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Ask HN: Non-violent video games with great stories?

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101–110 of 452 posts

Re: Ask HN: Non-violent video games with great stories?

#101
Most point and click adventure games fit the bill, assuming you are okay with occasional slapstick or cartoon violence when solving a puzzle. Some of the more serious adventure games feature murder/detective storylines, which may or may not work for you.

Walking sims also rarely feature you, the player character, committing acts of violence, although - again - they often they take place in an environment where violence is a backdrop. I think this happens in a lot of games, because violence is an easy way of creating drama. However, I generally prefer these games that feature a violent backdrop to games where you are actually doing the violence, because they tend to address it in a way that better reflects how we deal with trauma in real life.

Some suggestions: Deponia series, Dreamfall series, Life is Strange series, Edna and Harvey series, The Inner World series, Nelly Cootalot series, Space Pilgrim series, Blackwell series, The Journey Down, Anna's Quest, Jenny LeClue, Sumatra: Fate of Yandi, Milkmaid of the Milky Way, Firewatch, Tacoma, Draugen, Everybody's Gone to the Rapture... There are tons of games like this. Some of these might have a death or two along the way that you might click into or through, but none of them felt like gratuitously violent games per se, at least nothing close to shooters and RPGs.

Re: Ask HN: Non-violent video games with great stories?

#102
I really enjoyed The Long Dark. There is some violence and it has some adult (non sexual) themes, but it’s not primarily about fighting, it’s a wilderness survival game.

I played it for months and am anxiously awaiting the last chapter.

It’s rich, engaging, and the visuals are gorgeous.

Re: Ask HN: Non-violent video games with great stories?

#103

First person: - Portal & Portal 2 - Outer Wilds - The Talos Principle - Antichamber (I haven't finished this) - Quern - Undying Thoughts - Myst Remastered - Infinifactory Platformers: - Braid - FEZ I don't even know: - TIS-100 - EXAPUNKS - World of Goo Violent but in a different way: - Inscryption (do not look anything up about this game) - Stone Story RPG - Hollow Knight Pretentious story but extremely fun puzzles (…

I don't think The Witness is pretentious. Pretentious means "attempting to impress by affecting greater importance, talent, culture, etc., than is actually possessed", but The Witness really is as deep and meaningful as it acts like it is if one bothers to be open to all it is saying in all of the ways it is saying it. > except one.... you know which one it is jblow I found several to be un-fun, but yes, that's part…

What would suck is a 1hr long puzzle forcing you to listen to a lecture and if you misclick at any point being forced to restart the whole hour

Yes, truly that WOULD suck

Re: Ask HN: Non-violent video games with great stories?

#104
post #89

Let’s step back and look at this a bit objectively - there are various forms of “gameplay” but many involve violence of some sort as that’s one of the easiest to “figure out what to do”. But there are others - off-hand I can think of: * puzzle solvers (Portal, Phoenix Wright, etc) * simulations (city builders, etc) * driving games (racing, boats, etc) * discovery (often a form of puzzle game, but there are things lik…

Portal has turrets that shoot at you, though.

Re: Ask HN: Non-violent video games with great stories?

#106
Age of Empires as History Lessons.

Or get a Nintendo Switch. If Gaming is a necessary evil for kids ( I wouldn't say that but some people do ), Nintendo is trillion times than anything on the market. No stupid Mobile Games Pay to Win or 30 sec Ads. ( Those companies should pray, someday, somewhere, someone will take revenge on them in the market ), Playstation and Xbox gets you Serious Gaming which isn't really good for kids.

Re: Ask HN: Non-violent video games with great stories?

#109
Heaven's Vault is the perfect game for this. Especially if your family likes stories, mysteries, and puzzles.

I recommend playing together and reading the dialog out loud, giving each character a unique voice if that's your wont.

The story and investigation are the main draw, but the core of the game is an ongoing puzzle about deciphering an ancient language that's a slick blend of the game mechanics helping you along and the slow, free-form expansion of your own understanding. It's a great group activity.

Re: Ask HN: Non-violent video games with great stories?

#110
post #104
post #89

Let’s step back and look at this a bit objectively - there are various forms of “gameplay” but many involve violence of some sort as that’s one of the easiest to “figure out what to do”. But there are others - off-hand I can think of: * puzzle solvers (Portal, Phoenix Wright, etc) * simulations (city builders, etc) * driving games (racing, boats, etc) * discovery (often a form of puzzle game, but there are things lik…

Portal has turrets that shoot at you, though.

[spoiler] and the AI wants to kill you.[/spoiler]
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