Ok so first of all, you like horror games? Well how would you like to be a little kid again except everyone and everything around you is huge and also everyone is trying to kill you? Little Nightmares is a puzzle platformer game and the lore is a LOT deeper than you'd expect!! If you wanna play it chronologically, lemme know and I'll tell you the correct order(won't say it right now in case of spoilers) the ending of Little Nightmares 2 made me cry, and even without dialogue or jumpscares, the creepiness factor alone is enough. It holds a special place in my heart for being my first horror game, I love the little Easter eggs you can find, and the vibes are just really cool tbh. I think you might like it!! The best part? Little Nightmares 3 is coming out soon!! 2 new protags and a whole lot of lore, PLUS we have a PODCAST that provides even more lore...(I'm the type of gamer that loves some deep lore). Back to the actual gameplay, I also like the strategy part of it. You have to be clever and fast to escape the bosses. You have to think quickly, learn their behaviors, and react appropriately. On top of that, the soundtrack is filled with leitmotifs!! I love leitmotifs, and this game does it PERFECTLY.
Second of all, speaking of lore, HOLLOW KNIGHT. OMG Hollow Knight- ok so I won't infodump/loredump but search up Mossbag on YT if/when you finish the whole game bc he has a 2-hour video essay on all the lore. Anywho, game tosses you into the world without a guide but in the BEST possible way. Hidden lore tablets? Intriguing dialogue? YES PLEASE!! You got NPC's with more personality than some people I've met irl, and the silent protag to balance it out. It's a metroidvania, and the boss fights are SO much fun, plus there's a lot of secrets to discover! The deeper you go, the more charms(things that help with combat/exploration) you'll discover, various abilities, and there's multiple endings too! My personal favorite is the Dream No More ending tbh. It also flips the whole light/dark thing on its head, where YOU, the hero, harness darkness to defeat light!! It has a unique hand-drawn style, and the combat system is intricate but not so complicated it ruins the game. And the soundtrack is just GORGEOUS.
And last, but never least, In Stars and Time. Fair warning, this game does deal with mental illness and has mentions of self-harm/suicide, so be warned. It's a game about time looping and the main character, Siffrin, goes slowly insane. It's monochrome except it's treated like an actual thing in the world, a little tidbit: people forgot HOW to see color. So the rare times when color DOES show up? And it's RED?? Genuinely sent shivers up my spine omfg. Despite the fact you're repeating the same day over and over, it doesn't get repetitive, as the game constantly keeps you engaged with stuff to do. You need to find a way to escape the time loop, after all. Plus, there's one NPC who's aware of the time-loop with you, cutely named Loop!! A star person! Stars are a very important theme to this game. The NPC's are really engaging, and Bonnie is my child and nobody can convince me otherwise. Also, LGBTQ representation!! We got our aroace girlie, our trans man, nonbinary kid and the lady who every lesbian on earth simps for!! Love the representation!! Idk what else to say about this, because it was my most recent hyperfixation and I fear if I say much more, I'll go on an entire infodump and spoil the game, so you'll just have to trust me on this one!! Just... don't trust the pineapples ;)
