Why this Arcade Pitch shortlist stays at three

8 November 2026 — I wrote this category note before I locked the ranking so the desk would have a clear answer when someone asks why the Arcade Pitch tine only holds Worm Dive, Wing Walk, and Slab Surf.

Why keep an Arcade Pitch shortlist short?

A dated diary only works if I can re-check every card by hand in one evening. Three browser builds fit that clock. A longer Arcade Pitch shelf would force me to invent confidence I did not earn on the same check day.

What does “three” protect on this desk?

It protects the facts line. With three cards I can still say, honestly, that there is no public store rating because these are browser builds hosted for play here. I can still open each /play/ path cold. I can still write one best-for tag per card without recycling adjectives.

How did I decide which three stayed?

9 November — I weighed loop clarity, readable risk, and session length inside a 20–90 second Arcade Pitch window. Builds that needed a store ladder or a long tutorial fell off before they reached a draft card. Theme inspirations never became affiliation claims.

What would make me add a fourth card?

A fourth browser build would need its own cold-tab diary week, its own review Q&A, and a methodology pass that still finishes in one sitting. Until that happens, the tine stays at three on purpose.

Does a short list mean the desk hosts less?

No. Hosting lives under /play/ for the ranked builds. Shortlist length is an editorial limit, not a server limit. Pixfork Games is still not an app store and still not affiliated with Google, Apple, or inspirations such as Chicken Road, Tower Rush, or Aviator.

How should readers use a three-card Arcade Pitch shelf?

Start at the ranking, open the Play link for the card that matches your best-for tag, then read the root-slug review if you want the dated Q&A. Guides groups those notes by month so the diary order stays visible.

Where does this note sit after check day?

10 November 2026 — I left this article under Guides as the extra category piece beside the three reviews. Methodology still explains weighing; this page explains length. Together they keep the Arcade Pitch desk from drifting into a catalogue voice I do not run.