If you want a Journey, I'd recommend Journey. It's a hard game to explain because I still have yet to play it, but it's a very relaxed experience about trying to cross this vast desert and get to the top of a mountain to reach a light.
It was free on PS4 back in April for they "Play At Home" initiative, but that's passed. It's coming to Steam pretty soon.
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Quick question: Are games outside of Steam ok? And are non-PC games ok?
And do you have like a pre-exiting wishlist or list of games you already really loved. Those 2 games give me way too many ideas.
And is there a particular vibe you like. Like horror, light-hearted, weird and absurd,sad, happy, cute...???
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Yeah that's cool, have most platforms :)
Haha - well throw me the ones you'd most recommend, don't really have any wishlist or already played in that genre :)
Both serious, scary, and light hearted are welcome - i was hoping to see diverse recommendations of all types anyways. But i can say that ones with an emotional impact are what i'm really hoping to find.
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To the Moon and it's sequel Finding Paradise. It's about doctors who fulfill someone wishes by going into their memory. It has a little to no gameplay (kinda walking simulator with some puzzle) but trust me it's a memorable experience and the story is absolutely amazing.
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Don't forget A Bird Story. It has a link to Finding Paradise, and it's a beautiful little story on its own. While it's not essential to play before Finding Paradise, it adds to the poignancy.
I'd also add in Rakuen. It's up there with those games in terms of its emotional impact (and incidentally is developed by
Laura Shigihara, who provided some of the music for To the Moon), but has more game elements, for lack of a better term.
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OneShot and Rakuen as RPG maker games and GRIS as an easy platformer.
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How do you like puzzle games? (Obviously 'Brothers' is considered a puzzler, but a fairly light one.)
'The Witness' is a really good play if you like puzzles. You make your way through a beautifully designed island, and it is entirely devoid of combat.
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Someone beat me to To The Moon series...
Moons of Madness is unique and well executed, though it is on the pricey side of games.
Lovecraftian, but not cliche, nails the atmosphere and world building a game of this subgenre is expected to have.
You may have it in your library from a giveaway, give it a spin if you haven't already!
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https://store.steampowered.com/app/110800/LA_Noire/
https://store.steampowered.com/app/303210/The_Beginners_Guide/
https://store.steampowered.com/app/17410/Mirrors_Edge/
If you dont mind old games, I recommend Ico for Ps2
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Pitching in some recommendations not for the blue heart but for the sake of recommending you some great games :P
Lost Words: Beyond the Page - https://store.steampowered.com/app/599610/Lost_Words_Beyond_the_Page/
This isn't on Steam yet but you can stream it through Stadia and I think you can get a month or two of Stadia for free right now. You can also try the Steam demo
Hazel Sky - https://store.steampowered.com/app/1094920/Hazel_Sky/
Not on Steam yet but I think you might like this as well :) Managed to play the demo during LudoNarraCon and it's pretty amazing
Wayward Strand - https://store.steampowered.com/app/1080450/Wayward_Strand/
Not on Steam yet as well and I've only played the demo during LudoNarraCon and I love it. There's a mystery you get to solve aboard a decommissioned ship-turned-hospital and you'll get to chat with a lot of different characters, most of them are elderly and some of them are very lovable. Love the art here as well!
Spiritfarer - https://store.steampowered.com/app/972660/Spiritfarer/
2D farm/cooking sim with a sense of adventure + breathtaking graphics + a heartwarming spiritual-themed story. Game's different from the examples you've given but I thought maybe you'll like this as well :)
Roki - https://store.steampowered.com/app/1067540/Rki/
I've only played the demo and I liked it enough. It has simple puzzles and a great story, but this is just my first impression. Might change once I get to experience the whole game :) Still, thought you might want to take a look yourself.
Another Sight - https://store.steampowered.com/app/888630/Another_Sight__Definitive_Edition/
I'd say this game has a gameplay that's similar to Brothers (loved that game too :) ), but this is a bit darker I guess.
LUNA The Shadow Dust - https://store.steampowered.com/app/465100/LUNA_The_Shadow_Dust/
This is really good too. Great story-telling and puzzles that aren't too difficult overall. Again, a review if you're interested :)
The Gardens Between - https://store.steampowered.com/app/600990/The_Gardens_Between/
If you love a game with a story about friendship and light puzzles, this is one of the best :) Review
Evan's Remains - https://store.steampowered.com/app/1110050/Evans_Remains/
Just finished this and I'm still reeling from the emotional rollercoaster I've been through. Simple puzzles and a great story with a twist
Some Distant Memory - https://store.steampowered.com/app/824850/Some_Distant_Memory/
Incredible storytelling here that will put you on an emotional rollercoaster Review
Nordlicht - https://store.steampowered.com/app/1089310/Nordlicht/
If budget is a concern, this game has amazing storytelling, fun little puzzles, and it's very cheap to buy (during a sale - it's only $1.24). Personally, I'd buy multiple copies of this game to give away here if I could... stupid region restrictions :/ Review
Tacoma - https://store.steampowered.com/app/343860/Tacoma/
Songbird Symphony - https://store.steampowered.com/app/909820/Songbird_Symphony/
If you don't mind a little rhythm action gameplay, this has a really heartwarming story about a young bird's need to belong and his adventures. There are music battles though :P anndddd... you guessed it - here's the review if you're interested :)
Seconding 11-11 Memories and Silence as well!
Iris and the Giant - https://store.steampowered.com/app/1127610/Iris_and_the_Giant/
I wrote a review for this game in case you're interested to learn more :)
Sorry, just noticed that you mentioned minimal or no combat. This game is all combat but I'd still recommend this game all the same. Maybe take a look at a gameplay vid and decide for yourself if you'd like it :)
I am hoping to find games with an emotional impact, but all tones are welcome (scary, serious, funny, lighthearted)!
The Shattering - https://store.steampowered.com/app/596000/The_Shattering/
This is somewhat scary and depressing but I really like the visuals here and the storytelling. Wrote a review for it too in case you're interested :)
And of course, Little Nightmares - https://store.steampowered.com/app/424840/Little_Nightmares/
I'll see if I have more to recommend :)
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I see somebody already recommended GRIS - +1 to that. That game is amazing ;) and there is 0 combat + you can't die.
Out of that I would like to recommend Limbo and Inside - both from the same developers. :)
and a bonus game: its highly focused emotions, but there is some combat unfortunately... This war of Mine - I would say you wont regret it ;)
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I would like to disagree... That game has a "story" Its about grieving... And its amazing, but probably not for everybody. I see you played it for 0.6 hours and got to the end of chapter 1 i guess... I would say Its hard to judge a game after so little time... I dunno, I played for several hours, unfortunately I cant check playtime as I got it for PS4, but I enjoyed every minute of it.
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You are right we all have different taste. I was so happy to see it in the Humble monthly as is was high on my wl for a long time. I played it for 0.6 hours because I really, really wanted to like it. But hated it right away. But I hoped I would get used to it. I didn't and this was the best I could do without throwing my controller out of the window.
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80 Days. With Jules Verne's Around the World in 80 Days as its conceptual jumping-off point, the game is a text- and narrative-heavy adventure that's essentially all about journeying around. It's so filled to the brim with choices and locations that you can play it a dozen times and have distinctly different experiences each time. It's out on PC, Switch, and mobile devices. Though it's universally acclaimed, it might have slipped by you unnoticed--I didn't realize it was something I'd be interested in before hearing someone pitch it on a podcast a few years ago.
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Subnautica is a fantastic game. I don't want to spoil anything, so heres some excerpts taken from the store page:
'You have crash-landed on an alien ocean world, and the only way to go is down. Subnautica's oceans range from sun drenched shallow coral reefs to treacherous deep-sea trenches, lava fields, and bio-luminescent underwater rivers. Manage your oxygen supply as you explore kelp forests, plateaus, reefs, and winding cave systems. The water teems with life: Some of it helpful, much of it harmful.
...
'What happened to this planet? Signs abound that something is not right. What caused you to crash? What is infecting the sea life? Who built the mysterious structures scattered around the ocean? Can you find a way to make it off the planet alive?'
It is a truly amazing experience, there is a deeper underlying story that you slowly unravel, but it is in no way linear. You slowly stumble upon the story on your own, only nudged in the right direction by radio transmission, and updates from your PDA. I've personally got over 100 hours on it, I can vouch for the game, and the story. It's a beautiful looking, and beautifully written game.
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Thats totally fair, although I can't really classify it as a solely survival game. Yes it starts off being more of a survival game, but later on it does become more about 'thriving' instead.
But in terms of gameplay, yeah there is obviously the survival element to it. It does however have a 'Freedom' mode, where you don't have a thirst or hunger bar, just health, so you can more freely focus on the story/ exploration aspect of the game, which might be more up your alley.
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Came here to recommend Subnautica but Alpha2749 beat me to it so I'll just add my voice to theirs. I have never finished the game but I'm probably through the first half or so and it offers one of the most atmospheric experiences I have ever for want of a better word, experienced.
It really does a great job of giving you the feeling of being under water.
I'd also recommend The Long Dark which has the most amazing sound design and also tells a story through subtle clues left behind. It also has a story mode but I haven't actually tried that myself.
Finally, Alien Isolation also seems to be super popular amongst people that aren't looking for combat. From the little I have seem it does appear to match what you are looking for in general. I can't wait to play it myself when I can.
Edit: I just thought of another fantastic story based game which I actually won on Steamgifts called Stasis the writing was fantastic and I didn't have much trouble with the puzzles (I can be a bit of a thicky when it comes to puzzles so this is a major plus).
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+1 for Long Dark. I love that game. Story mode on easy is.. well.. easy. I really like the story (its not finished though, 3 out of 5 episodes)
Its very atmospheric and the landscape is beautiful. It really is about the journey as there are no people in sandbox mode (there are several in story mode)
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If you're into platformers, I recommend Knytt series. The first two games are free (Knytt & Knytt stories) and the 3rd is on Steam (Knytt Underground).
I also suggest Jazzpunk. It's a first person comedy adventure and it's far from being serious, but it gives me some nice feelings when I play it.
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Oh Jazzpunk is amazing! I have played that for at least a few hours (not all time is logged since I played some hours in offline mode), and I have gotten through quite a few levels. The game itself has a unique style, and some of the puzzles to solve are pretty crazy (not necessarily difficult, but bizarre). It's easy enough that you won't be frustrated and unable to beat it, but it's not so easy to make it a 1 or 2 hour game. Definitely worth a play.
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Looking through my games that I've played and others haven't mentioned, I'm thinking of these:
A Short Hike
You're in a small, open world forest and your goal is to climb the mountain that's there. Easily the coziest game I've played and I think it is one of the very highest rated games on Steam by ratio of reviews. Gathering everything you need to explore the forest and the mountain definitely feels like a journey.
The Deponia series
Classic point and click from Daedalic, a funny game series that takes you on an adventure through the world of Deponia. Journey with no combat could be true for many Daedalic games too, but this one stood out to me.
Rakuen
A sick boy in a hospital gets to travel to the fantasy world Rakuen from his favorite book. A must play if you like To The Moon/Finding Paradise, similar in style to those.
Wandersong
A bard goes on a journey to save the world using the power of music. No combat, you travel through this world trying to gather all the pieces of the song that can save the world.
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You'll love Little Nightmares if you enjoyed Limbo/Inside. Imo it's the best one out of the 3.
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SOMA: It has some gameplay elements but it's basically a walking simulator with quality psychological horror.
ENSLAVED™: Odyssey to the West™ Premium Edition: Platformer. Has an engaging story and beautiful environments. (This one actually have a lot of combat though)
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I recommend Machinarium and My Memory of Us.
I enjoyed playing both and they're great in terms of having an engaging journey and emotional story.
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I wanted to mention Ori games (loved first one, will play second one when I'll have some free time, I dont wanna play it without enjoying it, in rush), and you also could check "Degrees of Separation", and maybe "Never alone"... or "Silence" :D
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I would like to recommend Firewatch - it's breathtakingly beautiful, it's features no combat, and it has a really touching and realistic story about two people trying to escape their problems while working as fire lookouts in the Shoshone National Forest.
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Hm, some good suggestions in this thread already. From what I can remember left an impression on me in recent times, Epistory was a nice little gem if you like typing games (don't know if it counts as combat). There's also a sequel out (Nanotale), though I haven't played that one yet.
Also, for some cheesy bonus points, I'm going to point out that the person who recommended the Freebird Games series seemed to have forgotten A Bird Story which is the appetizer/prequel to Finding Paradise, although it is not mandatory for enjoying the story either way, it adds some flavour to it (it should optimally be played before Finding Paradise).
Thanks for creating this discussion as well, it seems like we share interest in many of these games so I'm looking forward to see other people's suggestions too.
Edit: I could also suggest a whole bunch of VNs, but I suppose that's too much in the 'no interactivity' department for most people's tastes.
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The Stanley Parable - very non-usual game with a lot of possible ways to go and things to do
Portal / Portal 2 - obviously.
The Talos Principle - very nice puzzles and explorable (is this even a word?) environment
Thomas Was Alone - well, if you're more into 2D side-view things than 1st-person.
Escape the Game - totally free and absolutely awesome.
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P.S. So, I wasn't going to recommend you Ori - because it has a lot of fight inside - but have seen a couple a comments above that you're taking it as advice, so... All right then!
Shantae games series. As for me - I've started to play (and love) these games starting from The Pirate's Curse - but that's up to you.
And yes, Freedom Planet is a really, really good game looking like Sonic series, but without actually Sonic. I like its art and the passion authors have put in it.
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Escape the Game is a demo actually! The full game is called Break the Game can't say whether I recommend it or not because I haven't played it yet (it's on my wishlist tho) but escape the game is really fun so hopefully it's just as good
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Hey everyone,
I am looking for recommendations on games to buy and play. Everyone that comes with a serious suggestion are added to my whitelist, and if someone beat you to the punch with your recommendation you can add you comment to tell me WHY you also recommend that game and why I should buy/play that and i will count that too.
I am looking for games that are more focused on a journey than with a world ending evil to defeat at the end - and minimal to no combat. So think Brothers - A Tale of Two Sons or maybe Undertale - games like that. (don't recommend those 2).
I am hoping to find games with an emotional impact, but all tones are welcome (scary, serious, funny, lighthearted)!
Examples of games that i love in this area:
Brothers - A Tale of Two Songs
Undertale
Limbo/Inside
Bastion/Transistor
The First Pokemon (in a way that feeling i mean is there in the journey)
I am planning on adding more whitelist giveaways soon, but for starters here are 5 to get the ball rolling (each running for a week).
https://www.steamgifts.com/giveaway/GhsJs/anomaly-uber-bundle
https://www.steamgifts.com/giveaway/MDbwU/corporate-lifestyle-simulator
https://www.steamgifts.com/giveaway/fgvtV/nightmares-from-the-deep-the-cursed-heart
https://www.steamgifts.com/giveaway/XPdlH/aer-memories-of-old
https://www.steamgifts.com/giveaway/vc9TO/mars-or-die
EDIT: Thanks to everyone for all the suggestions - got so many recommendations that look amazing, will have plenty to do over the summer.
Closing the thread now, and for all who got on the wishlist, more giveaways will be made in the following days :)
Starting with: https://www.steamgifts.com/giveaway/pSe10/dark-arcana-the-carnival
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