Explore every episode of the podcast How Long To Beat

Another episode of the podcast is ready for your eardrums! In this episode Roy and Lia are left to their own devices to discuss disappointments in gaming. Which left the biggest holes in our hearts and which turned around?

Listen along as we speed through our beaten, retired, and played games and defend consoles and subscription services against the PC majority.

HowLongToBeat forums - ⁠https://howlongtobeat.com/forum⁠
Discord – ⁠https://discord.gg/v5F26Dk⁠
Email - ⁠hltbpodcast@gmail.com⁠
Music – Ian Edward (intro/outro), Abatage (incidental), call me lethargy. (incidental)
Graphic design – M4thew and Matt

00:00:11 - Intro
00:00:53 - Beaten
00:01:02 - Retired
00:01:18 - Playing
00:18:10 - Discussion
01:20:33 - Guess the Game
01:34:07 - Goodbye!

Games Mentioned:

Lia: Wordle (Browser), Murdle (Browser), Letterinth (Browser), NHL 22 (PS4), Virtual Boy NSO: (3D Tetris, Space Invaders, Vertical Force, Jack Bros, V-Tetris, Mario Clash, Mario’s Tennis)

Roy: Wordle (PC), Klonoa: Door to Phantomile (PS1), Tabletop Simulator (PC), Hearthstone (PC), Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword (PC)

In this episode, the hosts discuss the wonderful world of advergames! Looking back at oddities of the past, hidden gems, and modern equivalents. But also brainstorming exciting new game concepts based on existing products!

Additionally, expect discussions of political assassinations in videogames, struggling to handle one's balls, the thrill of birdwatching, and a nudge to the International Menstrual Hygiene Day on May 28th!

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

Discord – https://discord.gg/v5F26Dk

Email - hltbpodcast@gmail.com

Music – Ian Edward (intro/outro), Abatage (incidental), call me lethargy. (incidental)

Graphic design – M4thew and Matt

00:00:00 Intro00:01:08 Beaten00:51:35 Retired/Paused01:09:36 Playing01:45:09 Discussion: Advergames02:19:28 Collection Game02:26:12 Goodbye!

Games Mentioned:

Lia:   Logic Puzzles (Mobile), While Waiting (PC), Lady at the Costco Gave Me Her Extra Hot Dog Soda Combo (Browser), Astronomical Club For Queers (PC), Canary Caged (Browser), Posey Picks Bus Stop (Browser), Superstar Hockey (Mobile), Hockey All-Stars 24 (Mobile), RV There Yet? (PC), HuniePop (PC), Draftula (Browser), RTFM (PC), Marble Sort (Mobile), Wordle, Murdle, Letterinth (Browser), NHL 22 (PS4), Toripon (PC), Tomb Raider (PC)

Matt: Small Saga (PC), Mare (Meta Quest), Don't Crash - The Political Game (PC), GigaBash (PC), Squirreled Away (PC), We Gotta Go (PC), Flock Around (PC), Moorhuhn X (PC), Disney's Fillmore! Mystery Game (Browser), Jungle 2 Jungle: Feed Myteka! (Browser), Jetixtreme 3D Racing (Browser), Frucht-Tiger: Leitung los! (Browser), Hot Wheels: Full-Power Pinball (Browser), Disney's Treasure Planet: Solar Surfer (Browser), Sugar Rush Speedway (Browser), 1. Deutsche Moorhuhn Meisterschaft (Browser), Super Indie Karts (PC), Unstung (Meta Quest), G-Force: Team Tactics (Browser), Pinball FX (PC), Pinball FX Midnight (PC), Gran Turismo 4: Spec II (PS2), Train Sim World 5 (PC), Ballpoint Universe: Infinite (PC), beat refle (PC)

Roy: NBA 2K1 (Dreamcast), Wordle (PC), Tabletop Simulator (PC), Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword (PC), Klonoa: Door to Phantomile (PS1), Madden 12 NEXT (PC)

It's time for another episode of the How Long To Beat podcast. This time we linked back to the past of the forums and completed some backlogged questions.

Follow along as we chat about logic puzzles, forest animal ideologies, and whether or not Kaepora Gaebora is more useful than Navi.

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

Discord – ⁠https://discord.gg/v5F26Dk⁠

Email - ⁠hltbpodcast@gmail.com⁠

Music – Ian Edward (intro/outro), Abatage (incidental), call me lethargy. (incidental)

Graphic design – M4thew and Matt

00:00:09 - Intro

00:03:16 - Beaten

00:58:08 - Retired

01:05:33 - Playing

01:52:38 - Discussion

02:43:19 - Guess the Game

02:51:26 - Goodbye!

Games Mentioned:

Lia: Is This Seat Taken? (PC), Where's My Seat? (Mobile), Hypnospace Outlaw (PC), Wordle (Discord), Murdle (Browser), Logic Puzzles (Mobile), Yoshi’s Island (PC), NHL 22 (PS5), Elder Scrolls Online (PC), While Waiting (PC), Wingspan (PC), Finch (Mobile)

Matt: Maki’s Adventure (PC), Wolfenstein: The New Order (PC), Evading the Police via a Pee Jetstream Simulator (PC), HORSES (PC), The Punisher (Arcade), Wingspan (PC), We Were Here Forever (PC), ForeVRCornhole (Meta Quest), Ghost Town Mine Ride & Shootin'; Gallery (PC VR), Tracks - The Train Set Game (PC), Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics (PC), Gran Turismo 4: Spec II (PS2), Small Saga (PC), Pokémon Ultra Moon (3DS), Unstung (Meta Quest), Mare (Meta Quest), Pinball FX 2023 (PC), Pinball FX Midnight fka Pinball M (PC)

Roy: GT 64: Championship Edition (N64), Wordle (PC), Civilization IV (PC), Madden NEXT 12 (PC), Tabletop Simulator (PC), The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (N64), Hearthstone (PC), Pokemon Showdown (PC)

On this episode we discuss our enthusiasm for virtual reality gaming as we welcome one of the longest standing members of the HLTB community, the legendary GamerAim!

After having a little chat with our guest and her recent gaming, we dive into the main subject of the episode where we discuss why we decided to invest in VR technology and what we find so special about VR as well as mixed reality gaming. We share our hopes and wants for the future of VR and also talk about some educational elements of non-gaming VR experiences.

Join us if you too enjoy the crunch of your enemy's skull under your fist, yearn to watch Shrek in 3D or are excited about playing Virtual Boy games on modern hardware!

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

Discord – https://discord.gg/v5F26Dk

Email - hltbpodcast@gmail.com

Music – Ian Edward (intro/outro), Abatage (incidental), call me lethargy. (incidental)

Graphic design – M4thew and Matt

00:00:00 - Intro

00:01:32 - Who is GamerAim?

00:04:17 - What has GamerAim beaten/retired/played recently?

00:16:59 - Discussion: VR Gaming

01:07:25 - Guess the Game!

01:11:36 - Goodbye!

Games mentioned by GamerAim:

Melvor Idle, Mass Effect Remaster, Witcher 3, Batman: Arkham Shadow

This week the podcast hosts race through the games they've been playing only to hit traffic while discussing every subgenre there is to be had in the grand world of racing games.

Join us as we discuss Ridge Racer Type 4, hear about randomizer woes, and learn about building transit stations in the comfort of a simulated living room.

HowLongToBeat forums - ⁠https://howlongtobeat.com/forum⁠
Discord – ⁠https://discord.gg/v5F26Dk⁠
Email - ⁠hltbpodcast@gmail.com⁠
Music – Ian Edward (intro/outro), Abatage (incidental), call me lethargy. (incidental)
Graphic design – M4thew and Matt

00:12:00 - Intro 00:04:05 - Beaten 00:23:13 - Retired 00:24:07 - Playing 00:43:22 - Discussion02:53:48 - Guess the Game 03:08:04 - Goodbye!

Games Mentioned:

Matt: Ridge Racer Type 4 (PS1), Skyward Journey (Mobile), Die drei ??? - Bomben in Rocky Beach (PC), Data Wing (Mobile), Gran Turismo 4: Spec II (PS2), We Were Here Forever (PC), Small Saga (PC), Pokémon Ultra Moon (3DS), Tracks - The Train Set Game (PC)

Roy: Ridge Racer Type-4 (PS1), Wordle (PC), Slay the Spire 2 (PC), Civilization IV (PC), Tabletop Simulator (PC)

Lia: Wordle, Murdle, Yoshi's Island, Where's My Seat, NHL 22

📢 ATTENTION, PLEASE! 📢

This episode, your hosts are back to discuss some of the biggest announcements in video game history! Join us for an insightful discussion as we uncover Matt's past as a Nintendo fan, reminisce about giant enemy crabs, and debate the future of the F-Zero franchise!

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

Discord – ⁠⁠https://discord.gg/v5F26Dk⁠⁠

Email – ⁠⁠hltbpodcast@gmail.com⁠⁠

Music – Ian Edward (intro/outro), Abatage (incidental), call me lethargy. (incidental)

Graphic design – M4thew and Matt

0:00:00 - Intro

0:01:48 - Beaten

0:19:55 - Retired

0:25:35 - Playing

1:26:49 - Memorable Game Announcements

2:18:36 - Collections Game

2:35:11 - Goodbye!

Games Mentioned:

Diallo: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (PC), Paranormasight: The Mermaid’s Curse (PC), UFO 50 (PC)

Lia: Wordle, Murdle, NHL 22 (PS5), Just Dance/Fitness Boxing (Switch), Yoshi's Island

Matt: Bird on Bird (PC), Don't Stop, Girlypop! (PC), Ridge Racer Type 4 (PS1), Gold Miner [2003] (PC), Gran Turismo 4: Spec II (PS2), We Were Here Forever (PC), Small Saga (PC)

Roy: Ridge Racer Type-4 (PS1), Wordle (PC), League of Legends (PC), Tabletop Simulator (PC), Slay the Spire 2 (PC)

On this episode of the How Long To Beat podcast, the hosts discuss character creators in video games. Why are certain hairstyles always so wonky? When are we finally gonna get bladder size sliders? And how many possible combinations does the LEGO Racers figurine designer actually have?

In addition to these burning questions, there will also be talk about the decline of Windows default games, the meanest character in all of Tetris, the quality of ice rinks in modern hockey games, what it’s like playing Virtual Boy games without the peripheral, and a Wordle milestone for word puzzle enthusiast Roy!

And if you stick to the end of it all, you will even find out why Matt owes former podcast host Abatage a jar of Vegemite.

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

Discord – https://discord.gg/v5F26Dk

Email - hltbpodcast@gmail.com

Music – Ian Edward (intro/outro), Abatage (incidental), call me lethargy. (incidental)

Graphic design – M4thew and Matt

00:00:00 - Intro

00:01:29 - Beaten

00:49:38 - Retired

01:00:19 - Playing

01:52:14 - Discussion: Character Creators

02:25:30 - Really Handsome Shepard

02:26:23 - Discussion: Character Creators

02:32:40 - Collections Game

02:46:02 - Goodbye!

Games Mentioned:

Lia: click to ten (PC), Tennis Clash (Mobile), Tennis Manager (Mobile), Top Seed Manager (Mobile), Hockey Legacy Manager 26 (Mobile), Chess Force (Browser), Selenewrecked (Browser), Wordle, Murdle, Spyro the Dragon: Reignited Trilogy (PS4), Sokpop S04: capy hoky (PC), Galactic Pinball (VB), Golf, The Mansion of Innsmouth (VB), 3D Tetris (VB), Red Alarm (VB), Teleroboxer (VB), Virtual Boy Wario Land (VB), Yoshi’s Island (SNES), Quetzal (Mobile), Superstar Hockey (Mobile), Hockey All-Stars ‘24: 2026 Season (Mobile), NHL 25 (PS5), NHL 22 (PS5)

Matt: House Hunting (Browser), Pee Man - The Game (Browser), The Last Piece of Cake DX (Browser), Drop Cannon (Browser), Playing With Fire 2 (Browser), Frank’s Adventure 1 - 3 (Browser), Old School Rally (PC), Leons Identität (PC), Kami 2 (Mobile), Super Bombliss DX (GBC) via Tetris Forever, Hotshot Racing (PC), Alien Hominid [2002] (Browser), Bubble via Microsoft Solitaire Collection (PC), Small Saga (PC)

Roy: Selenewrecked (Browser), Wordle (PC), Tabletop Simulator (PC), Gravity Blocks (PC)

This week the podcast goes into the past with Flash, everyone's favorite old internet game platform. What were our favorite Flash games and the sites where we gathered to play them on? Were any of these actually Javascript or Macromedia? Did we actually go out to purchase any retail versions of these masterpieces? Which games are we hoping to get revisited in the future by us or some other dev that decided to dig into the past themselves?

Come along on a journey of very few games, what bathroom behavior has got Matt all excited, what ball sports have captured Lia's interests, and what game just didn't want to work for Roy.

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

Discord – ⁠https://discord.gg/v5F26Dk⁠

Email - ⁠hltbpodcast@gmail.com⁠

Music – Ian Edward (intro/outro), Abatage (incidental), call me lethargy. (incidental)

Graphic design – M4thew and Matt

00:00:00 - Intro

00:02:39 - Beaten

00:25:40 - Retired

00:26:50 - Playing

00:51:24 - Discussion

01:35:40 - Guess the Game

01:45:03 - Goodbye!

Games Mentioned:

Lia: Wordle, Murdle, NHL 22 (PS5), Hockey Super Squad (PC), Matchpoint (PC), AO Tennis 2 (PC), RV There Yet? (PC), Elder Scrolls Online (PC), “Mahjong” games (Browser, [games.amny.com](http://games.amny.com)), Superstar Hockey (Mobile), Tennis Clash (Mobile), Tennis Manager (Mobile),Top Seed Manager (Mobile), Hockey Legacy Manager 26 (Mobile), Hockey All-Stars ‘24: 2026 Season (Mobile)

Matt: Birds Organized Neatly (PC), Skate Story (PC), Deep Sleep Trilogy (PC), Flash Games: Murder Taylor Swift, School Escapist, Chess Force, WallGame, Watching Someone Pee Simulator, Watching Someone Pee Simulator 2, Watching Someone Pee Simulator Versus,  Preventing Someone Watching You Pee via a Shotgun Simulator, Watching Someone Pee Simulatoria, Old School Rally (PC), Data Wing (Mobile), Don’t Stop, Girlypop! (PC), We Were Here Together (PC), Pokémon Sapphire (GBA), Pokémon Ultra Moon (3DS)

Roy: Soulcalibur VI (PC), League of Legends (PC), Wordle (PC), Tabletop Simulator (PC), Chess Force (PC)

It's that time again! The HLTB Podcast hosts are back to discuss our very favorite games that we played in 2025! Join us for a radical retrospective, in which we talk repeatedly about Pokémon, commiserate about the agony of filing taxes, and attempt to pronounce Nietzsche quotes. Which games will come out on top? Tune in to find out!

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

Discord – ⁠https://discord.gg/v5F26Dk⁠

Email - ⁠hltbpodcast@gmail.com⁠

Music – Ian Edward (intro/outro), Abatage (incidental), call me lethargy. (incidental)

Graphic design – M4thew and Matt

0:00:00 - Intro

0:01:03 - Beaten

0:45:40 - Retired

0:52:41 - Playing

1:37:53 - 2025 Game of the Year

2:28:29 - Collections Game

2:41:44 - Goodbye!

Games Mentioned:

Diallo: First Day at Maze Corp (itch), Pokémon Legends: Z-A (Switch 2), Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time (PC)

Lia: The Servers Are Shutting Down in 24 Hours but My Pull Rate's Been Set to 0.0001?! (PC), Dinner With An Owl (PC), Let's Go There and Wander Nowhere (PC),  BirdLingo (PC), Baba Files Taxes (PC), Devil Express (PC), Birdle, Broforce, Hairdresser Simulator, Max Payne, Tower of Fantasy, Balatro (Mobile), Satan Loves Cake (PC), Wordle, Murdle, 112 Operator (PC), Animal Crossing: New Horizons (Switch), Where's My Seat (Mobile), While Waiting (PC), Is This Seat Taken? (PC), Elder Scrolls Online (PC), Professor Layton and the Last Specter (DS), Hypnospace Outlaw (PC), God of War 2018 (PS4), Fitness Boxing (Switch), Just Dance 2020 (Switch), Jump Rope Challenge (Switch), Quasar Blaster (Browser, itch)

Matt: Roguebook (PC), Bunhouse (PC), BirdLingo (PC), Wingspan (PC), Engare (PC), Professor Rubik’s Brain Fitness (PC), Skate Story (PC), Old School Rally (PC), Data Wing (Mobile), Pokémon Sapphire (GBA), Pokémon Ultra Moon (3DS), Birds Organized Neatly (PC), Don’t Stop, Girlypop! (PC)

Roy: Pokemon Blue (GB), click to ten (PC), Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones (Switch), Pokemon Silver (GBC), Arknights (Mobile), Tabletop Simulator (PC)

Another year passed and the hosts welcome back thread master Knalb to recount the "Game of the Month" winners of the community throughout 2025. Knalb also brings the stats and trivia to play a guessing game around the community's activity!

Did the community choose better games than the year before? Who actually played Hatris? Why has there never been a racing game as GOTM before? And what might be in store for us in 2026? Let's discuss in this extra thick episode!

Feel free to use the time stamps below to avoid spoiler-heavy chat over specific games.

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

Discord – https://discord.gg/v5F26Dk

Email - hltbpodcast@gmail.com

Music – Ian Edward (intro/outro), Abatage (incidental), call me lethargy. (incidental)

Graphic design – M4thew and Matt

00:00:00 Intro

00:01:08 What has Knalb beaten?

00:14:00 What has Knalb retired?

00:19:16 What is Knalb playing?

00:48:59 January: Paper Mario

00:55:58 February: Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion

01:01:19 February: Bloodborne

01:14:15 March: Metroid Zero Mission

01:21:26 April: Nier Automata

01:25:10 April: Hatris

01:31:11 May: Fallout New Vegas

01:49:43 June: Portal

01:57:58 July: System Shock

02:03:03 August: Clair Obscure Expedition 33

02:25:34 September: Psychonauts

02:33:36 October: Dino Crisis

02:39:22 October: Signalis

02:47:55 October: Alan Wake 2

02:56:31 November: Aviary Attorney

03:03:38 December: Shin Megami Tensei Persona 3

03:15:44 Stats Trivia!

03:52:40 Future GOTM Plans

04:01:59 Goodbye

Games Mentioned by Knalb: Franzen, Hatsune Miku Bomb Squad, Hades 2, Warhammer: Vermintide 2, House Flipper, Yakuza 5, Balatro, Split Fiction, The Great Ace Attorney: Adventures, Mini Metro, Powerwash Simulator, American Truck Simulator, Euro Truck Simulator

With another HLTB community event having wrapped up not too long ago, your trusty hosts Lia, Matt and Roy look back and discuss the games of Itchmas 2025, the annual indie game extravaganza!

Additionally, Matt finally dusts off a game that’s been backlogged for over 10 years, Lia rectifies the error of her ways and retires some brand slop, and Roy finally graduates from Hatsune Miku’s school of bomb defusal!

Wasp simulations, edging in videogames, language roguelites, and another round of the brand-new, flawless, untitled collections game to round it all off. We got it all!

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

Discord – https://discord.gg/v5F26DkEmail - hltbpodcast@gmail.com

Music – Ian Edward (intro/outro), Abatage (incidental), call me lethargy. (incidental)

Graphic design – M4thew and Matt

00:00:00 - Intro

00:02:07 - Beaten

00:38:03 - Retired

01:02:32 - Playing

01:29:27 - Itchmas 2025

02:20:04 - Collections Game

02:31:46 - Goodbye!

Games Mentioned:

Lia: Marathon, Saugzwang, Zugzwang (PC), NEET Girl Date Night (PC), Funko Fusion (PS4), The Falconeer (PC), ᗢ (PC), Wingspan (PC), Super Bernie World (PC), Wordle, Murdle, God of War 2018 (PS4), Professor Layton and the Last Specter (DS), Elder Scrolls Online (PC), Red Dead Online (PS4), Balatro (Mobile), Animal Crossing: New Horizons (Switch), Birdle (Browser)

Matt:

Tokimeki Memorial: Taisen Puzzle-Dama (PC), Parallel Experiment (PC), Rayman Origins (PC), Kirby’s Dream Land 3 (SNES), Mario Kart: Super Circuit (GBA), Pigeon Simulator (PC), Christmas/Xmas Carnage (PC), Wasp Nest Simulation (Mobile), Old School Rally (PC), Bunhouse (PC), Roguebook (PC), Skate Story (PC), Worms Reloaded (PC)

Roy:

7 Days to End With You (Switch), The Servers Are Shutting Down in 24 Hours but My Pull Rate's Been Set to 0.0001?! (PC), Megane Breaker (PC), Pokemon Blue (GB), Wordle (PC), Tabletop Simulator (PC)

New year, new me, new ...games? The HLTB podcast hosts ring in the new year with everything we've left in 2025 and what we're bringing into 2026. In addition, we recount all the old childhood games we've tested out as adults and debut a whole new Guess the Game: The Collection Game.

Listen in as we discuss those games that are just not easy no matter how old you are, learn how our childhood imaginations created games that don't actually exist, franchises that took us on a ride, and technical issues that left old games never to be replayed again.

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

Discord – ⁠https://discord.gg/v5F26Dk⁠

Email - ⁠hltbpodcast@gmail.com⁠

Music – Ian Edward (intro/outro), Abatage (incidental), call me lethargy. (incidental)

Graphic design – M4thew and Matt

00:00:11 - Intro

00:01:28 - Beaten

00:39:24 - Retired

00:53:56 - Playing

01:46:29 - Discussion

02:29:40 - Guess the Game

02:42:03 - Goodbye!

Games Mentioned:

Diallo: Kirby Air Riders (Switch 2), Tokimeki Memorial (Switch), Pokémon Legends: Z-A - Mega Dimension (Switch 2), Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (PC)

Lia: Rainbows Are Carnivores, Apollo 2, Shapeshit, Stickshift, Hurt Me Plenty, Succulent, Rinse & Repeat, Where’s the Beef, Logjam, Hard Lads, Cobra Club, That Lonesome Valley, Wordle, Murdle, Demos (The Art of Reflection, B.I.R.D., ServiceIT: You Can Do IT, Aviarium, Gecko Gods, Backpack Battles, Tiny House Simulator), Red Dead Online, Elder Scrolls Online, Funko Fusion, God of War (2018), Good Authority

Matt: Puyo Puyo Tetris (PC), Sonic Racing CrossWorlds (PC), Christmas Celebration Escape (PC), Christmas Massacre (PC), Magic The Gathering Arena (PC), Taiko no Tatsujin: Rhythm Festival (PC), SleepTown (Mobile), Crypt of the Necrodancer: Amplified (PC), Wordle (PC), Parallel Experiment (PC), Tokimeki Memorial: Taisen Puzzle-Dama (PC)

Roy: Kirby and the Forgotten Land (Switch), Wordle (PC), Madden NEXT 12 (PS2), Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (Switch), Super Mario Party Jamboree (Switch), Super Mario Bros. Wonder (Switch), Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword (PC)

As the year draws closer to STAGE COMPLETE, the HLTB Pod hosts gathered one last time in 2025 to discuss everything video and games, especially the elusive freebie known as gifted games. What holidays and event do get them for as well as memorable gift and moments. Who finished off their gifted games too fast and who let their gifts gets dusty?

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

Discord – ⁠https://discord.gg/v5F26Dk⁠

Email - ⁠hltbpodcast@gmail.com⁠

Music – Ian Edward (intro/outro), Abatage (incidental), call me lethargy. (incidental)

Graphic design – M4thew and Matt

00:00:11 - Intro

00:01:13 - Beaten

00:26:21 - Retired

00:33:56 - Playing

01:30:39 - Discussion

02:13:02 - Guess the Game

02:24:40 - Goodbye!

Games Mentioned:

Lia: Arrows (Mobile), Drop the Cat (Mobile), Wordle (Discord), Murdle (Browser), Tiny Bird Garden Deluxe (PC/Mac), Tori Note (Mobile), Travel Frog (Mobile), Professor Layton and the Last Specter/Spectre’s Call (DS), Quetzal (Mobile), Logic Puzzles (Mobile), Funko Fusion (PS4)

Matt: The Beginner’s Guide (PC), Worms 2 (PC), Shady Lewd Kart (PC), Isopod: A Webbed Spin-off (PC), Magic The Gathering Arena (PC/Mobile), Puyo Puyo Tetris (PC), Pigeon Simulator (PC), Taiko no Tatsujin: Rhythm Festival (PC), Sonic Racing CrossWorlds (PC), Worms: Revolution (PC)

Diallo: Pokémon Legends: Z-A (Switch 2) Kirby Air Riders (Switch 2)

Roy: Wordle (PC), Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones (Switch), Shin Megami Tensen V: Vengeance (Switch), Kirby and the Forgotten Land (Switch), Fire Emblem: Cerulean Crescent (PC/GBA)

Some games, like the timeless masterpiece that is Tetris, are eternally replayable. So in this episode the hosts discuss if and when they replay games, remember moments when a return to a game changed their experience significantly, and chat about what games entice them to revisit in the future.

Furthermore expect discussions about exciting topics like rainbow waffles, first person pooper games, and emulating fast food restaurant toys!

Also: Support your local library!

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

Discord – ⁠https://discord.gg/v5F26Dk⁠

Email - ⁠hltbpodcast@gmail.com⁠

Music – Ian Edward (intro/outro), Abatage (incidental), call me lethargy. (incidental)

Graphic design – M4thew and Matt

00:00:00 - Intro

00:00:57 - Beaten

00:13:31 - Retired

00:21:23 - Playing

01:11:47 - Discussing Replays

01:49:33 - Guess the Game

01:57:13 - Goodbye!

Games Mentioned:

Diallo: Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Lia: Wordle Clones (Browser), Yum Yum Cookstar (Switch),Wordle (Discord), Murdle (Browser), Tiny Bird Garden Deluxe (PC/Mac), Tori Note (Mobile), Travel Frog (Mobile), Professor Layton and the Last Specter/Spectre’s Call (DS), Quetzal (Mobile), Spice World (PS1), Arrows (Mobile), Logic Puzzles (Mobile), Drop the Cat (Mobile)Matt: It Takes A War (PC), Shady Lewd Kart (PC), Pigeon Simulator (PC), Isopod (PC), Magic The Gathering Arena (PC), Puyo Puyo Tetris (PC), Rubik’s Connected (Mobile)

Roy: McDonald’s Sonic Speedway (LCD/PC), Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (Switch), Summon Night: Swordcraft Story (GBA), Wordle (PC), New Super Mario Bros. U. Deluxe (Switch), Bowser’s Fury (Switch), Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3 (GBA/Switch), Super Mario Advance 3: Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island (GBA/Switch), Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones (GBA/Switch), Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance (Switch), Tabletop Simulator (PC)

As Americans prepare to stuff their faces this Thursday, your trusty hosts turn their attention to the world of cooking and crafting in video games! We hope you brought your appetite, because our Thanksgiving dinner features Sonic blue curry, haunted pickles, the world’s worst mac and cheese, and of course, wall chicken in lieu of the traditional turkey! Need to tune out your drunken uncle? Listen to our (only slightly more coherent) ramblings instead!

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

Discord – ⁠https://discord.gg/v5F26Dk⁠

Email - ⁠hltbpodcast@gmail.com⁠

Music – Ian Edward (intro/outro), Abatage (incidental), call me lethargy. (incidental)

Graphic design – M4thew and Matt

00:00:00 - Intro

00:01:17 - Beaten

00:45:25 - Retired

00:46:20 - Playing

01:36:24 - Discussion

02:21:18 - Guess the Game

02:28:53 - Goodbye!

Games Mentioned:

Diallo: to a T (PC), Once Upon a Katamari (PC), Pokémon Legends: Z-A (Switch 2), Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (Switch 2)

Lia: Arrows (Mobile), EnigmBox (Mobile), Logic Puzzles (Mobile), Quetzal (Mobile), Wordle and Wordle Clones (Wordle, Moxle, Heardle, Beadle, 1D Heardle) (Browser), Murdle (Browser), Travel Frog (Mobile), Tori Note (Mobile)

Matt: Whispering Willows (PC), Hatsune Miku VR (PC), COVID-19 by Hot Slice (PC), Moorhuhn VR Blast (PC), Sonic Adventure 2 (PC), Dino Crisis (PC), Shady Lewd Kart (PC), Phasmophobia (PC), Magic The Gathering Arena (PC), Rubik's Connected (Mobile)

Roy: Wordle (PC), League of Legends (PC), MLB 11: The Show (PS2), Tabletop Simulator (PC)

Get ready for another edition of everyone's favorite podcast! This time we're discussing ROM Hacks and Fan Games and finding out which freakish fan hacks have a special place in our hearts.

Stream along as Lia becomes a billionaire, Matt chases Justin Bieber, Roy plays multiple Pokemon and experience the return of Diallo, with the shiniest of nightmares and newest of consoles.

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

Discord – ⁠https://discord.gg/v5F26Dk⁠

Email - ⁠hltbpodcast@gmail.com⁠

Music – Ian Edward (intro/outro), Abatage (incidental), call me lethargy. (incidental)

Graphic design – M4thew and Matt

00:00:06 - Intro

00:03:03 - Beaten

00:21:04 - Retired

00:49:38 - Playing

01:53:57 - Discussion

02:38:32 - Guess the Game

02:48:52 - Goodbye!

Games Mentioned:

Lia: You Are Jeff Bezos (Browser), Magarena (PC), GUNDAM CARD GAME Teaching App (Mobile), Magic the Gathering Arena (Mac/PC), Magic: The Gathering Online (PC), Magic: The Gathering (Browser), Disney Lorcana (Browser), Mahjong Soul (Mobile), Marvel Snap (Mobile), Tricky Bridge (Mobile), Tabletop Simulator (PC/Mac), Disney’s Dreamlight Valley (Switch), Quetzal (Mobile), The Crew 2 (PC), Red Dead Online (PC), Magic: The Gathering Arena (Mobile)

Matt: Gnat Attack Redux (PC), The Original Moorhuhn Hunt (PC), multiple “Scary Maze Games” (Original by Jeremy Winterrowd, Justin Bieber version, Maze Game DX by Razoric, Dreader by Donitz…), Monster Energy Supercross - The Official Videogame 3 (PC), Red Alarm (VB), Vox Populi: Germany 2025 (PC), Dino Crisis (PC), Magic the Gathering Arena (PC/Mobile), Jack Bros. (VB)

Diallo: Hollow Knight: Silksong (PC), Pokemon Legends: Z-A (Switch 2), to a T (PC)

Roy: Wordle (PC), Pokemon Orange (GBC), Pokemon Stadium 1 (N64/Switch), Pokemon Gold 97 Reforged (GBC), Tabletop Simulator (PC), Civilization IV (PC)

As it is Spooky Season™️, Lia, Matt and Roy follow their content creator obligation to talk about fitting things like games that actually managed to scare them and, of course, the best Halloween candy!

Between the usual yapping about video games and another round of "Guess the Game", you will also witness a rare return of the soap box segment!

Expect further escapades into different trading card games, a shoutout to Candy Crush players, a yearning for vocaloid games, and reports of mild enjoyment of German politics simulation.

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

Discord – https://discord.gg/v5F26Dk

Email - hltbpodcast@gmail.com

Music – Ian Edward (intro/outro), Abatage (incidental), call me lethargy. (incidental)

Graphic design – M4thew and Matt

00:00:00 - Intro

00:01:05 - Beaten

00:10:57 - Retired

00:30:48 - Playing

01:18:36 - Soap Box

01:24:29 - Halloween Candy & Scary Games

02:02:47 - Guess the Game

02:06:45 - Goodbye!

Games Mentioned:

Lia: Quetzal (Mobile), Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel (Mobile), Magic the Gathering Arena (PC), Warhammer Warpforge (Mobile), Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Links (Mobile), Marvel Snap (Mobile), Disney Lorcana (Browser), Mahjong Soul (Mobile), Tricky Bridge (Mobile), Magarena (PC), Magic the Gathering Arena (Mac/Mobile), Tabletop Simulator (PC/Mac)

Matt: Silent Hill 2 [2001] (PC), Kind Words 2 (PC), Pokémon Ultra Moon (3DS), Dino Crisis (PC), Magic the Gathering Arena (PC/Mobile), Vox Populi: Germany 2025 (PC)

Roy: Wordle (PC), Pokemon Stadium (Switch), Tabletop Simulator (PC), Sid Meier’s Civilization IV (PC), Hatsune Miku Bomb Squad (GBC/PC)

It's time for another descent into gaming madness, wherein we brave hosts discuss all things video games and what presence sports games have on our backlogs and completed. Who has the most sports games in their catalog?

Join in as Roy gets destroyed by collegiate football simulations, Matt pulls back on emulations, and digital trading card games become Lia's new recreation.

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

Discord – ⁠https://discord.gg/v5F26Dk⁠

Email - ⁠hltbpodcast@gmail.com⁠

Music – Ian Edward (intro/outro), Abatage (incidental), call me lethargy. (incidental)

Graphic design – M4thew and Matt

00:00:09 - Intro

00:01:03 - Beaten

00:09:23 - Retired

00:30:59 - Playing

01:19:03 - Sports Games

02:10:38 - Guess the Game

02:16:48 - Goodbye!

Games Mentioned:

Lia: Assassin’s Creed III Remastered (PS5), Pokemon TCG Live (Mobile), Max Payne (PC), Red Dead Online (PC), Nier Automata (PS4), Hairdresser Simulator (PC), Magic: The Gathering Arena (PC/Mobile), Disney Lorcana (Browser), Star Wars Unlimited (Browser), One Piece TCG (Browser), Tabletop Simulator (PC), Marvel Snap (Mobile), Wordle (Discord)

Matt: Time Flies (PC), Hatsune Miku Bomb Squad! (GBC/Browser), Backgammon + Checkers + Mills (PC), Murky Divers (PC), Wakeboarding Unleashed featuring Shaun Murray (PS2), Magic: The Gathering Arena (PC), Vox Populi: Germany 2025 (PC), Wordle (PC)

Roy: Wordle (PC), NCAA Football 10, Tabletop Simulator, Madden NFL 10

Welcome, fellow web surfer, to another episode of the How Long To Beat podcast!

Today Lia, Matt and Roy chat about how the proliferation of information through modern technology has impacted the gaming space, as well as the games that they’ve been spending time with recently and playing another round of “Guess the Game”!

Expect a yearning for Big Head Mode, criticisms towards videogame representations of New York City, news about pigeon DLC, and tragic tales of IRL Magic: The Gathering experiences!

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

Discord – https://discord.gg/v5F26Dk

Email - hltbpodcast@gmail.com

Music – Ian Edward (intro/outro), Abatage (incidental), call me lethargy. (incidental)

Graphic design – M4thew and Matt

00:00:00 - Intro

00:01:09 - Beaten

00:27:59 - Retired

00:34:14 - Playing

01:30:25 - The Proliferation of Information and its Impact on Games

02:26:30 - Guess the Game

02:36:40 - Goodbye!

Games Mentioned:

Lia: GTA: San Andreas Definitive Edition (PS4/5), He F*cked The Girl Out Of Me (PC), Death Rally (Classic) (PC), Death Rally (PC), Hitman 3 World of Assassination (PC), Spirit City: Lo-Fi Sessions (PC), Power Wash Simulator (PC), Max Payne (PC), Marvel Rivals (PC), Red Dead Online (PC), Nier Automata (PS4)

Matt: Need for Speed: ProStreet (PC), Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound (PC), Align It (Mobile), Magic: The Gathering - Arena (PC/Mobile), Wakeboarding Unleashed featuring Shaun Murray (PS2), Wordle (PC)

Roy: Wordle (PC), Arknights (PC), Madden NFL 10 (PS2), Tabletop Simulator (PC), Touhou 6 - Embodiment of Scarlet Devil (PC)

The whittled down hosting trio are back for another round of video game chat, this time with slightly more Lia than required! Listen in as they discuss which seasons go with which games and why, and who is the freak who decided this topic was a good one? Follow for discussions on great franchise deals, the issue of meta overtaking storylines, which gacha is good, and whether or not they're all still doing Wordle.

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

Discord – https://discord.gg/v5F26Dk

Email - hltbpodcast@gmail.com

Music – Ian Edward (intro/outro), Abatage (incidental), call me lethargy. (incidental)

Graphic design – M4thew and Matt

00:00:12 - Intro

00:01:33 - Beaten

00:31:24 - Retired

00:39:15 - Playing

01:11:11 - Seasonal Gaming

01:37:09 - Guess the Game

02:07:24 - Goodbye!

Games mentioned:

Lia: A Plague Tale: Requiem (PS4/5), A Plague Tale: Innocence (PS4/5), Infinity Nikki (PS5), Alan Wake 2 (PS5), we should talk (PC), GTA: Vice City Definitive Edition (PS4/5), Spider-Man 2 (PS5), nour (PC), The Pathless (PS5), Supermarket Simulator: Prologue (PC), Genshin Impact, Wuthering Waves, Zenless Zone Zero, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order/Survivor (PS5), Tower of Fantasy (PS5), GTA: San Andreas Definitive Edition (PS4/5)

Matt: How Do You Do It? (PC), Backgammon + Checkers + Mills (PC), Murky Divers (PC), Magic: The Gathering - Arena (PC/Mobile), Kind Words 2 (PC)

Roy: Wordle (PC), Tabletop Simulator (PC), Balatro (PC), Arknights (Mobile)

The birds are angry these days!

But that doesn't stop us from blabbering on about videogames that we are playing. Or lack thereof, as we'll also be discussing gaming droughts, what might cause them, what might get us out of them, and what else we do when we're not spending our precious free-time with games.

Join us as we chat about rodents, complain about popping wheelies, and experience becoming one with the Wordle.

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

Discord – https://discord.gg/v5F26Dk

Email - hltbpodcast@gmail.com

Music – Ian Edward (intro/outro), Abatage (incidental), call me lethargy. (incidental)Graphic design – M4thew and Matt

00:00:00 - Intro

00:28:44 - Beaten

00:49:44 - Retired

00:29:46 - Playing

01:36:29 - Gaming Droughts

02:01:30 - Guess the Game

02:07:24 - Goodbye!

Games Mentioned:

Lia: It Takes Two (PS4/5), Broforce (Switch), Jumanji Wild Adventure (Switch), Tetris 99 (Switch), A Plague Tale Requiem (PS4/5), Power Wash Simulator Wallace & Gromit DLC (PC), Game Demos (Holy Gosh Darn, Squeakross, Until Then, Fix This House)

Matt: The House of the Dead: Remake (PC), Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 (PC), Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater (PS1), Magic: The Gathering - Duels of the Planeswalkers 2010 (PC), Backgammon + Checkers + Mills (PC), Murky Divers (PC), Align It (Mobile), Ninja Gaiden Ragebound (PC), Need for Speed: ProStreet (PC), Pokémon Ultra Moon (3DS), Kind Words 2 (PC)

Roy: City Connection (NES/Switch), Mimi’s Delivery Dash (PC), Tabletop Simulator (PC), Wordle (PC)

It's time for another round of chatting about video games! This month we are without Diallo but the remaining hosts gather to discuss the community event Itchmas in July and other stuff that's holding their fancies this month.

Including but not limited to: the pros and cons of gamepass and cooking sims, pinball tables real and virtual, racing games real and imagined, and all things historical and current in the world of rats.

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

Discord – https://discord.gg/v5F26Dk

Email - hltbpodcast@gmail.com

Music – Ian Edward (intro/outro), Abatage (incidental), call me lethargy. (incidental)

Graphic design – M4thew and Matt

00:00:00 - Intro

00:01:02 - Beaten

00:41:39 - Retired

1:02:49 - Playing

1:54:57 - Itchmas in July

3:00:14 - Guess the Game

3:05:24 - Goodbye!

Games Mentioned:

Lia: We Should Talk., Pizza Maker, A Plague Tale: Requiem (PS5), Cook For Love (Switch)

Matt: Ultimate Mill (Mobile), The Birdcage (Mobile), The Birdcage 2 (Mobile), Face Racers: Photo Finish (3DS), Worms Pinball (PC), Daytona Championship USA (Arcade), Mills of Morris (PC), Counter-Strike 1.6 (PC), Varooom 3D (GBA/Arcade), Pokémon Ultra Moon (3DS), Backgammon + Checkers + Mills (PC), Murky Divers (PC), Stern Pinball Arcade (PC), Ragnaröck (PC VR), Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 (PC)

Roy: Pinball (NES/Switch), Battleship (NES), Hypnospace Outlaw (PC), Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (PC), Sewer Tales (Itch/PC), The Dark Queen of Mortholme (Itch/PC), Desierto (Itch/PC), Sparvagn (Itch/PC), Need For Speed Most Wanted 2012 (PC), Wordle (PC), Vampire Survivors (PC), Duelists of Eden (PC), Tabletop Simulator (PC)

Itchmas in July 2025: Sewer Tales, The Fall of Lazarus, Desierto, Divorce Chatroom, SPÅRVAGN, Packing Up The Rest of Your Stuff on the Last Day at Your Old Apartment, Formless Star, one night, hot springs, individualism in the dead-internet age: an anti-big tech asset flip shovelware r̶a̶n̶t̶ manifesto, The Dark Queen of Mortholme

Join us on a sidequest through the recent videogame showcases, including the big Summer Game Fest schedule as well as a couple individual events outside of that.

We talk about how we engage with showcases in general and reveal our most anticipated new games discoveries through these recent live events!

Be ready for disingenuous eco games, tangents on horse-breeding games, doing backflips in games, a teardown of wholesomeness, and the state of bodily fluids in gaming.

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

Discord – https://discord.gg/v5F26Dk

Email - hltbpodcast@gmail.com

Music – Ian Edward (intro/outro), Abatage (incidental), call me lethargy. (incidental)

Graphic design – M4thew and Matt

00:00:00 - Intro

00:01:53 - General Thoughts on Game Showcases

00:10:39 - SGF: State of Unreal

00:12:23 - SGF: State of Play (Sony)

00:21:39 - SGF: Main Show

00:36:33 - SGF: Day of the Devs

00:44:38 - SGF: Ball x Pit (Devolver Digital)

00:49:18 - SGF: IOI Showcase

00:50:20 - SGF: Wholesome Direct

00:58:21 - SGF: Women-led Games

01:06:39 - SGF: Latin American Games

01:11:58 - SGF: Southeast Asian Games

01:21:22 - SGF: Green Games

01:30:54 - SGF: Frosty Games Fest

01:34:52 - SGF: Xbox Showcase

01:41:30 - SGF: PC Gaming Show

01:42:13 - SGF: Death Stranding 2 Premiere

01:43:21 - SGF: Black Voices In Gaming

01:48:35 - Donkey Kong Bananza Nintendo Direct

01:55:45 - Arc System Works Showcase

01:57:07 - Capcom Spotlight

01:57:26 - Bandai Namco Summer Showcase

01:57:36 - The Horror Games Awards

02:01:15 - Our Most Anticipated New Discoveries

02:40:05 - Outro

On this episode, the hosts take a trip down memory lane: They revisit the very first video games they ever played, and then they take a look at "gateway games" that exposed them to new genres or concepts. Tune in as they talk about shiny poop, recount their childhood medical history, and review the rules of alphabetizing!

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

Discord – https://discord.gg/v5F26Dk

Email - hltbpodcast@gmail.com

Music – Ian Edward (intro/outro), Abatage (incidental), call me lethargy. (incidental)

Graphic design – M4thew and Matt

00:00:00 - Intro

00:01:00 - Beaten

01:01:24 - Retired

01:21:03 - Playing

01:57:40 - Our First Video Game + Gateway Games

02:51:44 - Guess the Game

02:59:25 - Goodbye!

Games Mentioned:

Diallo: Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals TimeLia: Ghost of Tsushima (PS5), Forspoken (PS5), Fashion League (Mobile), Influencer Story (Mobile), A Plague Tale: Requiem (PS5), Helldivers 2 (PC), Infinity Nikki (PS5), GTA: Chinatown Wars (Mobile), Harvest Moon (NSO, SNES), Assassin’s Creed III Remastered (PS5), Kind Words 2 (PC), The Pathless (PS5)Matt: Aquadelic GT (PC), Frog Legs (PC), Purple (Mobile), Pinball of the Dead (GBA), Pinball (NES), HEADACHE (PC), The Amazing Spider-Man (GB), The Little Mermaid 2: Pinball Frenzy (GBC), Need for Speed: ProStreet (PC), Backgammon + Checkers + Mills (PC), Murky Divers (PC)Roy: one night, hot springs (PC), Persona 3 Reload (PC), Citizen Sleeper (PC), Drake of the 99 Dragons (PC), Mona and the Witch’s Hat Deluxe (GBC), Mona and the Witch’s Hat (GB), Mario Party 3 (Switch/N64), StarVaders (PC), Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (PC)

With the release of the Nintendo Switch 2 on the horizon, the hosts take a look back at their experiences with the original Switch console. They go over how the platform affected their gaming and remember favorite titles, but also share criticisms and reasons why one might not have purchased a Switch at all.

In addition to that, there are also tales of speedrunning the Bible, encountering the mysterious Bubble Bobble Baron, re-experiencing the stress of high school romance, and being nostalgic over stick figure fights. So, stick around!

This episode is dedicated to all the random chickens crossing our path in life. Cherish them!

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

Discord – https://discord.gg/v5F26Dk

Email - hltbpodcast@gmail.com

Music – Ian Edward (intro/outro), Abatage (incidental), call me lethargy. (incidental)

Graphic design – M4thew and Matt

00:00:00 - Intro

00:01:11 - Beaten

00:49:44 - Retired

01:00:11 - Playing

01:58:11 - Nintendo Switch Retrospective

03:03:00 - Guess the Game

03:08:17 - Goodbye!

Games Mentioned:

Diallo: Mario’s Picross, Felvidek, Oxenfree, Dinner with an Owl, Tokimeki Memorial: forever with you Emotional, Blue Prince, Mother 3

Lia: Bubble Bobble 4 Friends: The Baron is Back! (Switch), Nier Automata (PS5), Hollywood Story (mobile), RuPaul’s Drag Race (mobile), Stardew Valley (mobile), The Falconeer, Super Metroid (Switch), Infinity Nikki (PS5), Ghost of Tsushima (PS5), Connect Word (mobile), Influencer Story (mobile), Heave Ho (Switch), Run Jesus Run a.k.a. The 10 Second Gospel (PC)

Matt: Dead or Alive 6 (PC), Hooters: Road Trip (PS1), Redout: Enhanced Edition (PC), Xiao Xiao No. 2 & 4 & 6 & 9 (PC), Championship Cock Fighter (PC), Time Fcuk (PC), Aqua Moto Racing Utopia (PC), Ninja Gaiden III: The Ancient Ship of Doom (NES), Backgammon + Checkers + Mills (PC), Murky Divers (PC), Purple (Mobile), Aquadelic GT (PC), Need for Speed: ProStreet (PC)

Roy: Balatro (PC), Run Jesus Run a.k.a. The 10 Second Gospel (PC), Persona 3 Reload (PC), Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones (Switch/GBA), Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (PC), Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword (PC), Summon Night: Swordcraft Story (PC/GBA), Wordle (PC)

Your S4 hosts are back with another healthy dose of gamer chat! In this episode we share the games we chose for each other to play based on our backlogs, plus our memories of the best, worst, and the weird in licensed and media tie-in video games. Join us for bird games, soundtrack bangers, game hat tricks, sports tangents, a Kardashian or two, and a healthy serving of puns.

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

Discord – ⁠https://discord.gg/v5F26Dk⁠

Email - ⁠hltbpodcast@gmail.com

Music – Ian Edward (intro/outro), Abatage (incidental), call me lethargy. (incidental)

Graphic design – M4thew and Matt

00:00:00 - Intro

00:01:02 - Beaten

00:37:28 - Retired

00:58:03 - Playing

01:47:31 - Secret Santa

02:02:01 - Licensed and Media Tie-In Games

02:41:10 - Guess the Game

02:49:50 - Goodbye!

Games Mentioned:

Diallo: Aviary Attorney, Indika, Mario’s Picross, Felvidek

Lia: Disney Speedstorm, Snakebird, PowerWash Simulator (DLC only, Spongebob and Shrek), Them’s Fightin’ Herds, Hatris (NES, Game Boy, Famicom, Arcade/TurboGrafx-16), Helldivers 2 (PS5/PC), Infinity Nikki (PS5), Ghost of Tsushima (PS5), Nier: Automatica (PS5)

Matt: Wakamarina Valley, New Zealand (PC), Hatris (GB) via Tetris Forever (PC), Welltris (DOS) via Tetris Forever (PC), Yeah! You Want "Those Games", Right? So Here You Go! Now, Let's See You Clear Them! (PC), Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth - Hacker's Memory (PC), Ailuri (PC), Redout (PC), AEW: Fight Forever (PC), Murky Divers (PC), Purple (Android), Hooters: Road Trip (PS1)

Roy: Götzendiener (TurboGrafx-16), Little Kitty Big City (PC), Ice Climber (Switch/NES), Balloon Fight (Switch/NES), Super Tennis (Switch/SNES), Persona 3 Reload (PC), Wordle (PC)

Between geese, red pandas, killer clowns, and diapers…

This month’s episode contains an especially eclectic collection of games as we talk about the exciting and the frustrating titles that we’ve been playing recently.

We also share our experience with tackling the dustiest game on our respective backlogs to see if it really deserved to rot away for so long. How long has it been on there and how was it to finally check it off the list?

The perfect background noise for your very own spring cleaning!

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

Discord – https://discord.gg/v5F26Dk

Email - hltbpodcast@gmail.com

Music – Ian Edward (intro/outro), Abatage (incidental), call me lethargy. (incidental), Bit By Bit Sound (in this episode)

Graphic design – M4thew and Matt

00:00:00 - Intro

00:01:49 - Beaten

01:34:13 - Retired

02:11:41 - Playing

03:16:56 - Tackling The Dustiest Backlog Game

03:41:41 - Guess the Game

03:46:17 - Goodbye!

Games Mentioned:

Diallo: Virtual Goose 5.0, Pokémon TCG Pocket, Dead by Daylight, Mario’s Picross

Lia: Sackboy: A Big Adventure (PS5), Peggle Extreme, Psych (2014), Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion, Freshly Frosted, The Birdcage 1-3 (Mobile), Wizard of Wings, A Little to the Left Snack Pack, Oddworld: New 'n' Tasty!, 7 Second Haircuts, Everything is Garbage, The League of Lonely Geologists, Off Day, Friendly Fire, GTA Vice City (PS5), Yeah! You Want "Those Games", Right? So Here You Go! Now, Let's See You Clear Them! (Switch), The Elder Scrolls: Blades (Switch), Tchia, SELF, Grey Box Testing, Diapers Please!, Ghost of Tsushima (PS5), Crossing Souls, Kind Words 2, I Love Finding Birds, various too similar to differentiate shop simulator games, Michael Jackson’s Moonwalker (Genesis), Metroid Zero Mission, Mappy vs Mickey, Oddworld: Soulstorm, Peggle Extreme

Matt: Celeste (PC), Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion (PC), Smalland (PC), Inertial Drift (PC), Cadde (PC), PISS (PC), Future Aero Racing S Ultra (PC), Monsters, Inc. (PS2), Killer Klowns From Outer Space: The Game (PC), Audiosurf (PC), Audiosurf 2 (PC), Hatris 3D (N64), Minecraft (PC), Ailuri (PC), Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth - Hacker’s Memory (PC), Redout (PC), Breath of Death VII (PC)

Roy: GAR-TYPE (PC), Daytona USA (Saturn), Golden Axe (Switch/Genesis), Sega Rally Championship (Saturn), Donkey Kong (Switch/NES), Ridge Racer 64 (Switch/N64), Crazy Taxi: Catch a Ride (GBA), Mario 4: Kosmichyeskaya Odissyeya (Genesis), Pokemon Yellow (Game Boy), Kingdom Hearts Final Mix (PC), Fortune’s Favor! (GBA), Double Dragon II: The Revenge (Switch/NES), Snake Rattle ‘n’ Roll (Switch/NES), Golden Axe II (Switch/Genesis), Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel (PC), Dr. Mario (NES), Wordle (PC), Arknights (Mobile), Summon Night: Swordcraft Story (GBA), Metroid: Zero Mission (Switch/GBA), Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones Randomizer (GBA), Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade Randomizer (GBA), Doc Clock and the Toasted Sandwich of Time (PC), Doc Clock: The Toasted Sandwich of Time (PC)

Hosts Diallo, Lia, Matt, and Roy are back and ready to share the upcoming 2025 releases that have them excited, as well as discuss how they keep up with video game news!

Tune in to hear their takes on disgusting garbage houses, video games about pop stars, and much, much more!

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

Discord – https://discord.gg/v5F26Dk

Email - hltbpodcast@gmail.com

Music – Ian Edward (intro/outro), Abatage (incidental), call me lethargy. (incidental)

Graphic design – M4thew and Matt

00:00:12 - Intro

00:00:34 - Beaten

00:41:12 - Retired

00:54:15 - Playing

01:35:50 - What We're Looking Forward to in 2025

02:26:35 - Guess the Game

02:36:53 - Goodbye!

Games Mentioned:

Diallo: Emio – The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club, Animal Well

Lia: Poopy Philosophy, Sheepy, Railbound, GTA III (Definitive Edition, PS5), Mimi’s Delivery Dash, NSYNC Get to the Show (GBC), Britney’s Dance Beat (GBA), Boomerang X, Bus Simulator 21, Infinity Nikki, Freshly Frosted, The Geology Game, Abe's Oddysee New N Tasty, Mini Motorways, Marvel Rivals, GTA: Vice City (Definitive Edition, PS5), Crossing Souls, Sackboy: A Big Adventure

Matt: Disgusting Garbage House Escape (PC), Hot Wheels: Stunt Track Challenge (PS2), Ink (PC), Limbo (PC), Super Meat Boy (PC), Mr. Run and Jump (PC), Carly and the Reaperman (PC), Forspoken (PC), Flambeau Deluxxx (PC), Smalland (PC), Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth - Hacker’s Memory (PC), Celeste (PC)

Roy: Delia: The Traveling Witch, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword, Wordle, Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel

On this special episode, we welcome back previous guest and thread master Knalb to look back with us at the "Game of the Month" titles that were chosen by the community throughout 2024 as part of one of the oldest traditions on HowLongToBeat.

To top it all off, Knalb brought a bunch of interesting facts and numbers for a little trivia game about the statistics of those events!

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

Discord – https://discord.gg/v5F26Dk

Email - hltbpodcast@gmail.com

Music – Ian Edward (intro/outro), Abatage (incidental), call me lethargy. (incidental)

Graphic design – M4thew and Matt

00:00:00 Intro

00:04:23 What has Knalb been playing recently?

00:17:38 Pony Island

00:22:46 Final Fantasy XII

00:27:40 Return of the Obra Dinn

00:32:57 Valiant Hearts

00:37:00 Hatoful Boyfriend

00:41:23 Ori and the Will of the Wisps

00:43:45 The World Ends With You

00:53:24 Sunset Overdrive

00:56:44 Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening

01:05:04 Bully

01:12:59 Inside

01:15:25 Death's Door

01:20:13 Resident Evil 7

01:32:25 Doom Eternal

01:36:12 Outer Wilds

01:44:50 GOTM Trivia Game

02:14:45 Conclusion & Looking Forward

Welcome the new year with a look back at the last games Diallo, Lia, Matt and Roy were able to squeeze through under the 2024 deadline. In this episode, the shiny newly minted hosts of the podcast go over the last games they have beaten, retired, and played before debating the pros and cons of the itchmas ’24 lineup.

Get ready for escape rooms, forgotten horror, snowballs and sleds, lots of falling blocks, super short games, and the dawn of a new era in vtubers?

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

Discord – https://discord.gg/v5F26Dk

Email - hltbpodcast@gmail.com

Music – Ian Edward (intro/outro), Abatage (incidental), call me lethargy. (incidental)Graphic design – M4thew and Matt

00:00:10 - Intro

00:00:42 - Beaten

00:53:30 - Retired

01:04:30 - Playing

01:39:00 - itchmas December 2024

02:24:29 - Guess the Game

02:27:35 - Goodbye!

Games Mentioned:

Diallo: Crow Country, Plumbers Don’t Wear Ties, Who’s Lila?, Emio - The Smiling Man, Outer Wilds (Echoes of the Eye DLC), Metaphor: ReFantazio

Lia: Lake: Seasons Greetings, Dredge, Spirit City: Lo Fi Sessions, Oddworld: Abe’s Oddysee, Doom Eternal, Dragon Age: Veilguard: Character Creator, Tiny Bookshop Demo, Boomerang X, Red Dead Online, Bus Simulator 21, Infinity Nikki

Matt: Snow Moto Racing Freedom, Polaris Snocross (PS1 & GBC), Sled Storm (PS1), Ski-Doo Snowmobile Challenge, The Whisperer, That Which Gave Chase, Praey For The Gods, Mission in Snowdriftland, Glacier 3: The Meltdown, Tram Simulator Urban Transit, Liyla and the Shadows of War (Android), Zool: Redimensioned, Via Tetris Forever: Tetris Battle Gaiden (NES), Tetris 2 + Bombliss (NES), Hatris (Famicom/GB//US NES),Tetris (CD-i) (shelved), Tetris Christmas, Chris Rea’s Driving Home For Christmas YT, Via Tetris Forever: Super Tetris 3 (SNES) (shelved), Super Bombliss DX (GBC) (shelved), Igo: Kyū Roban Taikyoku (NES), Tetris [1988] (MS-DOS), Super Tetris 2 + Bombliss (SNES), Super Tetris 2 + Bombliss: Gentei Hen (SNES), Super Bombliss (GB/SNES), Tricky Towers

Roy: Golf (1984), Donkey Kong Jr., Hearthstone, Live A Live, Holocure, Pokemon Silver, Eragon (GBA), Arknights, Civilization IV, Delia: The Traveling Witch, Tetris DX

Itchmas 2024: Arcane Beak, P.E. Noire, LODGE, | aka pipe, What Never Was, Creature Packets, Rental, Nightmare Kart, The world had been sad since Tuesday, A Good Gardener, Delia: The Traveling Witch, Pakke-Is, Off-Peak, Sheepy: A Short Adventure

A new beginning is upon us as Josh and Paula are ambushed by a set of new voices who are eager to carry the torch into season 4 of the How Long To Beat Podcast!

In this extra big episode, members of the community Diallo, Lia, Matt and Roy begin the new season with a discussion of some games that shaped them as gamers over the years before going into the classic talking points of the games they have beaten, retired, and played.

Be ready for dark Pikmin roleplay, Yu-Gi-Oh nerd rage, and the occasional chirp from the new podcast mascot, Lizza the bird!

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

Discord – https://discord.gg/v5F26Dk

Email - hltbpodcast@gmail.com

Music – Ian Edward (intro/outro), Abatage (incidental), call me lethargy. (incidental)

Graphic design – M4thew and Matt

00:00:00 - Ambush!

00:37:05 - Intro

00:39:10 - Games That Shaped Us

02:00:27 - Beaten

02:49:57 - Retired

03:08:07 - Playing

03:36:23 - Soap Box: Roy on Yu-Gi-Oh!

03:42:41 - Goodbye!

Games Mentioned:

Diallo: 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim, Pokémon HG/SS, We <3 Katamari, Hypnospace Outlaw, Resident Evil 2, Famicom Detective Club: The Missing Heir, Metaphor: ReFantazio, Dead by Daylight, Pokemon TCGP, Crow Country

Lia: The Legend of Zelda: A Link To The Past, GTA: San Andreas, Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island, The Last Of Us, Echoes of Wisdom, i’ll be brave tomorrow, We Are OFK, Winnie the Pooh, Railbound, Growing Up, Lake: Season’s Greetings (DLC), Dredge, Doom Eternal, Death’s Door

Matt: Grounded, F-Zero, Inscryption, Spore, Die Maus, Tetris (Game Boy), Shinkansen 0, Tanuki Sunset, Escape Memoirs: Mini Stories, Gubble Buggy Racer, Super Tetris, Tetris 2, Acorn Pinball, Little Mermaid 2: Pinball Frenzy, Yoshi, Snow Moto Racing Freedom, Pinball of the Dead

Roy: Summon Night: Swordcraft Story, Persona 3: FES, Pikmin 2, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Automobili Lamborghini, Helltaker, Star Fox 64, Cruis’n USA, Cruis’n World, Pokemon FireRed, Urban Champion, Sonic Adventure 2, Hearthstone, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3, Wordle, Sonic Generations

The end has come and the season finishes up with this final episode where Josh and Paula take a look to the future. What are they keen to finish? What’s been sitting on the backlog begging to be played? What new releases are they looking forward to in the future?

Thanks to everyone who contributed and helped support season three and make it fun. It was a blast to put together, but all good things must come to an end. Who knows what will happen in the future, but for now, it’s done!

Thanks for listening.

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

Discord – https://discord.gg/v5F26Dk

Email - hltbpodcast@gmail.com

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

Graphic design – M4thew and Pokepaw

00:00:00 - Intro

00:01:36 - Backlog Games We’re Hyped to Finish

00:18:32 - Backlog Games We’re Hyped to Start

00:43:41 - Upcoming Releases We’re Hyped For

01:36:54 - A Look Back On Season 3

01:45:04 - Final Thoughts

Games Mentioned:

Josh: Dredge, Starfield, Paradise Killer, Need For Speed Heat, Outer Wilds, Republique, Kingdom Come: Deliverance, Keep Talking And Nobody Explodes, The Operator, Terminator: Resistance, Coffee Talk, Coffee Talk 2, Deliver Us Mars, American Arcadia, Steelrising, Metal Gear Solid Master Collection, Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2, Grand Theft Auto 6, Assassin’s Creed Shadows, Death Stranding 2, The Wolf Among Us 2, The Sims 5, Doom: The Dark Ages, Light No Fire

Paula: The Legend Of Zelda: Tears Of The Kindgom, Wargroove 2, Shin Megami Tensei V, The Cruel King and the Great Hero, Elden Ring, Fire Emblem: Engage, Cupid Parasite: Sweet and Spicy Darling, Radiant Tale Fanfare, Lakeburg Legacies, Taisho X Alice, Catherine, CharadeManiacs, JackJeanne, Ace Attorney: Miles Edgeworth Invetigations Collection, The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, Meiji Tokyo Renka Full Moon, 9 RIP, Virche Evermore: Epic Lycons, Steam Prison: Beyond The Steam, Bustafellows Season 2, Professor Layton and the New World of Steam, Pokemon Legends: Z-A, Utakata no Uchronia

In this penultimate episode of season 3: Josh has been battling insane robotics, meditating with pixel art, and tweaking hardware in search of stability, while Paula continues to catch them all, and till the land in pursuit of abundance and anime.

Then they have a special showdown to decide who really is the crowned champion of their guessing game. So far they’ve each won a round, but can a final battle sort the wheat from the chaff? This isn’t Stardew Valley…

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

Discord – https://discord.gg/v5F26Dk

Email - hltbpodcast@gmail.com

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

Graphic design – M4thew and Pokepaw

00:00:00 - Intro

00:02:06 - Beaten

00:11:57 - Retired

00:15:02 - Playing

00:51:17 - The Final Showdown

01:45:01 - Final Thoughts

Games Mentioned:

Josh: Atomic Heart [PC], High On Life [PC], Coloring Pixels [PC], WRC 8 [PC], Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty [PC], Lords Of The Fallen [PC], Win 11 Minesweeper [PC]

Paula: Pokemon Scarlet [Switch], PokeRogue [Browser], Fields of Mistria [PC]

The time has come! Paula’s tenure as educational administrator is at an end, but at what cost?! Has she done enough to justify the hard decisions and moist frogs that frequented the journey? Are we finally witnessing the liberation of indentured students?!

Meanwhile Josh has made it to the end of his own journey, but even a murder case in court seems poultry by comparison. Add to that some hard moral decisions and wartime carnage, and he still doesn’t seem like the worst dictator we’ve seen.

Finally, the topic this week turns to the HLTB Game of the Month, which Josh is definitely a fan of and has a lot to speak on and in no way leaves it all up to Paula.

Enjoy the episode!

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

Discord – https://discord.gg/v5F26Dk

Email - hltbpodcast@gmail.com

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

Graphic design – M4thew and Pokepaw

00:00:00 - Intro

00:02:39 - Beaten

00:56:08 - Playing

01:22:56 - GotM - The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening

01:43:28 - Final Thoughts

Games Mentioned:

Josh: Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney [PC], WRC 7 [PS5], été [PC], Field Hospital: Dr. Taylor’s Story [PC], inbento [PC], Beltmatic [PC], WRC 8 [PC], Command & Conquer: Remastered [PC]

Paula: Let’s School [PC], PokeRogue [browser], The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening [Switch]

Is it a myth? Is it real? Can you actually do that amazing thing in that popular game? This week we’re talking about the rumours and myths that make up gaming folklore. Has the internet taken away the mystery? Or are there still exciting surprises to be had? We raise some questions, but do we manage to answer them?

Plus, Paula continues her spiral into darkness as she manipulates students for her own benefit, and rules her colony of beavers with an iron fist. Before diving back into an old favourite for some more Otome adventures.

Meanwhile Josh has been trying some new things and making new friends after finding them in a strange new world. He’s still convinced that he’s nearly reached the end of the ongoing courtroom drama, and has been avoiding nightmares while fishing for gold in the fog.

All this and more in this latest episode!

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

Discord – https://discord.gg/v5F26Dk

Email - hltbpodcast@gmail.com

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

Graphic design – M4thew and Pokepaw

00:00:00 - Intro

00:01:25 - Beaten

00:06:14 - Playing

01:00:41 - Videogame Preservation

01:47:41 - Final Thoughts

Games Mentioned:

Josh: Beltmatic [PC], WRC 7 [PS5], Flock [XSX], Dredge [PS5], Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney [PC]

Paula: Beltmatic [PC], Timberborn [PC], Let’s School [PC], Norn9: Last Era [Switch]

Welcome to the shortest episode description ever, because Josh is tired and the words aren’t working.

This week the talk is all about games, and videogame preservation.

Enjoy!

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

Discord – https://discord.gg/v5F26Dk

Email - hltbpodcast@gmail.com

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

Graphic design – M4thew and Pokepaw

00:00:00 - Intro

00:01:25 - Beaten

00:06:14 - Playing

01:00:41 - Videogame Preservation

01:47:41 - Final Thoughts

Games Mentioned:

Josh: Ship Graveyard Simulator [PC], WRC 7 [PS5], Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney [PC], Ete [PC]

Paula: Zodiacats [PC], Timberborn [PC], Let’s School [PC], Beltmatic [PC]

Come sail the seven seas this week as gaming piracy is up for discussion, with all its swashbuckling and spicy takes. Is there a moral imperative to bend the rules from time to time? Or is it simply misguided righteousness in this topsy-turvy world of easily obtained loot and booty?

Before that though, Josh and Paula work through a short list of games they’ve been playing and finishing, as is tradition. Paula continues to apply pressure on her students, design epic rodent-built towns, and play with a never ending parade of cats. Meanwhile Josh has finished his final race, uncovered complex hidden murder mystery facts, and pondered the existential meaning of cooperation.

Strap yourself in… and bring on the feedback!

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

Discord – https://discord.gg/v5F26Dk

Email - hltbpodcast@gmail.com

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

Graphic design – M4thew and Pokepaw

00:00:00 - Intro

00:01:22 - Beaten

00:16:14 - Playing

01:02:09 - Gaming Piracy

01:44:33 - Final Thoughts

Games Mentioned:

Josh: WRC 6 [PC], Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney [PC], Helldivers 2 [PC], Ship Graveyard Simulator [PC]

Paula: Cats Love Boxes [PC], Let’s School [PC], Timberborn [PC]

Yes, the hot rumours are true and the end of Season 3 has now been set to sometime in the next couple of months. While there are still a good handful of episodes left, the hosts would love to hear from anyone who may be interested in hosting the podcast into Season 4. So get in touch at hltbpodcast@gmail.com.

Meanwhile, Paula is continuing her educational rampage of tyranny this week, while also manipulating felines and solving puzzles. All as Josh follows the mysterious trail of a relic with magic powers, and fights alien enemies on a planet far, far away.

Then the discussion focuses on Gaming Guilty Pleasures where tangents abound, and everything goes a little bit TED Talk for a while. Then again, does it really matter/ Are you having fun?

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

Discord – https://discord.gg/v5F26Dk

Email - hltbpodcast@gmail.com

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

Graphic design – M4thew and Pokepaw

00:00:00 - Intro

00:07:33 - Beaten

00:34:41 - Playing

01:08:42 - Gaming Guilty Pleasures

01:44:33 - Final Thoughts

Games Mentioned:

Josh: Glass Masquerade 2: Illusions [PC], The Case Of The Golden Idol [XSX], Golden Idol Mysteries: The Spider Of Lanka [XSX], Golden Idol Mysteries: The Lemurian Vampire [XSX], Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney [PC], Helldivers 2 [PC], WRC 6 [PC], Glass Masquerade [PC]

Paula: Glass Masquerade 2: Illusions [PC], Glass Masquerade 3: Honeylines [PC], Let’s School [PC], Timberborn [PC], Cats Love Boxes [PC]

In this episode: Paula brings back an out-dated form of employment, while satiating her power-hungry need for order and conformity. Josh dies repeatedly on alien planets, and dives deep into the lore of weird cults and relics that leave bodies in their wake.

Then the discussion turns to open world games, which was totally not a suggested subject that an AI bot came up with. Not at all.

Finally, the episode concludes with a big announcement that may or may not include puppies. Tune in to find out!

(please note, there are no puppies in this episode, the HLTB Podcast apologise for the inconvenience)

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

Discord – https://discord.gg/v5F26Dk

Email - hltbpodcast@gmail.com

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

Graphic design – M4thew and Pokepaw

00:00:00 - Intro

00:01:57 - Beaten

00:24:55 - Playing

00:55:25 - Open World Games

01:50:12 - An Announcement

Games Mentioned:

Josh: Sudocats [PC], The Procession To Calvary [PC], Helldivers 2 [PC], The Case of the Golden Idol [XSX], WRC 6 [PC]

Paula: Sudocats [PC], Hidden Capybaras with Orange [PC], Glass Masquerade [PC],Glass Masquerade 2: Illusions [PC], Let’s School [PC]

It’s all about games, games, and more games this episode as Paula and Josh have been playing, retiring, and completing a bunch of different titles. For some reason though, there seems to have been a lot of cats involved… which has to be a good thing, right?

Plus, it’s Steam sale time, so they both reveal the bargains they picked up and perhaps a few random additions along the way. The budgets are real, but there are some deep discounts that are worth taking a look at either way.

Just don’t think about the backlog…

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

Discord – https://discord.gg/v5F26Dk

Email - hltbpodcast@gmail.com

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

Graphic design – M4thew and Pokepaw

00:00:00 - Intro

00:01:52 - Beaten

00:29:54 - Retired

00:32:10 - Playing

01:04:51 - Steam Sale Pickups

Games Mentioned:

Josh: WRC 9 FIA World Rally Championship [PC], Cats Organised Neatly [PC], Dogs Organised Neatly [PC], Glass Masquerade 3: Honeylines [PC], Rinse And Repeat HD [PC], Sword and Fairy: Together Forever [XSX], WRC 6 [PC], Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy [PC], The Procession To Calvary [PC], Helldivers 2 [PC]

Paula: LEGO Builder’s Journey [PC], A Tower Full of Cats [PC], PokeRogue [Browser], Sudocats [PC]

This week Josh has been spending most of his time scavenging parts from derelict ships, laughing at renaissance absurdity, and sticking his nose into a new criminal case. While Paula returned to the conflict of world domination, continued to catch them all, solved puzzles with bricks, and went rogue at the start of an epic adventure. 

If that wasn’t enough, the pair dive into a discussion about different video game business models and whether that subscription is really worth it, or if that DLC should have been part of the game in the first place. Can micro-transactions ever be okay?

Tune in to find out!

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

Discord – https://discord.gg/v5F26Dk

Email - hltbpodcast@gmail.com

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

Graphic design – M4thew and Pokepaw

00:00:00 - Intro

00:01:40 - Playing (Josh)

00:30:46 - Playing (Paula)

01:11:02 - Subscriptions VS Free VS Purchase

02:18:43 - Outro

Games Mentioned:

Josh: Ship Graveyard Simulator [PC], The Procession To Calvary [PC], Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney [PC]

Paula: Civilization V [PC] (multiplayer - Hot Seat), PokeRogue [Browser], LEGO Builder’s Journey [PC], Baldur’s Gate III [PC]

After a little break Josh and Paula are back and they’ve been playing a bunch of games since the last mainline episode. Josh has finally defeated the big boss at the end of his epic adventure, made friends with underwater aliens, and lost his way in the 40K universe. Meanwhile Paula has been chasing cats through time, stuffing dogs into boxes, and delving into a seriously old school dungeon crawler.

Then they have a chat about this month’s HLTB Game of the Month, before finishing off this round of their guessing game and crowning a winner! The outcome will definitely not surprise anyone, but the game that gets picked just might.

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

Discord – https://discord.gg/v5F26Dk

Email - hltbpodcast@gmail.com

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

Graphic design – M4thew and Pokepaw

00:00:00 - Intro

00:01:55 - Beaten

00:50:49 - Playing

01:57:35 - GotM: The World Ends With You

02:07:16 - Guess The Game

Games Mentioned:

Josh: Baldur’s Gate 3 [PC], Harold Halibut [XSX], Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun [PC], PowerWash Simulator: Back To The Future DLC [PC], PowerWash Simulator: Warhammer DLC [PC], Mini Airways DEMO [PC], Old School Rally DEMO [PC], Morn DEMO [PC], Once Human DEMO [PC], I Am Your Beast DEMO [PC], Railroad Corporation 2 DEMO [PC], Heaven Will Be Mine [PC], WRC 9 FIA World Rally Championship [PC]

Paula: An Arcade Full of Cats: Timewarp Trouble [PC], Tengoku Struggle: Strayside [Switch], Dogs Organized Neatly [PC], Let’s School [PC], Eye of the Beholder [MS-DOS vga version], Pokemon HeartGold [DS], PokeRogue [Browser]

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 - hltbpodcast@gmail.com

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 - hltbpodcast@gmail.com

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 - hltbpodcast@gmail.com

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 - hltbpodcast@gmail.com

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 - hltbpodcast@gmail.com

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 - hltbpodcast@gmail.com

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 - ⁠hltbpodcast@gmail.com

⁠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 - hltbpodcast@gmail.com

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]