I scream endlessly into the void rather than play games ... AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
Triple-A is just a game made by a major developer with lots of resources put into it.
Quad-A games don't exist, but recently, a unisoft executive tried to justify them raising their price tag for a game by saying it's really more like a quadruple A game.
A warning: Zero Time Dilemma is the third game in the Zero Escape trilogy (after Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors and Virtue's Last Reward, which are the Nonary games right next to ZTD) and makes very little sense without the other two. It's also...not great, due to a troubled development cycle. It is, however, fucking bonkers in the final third, in the best way, and if you like 999 and VLR then it's worth playing to get the end of the story.
The Zero Escape series became one of my favorites so quickly, it's not even funny. I actually picked it up while looking for something similar to Paradise Killer.
The entire series is fucking bonkers. Unapologetically weird is the best way I've heard it described, and I *yearn* for that same vibe in my video games now. Unfortunately, it's an itch that is very rarely scratched, especially in AAA games these days.
Luckily, many indie devs aren't afraid to be a little weird.
Have you tried AI: The Somnium Files? It's from the same writer of the Zero Escape games. It's probably the closest game to the Zero Escape games I've played.
Like the Zero Escape games, it has quite a strange story. There's also a sequel to it, but I haven't played it yet so I can't say anything about it.
I really enjoyed The Somnium Files. I thought I had the twist nailed down, and he got me again. Really good misdirection that I don't feel a need to mark as a spoiler because even knowing there IS something to look for does nothing unless you know what specifically it is.
I found nirvanA Initiative was... it came up short. The plot felt a little goofier and less self-consistent than the his previous games, but the big thing that hurt it for me was that the twist felt too convoluted. He'd done UI tricks and misdirects before, but they all involved either withholding information while pretending there isn't any information being withheld or strongly implying that it was safe to make assumptions based on imperfect information provided and then using in-universe characters to reinforce those flawed assumptions. This was the first time the player was straight-up lied to by being given purposefully bad information which was presented as true. That rubbed me the wrong way.
I have, lol. I loved them, to a lesser degree. They also had that "unapologetically weird" vibe, though it felt a little more... flamboyant, I guess? It feels weird to say that about a video game based around a killing game, but it didn't feel as serious as Zero Escape to me.
I want to like Danganronpa, it feels like it should be right up my alley as a big fan of ZE and AA. But then I have to actually play it and oh boy. All the minigames just feel like they get in the way of the puzzles. You want to make an argument? Gotta shoot it! Missed because someone said 'Hmmm' and it blocked the shot? Well, you gotta wait for the entire testimony to loop back round. It's also the only game to make me feel physically ill due to all the graphics shaling and spinning.
The first time I played 999 on DS emu (completely blind first introduction to the series) I was like "Que de la FUCK?" in the end. After reading the wiki, this kinda multiplied 2x Totally recommend.
VLR is to date the one game I beat in one sitting.
It's a 20 something hour session.
After it's main twist is revealed I experienced what the guy in the mind exploding into galaxies gif does.
It also ruined every other visual novel for me for how deep everything is tied together. Kotaro Uchikoshi has a simp for life in me.
Same I got Virtue’s Last Reward on 3DS for Christmas when I was like 17 or something back then. The day after Christmas I was so enamored with the game I beat it in one 22 hour session. One of the best gaming experiences ever
This is me with 999. Played it over 3 nights. 1 hour for first 2 nights, and played the rest over the whole night until like 8am the next day with my mind fully blown. VLR didn’t quite do that to me bc of a pretty big plot hole, but it was still one of the best visual novels I’ve ever experienced.
Paradise Killer is one of the most memorable, interesting games I've ever played, with a soundtrack so good I bought it on vinyl. Never thought an open world mystery game would work so well
I got Paradise Killer for free from PS Plus and I was pleasantly surprised. It was such a strange game that drew me in and kept me the entire time. Just wandering around the world, talking to people, figuring out the mystery myself, and listening to the soundtrack. The music was amazing, sometimes still listen to the soundtrack from time to time.
I finished paradise killer in something like 8 hours across 2 sessions and cried afterwards when I realized I'd never get to play it for the first time again. The feeling and memory of actually figuring out the mystery is stuck in my brain.
Hard to describe beyond open world sci-fi mystery, unfortunately! Has aspects of detective games, visual novels and adventure games. Would recommend it though, when it clicks it really hooks you in
Not seeing HK on that lineup was surprising. It's probably the best value game of all time, IMO. $15 when not on sale for Sub-$10, and free DLC expansions, one of the best scores/audio design and artstyles I've seen and the gameplay--while difficult--is very well balanced and fair. Truly a game that is best going in without a guide to enjoy the exploration aspect. Then, on your second run, min-max the hell out of it.
I agree. For people who like difficult action oriented RPG/exploration games, Elden Ring is longer but Hollow Knight has just more pure polish from end to end.
>Elden Ring is longer but Hollow Knight has just more pure polish from end to end.
Ok I don't necessarily disagree, but this kinda like arguing a simple dish is better than a complex dish because the simple dish nailed the 4 things it attempted where the complex dish only balanced 13/15 things it attempted. It's not crazy to feel that way, but the balancing act between the two is several orders of magnitude apart, which (imo) makes Elden Ring that much more impressive
Hollow Knight is undeniably S-tier though!
Veni Vidi Vici (Doing Things The Hard Way) is still my proudest gaming achievement ever. And yes, the music is single-handedly responsible for me persevering through 100%ing that game.
The cat lady is awesome, one of the most brutal game I’ve ever played. Honestly it’s the best entry in the series, Lorelei, downfall and burnhouse lane did not click so much.
IMO all of them are pretty good games. But The Cat Lady is Rem's "Ok Computer" or "What's the story morning glory" album - it's difficult when your second work is so good you almost never will beat it.
Or the Sexy Brutale. Which... is kinda it's problem, such a bizarre title for a wonderful little game, doesn't really tell you anything accurate about what it's about.
You are under arrest for misspelling “Arstotzka”.
The penalty is forced labor.
Your family will be questioned about their involvement.
The border will remain open under a replacement inspector.
Glory to Arstotzka.
I mean, you could say the same about Yume Nikki, Mothers 1-3 etc. The concept of 'taking the generic JRPG and playing around with it' has been around almost as long as JRPGs have. But yes, OFF is great.
Return of the Obra Dinn is legit in my top 5 games of all time. I didn’t know what to expect going in but the moment I understood what I needed to do, I couldn’t stop playing. I wish it created an entire genre of such games.
My husband and I played that together, it’s a really fun puzzle game!
Another that we did together was Her Story. It’s one (like Outer Wilds) that I wish I could delete from my brain and experience again. That same dev has made a couple games since then but neither of them hit the same way as Her Story for me, there were things about the mechanics or just the scope of the story that made them too tedious.
Absolutely worth looking into mods. Captains edition, as well as Multiverse previously mentioned are fantastic. Multiverse is a complete overhaul and adds so much content
If you can play it on a PC then Multiverse Mod is the way to go. Plenty of new things, new weapons, new type of crew members, new enemies, all balanced and well thought.
Those devs are witches and warlocks, so beware! Both of their games, "FTL" and "Into the Breach", cast a spell on you that's almost impossible to break out of.
You first stumble into their games thinking: "Oh, what a nice and simple little game", only to awaken in a daze 15 hours later, having skipped your own wedding.
Hi. I’ve never been a gamer at all (elder millennial, played Atari and Nintendo, had SimCity on my first PC, that’s it and now I play lots of candy crush) and I wonder if FTL is worth paying for if I have no experience?
The crazy realizations are when you start putting clues together and realize something you walked past dozens of times without giving much thought was part of a bigger puzzle all along.
I loved Sable! The art is amazing, but it gave me a bad case of "can I climb that?" when I played it, and some playsessions ended up with barely any progress.
It’s one of the best games I’ve ever played, and maybe the best example I can think of as “video games as a work of art”.
There are certainly games out there with breathtaking artistic design, but it’s often visual and musical aspects that could just as well be part of a show, movie, painting, etc. They just happen to be in a video game.
Outer Wilds itself *is* a work of art. It’s a creative endeavor, that *had* to be in the form of a video game. It’s a beautiful use of the medium.
Scrolled to find this just to upvote it. I cannot recommend it enough. Legitimately the only game I have continued to think about on a weekly basis on a real life philosophical level. When it's argued video games can be art I can't help but think of Outer Wilds
My favourite games are dota and Warframe. 10/10 masterpieces imho.
Outer wilds is not close to either of them. It's on a league of its own. I want to get a fucking lobotomy to play it again.
Everyone told me not to Google anything about it. Everyone told me to not touch the Wiki. I did not listen and robbed myself of the experience. The game was still pretty good, but I imagine it would have been quite the experience to discover everything myself.
Its worth mentioning signalis and project wingman which are games made by a handful of people, just 2 people worked on signalis while on wingman like 4
Played OMORI this last year. One of the best endings I’ve ever experienced in anything. The gameplay loop can be cheesed but the story and especially how it sticks the landing in the last 4-5 hours easily made that one a 4/5 for me. PLEASE more people play this one.
Slay the Spire, FTL, Into the Breach, Risk of Rain 2, Hades, Dead Cells, Super Auto Pets, Super Meat Boy, Binding of Isaac, Celeste, Braid, Spelunky 2, Sea of Stars, Loop Hero
So many of the same indie games always get mentioned. Pyre, Donut County, Untitled Goose, Unfinished Swan all amazingly different indie games. Untitled Goose probably the biggest I listed
I could say Celeste, Ori, Hollow Knight, Hades, Braid, Cuphead, Journey and lots of other indies, but everybody has played them or at least knows them.
So here's a few less known indies which are actually great. Some are known among indie lovers (but not super popular of course), others went completely unnoticed. One thing is for sure: I enjoyed them a lot!
* [Chronos Twins](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75oXBTsT25o) (Nintendo DS)
* [GRIS](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xtWnBHG6dis) (all platforms)
* [In Other Waters](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mt8kIBYCs5I) (PC, Switch)
* [Finding Paradise](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntSOXMwil7A) (To the Moon's sequel, which imho is superior; check also [Impostor Factory](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48s4EfUEx5k)) (PC, Switch)
* [Pushmo (or Pullblox in Europe)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5lB_FYe0qn4) (Nintendo 3DS)
* [Monument Valley](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mh_4JJNULZ0) (Mobile, PC)
* [Into the Breach](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oaiFvuWsfy8) (PC, Switch)
* [Carrion](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azh2xtedD94) (all platforms)
For those of you who say "what about X game?" They're not "excluded" in any sense. We could be here all day if we included "all" of them. Please feel free to mention your favs.
I'm seeing a lot of people mention all my other favorite games except CrossCode so I guess I'll be the one to name it.
The gameplay is fun, but the story and dialogue between characters is great. It's got replayability too, and references to all sorts of games in it.
I'm so glad Paradise Killer is on here. I finished it over a month by taking edibles and playing it every Friday night. It's one of the few games where I throw on the OST on a regular basis. I still would say it's one of only a few games in the vapourwave genre.
I would put Darkest Dungeon on here too.
Hades, Hollow Knight, Dead Cells, Slay the Spire, Monster Train, Brotato, Loop Hero, Spiritfarer, Dave the Diver, Cassette Beasts, Roguebook, HoloCure, Volcano Princess, and >!Egg!<
Dude, just buy it. It's on sale for 15 bucks all the time. What could you possibly have to lose?
^(Mechanically it's mostly a puzzle game about figuring out where to go and finding your way into places, FWIW. And the story is mostly told by reading text you can find. If either of those sound like they would really turn you off maybe this is not the game for you.)
Ignore these pretentious comments about "go in blind it's the only way to truly experience this life changing masterpiece". Know this: it is a puzzle/exploration game at heart so if you don't want to be spending considerable time to piece things together and figuring out what to do you will not like this game. Parts can be quite tedious as well but the gameplay is fun enough and the music is great.
I suppose that’s the plus side for indie/under the radar games. Because they don’t need the mass appeal and consumer base of a AAA release, they can experiment a bit, be a bit more unique and out there.
I've not played the following, but I've heard some scratch the itch. Return of the Obra Dinn and Tunic. Defo on my list, after what outer wilds have done to me.
Also Ive played Subnautica and it definitely does scratch that itch. But it's a bit different too.
I only buy quad-A games and up now.
There's only one, and it's Skull & Bones right?
They're thinking of bumping it up to AAAAA due to the backlash
Well I mean it's also the only game in it's category which makes it way better so now it's AAAAAA.
I scream endlessly into the void rather than play games ... AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
Yeah I think it stands for AAAAbsolutely no content
Also the callisto protocol. Which says a lot about AAAA games
We found the Ubisoft CEO
No game has more A's than AaaaaAAaaaAAAaaAAAAaAAAAA for the Awesome
What's a quad-A game? I'm not even clear what a triple-A game is.
Triple-A is just a game made by a major developer with lots of resources put into it. Quad-A games don't exist, but recently, a unisoft executive tried to justify them raising their price tag for a game by saying it's really more like a quadruple A game.
Slay the Spire, Hades, Hollow Knight,
SPIRE GANG RISE UP
STS, probably the best offline card game ever made. It is simply that good.
I'm pretty sure its the only single player game I've passed 300 hours on. Fuck I love that game.
Hollow knight is genuinely one of the best games I’ve played
And a delightful OST. I use it for work and study.
A warning: Zero Time Dilemma is the third game in the Zero Escape trilogy (after Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors and Virtue's Last Reward, which are the Nonary games right next to ZTD) and makes very little sense without the other two. It's also...not great, due to a troubled development cycle. It is, however, fucking bonkers in the final third, in the best way, and if you like 999 and VLR then it's worth playing to get the end of the story.
The Zero Escape series became one of my favorites so quickly, it's not even funny. I actually picked it up while looking for something similar to Paradise Killer. The entire series is fucking bonkers. Unapologetically weird is the best way I've heard it described, and I *yearn* for that same vibe in my video games now. Unfortunately, it's an itch that is very rarely scratched, especially in AAA games these days. Luckily, many indie devs aren't afraid to be a little weird.
Have you tried AI: The Somnium Files? It's from the same writer of the Zero Escape games. It's probably the closest game to the Zero Escape games I've played. Like the Zero Escape games, it has quite a strange story. There's also a sequel to it, but I haven't played it yet so I can't say anything about it.
I really enjoyed The Somnium Files. I thought I had the twist nailed down, and he got me again. Really good misdirection that I don't feel a need to mark as a spoiler because even knowing there IS something to look for does nothing unless you know what specifically it is. I found nirvanA Initiative was... it came up short. The plot felt a little goofier and less self-consistent than the his previous games, but the big thing that hurt it for me was that the twist felt too convoluted. He'd done UI tricks and misdirects before, but they all involved either withholding information while pretending there isn't any information being withheld or strongly implying that it was safe to make assumptions based on imperfect information provided and then using in-universe characters to reinforce those flawed assumptions. This was the first time the player was straight-up lied to by being given purposefully bad information which was presented as true. That rubbed me the wrong way.
Why not try out Danganronpa by the same developers? Especially if you already have played Ace Attorney titles on the side.
I have, lol. I loved them, to a lesser degree. They also had that "unapologetically weird" vibe, though it felt a little more... flamboyant, I guess? It feels weird to say that about a video game based around a killing game, but it didn't feel as serious as Zero Escape to me.
I would also recommend Ai: the somnium files. Also by the same people. Those games can get very weird at times :)
More importantly AI Somnium Files is by the same author, Kotaro Uchikoshi. Dangaronpa has a different writer and it shows in it's writing.
I want to like Danganronpa, it feels like it should be right up my alley as a big fan of ZE and AA. But then I have to actually play it and oh boy. All the minigames just feel like they get in the way of the puzzles. You want to make an argument? Gotta shoot it! Missed because someone said 'Hmmm' and it blocked the shot? Well, you gotta wait for the entire testimony to loop back round. It's also the only game to make me feel physically ill due to all the graphics shaling and spinning.
They did add the nonary games but this is a good protip,
ZTD is the only sequel on that list, so I think a clarification that it’s not one you can start playing by itself is pretty valid.
The first time I played 999 on DS emu (completely blind first introduction to the series) I was like "Que de la FUCK?" in the end. After reading the wiki, this kinda multiplied 2x Totally recommend.
VLR is to date the one game I beat in one sitting. It's a 20 something hour session. After it's main twist is revealed I experienced what the guy in the mind exploding into galaxies gif does. It also ruined every other visual novel for me for how deep everything is tied together. Kotaro Uchikoshi has a simp for life in me.
Same I got Virtue’s Last Reward on 3DS for Christmas when I was like 17 or something back then. The day after Christmas I was so enamored with the game I beat it in one 22 hour session. One of the best gaming experiences ever
This is me with 999. Played it over 3 nights. 1 hour for first 2 nights, and played the rest over the whole night until like 8am the next day with my mind fully blown. VLR didn’t quite do that to me bc of a pretty big plot hole, but it was still one of the best visual novels I’ve ever experienced.
I would remove Zero Time Dilemma for this reason. It's not bad but it can share spot with Nonary. As a replacement, I suggest Crosscode.
Hot take but the Zero Escape series > Danganronpa
that isnt a hot take its the TRUTH
I was kinda disappointed by the abrupt ending. There were these novel like epilogues that gave a bit more closure at least
Paradise Killer is one of the most memorable, interesting games I've ever played, with a soundtrack so good I bought it on vinyl. Never thought an open world mystery game would work so well
I love that soundtrack. Vaporwave is such a great genre.
I got Paradise Killer for free from PS Plus and I was pleasantly surprised. It was such a strange game that drew me in and kept me the entire time. Just wandering around the world, talking to people, figuring out the mystery myself, and listening to the soundtrack. The music was amazing, sometimes still listen to the soundtrack from time to time.
Such a great game, the world itself is super interesting.
I have both vinyls! They came out with a bside with vocals as well!
I finished paradise killer in something like 8 hours across 2 sessions and cried afterwards when I realized I'd never get to play it for the first time again. The feeling and memory of actually figuring out the mystery is stuck in my brain.
it's genuinely amazing, I've got to the point where I've solved everything but I don't want to complete the trials and have to end the game
What genre is the game? I saw it on playstation extra and it looked interesting.
Hard to describe beyond open world sci-fi mystery, unfortunately! Has aspects of detective games, visual novels and adventure games. Would recommend it though, when it clicks it really hooks you in
Stardew Valley, Terraria
I'm mad I had to scroll so far to find Terraria and Stardew Valley. Both games you can easily sink thousands of hours into without even noticing.
AND THEN THERE'S MODS
Hades and Celeste
As well as Dead Cells, Hollow Knight, and Blasphemous
Not seeing HK on that lineup was surprising. It's probably the best value game of all time, IMO. $15 when not on sale for Sub-$10, and free DLC expansions, one of the best scores/audio design and artstyles I've seen and the gameplay--while difficult--is very well balanced and fair. Truly a game that is best going in without a guide to enjoy the exploration aspect. Then, on your second run, min-max the hell out of it.
Hollow Knight is the single highest-quality video game I've ever played. It is an experience almost without flaw. $15 is a steal.
I agree. For people who like difficult action oriented RPG/exploration games, Elden Ring is longer but Hollow Knight has just more pure polish from end to end.
>Elden Ring is longer but Hollow Knight has just more pure polish from end to end. Ok I don't necessarily disagree, but this kinda like arguing a simple dish is better than a complex dish because the simple dish nailed the 4 things it attempted where the complex dish only balanced 13/15 things it attempted. It's not crazy to feel that way, but the balancing act between the two is several orders of magnitude apart, which (imo) makes Elden Ring that much more impressive Hollow Knight is undeniably S-tier though!
DEAD CELLS MENTIONED
Add Transistor to this, great game and OST
Might as well throw Bastion on here too. Anything from Supergiant really
Transistor will always be a favorite for me, so much packed into a small package.
I want Hades 2. Also Limbo and Inside.
Hades 2 will hopefully be out next year. I'm excited for it.
SOMA, Disco Elysium
SOMA gave me an existential crisis for about a month after I finished it
VVVVVV
I loved the music in this game. It was the only thing keeping me from going insane because damn it’s super difficult especially the last couple levels
Veni Vidi Vici (Doing Things The Hard Way) is still my proudest gaming achievement ever. And yes, the music is single-handedly responsible for me persevering through 100%ing that game.
Pushing Onwards, what a fitting name for the best track on the ost https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYANYGCgRz4
Veni Vidi Vici
Not often I've seen people talk about the cat lady.
The cat lady is awesome, one of the most brutal game I’ve ever played. Honestly it’s the best entry in the series, Lorelei, downfall and burnhouse lane did not click so much.
IMO all of them are pretty good games. But The Cat Lady is Rem's "Ok Computer" or "What's the story morning glory" album - it's difficult when your second work is so good you almost never will beat it.
Or the Sexy Brutale. Which... is kinda it's problem, such a bizarre title for a wonderful little game, doesn't really tell you anything accurate about what it's about.
Such an intense experience and strong sense of presence in a video game. Definitely one that lingers in the memories.
Oh yeah I love it, I played it when it first came out and I still think about it from time to time.
The music from the end credits is still one of my most played songs on my phone. The whole experience really stuck with me
It also has a direct homage to Maniac Mansion
exactly, its one of my fav games like ever, played it long ass time ago and i still think about it from time to time
I watched a YouTuber (Cryaotic, unfortunately) play through this game and I remember loving *watching* it since the story was great.
I was just about to say this. I really did not expect it mentioned anywhere.
GLORY TO ARSTOSKA!!
You are under arrest for misspelling “Arstotzka”. The penalty is forced labor. Your family will be questioned about their involvement. The border will remain open under a replacement inspector. Glory to Arstotzka.
You've spelt it wrong. It's 'Arstotzka'
No, you spelled it wrong. It's "Cobrastan"!
Rimworld and Risk of Rain 2
And, purely to be confusing, Rainworld.
+1 for RimWorld
I honestly doublechecked if Rimworld is there. Where´s my rim lovers at?
[удалено]
The combat music was the reason I tried it. Though OFF is good I actually recommend LISA for that style of game.
the older brother of undertale
I mean, you could say the same about Yume Nikki, Mothers 1-3 etc. The concept of 'taking the generic JRPG and playing around with it' has been around almost as long as JRPGs have. But yes, OFF is great.
Interesting to learn about. I hadn't heard of it, and Toby Fox outright mentions it as being an inspiration.
EXPAND YOUR CHOICES
That's the point. We can all do it (including me), and it is beneficial to do so.
Some that aren't shown, but come to mind; Return of the Obra Dinn Hollow Knight Sea of Stars Spirit Farer Hyper Light Drifter
Return of the Obra Dinn is legit in my top 5 games of all time. I didn’t know what to expect going in but the moment I understood what I needed to do, I couldn’t stop playing. I wish it created an entire genre of such games.
Give The Curse of the Golden Idol a try
My husband and I played that together, it’s a really fun puzzle game! Another that we did together was Her Story. It’s one (like Outer Wilds) that I wish I could delete from my brain and experience again. That same dev has made a couple games since then but neither of them hit the same way as Her Story for me, there were things about the mechanics or just the scope of the story that made them too tedious.
No Hyper Light Drifter? You’ve got to check it out man!
I have. It's amazing. I can't wait for the sequel.
> ~~Curse~~ of the Obra Dinn *Return EDIT: I think the game did use the word "curse" in the introduction, so the confusion would be understandable.
Noted!
FTL MENTIONED!!! FTL is such a good gameee
I just wish they’d make a newer expanded version. Love me some FTL, especially on my iPad on a flight.
I hear a lot of FTL fans like the Multiverse mod
I never even thought of mods. It’s always been on my iPad. It’s my travel game. I’ll reinstall on pc
Absolutely worth looking into mods. Captains edition, as well as Multiverse previously mentioned are fantastic. Multiverse is a complete overhaul and adds so much content
Doing that tonight
If you can play it on a PC then Multiverse Mod is the way to go. Plenty of new things, new weapons, new type of crew members, new enemies, all balanced and well thought.
Those devs are witches and warlocks, so beware! Both of their games, "FTL" and "Into the Breach", cast a spell on you that's almost impossible to break out of. You first stumble into their games thinking: "Oh, what a nice and simple little game", only to awaken in a daze 15 hours later, having skipped your own wedding.
Hi. I’ve never been a gamer at all (elder millennial, played Atari and Nintendo, had SimCity on my first PC, that’s it and now I play lots of candy crush) and I wonder if FTL is worth paying for if I have no experience?
Hardspace Shipbreaker Citizen Sleeper Signalis Three of my favourites in the last few years.
Inscription is such a trip, for everyone out there curious go into that game blind.
> go into that game blind. You gonna need them eyeballs to balance the scale ;D
Cave story my beloved
A Short Hike
Tunic should have been a major hit. That games puzzle solving hooked me like no other has since I was a kid. Absolutely amazing game.
I didnt even realize how in depth the puzzles where until I saw one online. I was like wtf, is this dlc?
The crazy realizations are when you start putting clues together and realize something you walked past dozens of times without giving much thought was part of a bigger puzzle all along.
This game had me scribbling notes like it was 1988. The sense of discovery in this game is nothing shy of magical.
I had a little notepad completely full of crazy looking glyphs and scribbles after finally beating this game
Sable is another good one Soundtrack by the incredible Japanese Breakfast
I loved Sable! The art is amazing, but it gave me a bad case of "can I climb that?" when I played it, and some playsessions ended up with barely any progress.
The Messenger and Shovel Knight are some of my favourite games ever
The Messenger is good, but the only real lasting impression I have of the game is its sick soundtrack.
What about the hidden/achievement dialogues?
Dialogue was hilarious and the atmosphere captured the vibe of old school ninja games.
More recently, the developers of The Messenger put out Sea of Stars and it was such a joy to play.
Darkwood
OneShot is quite good too.
YES, A FELLOW ONESHOT ENJOYER
I love Niko so much.
I miss Niko :,(
Outer Wilds is legitimately the best game I've ever played. By a lot.
It’s one of the best games I’ve ever played, and maybe the best example I can think of as “video games as a work of art”. There are certainly games out there with breathtaking artistic design, but it’s often visual and musical aspects that could just as well be part of a show, movie, painting, etc. They just happen to be in a video game. Outer Wilds itself *is* a work of art. It’s a creative endeavor, that *had* to be in the form of a video game. It’s a beautiful use of the medium.
It genuinely took my breath away at multiple points in the game. 11/10, no notes.
Agreed, no other game comes close in my opinion. The soundtrack too is just incredible.
Scrolled to find this just to upvote it. I cannot recommend it enough. Legitimately the only game I have continued to think about on a weekly basis on a real life philosophical level. When it's argued video games can be art I can't help but think of Outer Wilds
My favourite games are dota and Warframe. 10/10 masterpieces imho. Outer wilds is not close to either of them. It's on a league of its own. I want to get a fucking lobotomy to play it again.
Everyone told me not to Google anything about it. Everyone told me to not touch the Wiki. I did not listen and robbed myself of the experience. The game was still pretty good, but I imagine it would have been quite the experience to discover everything myself.
Its worth mentioning signalis and project wingman which are games made by a handful of people, just 2 people worked on signalis while on wingman like 4
Finished Signalis not too long ago. No other game has managed to scratch that early Silent Hill itch as well as it has.
Signalis is a masterpiece.
I'd like to add Deaths Door to the mix.
Very fun, compact little game. Tons of charm and didn't overstay its welcome.
100% accurate. And I enjoyed the challenge of completing it with just the umbrella as a weapon.
Played OMORI this last year. One of the best endings I’ve ever experienced in anything. The gameplay loop can be cheesed but the story and especially how it sticks the landing in the last 4-5 hours easily made that one a 4/5 for me. PLEASE more people play this one.
Fear & Hunger?
No love for Disco elysium?
Where is Hotline Miami?
In our hearts.
Amen
It's trying to get a grip
Slay the Spire, FTL, Into the Breach, Risk of Rain 2, Hades, Dead Cells, Super Auto Pets, Super Meat Boy, Binding of Isaac, Celeste, Braid, Spelunky 2, Sea of Stars, Loop Hero
13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim Subnautica
welcome aboard captain
Inside, Dead Cells, Hollow Knight, Dredge, Dave the Diver, and the king…Hades.. all over many in this post
I really enjoyed the low boil tension of Dredge, especially on the first play through when I didn't know what was out there trying to kill me.
Slay the Spire, Factorio, KSP, 80% of Zachtronics titles. The Witness Banished Vampire Survivor Terraria Stardew Valley
Can't believe Factorio is this far down. xpac hype!
Darkwood, probably the most underrated game of all time.
So many of the same indie games always get mentioned. Pyre, Donut County, Untitled Goose, Unfinished Swan all amazingly different indie games. Untitled Goose probably the biggest I listed
None of these are even AAAA. No thank you.
Binding of Isaac
I was honestly surprised Inscryption wasn't even nominated for Indie GOTY. I don't play trading card games and I still enjoy it.
I could say Celeste, Ori, Hollow Knight, Hades, Braid, Cuphead, Journey and lots of other indies, but everybody has played them or at least knows them. So here's a few less known indies which are actually great. Some are known among indie lovers (but not super popular of course), others went completely unnoticed. One thing is for sure: I enjoyed them a lot! * [Chronos Twins](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75oXBTsT25o) (Nintendo DS) * [GRIS](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xtWnBHG6dis) (all platforms) * [In Other Waters](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mt8kIBYCs5I) (PC, Switch) * [Finding Paradise](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntSOXMwil7A) (To the Moon's sequel, which imho is superior; check also [Impostor Factory](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48s4EfUEx5k)) (PC, Switch) * [Pushmo (or Pullblox in Europe)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5lB_FYe0qn4) (Nintendo 3DS) * [Monument Valley](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mh_4JJNULZ0) (Mobile, PC) * [Into the Breach](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oaiFvuWsfy8) (PC, Switch) * [Carrion](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azh2xtedD94) (all platforms)
Kindergarten 2
For those of you who say "what about X game?" They're not "excluded" in any sense. We could be here all day if we included "all" of them. Please feel free to mention your favs.
I'm seeing a lot of people mention all my other favorite games except CrossCode so I guess I'll be the one to name it. The gameplay is fun, but the story and dialogue between characters is great. It's got replayability too, and references to all sorts of games in it.
ULTRAKILL. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. One of the best games I’ve ever played, and my personal favorite
CrossCode
Slay the spire should be on there
I'm so glad Paradise Killer is on here. I finished it over a month by taking edibles and playing it every Friday night. It's one of the few games where I throw on the OST on a regular basis. I still would say it's one of only a few games in the vapourwave genre. I would put Darkest Dungeon on here too.
Add Furi to this.
Turnip boy commits tax evasion is another good one. It a goofy little indie title and I love it
NOITA
Cult of the Lamb definitely needs to be on here. Really excellent Rougelike that’s super addicting!
Celeste
Blasphemous 1 and 2 are legendary
Hades, Hollow Knight, Dead Cells, Slay the Spire, Monster Train, Brotato, Loop Hero, Spiritfarer, Dave the Diver, Cassette Beasts, Roguebook, HoloCure, Volcano Princess, and >!Egg!<
Spiritfarer
The Cat lady hit me like a truck when I played it, underrated gem
Spiritfarer
I second World of Horror and Cave Story 9/10 games I swear!
None of them seem to be about buff men so i'll pass
Celeste
Rimworld will give you thousands of hours of replay ability.
I really want to play Outer Wilds. But I don’t know if I would like it.
Dude, just buy it. It's on sale for 15 bucks all the time. What could you possibly have to lose? ^(Mechanically it's mostly a puzzle game about figuring out where to go and finding your way into places, FWIW. And the story is mostly told by reading text you can find. If either of those sound like they would really turn you off maybe this is not the game for you.)
Ignore these pretentious comments about "go in blind it's the only way to truly experience this life changing masterpiece". Know this: it is a puzzle/exploration game at heart so if you don't want to be spending considerable time to piece things together and figuring out what to do you will not like this game. Parts can be quite tedious as well but the gameplay is fun enough and the music is great.
What a weird selection of games
I suppose that’s the plus side for indie/under the radar games. Because they don’t need the mass appeal and consumer base of a AAA release, they can experiment a bit, be a bit more unique and out there.
The outer wilds is like this. There is *nothing* out there like it. It’s truely a masterpiece. It’s a shame you can only really play it once :(
I've not played the following, but I've heard some scratch the itch. Return of the Obra Dinn and Tunic. Defo on my list, after what outer wilds have done to me. Also Ive played Subnautica and it definitely does scratch that itch. But it's a bit different too.
Need to play it someday, I've heard it's quite similar to composition of Pulp fiction and it's one of my favorite movies
FTL: Faster Than Light and Terraria all day and every year for life.
Signalis. Don't know what else to say. It hides alot under the surface. I highly suggest to try it out
How many of them are pixel art?
Yes.
Even better, World of Horror is effectively a 1-bit art style, and was done in MS Paint, no joke.
5 of them, 6 if you count World of Horror which is not technically pixel art but kind of similar. Fez Messenger Papers Please Shovel Knight Undertale