Oh Scout, did you play Outer Wilds? I would love to hear your thoughts on it!
To impress upon those who may be looking for a recommendation, I will make one speaking as little about the game as possible. If you have not played the game, it's important to recognize that all checkpoints throughout the entire game, all the way through, are 100% in your mind. If you already know how to do something, you'll know forever, so it's imperative that you know that before you go looking for more information. If you look up a let's play or a guide, you will not be able to play the game properly. I do not mean that in a "that's not what the devs wanted!" way, I mean since the game deals in mental checkpoints, seeing a puzzle solved means every time you boot the game up it will be like booting up outside the final boss's door every time, no matter what. Doesn't matter if it's a fresh install on a steam account that isn't yours on a computer on the other side of the world while playing in a language you don't understand. You cannot unlearn the solutions in this game.
I cannot overstate enough that if you were to ever be overly-cautious about not spoiling a game for yourself, it should be this one. I have a very high tolerance for spoilers, but if this game was spoiled for me it would have robbed me of something so, so important.
Now, onto the actual recommendation:
Watch the trailer and take note of the awards it shows you. It will show you nominations, high critic scores, and game of the year awards from many different sources. I can tell you with confidence after having just completed it, there is not a single one of those accolades that is exaggerated. Every person who's ever been like "you've GOT to play Outer Wilds" is doing it for a reason. It took me a while to play it because I'm the kind of person who gets annoyed when people over-recommend something to me. With this one, after playing it, I completely understand.
Genres: Exploration, Puzzle solving, Mystery, Sci-fi
Similar experiences: Subnautica
