Edit: We fixed a small editing error at around the 2:00 mark.

This week on The Short Game, we bring you an awesome interview with Dr. David Heineman, author of the recent Kotaku article ​How To Beat 400 Games In 4.5 Years.

David is a real life scholar of video games. He is an Assistant Professor of Communication Studies t Blooksburg University of Pennsylvania and author of the forthcoming book “Thinking About Video Games: Interviews with the Experts.” (Indiana University Press) He also hosts the long running Racketboy Podcast, a great show about playing classic games, game collecting, and great interviews with video game creators and luminaries.

We’re a show about fitting games into your life, and David does that in spades. We ask him about his strategies for finishing all the great games in his backlog, and he offers some suggestions of short games you might enjoy.

Follow David on Twitter at @DrHeineman!

Links for this episode:

iOS Gaming & Leo’s Fortune

In this episode, Raygan and Nate are joined by friend of the show Laura Nash as we talk about Leo’s Fortune in particular, and the present and future of iOS smartphones as a gaming platform in general.

Leo’s Fortune won an Apple Design Award in 2014 but it’s the one game that none of us had played in time for our Apple Design Award Winners 2014 episode a few weeks ago. This week, we attempt to remedy the oversight.

This also gives us the opportunity to discuss in depth the strengths and weaknesses of iOS and other touch screen devices as gaming platforms. We talk about asynchronous multiplayer, “augmented reality” and the future of quality gaming on a platform where games can seem a little ephemeral, or even disposable.

Links for this episode

Thanks to Laura for guest-hosting on our podcast this week.

Laura J. Nash (laurajnash) on Twitter

This time on The Short Game, your three hosts unite to discuss Super Giant Games new action RPG for PS4 and Windows PC, Transistor.

We discuss the game’s painterly art, its unique setting, and terrific customizable combat system. We also share in depth game tips and strategies, and after the spoiler break (at about 56 minutes in) we speculate about the game’s effecting ending.

Transistor is available on Windows through Steam ($20) and on the Playstation 4 ($20.) Expect it to take about 6-7 hours to complete the first play-through.

(art by DeviantArt’s JenZee, art director of the game)

Links for this episode

Check out Game Plus, a great YouTube channel and friend of the show.

Towerfall Ascension

This week we discuss Matt Thorson(@MattThorson) of Matt Makes Games multiplayer masterpiece, Towerfall Ascension.

Towerfall is an arena multiplayer platform fighting game for two to four players. It draws on inspirations like SNES platformers, the Smash Bros series, and the fighting game genre to weave a simple, elegant, and ridiculously fun and hilarious party-fighting-game. You have absolutely got to play it.

If you’d like to see what the game looks like in action (and you do) have a look at this great multiplayer gameplay footage from GameSpot.

Links for this episode:

Apologies in advance for the sound quality of this episode and for its late release. Your intrepid podcast host was moving cross country this week and our equipment and schedule did not cooperate as planned.

2013-14 has been great for iOS gaming, and Apple has picked five great games to honor with Apple Design Awards at this year’s World Wide Developers Conference. We’ve played (nearly) all of them and share our impressions with you!

Threes

A tiny puzzle game that grows on you

*(Currently on sale for $1.99.) *

Monument Valley

An illusory adventure of impossible architecture and forgiveness

Blek

Watching it move is like watching magic

Device 6

A surreal thriller in which the written word is your map

Leo’s Fortune

A beautiful platform adventure game.

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