’s Civilization IV: Beyond The Sword [PC], Kawaii Girls [PC], Tower Unite [PC], Ghostwire Tokyo [PS5], Love Is All Around [PC], Life is Strange: Before The Storm [PS5]

Paula: Fifa 23 [Switch], Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney [Switch], Pokemon Shining Pearl [Switch], Not Tonight [PC]

Josh has been drooling over some smooth animations this week, while puzzling in three dimensions and fighting for justice! Paula has spent her time investigating crime and appearing in court, before playing bouncer and turning children away from British clubs and pubs. They follow it all up with a weekly topic, focusing on physical gaming and the experience of actually buying games in Chile and Australia. What cultural differences change the landscape for us, and what similarities exist? Of course, they then finish everything off with another round of the guessing game, which may or may not be over in record time!

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

00:00:59 - Beaten

00:15:00 - Playing

00:44:58 - Physical Gaming and Cultural Differences

01:23:13 - Guess The Game

Games Mentioned:

Josh: TOHU [PC], .projekt [PC], Behind The Frame: The Finest Scenery [PC], Injustice 2 [PS5], Super Adventure Hand [PC], Dragon Quest Builders [PS5], Love Is All Around [PC]

Paula: Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney [Switch], Not Tonight [PC]

This week we’re talking about some Kickstarter and crowd-funding stories from the past and Josh gets quite fired up over a few specific examples; so strap yourself in for a rant a half. Meanwhile Paula has been reliving some glory days in the courtroom and Josh has been jumping between classic point-and-click adventures, Netflix mobile games, and a classic sim-racer (all of which are completed games that were not crowd-funded and still managed to be released without taking regular people’s money and wasting it... oh sorry... that was another rant entirely). Then we bring it all to a close with another round of our guessing game. Will Josh struggle to identify a relatively obvious and recent title? Or is he too stressed out by arrogant developers taking people’s money and delivering nothing at all in return... *cough*... enjoy the 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

00:01:29 - Beaten

00:16:54 - Playing

01:00:30 - Kickstarter / Crowd Funding Stories

01:52:40 - Guess The Game

Games Mentioned:

Josh: Gold Rush: Anniversary [PC], Escort Yourself Out [PC], Ghostwire Tokyo [PC], Scriptic: Dead Man’s Phone Season 1: Redman [Mobile], (the) Gnorp Apologue [PC], Assetto Corsa [PC], .projekt [PC]

Paula: Bokura [PC], Birushana: Rising Flower of Genpei [Switch], The White Door [PC], Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney [Switch]