Highlights
- Games like Life is Strange and Firewatch delve deep into the raw aspects of the human condition, questioning the lengths people would go to for the ones they love.
- The Stanley Parable explores the themes of agency and freedom, encouraging players to reflect on the nature of their own choices and control in the world.
- Night in the Woods and What Remains of Edith Finch offer narrative experiences filled with existentialism and dark history, captivating players with engaging storytelling and evocative characters.
Video games are played, hailed, and loved by players for a number of reasons. Whether it be a gritty shooter, fantasy RPG, or a relaxing puzzle game, there is something out there for everybody. However, digging deep enough behind the pixels, players can lose themselves in some truly awe-inspiring existential narratives.
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Through an immersive blend of thought-provoking writing, lovable characters, and enriching gameplay, some developers have managed to create a lasting impact on their players long after they have put the controller down. Games like these are a masterclass in narrative storytelling, voicing unique perspectives on the absurdity of existence that are guaranteed to leave a lasting impact.
5 Life Is Strange
A timeless, episodic tale of two friends, Life is Strange epitomizes what it means to be human, conveying many of the internal struggles ordinary people face. Players find themselves in the shoes of Max Caulfield, an introverted photography student who has returned to study in her hometown of Arcadia Bay. After a series of strange events, Max discovers that she has the ability to rewind time. With this power at her disposal, she reconnects with her childhood best friend, Chloe Price, a now ruthlessly stereotypical angsty teenager.
After saving Chloe from being killed, the duo quickly find themselves ensnared in a chilling mystery: the disappearance of popular schoolgirl, Rachel Amber. Players must utilize Max's rewind power to change the course of dramatic events, some of which ultimately decide the outcome of the narrative. Players will have their morals truly tested in critical choice scenarios that can have gut-punching consequences. Life is Strange is a fantastic depiction of some of the rawest aspects of the human condition, questioning just how far somebody would go to save someone they love.
4 The Stanley Parable
Players of The Stanley Parable can agree that the game is as absurd as it is eye-opening. The game is an experimental narrative that seeks to explore the themes of agency and freedom. Opening in an enclosed office space, the player takes control of the eponymous Stanley, accompanied by the disembodied voice of the elusive narrator. With nobody to give Stanley instructions, the narrator attempts to guide the player, though the player can ultimately choose to ignore their commands.
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These choices of obedience and rebellion decide the outcome of several interactions. For example, the narrator will grow impatient if the player attempts to continuously disobey, throwing obstacles in their way and frequently breaking the fourth wall. At its core, the narrative of The Stanley Parable is self-reflective, encouraging the player to consider the nature of their own freedom and agency in the everyday world.
3 Firewatch
Campo Santo's debut title, Firewatch, deals with some truly heartbreaking themes. Players take control of Henry, a seemingly ordinary man whose life swiftly takes a dark turn when his young wife develops dementia. Unable to cope, Henry takes a job as a fire lookout, hoping it will provide him with an escape from his problems. Upon his arrival, he receives a radio, through which he begins talking to the disembodied voice of a woman named Delilah.
The two develop a relationship while both stationed in the Shoshone National Park, despite the physical distance between them. After spotting the silhouette of a man near his lookout one night, Henry begins to investigate a series of strange events. Eventually believing himself and Delilah to be the victims of some dark conspiracy, he starts to question his own sanity, ultimately reminded of why he is out here: to escape his problems. Firewatch is a true masterpiece in narrative storytelling. The game is a beautiful piece of contemplative art that every fan of video games should experience at least once.
2 Night In The Woods
Hidden beneath the surface of Night in the Woods' kitschy, playful art style is a narrative experience teeming with themes of existentialism, hopelessness, and mental anguish. After dropping out of college at the tender age of 20, protagonist Mae Borowski returns to her hometown, Possum Springs. The player takes control of Mae as she attempts to reconnect with her childhood home and rekindle some old relationships, some of which have some deep and dark history.
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Aside from some minor platforming, Night in the Woods tells the bulk of its story through its incredibly well-written dialogue and character interactions. Like any good narrative game, the player is given choices on how to respond and interact during Mae's conversations with the townspeople and her friends. Without spoiling much of the game's story, players will soon begin to discover more about Mae's life, and the history she shares with the town of Possum Springs. Eventually evolving into a mystery reminiscent of Stand By Me, Night in the Woods is a must-play that will conjure up all the feels.
1 What Remains Of Edith Finch
Possibly the most unique of all of these games is What Remains of Edith Finch, an interactive walking simulator comprised of various short stories, detailing the fate of the cursed Finch family. The player takes control of the titular Edith Finch, as she returns to her family home in Washington State in an attempt to figure out why she is the last surviving member of her family. Players will venture through the maze-like house, navigating through small passages and secret doors in order to get to each of the family bedrooms. Within the bedrooms, the player learns of Edith's family and their fates through interactive gameplay sections.
These storybook-style narratives are among the best moments of the game, detailing the heartbreaking stories of the Finch family and their struggles. Despite the unhappy endings, the interwoven narrative is evocative, thoughtful, and oftentimes unnerving. Players may find themselves caring for these characters as though they had truly lived, which is an admirable achievement by the writers. Ultimately, What Remains of Edith Finch is an engaging, highly accessible story game that explores the tender subjects of life, death, and existence that are relevant to all.