graham

graham

@graham

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Making stuff to distract myself from existential dread

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graham
@graham

Video Game Recommendations

I recently played Return of the Obra Dinn with my partner and it was great, as always. I've seen other folks mention playing Caves of Qud as a group of 3 and it makes me wonder what other games might be good fits for my partner (someone who generally doesn't play video games but doesn't mind watching them) and me to play together?

So, I'm looking for a game recommendation that meets the following requirements:

  • Minimal time pressure (you can pause or just get up and go do other stuff whenever)
  • Minimally creepy/horrifying (existential horror is alright, but no jump-scares, the blood/gore/etc of RotOD was right on the line here)
  • Minimal emphasis on combat/killing in the game (it's not interesting to my partner)
  • Minimal risk if you mess up (avoid death as player punishment)
  • Not too much reading/exposition (story is great, but we get bored by paragraphs of lore too easily when we're gaming)
  • Puzzles are doable, even if you haven't been gaming your whole life and/or even if you aren't a math wiz
  • Captivating to watch, even if you aren't the one playing (this and the minimally timed gameplay rule basically rules out anything where your goal is to get into a flow state)

Here's a list of some games that we've already played and enjoyed:

  • Return of the Obra Dinn
  • Portal
  • Breath of the Wild
  • Tunic
  • Broken Age
  • Sable

Here's a list of games that we would not consider meeting the criteria:

  • Vanilla Elder Scrolls anything (too much combat and exposition), maybe mods could work?
  • Hades (too much combat, to hard to follow moment-to-moment)
  • Celeste (all timing-based)
  • Into the Breach (puzzles too mathy)
  • Slay the Spire (puzzles too mathy, gameplay too hard to follow if you're not playing)
  • Baba is You (puzzles too mathy)

If you have ideas, please comment!

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in reply to @graham's post:

graham
@graham

Oh true, Myst and Riven would potentially work, as long as the puzzles don't wind up too mathy! Maybe I can be the scribe and help get through the puzzles while my partner clicks on things. And similarly with The Witness, which I've already played and can help avoid the audio/video logs

Civ I think may be too combat focused (I know I know, there's culture win-conditions) and/or too many options in the moment-to-moment? But also I've never actually played it - only watched.

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JhoiraArtificer
@JhoiraArtificer

Riven definitely has number puzzles, though from a distance of 10+ years it was a "figure out how the number system works" not "do math to solve things" (but I could be misremembering). YMMV on Civ and exactly how you play with your partner, but I like it for couch co-op because I get to contribute to strategy (for how to grow the civ/research technology/civics etc), which is the fun part to me. Every game will involve some turn-based combat but it certainly doesn't need to be the focus.

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JhoiraArtificer
@JhoiraArtificer

Oh also any of the Lego games are fun if you both want to hold controllers! I manage to play them all right even though my overall gamer level is "will accidentally run off cliffs if given a chance".

I also liked being P2 in the Mario Galaxy games, and playing along/helping spot things in Mario Odyssey was also fun.

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graham
@graham

Yeah, I think the Lego ones are like a maybe? There's nothing about them that is against any of the rules I mentioned, but there's something about the vibe of them that feels like it wouldn't click? I'll think more deeply about what it is

I bounced real hard off of Mario Galaxy when I tried playing it years ago, but maybe it'd be worth trying again? And Odyssey is a great suggestion! I'll add it to the list, thank you :host-joy:

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Willow
@Willow

you mention broken age, could some other dialogue tree based/adventure style stuff work? oxenfree has some decently spooky bits (they're typically more unsettling audiovisual quirks than like, jumpscares but they're def not unaffecting) but it's also got pretty compelling character work and plot stuff that's fun to see with another person imo. kentucky route zero fits here as well although it may be a little wordy/slow for hanging out on the couch or whatever. immortality (and the other sam barlow games her story and telling lies) were really fun to play through with roommates or in online screenshares for me. i'll comment again if i think of more also sorry if any of these were obvious before

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graham
@graham

Yeah I was thinking about like Oxenfree and Kentucky Route Zero and stuff, and they're like just slightly too spooky/spooky-adjacent and slightly too wordy I think?

I think you're right that Sam Barlow games would be great options though!

And you have nothing to be sorry about, I appreciate your help! :host-joy:

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Osmose
@Osmose

Outer Wilds is the most important games I've ever played, it admittedly has death but it's not really a punishment (i.e. you die and restart, dying involves very little actual loss) and I think it hits most of the other requirements.

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graham
@graham

Yeah I think that's one that I'll definitely work us up to. It has a lot of reading and is definitely too difficult to control if you're not used to gaming. I worry a little bit that it'd be nauseating to watch, potentially, but I really love it and am always happy to share it with others

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graham
@graham

Chicory I've heard was very cute, but I haven't gotten to take a closer look at it yet. Thank you for the reminder!

And then Professor Layton, I think so, yeah. I'll double check anyway, though

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graham
@graham

I've heard GRIS can be pretty heavy, yeah. I don't actually know what the gameplay is like in that game beyond platforming with pretty visuals

Stardew I got my partner on Switch, and that's probably got the most hours of any game ever.

The rest of these I don't immediately recognize, so I'll have to do some research :host-evil:

Except loop hero, which I do recognize. Isn't it all combat? At least what I've seen of it made it seem that way

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pigeonradio
@pigeonradio

Loop Hero has a lot of "combat" but you don't actually do anything during combat. It's all about building the map by placing tiles. It's more of a puzzle game (if the map can be considered a puzzle) than combat. I don't remember any in-combat actions.

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whatnames
@whatnames

i think Ghost Trick definitely fits the bill! it is a narrative puzzler with a super striking art style and really fun animation. i love this game with my whole heart.
it is pretty much only on ds and ios but worth it if you can get it. the ios version has the first chapter for free so you can test it out and play some before buying.
Say No! More is a fun, short, goofy ride with a unique visual style
the Detective Grimoire games are short and playful mysteries. there's some reading but otherwise seems to fit the bill!
Smile for Me is similarly short and has fun puzzles and characters without being wicked hard.
A Short Hike is pretty peaceful and lets you explore an island with sweet characters. same with Alba a Wildlife Adventure except that game lets you take animal pictures!
you also may enjoy Undertale. not too hard, not too long, p simple puzzles. the combat can get a bit difficult but i think it scales well. it's not a perfect fit with your criteria but i think the overall vibe is usually a winner.
Unpacking is a great zone-out game that i like to revisit when i need a good wind down. it may be a bit too solo for your needs but it's very calm and fun.
Kyle is Famous is primarily text based but is one of the few games in the past few years that has made me have to stop playing because of how hard i was laughing. it doesn't quite fit but i like to mention it because of how much fun i had with it.
i haven't played it myself but from what i have seen and heard of The Golden Idol it sounds like it's in the same realm as obra din!
this is an eclectic mix but i figure giving you a wide spread would be good to try things out!

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graham
@graham

Wow! Thank you for putting together this list with so much info - I really appreciate it!

I think years ago I bought my partner monument valley for ios, so maybe ghost trick might scratch a similar itch? I'll check it out

Say No! More is a very silly game, but I think while it technically doesn't have combat, it is extremely combative in the way you interact with the other characters to the point where I don't think it'd fit what I'm looking for

How does detective grimoire compare to like Frog Detective in terms of length or complexity? We found Frog Detective wasn't quite long enough or difficult enough of puzzles to fit what we were looking for, even though that game is really charming in my opinion

I haven't heard of smile for me, Kyle is famous, nor the golden idol, but I'll definitely look into them

A Short Hike and Alba a Wildlife Adventure were both on my list already, which is great

I tried pitching Unpacking, but despite us being really good about finding places for things from having moved so many times, it didn't sound interesting to my partner for whatever reason

Undertale is a game that I enjoyed a bunch, but that would certainly be too timing-based, "combat"-heavy, and relying on death as punishment too much for it to be a good fit here, I think

Overall though these suggestions are great and thank you again for posting them

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JuniperTheory
@JuniperTheory

Detective grimoire is closer to an ace attorney; a lot of "let's watch these two characters talk about this thing"

But it leads to some solid simple puzzles and some amazing writing. I'd say skip to the most recent one though, Tangle Tower is heads and tales above previous games

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JuniperTheory
@JuniperTheory

Genuinely think ghost trick and detective grimoire: tangle tower would be great choices, theyte fun mystery stories that are long enough to be engaging but don't overstay their welcome with an engaging style (ghost trick's central gameplay gimmick, detective grimoire's humor and art)

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Halceon
@Halceon

Case of the Golden Idol is a good game that plays in similar spaces as Obra Dinn, you piece together what the hell happened in a series of scenes. Includes some fun-weird pixel art and being made by people I know :D.

I played The Artful Escape with my partner, it's mostly a visual trip where you press right and occasionally jump. But the story is fun and over the top – a guy forced into being a folk musician reinvents himself into David Bowie and that's where the oddity just starts.

King of Dragon Pass/Six Ages: Ride Like the Wind might work. Half of it is a strategy management game that only gestures at what your controls do, and the other half is making important decisions based on vibes and tradition. Good stuff!

And if you're into cooperative chaos games (like overcooked), I've got a lot of those.

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graham
@graham

Yeah! The Case of the Golden Idol was mentioned above and it looks like a good fit, I think.

The Artful Escape looks wild, and I might play it even if it's not with my partner heh

King of Dragon Pass is a solid maybe - it does seem to have a sort of significant narrative focus on combat, just from the trailer, but I'd be willing to give it a go. My hesitation seems kind of similar here to Civ games, but maybe I'm overlooking lots of potentially good fits?

I'm unfortunately not a fan of chaotic cooperative games like overcooked, most of the time, but I appreciate your other suggestions! :host-joy:

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Halceon
@Halceon

I wouldn't say King/ Six Ages are focused on combat, but it is a consideration that comes in. But the thing that primarily draws me to that game is the Mythic Quest aspect. I.e., at certain times you can perform a rite to send one of your people into a mythic story, to play it out according to tradition and gain a boon, but you as the player have to first learn the tradition. Or you send someone with enough willpower and knowledge that they can alter the story and survive.

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docmatador
@docmatador

If you haven’t played Pentiment yet, it’s wonderful and beautiful. It meets those criteria, with some cw’s around mentions of violence and sexual violence. It’s a murder mystery that starts in 1518, you’re an artist who creates illuminated manuscripts. The writing is incredible, and the art style is like all the characters are in an illuminated manuscript as well. When they talk, they each have different types of fonts that they talk in that correlate to how these characters would write (the printmaker, for example, has big blocky print reminiscent of the first printed books). You can also turn this feature off for accessibility. There’s some character customization as well, and choices for how to respond, so it ends up feeling like if Obra Dinn met a more action-y rpg.

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graham
@graham

I've been seeing people talking about Pentiment lately while expressing similar levels of interest as games like Norco or Signalis, so I think my brain had automatically categorized it as "scary or depressing but still a really well-made artistic piece" kind of thing. This is all good to know, though! I'll definitely give it a chance. The content warnings are appreciated, and I think as long as it's just mentioned and not on-screen or heard, we can manage.

Thank you for the req!

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docmatador
@docmatador

Of course! It’s all tastefully presented, definitely less creepy and gory than Obra Dinn. If you check it out Im excited to hear your thoughts! Also the Waypoint episode with the devs is very good if you want some behind the scenes, probably if/when you start it.

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