The Golden Age of Small Games Is Back

The golden age of small games is officially back. In this episode of the Dual Comm Podcast, we kick things off with Haste—a tiny game with massive heart that might just be our game of the year. We dive into why it’s such a perfect session experience, how the new Disaster Mode changes things up, and what makes it feel like a future classic.

We also break down the Steam Next Fest demos and highlight our favorite upcoming indies, from VOID/BREAKER to Dead as Disco to Pipistello and the Cursed Yo-Yo. This Next Fest felt like a true renaissance for handheld-friendly, creative games that don’t waste your time—and we’re here for it.

Other topics include the reveal of the Xbox ROG Ally handheld, the rise of PC handhelds and how they’re reshaping where and how we play, and why Google Search is quietly becoming unusable. We talk about what’s broken, what’s changing, and how we’re shifting our habits away from algorithm rot and back toward intentional play.

Plus: the decline of live service FPS games and why Doom 2016 still looks incredible.

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Chapters:
00:00:00 – Why Haste Is One of the Best Games of the Year
00:07:58 – Xbox’s New Handheld: ROG Ally X and What It Means
00:18:32 – Steam Next Fest Demos That Blew Us Away
00:38:51 – Game Preservation, Platform Walls, and Xbox on PlayStation
00:52:42 – Google Search Is Basically Broken Now
01:25:23 – Does Doom 2016 Actually Look Better Than The Dark Ages?

Listen & Subscribe:
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dual-comm-podcast/id1781108219
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2Ls95EviV2hcBBnufcZ5ZE
iHeartRadio: https://iheart.com/podcast/240902321