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

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

#161
post #6

I used to enjoy Thief. Not sure if it is available still.

There is a book called “Thief” written by Alexey Pechov - https://www.librarything.com/nseries/17743/%D0%A5%D1%80%D0%B...

Though the author declines connections between book and game. Name of the main character is the same as in game ;)

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

#163

It's difficult to make a video game that's engaging without conflict. It's difficult to make conflict compelling without at least aggression. I'd consider sports games to have aggression. Stardew Valley or Mario Tennis don't even reach this lofty bar.

and maybe other Harvest Moon games

The earlier things in that franchise are like Stardew Valley but they went so far off the rails that the guy made Stardew Valley

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

#165

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…

> "attempting to impress by affecting greater importance, talent, culture, etc., than is actually possessed"

I think the critiques in this video [0] sum up my main feelings about the game. The puzzles are fantastic. The puzzles are fantastic. The movement, environment, graphics, etc are all fantastic. But, the "story" and "message" of the game can be interpreted in many ways. It is art in the sense that everyone gets something different from it. But it is pretentious because, if everyone gets something completely different from your "experience", you really didn't convey anything. That's what most people (I think) are talking about when they say " is pretentious".

[0] - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZokQov_aH0

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

#167

Firewatch

Not particularly fun as a game, but it’s the best narrative in the medium by a large margin.

There is such a huge opportunity for a game like that with a female perspective

Just the opening sequence can be so alienating for the casual and female audience, while being almost alone in its accessibility to them

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

#168
I love everything by Nintendo for this reason. I would also look at genres like racing and sports where you have a lot of non-violent options.

Then there are platformers like Ori and fun games like Overcooked.

If you're looking for games with a creative spark there's always Minecraft and if you want to throw in some problem solving into the mix, checkout Cities Skylines or any of the games in the Tycoon series. These games might be single player but it can be played by a committee if you know what I mean

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

#169
Among the so-called “walking simulator” first-person story/exploration games, What Remains of Edith Finch stands out as easily the best in my view. Aside from having more involved gameplay than its contemporaries, its greatest success is its storytelling: a set of beautiful, tragicomic vignettes told through a magical realist lens.

If you’re looking for a compelling story, I can’t recommend it highly enough.

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