Inspiration: Three Games that Make Me Feel Things
I want to share three games that affected me in good ways when I played them. I’m not yet sure exactly why. Each is simple and can be played in a short sitting. All have unique gameplay and barely breach the threshold for “game.” It may be that they each deal with relationships in their own way. Though “relationships” is a rather broad term and even Mario and the block he breaks have a certain “relationship.” So, “interpersonal relationships” may be the element I’m looking for. Getting more specific would add unnecessary spoilers to each game’s experience.
The combination of these elements would also make for a decent newsgame:
- Simplicity with a short play session
- Unique gameplay or gameplay that centers on a single approach, avoiding unnecessary distraction
- Telling a bigger story through the relationships of it’s subjects
(Of course, this isn’t the formula for all games delivering news; it’s just a combo that I believe would work well.)
1. Passage
Jason Rohrer‘s Passage may take a moment to figure out, but discovering the gameplay is part of the process. I won’t say more. Just jump in and enjoy.
Daniel Benmergui‘s poetic puzzler just won an award as part of a trilogy at Indiecade last month. It’s hard not to be charmed by this one and the award isn’t surprising.
3. I Fell in Love with the Majesty of Colors
Gregory Weir tells a very different type of story from the first two games, but engaging in its own way. This one is more about motives and misunderstanding, but that’s my take. Weir also has a blog/podcast worth checking out on using games for purposes beyond entertainment (not that entertainment isn’t a high goal in itself).
