Gaming is a popular pastime for many people, offering a way to switch off from the stresses of the real world. Whether it’s mindlessly shooting down enemies or enjoying a game of FIFA, gaming can be a great way to relax and escape (although that second one can bring quite the amount of stress with it as well).
However, there are also a growing number of games that offer a more thought-provoking experience. Let’s call it the game version of movies such as Shutter Island and Inception, but then without Leonardo DiCaprio. This guy’s movies are so though-provoking that I usually can’t even figure them out.
If you’re looking for games that will stimulate your mind, then look no further. Here are my personal top 6 thought-provoking games that will challenge you and keep you engaged long after you’ve finished playing.
6. What remains of Edith Finch
In this game, the player steps into the shoes of Edith Finch (bet you didn’t see that one coming). Edith is the last surviving member of the cursed Finch family. The player explores the family’s abandoned house and gradually uncovers the mysterious and tragic fate of its members. With themes such as death, life, family, and memories, “What Remains of Edith Finch” is far from a lighthearted game.
Each story in the game shows how different family members are confronted with death and how they deal with it. The stories have their own style and corresponding gameplay, each providing a unique perspective on the tragic events. This keeps the game varied, and all of the short stories feel like new experiences. Combined, these stories tell a powerful and touching story.
The game offers about two hours of gameplay, making the pacing good and concise. Its original approach and topics will surely make players think about the meaning and fragility of life.
5. Heavy Rain
Quantic Dream is, in my opinion, one of the absolute masters when it comes to narrative-driven and thought-provoking games. Heavy Rain was no exception.
In Heavy Rain, we control four different characters, all of whom are in some way connected to the “Origami Killer,” a feared serial killer. One of the main characters is the father of a boy who is kidnapped by the killer.
As in many Quantic Dream games, players can influence the course of the game to some extent with their choices, which makes you feel even more involved in the dramatic developments that follow each other at a rapid pace.
Heavy Rain asks players what sacrifices they would make to save a loved one. You see the four main characters struggling with the choices they have made (or rather, that you have made), as they deal with the consequences.
All of this leads to a mix of diverse emotions throughout the game. As the credits roll down, you will wonder: what would I be willing to do in this situation?
4. Life is Strange
This episodic adventure was created by Don’t Nod Entertainment and revolves around high school student Max Caulfield. At the beginning of the game, she discovers that she has the power to rewind time. While experimenting with this newfound power, she uncovers a sinister secret in her hometown.
The game is full of well-written, interesting characters, and the player once again has the ability to influence the story and fate of the characters around them with their own choices. This places a heavy emphasis on the aspect of choice and consequences. All our decisions, big or small, can have a ripple effect on the world around us.
Friendship, family, and other personal relationships play a major role in Life is Strange. Max’ best friend Chloe Price has a significant role, and her background is particularly dramatic. The game realistically portrays how certain traumas affect people and shape our characters. Themes such as depression and anger are not avoided.
The developer supports all emotional moments with beautiful, carefully selected music that further enriches the entire atmosphere.
Would you rewind time to undo certain things? What effect would that have on your current life? At first glance, it may seem attractive, but you probably won’t oversee many of the far-reaching consequences it could have.
3. The Last of Us
If this were a list of my all-time favorites, ‘The Last of Us’ would probably be at the top. However, when we talk about thought-provoking games, Naughty Dog’s game just falls short of the top 2.
In this game, we try to navigate smuggler Joel Miller safely through a post-apocalyptic world. We not only have to protect him but also orphaned teenager Ellie, who could be the key to curing the fungal infection that has infected the population. Despite fighting our way through hordes of infected, the overarching theme is love, and the paternal bond Joel builds with Ellie. It’s about the hope that keeps us going, and how much we would sacrifice to pursue that hope.
The real reason this game is on this list only becomes apparent at the end. So… for everyone who is still spoiler-free after ten years, this is an official warning for SPOILERS (it’s spoiler-free again from number 2, promised):
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Okay, you’re still here. At the end of the game, Joel is faced with the choice of sacrificing Ellie to make a cure for the infection possible. Having already lost his real daughter before, he refuses to go through this again. He kills the surgeons and escapes with the unconscious Ellie. When Ellie wakes up, Joel tells her the lie that there are other ways to make a cure. With this, Joel damns the world by taking away its only hope. A purely selfish choice, but an understandable one. As a player, you almost feel as if you are the one who had to make this difficult choice.
In case you’re a fan of the HBO series as well, check out my recent blog in which I compare the game and the TV show here.
2. Spec Ops: The Line
Number 1 and 2 on this list inspired me to start this blog. I’m not particularly into war games or hardcore shooters myself, but a friend (who I’m still grateful to) told me I should give this one a chance. And when I finished the game after about 8 hours, it was clear why. Spec Ops: The Line is anything but a typical war game that we are used to. Instead of focusing on action-packed battlefields, Spec Ops: The Line mainly focuses on the psychological effects and aftermath of warfare.
The game follows the story of Captain Martin Walker and his Delta Force team. They are sent on a reconnaissance mission in Dubai, which is largely buried under sand. The mission, which begins with the goal of finding survivors, quickly becomes something much bigger. As the story progresses, the sanity of our main character is called into question. Protagonist Walker questions his, and therefore your, choices. You are confronted with guilt about the relentless consequences of war. This psychological aspect makes Spec Ops: The Line a unique experience, some scenes of which still stick with me after more than 10 years.
The story unfolds in a confrontational manner and at the perfect pace. It places its defining events at the right moments, which makes them hit just as powerfully as they were intended to.
1. SOMA
Interestingly enough, the number one on this list is also not directly my type of genre. Science fiction and horror have never been at the top of my list, and SOMA combines the two. However, this top does show that any genre can grab me, as long as it has a good underlying story.
In SOMA, you play the character Simon Jarrett, who wakes up in a mysterious underwater research facility after participating in an experimental brain scan, in the hope of improving his severe brain damage. The facility does not roll out the red carpet for Jarrett’s arrival. Almost everything you come across on your path is hostile. Luckily, there is one person who seems to have your best interests at heart. Catherine Chun is a remaining scientist who tries to guide you through the facility unharmed from a distance.
SOMA presents players with many interesting questions, the biggest of which is: what does it mean to be human? As a player, you begin to doubt Simon’s actual identity, while found notes and audio tapes tell you more and more about your situation and the world around you.
What makes us who we are? What could the future look like with regard to our identity? These are some of the questions that occupied my mind during and after the game.
To top it off, SOMA also pulls out some fantastic plot twists at the end. For players who prefer a more relaxed approach, rather than the horrors the game has to offer, developer Frictional Games released a ‘Safe Mode’ several years after release, which removes the threat. SOMA is an absolute must-play if you like thought-provoking games.
