Cursed Shorts is an indie game that transforms a simple idea into a tense and engaging experience. The setting is a subway ride where the player holds a phone and scrolls through a stream of short video clips. The clips range from completely ordinary to strangely distorted or unsettling. The challenge lies in sorting them correctly while managing the limited power of the phone’s battery. Each decision pushes the player closer to one of the possible endings, creating a loop that is both short and replayable.
How the Gameplay Works
The game’s mechanics are minimal but layered with risk and reward. A swipe upward marks a video as normal, while a swipe left marks it as abnormal. Pausing is an option for careful inspection, but every pause drains more of the battery. Making too many errors also reduces remaining power, which can end the run prematurely. With this system, success depends not on reflexes but on observation, patience, and efficient use of resources. The pressure builds as the subway ride continues and the clips become more unpredictable.
Main Features
Cursed Shorts includes several elements that shape its experience:
· A simple swipe mechanic for classifying short clips
· Normal and abnormal content mixed across runs
· Battery management that punishes mistakes and wasted time
· Multiple endings tied to accuracy and resource control
· Achievements connected to spotting anomalies and finishing all outcomes
Replayability and Player Experience
A complete run of Cursed Shorts usually takes under an hour, but the design encourages replay. Each session may feature different video clips or anomalies, so returning players encounter new challenges. Unlocking every achievement and viewing all endings requires more than one attempt, making replay value a core part of the design. The evolving knowledge of how anomalies appear helps players improve, while the battery system keeps the tension alive no matter how many times they return.
The strength of Cursed Shorts lies in how it makes simple decisions meaningful. By limiting battery life and hiding subtle anomalies in ordinary clips, it forces players to stay focused at every moment. The branching outcomes and variety of content give the game depth beyond its brief playtime. It stands out as an example of how minimalist mechanics can deliver suspense and replayability, providing a compact but memorable challenge for players who enjoy puzzles and survival-style resource management.
