In this special episode of The Short Game we are recapping the final acts of Life is Strange, a game we started covering when its first episodic chapter released early this year. If you are new to Life is Strange, start by playing the game or with our first episode on it, but if you’ve completed the game, listen in for some in-depth discussion of the triumphs and frustrations of this important game.

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Continuing on with our coverage of IFComp (the Interactive Fiction Competition) we’re back with brief impressions of 11 more games from this year’s whopping 55 entries. Be sure to check out Episode 61 for more games and some background on IFComp.

IFComp 2015 Games Covered in This Episode

Click Here for Download/Play Online links for all 2015 IFComp games

Correction: We described Solarium, by Alan DeNiro, from the 2013 IFComp, as a parser game. It is in fact a Twine game like his 2015 entry.

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This week we’re talking about The Beginner’s Guide, the new game from Davey Wreden. Wreden’s first game, The Stanley Parable, was the topic of the second episode of The Short Game way back in the distant past (last year.) We loved it, to say the least. This game is a very different beast, and it covers some pseudo-autobiographical territory. Wreaden narrates as he presents a collection of short games by a (fictional) friend, Coda, and explains what each one means to him. But Wreden and Coda have a more complex relationship than is initially on display. The collection delves into deep psychological and ethical waters during its short run-time.

The Beginner’s Guide is available for $9.99 on Steam and the Humble Store for Mac and PC. Expect it to take just an hour and a half to complete.

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IFComp, the interactive fiction competition, is the longest running and most important event in the interactive fiction scene. Each year dozens of interactive fiction authors submit new work of all kinds, from hardcore parser puzzle games to experimental Twine games, and this year a record 55 games were submitted! With a timely assist from Emily Short we selected a few of this year’s most intriguing entires and bring you some brief impressions. With so many games to try, this is likely just the beginning of our IFComp coverage!

IFComp 2015 Games Covered in This Episode

Click here for a ballot and download links for all of the 2015 IFComp entries

Planning on playing along or voting in this year’s IFComp? Let us know your impressions! Use our Contact form or contact us on Twitter at @_shortgame!

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It’s Contra meets that-one-level-in-Braid with Super Time Force Ultra! S.T.F.U. was developed by Capy Games (of Superbrothers Sword & Sworcery EP fame.) It’s a fast paced shooter who’s unique time-out mechanic lets you approach the frenetic bullet-hell madness a bit more like a puzzle game.

Initially launched in 2014 on Xbox 360, Super Time Force Ultra (a newly expanded version) is also available through Steam (Windows only) and on PS4 and Playstation Vita, where it launched in September 2015 as a part of the Playstation Plus program.

Depending on skill and play-style, expect the game to take 4 to 6 hours to complete.

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