Cause someone on my dash wanted it, and I FEEL LIKE IT.
I’m gonna focus on stuff that’s recent/have aged well, and stuff that’s not too lengthy. Aka not like 100+ hr long RPGs. I’m particularly appreciative of pretty things and cool storytelling.
♦ Emotionally intense, beautiful PLATFORMERS:
Ori and the Blind Forest. Not only does this game make me cry (repeatedly), but the mechanics are SO PLEASING TO PLAY, and the progression speed is perfect, the music is gorgeous, the visuals are mindblowing. 8-9 hours.
Brothers: a Tale of Two Sons. Not too difficult, but does some very neat storytelling things with the mechanics that’s just beautiful and heartbreaking. Also Norse fantasy setting, which I am all about. 3-4 hours.
♦ Visually beautiful PUZZLE/EXPLORATION:
The Vanishing of Ethan Carter. Walking simulator, heavy on the exploration, light on puzzles. But it has a fairly neat (if simple) story, and is visually stunning. Runs like 4 hours or so.
The Witness. Puzzle-focused, story-light but with some lovely philosophy bits. But seriously, this game is amazingly crafted down to the most basic level. Once you start discovering the environmental puzzles it really strikes you how expertly planned this game is. Has between 20-45 hours of gametime in it too.
Obduction. Adventure game ala Myst, but less obtuse puzzles. Has a really cool setting and story. Somewhere between Ethan Carter and Witness when it comes to how puzzle-heavy it is. 16-19 hours.
♦ Short NARRATIVE/EXPLORATION games:
The Stanley Parable. A game about choice, and the lack of it. Multiple endings, hilarious narrator, meta humour, commentary on game mechanics and the illusion of choice, comedic, surreal, ridiculous. 3-4 hours.
Gone Home. Story-heavy exploration walking simulator. Neither the best-made, best-looking, or complex game on this list, but you know what it DOES have? Canon feminist teenage lesbians. 2 hours.
Oxenfree. Narrative-focused adventure, with multiple endings and great writing and voice-acting. Also super creepy in a wonderful way. As a bonus, has a good tumblr fandom, especially when it comes to fanart. 5 hours long, but multiple playthroughs are worth doing.
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