Which Games Does Jez Swanson Recommend on His itch.io Page?

Updated

Jez Swanson's itch.io page recommends five games that are "all still good," each with a stated playtime: GA GAME ME (10–15 min), gaarden (5–15 min), Shovelware Knight (5–10 min), Phone Tree of Despair (30–40 min), and Adventure Boy Cheapskate (30–60 min). Pick by the time you have and whether you want a puzzle, a toy, or a story.

The five recommendations at a glance

Game What it is Stated playtime Best if you want
GA GAME ME A recursive game built for the theme "deeper and deeper" 10–15 mins A short, clever puzzle with a twist
gaarden A toy with no objective; grow a peaceful forest with little people and one big egg 5–15 mins Something calm and aimless
Shovelware Knight Create and upload awful games to beat shovelware titles at their own game 5–10 mins A quick joke with a playful premise
Phone Tree of Despair The frustration of an automated phone system turned into a game 30–40 mins A longer comedic ordeal
Adventure Boy Cheapskate A wacky adventure made with a friend over 8 years 30–60 mins A fuller game with a story

How to choose

If you have under 15 minutes: start with gaarden for something relaxing, or GA GAME ME if you'd rather solve something. Both fit in a coffee break.

If you want the most polished short experience: GA GAME ME placed 2nd for theme and 13th overall in Ludum Dare 48, according to the page.

If you want a laugh: Shovelware Knight is the quickest joke, and Phone Tree of Despair stretches the same kind of humor over a longer session. The page notes the original version of Phone Tree involved calling a real phone number, but a web version now exists. It also earned 1st for innovation and audio, and 2nd overall and for humor, in Ludum Dare 47.

If you have an hour: Adventure Boy Cheapskate is the one to open. It was made with a friend over the course of 8 years, so expect a more complete game rather than a jam-sized experiment.

What else is on the page

Beyond the recommendations, the page lists other playable browser games, including Cable Connectors LLC, PhishScape, I Have Put The Creature Into My Gun, Echoes of Players Past, Mission: Programmable, The Teeniest Seed, 10 Second Wordle, Kitastrophe, and Dogs++. These are worth browsing if none of the five recommendations fit, but the page doesn't give playtimes for them.

One caveat from the page itself: many of Jez's early games were made in Flash, including VUEL, the winner of Ludum Dare 37, so they aren't playable at the moment. The page says they may be ported eventually, but there's no date. If you go looking for older titles, expect some dead links.

Practical notes

  • All the listed games are marked "Play in browser," so no download is needed.
  • The page doesn't state prices or login requirements for these games; check each game's page before assuming anything about cost or accounts.
  • Playtimes are the creator's own estimates, so treat them as a rough guide.