For me, in no particular order:

  • Firewatch
  • This War of Mine
  • What Remains of Edith Finch
  • Gone Home
  • Papers Please
  • Doki Doki Literature Club
  • I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream
  • rezz@lemmy.world
    0·
    11 months ago

    The Last of Us first play through, hands down.

    Breath of the Wild first ten hours after release, close second place.

    I’m told Outer Wilds will be number one when I get to it.

  • Virtim@lemmy.virtim.dev
    0·
    2 years ago

    The original Life is Strange was it for me back when I first played it. I have to admit, I was feeling a bit down at the time, so the soundtrack, the atmosphere, and the emotions in the game really resonated with me. I’m actually a bit hesitant to play it again because I don’t want to lose the special memories from my first time through the game.

    • CoderKat@lemm.ee
      0·
      2 years ago

      The original Life is Strange is a masterpiece and I wish I could reexperience it anew. I played it twice to see how choices mattered and it’s not quite the same the second time around.

      The other Life is Strange games are also really great, but sadly they can’t quite match the original.

  • anon@lemm.ee
    0·
    2 years ago

    just in case, if you liked papers please you may love “the return of the obra dinn”. really good game from the same guy.

  • bashfluff@lemmynsfw.com
    0·
    2 years ago

    Some excellent games mentioned so far, so I’m gonna go with “Night in the Woods”. It’s this crystal-clear reflection on what it’s like to grow up now, what it’s like to live in America–good and bad. It’s gut-wrenching and funny and beautiful.

  • Contramuffin@lemmy.world
    0·
    2 years ago

    A game that’s not mentioned here yet: Outer Wilds.

    You know how your high school English teacher tries to get through your brain about what “sublime” means and why the Romantic Era writers cared about it so much? The meaning of the word never really clicked for me until I played this game. It is pure, distilled sublime. It presents nature as this simultaneously jaw-droppingly beautiful and existentially scary entity that I’ve never seen any other game come close to replicating. For anyone who hasn’t played it yet, I heavily recommend it.

    Note: don’t confuse Outer Wilds with Outer Worlds. They sound similar, but they could not be farther apart

    • curryandbeans@lemmy.world
      0·
      2 years ago

      Yeah what an unbelievable game. The music really hit the feels button for some reason. I still need to play the DLC!

      • IceHazard@lemm.ee
        0·
        2 years ago

        I highly recommend the DLC! The best thing I can say about it is that it’s more Outer Wilds, with the same level of world-building, puzzle-solving, and emotional impact.

  • Poeticbiscuit@lemmy.world
    0·
    2 years ago

    Ok so I’m a huge Final Fantasy fanboi, but for some reason when I first finished Nier;Automata with all the main endings, I just couldn’t help but tear up. For the first time in a long while I felt and thought, yep, that was a masterpiece.

    If I can play a game for the first time again, I’d choose Nier;Automata.

  • Flaky@iusearchlinux.fyi
    0·
    2 years ago

    Just Shapes and Beats, of all things. It tells a very basic story in such a charming way and the characters are simple but easy to get attached to. Friend of mine had the same experience when I gifted him the game.

  • Björn Tantau@feddit.de
    0·
    2 years ago

    MyHouse.wad, a Doom 2 map about friendship and loss that really hits hard and awesome. Read the initial post, read the supplemental material on the Google Drive, if you feel like it and then play it.

    Super Mario Galaxy also hit me but more for the joy and amazement at the innovative levels and gameplay. One of the few games I played with my wife to 100 % completion.

  • sigtro@vlemmy.net
    0·
    2 years ago

    I don’t think I’ve ever emotionally connected with a game more than Disco Elysium. It had a profound effect on me, that game can truly do sadness

  • Cavemanfreak@vlemmy.net
    0·
    2 years ago

    Haven’t seen Before Your Eyes mentioned yet. It’s not a long game, but it’s got a good story reliving the main character’s life through their eyes. Also, you control it by blinking! As soon as you blink, there will be a time skip.

    • Rannoch@lemm.ee
      0·
      2 years ago

      Same! Loved Before Your Eyes. It was short and not necessarily replayable many times, but very emotional and unique. I’d love to find other unique games like this, where the main game/mechanic is new or different in some way like the blinking control was, but not sure how to find them!

    • crtbob@lemmy.world
      0·
      2 years ago

      Yes! I love this game. I got it yesterday imbrue steam summer sale, and it is the only game to have ever made me cry. Its very short (bit over an hour) but the story is beautiful.