Summary
In recent years, the video game industry has become a global entertainment juggernaut, producing games that appeal to mass audiences. However, some games strive to be different, pushing against the grain and creating wholly unique experiences. Often taking on a surreal or absurd form, these games can belabeled “weird” or “strange” but, in reality, are groundbreaking games that push the industry to new places.
While they may never experience the success of games such asCall of Duty,Minecraft, orResident Evil, many have grown a dedicated cult following. Some are considered video game classics, while others are rising indie stars, all of which deserve a place in every gamer’s library.
In this successful life-simulation game, players assume the role of a god, seeding a planet with simple single-celled life and watching as it grows. The game is broken up into different life stages, where the player develops their species into more complex creatures. This goes from the cell stage, where the simple life forms inhabit the ocean, all the way to the space stage, where the player has developed the species into an intelligent spacefaring race.
In the game, players can create some truly strange creatures,evolving them in weird and wonderful ways. The game style is vibrant and colorful and has a lot of replay value.Sporehas become a cult classic with a dedicated fan base that still highly praises the game today. It also won several awards for its groundbreaking gameplay.
2Pools
A Terrifying Dreamlike Atmosphere
“Liminal Space” games have become a popular sub-genre in indie gaming, withPoolsbeing one of the best available.Poolsis a walking simulator game where the player traverses an empty building dripping with a strange, unsettling atmosphere. WhilePoolsisn’t atraditional horror game, as it features no enemies, its echoing passages and shadowy corners create a nightmare world that feels off.
Nothing quite makes sense as players move through the game world. It invokes the feeling of loneliness or being lost like no other. The repeating theme of swimming pools with plain white tiled floors, walls, and ceilings gives the game a labyrinthine feel, like a vivid dream that doesn’t make sense.
3The Eternal Cylinder
Escape, Mutate, And Survive
The Eternal Cylinderis a unique survival game where players take on the role of a Trebhum, a small, intelligent creature with the ability to mutate itself for different tasks. The game follows the creatures in their desperate struggle against the Eternal Cylinder, an unstoppable and colossal tube slowly destroying the planet.
Players must find other Trebhum on their journey, mutating them in different ways to progress further. Throughout the game, a voice narrates the story as it happens, giving the game a storybook feeling. The game world is both vibrant and alien, with strange and surreal monsters roaming the land.The Eternal Cylinderislike no other gamearound and a must-play for fans of indie titles.
Pathologic 2is achallenging survival RPGthat is a part sequel and part remake of the 2005 cult classicPathologic. Set in a remote Russian town, the player controls Artemy Burakh, a surgeon who returns to his hometown to find his father dead and a plague spreading through the population. Players have only 12 in-game days to solve the mystery of the plague while navigating the town’s politics and problems.
During a playthrough, the player must constantly question what is real, as every character has a unique motivation. The game is played like a grand theatrical event, with a theater director often breaking the fourth wall by commenting on the player’s progress.Pathologic 2is a game designed to make the player uncomfortable and stressed, with characters and quests pulling in all directions. The game is a masterclass in atmosphere and a must-play experience for fans of the strange and disturbing.
This story-driven game follows the strange story of Stanley, a seemingly ordinary man whose world starts to unravel. The game features a narrator who reacts to the player’s choices as he tells Stanley’s story. The game is a surreal nightmare where the ordinary office setting features divergent paths and circular narratives that reset the game.
The Stanley Parablebecame a cult hit, with critics praising its genre-breaking narrative and emphasis on player choice. The reactive nature of the gameopens new possibilitiesfor immersive experiences, where the lines between the player, the developer, and the story blur.
6Hylics 2
Surreal Turn-Based Combat
Hylics 2is one of the most unique-looking games available. Highly influenced by surrealist artists such as Salvador Dalí, the game takes players on a journey through the absurd, with turn-based combat, 3D platforming, and even dungeon-crawler segments.
Players control Wayne as he builds his party andadventures through the world, defeating enemies and finding treasure. The visual style makes excellent use of claymation and stop-motion animation, creating a high-art surrealist style that is wholly unforgettable. The game received critical acclaim on release, with critics particularly praising its visuals and music.
