We already talked about it a little bit in our last podcast, but 80 Days is a terrific game that I would highly recommend. If you are familiar with the Jules Vern book of the same name (or the Jackie Chan movie if that is more your thing) then you will be familiar with the overall plot. Set in a steampunk version of London in the 1870’s, you play the role of Passepartout, the valet to Monsieur Phileas Fogg who has made a bet that he can circumnavigate the globe in the titular 80 days. It’s your job to help him do so, discovering new routes as you explore cities and buy maps, purchasing goods at the market in one city to sell at a profit at another and at the end of the day figuring out the best route to get from your current city to one further east.

Although not a “game” in the more traditional sense, this work of interactive fiction none-the-less has delightful graphics and a terrific soundtrack. The gameplay could have easily have been slotted into multiple formats, but the presentation as it stands is exceptional. The rules of “30 Minutes Of” dictate generally that if I liked a game as much as I enjoyed 80 Days that I should have kept playing and I will, just not on the PC. This game is perfect for play on a phone or tablet and that’s where I’m going keep finding my way around the globe.

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