Players expect most games to have well-defined protagonists who are pretty iconic in their own right. This has almost become a necessity in modern video gaming, with most titles with a lot of financial power behind them requiring a good marketable face that will draw in the biggest crowds. Unfortunately, the need to market-test the lead protagonist of every game means that the vast majority of leads in their respective titles end up being cut from the same cloth.
So, it's refreshing to see certain video games that take risks and add protagonists that no one would expect to be main character material for a wide variety of reasons. The video game industry has been criticized time and time again for being a bit too safe for most people's liking, so players like seeing certain developers take these risks and add rather unconventional protagonists who become a huge reason why the games they're featured in end up being so entertaining.
7 Stray
An indie game that took the world by storm, what made Stray such a great game was how interesting its world was. Of course, the biggest reason why this game became such a smash hit was the idea of controlling a cute cat and engaging in puzzles that only this lovable furry creature could solve.
Sure, Stray can be a bit light on the gameplay side, but it more than makes up for it with its great world-building and immense charm. There aren't many games that let a player control a cat anyway, making this title a blast to enjoy in every way!
6 Yakuza 5
The Yakuza games are typically full of brawny dudes who take off their shirts moments before a climactic confrontation to show people who's boss. As a result, it's easy to see why players of Yakuza 5 were completely caught off-guard when the game transformed from an all-out brawler into an idol simulator in Haruka's story.
Yakuza 5 was a bold step in the right direction for the series, setting the foundations that future Yakuza games would build upon. It's a testament to how wacky and enjoyable the games are that many people consider Haruka's section to be one of the best parts of the game... even if certain songs end up repeating a bit too much for most people's liking.
5 Goat Simulator
A meme game that is pretty hilarious in its own right, Goat Simulator revels in its glitches and bugs to make for a truly engaging experience. There's something oddly engaging about controlling a crazy goat whose only goal is seemingly to cause as much chaos and destruction as possible.
The game is a wild ride that encourages people to cause as much destruction as possible while controlling a wacky goat. No one expected a title to have a goat as a protagonist to be so riveting... but that's precisely what makes Goat Simulator such a riveting title.
4 Disco Elysium
Most people assume that detectives are hard-boiled and grizzled individuals who are world-weary and wise in their own way. They can be a bit broken... but that's just a part of what makes these characters so charming in their own right. Disco Elysium completely bucks this trend and places a broken, amnesiac detective at the helm of the proceedings.
What follows is one of the smartest and most well-written video games ever made that's equally humorous and thoughtful in its own way. The main character is easily one of the most complex characters in gaming history and someone who made an instant impression after appearing in nothing but his underwear at the very start of the game... only to show just how much of an intelligent detective he really was!
3 Leisure Suit Larry
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A lot of games have protagonists with complex motivations that make it easy to root for them in the face of adversity. However, when it comes to Larry Laffer, his central motivations are so cheap and stupid that fans can't help but laugh at him... while wanting to root for him anyway!
The Leisure Suit Larry games may have lost steam as gaming entered a new era, but fans of these classic point-and-click games still love just how unabashedly perverted and lustful Larry was. He's not a character that has aged well in the slightest... but that's the whole point of his character!
2 Octodad: Dadliest Catch
Octodad is a game with the most ludicrous premise around, with players having to control an octopus who is pretending to be a human being. They even have a family of their own, although the logistics of this particular development can be rather hard to understand.
Regardless, there's something quite hilarious about controlling Octodad while trying to avoid the ire of the evil Chef Fujimoto. It's a short and simple game that players can check out if they want to laugh at the odd control scheme, with Octodad being a pretty unique protagonist in his own right.
1 I Am Bread
As the name of this title would suggest, the protagonist of the game I Am Bread is... a piece of bread, as shocking as this information may be. The main goal in each level is to somehow reach a toaster and help this solitary piece of bread become toast, which is about as ludicrous as most people would think.
While it's true that the game's formula becomes repetitive and stale after a point, I Am Bread is still fairly entertaining in the early goings. After all, the novelty of controlling a piece of bread is something that other games can't really hope to replicate!