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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?

#322

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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

Yes, exactly. Hmm... maybe, and hear me out here, just maybe there isn't a lot of value in completionism for completionism's sake?

[deleted]

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

#323
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.

Counterpoint: there is no penalty for failure other than the puzzle restarting.

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

#325
Obvious classic is the Myst series, or rather, the first three of the series that were created by the Miller brothers. The less said about 4&5 the better.

Cyan, their company, has been producing new titles, Obduction was quite good.

Your character is in danger but you don't shoot or kill, at least not excessively.

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

#326
Might not have story:

$0 https://store.steampowered.com/app/1580970/Samorost_1/ +sequels

$7 https://store.steampowered.com/app/730820/The_Curse_of_Monke... +sequels

$8 https://store.steampowered.com/app/323320/Grow_Home/ +sequel

$10 https://store.steampowered.com/app/207690/Botanicula/

$10 https://store.steampowered.com/app/303210/The_Beginners_Guid...

$10 https://store.steampowered.com/app/224760/FEZ/

$10 https://store.steampowered.com/app/711660/CHUCHEL/

$15 https://store.steampowered.com/app/413150/Stardew_Valley/

$15 https://store.steampowered.com/app/225080/Brothers__A_Tale_o...

$15 https://store.steampowered.com/app/716500/Eliza/

$15 https://store.steampowered.com/app/22000/World_of_Goo/

$15 https://store.steampowered.com/app/40700/Machinarium/

$15 https://store.steampowered.com/app/26800/Braid/

$15 (60% off = $6) https://store.steampowered.com/app/232430/Gone_Home/

$17 https://store.steampowered.com/app/448510/Overcooked/ +sequel

$20 https://store.steampowered.com/app/383870/Firewatch/

$20 https://store.steampowered.com/app/421120/Samorost_3/ (is a sequel)

$20 (60% off = $8) https://store.steampowered.com/app/343860/Tacoma/

$20 https://store.steampowered.com/app/501300/What_Remains_of_Ed...

$20 https://store.steampowered.com/app/1049410/Superliminal/

$20 https://store.steampowered.com/app/837470/Untitled_Goose_Gam...

$25 https://store.steampowered.com/app/753640/Outer_Wilds/

$25 https://store.steampowered.com/app/512790/Quern__Undying_Tho...

$25 https://store.steampowered.com/app/774201/Heavens_Vault/

$30 https://store.steampowered.com/app/1255560/Myst/

$30 https://store.steampowered.com/app/848350/Katamari_Damacy_RE...

$30 https://store.steampowered.com/app/255710/Cities_Skylines/ or $1 'til 20220614: https://www.humblebundle.com/games/cities-skylines-colossal-...

$30 https://store.steampowered.com/app/361420/ASTRONEER/

$30 https://store.steampowered.com/app/264710/Subnautica/

$40 https://store.steampowered.com/app/210970/The_Witness/

$40 https://store.steampowered.com/app/1158850/The_Great_Ace_Att...

$40 https://store.steampowered.com/app/220200/Kerbal_Space_Progr...

Violent / Not for little kids:

$0 https://store.steampowered.com/app/319630/Life_is_Strange__E... +sequels

$10 https://store.steampowered.com/app/400/Portal/ +sequel

$14 https://store.steampowered.com/app/246070/Hack_n_Slash/

$15 https://store.steampowered.com/app/252110/Lovers_in_a_Danger...

$15 https://store.steampowered.com/app/251430/The_Inner_World/

$15 https://store.steampowered.com/app/221260/Little_Inferno/

$15 https://store.steampowered.com/app/228360/Full_Throttle_Rema...

$15 https://store.steampowered.com/app/316790/Grim_Fandango_Rema...

$20 https://store.steampowered.com/app/653530/Return_of_the_Obra...

$20 https://store.steampowered.com/app/6300/Dreamfall_The_Longes... +sequels

$20 (80% off = $4) https://store.steampowered.com/app/959000/Edna__Harvey_The_B... +sequels

$20 (50% off = $10) https://store.steampowered.com/app/417880/Everybodys_Gone_to...

$30 https://store.steampowered.com/app/427520/Factorio/

$30 https://store.steampowered.com/app/282140/SOMA/

$40 https://store.steampowered.com/app/1850570/DEATH_STRANDING_D...

$40 https://store.steampowered.com/app/632470/Disco_Elysium__The...

$40 (50% off = $20) https://store.steampowered.com/app/1426210/It_Takes_Two/

$40 https://store.steampowered.com/app/257510/The_Talos_Principl...

$60 https://store.steampowered.com/app/582160/Assassins_Creed_Or... (explore)

$60 https://store.steampowered.com/app/812140/Assassins_Creed_Od... (explore)

$70 (94% off = $4) https://store.steampowered.com/bundle/18569/Deponia_Full_Scr... (4 games)

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

#327

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Portal is an interesting case study in psychological torture. The cake (is a lie). The weighted companion cube(that you kill faster than any other test subject). The test result saying you are a horrible person and we weren't even testing for that. It goes on and on. It wouldn't give it to kids that aren't old enough to handle complex and subtle emotional situations. Not to say it isn't a great game, but the subtle v…

I'm not sure I understand this comment. For the record I downvoted it because I don't think it makes any sense.

OK retry:

Portal is a great game, with a good story.

But part of this greatness is the psychological games it plays with you.

Hence people need to have enough maturity to deal with this.

Hence this is not a good game for playing with younger kids, even if there is almost no graphical violence in it.

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

#329

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Portal is an interesting case study in psychological torture. The cake (is a lie). The weighted companion cube(that you kill faster than any other test subject). The test result saying you are a horrible person and we weren't even testing for that. It goes on and on. It wouldn't give it to kids that aren't old enough to handle complex and subtle emotional situations. Not to say it isn't a great game, but the subtle v…

I'm not sure I understand this comment. For the record I downvoted it because I don't think it makes any sense.

When I was young but not too young I watched Monty Pythons Meaning Of Life movie. There's an extremely violent scene in that movie that I find very funny, now, but which disturbed the hell out of me as a kid.

That's what he's saying, some kids might not get the humor aspect of Portal and just perceive the paranoia and violence.

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

#330

Subnautica. You have a knife for self-defense against creatures but that's it, 99% of the game is just exploration of the ocean. It's wonderful.

Subnautica is such an eye candy with a good dollop of mystery and wonder. It is absolutely amazing.

> exploration of the ocean ...

... and what happened there, all tied to a story line, which is what the OP wanted.

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