Brainy Gamer: The "Smart Game" Catalog

This catalog of "smart games" was compiled from responses to this post. I'll continue to organize the catalog, eliminate redundancies, and explore methods of coding the data to make the information more useful.

View the catalog in Spreadsheet Mode (Choose View | List to sort and filter)

999
Aksys
DS
999 is a game filled with puzzles and text, and it has the best story I have ever experienced in any media, be it literature, cinema or anything else.

The premise is that 9 people are stuck on a sinking ship, they all have numbered watches that serve as keys to unlock numbered doors. They have 9 hours to figure out a way to escape before they all die. Escaping means that they have to find the door numbered 9.

Every time you enter a door, puzzles ensue. You have to point and (touch)click your way through the puzzles and the text, every time learning more and more. But the game is infinitely more than most other games; only people who have played it can understand what I mean by it. It hides something much deeper that has basically changed the way I see things in my life and how I live in society.

I greatly encourage everyone to try 999, it is definitely a smart game.
Kevin

3rd World Farmer
3rdWorldFarmer Team, 2005
Browser
Sophisticated because it examines and challenges both what a game is and ought to be, and what reality is and ought to be, via unfair game rules that mirror real world unfairness and injustice.
Frederik Hermund

Ace Attorney Series
Capcom, 2001
DS, Wii, iOS
This game series constantly has you thinking critically. The puzzles are really quite clever and surprisingly challenging, despite the generally comical and light-hearted tone of the games. The stories are interesting, complex, sometimes very emotional, and full of unexpected twists. The characters are intriguing and loveable, and the soundtrack is brilliantly done (the jazz and orchestral versions are especially wondrous). Overall, the entire series delivers gaming excellence. I laughed, I cried, I cheered. I experienced pure bliss, and my mind and heart loved every moment.
Cassie C.

Adventures of Lolo, The
HAL Corporation
NES
One of the first puzzles that ever had me wanting for more. I started to be addicted to thinking and solving puzzles.
Figaro Mario

Adventures of Lolo, The
HAL Corporation
NES
A major evolution in the Sokoban-type puzzle games, "Lolo" involved collecting heart panels to open a treasure chest, which in turn banishes all dangerous enemies from the room and opens the exit. The game and its sequels' (II and III) presented puzzles that would teach you how to solve them through trial, error, and observation. It was one of the few video games to receive a "Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval" based on its educational value for problem solving and logic.

The game also did something few games can: it scared you. Making certain mistakes in the the game were so sudden, it would make you jump, or at least break out in a cold sweat.
Robert Gauss

Age of Empires 2
Ensemble Studios 1999
PC
Age of Empires 2 is a serious attempt to engage with history and make it fun. It introduces the player to many of the historical events, myths and legends of the time period it covers. It also features a soundtrack that utilizes only period relevant instruments and the resulting music is characterful and a joy to listen to.

It also features many and varied civilizations with which to play with. Also, a considerable amount of strategy is required in order to juggle the challenges of balancing your economy whilst expanding militarily- all in real time. At no time can this be considered a 'dumb' game.
Craig Wakefield

Alter Ego
Peter J. Favaro, 1986
C64/MS-DOS/Apple II/Macintosh
Alter Ego is a life sim game propelled by interactive narrative vignettes and a handful of fluctuating personal statistics. It allowed the player enough latitude and responsibility to feel invested in their course in life, then challenged them to undertake and reflect on the consequences of major life decisions.

Though limited, the game allows us to explore alternative personalities and values, letting us re-evaluate our identities and better understand others. But the core lesson in Alter Ego, to me, was the inevitability of ageing and death; that there comes a point where we can no longer reclaim our youth and our potential is past, perhaps sooner than we'd like. In providing a cradle-to-grave life simulation it communicates and explores our shared mortality effortlessly and with charm - in a fashion impossible in other media.
randomnine

Amnesia: The Dark Descent
Frictional Games, 2010
PC
Amnesia: The Dark Descent could be described as a psychological exploration of fear. It is a survival horror game, set in the 1830s, that differs from most other games in the genre by its complete lack of combat. It is built around the title concept of amnesia. As the main protagonist wakes up at the very beginning, he knows just as much as the player, creating a rather special bond to the character, that is usually only achieved through anonymization. This all ties in to the horror aspect, as it makes it feel like it's you that's discovering your own forgotten past, the things that you did, the reasons for your predicament (I won't go into too much detail as it would ruin your experience) and ultimately having to take responsibility for them. It is safe to assume that the character is a different person after losing his memory, meaning that the character essentially is the player, something that, as I already mentioned, is usually only possible by making the main protagonist devoid of any personality and history that is ultimately defined.

I haven't even begun to talk about the horror aspect. In many ways, the game exploits many of our psychological predispositions, as well as some of our prejudices about the game based on the conventions of the genre. One of the most important things in a good horror game is the pacing, something Amnesia takes advantage of often. Monster encounters are rather sparse, but not always. That is to say, they sort of lull you into a false sense of security, and then wait a little more, before suddenly, you hear a noise. Turns out it was nothing. You then think you're safe. You're allowed to think that for a while, and then you hear another noise. Given your sense of security and the fact that the last noise was nothing, you think it's nothing to worry about. Then as you turn a corner, you stand face to face with one of the brutally disfigured "enemies" in the game. It doesn't utilize the far too common "jumpscare" (that is to say, a very sudden noise or movement meant to trigger your natural fear reflexes, which has a tendency to not last long, as well as getting diminishing results as player get used to it), instead relying on your own imagination to create the horror in most cases, with the actual scares being mostly a catalyst.

The story is also very well written, with notes being dispersed around the game for you to find, as well as flashbacks, both providing information about the horrible events that lead up to the time of the game itself. There are no cutscenes, the entire story being told in realtime. I won't say anything about the story itself though, as it would diminish your experience of the game. All in all, it's an amazing horror experience, that I would recommend to anyone, provided you stock up on some extra underwear first, as this game is more than likely to make you shit your pants in fear.
Sigurd Stenseth

Animal Crossing
Nintendo 2001
Nintendo Gamecube
Animal Crossing is a beautiful game with beautiful lessons. It teaches you how to live life on your own. You have no one but yourself, you've gotta work and pay off your house. It gives you friends and the ability to get out of life and into a new one. It helps you see that even when the going get's tough, life moves on. Even if you don't move with it. It'll teach you that friends will leave and abandon you, so you must make more. It teaches us that to live happy, you've gotta work for it. It helps you to see how life is bright and cheerful, you just have to find ways to bring out it's inner colors. Even when you have no friends in the town to talk to, you always still have your mom. Who helps you through all by supporting you via letters. You can let out your expressiveness with clothes making, or let out anger with pitfalls. Even if you have nothing to do, you can always sit on a quite relaxing Saturday night. And listen to K.K. Slider as his music puts a warm smile on your face.
Alex Bud

Anno 2070
11/17/2011
PC
In Anno 2070, our world has changed. The rising level of the ocean has harmed the coastal cities and climate change has made large stretches of land inhospitable. It's a very beautiful game graphically. But I was stunned for a moment while playing when it seem to reflect EXACTLY what is going on the world right now with sustainability when it came to green vs. current technology and how it effects us and the environment. Its not end all be all, but I have a better idea how things work in the most basic sense.
Rai

Another World / Out of This World
Delphine Software : 1991
Sega/SNES/PC/Amiga
A sidescrolling action game involving a main character's journey through a strange alien land.

No real prompts or in game advise is given as users make their way to find their salvation (and more than often accidental death). Quickly into the game you are accompanied by a partner / former cell-mate who has no dialogue, only alien-like grunts and noises as you work in tandem to accomplish their goals. You also get a blaster/shield weapon that you use to outsmart the similarly armed alien captors.

The main progression through the game involves experimenting, dying and trying again, eventually learning from your mistakes. No dialogue and no hand-holding is present, and due to excellent level design there really is no simple way to brute force your way to the end.
Mark W

Aquaria
Bit Blot, 2007
PC
Aquaria is one of the best independent games' gems with very strong narration and visuals.

The story is quite simple at the beginning but it relatively gets deeper in progress of Naija's (main character) quest about her loneliness and memories. During a long trip thought the underwater world of Aquaria you are seeking for answers regarding her origin. Naija is also an narrator (in the similar manner to Rucks from later Bastion) that not only comments events but also sets up a questions about many different themes and motifs like: Creation vs. Nature, Solitude, Faith and Love. The game isn't straight forward so the reception and feelings depends only on you. Overall story is very touching, leaving you with many interesting thoughts.

Art aspect of the game can be also shown by it's stunning 2D visual of surrealistic ocean life. It's very colorful, detailed and animated in paper doll-like manner that have it's soul. Many of places in the game looks just beautiful and it's definitely, with great original soundtrack, strong part of the game.
NBlast

Aquaria
Bit Blot, 2007
PC, Macintosh
Aquaria brings to the table something new and poignant: the ability to connect with the creators. At the time the game was made, one member of the two-man team that is Bit Blot had just moved to a new town, with no friends and very or little social interaction. This loneliness oozes out of every aspect of the game, from the melancholic music to the solitary protagonist longing for companionship. The elements that comprise the game form together so seamlessly and so emotionally that even I felt forlorn and lonely while playing it.

As the game progresses, the protagonist slowly learns her place in the world: she is not alone. There may be very few sentient species left, but beautiful life is all around her, and she is presented with the choice to start anew, to repopulate her habitat: much in the same way the game's creator slowly found his place in a new habitat and learned to overcome the challenges associated.

Add this wonderful ability to convey emotion straight to the player with beautiful, hand-drawn art, gorgeously composed music, and a gameplay paradigm that focuses on exploration, discovery, and puzzle-solving, and Aquaria, by all means, could never be considered "dumb".
Nicholas Fetcko

Assassin's Creed
Ubisoft Montreal, 2007
Xbox 306/PS3/PC
The first of the series, Assassin's Creed had some bold political commentary for a Triple-A title. Over the course of the game, the nature and cost of politics and war is debated, as well as the effectiveness of social class systems, education, and the nature of those we deem "evil". All of the "bosses" in Assassin's Creed believe they are doing what is right, and what is necessary to bring the world to peace; a rather striking parallel to politics, particularly in Western Society today.
Kade Neale

Assassins Creed 2
Ubisoft, 2010
PS3, Xbox 360 and PC
Aside from the surface appeal of stabbing people and hurling them from high places and the sci-fi tinged storyline of a secret war between Templars and Assassins, the Assassins Creed Series serves as an active exploration of history, presenting players with a direct view of historical periods and places few forms of "mainstream" entertainment bother covering. One can draw multiple levels of appreciation from this, those with a love of architecture can enjoy scaling the immense buildings of Renaissance Florence and Venice and those who love history can enjoy the presentation of various Historical Figures in important roles in the story, and the "perspective" offered on real events like the Pazzi Conspiracy.
Peter S.

Avernum series
Spiderweb Software
Mac, Windows
Like most Spiderweb Software games, the Avernum series eschews fancy graphics for an immersive experience rounded out by frequent text dialogs with well-crafted prose, whether dialog, paragraphs of descriptive wonder, or a single sentence warning you that your characters hear suspicious sounds nearby.

While it adopts standard RPG tropes such as a quest system and character statistics for each of your team of adventurers, the huge, sprawling world is full of surprises, ambushes, and intricate details and mysteries that bring the game world alive. In many senses, these are not merely RPGs: they are also emergent interactive novels.
Nihiltres

Baldur's Gate II: Shadow of Amn
Black Isle Studios, 2000
PC
Published in 2000, Baldur's Gate II: Shadow of Amn is possibly one of the best games set in the expansive Dungeons and Dragons Universe. Baldur's Gate II is beautifully executed and came with writing comparable to any fantasy epics.

It features genuinely complex and engaging narrative pertaining to questions of morality, love, conflict, betrayal and redemption and remains to date one of the most renowned fantasy RPG.
Norman

Baron, The
Victor Gijsbers 2006
PC
Difficult to do without spoilers, but suffice it to say that while other media may portray a protagonist like The Baron's in a sympathetic light, there's nothing else out there (that I am aware of) that will put you in his place.

for more background:
http://playthisthing.com/baron
http://lilith.gotdns.org/~victor/?q=content/baron
incidentally it is free and available windows/mac/linux
juv3nal

Bastion
Supergiant Games, 2011
PC, Xbox
I'll break this into two chunks, art and narrative.

Art- The layout of this game is very similar to others, it's an isometric world that you run down corridors. The difference, is this world reassembles itself as you run. As you progress you have to mentally map where things are, just in case you've got to back track. When you add the musical score to the game it alters what would otherwise be a fun and interesting tale and transforms it into a game of loss, sorrow and rebirth. As the music fades in and out, you don't notice. That is, you don't until it grabs your attention in order to let you know you're in trouble, or pulls you into the story to feel the bare emotions of the characters.

Narrative - Here, I'm going to leave one example.
At the end, you've come so far. You started lost and began rebuilding, then all of your work is destroyed and you must stumble a head in order to survive. Suddenly, the chance for revenge appears, your rival on the ground, beaten by those he betrayed you to join. You're left with two choices, kill him or save him. If you choose to save him, you're left defenseless and must slowly escape, he's heavy and requires both hands to hold. As you leave you are attacked on all sides. Slowly the enemy stop attacking realizing you're not a threat, just someone else lost in the confusion like they are. Suddenly you see in the corner of the screen, one turn between you and the way home. Closing in on it a dart gets you. If you've the mind to follow it, you'll watch the superior officer immediately discipline the enemy who fired. I've never been more startled or amazed by such a minor detail that bring with it so much weight!
Ross A

Beatmania IIDX
Konami - Numerous
Arcade, PS2
Music games are just an example of a multitude of genres that focus on reaction speeds being the core skill necessary to succeed. Science has long drawn connections between people with higher general intelligence [g] and IQ's having quicker reaction times, a study referred to as Mental Chronometry. Intelligent people react and respond faster, and few tasks are better at developing or demonstrating response times than games.

To assume that gaming is a form of unintelligent media, is simply ignoring the fact that most gamers are utilising honed motor neuron skills, or developing these skills whilst playing. Hand eye coordination, quick reaction times and focussed attention are all required to succeed whilst playing. Developing these traits is more useful than any traits acquired through 'watching' or 'listening' to many other media forms.

I doubt the people who label gaming as unintelligent possess the same response times as most gamers, which could suggest their intelligence is lower than many gamers. What other past times short of studying non fiction and 'watching' documentaries help develop abilities that directly correlate to intelligence Taylor?
Football maybe?
Nathan Tobeck

Binding of Isaac
Edmund McMillen 2011
PC
At first glance a dismissible collection of juvenile troupes, Edmund subverts not just the games medium but our own prejudices in a brave and deeply personal game about his childhood. Mechanics truly connect form here. The demanding and ever capricious nature of the game well suits the nature of the problem and the powerlessness and escapes of the victims.
Daniel Kline

Bioshock
2K Boston 2007
PS3
I have seen Bioshock here before but they seemed a little short on detail.
I found Bioshock to be a game of exemplary maturity in its narrative. I played it while reading Ayn Rand's epic 'Atlas Shrugged' and easily saw the deep connection the story had to its them of isolated industrialists and the fight personal integrity. It is the opposing side of the coin to Rand's Objectivist philosophy, showing where the cracks appear and how it could fall apart.
Beyond that there is a particular moment (which I don't intend to spoil) which shows the developers actually showing gamers the fruits of their labours, tangibly allowing gamers to see just how far from freedom they actually are, this to me was a ridiculously bold move and one wrapped in one of the greatest scenes in gaming history thus far.
Couple these deep philosophical ideals with unique takes on gameplay, senses of morality and a beautiful art deco style and bioshock becomes a glittering highpoint in the 30 years of gaming so far.
Richard Dawson

Bioshock
2K Boston 2007
Xbox 360
Deeply philosophical, Bioshock makes players think about Laiseez-faire ideals and society as a whole
Jakob Annett

Bioshock
2K Boston 2007
PC
Bioshock made me question why I was doing what I was doing and then smacked me in the face with the answer. It hit me on an emotional level unlike any other game before or since.
Eric

BIT.TRIP series
Gaijin Games, 2009 - 2011
PC, Linux, Mac, Wii, 3DS
The BIT.TRIP games marry arcade-style genres with rhythmic gameplay. BIT.TRIP Beat and BIT.TRIP Flux are rhythmic versions of Pong; BIT.TRIP Runner is a rhythmic 2D platformer; BIT.TRIP. In this way, each game is an exploration of a classic form.

Furthermore, the games lets the player think about how he/she responds to different forms of stimuli. While the original Pong almost exclusively used visual stimuli, BIT.TRIP Beat adds extremely pervasive auditory stimuli. In the latter, when the visual stimuli become too complex, the player can use the auditory stimuli to make decisions, and vice-versa. The distinction between audio and visual components is especially blurred, and the games are masterful examples of synesthetics.
Ron R.

Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain
Crystal Dynamics / Silicon Knights, 1996
PlayStation
I'd played games with engaging stories and characters long before this, but Blood Omen was perhaps the first intellectually stimulating game I'd ever played at that time. Look past the sometimes miserable framerate, the interminable loading times every time you enter so much as a tent, and the stiff controls, and you'd find a mature, atmospheric and dark story of a gothic fantasy world that might not even be worth saving -- a question the protagonist asks himself on several occasions.

That protagonist -- Kain the vampire, a nobleman brought back from Hell by the necromancer Mortanius to serve a greater purpose in his quest for vengeance -- is one of the best in all of gaming. He's eloquent, driven, introspective, and has a dry sense of humor. He's complex enough that both endings -- one in which he takes over the world and one in which he sacrifices his own life to save it -- both seem equally in-character. And he's voiced by the incomparable Simon Templeman. The script is genuinely well-written, much of the story is conveyed through subtext and subtle detail, and the story takes some truly unexpected twists and turns. I recommend this one to fans of Gene Wolfe's "Book of the New Sun."
Max Gardner

Braid
Jonathan Blow 2008
Xbox360, PC, PS3
Braid is a narrative propelled puzzle game that seems to tell the story of a young man piecing together and coming to terms with the events of a past relationship. It's form as a puzzle game stands to mirror his own internal confusion, the players efforts to put literal puzzle pieces together standing as a metaphor for his own shattered past. Braid also plays its mechanic of time control to mirror personal revelations of it's protagonist as he delves into his own past.

Combined with beautiful art direction and a compelling soundtrack Braid stands and one of the finest examples of non traditional narrative in gaming and one of the finest endings in the medium.
Andrew

Braid
Number None Inc
PSN/XBLA
This game has amazing art and puzzles. The way this game tells the story of how our protagonist is trying to fix or erase something he's done in his relationship with his princess, the ambiguous ending, the simplistic yet diverse and thought-out methods of completing each puzzle had me really questioning what everything meant in the game, and still we all have to interpret what each of us understood. Amazing
Stanley A.

Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway
Gearbox-2008
Windows, Playstation 3, Xbox 360
The game is the third in the Brothers in Arms series of WW2 shooters. While the first two games in the series were solid shooters devoted to historical accuracy, and lent respect to the nature of the content (a rarity in the glut of WW2 games last decade), the third game is arguably the smartest. The game creates a cast of characters, each distinct and likable, gives them flaws, and explores how they each deal with their problems during the the battle of Market-Garden, one of the largest allied losses in the war.

The game touches upon themes like guilt (Cpl. Paddock correctly predicting that two of his fellow soldiers would die in the upcoming fight), coping with loss (Pvt. Dawson's paranoid obsession with fate), value of life (Sgts. Baker and Hartsock debating the value of officers versus enlisted men), and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (Sgt. Baker suffering auditory and visual hallucinations after a traumatic series of events in Normandy and Holland). The setting is also a high point. There is an incredible amount of detail presented in the game, from equipment, people, and locations, to mirroring documented events in gameplay to the point of putting most Hollywood WW2 movies to shame.
Greg

Bully
Rockstar Vancouver 2006/2008
PS2/Xbox 360 & Wii
This is perhaps the greatest videogame I've ever played. Though graphically dated by today's standard, the plot and dialogue more than make up for the visuals (which are still palpable). There are an incredible range of voluntary activities available that all offer in-game rewards that carry actual value. From a narratological standpoint, the game is well-built and reflects the sharp wit often associated with Rockstar Games.

What strikes me the most, however, is how much freedom is allowed in this game. Social interactions very much resemble those of Fable but without the hyperbole Lionshead incorporated into their game. Violence carries real consequences with it in terms of narrative and game; additionally, the amount of violence possible is both controversial and reserved in the same instance. When I realized I could assault a police officer and actually escape eventually, I was impressed. When I saw how harshly the game reacted to the abuse of children, I was impressed. I have never seen a game as diverse as this executed as well before or since. Other games may have more grandiose narratives and others still may have more emergent gameplay, but none that I'm familiar with have managed to produce both with such polish. Maybe Deus Ex, maybe.
Jon Daniel Stephenson

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
Infinity Ward 2007
PC, PS3, X360
The single-player campaign has a short, potent level that I have often considered to be an excellent example of how gaming can convey a strong message. You play a stereotypically macho American soldier who, thanks to gameplay mechanics, is nigh-invulnerable. You play through the levels blasting "terrorists" with the stereotypical violence in the typical brainless way until you hit a specific level. You and your comrades are getting out of a city when a nuclear bomb goes off, knocking your transport helicopter to the ground.

Your character comes to, but is far from the superman he was made out to be in the first set of levels. You start out crawling out of the wreckage at half your normal crawl speed, to emerge on to a twisted, rubble-strewn street with a mushroom cloud dominating the landscape. After rising your feet, you can only shuffle at a slow pace along this street with the wind howling, sand gusting, fading radio chatter, and your own labored breathing in the background. There are no enemies, no other living thing on this street. You walk a ways, taking in the absolute destruction until your life simply gives out and you collapse on the street. The following screen shows your character's name, followed by the acronym, "KIA" (Killed in Action) added to a rapidly growing list of similarly classified names.

The gravity of this scene alone makes me think of this game anytime anyone mentions games as art.
Dave W

Call of Duty: All
Any
Any
Even a "dumb" game relays a variety skills and experiences. Time-sensitive tactical information processing, social exercises in cooperation and altruistic behavior, as well as a wide range of tools for movement, organization, and execution. All jumbled together into a dynamically changing environment.

In short, most every game you could mention requires SOMETHING of the player. When those somethings add up alongside a social component, the experience becomes an analogue for society. And its lessons and benefits can follow any number of paths, good and bad. Which is what art is all about.

Jonathan Carlisle Altman

Cannon Fodder
Sensible Software, 1993
Amiga / Multi
A violent, satisfying tactical shooter, Cannon Fodder is a pitch-black satire on war. After every mission, the names of the dead scroll up on a black background, flanked by poppies. We then see a green English hill that slowly fills with graves, while in the foreground a line of eager volunteers grows longer. As the game progresses, the screen displays a running total of casualties on each side in the style of a football score, home versus away, reinforcing the symmetry of the never-explained conflict as well as its absurdity. Longer-lived soldiers gain in rank and in the player's affection, but don't become any more resistant to bullets.

This is not about manipulation or sentimentality. Sensible took a long and pitiless look into the conscience of gaming, then deconstructed the whole concept of using war as entertainment.
Ben Dixon

Capitalism
Interactive Magic, 1995
MS Windows
A game which lets its players design and operate a manufacturing corporation down to its smallest minutiae, from the production level all the way up to advertising and distribution. I still remember a review I read of this game in 1995 that called it "less a game than an MFA in a box."
Aaron Feinstein

Cart Life
Richard Hofmeier 2011
PC
Cart Life is one of the most important, affecting games I've ever played. It is the only game I can think of that honestly represents a working class lifestyle. It is bleak, subtle, unassuming, somewhat grating, and at times frustrating, but it speaks to you. It meticulously recreates the process of folding newspapers and pulling espresso shots. The game is somewhat facetiously described as a "retail simulator" by developer Richard Hofmeier, which it is, but it's not really about retail. It's about people. It’s about balancing self-preservation with relationships and emotional stability.

The free version offers two playable characters, one of which is Andrus Poder, a Ukrainian immigrant, who lives alone with his cat and starts his own newspaper stand. The other character, Melanie Emberly, opens a coffee stand with a custody hearing for her daughter fast-approaching. In both cases, the goal is to achieve some semblance of financial stability. Cart Life is bleak, but it's not hopeless. It's too beautiful to be hopeless. It is unapologetically and, at times, punishingly real.
Alex Pieschel

Catherine
Atlus 2011
PS3, Xbox360
Catherine addresses the issue of adult relationships in a meaningful and mature manner. The women in its story are not overly sexualized unless that characteristic forms an integral part of the story. Even the gameplay itself, a surprisingly challenging block moving scenario, is referenced within the game text as allegorical for the problems of relationships.

Moreover, because of its nature as a game, Catherine is poised to offer its players the chance to consider multiple outcomes to their choices. A morality system in play throughout the game succeeds where many others have failed in offering us questions that may be relevant to our lives outside of the game - encouraging us to actually reflect on the ramifications when we answer. It's multiple endings further emphasize the multitudinous ways in which relationships affect us, and could not be implemented smoothly in any other medium. For all the fantasy-elements it incorporates, Catherine is a game grounded in our reality, provoking reflection and stimulating thought in its players.
Nicholas Dobkin

Cave Story
Studio Pixel (Daisuke Amaya), 2004
PC
Cave Story is played best by diving in with knowledge of only the controls and no synopsis, other than that you wake up amnesiac in a damp, dank cave. It's a traditional sidescroller, you explore the environment and you battle monsters, but a real narrative unfolds around you, so subtly and naturally that you only notice the grand scale of it when you pause from the game (difficult to do) and take a break to think about it.

It's also an emotional story. Before you know it, characters and actions will impact you. Some crushingly sad things happen in the game, and the fact that it doesn't use the protagonist or the other characters to dwell on those losses makes those moments all the more powerful for the player. Cave Story is long, but when a game is so engrossing and rewarding, that's only ever a good thing.
SJ

Chrono Cross
Square, 1999
PlayStation
Although at the surface level, Chrono Cross does not seem to deviate significantly from other JRPGs of the time, the game ultimately calls into question the role of violence in games. This can be seen in the Star Level system, which discouraged grinding, as well as the reject the random battle system, making it possible for players to avoid confrontation.

Chrono Cross also features a few boss fights that prompt the player to feel remorse for their actions, most notably the fights with the Hydra. Furthermore, by putting the player in the villain's shoes for part of the game, Chrono Cross also shows that the division between good and evil is not always clear. The game ultimately culminates with a final boss fight in which killing proves to be the wrong course of action.
Sean Schönherr

Civilization IV
Sid Meier Firaxis Games 2005
Windows, OSX
The player is required to guide a civilization from 4000 BC to the modern day by making strategic decisions about diplomacy, resource management, technology, cultural influence and civics. The game requires systems level thinking and long term planning. It also makes an intelligent argument about the role technology, religion, and resources have played throughout human history.

What makes this game stand out; however, is the ability to easily see and modify the factors involved in playing the game. It's even flexible enough to create historical scenarios that include factors as well as cause and effect relationships that do not exist in the original.
Todd Bryant

Company of Myself, The
2DArray 2009
PC
The Company of Myself is a short puzzle-plataformer game that seems strangely different from the moment the flash game starts loading, narrating you how it waits for the loading screen to finish while a beautyful adn womewhat sad piano and guitar composition by David Carney plays in the background.

When you finally start the game, a scrolling tests welcomes you asking you for a bit of time and patience for "him" to tell you a little about himself. He explains you that he's a lonely person and has been for most of his life, but it wasn't always like this.

And you will control him as he narrates through text the experiences that led him to where and what he is now, and how he met the one person who'd fill his lonelyness and help him progress. The puzzle solving and jumping mechanics slowly show themselves as analogies to the way he interprets all this situations and changes.

This a tragic and sad story that ends with a most surprising realization. On that leaves you with a knot in your stomach and an unsettling feeling.

In other words, it achieves what a 3 hour drama movie does in 3 hours, in 5 minutes.
Jaime Roberto Castro Hernández

Cosmology of Kyoto, The
Softedge, 1994
PC/Mac
An adventure game in which you wander the streets of Heian-era Kyoto. The player is confronted with poverty, death, demons and folklore of the time period.

"There is the sense, illusory but seductive, that one could wander this world indefinitely. This is a wonderful game." -Roger Ebert
Christopher Person

Crusader Kings II
Paradox Interactive, 2012
MS Windows
A game whose main focus is the administration and maintenance of a medieval dynastic line. Characters are modeled with extraordinary attention to detail, and the sophistication of their interactions against a rigorously historical backdrop (at least in terms of structure - the simulation departs from actual history as soon as a game begins) allows for unprecedented freedom and depth-of-play in terms of political machination and diplomatic maneuvering. Not dumb.
Aaron Feinstein

Dante's Inferno
Visceral Games, 2010
PS3, PSP, 360
"We moved toward the city, secure in our holy cause, and beheld such a fortress. And on every hand I saw a great plain of woe and cruel torment. Bitter tombs were scattered with flame made to glow all over, hotter then iron need be for any craft. And such dire laments issued forth as come only from those who are truly wretched, suffering and forever lost!"
Ole-Mar. Y. Ulberg

Dark Eye, The
Inscape, 1995
PC
The Dark Eye is a horror adventure game similar in gameplay to Myst, based on several Edgar A. Poe short stories. The main narrative (an original story taking place in an old mansion) is intertwined with direct adaptations of Poe's work. In general you progress through each of the stories twice - first as the victim, then as the culprit.

It is a game that explores the dark side of human nature: insanity, fear, twisted relationships... One of the reasons that make the game disturbing, and memorable, is the way it looks: it fuses eg. clay model animations and hand-drawn animations.

The entire experience could be compared to a nightmare: you want it to end, but see the outcome at the same time because only then you'll be free.
Michael Bisch

Dark Souls
from software
ps3 xbox360
This game deserves to be on this list, especially if you play it without the online, which is how i play. Sure it may not have dialogue at every corner of the game but the dialogue you do get gives small snippets into the universe, and to figure out the story you basically have to fill in the blanks. Also the combat system is ingenious, and considering you die easily if you don't pay attention really puts you through mental gymnastics. Also, the way the world is just laid out for you to explore and no hand-holding, really makes you think about how the world is interlocked. Not to mention that hard games really push you to rethink your tactics often. A sprawling story filled with lore does not a smart game make, if anything I'd rather not learn lore about a fantasy setting anyways, I'm in the game to sharpen my wit and tune my hand eye co-ordination, as well as build an easily flexible mind, willing to change preconceived notions about what to do to win.
LlexBender

Dark Souls
From Software, 2011
PS3, Xbox 360
Dark Souls is, in essence, a game of high-speed chess. The game is brutal in such a way that it quickly weeds out those not willing or able to analyze their environment or their opponent. The player must know the strength and weakness of every enemy type, how they move and react to different types of attack, and what they need to do to most efficiently dispose of their adversaries. The specter of failure looms ever larger as you progress through the game, which challenges you to sacrifice more for greater gains.
Matt K

Dark Souls
From Software 2011
PS3, XBox 360, PC (soon)
Dark Souls is the second project by the team responsible for Demon's Souls in 2009/2010. These games are the spiritual successors to the King's Field series. Many of From Software's fantasy dungeon games share themes, items, characters and sometimes bits and pieces of story through worlds of broken time and space.

The story is not always evident, but it is there for those who look, and it can be as heart-wrenching as the best novels. Further, the gameplay forces you to think carefully; rush in like a button-mashing idiot, and say goodbye to any progress you've made. You must also pay close attention to the environments for dangers, and of course, beautifully rendered, expansive locales (Anor Londo, anyone?). This is not a game of dumb sword-swinging and mere flashiness; Dark Souls ruthlessly punishes the foolhardy, and rewards the thoughtful.
Paul Hardix

Dear Esther
thchineseroom, 2008/2012
PC
It creates an emotional journey through the stages of dealing with loss, and does so with great music, scenery, and narrative dialogue. It really makes you look into yourself, and think.
Karstein Røsnes Ersdal

Dear Esther
thechineseroom 2008
PC
Dear Esther in short is a pure work of art. The developers tore away the standards and foundations of mainstream video games to create an experience that transcends the way we interact with our games. With incredible craftsmanship, thechineseroom constructed an environment that is breathtaking yet realistic. However, it is their presentation and their writing that makes this art. Stunning prose and an amazing perspective turn Dear Esther into a "smart game," not a "dumb" one.
Steven G

Demon's Souls
From Software, 2009
PlayStation 3
Demon's Souls accomplishes something quite unique (a feat that few other games can claim): From Software’s masterstroke of design successfully unites narrative themes and mechanics (systems of rules that govern play) in brilliant harmony.

Quietly told through short, non-player character dialogues and the player’s own actions, the story of Demon’s Souls is a tale of a lone hero’s grasp for greatness and his ultimate fall from grace. Through various systems -- world and character tendency scales that shift from dark to light, the life and death cycle of the game’s soul and body forms for the player character, and a unique online interactivity that allows players to breach the game worlds of others as friends or foes -- this narrative takes form, not through passive literary devices borrowed from other mediums.

Further, Demon’s Souls respects the player. As a combat-focused action role-playing game, adversaries play by the same rules as the player: Both are constrained by various manageable resources (health, stamina, weight, etc.). In effect, Demon’s Souls asks players to observe their surroundings and overcome obstacles on equal footing. Rather than overtly revealing objectives and solutions, subtle environmental clues serve as hidden guides for players to decipher. As a result, achievement in Demon’s Souls feels incredibly satisfying; likewise, defeat is similarly humbling.

Demon’s Souls lets players investigate an alien world and discover hidden treasure with only their wits to aid them. The seductive embrace of open exploration drives players’ hearts to push further, dig deeper, and look closer. From Software reminds players how a game can titillate their imaginations in ways that other mediums cannot.
Rob Savillo

Demon's Souls
From Software 2009
PS3
Instead of looking to incorporate filmic or literary elements into it, Demon's Souls makes an incredibly persuasive case for looking back to the history of videogaming itself as inspiration. While we've seen many examples of the gritty medieval monster-stabbing genre, Demon's Souls manages to outshine them all by being both simpler and more complex than any seen before. Simpler in the sense that you are never overweighed with options or unnecessary features, but also vast and richly complex in the design of the world and, most-importantly, the structure of the experience.

Demon's Souls asks you to pay careful attention and learn every single step of the way. Mistakes are punished. Those punishments can be harsh, robbing you of hours of in-game experience. And yet true experience is something the game cannot take away. The incremental progress gives each advance an amazing sensation both of thrill and terror; one that's amplified by the dark and foreboding atmosphere. When you first reach a boss you are ragged and weak, facing an opponent so horrifying and massive you may truly despair. And yet death gives way to new attempts and strategies until somehow you begin to turn the tables on your opponent. The thrill of victory is never cheap in Demon's Souls, nor is the agony of defeat. Each must be earned.

James I.

Deus Ex
Ion Storm Austin, 2000
PC
An exceptionally well-written multithreaded narrative that further the art of interactive storytelling more than anything before or since, with is use of environmental narrative and exposition. Perfectly-balanced open-ended gameplay - one of the few "hybrid" games that works well. Levels were big and open, ripe for exploring, with little handholding.

Perhaps most startling of all is its prescience: one MUST keep in mind that this game was released in 2000, a full year before 9/11 and the War On Terror. Even the Twin Towers are missing from Deus Ex's skyline...
Lith

Deus Ex
Ion Storm Inc. 2000
PC
Deus Ex is a stand out example of flexibility and non linear gameplay, allowing players a variety of options and play styles they can take to accomplish goals. In addition, Deus Ex is excellently written, rich with all manner of historical and philosophical ideas and symbols, from the nature of religion and government, the founding of the Knights Templar, the writing of St. Thomas Aquinas, and a wide variety of others. The game raises questions that the player may never have before considered, and enriches them all the more for it.
Shane JH Stenson

Deus Ex
Ion Storm 2000
PC
Deus Ex is the perfect example of how games should be designed. It caters to every single game style. One player could play through it in the way they see fit while another can play through it the way they see fit, while another can playthrough it the way they see fit, etc. There's hundreds of different ways to go through this game and it all depends on what you believe is the best strategy. You have to select which augmentation you need because you can't get them all. You have to pick which path to take on a single mission, and there are many different options.

The best part of the game is that you may not even realize how many possible paths there are. The game is so sophisticated that you may only see one way through because that's the way you believe the game should be beaten, when in reality, somebody can play the game an entirely different way because that's how they think they should beat the game. In the end, there is no wrong way. An emotionless JC Denton allows the player to do what he or she thinks is right as opposed to being swayed by a characters emotions.
Frank Grochowski

Deus Ex
Ion Storm, 2000
PC, OSX, PS2
This game pioneered the player's ability to choose a play style, and because of that it has become the stuff of legends. The first level says it all; you get a pistol and a choice between a tranquilizer crossbow, assault rifle, or a rocket launcher. You must then make it to the top of Ellis Island by any means. Every level is an open play field that allows the player to sneak, explore, run and gun, problem solve, bribe, socialize, hack, or any real combination. You can get through this entire game without killing a soul if you are so inclined.

The gameplay alone makes Deus Ex worthy enough for inclusion on this list, but Ion Storm/Edios didn't stop there. The story and world are fully realized. In what can be described as an homage to Neuromancer, Deus Ex's cyberpunk dystopian future provides the perfect setting for this plot ripe with characters and conspiracy theories. It gets a little wonky with alien clones and Area 51, but it pulls through in the end with an intricate and intriguing narrative.
Jeremy Patton

Deus Ex
Ion Storm, 2000
PC, Mac, PS2
Although age has reduced it to an eyesore with a laughable plot, Deus Ex plays like the most active, outspoken manifesto on game design ever produced. It presents its world as a place for mechanic expression, one where the player holds complete control. Progression and player expression run deep throughout Deus Ex, imbuing every choice from augmentation options to how you go about a specific level to how you deal with a specific guard with individual significance. Deus Ex is important, and a 'smart game', because it meets each player on their own terms. At the time, and even today, it turned the traditional form of player progression (the game as director) on its head. It was, and still is, a window into a future of games that never happened.

Deus Ex is a ‘smart game’ because of its dedication to mechanic expression, but it is art because of what it does to the player. The feeling of true freedom. Deus Ex doesn’t strip back your freedom of expression like so many other, directed, games. Instead, it provides you with a space to become, as Kieron Gillen puts it, ‘more than you are’. Rather than the power fantasies that people immerse themselves in to achieve that, Ion Storm’s masterpiece succeeds in making you feel as if anything is possible. Deus Ex’s tiny world, bursting with opportunity and freedom, makes you realise just how free you are in the larger world beyond it. It is a big, beautiful, flawed affirmation of personal freedom.
Kieran Gallie

Deus Ex
Ion Storm 2000
PC
There are two factors that help make Dues Ex a "smart game", it's Game Play, and it's writing. First the open ended gameplay encourages exploration, and innovative playing style. There is no procedural rhetoric that mandates only lethal solutions. If the player so chooses, they don't kill a single person. You can shoot your way through the game, but you can also sneak your way through it, hack and pick locks, and many other play styles. Why is this a "smart" play style? It lets the player invent their own way to approach the game, not just following a certain way of doing it.

Second the writing is top notch filled with foreshadowing and allusion to classical works. The story is multilayer-ed, and can be appreciated at any level. Whether it's catching the references to Greek literature, to well written dialog about the morality of science, and the applications of economy. Deus Ex makes you think. Both with the story, and with the way you play the game.
Jonathan

Deus Ex: Human Revolution
Square Enix/Eidos Montreal, 2011
Multiple
The entire Deus Ex series is known for being exceptionally smart, and Human Revolution is in the same mold. It's a cyberpunk thriller casting you as a corporate security expert in the near-future against the backdrop of a world thrown into turmoil by cybernetic enhancements. There are several things that, in my opinion, make it quite a smart game:

* Few of the major characters are entirely sympathetic or unsympathetic. There are competing interests at play, but each of them is shown to have a point, and to have a darker side.
* At several points in the game, you're faced with a "conversation boss" -- a boss battle, not of weapons and violence, but of words. You must choose your words carefully, reading your opponent's verbal and body language cues, in order to get vital information that is needed to go forward with the game.
* You are given several choices throughout the game that impact the narrative and the surrounding world. In the very first mission, you are faced with a hostage-taking terrorist who is being manipulated by forces larger than himself. You can choose to shoot him down or talk him down. If you talk him down, you are further given the choice to apprehend him or let him go. If you let him go, he shows up to attack you again much later in the game. Later, you find a co-worker is stealing anti-rejection drugs to give to poor people with implants, to try to ease the burden they face of having to buy the drugs constantly. You could dissuade him from doing so, or you can look the other way, and both choices have sound reasoning behind them. Even in the end of the game, your final action has the effect of shaping the future of humanity and transhumanism. This is a game that gives you difficult choices, and requires you to think about the implications of those choices.
Cuvis the Conqueror

Deus Ex: Human Revolution
Eidos Montreal, 2011
PC/Xbox 360/PS3
Human Revolution's narrative comes out swinging and hits heavy, dealing with themes as grand and varied as the benefits and dangers of corporate power, the inevitability of class divisions and prejudices, the nature of humanity to try and overcome its natural limits, and the question of what it truly means to be human. That's enough to qualify DXHR for the list already, but the manner in which it presents itself catapults the game into the stratosphere among the pantheons of science fiction worldcrafting, not just in the narrow domain of video games, but in any kind of media. While the game wears a range of influences - from the Renaissance to Blade Runner to Mass Effect - clearly and proudly on its sleeve, those ideas are meshed seamlessly with the game's own to create a vision of the future that, while fantastic, is instantly believable, immensely original, and incredibly compelling. The visuals, sounds, narrative, and deeply variable gameplay model not only stand tall on their own as vast accomplishments; they all blend together into a cohesive whole, elevating each of the already-impressive components to towering heights.
A. Benson

Deus Ex: Human Revolution
2011
PC, Xbox, PS3
Deus Ex: Human Revolution has obviously been overlooked as a candidate for a good artistic and intellectually stimulating game. The setting itself screams intellectuality and artistic influence. Cyberpunk architecture that is similar to the pioneering films of the 80's come through (E.g. Blade Runner), as well as the construction of the characters down to the very clothing and types of interactions people have. Similarly, the game, while offering average gameplay, tackles the very real and impending issue of the ethics regarding biotechnology, genetic enhancement, augmentation and to a lesser extent, cloning.

It is the mark of a good game that can consider such a deep and meaningful area of ethics that is not only pertinent now, but will be for decades and perhaps even centuries to come, whilst still delivering crisp cutscenes, relatable characters and a professionally composed soundtrack to boot.
William HJ

Deus Ex: Human Revolution
Eidos Montreal, 2011
PC, XBOX 360, PS3
In Deus Ex: Human Revolution, we explore, from a first-person perspective, many topics that relate to current, real life discussions like rapid advancing technology, wealth disparity, media control, corporate independence and, more specifically, nano-technological augmentations.

But what DEx:HR really excels in, is the way it puts the player in the midst of all those discussions, by letting the player control a a character that is struggling not only for his life, but for answers on how his new "trans-human" augmented condition affects him and society itself. This game creates a credible world which even the smallest detail and unimportant character helps to create the feeling of a society that is filled with similar fears, prejudices and ideas that we are confronting right now in our modern society.
Thiago Mendonça

Deus Ex: Human Revolution
Eidos Montreal,2011
Multi
Deus Ex gives the player a solid foundation of rules by which it's world operates,and then allows them to do whatever they wish,as long as it falls under those rules.If the player can dream up a solution to a conundrum,it can be done.Player choice is also given weight here.Choosing a dialogue option requires not only a random flick of the analog stick,but also an educated guess so as to obtain the desired outcome.Moreover,DE delves into topics such as transhumanism, maternal angst,corporate malice, and the like, and constructs discussions about said topics within the game itself.It raises intelligent questions,and leaves it up to the player to find their answers,while at times answering them itself.
Gazi Farooqui

Devil Survivor Overclocked
Atlus, 2011
3DS
Devil Survivor tells a story of survival and morality. The game puts you in the role of a japanese teenager who gets stuck in a lockdown in Tokyo with his two friends and many other people. Adding to the problems people have access to COMP'S, devices that can summon demons to serve the user.

As the story progress's you begin to discover the reasons the lockdown was enacted and become friends with some of the other people in the lockdown. As the story progress's the characters begin to breakdown and become even more desperate. Each character has their own motivations and is more relatable then the average movie character.

Towards the end of the game, you are forced to pick a side. Each side has it's own pros and cons and none are painted as 'good' or 'evil.' It's up to the player to decide who's way of dealing with the lockdown is the best. Who you side with determines who joins you, one character may refuse to join you if you a select a ending that conflicts with their plans/ideals and may even oppose you.
Will

Discworld Noir
Perfect Entertainment (1999)
PC
This game succeeded in blending two genres that genuinely should be incompatible: Noir and Fantasy. Even then, it still is suffused with the comedy that put Bestselling novelist Terry Pratchett to his fame. It is dark and bleak, yet it still manages to shine with the beauty of whimsy and adventure, being just like an early 20th century mystery film with an additional sense of light-heartedness, each progression to the clues unearthing more curiosity. Resurrection, an entity living in the depths of the largest and most unruly city in the world, accusations of criminality, communication with parodies of arch-types, and speaking with Death are all part of the endless night in pursuit of a killer. The narrative is extremely well-crafted and the atmosphere is consistently wonderful, as the hero would often say exactly why it's unnecessary for him to pick up every single portable object that can be clicked on.
Michael Ujwary

Don't Look Back
Terry Cavanagh 2009
PC (Browser game)
This is a very simple action-plataformer game with high difficulty and one unique rule: Don't look back.

The game is a story about a man in search for his loved one. Perhaps an analogy of the pain of love. Tome it's a metaphor of how life works.

I found this comment on one page featuring the game, if a person coming up with theories like this after finnishing a game doesn't tell you how deep and artistic this game is, nothing else will:

"Ok. An hour thinking brought me to this conclusion. The whole thing was an illusion. He never went to the underworld, as it was his thoughts of this epic adventure to save his loved one. The whole dream ends when he realizes that he is still there. I think the reason that he also disappears with his loved one's soul is because in fact his soul died too from losing her. Sad if you really think about it." -- gasman86 [Kongregate's Don't Look Back page]
Jaime Roberto Castro Hernández

Dont Look Back
Mars 2009
PC Flash
Minimalistic in its design, graphics and gameplay mechanics, Dont Look Back nevertheless succeeds at overwhelming the player with feelings : fear, questionning, guilt, sadness, hope, discouragement... This is a reinterpretation of Orpheus' myth, that will make you think about how video games can convey emotions.
Florent Maurin

Dota
2004 roughly?
Mod within Warcraft 3
The answer to the Platform prompt explains it all. Dota is one of the only games I play -- I don't necessarily consider myself a "gamer" -- and it has managed to capture my undivided attention for over 8 years. It's dynamic in a way no other game is; it has an incredibly rich history; the community is absolutely amazing; it's a mod from a game that's 8 years old and it is still popular!!!
Kevin Shen

Dota 2
Valve Corporation, still in Beta
PC
This 5 on 5 online multi-player game rewards team-work more than anything else. A single player can only do so much. Reflexes and skill only do so much. What is most important is your ability to coordinate and communicate with your teammates. You can learn more about somebody by how they treat their allies than their enemies in this game, as in life more generally. A skilful dota player is someone who understands people, and there is nothing dumb about that.

Artistically, I am deeply impressed by this games roots in the mod community. Dota 2 is a stand alone version of the original mod, and I feel it is an appropriate continuation of the original community vision. Valve are honouring the game's community spirit, and feedback drives change.
LJ Nicholson

Dragon Age: Origins
Bioware 2009
PC, PS3, XBOX360
This is a game where diplomacy is just as important as combat. An entire landscape, Tolkien-esque in scope, with many varying races, cultures, opinions, sexual orientations, customs, predjudices and biases. The game is not just about talking and fighting, it's about taking situations, making judgement calls, and living with the consequences. Reflecting on your choices may reveal what kind of person you are, not in a simple "good" or "evil" way either. It brings into debate what you are willing to sacrifice to defeat the coming hordes, not just in terms of lives but in terms of culture.

You get an origin (hense the name) which from the get go starts you off with a certain biased view of the world as your character knows it. It is not until you go out into the world that you learn what things truly are like, but even still you see the world starting from your preconcieved beginnings and YOU in the end choose what to believe. You are then introduced to other characters which see the world in very different ways, gaurenteed you will find someone to argue with. They will judge your decisions and have their own breaking points too. Conversations often become debates on culture and belief, about who's right, and if that even matters, often reflecting (like the best scifi and fantasy) the problems of our own world and our struggle to get along with each other. Racism, religious persecution are discussed in this game, do you drink the cool-aid? Do you rally against those that do? This game unlike any other shoves varying cultures in your face and whether you agree, relate, or disagree strongly you know there are bigger problems out there and that vendettas and differences need to be set aside... or not. The beauty is you decide what's worth saving and what needs sacrificing to save the world. Best thing is there is nothing preconcieved by the game designer what is right or wrong, it's mostly varying shades of grey. And it's not just about shaping the world, it's about defining who you are, what do you stand for or against and how do you go about it? As no other medium can boast but video gaming, you decide. It is the player who contributes to defining what the artwork means and how the story pans out. Also being forced to experience people with a variety of beliefs and differing backgrounds is a brilliant life message which is the main reason this game in my opinion should be mandatory as a tool for teaching tolerance and understanding in the real world.

Timothy Camilleri

Dragon Age: Origins
Bioware 2009
PC, Xbox 360, PS3
Dragon Age: Origins is complex on so many levels. The premise is that of epic fantasy, your overall goal apparently simple: slay the Archdemon and prevent another Blight from consuming the land. Simple, right? You just have to go off and slay things. Wrong. To win you have to build an army, and doing that requires allies. The choices are hardly ever easy, and there are always consequences for your actions. Even better, the choices feel real. There is a definite degree of distress when you discover that a choice you have made has created unintended (and possibly tragic) consequences.

It's with your party members that things get truly interesting. They are legitimately fleshed out characters, each with their own set of morals and beliefs. Your choices can change them, hurt them, drive them away, or even get them killed. They range along the spectrum from religious and righteous to cavalier and snide, but it is impossible to define them by these traits. Once you delve under the surface you see enough depth and complexity that the characters become real. And when the characters in a game become more than characters, well, then you realize how powerful and terrible a thing choice can be.
Terra

Dwarf Fortress
Toady One
PC
The depth of simulation, the intricacies of gameplay, etc.
Volta

Dwarf Fortress
Bay 12 Games (alpha)
Windows & Linux
Dwarf Fortress is a game for Windows, Linux and Mac, developed by Bay 12 Games featuring two modes of play, as well as distinct, randomly-generated worlds (complete with terrain, wildlife and legends), gruesome combat mechanics and ubiquitous alcohol dependency. It's probably the most complex, strange and mind blowing video game ever created, and it's not yet finished!
nade

E.V.O.: Search for Eden
Almanic, December 21, 1992
SNES
Tthe game involves the player navigating a creature through a number of side-scrolling levels while undergoing bodily evolution to cope with ever-changing environments.
Zax15

Earthbound
Ape Co. LTD/Hal Laboratory LTD (c) 1994/1995
SNES
Earthbound stands as an amusing, interesting foreigner's view on America. Pop culture references abound and games takes as many chances as it gets to lampoon our culture and patriotism. While it never loses its fun-loving personality, Earthbound gets darker as the games goes on, at first cracking jokes about hamburgers and our stereotypical depiction of the dysfunctional family then soon pointing out the absurdity of cults, the life of a broke artist, the corruption of politicians and corporate executives, and even scares about demonic possession from the 90s. Despite never being re-released, Earthbound's wit and charm has earned it a cult following who have garnered the attention of major gaming websites and sometimes even Nintendo itself.
Enoch

Echochrome
JAPAN Studio, 2008
PSP, PS3
Echochrome is a puzzle game in which you must assist a mannequin in traversing a map of tangled, disjointed, and obstructed paths. All you can do is rotate the map. However, as your perspective changes, the layout/physics of the map change with it. The end result is like interacting with a M.C. Escher painting and provides a very intellectually challenging and rewarding experience.

Obscure a hole or gap with a pillar located elsewhere on the map? The hole or gap is no longer there. Move part of the map so that it appears "below" a hole? The mannequin will fall on to it, even if it was originally the same "height" as the hole. Create an overlap between two paths at different heights? The paths are now joined. And that's just scratching the surface.

Truth be told, I can hardly do it justice compared to the game's original trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GybxIwfU4rI
t0ast

Echochrome
Game Yarouze, 2008
PSP, PS3
Echochrome is essentially a puzzlegame that challenges the mind in ways only made possible by drawing by the artist M.C. Esscher. It's basically his style come to life. Adjust the perspective from where you see the level to lead the walking wooden artist's mannequin to set goals. All accompanied by the soothing and inspiring sounds of classical music. Minimalistic but a real brainbreaker.
Toninho de Zoete

El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron
Ignition Tokyo, 2001
Xbox 360/PS3
Seven angels, enamored with humanity, abandon Heaven for Earth and shield themselves from God's gaze, bestowing incredible gifts of progress on the people who have not yet earned it. Hardy a princess story, but the real intellectual meat of the game is in its art style - each environment completely changes it. Ezekiel's domain is presented like a Japanese watercolor painting, representing how she was taken by Earth's natural beauty. Azazel's granted his followers widsom, his realm appearing as a Tron-like futuristic metropolis. A temporary descent into "the Darkness" has you platforming through a world drawn like a hazy pencil sketch.

Near the beginning, as the player approaches the grotseque tower across a sleek, round, blade-like path of black-and-red metal, happy, tribal chanting can be heard alongside fireworks. In spite of the obviously evil construct towering above them, the people below celebrate their new gods. I can't remember the last time I saw an image as fantastic, twistedly gorgoeus, subtle, and powerful in a movie. El Shaddai is like a modern art gallery you can play; sometimes abstract, sometimes beautiful, sometimes confusing, sometimes breathtaking - but always deeply intelligent.
Phil Crayhart

Elder Scrolls III:Morrowind
Bethesda Game Studios, 2002
PC, XBox
On the face of it, Morrowind is just a fantasy RPG in a cleverly original setting. You can wander around, talk to people, kill things, and level your guy.
But the real appeal of Morrowind, to me, lay in the books. Or rather, what lay beyond the books. The 36 Lessons of Vivec are a series of religious texts that exist in universe. Upon reading these, and taking a closer look at them, you realise that they're specifically meant to help you, the player, realise that you're a character within a fictional setting.
atejas

Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Bethesda Game Studios, 2011
Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
Skyrim is the fifth installment in The Elder Scrolls action role-playing video game series, following The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. Skyrim is set 200 years after Oblivion.

As with previous Elder Scrolls games, Skyrim begins with the player character as an unknown prisoner, caught in an Imperial ambush while attempting to cross the border into Skyrim, on a wagon with several Stormcloak prisoners as well as a horse thief. They are all headed to Helgen to be executed. As the player character is about to be beheaded, a Dragon arrives, interrupting the execution and destroying Helgen. The player eventually learns that Skyrim's civil war is last in a sequence of prophetic events foretold by the Elder Scrolls, which also foretell of the return of Alduin, the Nordic Dragon-god of destruction, who is prophesied to consume the world. The player character is the latest "Dragonborn," an being with the mortal's body and a dragon's soul. The Dragonborn is anointed by the gods to help fend off the threat Alduin poses to Skyrim and Tamriel. Among the individuals aiding the player are Delphine and Esbern, two of the last remaining Blades, and Master Arngeir, a member of the Greybeards.

The player can explore the open world of Skyrim on foot or on horse, and fast-travel to cities, towns, and dungeons after they have been discovered. Quests are given to the player by characters in the world, and the quests can be dynamically altered to accommodate for player actions which may influence the quest's characters and objectives. The quest then further directs the player's interaction with the world by setting unexplored dungeons as quest locations. These quests often teach the player about the history of Skyrim and Tamriel. When not completing quests, the player can interact with characters through conversation, and they may request favors or training in skills from the player. In addition to scripted quests certain ones will be dynamically generated, providing a limitless number to the player. Some characters can become companions to the player to aid in combat. The player may choose to join factions, which are organized groups of characters such as the Dark Brotherhood, a band of assassins, or the Companions, a clan of warriors. Each faction has a headquarters, and they have their own quests which the player can progress through. The economy of cities and towns can be stimulated by completing jobs such as farming and mining, or spending large amounts of gold in the stores. The economy alternatively may be harmed by forging business ledgers, or robbing the safes of stores. The player may also learn more about Tamriel through books throughout Skyrim.

Given the mind-blowing size of the adventure, complexity of the countless stories, and majesty of the land of Skyrim, it clear that this game is not dumb in any way.
Ed Houser

Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Bethesda Game Studios; 2011
PC (in particular)
Bethesda deserves it position amongst the ranks here because of the level of interactivity that Skyrim's world offers to the player; both material and conceptual. It allows a world that gives the player the opportunity to create a reflection of not only who they are, but the world that 'they' envision as well. Skyrim, like a few gems of its era, suffer from pre-maturity; it simply was unable to produce a truly sound product in the time that it had allotted itself. Unlike most games, Bethesda was able to combat this (like with many of its previous titles) by allowing creative freedom of the most intimate method a video game could muster: modding.

Granting the player-base the ability to modify the internal mechanics of a game allows everyone with an idea and the desire to express that idea the chance to literally be a part of something more than just their personal gaming experience. Modding gives a deeper connection & respect to not only what a game is, but for the people who play it. Modding takes a video game from being something sluggishly concrete (that the player can at most, passively influence through opinion and sales) to a living, breathing creative conduit that undergoes alterations from the minute to the massive.

Now what i described does not pertain to only Skyrim, it is not limited to Bethesda. There are more games that offer this than I care to mention (despite the obvious such as Minecraft & LBP) that allow the player to be a part of a community working towards a common interest: to create. Art is a physical reflection of the human self, his/her world and his/her inner machinations to the previous; modding allows just that, a chance for humanity to smear its drawing upon the cave wall of a creation even greater than its individual self. No one game truly void of being "artistic or intellectually sophisticated", every game made is from the orchestrations of people with the goal of creating a world. Whether it would be a world of falling block formations or one of humanity's survival on a galactic scale it was a world, created by us. Its is that very idea that both is "artistic AND intellectually sophisticated".
Matthew Harris

Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Bethesda Game Studios, 2011
PC, Xbox 360, Playstation 3
Perhaps this will be criticized for being on the "violent and banally escapist" side of the spectrum, but let's compare the game (and its series) to other works of fantasy escapism, shall we? Easily one of the most expansive and complete mythologies ever created, The Elder Scrolls spits in the face of other more juvenile fictional pantheons and histories. The political happenings hearken back to Elizabethan Europe, and the flow of time doesn't restrict the series to medieval fantasy, but rather frees it into a slowly evolving environment of politics and magic. One can imagine Tamriel with skyscrapers as easily as with battlements.
I restrict this entry to Skyrim for its culmination of the series and escapism itself--instead of wishing that they were Frodo, the player makes his or her own Frodo, or Legolas, or if it pleases them, Saruman. Every quest is littered with intrigue and plot twists written by some of the best storytellers in the medium. In short, Skyrim and Tamriel are worlds that are only comparable to A Song of Ice and Fire's Westeros in their complexity, depravity, immersion, and creativity, and if society may praise the latter as a monolith of literature and television, then it should consider The Elder Scrolls and Skyrim similarly in the medium of electronic entertainment.
Hsuperhero

Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Bethesda Game Studios, 2011
Microsoft Windows, Playstation 3, Xbox 360
Considering the incredibly vast and complicated history of the land of Skyrim, from the Civil War between the Empire and the Stormcloaks to the tales of Ysgramor and the Five Hundred Companions, it can be considered gaming's equivalent of J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. How can a fantasy world of that majesty and complexity be "intellectually lazy?"
Michael Moran

Empire earth
Sierra Entertainment 2001
PC
Players work their way upwards thoughout the major eras, starting with the pre-historic era - ending in the future with the nano-age. This forces the player to think twice before building troops - because the more ressources you spend, the later you can evolve to the next age, but you need to be able to defend your nation. Research items, and nationspecific bonusses, which must be chosen by the player, further complicate the game - so the player must choose the right bonusses to fit his/her playstyle. The game gets more and more types of troops as you progress thru the ages, meaning you constantly have to adapt your armies, and playstyle, to the age you progress to.
All of this is on top of the regular RTS aspects, where you need to strategic moves in order to conquer your enemy.
Lasse Buhrmann

English Country Tune
Increpare 2011/12
IOS
This spatial puzzler is anything but dumb. It requires a significant amount of forethought while simultaneously requiring the gamer to rely on spatial intuition to find solutions not readily apparent. It is artistic in that it dispenses with any attempt at selling the game on "polish" and relies instead on the beauty of the games core mechanics (of which there are a great many unique types put forth).
Marrkoss

Enslaved: Odyssey to the West
Ninja Theory 2010
XBox 360 and PS3
The entire premise of the game entails a woman that has placed a slave band on the main character to force him to help her reach her home and elimiate a slavery ring, whose technology she is using herself. It brings forth conflicting emotions as she has made you her slave, which is inherently bad, but has done so to save her reach/save her village and to take out the slavers, which is good.

The philosophical and moral battle of "Does the end justify the means?" is played out throughout not only through story and superb voice acting but often comes across other similar struggles, such as presenting the complex situtation of whether or not it is okay for an entity to capture people (killing some along the way) and force them into a virtual paradise or whether it's better to leave people free but in a hopeless wasteland where they have to fight for survival.
Matthew J.

eSense - Dark Horizon
Wings Intellect Pvt. Ltd. (2011)
Android
The game is a first attempt at using narrative based conventional shooter to help people learn and assess their knowledge of the solar system. This is a prototype of the game which was built for validating the design and its impact on the learning of students. The Mac and PC version of the game, redesigned and redone using Unreal Technology is releasing this August.

This is first in series of games designed and developed having conventional education as their focus, while employing high quality game play and mechanics. During the pilot run, the game has seen higher retention and better learning outcomes, with over 40% improvement in student's academic performance when compared to conventional mediums of instruction like books and other media tools!
Kumar Aakash

Eternal Darkness
Silicon Knights/2002
GameCube
A sleeper hit that defines epic horror, the story spans from 26 BC to 2000 AD. Over the course of 12 different time periods (each with it's own playable character), you uncover and attempt to halt a plot to awaken an ancient god, which would ensure the end of the world. Each character's journey comprises another chapter of The Tome Of Eternal Darkness, which you read throughout the game. One of the defining traits of this game is your Sanity Meter, which is depleted through encounters with disturbing events, and eventually leads to hallucinations such as decreasing volume or bleeding walls
Max Gigler

Eternal Sonata
Tri-Crescendo 2007
ps3, xbox 360
It is notable for its use of classical piano pieces, educational cutscenes featuring real paintings and photographs (in contrast to the cel-shading graphics of the game) and lush landscape design. The game is centered on the Polish romantic pianist and composer Frédéric Chopin, who died of tuberculosis at the age of 39. The story envisions a fictional world dreamed by Chopin during his last hours that is influenced by Chopin's life and music, and in which he himself is a playable character, among others. The game features a selection of Chopin's compositions played by pianist Stanislav Bunin, though most of the original compositions were written by Motoi Sakuraba. The game's battle system centers on musical elements and character-unique special attacks. Light and darkness plays a part in the appearance and abilities of enemies on the battlefield, as well as the types of magic that can be cast.

-thanks wiki.
Alex "Rozencrantz" V.

Europa Universalis III
Paradox Interactive 2007
Windows, Mac OS X
A world map of 1700+ land and sea regions containing 250+ historic playable nation, this installment of a Grand Strategy series allows you to rule from ANY DATE during 1453-1789 (1399-1821 w/expansions) regarding matters concerning war, diplomacy, trade, and economy. Since its release 5 years ago, both the Paradox programmers and fan modding team have worked together to introduce new features and improve the historical accuracy and ahistorical potential resulting in 4 (to date) full expansions. Using a simple text file structure, virtually every component of this game can be changed or added to, allowing for increased re-playability and customization.

I recommend this game and others like it because you gradually gain an understanding of how the various struggles between nations have shaped the world that we live in, with more visual depth than watching a historical documentary and increased engagement compared to a textbook - all without consciously studying, just enjoying the time invested.

http://www.europauniversalis3.com/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Europa_Universalis_III
Daniel Oakes

Europa Universalis III
Paradox Interactive - 2007
PC
Europa Universalis III is a "grand strategy" game which tasks you with the ruling of a nation from 1453 through 1789. EUIII is much more complicated than traditional civilization simulators and decisions play out in more historically accurate time frames (sailing expeditions and troop movement are anything but instantaneous.) Additionally, the game does not impose any specific win conditions on to your experience. The player may choose to focus on colonizing the new world, or forego that to focus on creating a trade monopoly. Nations also adhere to behaviors similar to their real-life counterparts. With a particularly fat manual and steep learning curve, EUIII takes a more high-brow approach to the civilization-simulator genre.
DireLight

Eve Online
CCP, 2003
PC, OSX
This game deserves a spot on the Smart Games listing for a reason that is, I believe, entirely accidental. The Eve Online universe has evolved into a living breathing life form of pure capitalism and economics. CCP's trailer of the game titled "The Butterfly Effect" sums it up the best, and shows how events on the micro-scale can have devastating and beautiful repercussions on the macro-scale.

The complete economy (featuring mining, research, manufacturing all tied together with politics, trade, and war) has been developed completely by the thousands of players who participate in the universe. Alliances, borders, treaties, and wars are constantly shifting and changing in an elegant dance of captialist-driven social interaction.
Jeremy Patton

Fallout 3
Bethesda Softworks, 2008
PC, Playstation 3, Xbox 360
I'll be honest- this game has a lot of problems. Mostly, those problems exist because of the insistence on guns and weapons that plague modern video games. But if you're willing to look past that, Fallout 3 accomplishes something that is entirely unique to the video game medium- the feeling of inhabiting a different space. Mutants, raiders and nukes are the minor annoyances that get in the way of exploring a world that- through the various cultural and personal artifacts you find- felt lived in.

Nothing thrilled me more than exploring the deathly still buildings and finding a series of responses on computer screens that detailed an ancient argument, or finding a corpse next to a ham radio that broadcasts a desperate plea for help that has long been useless. Can movies, pictures, and music immerse you? Absolutely. But only video games provide the freedom to explore the place immersed in with the attention and enthusiasm of an amateur anthropologist.
Erandi Huipe

Fallout 3
Bethesda 2008
PC, Xbox 360, PS3.
Fallout 3 is amazing, through its art, music, and so much more, we can feel the loneliness of the wastelands in a post apocalyptic world. It's not easy for a game or a movie to make me FEEL something, Fallout 3 did. During my long walks - alone - in the wastelands, I seemed to miss people, miss characters I've never met, people who didn't mean anything to me...but the lack of those made me fell desperate, sad. Feelings like those, are common after a disaster, and no disaster can ever match the one of Fallout.
Guilherme Jacobs

Fallout: New Vegas
Obsidian Entertainment, 2010
Windows, Playstation 3, XBOX 360
A massive game that begins with the attempted murder of the player character, and an investigation of the circumstances, New Vegas is the first entry in the long-running "Fallout" series from the original design team since Fallout 2. Set in a post-apocalyptic world rooted in the science of 50's B-Movies and Cold War paranoia, New Vegas offers the wide canvas of other "open world" games, but prevents that freedom from strangling the thematic complexity.

The game concerns the conflict between the "New California Republic," a democratic power expanding eastward, and "Caesar's Legion," a horde of vicious slavers that rule their territory with an iron fist, over the revived Las Vegas, presided over by the seemingly immortal Mr. House. Quite notably, the game offers four routes toward an ending: siding with the NCR, with the Legion, with House, or the incredibly satisfying course of "No Gods, No Masters," in which the player drives out all three powers, refusing to participate in the struggle that destroyed the old world. These four options, though, are flavored by the character's morality; a moral character who supports Caesar's legion receives a bittersweet ending, while a more vicious iteration may plunge the Mojave into darkness and barbarism.

On the whole, one of the more thematically complicated games in recent years.
Cameron Summers

Far Cry 2
Ubisoft Montreal, 2008
PC
While there are games I would put over this one artistically, they've pretty much already been listed, and Far Cry 2 sticks out because of a particular story created from my own experience with it (major ending spoilers ahead!).

Far Cry 2′s ending was really interesting to me as far as unique things games can do goes as it created a perfect end to a character arc that I created. When I started the game I assumed there would be some sort of moral choices in the game, so I was initially annoyed when I realised I had no choice but to commit utterly monstrous acts as the game went on. In the end I decided to roll with it, and imagined my character as one who genuinely wanted to make a difference, but had their morals gradually deteriorate as their obsession with catching The Jackal grew. Then the ending came along and provided redemption and some attempt at amends in a way that almost made it feel like the game had read my mind. I’ve seen a lot of hate for the ending, and I was apparently a complete minority in coming up with something like this, yet, that quite possibly made it even more powerful. It was MY story of dangerous obsession and eventual (fatal) redemption, and no other medium could have done it the same way.

Even the epilogue fit, and ended up creating an extremely negative ending/message that still managed to fit everything so far; my final actions hadn’t really helped Africa at all, and the country remained a hell-hole. Yet that only seemed natural after the horrible acts I had committed along the way. I couldn’t change anything in the end, and didn’t really deserve to, but at least I was allowed to try.
Shaun Friend

Fatal Frame 2: Crimson Butterfly
Tecmo, 2003
PS2
Fatal Frame is a survival horror video game developed by Tecmo. It is the second installment in the Fatal Frame series and is considered by some gaming magazines as one of the scariest video games ever created.

Different with RE and other survival horror game, this game only use camera as a weapon and the main character wont run as fast as Jill. There also some annoying puzzle. Hope you try this. Oh, and there also a remake of this game on Wii.
4ir4

Fate of the World
Red Storm, 2011
PC, Mac
A very simple simulation game created in cooperation with Oxford University, Fate of the World asks the player to concoct a method for responding to rapid social and environmental changes taken from projections of environmental, technological, and social changes. It is insanely difficult, and clearly shows the difficulty of preparing for a rapidly changing future.
Cameron Summers

Fate of the World
Red Redemption Ltd 2010
PC & Mac
Fate of the World is a PC strategy game that simulates social and environmental impacts of global climate change over the next 200 years. You are entitled the role of leader of an international task force dedicated to the attribution of ressources to every continent. You may choose in what sector the country will invest and the policy this country will apply within the next 5 years. Based on the research of Prof. Myles Allen of Oxford University, every development card you buy and choose to play or not has an extensive range of consequences.

The game is hard and unforgiving, you need to pay an hectic attention to a tons of variables to be able to bring a scenario to its end, without being certain to win it. I encourage you to have a look to the main website and/or the wiki, they give you a small idea of what is to be expected in the game...
Sved

Fez
Polytron 2012
XBLA
Fez is one of those games you stumble upon that leaves you breathless. Visually, it's stunning and inspiring. The music also makes the game. It isn't loud or flashy, but rather thought provoking and innovative. The game focuses around a 2D character who has discovered that a third dimension exists, and because of this, the universe is falling apart. In order to save it, he must collect 32 cubes and 32 anti-cubes, along with treasure maps and hidden items. There are no enemies, there are no time limits, and you cannot die. In order to obtain these cubes, you must wind your way through doorway after doorway of rooms solving puzzles that become increasingly more sophisticated and difficult. There are no instructions, and almost as a joke, your "guide" offers no help in solving riddles. Often, it exclaims, "Uh, I forget." And these puzzles are some of the hardest things I've seen. "Here's a book. Does it mean anything? It has to. This language isn't gibberish? There's actually an alphabet here. Well, what does it mean? How do I decode this? Half of the creators last....what? Owls?"
Richard Rowe

Fez
Polytron
XBLA
This game was seemingly a simple platformer with a twist (literally), but it turned out that solving several of the game's puzzles required deciphering, cryptography, memorizing symbols that represented controller input, and understanding subtle cues about where to use them. While many can traverse the game, few will solve all of its puzzles on their own.
Brett Martin

Fez
Polytron
XBLA
Fez is about seeing things from a new perspective; that is the only way to play it successfully. We chastise games for asking us to perform repetitive menial tasks with no deeper meaning than delaying the satisfaction of our inevitable victory so that we can purchase the next $60 installment in the series and start the process anew. Fez and games like it--Where is my heart?, Closure, Braid--create meaning through their repeated actions and central mechanics. You must turn Gomez's world many times before seeing it the right way, but when you see the way forward, you have performed not just a menial repeated task, but an act of architectural translation, shifting your perspective in accord with what you want to achieve. We can take real-life lessons about approaching problems of space and translation from the world of Fez.
Erik

Final Fantasy
Square Enix
Multiple
RPG titles tend to require more then just hand eye coordination. It requires moment to moment strategizing. Preparing for a big battle in a finally fantasy title can be as simple as setting your characters on auto or as difficult as tailoring each character in your group to function individually threw use of gambits or direct orders. No two battles against different species of enemy can be approach the same. An enemy vulnerabilities must me learned and used to plan attacks. So dumb this game franchise is not. There is no time to be dumb. This game style makes you multitask, organize, pre plan and react in certain situations. I think someone got made one day. And so eloquently called games "dumb". Yeah I need to be believing that guy. Let's stoop to that level for one second. "NOT" :)
Jo Garcia

Final Fantasy Tactics
SquareSoft, 1997
PlayStation
Final Fantasy Tactics went a bit under the radar after the much more bombastic Final Fantasy VII, but its story is far more mature and complex. There's not much to look at beyond some solid character designs, but it's a compelling tale of war, personal ideals, corruption in both church and state, and the divide between social classes. There are an absolutely ridiculous number of characters to keep track of, and the story can be difficult to follow (the original translation was notoriously, hilariously bad at times, and the re-release for PSP indulged in so much purple prose it was no clearer), but it's a far darker, more cynical and more convoluted story than fans of the franchise might have been expecting, and easily remains one of the best storylines in gaming history.
Max Gardner

Final Fantasy Tactics
SquareSoft 1998
PS
Putting aside that Final Fantasy Tactics (FFT) is one of the most deep and rich strategy rpg there is in terms of gameplay, this title includes a fabulous way to explore and criticize actual social problems like racism, religion and social sublevation, in a way it can be understand by the player.

FFT brings the whole package. An amazing world concept, fabulous art and music, envolving gameplay and human like emotions and action like ambition, greed, betrayal, family bonds and duty and all of this take over small cartoon like characters that grow with the player. It is indeed a game that is everything but dumb.
El Colt

Final Fantasy Tactics
Squaresoft - '97/'98
Playstation, PSP, PSN
Smart in both gameplay and in terms of narrative. The combat relies heavily on how well you can put together your team, combine classes together and use the system. While it is accessible to less strategic players, those who pay attention to positioning on the battlefield and even small details such as a character's faith and zodiac sign will have a major advantage in every conflict. It's definitely not a twitch game, but instead focuses on careful planning, thinking several steps ahead while remaining adaptable. Chess in video game form, so to speak.

The story, however, is the real draw. It's a tale of two kinds of heroes born of two separate conflicts. One that follows the typical epic journey, slaying the ancient evils in order to save the world. It is a purely black and white affair. Yet mired in the middle is the political conflict, the one to save the people as best they can from the unfair divide between the noble and common classes. The two tales intertwine, and while the idea of what is good and evil is clear in the epic conflict, it is always grey in the political conflict. It's the fantasy video game for fans of Game of Thrones or Tad Williams' Memory, Sorrow and Thorn.
CCesarano

Final Fantasy VI
Squaresoft (now Square-Enix), 1996
SNES, PS1, GBA
Some may call the core gameplay repetitious and boring, and I personally lament some aspects of the later additions to the series, but the Final Fantasy games still have some of the best stories, narrative, and art that I have ever seen. The stars of the series: 4, 6, and 7. Play them in whichever order you want, since each has their own unique story that doesn't tie in with the others. I could go on for hours but instead I'll briefly talk about number 6.

Final Fantasy VI does incredible things for all mediums, for both its time and beyond.
Sound? Final Fantasy VI has some of the best of the game world, and not for lack of trying on others parts, but because its that difficult to top it, even with the SNES's graphical limitations.
Art? (Note for the sake of this entry that when I say art, I am referring to the visual appeal of in-game art). I'd say an impressive amount of detail went into every pixel. The game does recolor some enemies, sure, but it doesn't keep them from looking amazing, particularly the games final bosses. Also, lets not forget character facial expressions, which I'll mention in my next point.

Story/Narrative: FFVI always has and always will be one of my favorite stories of all time, and one to correctly intertwine the above aspects of Art and Sound to drive it further. I have not yet seen such a large cast of characters I care about quite like 6 here (looking at 13 total, with 12 of them each having a very unique backstory and the last with lots of fan-speculation). I also want to mention one of the most novel villains of all time, Kefka. A quick summary is that Kefka is the result of a magical experiment gone wrong, with unrivaled lust for power, and the best part is his notorious, unforgettable laugh.

Now, let's see the other mediums of storytelling pull something like this off. Movies? They can't hope to grasp the scale of the game. Television series? Possible, but unlikely. For the sake of keeping the majority of its viewers compelled, there's much to be sacrificed. Books? They are very capable of the scale, but we lose a lot of the emotion assisted by the game's art and sound.

I'd say Final Fantasy VI is a strong representative of how video games are not dumb. Rather, I believe that this one in particular is a strong stepping stone in the evolution of storytelling.
Strikerbolt

Final Fantasy VII
Squaresoft 1997
Playstation 1
Final Fantasy VII weaves a complex narrative about the juxtaposition of industrial revolution and progress at the cost of the natural world. Throughout the game the player must guide a band of misfits across a wide world in order to try and restore order and balance to a world on the brink of disaster. They fight against the tide of greed and selfish pursuits and aid a cause larger than themselves.

In addition, the protagonist struggles throughout much of the game pondering the age old question of one attempting to find out who they are and why they are here. Once they come to terms with their own identity, they can begin to make the world a better place with their new found convictions
Anonymous

Final Fantasy XI
Square Enix 2002
PS2, PC, Xbox360
FFXI is an MMORPG that, until recently, was very unforgiving to casual gamers and as a result had a very limited fan base. The mechanics in the game were almost entirely hidden, to become a better player you had to experiment and discover things yourself. This was not only evident within the core mechanics, but even basic equipment in the game often had hidden stats and effects that the player had to discover themselves; oftentimes these hidden effects had something to do with the name of the item, or where you got the item from. To that extent, the game's world was riddled with historical Easter eggs and the like... oftentimes you could find npcs from ancient greek mythology and items from similar backgrounds. Indeed, just browsing the wiki pages for this game is full of cool and fun history related to the items you might find, and understanding their background will sometimes help you understand the item's hidden effects.
On a continuous basis the game promoted and rewarded an atmosphere of players that were constantly trying to push limits and think critically. Not because they were elitists, but because it was necessary. Vana'diel is, indeed, a world where nothing is exactly as it seems, very little is handed to you, and there is always some complex little mystery to be unraveled alongside your travels... if you're keen enough to notice it, that is.
Chris Guardiola

Flower
Thatgamecompany 2009
PSN
In Flower the player controls the wind, blowing a flower petal through the air using the movement of the game controller. Flying close to flowers results in the player's petal being followed by other flower petals. Approaching flowers may also have side-effects on the game world, such as bringing vibrant color to previously dead fields or activating stationary windmills. The game features no text or dialogue, forming a narrative arc primarily through visual representation and emotional cues.

Flower was primarily intended to arouse positive emotions in the player, rather than to be a challenging and "fun" game. This focus was sparked by Chen, who felt that the primary purpose of entertainment products like video games was the feelings that they evoked in the audience, and that the emotional range of most games was very limited. The team viewed their efforts as creating a work of art, removing gameplay elements and mechanics that were not provoking the desired response in the players. The music, composed by Vincent Diamante, dynamically responds to the player's actions and corresponds with the emotional cues in the game. Flower was a critical success, to the surprise of the developers. Reviewers praised the game's music, visuals, and gameplay, calling it a unique and compelling emotional experience. It was named the "best independent game of 2009" at the Spike Video Game Awards, and won the "Casual Game of the Year" award by the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences.
Kyle Perkins

Foldit
University of Washington, 2008
PC
Foldit was developed as part of the rosetta@home project. In Foldit you solve a 3D puzzle by arranging in the most correct way possible based on a numerical score. Players can group up and share solutions and compete for superior scores on the leaderboards.

In 2011, players helped to decipher the crystal structure of the Mason-Pfizer monkey virus (M-PMV) retroviral protease, an AIDS-causing monkey virus. Players produced an accurate 3D model of the enzyme in just ten days. The problem of how to configure the structure of the enzyme had stumped scientists for 15 years.
Brian W.

Fragile Dreams
Namco Bandai, 2009
Nintendo Wii
In Fragile you take on the role of a young boy who may be the last living person on Earth. The world that is presented to you is one of decay and emptiness. The somber mood of the game is brought to life through haunting music and the lack of light, outside that of the setting of the Sun and rising of the Moon. Seto, the protagonist, uses nothing but a flashlight and whatever blunt object he can get his hands on to fight through the ghosts and spirits that fill the world. Though, the game never feels like a survival-horror game, and instead of fear, gives a feeling of sadness and desperation that sets the tone for the entire game.

Seto's only goal in the game is to find a girl that he came across by chance. He doesn't know her name or if she's even real, or a ghost, or even an illusion. But, he pushes on through hardship and tribulations just for a chance to talk with her and not feel so alone.

Fragile Dreams never became very popular in the gaming community, mainly due to its quiet release on the Wii and often odd gameplay choices that left it with mediocre reviews. But I feel the artistic style and storytelling in the game greatly outshine its flaws.
Stephen C.T.

From Dust
Ubisoft Montpellier 2011
XBOX, PS3, PC
From Dust is a problem/puzzle solving game where you play the role of a godlike force (called The Essence) that shapes the elements to help nomadic tribes thrive in hostile areas. The game is simplistic in its controls, has gorgeous visuals, and gives the user a very unique role. The puzzles are well structured, most of which have a great variety of possible solutions. The game needs problem solving, reaction speed, and foresight to succeed.

The unique artistic element of From Dust is how the player helps the nomadic tribes. By shaping the sand, water, soil, and magma, the player controls the world itself to try to allow the tribes to achieve their goals. The game play is very unique and is very rewarding to the player, allowing them to assume the role of a benevolent, other worldly force.
Richard Fiction

Grand Theft Auto IV
Rockstar 2008
PS3, XBox 360, PC
GTA IV loves to get kicked around by the media. It is often called a prostitute killing simulator. If that is the case than the GodFather is a movie about butchering horses and the Simpsons is akin to an episode of Home Improvement (just your regular old family sitcom).

What is often not understood is that the GTA series is a sharp and biting satire on society. The fourth instalment carefully picks apart the idea of the "American Dream" and how attainable it really is. Staring an illegal immigrant named Niko Belic, a Serbian ex-soldier attempting to escape the atrocities that he has commited, it follows him as he attempts to leave his past behind but no matter how hard he tries it catches us and pulls him deeper into the world of crime. The characters are thoughtful, the story well told, and filled with meaning in every corner. Even the commercials that play on the radio stations are biting in their criticism and satire. Every nuance and subtitly of this game has been carefully crafted and placed for a reason. Sure if you give the game to a 13 year old boy it is nothing other than a prostitute simulator (no more than Scar Face would be a swearing counter), but if you give the game to an intelligent adult it tells the story of a man struggling to undue the actions of his past life and make a new one for himself.
Andrew C

Grim Fandango
Lucasarts, 1998
PC
Though perhaps not "smart" any moreso than other point-and-click adventures from that era, Grim Fandango is one of the most incredible vortexes of genre hybridity in games to date, blending humor, noir, art deco, jazz, Aztec lore and so on. It is an unparalleled and delightful adventure, and a succsesful experiment in game narrative genre-bending. The score, the art direction, everything syncs up in a fully-realized and never-before-conceived vision of the afterlife. (it is still, perhaps, my favorite game ever.)
Henry Crouch

Half Life 2
Valve, 2004
PC, XBox, PS3
I noted a game before for its strong story, and I feel that Half Life 2 and its episodes should be noted not for its story (though there are powerful moments), but rather HOW it tells the story. What makes it unique is that while many games and movies use the art and music to convey emotion, HL2 uses its gameplay and game design to get the attention of, then draw in, the player into their world.

An example: How do we get the player to view this one spectacle? Simple, let's have an enemy shoot at him briefly. The enemy is only a manufactured, temporary threat, but the Player will be looking right where we want them to look, and we didn't have to take control away from the player to do so.

Pretty ingenious, if I do say so myself.
Strikerbolt

Half-Life (1,2 and so)
Valve, 1998-2007
PC, some consoles
(I’m French, so, sorry for mistakes etc, but I consider that my knowledge and WordReference both together would be understandable).
Well, Half-Life games could appear as basic FPS if you just watch an extract, but according to me there are some aspects that make the difference with a classic game-where-you-shoot-them-all. First, it is not closed to the only type of FPS: it gets you lost in intricate levels, resolving puzzles… But, in my opinion, it overall immerses you in the atmosphere of the story. I especially think about the beginning of the second game, but the one of the first also installs a good ambiance; the G-Man is another factor, generating mystery and making the player wondering about him, stacking up harebrained theories... As in Portal (the first, the 2nd was less mysterious. But I found interesting to see that a game which could seems “dumb” if you only see a little part like infected (“zombies”(?)) or fighting sort of giant robots, is actually deeper than that. And Portal 1 or 2 have something like 8 articles, so I wanted to be original!
Also, video games made me read sites about it, in English. I learned English at school and have other occasions to read/hear English of course, but it become quite easier when you love the subject :) .
Hugues Capet

Half-Life 2
Valve - 2004
PC
The game is no traditional FPS, taking elements of puzzle gameplay and weaving a storyline of great sophistication through it that keeps me and millions of others hooked to such a degree it rivals my love for some of the most intelligent TV and Film I've ever seen. Proof of the game's brilliance lies in the fact that of many I've heard who've "disliked" the game had no actual reason to dislike it, and every single one who later played the game to give it a chance fell in love.
Dan Geldorp

Heavy Rain
Quantic Dream, 2010
PS3
As a game falling into the crime-thriller genre, Heavy Rain made the remarkable choice of eschewing combat (or any other gamified system of interaction, such as the interviews in LA Noire) entirely, focusing exclusively on character, plot, moral decisions, and the psychology underlying its characters' behaviors. It created a world and narrative in which the players' decisions, from minute to monumental, had enormous ramifications on the evolution of the plot, with huge variances possible between one players' experience and the next. These variances took on significance because of what they said about the players themselves, about how they understood the characters, and about the ramifications of their own values and ideals (and what they think of others' values, encountered in the characters themselves).

The game also invested significantly in voice acting and digital character expression, as well as creating a realistic yet immersive visual world. The artistic effort and decisions that went into creating the images on screen were enormous, and in some respects still represent the cutting edge of what interactive media has achieved to date. Simple consideration of the beauty of the images on screen--as we would do for photography or film--adds a whole other layer of 'artistry' to what the game achieved.
Lars Dabney

Heavy Rain
Quantic Dream 2010
PS3
Because it forces you to ask yourself how much you´re willing to sacrifice in order to save your son: put you in danger? hurt yourself? or even giving your life... ?
Edward

Heavy Rain
Quanticdream 2009
PS3
Often referred to as an Interactive Movie, Heavy Rain is an astounding breakthrough in modern video games. It's revolutionary gameplay puts the player in charge of several characters, all linked by a common problem. If a character dies, the game does not load your last save. It moves on and you finish the game without that character. It allows the player to shape the story and the relationships between all of the people in this game. Quanticdream spent a lot of time to make this game not only look beautiful, but to make it look realistic. Every character is motion captured. You have to see it to understand the realism that it creates.

Heavy Rain also comes with an emotional burden that not even Bioshock could go up against. Characters will cry and grieve, and may even kill themselves if you want their lives to end that way. The soundtrack never misses a beat and is always there to make a sad scene just a bit more depressing. This game is highly recommended to everyone who enjoys story as much or more than gameplay.
Andrew

Heavy Rain
Quantic Dream - 2010
PlayStation 3
You play through a sophisticated and coherent story which rivals movies and television, it successfully weaves the exposition through the narrative and keeps you interested and invested in the characters that play out through the story to it's fulfilling climax.
Andrew

Homeworld
Relic 09.28.99
PC
This is a game that takes place in space. This game is both artistic and intellectually sophisticated. I will start with why it is artistic. For when the game came out 3d real time stratgy games where rare and just starting to hit the mainstream. The giant Homeworld ship is just amazing looking. The story line is well driven and gives the player good propose to continue playing though the game. As the game starts out you are a human race on a planet and your race builds a giant ship to return to earth. This game is set 1000's of years in the future. Everything about this game from story line, music, 3d models, and huge amazing background images in this game are simply just amazing and make you feel in awe the whole time.
Now for the intellectually sophisticated part of the talk. This game takes place in space you have 3 true dimensions to deal with while playing through a mission because you enemy can come at you from not just the front, sides, or behind they have the choice to approach you from above and below. With that in mind it also has warp-in later in the game where they can just appear out of nowhere from across the huge map you play on. There is also a ton of different types of units and counter units for certain situations that you will have to deploy for engagements. They did a good job keeping a good mix of units on the map at any given time. They also did a good job in how the player is introduced to more complexity as the game goes. So by the end you are having to use everything you have at your disposal to beat the game. I found this game very challenging, engaging, and immersive as i played through it. The story line brought a swell of emotions through the good tension, conflict and relationships that built through the game and when you finished.
Todd Bullock

Homeworld
Relic, 1999
PC
This is a Real Time Strategy game that uses spaceships to tell a story of a group of people seeking their homeworld after discovering an ancient artifact hidden on their planet, Kharak. The only time you see people are during the cutscenes, otherwise you only see ships and hear the voices of the pilots and fleet command.

The third stage is one of the most shocking levels I've ever witnessed. Your fleet arrives back home to find that not only has everything been destroyed in orbit, but your desert planet is charred black, best described by one of the in-game quotes, "Kharak is burning...". To make it more dramatic, it's played to the tune of Samuel Barber's Adagio for Strings, and you even get to witness the Taiidan Empire's orbital bombardment of your planet after you capture one of their ships. Your people then vow to get vengeance for all those people killed on the planet, as well as returning to their original home world.
Teng Y

I Am Alive
Ubi Soft Shanghai, 2012
X360, PS3
I Am Alive is a rarity in the action-adventure landscape: a game with a true sense of humanity, recognizing the limits of game experiences centered on player empowerment at all costs. It is a game which, through brave and meaningful twists on design conventions, directly conveys the pain and despair central to its intimate story. Unusually frank handling of the post-apocalyptic setting, lastly, displays a genuine interest for human dynamics, searching for remnants of hope in the face of all-out crisis.

For such evidence of its down-to-earth core, I Am Alive strikes me as a smartly conceived, challenging work with a remarkable respect for the intelligence of its audience.
Louis Filiatrault

Ico
Team Ico (2001)
Playstation 2
It's the story of young love told through a puzzle/platforming game. On the initial playthrough, there is no discernible conversation had between Ico and Yorda. Rather, the game evokes a strong emotional response from players through simple actions and sounds. It's a beautiful game, and a true work of art.
Matthew Cramar

Ico
Team Ico, 2001 and 2011
Playstation 2 and 3
A game suffused with quiet. It's about a boy chosen to be sacrificed to fulfill a ritual. Chained in a castle to die by starvation, or something else, by chance he gets free. He encounters a girl trapped in a giant cage. Though they cannot speak the same language, they both help each other to escape. The feeling of separation and anxiety comes through keenly, as well as the curiosity of mysterious architecture in a civilization unfamiliar. The challenge of climbing out of the castle together is a trial of faith and of physics. Appreciation for mazes is a must.
Steven

Ico
Team Ico, 2001
PS2, PS3 HD
Team Ico's debut project set itself apart from the rest. Rather than guns, you were given a stick. In place of an adult, the game centers on a poor boy, sentenced to death for a curse, and an imprisoned girl. This game is one of the few I have seen that has been able to tell such a rich story with so few words, to convey so much with just visuals. What makes this game truly special, though, is the emotions that it brings to the surface as you watch the children's relationship blossom. A rich and detailed world and the relationship between Yorda and Ico truly set this game above the rest, and really set the bar for what a video game can be.
Zach Griffith

Ico
Team Ico, 2001
PlayStation 2
Ico is quiet, beautiful, and haunting. The feeling of loneliness and isolation is as expertly rendered as many a novel. When the protagonist, a solitary young boy, finds and clings to the only other person in the world, a shimmering mute girl, the emotional bond in incredibly powerful. The faint heartbeat vibrations emitted by the controller when the two characters hold hands show how a deeply human experience can be crafted using everything a game system has to work with.
Jori

Incredible Machine, The
Jeff Tunnell Productions/Sierra 1992
MS-DOS/Macintosh/3DO
The Incredible Machine taught critical logic skills through Rube Goldberg style devices asking the player to to complete the physics puzzle with a limited variety of tools. The reasoning skills necessary to complete this game can prime a child for education that requires using logic such as programming, electronics engineering or even management where less than ideal circumstances often require creative thinking for agreeable solutions.
Jeff Alexander

Johann Sebastian Joust
Die Gute Fabrik
Mac OSX (alpha version)
This game is an extremely lightweight videogame that evokes playground games, and encourages game design in its players due to the simple and open nature of the game itself. The play is wildly physical, and creates connections between players in ways that other games don't. It reminds me of playing tag, but while simultaneously creating a space in which there are more subtle physical skills necessary to win.
Jonathan Brodsky

Journey
thatgamecompany 2012
Ps3
I cannot compare my Journey experiences with any other games I've played. The game itself is fairly simple in a 'go that way, keep going that way, okay the end.' sort of way, but there is so much more to it. For anyone who has played this game, Journey has been an emotional rollercoaster. Joy, sadness, loneliness, fear, calm, wonder, worry, hilarity...all can be experienced within a short two hours of game play. The unique online co-op, the perfection of the soundtrack, and the beauty of the graphics are all wonderfully utilized in creating a gaming experience that I personally believe could not be matched.
Kaiya

Journey
Thatgamecompany (2012)
PS3
I really don't want to spoil the game at all, but it's a beautiful story that really is an emotional journey for players told with beautiful visuals and a wonderful soundtrack.
Matthew Cramar

Journey
thatgamecompany, 2012
PS3
Journey's sophistication lies in how its gameplay reflects religious ideals. If they so choose, players can piece together the wordless narrative of a fallen people. Combined with the ending goal of transcendence, Journey provides a religious experience unique among video games thus far. The game is multiplayer, with no text communication, furthering the visceral atmosphere and potential for projected meaning. In other words, the game acts as a Rorschach test of one's own religious feelings, including feelings about others' intentions.
Rachel Helps

Journey
Thatgamecompany 2012
PS3
Journey isn't so much a video game as it is, as the title elegantly and obviously implies, a Journey. The art is rich, the score is magnificent, and the journey is powerful and affecting, lending itself in that special way that only the best art can to a meaning that is entirely unique to each player. I can't say I objectively understood what I accomplished while playing Journey, but I can say on a subjective level I understood it and it affected me on a very personal level.
That, to me, is the definition of an intelligent game. I never held a weapon, killed an enemy, or completed a "level", but through a unique combination of beautiful visuals, unique design, and elegant yet powerful storytelling Thatgamecompany managed to create the most memorable gaming experience I've had as an adult. As the credits rolled I found myself weeping. I don't know if that makes it a "smart" game, but there is certainly nothing dumb about Journey.
Cameron

Journey
thatgamecompany 2012
PS3
Journey has a tightly limited scope. Very little of it requires the gaming talent you might expect - there are few puzzles to solve, the platforming is simple, and the game always guides players to the next destination with blatant cues.

But all of this is by design: the heart of Journey is travelling with another, growing to care about them in a world with only the most rudimentary language. With no voice but a chirp, no hands to gesture, you learn to cooperate and communicate. It shows us that bonds between people can transcend any barrier. This puts it in a unique position among games: having completed Journey, you've learned more about yourself than you have about it.
NW

Journey
That Game Company 2012
PS3
A fantastic example of how games can elicit emotion in the most personal and subjective ways. Journey is another exploration based game with minimal explicit storyline. Where it succeeds is in it's ability to make the player internalize their own implicit story, projecting it onto the artistic canvas painted before them. Journey probes the mind towards highly symbolic content from the beginning. The quest is vague but obviously spiritual: what does the journey represent, what is the final destination, how does the presence of others effect our own spiritual journey? These are all questions that the game seems to provoke. I've seen multiple people brought to tears (or at least sniffles) by the end of this adventure; I don't think it could possibly have the same depth of personal impact in a non-interactive medium.
Philip Spann

Journey
Thatgamecompany, 2012
Playstation 3
It's rare to find a game that can offer so much by presenting so relatively little. Journey's narrative is completely inferred, with no dialogue and no introductory text explaining the situation. You are simply presented with the goal of scaling a far-off mountain, and then sent on your way.

The simple, evocative visuals combine with a beautiful and at times haunting score to present an experience that is imbued with meaning but no clear moral. Journey's triumph is its ability to let the player draw what they will from the game without beating them over the head with a message. The reviews I read of the game presented it as a meditation on solitude and companionship, but I came away with a commentary about the cyclical nature of history that was slowly revealed as the game progressed. By adopting such a straightforward aesthetic, Journey will be able to endure as a timeless work of art.
Sam Korda

Journey
ThatGameCompany 2012
Play Station 3
This is a game with story, but with no words. All it is is your character waking up in a desert, a glowing mountain in the distance, and an incredible soundtrack. As you explore the world around you, the story slowly unfolds as you begin to witness the history of the lands and what you represent in it.

It is a game that gives you breathless scenery, and a gripping story that can be played by anyone in any country. And again, there is not a single line of text (other than the title) and not a single word is uttered, yet it will grip any person who plays it.
Kirk Johnson

Journey
2012 by Thatgamecompany
PS3
I can't provide any specific examples of why Journey is smart. I don't even know if it is smart, but it is not dumb in anyway. It has to be experienced. You start out in a world, no dialogue, no rules, no explanation of what you need to do. Your mind needs to be open to play the game.
Filthy Harry

Journey
thatgamecompany, 2012
PS3
Journey is the sort of game you want to get lost in. You play as a robed person in a desert. Once you get over a big sand dune, you see a mountain in the distance, and the game beigins. You discover that you can fly and "shout" to awaken carpet creatures throughout the land. Another person online can randomly join you, and you can communicate through "chirps". The best part of the game is bonding with another person without actually speaking. And the music just enhances every emotion you feel throughout the game.
Andrew

Katawa Shoujo
4 Leaf Studios, 2012
PC
A "visual novel" game that thoughtfully explores human relationships, attitudes to disabilities and sexuality in a classy, tasteful and mature manner. Features realistically-defined, flawed and interesting characters engaging in a believable narrative that doesn't hold back from tackling challenging subject matter. Best of all, it's completely free.
Pete Davison

Killer 7
Grasshopper 2005
Ps2, gamecube
Killer 7 is a game that utilises every facet of video games to tell an intereting avant garde story. The core gameplay of killer 7 ln thw surface seem straight forward however, each character which represents a different personality for Harman Smith plays completely differently. The visual style of the game has a pop-art feel contributing to a the surreal atmosphere that has been crafted by Suda 51. In short Killer 7 is a good example of how video games can deal with complicated concepts and create something that is unique.
Philia1821

Kingdom Hearts
Square Enix 2002
PlayStation 2
Kingdom hearts bought Final Fantasy and Disney together as if it was a match made in heaven.
John

Knytt Stories
Nifflas 2007
Windows
Nifflas' take on a metroidvania platformer is a game of exploration undiluted by combat mechanics or exposition. Many of the creatures in the world you explore are benign and serve only to enhance the atmosphere. The abilities you collect help you reach new areas that were previously unaccessable. The artwork and music work together to create a world you want to explore simply to see more.
Mark McKnight

L.A. Noire
Team Bondi 2011
Multiple
This game played a brilliant (and genre trademark) manuever by completely reversing the player perception of its main character and shattering all illusions of his superiority.
It accomplished something more than just this, though. L.A. Noire forced the player to observe the surroundings and to make judgements about people's behavior relative to the situation. Certainly it can be criticized for overtly signalling some tells, and for uninspired gun battles.
L.A. Noire is smart and enjoyable because it makes the player engage a different set of skills in order to experience more of it. Having said that, I strongly advise anyone playing it to turn off case summaries and the response feedback system.
Chris Bennett

L.A. Noire
Team Bondi/Rockstar, 2011
PC/PlayStation 3/Xbox 360
The majority of single-player narrative-driven video games allow only for a very basic form of identification with an idealized, unproblematic hero. This is fine for wish-fulfillment stories and power fantasies (which have their place!), but it precludes any possibility of a critical stance toward the protagonist and the form of power they employ; we may balk at Nathan Drake's trigger-happiness in the Uncharted games, for example, but our objections to the character are inherently extradiegetic and not intended by the developers, who would rather we identify with him as an avatar and a kind of ideal.

The brilliance of L.A. Noire, like that of the film and literary genre its title misspells, is that it undermines this notion of protagonists as ideals. Its hero, LAPD Detective Cole Phelps, is frankly a dick; his actions and behavior in the game world are frequently at odds with the presumed desires of the player. But this is a feature, not a bug. Controlling a character whose motives are obscure and whose actions are troubling--in an environment which looks like a GTA-style sandbox, but lacks the empowering interactivity of most open-world games--encourages an introspective player to think more deeply about the ideologically determined nature of narrative, the processes of identification with media, and the worldviews most games (as well as films, books, etc.) ask us to affirm. As many reviewers have pointed out, L.A. Noire isn't always a blast to play; it's often a frustrating, and for some, even a dull experience. But not all great experiences have to be "fun," especially in noir...Chinatown wasn't exactly a popcorn movie, either.
Zachary Hoskins

L.A. Noire
Rockstar, 2011
PC, XBOX 360, Others
An incredibly well-constructed, well-acted, thoughtful game that requires a great deal of logical association and critical thought. Its unprecedentedly detailed facial modeling makes its players' ability to gauge facial cues and expressions genuinely relevant. And L.A. Noire contains better dialogue than most cop shows of the last decade.
Aaron Feinstein

L.A. Noire
Team Bondi, 2011
PC, Xbox 320, PS3
L.A. Noire takes place in the dark and gritty underbelly of a developing Los Angeles in the year 1947. You play as Cole Phelps, a veteran of World War II that's trying to stick by the book of good police work, as you try to solve murder, traffic, arson, and drug cases. The game also takes an engaging and thorough look at such themes as morality, the "fatal flaw," and troubled pasts. It also contains a high level of great writing, spot on acting (as the voice actors also acted within the game), a wonderful soundtrack, and a riveting (as well as intellectually stimulating) story.

Bottom line is that if this game were a movie, it would very well be compared to film noir classics like Chinatown, The Naked City, and Double Indemnity. The films that I've listed are all great representations of that iconic style and they have received praise for rightfully being so, but when video games are celebrated in such a way there is no amount of accolades that won't make someone that thinks, "Video games are dumb (with a few exceptions)" other wise. That is why you much reevaluate your statement and think of cinematic, artful, and thought-provoking titles such as this one to be considered "smart."
Alex Perea

La noir
Team bondie, 2011
Xbox360, ps3, pc
The core of la noir is the actual acting done by professional actors and presented with incredible detail.with out the facial motion capture the game would flat out not work. Not only do you have excellent acting and a good story (especially the homicide desk) but it does take critical thinking to read the witnesses, suspects, and victims.
Steve j

LA Noir
Rockstar 2011
XBox, PS3, PC
Incredible recreating of 1940s Los Angeles. The game also forces you pay close attention to everyone else around you. You have to search for clues and question witnesses or suspects. In addition to that you have to figure out on your own if they're lying based on what clues you did find and their facial expressions and reactions.
Rob Underhill

Last Express, The
Smoking Car Productions, 1997
PC (soon to be reissued on iPad)
In the Last Express, your story unfolds in a finite amount of real time (compressed so that 1 minute of real time equals 6 minutes of game time) over the course of the last run of the Orient Express before the world is changed utterly by the eruption of World War I. The train is populated with subtly drawn and intriguing international characters with backstories that are moving, sophisticated, and often complex. Life on the train goes on no matter what you do (you are supposed to be solving a murder): scenes unfold whether you are there to witness them or not, though by being there you can dramatically change the outcome.

The real beauty of the game lies in the tremendous attention to detail. The art design is opulent and gorgeous, the music and sound engrossing, and the animation style--one of the first heavy uses of rotoscoping--holds up very well 15 years later, finding that sweet spot between abstraction and realism. The game was clearly designed for adults, with international characters speaking in their native languages, a plot that is engaging without being ridiculous or cheap, and an incredible set piece scene that involves a full length violin concert in the dining car. There is some awkwardness (the few attempts at combat are clumsy), but this was the first fully narrative, 1st person game that felt to me like what games could become. It's a sad thing that very few games like it have been attempted since.
Jason

Learn to Program BASIC (LTPB)
Interplay 1998
PC
Strictly speaking, this wasn't so much a single game as a set of arcade-style games, series of tutorials, and an interpreter, all made for the purpose of teaching kids to use the simple programming language BASIC. I developed a lot of critical thinking and problem-solving skills, not to mention it accelerated me years ahead in my understanding of computer languages and higher math. Talk about a brainy game, this has it all.
Riley Hulick

Left for Dead
Valve, 2008
Multiple
Left 4 Dead, on first glance, is a typical zombie game, which is why it's easy to write off as "dumb." But, beneath the gore and violence lies an experimental game about human relations and cooperation.

In Left 4 Dead, you assume the role of 1 of 3 survivors, all whom are lovable, charismatic, and unique, leading most players to develop a favorite. Three friends play as the others, and it is you and your group's goal to make it from point A to point B together in a variety of apocalyptic settings. At the heart of the game is teamwork, as the scenarios are completely impossible to complete without the help of your teammates. Players are given limited health items and ammo, and often, players must give their health kits to their dying friends to assure the survival of the group, even if this means risking their own death. The extreme violence is there as an homage to zombie film, but also as a reminder that this scenario is horrific. It uses horror to create a bond between players, and assure that the pack mentality is never forgotten. Let us not forget that without our closest friends, we are lost.

The brains of the game lie in the artificial intelligence, which controls weapon placement and enemy regeneration, ensuring that no play-through is ever the same. The sheer amount of unique experiences this program can get out of one single map is commendable.
Jack Vanoudenaren

Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver
Crystal Dynamics 1999
PS, PC, Dreamcast
Soul Reaver has a sophisticated story that is told with exceptional voice acting. I can vouch for this game. As a mere 10 year old I learned exceptional English from listening to the voice acting. (Mind you I'm not native to the language.) I learned of the nature of time travel and the intrigues of paradoxes. All of this packed into an post-apocalyptic vampire setting.
Alexander Stenfeldt

Legend of Zelda Series, The
Nintendo - Varied years
Multiple
The Legend of Zelda games, are completely full of puzzles, namely puzzles being one of the main theme of all the dungeons, using certain items in a certain way opened the door to progress into the next room, which then usually had it's own mini-puzzle or task to complete to progress further. Many a time i've been stumped with what to do and resorted to (alot of) trial and error.
Nathan

Legend of Zelda, The
Nintendo, 1987
Nintendo Entertainment System
A game leaving you to your own devices, the Legend of Zelda does not hold your hand in the least. You must use your own wit to navigate the world as it is presented and deduce riddles which will lead you to the next puzzle to solve that hinders your progress. Then, upon completing the game, you can replay the game with a completely different formula of dungeons and puzzles that make the quest even more difficult. I've known some who gave up before even finding the first dungeon because it was too much for them to wrap their minds around. It truly captures the desolation and solitude of journeying on your own.
Alessandro Maniscalco

Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
Nintendo 2000
Nintendo 64
Three Days. That's all the time you have to save Termina in Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask. While most games in the Zelda series rely on the "Save the princess/Save the Kingdom" concept, Majora's Mask is something entirely different. There is no princess. There is no Royal Kingdom. Link finds himself thrown in the middle of a peasant town where, despite the ominous grin of an all-too-present moon falling out of the sky, nobody around you can accept that their world is about to end. During these three days you learn resident's schedules, make friends, travel to foreign regions, and do everything you can to stop this impending tragedy.

But you can't.

Somebody will always be left behind. The moon crashing into Termina is a fixed event, and at the end of every 3rd Day you must travel back in time to Day 1 and do it all over again, picking up the pieces where you left off. This urgency is made even more clear by the subtle changes in music, from joyful and rollicking on Day 1 to dissonant and sparse on Day 3, and the ever-present countdown on the HUD through the entirety of the adventure.

Majora's Mask is a game about choice and priority. Stuck in a repeating cycle that only you, as the main character, are aware of, you must weigh and determine essentially who lives and who dies every three days. The story emphasizes the importance of life and enjoying our time together with family and friends, regardless of how much time there may actually be.

So what will you do with your 72 hours? Help a heartbroken butler reconnect with his abducted son? Or maybe, under the guidance of a deceased chief who died in the line of duty, save a village? There’s also the opportunity to reunite a dying musician’s spouse with their unborn children. Of course you could forgo the main storyline altogether and focus on smaller issues like saving an elderly woman from getting robbed, or mending a young marriage in time for the couple to meet their fate together.

The true genius of Majora’s Mask is that it was marketed as, and truly is, a game designed for everyone. It presents lessons about being a good samaritan and love in an approachable way for children while building enough of a background that adults can take in the darker, truly frightening, scope of the story.
Jaron Raspe

Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
Nintendo, 2000
N64
Majora's Mask is a Legend of Zelda game without Zelda: at the end of Ocarina of Time, Link sets out on his own in search of his fairy friend, Navi (only the gods know why...). While riding through the Lost Woods, he is attacked by a pair of troublesome fairies and a masked imp who steal Link's horse, kicking off a journey literally down the rabbit hole into the colorful and dark world of Termina.
The game's mission is simple: go to the four dungeons at the edges of the world and defeat the bosses to summon the four giants to stop the moon from falling. Many of the characters and monsters are palette swaps or direct copies of Ocarina of Time counterparts, but they are deployed in interesting and creative ways that departed from the usual hero's tale. Early on, you are given a notebook to record the characters you meet and the troubles they face, and your only impetus for helping anyone out is because it makes you feel good. It's entirely possible to go through the game without filling more than a handful of entries, and the unforgiving time limit is often reason enough to skimp on a few side quests. But doing so means players miss out on some truly touching stories of love, loss, and regret.
Even the antagonist isn't your typical cut-and-dry villain: suffused by the power of an ancient deity trapped by the titular mask, Skull Kid's mischief is less motivated by any sort of evil designs than out of want for someone to be his friend. Loneliness and fear of rejection caused him to lash out at the world in a series of escalating pranks, culminating with bringing the moon down from the sky.
All this combined with the fantastic setting and art style makes for an unforgettable experience.
DC

Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
Nintendo, 2000
Nintendo 64
Majora's Mask takes the repetition inherently involved in videogames and turns it on its head. It takes the very concept of videogame temporality and transforms it into a fluid medium of interaction. The characters and events are predictable and pre-designated, but the player can only accomplish a certain amount within each cycle.

And then there's the game's more subtle message about coping with the tides of relationships, which was beautifully summarized in an essay on ZeldaInformer (http://www.zeldainformer.com/2010/10/the-message-of-majoras-mask.html). This game has artistic and intellectual merit far beyond even other Zelda titles, requiring a level of analysis that only the Myst games before it had demanded. Sure, you can get through the game without pondering its deeper implications, but you'd be missing out on much of the game's ultimate meaning.
Ryan DeNardis

Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
Nintendo, 2011
Wii
In addition to being a game based on the solution of puzzles (like every Zelda), this game takes it a step further, by making not only the dungeons into puzzles, but also the combat. In addition to that, the game features a fully orchestrated soundtrack as well as wonderful screenplay in cutscenes.
The series as a whole has ever-changing Art styles, which are all wonderful, and includes deep philosophy (along with references to Plato's construction of a Soul and Aristotele's Virtues)
Laurent Baeriswyl

Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
Nintendo 2002
Gamecube
Artistically this is one of my favorite games, and I'd argue that it is the most intellectually sophisticated games in the series. The best part about it though is that a casual glance from the outside can be so misleading. The cartoony, cell-shaded style initially paints a picture of a shallow childish game. However there is so much depth to the game that you may not even see casually playing through. Just like "smart" books and movies to truly appreciate it you have to look past the surface and explore to grasp the full story.

Another things that makes this game truly great is the music. I view music as an extremely important part of the whole game experience. Zelda games in general excel at creating memorable scores and hardly a day goes by that I don't find myself humming a tune from them. One reason why I think the music is so important is because every time I hear it, it brings back memories of the places I heard it. The Windwaker soundtrack is no exception every time I start humming a tune or hear one of the songs, I'm brought back to that world.

When playing this game I wanted to talk to each person I met, to learn about them, and I genuinely wanted to help them even if it was a small thing. I also needed to do every sidequest, it felt as though each one added another layer of depth to the game. This game fits the bill when it comes to "you can't judge a book by it's cover" and offers a truly enjoyable experience.
Jesse Wharton

Limbo
Playdead, 2010
PC, PS3, Xbox 360
Limbo is a truly sophisticated game, and it is most exemplar in its highly-focused design. Limbo is a game focused on awareness, perception of your environment, and patience. Its constraint is commendable in that each encountered puzzle demands an intense awareness of your surroundings; subtle but intuitive audio-visual cues are often key, and an understanding of how specific objects function physically in their environment is always necessary. In order to succeed, the player must consider in their solution laws of momentum, inertia, buoyancy, and gravity. This approach to puzzle-solving is highly-sophisticated and intellectually demanding, requiring precise timing and, often, trial and error. As a result, death is pervasive. This underscores the theme of danger and fragility that is integral to the game’s oppressive and menacing atmosphere.
Early on in the game, I, behaving as any child would, became distracted and followed some fireflies through the tall grass; I walked into a bear trap and was decapitated. The suddenness and brutality with which the young protagonist was killed was an intense shock to me. I had not adjusted to the reality of the situation, the hazard of the world I had entered, or the weakness of the protagonist; this child had been killed and would never be reunited with his sister, all due to my carelessness. Every death suffered by the child afterwards can only be attributed to my carelessness, my impatience, and lack of awareness. I never once ceased feeling a protective responsibility towards the child, and I never denied my accountability when I failed that responsibility. That ain’t dumb.
tcholmes3

Limbo
Playdead, 2010
Xbox Live, Steam
Limbo is a platformer game that is completely free of almost all the typical traits of games in general. Our hero is a realistically feeble boy. No inhuman bounding around the screen, no karate maneuvers or magic, only running, jumping and pushing/pulling objects which are small enough. There is no health bar, no items to collect, no special powers. There are no textures or sprites or enemies in the traditional game sense. It is completely black and white, and features no dialogue or exposition or story elements of any sort. The game has extremely subtle sound design, with barely any musical elements. The whole visual and aural progression feels lovingly and seamlessly choreographed.

This game is an artistic expression. It conveys a strong and authentic mood. The environment is towering, merciless, menacing, embodying childhood fears. The only human interaction is hostile and wordless, and the feel of loneliness is prevalent. The one incidence of text in the game is a sparking electric sign "HOTEL" in the rain whose letters we are forced to climb across. Everything is foreboding, wordless, ambiguous, shadowed, looming. Yet even in the darkest depths of the most menacing abstract machinery, a tiny butterfly can be found, and the most profound feeling of hope and tranquility in this dark and lonely world. As I play this game it invites me to stop and listen to the silent ambiance, look at this silent boy staring at the heavens and contemplate.
Sean

Limbo
Play Dead 2010
Xbox 360, PC, Mac
Limbo shows among many other games how what setting and ambiance can do in an interactive medium. We play a boy in a very dark and hostile enviorment, and get a small hint to find a girl. Everything else told by exploring, which is a very pleasing experiance in a game that looks and sounds so good.
Joakim Jonsson

Little Big Planet
Media Molecule, 2008
Playstation 3
The create creating and designing aspect of the game lets player tap into there creative half of the brain as well as the half which focuses on mechanics and logic. The tutorials are there to help understand the physics, levers, switches etc. of the game mechanics. This allow players to learn the world then apply it to meet a creative vision of a level. The second entry of the game gave player vastly more freedom to manipulate and create more intricately.
Eduardo Serna

Little Big Planet
Media Molecule 2008
Playstation 3
The ability to create your own levels is what made Little Big Planet so special and popular. There are over 6 millions user gerenated levels and many of them are very creative.
Diego Loli

Little King's Story
Cing Town Factory
Nintendo Wii
The game takes the player on a journey of colonialism. From Land of Hope and Glory cheerily introducing the menu screen, the Little King of the title is simply told to conquer the Onii lands because the natives there are different and primitive and gamers undertake this mission as they would any other game objective.
Unfortunately, the game didn't exactly sell, the name, platform and box art putting 'the average gamer off' but has become a cult classic and a game that very subtly has lessons to teach about racism, colonialism, power and propaganda and by playing as the oppressor you can't help but question what makes you continue to play.
Cunzy1 1

Longest Journey, The/ Dreamfall
Ragnar Tørnquist 1999/2007
PC + xbox (dreamfall)
The longest journey is a series spanning 2 worlds following the life of April Ryan. The story is well thought out and provoking, and no about fighting or shooting . It uses simple puzzles such as the clothes line and rubber ducky, to more complex ones later in the game. It is humourous, with lots of environments all beautifully created, interesting dialogue and interesting characters. It creates a dialogue which rises to an ususpecting end, it keeps you on your toes. When you finish you actually feel something.
In dreamfall the main character changes to zoe castillo, but the 2 worlds of science and magic still prevail and the main story surrounds that of an all encompassing evil corporation. It has some unnecessary fights but still keeps its' heart. Both games provoke emotion and are as good as any 4 hour book.
Hayley Morris

Lost Odyssey
Mistwalker 2008
Xbox 360
Lost Odyssey manages to bring real emotion and seriousness to the medieval-magic fantasy world. It's the tale of Kaim, an imortal warrior who has lived over a thousand years. The game shows how immortality is not allways a blessing.
In various points of the story, Kaim unlocks some hidden memories presented in the form of wonderfull writen shortstories that are among the most serious and mature forms of fantasy writing I have ever encountered
Fbh

Loved
Alexander Ocias - 2010
Macromedia Flash
Loved' is a platformer about a relationship. Is it a healthy one? How does conformity factor into the equation? Is it love? And if so, what kind?

'Loved' is an experience that takes advantage of games' main strength: interactivity. Actions in the game world are distinct choices, and are fully supportive of the game's narrative. Playing is less a matter of reaching the end as of experiencing the journey.

'Loved' asks meaningful questions and gives no answers. In the end, what we take from the game is how we interpret it.
Henson

M.U.L.E.
Electronic Arts, 1983
Various
A brilliant quasi-co-op multi-player game, a frenetic strategy game, a lesson in basic economics, a clever social commentary, and the rightful heir to Lizzie Magie's original version of Monopoly that's paid tribute to in Starcraft II. What more could you want?
Jesse Fuchs

Mafia: The City of Lost Heaven
Illusion Softworks, 2002
PC
Mafia was one of the first games that really had a meaningful story touching on mature themes. The main character, Tommy Angelo, wasn't just a bad-ass hero with a big gun - he was a "good bad guy", deep, multi-faceted person with doubts and weaknesses, the one player really cared. In the beginning of the game Tommy was a taxi-driver, and we needed to spend some time behind the wheel feeling the routine nature of the job by ourselves. Then we stepped into crime world of the 30' with gang wars, shiny cars and stylish hats, and we lived a life of a man who wanted to get wealth and respect, but had to sacrifice something more for that.
Mafia is a story of friendship, treason and true love, an epic tale about humanity and the balance of life. It's a well-written movie-like experience about things that matter. And it's an open world game that showed the way for many others.

Ivan Osenkov

Marathon: Infinity
Bungie/Double Aught, 1996
Mac, PC
Many games are highly-referential. Some games are self-aware. Marathon: Infinity, however, was both. The previous installments had been remarkably brainy--compelling a wide variety of highly-intelligent people, like scientists and educators, to delve into the series' depths and learn all they could. Links were found to scientific papers, histories, and mythologies. Details were hidden within apparently irrelevant bits of code. Never before or since have I seen a series so rigorously examined, much less found one that so richly rewarded the people who explored it. I've seen many attempts, but nothing anywhere near as stuffed with such attention to detail.

Infinity took all that to the next level, using enigmatic, seemingly-unrelated bits of narration both to examine the mind of the antagonist, Durandal, and to explore the player's relationship to the game. The game's ending screen is Durandal's admission that he can never escape the game--he thought himself the master, but it was you, the player, who was ultimately the game's destiny.
Rick B

Mario Paint
Nintendo 1996
SNES
Mario Paint literally let you create music. While some might argue it's not a game (I wouldn't), nobody would argue that its core design was meant to encourage the player to be creative and artistic.
Sure, it wasn't the most comprehensive creativity tool ever made, but the real secret to creation, whether it's paint or cooking or music, comes from being able to make the best out of what you're given, and Mario Paint gave us a brilliant set of ingredients.

I could drone on about the game itself, but the proof is in the pudding----a quick online search for Mario Paint music or art instantly results in thousands of absolutely incredible masterpieces and "how did he do that" images, all done with a simple mouse or controller.
Grey Thompson

Mass Effect (1-3)
Bioware 2007-2012
Xbox 360, PS3, PC
Mass effect is one of the great examples of what interactive mediums can accomplish other media cannot. Where chooses always matters. It's creative universe were mankind is just a tiny fraction of the the rest of the universe. A universe that may seem hostile, but often tends to be as hostile as mankind itself.
Joakim Jonsson

Mass effect (1, 2 and 3)
Bioware, Mass effect 1(2007), Mass Effect 2(2010), Mass Effect 3(2012)
Xbox 360, PC, PS3
Mass Effect is a game that delivers a story like no other. During the three different extremely deep games you fall in love with the characters and almost break into tears when they die. This "game" is better than any movie you will ever see. It is definitely not dumb. It is a work of art.
Ivar Olesk

Mass Effect 3
BioWare 2012
PC, XBOX 360 and PS3
It is an artistic game in that it forces you to drive the narrative in your own way, carrying over your decisions and the personality of the protagonist that is developed as you make these decisions and take actions. It is open-ended, and it is one of the most immense games this decade, bringing to an end a spectacular trilogy that can match Star Wars or Star Trek any day in terms of depth and immersion and just pure realism.

Despite the controversy with this game's ending, I think that the vague ending adds to the artistic charm of the game as you can think up and imagine how your choices and actions helped shape the future. You can guess and think over how the new world will be and how you helped the world get there. The experience is like nothing that we have ever had before (or will ever have beyond the genre of games, as you just don't get quality interactive stories in any other medium whatsoever).
Kazi Tamjeed Newaz

Mass Effect 3
Bioware (3/6/2012)
PS3, Xbox 360, PC
A dense sci-fi universe that draws from the best (Star Trek, Star Wars, Battlestar Galactica, et. al.), which delves into intricate topics such as: the psychological trauma of soldiers in a warzone; racism; biological warfare inducing systematic infertility;The Singularity of synthetic intelligence; and mass genocide. It does this all through a moral choice system which leaves these lofty problems with no right or wrong answers on the shoulders of the player, making them come to very difficult decisions with very immediate consequences.

Furthermore, while this series has also started a kerfuffle for its use of sex as part of a romantic tangent in the narrative, these scenes are used sparingly, and are handled with great care, maturity, and tact as one would find in any PG-13 movie. Equally important, these relationships are extremely balanced, and do not discriminate, allowing for expression of both homosexual and heterosexual relationships.
Chris Fox

Mass Effect 3
BioWare 2012
Xbox 360, Playstation 3, PC
I'm going to also divide this up in two sections of art and narrative.

Art- How is it not? Countless people spent hours upon hours of working in front of a computer thinking, "How can we make this game look beautiful?" I don't just mean the graphics or level layouts, I mean the feeling that the game creates when you walk into the Citadel, the main hub of operations, and see refugees scattered around sobbing and attempting to help others by just being there for them. It's a beautiful thing when a game pulls out emotions by using environment actions and NPC add ons that make the game art more in-depth.

Narrative- The narrative is one of the best out there when it comes to intellectually sophisticated. The plot spans over three games, and in each one they [BioWare] have to think of how the plot can transition smoothly but still keep it's emotional balance. You can have close relations with all of your squadmates, as well as other NPC's from the past Mass Effect's. You gain this sense of attachment to each character as you learn of backgrounds of your squadmates as well as their own personal stories. In end game, you come face to face with the Catalyst, the means to end it all. It tells you how you can end it so simply, but by ending it simply it would leave so many repurcussions that you aren't able to actually make a "simple" choice.
Keith Nicely

Mass Effect Series
Bioware (2007-2012)
Xbox 360
A large entity in videogame franchises, well-established critically and in sales. Like most videogames, marketed as an action oriented simulation of agency and empowerment. This series' gameplay is actually centered around building relations, actively investigating character motivations and learning about the fictional universe. The murder simulation serves to draw players into this and offers a fun distraction to inflate the game's length.

Balancing as many storylines as any three seasons of a good, complex television show, this is also one of the few mainstream science fiction stories for our times. It deals with current ecological crises, current political climates, our individualised lifestyles and the boundaries between people, the implications of the current rate of technological development, and more. All this in a thought-provoking and engaging manner for players seeking different levels of artistic and intellectual sophistication.
Michel Ottens

Mass Effect Series
Bioware 2007-2009
Xbox 360, PS3, PC
The Mass Effect Series not only forces players to make decisions but forces them to live with those decisions. This creates an introspection dynamic that we don't see in games very often. To me, art is something that allows you to look inside yourself and think about how you feel. Mass Effect not only does this but it also creates a mechanism to see different paths and undertakings and how things might be different had you done something else. Being able to do that requires a high level of intelligence and sophistication on the parts of everyone involved.
Cade Carnahan

Mass Effect Series
BioWare, 2007 - 2012
PS3, Xbox 360, PC
This series of games features many interesting moments, from watching the characters arcs of various squad mates change and evolve over the course of the game to watching as the world itself is affected by the players choices and the diverges in main story available. Playing the game and experiencing the story can bring about many different kinds of emotions for players and fans of the series, which stems from the fantastic music and cinematography used to punctuate an especially powerful scene.

Shepard themselves can be considered a work of art as each Shepard is different, they have different motivations, backgrounds and look different. Each Shepard likes different crew mates and treats them accordingly and each Shepard forges a path unlike any another Shepard might. This ability to make a story on your own, to feel the world move on despite or due to actions you do or do not take is something that one can't find in other games. Watching as the player as Shepard influences the development of his or her crew is satisfying and when it comes to the end and you have to watch the outcome, for better or worse, you will feel emotions attached to that.
Kimberlee DaRosa

Mass Effect Series: 1-3
Bioware 2007-2012
PC, Xbox 360, Playstation3
The Mass Effect universe is deep and complex, comparable to any popular science fiction universes to date (Star Trek, Star Wars, etc). It has richly defined lore, species, locations, and characters. The story is impeccable, with Mass Effect 3 being the first video game in my memory to use manipulative psychology to such a jarring degree (so much so that it is still sinking in with the general gaming population). The choices are yours, as is the fate of your character. The implications of seemingly galactic battles run far deeper than anything you are told up front, but you have to win your own mental battle to see that. A truly brilliant series that has affected me like no form of media ever has before.
Ariel Banks

Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne
Remedy, 2003
Windows
Max Payne 2 is a strange beast. For Max it must be an incredibly sinister, rainy and hopeless trip. For the player its pure, unadulterated fun and a hell of a good time.

Technically with its graphics and physics it was 10 years ahead of its time (that's a long time in computer games), so it aged beautifully. The soothing, earwormy music always fits the scene perfectly, so does the band 'Poets of the Fall'. Sam Lake's (simulation of) writing is witty, deep and rings paynefully true, though it consists entirely of (a self-reflective parody of) pulp fiction. Comic relief works not ONCE over the course of the game; the symbolism rarely makes any sense, told by an maso-solipsist narrator through a cobweb of painkillers (there's also a good measure of Schadenfreude involved). What adds to his downfall is that our tragic hero is also a hopeless romantic. And then there's a constant shift of moods like labyrinth nightmares, unfunny TV-parodies and the equally rainy comic tableaus. And when Max' journey comes to the end, you might have learned something significant about life. A game with not one false note about it.
Lil

Metal Gear Solid
Konami Computer Entertainment Japan ; 1998
Playstation
Metal Gear Solid was a smart and intellectual game because of the way it forced players to assume the role of the main character and think about what they had to do to complete the mission. Not only did it introduce sneaking and hiding as a main "weapon" against the enemy, it forced players to make decisions about where to go, what to do, and who to kill.
Kojima also delivered a vibrant, rich, story filled with fanciful characters and a great plot.
Metal Gear Solid is also smart because of the focus it has on nuclear warheads and weapons and deterrents. Its story showed that simply owning a lot of nuclear weapons does not make a country a good deterrent, in fact it makes it more of a target. The story made players think about what could have happened if we had simply stopped building nukes during the cold war, and what nuclear weapons could mean for modern wars today.
Jason

Metal Gear Solid
Konami Computer Entertainment Japan, 1998
Playstation (PSOne)
The game's overarching storyline deals with the consequences of the Cold War era, and highlights the issue of how Nuclear Disarmament has yet to make any major strides forward (an issue that even today has yet to be fully addressed). In addition, it is one of the world's first cinematic, narrative driven video game, taking a cinematic approach to storytelling and game play. Finally, the game itself is notorious for scripted action scenes where the player must realize that he or she must utilize ingenious methods in order to progress the story (going so far as to physically re-arrange their hardware set-up).
Brian Patrick Dunn

Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty
Konami, 2001
PS2 (Multi)
MGS2 is smart because of its central theme: our misplaced trust in technology and information in the modern era. This message was even used as part of the pre-release publicity--early playable demos featured Solid Snake as the primary protagonist, only for the purpose of pulling a bait-and-switch a few hours into the full game by replacing Snake with Raiden.

This theme plays heavily in the latter half of the game's plot, which is filled with several big revelations that serve to further hammer the point: we cannot implicitly trust the technology we use or the information we gain from it. Buried underneath Kojima's idiosyncratic directorial flair is a cautionary tale for the Information Age.
M. J. Marcus

Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
Kojima Productions
Playstation 2
Metal Gear Solid 3 took the action game convention of the 'boss battle' and proceeded to subvert, expand, and reinvent it to the point that it delighted and thrilled me. But it wasn't that which made it great, it was the game's capacity to provoke concentrated thought on the circumstances I found myself in. I questioned the consequences of my actions when confronting "The Sorrow", and tested my skills and strategies against "The End" to the limit, in a cerebral manner I have rarely experienced in a game. Each boss had a theme and it was a great example of weaving that narrative theme into the very structural fabric of the game.
Olly Skillman-Wilson

Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
Kojima Productions; 2004
Playstation 2
All Metal Gear Solid games have a central "theme." Metal Gear Solid 1's theme was "Gene," and how the genetic makeup of a person influences who they are. MGS2 addressed "Meme," and how ideas and actions can be inflenced by other people and a given setting, regardless of their relation to the person being influenced. Metal Gear Solid 3's focus is "Scene," or rather how a given environment, no matter how influential, is always subject to change, and therefore all the perspectives of everyone within are relative to the current state of the given environment surrounding them. This is refered to simply as "the times" and how they change.

That said, there are two reasons why the "Scene" theme of MGS3 is so impactful.

Firstly, given the time period of the game itself, the Cold War, MGS3 is allowed to provide a discussion (and if you wish to look into it deeper, a criticism) of the dynamics of the conflict between the United States and the Soviet Union, and the ultimate importance of nuclear technology, economic ideology, as well as both the arms and space races.

Secondly, Metal Gear Solid 3 is something of a "meta-"response to the criticisms of Metal Gear Solid 2. Unlike it's predecessor, MGS3 didn't have a story that intentionally criticized the player and his/her expectations of what a sequel should be. Despite the very sophisticated and impactful messages of MGS2, it was met with harsh criticism and threats of fans "abandoning the series." The "times" dictated that, if Kojima wished to maintain his fanbase, needed to not necessarily create a less complex game, but one that didn't purposfully alienate fans.

And he did just that.
Thomas

Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
Konami: 2004
Playstation 2
Set in a fictional Cold War history, Snake Eater grappels with the idea of how far a person is willing to commit for their cause. The cause is the propogation of the ideals created by a person's country and the ultimate sacrifice for those ideals. In a very similar "Dark Knight" fashion, it asks the player, are you willing to become the villan to keep what you believe in alive? It isn't merely a fun take on the Cold War with robots but an actual thought-provoking stimulus on questionion ones morality.
Jacob Athey

Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
Konami 2008
Playstation 3
It has been called flawless, it has been named one of the greatest games ever made, and it is on countless top lists of critics around the world. This game is more than action, more than drama -- it is a wholly engrossing story that is funny, tense, and poignant, often times all at once. Each character is unforgettable, from the aging, world-weary protagonist "Old Snake", to a sheltered little girl "Sunny" yearning to find out what the world is really like even as it appears to be crumbling under the weight of perpetual warfare, and even the frightening yet sublimely gorgeous "Beauties" you confront and battle throughout the story. The game honors its roots and its fans while still innovating and adding new mechanics to change up gameplay for the better. The art direction is stunning, especially the locations in which you complete your missions. Whether it was a war-torn middle eastern city or a jungle humming with the sounds of wildlife, often times I found myself studying guard patrol patterns only to get completely lost in the beautiful landscapes -- the sights AND the sounds.

With MGS4, you're not watching a movie and you're not playing a game -- you're LIVING the experience, and by the end of it all, you are inevitably changed in one way or another.
Carlos Rios

Metro 2033
4A Games, 2010
Xbox 360, PC
Metro 2033 is an outstanding technological achievement because it organically encourages a player's exploration of in-game environments. The need to scavenge for ammunition and supplies, the non-linear level design, and the lack of an obtrusive HUD reward the slow and and careful exploration of in-game environments. This modification of play style is reflected through the game's themes of contemplation, consideration of other people's perspectives, and tolerance.
Carlton Fleenor

Metroid Prime
Nintendo/Retro Studios 2002
Gamecube
Metroid Prime wasn't the first great First Person video game, but it was the first one to challenge the boundries of what a First Person video game could be. Though your silent heroine, Samus, weilds a weapon, critics still debate to this day whether or not the game can rightfully be called a "shooter." Because first and foremost, it is a game that is more interested in creating a profound and chilling sense of isolation and dread than it is creating a compelling gunfight.

There are almost no cutscenes in Metroid Prime, and yet its story and mythology is some of the most compelling in gaming. Samus is equipped with a "scanning visor" that allows her to scan any object, plant or alien in her environment and obtain information about it; and as a result, the story of the mysterious alien planet you're isolated on is not told, it's discovered--and its discovered entirely through silent gameplay; through environmental scans, through information found in computer databases, through the bodies of dead aliens. With some of the most stunning, intricate art direction in the history of the medium and some of the most cleverly designed puzzles, Metroid Prime is a wholly engrossing experience in every aspect of its gameplay.
Jacob Crites

Metroid Prime
Retro Studios 2002
Gamecube
Metroid Prime took a series that I was familiar with and enjoyed and took it to an entirely new direction. Each area that you explore is beautifully done, from both a design aspect and graphically. It wasn't all visual however. Each area had character, the music was beautiful and really set the tone throughout the entire game. I still listen to the soundtrack and when I am stressed out and can't sleep, the "Downed Frigate" theme calms me down and I fall asleep by the end of the song. The narrative in this game is also brilliantly done. There is no spoken dialog in the entire game. Still you learn more about the world as you explore and "scan" logs by different factions. You understand what drives your enemies, and learn about an extinct race that once inhabited the planet. Looking through the eyes of the silent protagonist one thing that this game excelled at was drawing out the players emotions. There were time where I felt genuinely scared or surprised when facing strange new enemies, more confidence as I gained a new ability, fatigue as you finish a long, difficult boss battle, or awe as you explore the world around you and learn it's secrets. This game is definitely not your typical first person shooter.
Jesse

Metroid Prime
Retro Studios, 2002
Gamecube
Despite being almost 10 years old, Metroid Prime still holds up as one of the most immersive digitall experiences ever made. Disguised as a first person shooter, Prime is actually a first person puzzle platformer in more ways than one, much like the famed Portal.

The game shines in its pure isolation and atmosphere; not once in its length do you run into another creature who can communicate with you. With its lush alien environments on a dying planet, one sees crumbling beauty in a shattered world, whose history isn't told to the player; it must be found, scanned, read and interpreted for its poetic and literal content. The game casts Samus, a woman, as the lead, but doesn't emphasize sex, gender or gender roles. The only part of her that is shown (she is in a metal suit) is her eyes, which can only be seen on the reflection of her (your) visor when a bright flash whizzes by your head. What's amazing is her eyes are dynamic, matching the danger and stress that the player is in, despite this effect being extremely rare.
Jack Vanoudenaren

Minecraft
Mojang 2012
PC Xbox 360
While allowing the use of building blocks to create structures, essentially creating a blank canvas, Minecrafts's single player survival component also serves as an interesting statement on what someone would do in a world without others to communicate with.
Malavale

Minecraft
Mojang
PC
This game has united people across the earth in building the craziest cities, structures, and other gigantic monuments almost to the scale of the character itself. This game allows people to design and coordinate such a degree of creativity online and make something that people can be proud of and excited to play in and explore. There is almost nothing in real life that Minecraft can't replicate. This game allows people to express creativity and have fun while doing it.

I would also like to mention the red stone system. People have made working calculators in Minecraft using this system and that sir, takes some brains.
J.Poirier

Minecraft
Mojang, Full Official Release November 18 2011
Java platform, Java applet, Android, iOS, Xbox 360
When I say that Minecraft is one of the greatest games I have ever played, I don't mean it has fast paced action-packed combat, nor does it have an epic story with numerous memorable characters, for it has none of the above. What it does have is a near limitless world where you can design and almost anything you could ever imagine and then improve it with a rudimentary wiring system known as "redstone".

No game has ever come close to doing for me what Minecraft can. From building scale models of entire cities or designing my own massive castles and kingdoms, no other game has inspired me to imagine so much, or even come close to giving me such a creative outlet. I've lost count of how many hours I've spent creating entire kingdoms complete with houses, shops, fortresses and castles, to accompany whatever story I'm writing at the time. It's something special to be able to build almost anything you can imagine.
Tucker C

Minecraft
Mojang 2009 (Alpha)
PC/Smartphone
Yes, a creativity toy like Minecraft can be used to make something horribly juvenile (see Yahtzee's video on it, ) but it can also be used to create a fully functioning graphing calculator, scale models of Middle Earth, and elaborate 3D pixel art. While some might not consider it a "game," in the traditional sense of linear FPS or the grandest RPGs, it's still played for enjoyment but a huge audience filled with vastly different demographics.

Minecraft is a shining example of what can be done to take gaming away from the same old song and dance. It inspires and entertains in ways belied by its simplistic graphic style (which can be improved by one of the many thousands of HD graphic packs created by talent users.) That graphing calculator I mentioned? Yeah, that actually exists in Minecraft, built inside the game out of redstone circuitry. So does that scale model of Middle Earth. These are massive projects built by brilliant people using Minecraft as a medium for their art. If that doesn't strike your fancy, how about playing through an epic adventure map written by another gamer?
Lindsey W.

Minecraft
Mojang 2011
PC, Android, iOS, Xbox 360
While at first glance Minecraft might seem rather tame, the upper limit of artistic and intellectual expression is arguably nonexistent. In the "survival" game mode, one is challenged to build structures that enable their survival from simple houses and farms to complex railways, mines, and mansions. In "creative" mode, one can create complex pixel art, build immense structures, or even create a primitive computer using the "redstone" mechanics. A world in Minecraft is procedurally generated - so there is literally no limit to how much you can build. Enthusiasts have built complex structures from 1:1 scale models of the USS Enterprise - and you simply must consider building a computer to be "intellectually sophisticated."
Andrew Gleeson

Minesweeper
Various developers dating back to the 1960's
Comes installed with every version of windows
Most versions of minesweeper are minimalist in visualization allowing you to focus on the the logic and probability puzzle that is the game. The hardest levels of Minesweeper will often present the player with a spin on Schrodinger's Cat because the last two tiles often have an equal chance containing or not containing a mine.

Minesweeper is in good company as other math based puzzles that were turned into a video game include Tetris (based on a russian wood block puzzle using the same shapes) and Sudoku (which is relatively unchanged from the pen and paper version other than being more accessible).
Jeff Alexander

Monkey Island
Lucas Arts/Telltale Games
PC, Mac, PS2 and other platforms
One of the games that defined the "Point and click adventure" genre with great story-telling, humor and loveable characters.
Mayank

Monkey island 3
TellTale Games 1997
PC
Monkey island: The curse of monkey island is a game that is primarily about comedy value and wit. The characters are eccentric, the plot is imaginative and the environments richly creative.
Despite being a comedy title, it cannot be played by a moron. The game requires abstract thinking and problem solving skills in order to figure out how to complete each task. You are given a simple objective to complete, but no help in figuring this out.
I play this game because I like to be challenged, I like to see imaginative and creative environments, and I also like to laugh. Laughter is the reward for my problem solving skills.
Paul Jones

Monkey Island IV
LucasArts - 2000
PC/PS2/PSN
Monkey Island is a well known saga around the world. From his beginnings on PC to remakes/ports on console, this could be considerer a brainy game indeed. A clear example on Maonkey Island IV: at the first chapter in the game the way to cheat the catapult engineer is a really tough work to think about it.
gray

Monster Girl Quest
Torotoro Resistance
PC
Monster girl quest borders reality with its adventures of a young hero named Luka. The reason I believe this game is smart, is due to the choices that are made during the progression of the game. The protagonist goes against what he is taught and raised to believe so that humans and monsters can coexist. Many of these scenarios delve deeper into political contrasts of the real world, with a lot of focus on racism and in some scenarios, slavery.

The game can change ones thoughts about such a subject through subtlety during playthrough, that you end up thinking about the overall subject matter hours after playing the game.
Romathius

Mother 3
Brownie Brown 2006
Gameboy Advance
This games is so smart that the publisher didn't think Americans would get it. This game took a whole community of dedicated fans to translate it and make it the best it could possibly be for fans of the series and genre.

The story is about a young boy who loses his mother and his brother then goes missing. He then meets with many new friends who help him reach his goal and stop the evil corporation who is behind the downfall of humanity and the materialism they come to love.
Shane Akos - al_ien5000

Mother 3
2006, Nintendo, Shigesato Itoi, Brownie Brown
Gameboy Advance
This game really focuses on music and dialogue to really drive home the storyline which is the deepest I have ever personally experienced from a video game and something unexpected due to the game's childish appearance. Appearances aside, the game takes the player through a roller coaster of emotions using clever pop culture references and witty remarks to lighten the mood and keep the player laughing only to shock them with the surprisingly tragic disasters that befall the game's main protagonist . It offers challenging real-time strategic turn based game-play with an added layer of rhythm mechanics that vary on the songs playing while in a confrontation with an enemy. The sheer amount of music and changing dialogue in this game should be an indication that it was not meant to be a quick, crudely made game solely to make huge profits. The game rewards players who slow down and take in the experience it offers. Players will find that characters personalities and reactions are surprisingly human and if they give the game a chance they will also find that playing this game is like playing the through the pages of a book, with an audio/visual bonus.
Eddie F.

Mother 3
Nintendo, 2006
Game Boy Advance
Mother 3 is a role playing game from a top-down perspective. Its simple graphics and charming/ cute character designs are misleading. Despite its bright color palette and cartoony looks, (much like Up or any other heart-wrenching Disney offering,) it manages to move the player deeply, and does so often, with its themes of family loss and the dangers of mass consumerism. Its strange-but-sweet sense of humor is only matched by its emotional resonance.

The game opens as cute as can be, with the player cast as a small family that lives in a desert town. Before the credits can roll, the mother of this family is killed protecting her two boys. Moments before the title "Mother 3" appears (after about 30 minutes of playing,) the boys' father, Flint, discovers the knowledge of his wife's death. He picks up a plank off the ground and starts attacking the villagers around him in front of his sons. Despite the games simple graphics, this scene manages to make many (if not most) players cry, using its mastery of pixel art and digital music to evoke a feeling of deep sympathy and sadness in the player. For this moment alone the game deserves its merits, but that is only in the first half hour. Later in the story, the game introduces themes of gender, sexuality and technology vs. nature.
Jack Vanoudenaren

Mount and Blade: Warband
Tale Worlds 2012
PC
It's not your typical hack and slash action game. It large tries to recreate the feel of living in a medieval world surrounded by war and an uncaring, stuck-up nobility who'd rather have tournaments and feasts than protect their villages from raid and slaughter.
C. Willingham

Myst
Cyan 1991
Mac, PC and everything else.
Myst is a video game designed purely for the intellectual. It's gameplay combines massive puzzles, beautiful computer generate landscapes, and music that lulls the user away from everything real. The puzzles are nestled perfectly into the crafted landscapes, and appear so natural to the environment its clear why this game was the seed of evolution for many games to follow.
The game progresses in difficulty, and elevates to a level of complexity that could only exist in a virtual world.
The games story is pieced together by the user as a reward for logical progress, and does not disappoint in the last hour.
Frig

Myst
Cyan Worlds, Inc - 1993
Mac OS, Sega Saturn, PlayStation, 3DO, Microsoft Windows, Atari Jaguar CD, PlayStation Portable, Nintendo DS, iOS, Nintendo 3DS
"Myst was cryptic, unique, and full of a graphical splendor that was part Salvador Dalí and part Jules Verne's The Mysterious Island - with a bit of the myths of C. S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien thrown in for good measure. There was nothing to shot. There were few words spoken by the characters. There was no linear story. The gamer wasn't asked to be the hero. Initially, players had no idea what the hell was going on, what the hell to do, or how the hell to progress in Myst. [...] Myst was generally inscrutable unless you bought a step-by-step instruction book for an extra $10 or $20.
[...] Many of its twenty-six musical compositions were lulling and ambient[...]. Part of your mind was frantic and frustrated, trying to figure out the solutions (without the hint book), while another part prevented teeth gnashing and mouse throwing because it was being soothed by the kind of music you hear in a yoga class."

GOLDBERG, Harold - All your base are belong to us
Alex Hesseborn

Myst III: Exile
Presto Studios, May 7, 2001
Mac OS, Microsoft Windows, Xbox, PlayStation 2
i love this game to death, it almost requires the player to be observant and take notes, its one of the few games i would fill half a graph paper note book full of diagrams and notes to be able to solve some of the puzzles.
Ryan Bishop

Myst Online: Uru Live
Cyan Worlds - 2003
PC
A puzzle-adventure game where the primary drivers were community and exploration. While it may have been a critical and financial flop, the story was engaging and introspective. A (generally) nonviolent conflict was fought between equally sympathetic factions, and it was left up to the players to decide for themselves who (if anyone) was in the right. When the game came online, players themselves contributed to the story, and made it their own. The entire Myst series has fantastically rich lore, but this game allowed players to play as themselves, and actually become a part of the lore itself.

With an emphasis on the journey, rather than the destination, Uru's worlds were beautiful, but clouded over an ugly truth. The beauty of each world that was visited was built on the backs of slaves. Players were invited to look behind the curtain, to know what really went on behind the scenes of the beautiful things they were seeing. They were asked to think on hubris, humility, greed, power, control, and the value of life. And at the end, players were asked to return what was given to them. To quote Yeesha, "we are shaping D'ni. We will mold what comes after. We cannot keep the power and the pride from ruining this new D'ni, but we can prepare those who will read between the lines."
Max V

Myst Series
Cyan Worlds (1993-2005)
PC
There are many worlds, each divided and contained within themselves and all possessing architectural and natural beauty, then given a sense of perpetual mystery and wonder when one sees that these places are infused with puzzles; then one finally realizes the purity of achieving the goal when they witness how these tasks don't feel superfluous but actually convey their value with a seamless sense of importance: that they are actually integral to the very existence of each world, that each problem isn't an excuse for thought to extend the use of these products but are a genuinely legitimate obstacle to the final goal. Animals, stunning examples of variety and fantasy in the many environments, and journeys for freedom and love are employed for fulfilling the ultimate task of ending the consternation of a myriad worlds and bringing resolution to the people who relate to these creations. The narrative is a wealth of emotion and reason to pursue a needed end and ties together the variety that makes each place worth experiencing.
Michael Ujwary

Myst series
Cyan World (1991-2005)
PC/Mac
I take the series as a whole.
Every game makes you feel like you actually travel in another place that can feel real at times. Not to mention the effort that went into the creation of the D'ni civilisation.
Strong mind bending puzzles that always have a root in the consistent logic of the worlds depicted. Character driven stories that get you involved in their unraveling.And most of all : no gun ! Not even any real violence to speak of, yet it still makes a fascinating experience !
Benoit Franck

NetHack
Nethack DevTeam (Independent) 1987 - present
Multiple Computer
One of the deepest most thoroughly interactive games ever made. Notorious for its difficulty, NetHack has been in continual development for 25 years. Its procedurally generated environment allows for endlessly variable replayability, and the number of means to any given end is staggering.
Aaron Feinstein

Nier
Cavia 2010
PS3
Nier is a smart game in dumb clothing. It certainly has its flaws, but I think it illustrates the way in which even the blockbuster-analogue releases show the glimmerings of insight. On its first playthrough, it is a standard action game featuring some lighthearted references to various other game genres and a plot chock full of of some of the most common, mid-brain stoking videogame cliches: a hero--accompanied by a motley collection of sidekicks, including an attractive woman sidekick dressed literally in her underwear--slaughters countless inhuman monsters while on a quest to save a loved one. On the second playthrough, all of those cliches are subverted in meaningful ways. Spoilers are inevitable in explaining how and, consequently, this is the last safe sentence if you care to avoid them.

You learn that your eye-candy sidekick is intersex and that victory is impossible as, in order for your daughter from the main plot to survive, your daughter from the prologue must die. More importantly, by revealing the motivations of the bosses you have fought (usually to protect those they love, the same as yours) and that the monsters are humans (wonder why the small ones drop toys and schoolbags?), you learn that you may be the villain. What's more, your fatal flaw (hamartia even?) is also your virtue; if you are a villain, it is because of your capacity for paternal love. Yes, its all a bit melodramatic, but it reveals an artistic purpose for which videogames are uniquely well suited; to remove the distance between reader and protagonist, thereby leading us to empathize totally with a perspective and make ourselves complicit in its sins.
Sean

No More Heroes
Grasshopper Manufacture, 2008
Wii (also available on PS3)
Goichi Suda's "No More Heroes" is the essential postmodern video game. The play mechanics and structure of the title are all built around portraying Suda's ultimate self-reflexive message about the lifestyle of the modern gamer. Though NMH's violent narrative of a cocky, foul mouthed nerd who climbs his way to the top of an international pecking order of elite assassins seems torn from the pages of a base pulp comic, the game's true intelligence shines through when this trite story is compared with the interactive way in which it is told.

The majority of protagonist Travis Touchdown's time is spent exploring a dull, lifeless city, and performing numerous odd jobs (in the form of repetitive min-games), in the hopes of saving up enough to cash to pay the steep entry fees for the game's over-the-top assassin battles. NMH received a lot of critical backlash for how boring the exploration and job portions of the game were as compared to the stylish fights. This dichotomy, however, is at the core of Suda's postmodern message about the structure of a gamer’s everyday experiences. A video game fan must live life in the real world from day-to-day, and go to school or work before he can engage with his favorite hobby. Reality can be dull and uneventful when compared to the action-packed, stylish, and vibrant worlds of our favorite games. “No More Heroes” emulates this life-structure with its play mechanics by forcing Travis to endure monotony in order to earn brief forays into a realm of exciting stimulus. The ultimate irony comes from the player spending his hard-earned leisure time to play a title that emulates the high-and-low structure of his or her own life.
Chris Caskie

Nobunaga's Ambition
Koei 1987
NES
Basically a game where you can choose scenarios from feudal Japan. The basis is that you unite Japan under one ruler. You can be Oda Nobunaga or depending on the scenario from 7 - 49 other characters. Gameplay requires that you build your fiefs strength so that you may take over other fiefs, but you need to maintain each fief and decide what its purpose will be.

You also have to maintain the loyalty of you generals and troops, plus they need to be paid, armed, and trained to oppose invaders or be conquerors themselves. You have to also manage the tax and the upkeep of the fiefs, whether it is by building, farming, damming(to avoid flooding). The game requires a lot thinking for every turn that you take.
Tim Moran

Norrland
Jonatan "Cactus" Söderström (2010)
PC (Freeware)
Norrland is a game about hunting in the woods. Grab your rifle, your fishing rod, and set out on adventure - just you and nature! Hunt small game for sport and collect mushrooms, but watch out for attacking bears! You'll tend to your thirst, hunger, and other needs through quick minigames. When you set up camp for the night, though, where will your imagination take you?

Norrland is a game about videogame commentary. These minigame mechanics are really starting to get bothersome, aren't they? Is it really adding to your experience to have to swat away flies from your arm? Or repeatedly smash a button to take a drink? Why are you hunting bears and collecting mushrooms if you can't even use them? This game is starting to feel like a collect-em-up mashed with hollow, inconsequential game mechanics.

Norrland is a game about slowly-creeping dread. This hunting trip has lasted several days and nothing practically useful has come of it. In fact, it's starting to seem like the purpose of the trip has been to kill as many living things as possible. Even taking a piss is a mechanic for killing ants. The nightly dreams are becoming less abstract and more outrightly disturbing. What sort of person person are you controlling? How can he remain cheerful and excited when going through this experience?

Norrland is a game about an interactive psychological character study. We can see a deep existential boredom in the character's actions even from the very beginning of the game. The minigames and the actions performed in them are more than hollow, they're lifeless. In controlling the character, we go through the motions of enjoyable activities--experiencing a nice view from the top of a tree, going fishing, and even sex--but any quality of satisfaction is stripped from them. We also take part in experiencing the deeply disturbed subconscious of the character, which makes his trivial and empty actions all the more unsettling.

Norrland is a game about a question: how much of my own life could be seen as empty, tedious, devoid of satisfaction?
Seth

Octagon Theory, The
M&D Enterprise Ltd., 2011
iOS, Flash, Android
Like Chess, The Octagon Theory is a two-player perfect information game. The board can have up to 96 possible moves. Each player, in turn, can make one move. A player can choose from one weak piece (unlimited number) or from three successively stronger pieces whch are limited in number. The object of the game is to push opponent pieces off the board and win by having more pieces of the boaard when the game ends. The game ends after a fixed number of turns have been taken.
Theron Daniel Huffman

Odin Sphere
Vanillaware / 2007
PS2
Odin Sphere is, as I see it, one of Japan's greatest action RPG's ever made. It's gameplay is incredibly addicting and fun, but it's biggest strengh comes from it's breathtaking graphics that make the game look like child fairy tale in motion, it's amazing soundtrack and voice acting, but mostly, it's beautiful yet tragic story, in which you take control of five different characters, each one of them very different motivations and views on life, love and death. I have to say it was definitely one of the greatest experiences I ever had in my 20 years as a gamer.
Laser

Odin Sphere
Vanillaware 2007
PS2 (PSN)
The first thing that comes to mind when I think of Vanillaware and its President George Kamitani's games is just one word, "beauty." In the day and age of HD graphics, monster rendering engines, and $3000 gaming rigs, this man and his team continue their quest to perfect hand-drawn 2D graphics and incorporate them into a medium that we constantly find ourselves spending more and more time with.

Everything about this game from its story, art direction, voice-cast (both English and Japanese), and gameplay are all top notch. Clocking in at around 40 hours, you will find yourself taken on a very heart-rending adventure whose conclusion leaves both tears in your eyes and a smile on your face. Oh, and you will find yourself wanting to create your own attic library for your future generations to hang out in. And that is why almost all major game reviewers and journalists considered it the PS2's last great "hurrah."

I encourage anyone who is tired of "guns, guns, and guns" to throw down the $20, pour yourself your favorite drink, and enjoy a game that truly gives "Video Games are Art" a meaning to it.
S. Danis

Okami
Clover 2006
PS2, Wii
This game uses it's sumi-e inspired art style and quirky sense of humor to teach you about Japanese history, mythology and folklore. In the same way the God of War series uses mythology as a backdrop to stealthily teach you about ancient legends in between it's game-y story, Okami also spins it's own smartly written tale out of various myths and stories.

But storytelling and sneaky educational content aside. Even discounting the wonderfully artistic sense of style and fantastic looking visuals. This game's mechanics are a work of art on their own. The sense of freedom you get running around the overworld as Amaterasu the magic god-dog, the running, walking, jumping, painting. It all feels like you're dancing around a mythical painting. And the way you interact with the world and it's inhabitants is really effective at making you feel like a dog walking around between all these strange bipedal humans that don't really understand your animal ways and treat you like a cute pet or wild beast. The ability to dig holes, bark, poke people with your snout (or magic celestial brush). The way Amaterasu, this game's playable character, falls asleep when those pesky humans start blabbering away. Also, the way all your actions in this game have a positive outcome, and everything you do, you do to help people and make the world a better, prettier place, not to collect the next shiny weapon or more sparkly coins. Through it's reward systems, the game conveys a message of constructive creativity as opposed to hoarding all the shinies.

It's not that this game is unique in it's cleverness or artistry. I could name a bunch of other games to write a similar story about. But it's incredibly funny and smart regardless. In it's writing, it's looks, but also it's mechanics and the way the game feels.
Robin Ottens

Okami
Clover Studio 2006
PS2
Okami was a brilliant game. With it's own striking art style that resembled the Japanese sumi-e paintings and a liberal sprinkle of Japanese lore, it definitely stood out. Simply put, the game remains one of the most beautiful that I have ever played.

The rest of the game oozes style and creativity as well. From it's amazing musical score, to the incredibly cool "celestial brush" powers that Amaterasu wields, and the Japanese mythological and folklore references it's a game that bursts with life and energy. Clover did something special here. At it's core Okami is an adventure game designed in the style of Zelda, but in the end it ended up being so much more. I feel honored to have experienced it. It will always have a special place in my heart.
Jordan Staley

Ōkami
Clover Studio (2006/2007)
PS2, Wii
Ōkami has one of the most gorgeous art styles ever seen in video gaming. Filled with woodcut, water-style, cel-shaded environments, it's like a Japanese ink-illustration come to life. You play as the Japanese sun goddess Amaterasu, who has come back after a hundred years of slumber in the form of a wolf. Its gameplay is a genius mix of action, platform, and puzzle-gaming that's a thrill as you play through a story as epic as Gilgamesh. It's filled with characters and monsters from the most vibrant eras of Japanese history, but the writing is tongue-in-cheek enough to keep from being pretentious. Unlike some people. Definitely of great artistic and intellectual worth to the gaming industry and the world in general.
Vanessa Villanueva

Osmos
Hemisphere Games, 2009
PC
Osmos guides the player to increasingly deeper levels of understanding its apparently simple, but well-developed mechanics. There are three main branches of gameplay, each introducing and exploring a different set of global rules.
This game is "smart" because of the exhaustive development and exploration of its mechanics.
CB

Panzer Dragoon Saga
Team Andromeda, SEGA - 1998
Saturn
There's a real gorgeous sorrowful tone in Panzer Dragoon Saga's design and narrative. It's beautifully dramatized, perfectly voiced, and minimally designed (for its genre's standards). It shows characters who are desperate: that are stuck in a harsh world with very few means of living. It blends the player in its narrative in a way that wouldn't be possible in any other medium.

It's a masterpiece. That's it, that's the word.
Shai L.

Panzer Dragoon Saga (Azel)
Team Andromeda (SEGA), 1998
SEGA Saturn
For JRPGs nothing else has hit the world-building mark before or since in my estimation. Team Andromeda built on the mythology and art direction from the previous two games: ruined worlds of unknown technologies brought to grief in an instant so cataclysmic that no one dares speak of it. They turned it into a world-spanning RPG, complete with new language and hidden power-ups. Sure, there's your standard storyline (unlikely hero saves the world) but then there's the ambiguous ending, an unexpectedly sophisticated touch. There's no sense of the game pandering to some preset legacy mechanic or a clunky line to bring you out of the immersion, either.
It was perhaps the most direct competition to FF7 and I think the superior game in all but length. I have yet to see its like since.
Mike Liu

Panzer Dragoon Zwei
Team Andromeda, 1996
Sega Saturn
The Panzer Dragoon series has (with the exception of Saga) simple gameplay. You need to dodge enemy bullets while taking down enemies Space Harrier style, with a couple more elements that make it a tad more complex than that classic title (Lasers and Berserk for this iteration). Part of these simple mechanics is the concept of evolution, which comes depending on your performance during each stage. Each stage in evolution greatly alters your dragon, affecting looks and power, which in turns gives the impression of growth, one of the central motifs of the game, and letting the player create an emotional attachment to the beast.

Paired to this is the incredibly alien look of the world (Its art style has been clearly linked to Moebius's Arzach series ), which is supported by beautiful, otherworldly music. While both these elements were present in its predecessor, it is clear that Team Andromeda learned how to squeeze more power out of the Saturn, giving graphics the clarity needed to convey the amazing otherness of it's world.

Tomas C.

Paper Mario the Thousand Year Door
Intelligent Systems 2004
Nintendo Gamecube
I don't feel this game is incredibly artistic. But it's very intense and heart grasping. For example, with TEC and Peach having the conversation trying to teach TEC (the computer) to love. But he can't; because he's a computer. And in the end must kill himself to send power to the teleporter so Mario can return to Rouge Port to save Peach. Adding onto this, there is the soul of a thousand year old demon spirit behind the thousand year door which possesses Peach and uses her to try and kill Mario. Another thing is Bobbery's back story, it's so sad and never makes you bored. While he's off sailing, his wife falls ill and dies. He sits in his house mopping over his wife's death and never returns sailing. One last intense aspect of the game occurs in chapter 4, right after the fight with Doopliss. Doopliss rips your body and name from you so you walk about as a nameless, soulless, and bodiless silhouette. Ideas as tragic and tear causing as these would not be found in a dumb game.

I feel Thousand Year Door is an amazing story that always keeps the player interested. No matter what chapter of the game, it's always something that you want to see how it'll go. Not the mention, the great soundtrack. The music is beautiful, creepy, intense, sad, happy, and much more. The game includes beautiful terrains and amazing cut scenes. Every aspect about Paper Mario the Thousand Year Door is either creepy, sad, or just freaking amazing.
Alex Bud

Passage
Jason Rohrer
PC
Minimal graphics forces the player to bring something to the table. Your options and choices change and are limited from moment to moment, and there is an inevitable end. As a metaphor for life itself, it's pretty good. And it's a rare game indeed when a few pixels changing into a tombstone can bring tears to my eyes.
Mike

Path, The
Tale of Tales, 2009
PC/Mac
A modern, self-directed, horror-themed retelling of Little Red Ridinghood. The game is all about exploration and temptation. How long did you stay on the path when you played? How long before something off the path caught your eye and led you wandering into the woods? Did you ever go back to the path once you wandered away from it? After playing as one sister (maybe even before), you know that bad things will happen to you once you leave the path, so what draws you to keep leaving it while playing as the others?

Few games have filled me with dread and temptation like this one, and the art and music are nothing short of beautiful.
Chuck C

Path, The
Tale of Tales 2009
PC
There is only one rule, stay on the path. However, you are dared to venture off on your own and experience what lies off the path. The Path challenges us to think, reflect and feel like an interactive or digital work of art. It doesn't reveal its hand until that last desperate moment, when you are screaming at your screen: 'no no no'. I felt horror and regret the when I led my avatar off the path and innocently guided her to a place that my imagination never wants to think about. There is juxtaposition of the wonder of exploration and then horror when I was punished for breaking the rules. The Path is a game where the demarcation of art and popular entertainment collide and are blurred. You can’t ‘win’ in The Path, there’s no competition nor is there a single experience. The Path isn’t ‘fun’ in the traditional sense of game, nor provides instant gratification; instead it is a meditative horror and requires contemplation.
Diana Poulsen

Pathologic
Ice Pick Lodge - 2005 (EUR)
PC
While Pathologic purports to be an "epidemic simulator", putting players at ground zero of a deadly viral outbreak over the course of 12 days (interesting in its own right), it functions as much more. As a piece of meta-narrative, commenting on players playing characters, as environmental commentary, or a picture of provincial Russia, Pathologic challenges players to deeply consider the consequences of their actions, and to watch as those actions unfold in the midst of utter madness. While flawed as a game, Ice Pick Lodge takes the game medium to involve its audience, inviting us to role play and invest in the consequences. Pathologic shows, with sickening efficiency, the true value of human life.
Josiah Harrist

Persona 3 FES
Atlus, 2008 (US)
PS2 (& PSN)
At first glance, Persona 3 FES appears quite traditional - it bears many usual tropes of JRPGs and Dating Sim games, and refers back to shonen anime tropes. However, the game's very deliberate choices - not only narrative choices, but each game design element from its unique "tactics"-style turn-based combat to its calendar-based structure - engender a friction between player and avatar which is used to examine not only how we play games, but how we view free will when existing inside of a larger structure ("game as game" and "game as universe").

While the game's surface level offers a standard (but well-crafted!) entertainment, the way all elements of its designs work in concert to support themes which examine its medium and its genre while still carrying "real world" (that is to say, non-"inside baseball") value with not just one programmatic life lesson, but a number of subjects for analysis - this is what makes Persona 3 FES a template for how narrative-heavy games can deal with the problem of player agency and create genuine art. "Blockbusters" and "Art Games" can meet in the middle to fruitful results.
Michael "Patchworkearth" Peterson

Persona 4
ATLUS, 2008, 2012
Playstation 2, Playstation Vita
Similarly to Persona 3, Persona 4 seems on the outside to be a typical turn-based role-playing game with trappings of social simulators. However, once you dig into the gameplay, you find the "Social Link" system; as you improve your relationships with other characters in the game--especially your party members--battles get easier. You trust your teammates more, and they'll help out more. Your mind is more fortified by the bonds you create, and the creatures used as an extension of your psyche become more powerful.

The narrative is all about yearning for the truth. Each character has a crisis of identity, whether it's a city boy secretly loathing the small town he lives in, a rough-and-tumble guy with a secret sensitive side and sexuality confusion, or a pop idol struggling to figure out what her true identity is.

Persona 4 may seem like a typical murder mystery, but by the journey's end, not only was I impressed with the narrative, but I felt as if the characters were my friends. That's reason enough to put this game on the list.
Brandon Ortega

Persona 4
Atlus (7/10/2008)
PS2
On the outside, this seemingly simple RPG about teens trying to solve a mystery of murders in a rural town is steeped in such dense narrative that it has the strength to rival - and even completely surpass - some of the best modern stories we are presently accustomed to.

The protagonists are transported to an alternate dimension that is populated by creatures which are constructed around the psychological manifestations of people's suppressed emotions. Through this strange world, the game is able to discuss: loss of loved ones, homosexuality in the face of societal homophobia; being transgender in a cisgender world; importance of connection to one's family; coming of age; and much more. And it discusses these crucial topics with a sense of tact and maturity that is unparalleled in modern narrative construction.
Chris Fox

Persona 4
Atlus, 2008
PS2
Well, as you can see from the title Persona 4 is the 'complicated' sequel of Persona 3 / Persona 3 FES. Although the background is also taking students life and their daily activities and their special activities, but there is a huge different between Persona 3 and Persona 4. The gameplay, systems, the background, the graphic and the storyline is different but some part from Persona 3 re appear in Persona 4.

Well, I take this game as my favorite because of the we can't get perfect endings with just a single walkthrough. I have played it three times to complete all quest, social links, skill, 100% personas fusion + izanagi no okami, and get through the true ending.

4ir4

Phoenix Wright: Ace attorney
Capcom, October 11 2001
GBA
This game is a counter-statement to replacing important dialogue in favor of flashy explosions. Obviously, since the ace attorney games are story and dialogue driven. They are games that test one's observation and comprehension skills: After observing the crime scene, related evidence and speaking to every related characters to a certain case, you are thrust into a courtroom battle where you have to find mistakes, lapsuses and contradictions in testimonies to eventually find a hidden truth. One does not get out of an ace attorney game without thinking.
Darkiway

Picross series
Nintendo
Gameboy, Super Famicom, Nintendo DS
Picross is best describe as Sudoku meets Minesweeper, where players use numbers around a grid to reveal a hidden picture within it. Though, easy to pick up and learn, this game can truly challenges your deductive reasoning skills, especially at very high levels with no indications from the game if you are correct or not.

These are Nintendo's original Brain Training games!

@namofni

Pikmin 1 & 2
Nintendo - 2001, 2004
GameCube
Pikmin is Nintendo's wonderful and surreal take on the insect world. It's a perfect example of what happens when highly imaginative individuals look at other life forms and decide to create their own unique versions of them, as well as creating original creatures altogether. The benefits of being a video game is that it allows the players to react to these creatures and explore the artists' imagination.

It's endlessly charming and lovely, in a way that only Nintendo's best games can achieve.
Shai L.

Planescape: Torment
Black Isle, 1999
PC
What can change the nature of a man?

I played through Torment expecting the game to answer this for me. "Maybe it'll tell me now," I kept telling myself, but the moment of truth arrived and I girded myself for the epic reveal when Torment sat me down and told me....nothing. The answer to that question couldn't be answered in the simple confines of narrative and no answer the game could've given me would've satisfied. Torment taught me that the answer to what can change the nature of man is whatever I belived in.

Belief. The answer was whatever *I* belived in. Love, regret, power, time. Torment's answer was my answer. The power of belief can move cities, make a man immortal, and even slay gods.

Planescape: Torment made me laugh. It made me cry. It even made yell at my screen. (Seriously, Morte.) But most of all, Torment made me believe.

Alex

Planescape: Torment
Black Isle, 1999
PC
What can change the nature of a man?

Belief. The answer was whatever *I* belived in. Love, regret, power, time. Torment's answer was my answer. The power of belief can move cities, make a man immortal, and even slay gods.

Planescape: Torment made me laugh. It made me cry. It even made yell at my screen. (Seriously, Morte.) But most of all, Torment made me believe.

Alex

Planescape: Torment
Black Isle, 1999
PC
What can change the nature of a man?

Belief. The answer was whatever *I* belived in. Love, regret, power, time. Torment's answer was my answer. The power of belief can move cities, make a man immortal, and even slay gods.

Planescape: Torment made me laugh. It made me cry. It even made yell at my screen. (Seriously, Morte.) But most of all, Torment made me believe.

Alex

Planescape: Torment
Black Isle, 1999
Microsoft Windows
The smartest and most literary game to be based on the Dungeons and Dragons intellectual property, Planescape: Torment goes out of its way to subvert as many cliches of epic fantasy, and inverts many traditional structures of the game, leading to a long and brooding meditation on mortality and existence. Supported by excellent writing and voice acting, the plot concerns a man seemingly unable to die who now seeks to regain his lost mortality.

Interestingly, the game also rewards lateral thinking, encouraging the player to avoid combat and attempt to solve puzzles through dialogue and examination of various options. The end result is a highly engaging and massive game that challenges expectations and forces a more thoughtful approach than the typical hack-and-slash fest that these games typically seem to encourage.
Cameron Summers

Planescape: Torment
Interplay / 1999
PC
Any one who played Planescape: Torment from beggining to an end will agree that it's one of the most intellectual creature made by a human being. Almost every line of a single dialogue will make you think about something deep and the story will rise your mind and soul up to another level.
Nukri

Portal
Valve, 2007
Multi
The game makes you think with portals. its a first person puzzle game that has a very original feel to it. it is not only thought provoking but it also has a great plot that anyone could appreciate. this is a very smart game.
Ethan

Portal
Valve, 2007
Windows, OSX, PS3, Xbox 360
Portal represents a huge step forward for the medium of video games as art through its subversion of the FPS genre by replacing the bullet shooting gun associated with the genre with the "Aperture Science Handheld Portal Device" or portal gun. More importantly, Portal proceeds from the portal gun/puzzle game mechanic as a point of departure to seamlessly fuses narrative and game play. The effect is an aesthetic experience about being trapped in a maze in game form comparable to the literary experiences around the same theme crafted by Victor Borges.
Moses Wolfenstein

Portal
Valve, 2007
PC, Xbox 360, PS3
Portal is a first-person shooter with barely any combat, in which the emphasis is placed on intellectual understanding, exploration of the core mechanics, and puzzle solving. The design is spartan and elegant, and the puzzles range from simple to mind-bending. All of the puzzles are derived from one revolutionary mechanic: the ability to create portals between two locations.

On top of that, the writing is brilliant and breaks with convention in a number of ways. Very few games attempt humor, and even fewer succeed as thoroughly as Portal. In a genre plagued with machismo, its cast is entirely female. And of course, it manages to create an emotional attachment to a box.
Daniel Bullard-Bates

Portal 2
Valve, 2011
PC / PS3 / Xbox 360
Much has been made of the quality of Portal 2's writing and acting, but often overlooked are the subtle jabs wryly critiquing the design of "lesser" videogames. In the introduction of the game, you are asked to look at a piece of art for a few seconds and then look away: a metatextual commentary on games that are designed for consumption rather than appreciation. Later in the game, Wheatley has taken over the facility and, having quickly run out of ideas, makes you solve the same puzzle twice: a criticism of games that pad their playtime with repetitive gameplay rather than moving on and introducing new elements. On another note, Wheatley's emphasis that when he talks about the "gun that shoots holes", he doesn't mean bullet holes brilliantly highlights and questions the expectation, generated by the majority of games, that you will be armed.

These metatextual statements reflect back on the game itself (and its predecessor). Like the work of art at the beginning, Portal exists to be appreciated, not to fill time, rendering criticisms of its length rather moot. And, of course, the reason the Portal games are comparatively short is that they don't include unnecessary filler material: They are among the most focused and undiluted games I can think of. On top of that, they establish the possibility of solid gameplay foundations in popular titles that don't involve shooting people in the face. Portal 2 is smart, yes, because its writing transcends traditional videogame expectations (one critic pointed out that the writing is "good" and not just "good for a game"), but also because it has something important to say about its medium.
Allan Weallans

Portal 2
Valve; 2011
PS3, Xbox 360, Mac, PC
Intelligent level design, at times rather difficult, very unique and at times hilarious.
davros1996

Portal 2
Valve 2011
PC, PS3, Xbox 360
The Mechanics of the game are excellent, allowing you to fly through increasingly complex puzzles. The puzzles themselves consistently add new features, including liquid mechanics that alter the properties of what they're placed on. The dialogue is genuinely funny in witty ways.

The character development of each individual involved is well-thought-out. The Plot is simple, yet intoxicating; one that is unforgettable in both ways. Above all stands the prime mover of the game, the use of portals in solving puzzles and moving forward. It requires intense thought at times, and is intellectually stimulating to work through, while still feeling very rewarding to complete, driving the player forward with high hopes for the next puzzle. Even better is that, through cooperative play, two players can conquer even harder obstacles through collaborative thought. Whether playing alone or with a friend, Portal 2 is a game that stimulates the mind in intellectual and entertaining ways.
Roy Thompson

Portal 2
Valve 2011
pc, xbox, ps3
Portal 2 went further than the original to make puzzle solving a two-person operation by adding online multiplayer game play. So not only are you solving problems by yourself, but collaborating with another player to work through the puzzles-made more challenging by playing with people without microphones.
SuileanGorm

Portal 2
Valve 2010
PC, Xbox 360, PS3, OSX
This game manages to capture brain bending puzzles with humor to make you use your brain solving puzzles while also trying to figure out a storyline in the process. This game manages to also capture the "what if" scenerio. What if we had a "gun" that could shoot two dimensional bending wormholes, or portals, onto surfaces and used physics to solve puzzles in a not too distant future.
Phil

Portal Series
Valve - 2007, 2011
PC, Mac, XBOX, PS3
The portal series is equal parts challenging, well written, humorous, beautiful, and puzzling. Both games offer a unique and certainly intelligent experience, with a rich story that works.
Anonymous

Professor Layton and the Unwound Future
Level-5, September 2010
Nintendo DS
Okay, most games require some modicum of violence to proceed through the story. However in any of the Professor Layton, your goal is to solve a mystery through puzzles. There is absolutely no combat in this game. Instead you have to use your brain and solve over 100 puzzles, some simple, others brain scratchingly difficult. And one has to follow the story to understand what they need to do to continue. There is a reason it's one of the best selling series on the DS and it's not because of guns, swords, and explosions, but the endless puzzles that always make you feel smart for solving the puzzle.
Lance

Professor Layton Series
Level-5, 2007-2011
Nintendo DS
The Professor Layton series is a puzzle game series where you follow Professor Layton and his sidekick Luke, solving puzzles along the way as you attempt to unravel the mysteries at the heart of its plot.

What makes it sophisticated and intelligent in my opinion is the central theme of superstition vs rationality. It's the antithesis of the X-Files in that sense. In X-files, Scully is the rational one while Mulder is the superstitious one, believing the mystery is due to aliens or some other far out explanation, and Mulder is more often than not correct, but in the Layton series, every mystery, every conundrum, has a logical explanation. It is not a ghost or a magical spell. It is the triumph of reason and rationality over superstition.
Benedict Lee

Promises
Stephen "Increpare" Lavelle (2012)
PC (Browser)
Promises is an extremely simple but powerful game. Promises is unique because it has essentially no art, no narrative, and takes only one minute to play, yet through mechanics alone expresses its message in a poignant way. The message isn't particularly deep, but it really does invoke more meaning and thought than the endings to many other games I've played. It's about choice and, naturally, promises, but it engages with these themes by encouraging the player to reflect on them without using any sort of contrived feedback system that games so typically employ (+50 evil points if you break your promise!!). In this way, the meaning relies entirely on the player's own willingness to engage with the system for what it is, with no pretenses -- much the same way that viewers engage with pieces in a museum.

I see Promises as being ideal for a museum setting; more so than almost any other game I can think of.
Seth

Proteus
Ed Key & David Kanaga, 2012
PC, (Mac and Linux eventually)
Proteus takes many conventions that have defined games - goals, difficulty, etc - and does away with them, reducing the mode of interaction to only the most fundamental: movement. The experience of playing the game is analogous to ambling through the wilderness, and is accordingly concerned foremost with the dual acts of seeing and hearing. Nothing compels you to play beyond your own curiosity.

What makes the game stand out, however, is Kanaga's shimmering, interactive soundtrack. The physical act of exploration is marked not only by discovering more of the game's procedurally arranged landscape, but in finding new arrangements of its music in turn.

It is in concept simple, and in practice elegant.
____

Psychonauts
Double Fine, 2005
Xbox, PS2, Xbox 360, Mac OS X, PC
A wonderfully bizarre game world? Check. Great animation style? Check. Hilarious, incredibly lovable characters? Check. Phenomenal voice acting? Check.

Tim Shafer's "Psychonauts" is a platforming adventure game, sure. But the incredible non-linearity of its story and gameplay (the brilliant challenge of the Milkman Conspiracy levels, anyone?) serve to set it apart. But the world that it created is still one of the most inventive, unique and darkly funny universes to be seen out of a great deal of video games. What's so fantastic about "Psychonauts" is the way in which it endears the players to such oddball characters and makes them actually care about the progression of the story. We WANT the sweet weirdos of Camp Whispering Rock to get everything they want that hasn't been given to them in a harsh outside world--and we want our plucky hero, Raz, to succeed of course.

The game is an achievement in itself because not only does it do everything that a well-written movie could do--make us laugh, cry, empathize with the characters easily--but also wrap up it up in an interactive medium where we are allowed to explore, to an extent, the wonderful, quirky world presented so well through the narrative.

I challenge movie buffs like Ebert to find a world that causes as many simultaneous feelings in the viewer as the world of "Psychonauts" but which still absorbs the viewer so well. Adoration, laughter, confusion, nostalgia and melancholy all combine to make it one of the best comedic narratives I've ever seen out of multiple mediums.
Conor Morris

Pyschonauts
Double Fine, 2005
PC, X-Box, PS2, OSX
This game was released to mass critical acclaim, but unfortunately did not see this translate to game sales. Alas, we can appreciate this zany adventure game for how brilliant it is. The game takes place in a highly stylized and cartoonish camp for psychics, and that's the normal part. You spend the majority of the game traveling into other people's minds, learning about the odd and lovable characters. Each mind has a unique art direction, and often new gameplay mechanics. The scope of this just makes it all the more incredible.

Play this game, and you won't regret your adventures through the minds of secret agents, clinically insane, a war vet, and even a lungfish. That last one was probably my favorite part!
Jeremy Patton

Randy Balma: Municipal Abortionist
MESSHOF (2008)
PC
A game that invites multiple (even contradictory) readings about the meaning and message of such a provocatively titled game. It invites the player to engage aesthetically and mechanically with the world of the game, and leaves you unsettled, wondering what it is you just did...

Short enough to play through in a few minutes.
Ben Abraham

Red Dead Redemption
Rockstar San Diego
Xbox360 and PS3
While RDR works on many levels and continues Rockstar's tradition of paradoxically questioning and celebrating the "American Dream," few commentaries on the game have explored the symbolic depth and profound resonance of the missions that take place after Marston returns to his farm, his wife and son. On the surface, these seem like mundane domestic chores compared to the hyperbolic action sequences that the player engages in throughout most of the game, but their quiet symbolism confirms that the game asks you to explore its themes on multiple levels. For example, in "Pestilence," your wife asks you to shoot the crows on the silo that are stealing your corn. The cutscene that introduces this mission has John trying to eat some of the stew that Abigail is making for supper and she slaps him away. Like the crows, John used to be an outlaw, a pestilence, selfishly taking from others for his own personal gain. A shadow of this outlaw life persists in his attempt to steal a spoonful of stew, but the whole game is about his reformation and redemption, so he listens to his wife and shoots the crows (in the same way that he's been hunting other outlaws throughout the game). Of course, John was, is, and always will be a crow, an outlaw...part of the pestilence (generated by American opportunity) which--ironically--needs to be destroyed for America to grow (hence the tragic nature of the game).
Another level, called "Wolves, Dogs and Sons," has John and Jack and the family dog hunting wolves (read: outlaws) that have been killing their cattle. Simply, this level implicitly raises the questions of whether John is still a wild wolf or a domesticated dog, and foreshadows Jack's choice of what to become when the old wolf dies (literally and figuratively). Of course, the wolves and crows also remind us of Edgar Ross, who has more in common with Marston than has been acknowledged.

These examples hardly scratch the surface of RDR's narrative sophistication....
Jon Saklofske

Red Dead Redemption
Rockstar San Diego, 2010
Xbox 360 & PS3
Red Dead Redemption struck me for its exceptional ending. The game has a seemingly anticlimatic third act with John Marston returning to his family and trying to bond with his son, teaching him about manhood but carefully trying to give him a better and just life than he had. After Marston gets betrayed and killed by the goverment the player takes control of Marstons son years later after burying his mother alongside his father. The game comunicates no goals for the player at that point.
After a long journey with Marston and his tragic betrayal i immediatly seeked revenge for him and tried to find the US Marshall responsible. Through questioning my way from his office to his wife to his brother I finally found him at the river and got justice by winning a duel.
A few days later i was looking for a youtube link to the song playing in the ending credits and read about the ways other people behaved after taking control over the son. One guy writing about how he was so upset, that he knived the wife a dragged her behind his horse before slaugtering the brother and finally the Marshall. And then it struck me how genius it was to let the player decide what person Marstons son would become. Though not turning into a psycopath my Character had given in to his anger and chose the lifestyle John Marston fought so hard for him not to choose. One could have easily chosen to not track down the Marshall and live a lawfull life.
That was something no other medium could have done.
Hans Norbert

Red Dead Redemption
Rockstar
PS3, XBox 360
From the New York Times

"Like our own, the world of Red Dead Redemption — its cantinas, dusty arroyos, railway stations and cragged peaks — is one in which good does not always prevail and yet altruism rarely goes unrewarded. This is a violent, unvarnished, cruel world of sexism and bigotry, yet one that abounds with individual acts of kindness and compassion. Like our own, this is a complex world of ethical range and subtlety where it’s not always clear what the right thing is. This is a world where revenge often tastes not sweet but bitter, like the dregs at the bottom of a mug long since drained."

There is nothing else I could add which this statement would benefit from.
Andrew C

Red Dead Redemption
Rockstar 2010
Xbox 360, PS3, PC
Red Dead Redemption is the kind of game that systems are built for. It tells the story of one man named John Marston on his quest to kill the members of a gang he used to be a part of. He does not do this for himself, however, he is forced by the government to do this, and he has to if he is ever to see his family again. The game leaves many themes throughout, such as the fall of civilization, or how no matter how hard you try, you can't run from your past.

Its a game that left me thinking far after the credits rolled, and had me question what defines right and wrong, and whether we actually have free will. Its the kind of game that will make you laugh and cry.

Its not just a game. Its art.

Paul

Red Dead Redemption
Rockstar San Diego, 2010
X-Box 360 & PS3
This game was the epitome of throw-back when it comes to old John Wayne westerns such as "Red River" and "True Grit" (there even is an homage to the movie "Rio Bravo," as there is a river with the same name in-game), along with innumerable references to Butch Cassidy and the Sun Dance Kid. At the same time, there is even a reference to "The Great Train Robery," one of the original westerns, published in 1903 by Edwin S. Porter.

While all of this is going on, Rockstar San Diego had developed a truly believable southwestern "state" during the turn of the twentieth century. Backed up by a superior soundtrack composed by Bill Elm and Woody Jackson, the only thing that separated Red Dead Redemption from a classic western was the fact that there was color. John Marston, a retired ex-con-turned-vigilante stands as a John Wayne-esque "lone ranger," dealing with the many historical problems with the old west, whether that be bandits, revolutionaries, or the disturbing grave robber.

I don't think any game has truly affected me as much as Red Dead Redemption's simple atmosphere has.
Alex Aiello

Red Dead Redemption
Rockstar North, 2010
PS3, Xbox 360
Red Dead Redemtion manages to tell much of it's story through subtext. This provides an emotional drive to the game, that is hard to find in many pieces of media. The game also expands upon the western genre in unexpected ways - taking the hard boiled and silent protagonist and adding to him deep motivations, and an ethical system while still keeping the character consistent and believable.

The game also solves a difficult artistic issue of free roaming 3d world - and that is that the problem of making strong visual impressions and signatures throughout the experience. In this Red Dead Redemption excels, in that you can stop almost anywhere, and look in any direction, and it will still look like a photographer took the shot.
Emil Danielsen

Rez
UGA 2001
PS2 / Dreamcast
Rez is a game that transcends its gameplay genre, The Shooter. Every grapic element is synchronized with the music in some way or another. Each of its five levels has a strong artistic theme. As a complete audio-visual experience, it is unparalled. It is a game I have heard many people describe as "truly beautiful." When I forced a friend of mine who had dismissed it just by looking at it to play the first level all the way through, it captivated him. It must be experienced to be understood.
Ethan Larson

Rez
United Game Artists (2001)/Q Entertainment/Hexadrive(2007)
Dreamcast/Playstation 2/Xbox 360
Rez is a work of art that takes an extremely simple genre, that of the on-rail shooter, and converts the experience into more of a experience of pure synesthesia. The game provides the player with a simple yet difficult gameplay experience mixed with gorgeous visuals and an effective soundtrack as they experience the beginning and end of the world from the outside perspective of a computer hacker's avatar.
Devin Raposo

Rez
Sega 2001
Dreamcast
What I consider not only one of the greatest artistic achievements in video gaming but in the entire realm of interactive audio. In Rez, the actions of the player are all translated into musical events, or samples as electronic musicians would call them, and synchronized to the gameplay. The result is a game that generates music based off of player action, and does so with more flair, finesse, and ultimate effectiveness than most art museum worthy interactive audio installations. Truly a unique form of artistic expression only possible in the medium of video games.
Philip Spann

Rhythm Heaven
Nintendo 2009
nintendo DS
this games mix the simplicity of controls and the beauty rhythm to give you one of the most unique experiences of the gaming
Luis Hernán Arana Cuevas

Riven
Cyan; Oct. 29, 1997
Mac OS, Microsoft Windows, Sega Saturn, PlayStation, Pocket PC, iOS
A knockout example of a sequel surpassing the original. Building on Myst's world and lore, Riven had a expansive, deep and complex story with expansive, deep and complex puzzles. With amazing world design, some of which were part of the puzzles itself, Riven was a wonder just to state at. One had to keep a notebook in order to keep track of everything that happened. There is no argument that anyone can make to claim that Riven was not intellectually challenging and stimulating.
Scott Plantje

Rock Band 3
Harmonix, 2010
Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, DS
I can fully understand that the music/rythym genre, as a whole, has somewhat died died down in recent years, but this is truly the deepest and most thoughtful of said pack. Harmonix have always known how to create a fun, satisfying music game, but I believe this one goes further than most.

The main argument here is that music games are just that. Games that serve no purpose outside of the programming. Yet I'd object to this, and offer that this also serves as a teacher of music, hence why I find this intellectually stimulating.

I tried to start playing the real deal two years ago, a few months before the release of RB3, and for a while, my guitar slowly weeped in the corner, not being touched. I was lost and had absolutely no idea how to play it. I'd given a lot of thought about dropping the large sum of money required to get the mustang for a while and eventually gave in and picked up. I can fairly say that my skill level with the real thing has improved drastically and, while I'm no Jimi Hendrix, I learn new things to play with my real guitar everyday. I definitely believe that this wouldn't have been possible without the aid of RB3, and as a bonus, its a fun game on the side. As for it's artistic side, the RBN is a great way for artistic distibution, and the animation and design has always been artsy. If RB3 isn't a great example of this, just look at TB:RB. The dreamscapes in this game were stunning.

Thank you for listening and I hope this is a good enough argument to have this added to the list :)
Craig

Rome: Total War
The Creative Assembly (2004)
PC
As many other videogames in the RTS genre of gameplay, an excellent procedural document of many of the choices and problems involved in building and maintaining a city, a country, and even an empire. Maybe not the most complete or realistic simulation, but an insightful and thought-provoking series of gameplay systems nonetheless.
Michel Ottens

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. - Shadow of Chernobyl
GSC Game World, 2007
PC
The S.T.A.L.K.E.R.-games take a simple template - think First Person Shooter with elements of Survival Horror - and apply it to a unique setting: A version of the contaminated "Zone" surrounding the Chernobyl power plant, based in equal parts on classic fictional works (the sci-fi novel "Roadside Picnic" by the Strugatzki brothers and Tarkovski's "Stalker") and the myths, tales and legends that the evacuees told one another to make sense of a disaster that was all but unfathomable for the rational mind.

GSC Game Worlds – who are Ukrainian themselves – matched those narrative elements with a complex AI and mechanics that turned the “Zone” into a unique space: Brutal, hostile, and very much out of control. The S.T.A.L.K.E.R.-games therefore are at the same time a personal vision of the cataclysmic events and consequences of 1986 and a wakable representation of the collective mind – something that is very much appreciated by young people in Ukrainia and Belorussia, for whom, as the documentary movie “Chernobyl (4) Ever” recently proved, the games are an important gateway to their nation’s recent, but often concealed history.
gotohaneda

Saints Row: The Third
Volition, Inc. 2011
Microsoft Windows, Playstation 3, Xbox 360
It's got guns, explosions, sweary guys and sexy girls - how can this game possibly be smart, then? My premise is simple: the game itself is a deconstruction of what a game is, in game form. If that doesn't throw you for a loop, then I'm not sure what will. Take for example a single level in the game, titled: http://deckers.die. In this level, the player character travels through a virtual museum of old games, riffing on such classics as World of Warcraft, Final Fantasy, text adventures, and Tron. Furthermore, the game challenges you to expand your definition of what a game can be. If the challenge is completely gone from the game (as it will be if you stick around to upgrade yourself long enough), can I really be playing a game? Saints Row: The Third is a slickly produced piece of parody, and its self-aware nature makes it one of the most sophisticated games I've ever played.
Anders Goodwin

Samurai Warriors
Koei - 2004
Playstation 2
Samurai Warriors may not have been a game that is graphically enhanced with all the cool features every gamer once but it offers gamers an insight into Japanese history. With over 15 characters to choose from you can play through the history of famous warriors in Japanese history such as Nobunaga Oda, and Ieyasu Tokugawa. Not all of the campaigns are accurate with battles and history but a lot of them are. Samurai Warriors 2 (released by Koei in 2006) does the same thing but with more characters. You can learn a lot of what happened in Japans history, simply by playing these games.
Jessica

Sanitarium
Dreamforge, 1998
PC
"Like playing a David Lynch movie"

Exploration of the nature of insanity, and the nature of reality.

cura

Shadow of the Collosus
Sony 2005
PS2
One of the best examples of how video games are capable of creating immersion without narration--an incredibly difficult feat in any other medium. Shadow of the Colossus provides a rich imagery and monumental obstacles for the player to journey through, but remains a relatively blank slate for personal projection as to what actually transpires. The result is a story that will always be subjective on the player playing the game. The game is slow paced but absorbing; the player's consciousness is easily pulled into the world by the mere pretense of traveling to face an unknown trial for someone you love.
Philip Spann

Shadow of the Colossus
Team Ico 2005
PS2
The artistic sophistication comes from the sheer simplicity of it. The game consists of nothing more that 16 boss fights, one right after another. After you finish one, you return to the start point, figure out the direction of the next fight and head there. The landscape, while not barren, is devoid of any non-plant life except you, your horse, and the bosses, and is consequently both beautiful and haunting to travel through. This effect is aided by the relative silence that exists when traveling through the gameworld, as well as the fact that the UI vanishes while traveling, so that there really isn't anything interfering with this empty world.

As for intellectual sophistication, the game's narrative is similarly sparse. You travel to a forbidden land to save the girl you love, and once there have to defeat a number of giant monsters to save her. However, that simplicity allows for a number of subtle twists. First, it becomes clear pretty early in the game that the actions that you take to save your girlfriend are evil and selfish. The game doesn't tell you this outright, but shows it though a number of small details. The most obvious of each is that the more monsters you kill, the more shadow people you set free and the more you become physically ill as a result. But what struck me the most about this game was that these are not your typical boss monsters. They are not ugly or horrifying, they are simply giant creatures that, for the most part, simply want to go on with their lives and have you leave them alone. This is not to say they are all passive; many will actively attack you as soon as you wander into their territory, and a few are so frustrating that killing them was very satisfying. But there were a number of bosses that I would have let live, had it been up to me, and I genuinely felt sad when I eventually brought them down. And while the horse the character rides around doesn't really have much of a personality, the fact that it is the only other living thing in this world means that you do develop some sort of a relationship with it, which you probably won't even notice until the very end.

I guess what makes this so sophisticated is that the game does not make any direct attempts to instill any of the above messages in the player. Rather, by making it so simple, it both forces and allows you to fill in the gaps yourself, which makes the experience that much more powerful
RM Stone

Shadow of the Colossus
Team Ico, SCEI
Playstation 2, PS3
The game's storyline focuses on a young man named Wander who enters a forbidden land. Wander must travel across a vast expanse on horseback and defeat sixteen massive beings, simply known as colossi, in order to restore the life of a girl named Mono.

Cited as an influential title in the video game industry, Shadow of the Colossus is regarded as an important work of art due to its minimalist landscape designs, immersible game play and emotional journey. The emotional journey is not solely based on Wander's perspective, the player (at least myself) starts to have an emotional attachment to the colosi. Shadow of the Colossus is also referenced numerous times in debates regarding the art quality and emotional perspectives of video games.
Louis

Shadow of the Colossus
Team Ico, 2005
PlayStation 2
One of the most beautiful games of all time. The world feels immense and lonely as you and your faithful steed traverse environments that range from high cliffs to flat wastelands searching for the beasts that are the key to reviving what at first seems to be the only other human in the entire world. The melancholic journey is contrasted by the actual battles with the sixteen unique colossi. Not only do the monsters themselves have a sense of mass and scale by lumbering slowly, causing tremors in the environment as they pace, but the player character's way of stumbling and being flung around as he clings helplessly to the colossi's fur makes him feel small and frail by comparison. Each colossi is a puzzle requiring wits, timing, and luck, rather than force to help you survive. The rousing music builds on the sense of danger and tension as the seconds count down before you lose your grip on the monster, forcing you and whoever happens to be watching onto the edge of the seat in anticipation of the moment that separates failure from triumph. The game immerses you in the moment, suspending all disbelief and reaching you on an emotional level, making you feel as if you're there, hoping, wishing, doubting. That is art. That is something only a video game can do.
Jay

Shadow of the Colossus
Team ICO 2005
PlayStation 2
The game is beautifully designed, artistically and intellectually. You must travel a world alone with limited direction to defeat enemies (the colossi) that are much larger than yourself. Every colossi has a different weakness and requires careful thought to bring all 16 of them down.
Josh Muse

Shadow of the Colossus
Team Ico 2005
Playstation 2
Shadow of the Colussus goes above and beyond what most games give the player. It gives you doubt. In Shadow of the Colossus, you are tasked with killing sixteen colossi to bring back the girl you love. Initially this seems all well and good, but eventually you start feeling as if you are killing the last of an ancient species.

By the end, you learn the consequences of your actions and what came from your killing. Shadow of the Colossus is everything that is good in subtle storytelling. It gives you a story that couldn't be told as well in any other form of media and treats you smartly. Shadow of the Colossus is an intellectually sophisticated video game for the smart gamer.
Jordan Bayes

Shadow of the Colossus
Team Ico 2005-6
PS2
The game's contrast between tranquility and action leave you room for reflection and to experience loneliness. Journeying out into huge landscapes on just your horse, with no enemies or NPCs or quest hubs lead to a completely unique experience. The bosses themselves are also incredible to look at, complete with a sense of might, stature and age that few games attempt or get right.

Finally the actions you take in the game are of questionable morality, but the game does not judge you for it, instead letting you make your own decision.
Aidan

Shadow of the Colossus
Team Ico October 18, 2005
Playstation 2
Good graphics atending the console's power, a very fluid game and intuitive interface. Storywise it is very profound about a boy wanting to do anything to save a girl he loves even if it means breaking moral and relegious boundaries.
In my opinion one of the best games for PS2
Rafael

Shadow of the Colossus
japan studio 2005/2011
PlayStation 2/PlayStation 3
This game truly added more to the still on going argument are videogames art well with this defining title I'd say its painfully obvious that they are. What maked this game a pillar in this argument is its simple concept boy wants to change his loves fate and will doing anything to achieve this even if its the genocide of innocent colossi yhen it expands not only in game but in the players very soul making u ask yourself is what I'm doing right.
Alexander Owen

Shadow Of The Colossus
SCEI 2005
PS2
A beautiful game with an amazing, complex story
Phoebe

Shenmue II
SEGA AM2 - 2001
Dreamcast
In Shenmue II SEGA AM2 portrayed 1980's Chinese culture in a thoughtful and realistic manner - placing the player in the shoes of a Japanese tourist with no money who needs to investigate and find clues about the whereabouts of his father's murderer. He stays in homeless shelters and run-down inns, visits shops of all sorts, asks locals for directions, works at physical part-time jobs, and befriends the locals.

The game teaches not just on how to beat its challenges, but also attempts to teach about Chinese culture and people living their daily lives. In Hong Kong it shows people going to work and going home as the days pass: shop keepers pitch their goods, children help their parents and grandparents with the family shop. It shows people exercising in the parks and going to restaurants in a realistic way: portraying people's everyday schedules and routines. In the remote villages in Guilin it shows characters who need to walk for days just for supplies that Western society takes for granted, as well as teaching the player about the villagers beliefs and hardships.

Its beautiful and unique soundtrack is also one of its highlights. Mostly made with synthesizers to match the mechanical sound of the 1980s while mixing it with Chinese arrangements it captures both the gorgeous sound of Chinese traditional music and the slightly dark and haunting sound of popular and experimental music of the decade it's based in. The music rarely feels out of place, it enhances the atmosphere of the game's busy locations as well as the narrative's subtle melancholy.

I had no real interest in Chinese culture before playing Shenmue II, but after I finished the game, I was fascinated by it.
Shai L.

Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri
Firaxis, 1999
Windows
A robust strategy game that borrows heavily from classic science fiction -- notably the works of Frank Herbert -- while maintaining a general air of realism. Made by the same people responsible for the "Civilization" series of games in the period between the second and third entries in the series, it features many of the qualities that made later games so engaging: resource management, technology development, building cities and engaging in warfare.

However, Alpha Centauri also possesses a plot of sorts that deals with issues of Transhumanism and the concept of the "alien-ness" in the form of the game's extraterrestrial intelligence, which is housed in a vast distributed network of fungus across the planet's surface. How the player deals with the planet, whether as rapine exploiter or would-be symbiote, speaks to the current need for environmental responsibility.
Cameron Summers

Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri
Firaxis Games, 1999
Linux, Mac OS, Microsoft Windows
Structured similarly to the Civilization series of Games, Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri (SMAC) explores the theme of sci-fi and transhumanism, starting from the founding of a colony on a planet orbiting Alpha Centauri in the near feature. The game is not only a complex strategy game in and of itself, but also references real-world science and futurism through its in-game fiction and cut-scenes.
Jake

Silent Hill 2
Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo (2001)
Playstation 2
Every element of this game has the purpose of evoking the specific fears and doubts of the character inhabited by the player. A character doubting his place in the world and fearing his own past actions is presented as navigating a world where a facade of normalcy is used to hide, but slowly reveal, an alienation and distancing from reality itself. This search is represented in level designs as impossible architecture, unexpected dead-ends, uncanny spaces filled with strange locks, keys and doors.

The game's menu interface offers an order and simplicity in stark contrast with the game's incoherent world, while the mechanics for navigation, combat and interaction feel limited to the point of being threatening to the player's survival. The map system, the clear division of the world into seperate rooms and the mechanics for looking around with a flashlight offer a calculated respite in the struggle for escape.

The untrustworthy voices of every single character, the densely spread symbolic imagery and the manipulative sound and music tracks are further used to present a multi-layered, deeply human story of grief, trauma, fear and acceptance. Silent Hill 2 is artistically sound, intellectually sophisticated and only as effective as it is because of the medium used.
Michel Ottens

Silent Hill 2
Team Silent, 2001/2012
PS2 Xbox/PS3 Xbox 360
If traditionally games are escapism, where does Silent Hill 2 take us? Into the depths of an unhappy marriage turned tangible. Everything in this experience is deliberate. The the camera and fog hide the enemies, the controls reinforce how average our protagonist is. The design choices are here to restrict us into the role of a weak man, we are no hero today.
The grime and horror of James' mind is painstakingly created to make us grit our teeth at every form in the shadow, every sound. For all the apparent "Otherworldlyness", Silent Hill 2's story is painfully human. Sexual frustration and disgust is evoked at every turn, while consistent themes are reinforced again and again. This is art ripe for various interpretations as Team Silent understand the power of showing and not telling.

Silence is a value all too under-appreciated. I still dwell on it. Silent Hill 2 bids me pause and listen.
Metatronblues

Silent Hill 2
Konami, 2001
Xbox, Playstation 2
The game combines many elements to create an oppressive, horrific atmosphere. Almost everything in the game relates back to the main character in some way, and the environments he explores--as well as the creatures he fights--are all influenced by his psyche. The game is rife with symbolism and even to this day still has debates surrounding ambiguity in it.
Brandon Ortega

Silent Hill 2
Konami 2001
PS1
Psychological horror in video gamea before the Silent Hill series was, for the most part, laughable. However after the series second installment, it was clear that video games are able to handle the sublties and complexities of the genre. Silent Hill 2 is a game that constructs an atmosphere of pure dread that has not been seen in cinema or literature, but this games true merit lies in its narrative and how it becomes abundantly clear that your character isn't the person you initially believed them to be.
Phillia 1821

Silent Hill 2
Konami 2001
Playstation 2, Xbox 360, PC
Silent hill 2 is one of the prime examples of what makes people truly scared, the unknown. What is really slow and sometimes uneventful game on paper, can be a really terrfing experiance for the unaware player, the excellent setting and subtile sound, and the very disturbing story makes silent hill 2 a very unforgetable experiance. After playing it all "cheap shock scaries" in other games and movies feels like an insult to my intellect.
Joakim Jonsson

Silent Hill 2
Konami, 2001
PS2, Xbox, PC
This is a game where virtually everything you see is a reflection of the main character, James Sunderland's subconscious. The enemies, the other characters he encounters, they're all representative of the deep trauma that James is trying to run away from, and the entire game is a metaphor for him coming to terms with himself and something terrible that he's done.

As the player progresses and learns more about who James really is, he becomes simultaneously sympathetic and abhorrent. Despite the fact that he's done something monstrous, the player sees that he's become a sad, pitiful creature in the wake of it all. I personally have rarely felt so conflicted about a protagonist in any story, and any game with this level of depth and complexity of characterization can scarcely be called "dumb."
Justin Henry

Silent Hill 2, 2001
Team Silent
Ps2, Xbox
Silent Hill 2 is horror game, an incredibly intelligent one; everything in Silent Hill 2 exists to contribute to the atmosphere. Audio, visual, Narrative and (clunky) gameplay converge allowing you to inhabit this searching exploration of male frustration and marriage. The grime of blood and rust creates dread in the player and the heart thumping euphoria of fear is never far behind the player.

You are lost in dream logic, a primal place built around the protagonist's sexual urges.
For all the rage and horror, the game is surprisingly tender in parts, asking legitimate questions about our humanity through game mechanics. The final moments still make me tear up. Here, we have a story imbued with genuine weight due to it's interactivity.
Brian

Silent Hill Series
Konami 1999- present
PlayStation, PS2, XBOX, XBOX 360
One thing that "artistic" or "intellectual" books and movies are lauded for is their use of symbols to convey an underlying theme. The girl in red in "Schindler's List," and the duality of objects and people in "Wuthering Heights" are prime examples of this. The "Silent Hill" series deserves a place with those artistic champions. All through the adventure the player comes across symbols that shed a little light on the psychological background of each title's main character. For example, in Silent Hill 2 the player is stalked by the physical representation of the main character's sexual frustration and guilt, and in the end you must confront them. No other medium can establish empathy with its main character by having an individual actually be them; that tool is unique to video games.
Natalie Pagano

Sim City
Firaxis 1989
PC
It's a game about city planning with environmental ethos thrown in. Enough said.
TheDovanator

Sim City
Maxis 1989
PC
Sim City essentially puts you in charge of a living and breathing city, well as much as it could in 1989 PC terms. But the beauty of the game is the evolution of the city, you manage well and the city will grow and prosper, make mistakes and you pay for them, your city will fail. It is the ultimate manager from taxes to city services. The game even incorporates natural disasters to keep you on your toes and throw a wrench into your beautifully worked out plan. The game requires hours of planning and thinking to make the "perfect" city. Which is another genius part of the game, the goal is your own, your perfect city is not everyone's. In fact every city will be vastly different, the game allows the player to build their own utopia through critical thinking and planning. Your Utopia, not anyone's but yours and yours alone.
Chad Hager

Sim City 2000
Maxis, 1993
Windows, others
Combining a mixed understanding of economics, resource management, and political process, this game is essentially a study in urban growth. It requires patience, flexible thinking, and in some cases, a little bit of research into urban development.

I know a specific individual who enjoyed this game thoroughly as a young adolescent, and followed that process through a masters degree in urban development. He now actually works organizing public projects, and agrees that although the game is clearly not as sophisticated as real life, it definitely taught him some of the early principles that got him started on what is now his career.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SimCity_2000
Rob

Sins of a Solar Empire
Ironclad Games, 2008
PC
An RTS game in space (much like SW Empire at War), this game case a complex interplay of tactics and strategy through combat, and research, and politics. Planets and technologies can all have various positives throughout play, but this is offset by the costs of such research (and the fact that putting resources into research removes those resources from use in creation of other things like structures or ships).

Even the most simple level of this game is a complex brain-testing puzzle which may often take hours or more to defeat (assuming you have not modded the game - and there *are* an excessively large amount of mods available for this game). You must constantly keep an eye on your enemy, while still focusing on your own R&D, not to mention the need to advance and conquer new space - this may stretch your forces thin if you are not careful, or reduce them from battle damage, giving your opponent, AI or Human, the chance to take advantage of this weakness. And if you do not attack, or advance, you merely give your opponent time to consolidate their forces, and improve their resources. Think, or fail.
Jonathan Marlow

SpaceChem
Zachtronic Industries January 1st, 2011
PC, Mac, Linux and iPad
SpaceChem is one of the more challenging puzzle games I have played this year. You start the game with a few tools and are told to build elements from atoms. You tend to feel in over your head. Then you make tiny atomic factories and feel satisfaction as the assembly line does the job you meant for it to do. Then the game puts you in charge of multiple reactors and other atomic manipulators and you feel in over your head again. The pattern of daunting amounts of learning and realizing that you quickly grasped the lesson make you feel the satisfaction of a job well done. The mechanics of the game are simple to grasp and impossible to master, but through all the games challenges and hair pulling moments you will never stop trying. Through it all, you might even learn a little about chemistry.

SpaceChem's core is efficiency, overly complex reactors can fail easily and slow your entire line. By the end of the game it turns your mindset into one of an efficient scientist. On top of SpaceChem's amazing gameplay your reward for completing its many levels are pages and pages of story. There is a short novella here that while not the most well written thing you will ever read, lends itself quiet nicely to SpaceChem. The smartest part of SpaceChem is that it makes the player feel smart, it makes you want to learn, and overall is a fantastic game.
Cameron Brown

SpaceChem
Zachtronics Industries, 2011
Windows, Mac, Linux, iPad
SpaceChem is a unique puzzle game that doesn't ask you to find a solution to the problem, it instead asks you to design a system that creates the solution, which is the reason why I feel it is a smart game. You get to grips with basic chemistry by creating circuits to carry, bond, split and dispense molecules for a chemical company named SpaceChem.

Artistically speaking, the visuals are nice and crisp which makes the world of SpaceChem feel believable. The soundtrack is a beautiful fusion of strings with electronic and Autechre style glitch.
Lloyd Jones

Spider : The Secret of Bryce Manor
TigerStyleGames 2009
iPhone OS
A sublime example of narrative only possible through games. Much can't be said without spoiling the experience, save that you play a spider whose presence is both superfluous and critical to the story at the same time. The final level brought a tear to my eye, it is wonderfully symbolic and opened my eyes to games as works of art.
Kynan Ward

Stacking
Double Fine - 2011
PC, Xbox 360, PS3
Initially, you could say it was simple - an adventure game but it's not just that - it's an adventure puzzle game with plenty of humour, style and brains. The main game play mechanic involves the concept of russian stacking dolls - the antagonist being the smallest of all, allowing the player to hop into any other dolls larger, provided you can get behind them and that you are only one size smaller than them. As the title suggests, this requires stacking dolls - all of which have different abilities, including themed sets. Each level contains a series of puzzles requiring the talents of various dolls, each puzzle having at-least three possible solutions which you are challenged to all find. You are also challenged to find every single unique doll - of which there are many - and this is not an easy task. over-all the game is clever and funny and displayed in such a style that only adds to the charm.
Sam Potter

Star Fox 64
Nintendo, 1997
Nintendo 64
Many games on this list will certainly be artful and thought provoking, but who says art doesn't have to be fun? But Star Fox 64 pushed the limits of the Nintendo 64 engine, providing one of the smoothest rides in gaming. But I think that it was the cinematic feel of the whole affair. The levels could make you feel like Luke Skywalker destroying the Death Star, or outrunning the explosion in the Millennium Falcon.

Additionally, the voice acting was top notch, and one the best examples of voice acting in the genre. It was cheesy, funny, quotable, and striking. Maybe it oes not change the way you think, but it still provides a fun challenge and multiple paths to play.

The best way I can describe it is that Star Fox 64 is a lot like Die Hard; surprisingly witty, charming, and all around a fun ride that has proven the test of time.
Andrew Page

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
~2001 by Bioware
PC/Xbox
This game can be viewed more of as a struggle between order and chaos as well as finding ones true self than any other game i can think of. Revan's flashbacks hinting at the characters dark past allow us to see the person revan once was and compare that person to the character we are currently playing. The reveal in the middle of the game that the main character is or was Darth Revan can be approached in many different ways, the character has the option to accept this but claim he's changed, embrace his old self or flatly refuse the idea claiming that it's impossible (self denial).

Later the player must choose to side between the republic or the sith, these entities with in the game can be seen as Old Order and Chaotic Rebirth respectively. The decision to be made there is comparable to either A) remaining with the old institutions of a society because they have stood for so long. Or B) the Rebirth of a new, potentially stronger society through the chaotic destruction of the old institutions. This situation is comparable to historical events such as our (US) own revolution: To Remain with the old institutions of Britain or to declare independence and be born anew amid the chaos of revolution.
Lopez

Star Wars: Knights of The Old Republic 1&2
Bioware & Lucas Arts 2003-2005
XBox, PC & Mac
Moral quandaries permeate this less-than-idealistic vision of the universe. Never has a game made me care more or challenged my reasoning than Star Wars, KOTOR 2. Listen to Kreia's view of the world and tell me you cannot relate at all. Her cold, detached philosophies about the connection of all living things speak to the conservationist in me, as well as the rationalist. The characters are so lifelike and have such different thoughts that everyone is bound to get some new philosophy out of the game.

While it is possible to play the games and leave with "that sure was a hoot," if someone were to look into the psychology of the game and the socio-political issues, the result would be astronomically dense. People have completely changed the way they view games because of the definitive moral system that actually makes a difference, much like the Mass Effect games.
Peter J.D. McPherson

StarCraft (1 or 2)
Blizzard Entertainmet, 1998 or 2010
PC, Mac, Nintendo 64
StarCraft would probably not be seen by most as a representative of games as an art, but I challenge one to disagree that to play StarCraft does require a fairly high level of general intelligence.

No "average ADHD-afflicted high-school sophomore", as Mr. Clark so rudely asserts, could understand the complexities and strategic knowledge required to compete in a game as multifaceted as this one. It requires the ability to work in tangent with others, a memory of complex timings and precise movements, as well as an ability to extrapolate your opponents position given very limited data.

I very much doubt Mr. Clark would call a game of chess "dumb" and "puerile", so why would he call a game more strategic and complex such?
Sean

Starcraft II
Blizzard, 2010
PC, Mac
The amount of mechanical skill, strategical thinking, and ability to read your opponent makes this a very difficult game to get into, and an infinitively deep game for someone who can recognize all the nooks and crannies in it.
Clayton Morris

Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty
Blizzard, 2010
PC
Starcraft II, along with its predecessor, Starcraft: Brood War, a real-time strategy games that takes place in the far reaches of the Koprulu sector, challenges the gamer to use an arsenal of opponents to best an opponent. Often compared to a chess match, Starcraft II is a game that challenges to figure out how to counter your opponent through a logical and intelligent thinking process.

This video game has been recognized as one of the greatest proponents of competitive online gaming, making many appearances in Major League Gaming (MLG), Global Starcraft League (GSL), IGN Pro League (IPL), as well as many others.
Steven

Street Fighter IV
Capcom, 2008
Multiple
Really, almost any post-Street Fighter II fighting game could fit here. I'm speaking specifically of multiplayer matches. At any given time, you have dozens of maneuvers you can do, but against a skilled opponent, few of them are the right moves. In order to win, you must think tactically, watch your opponent for any signs of weakness, and act swiftly. You must exploit an opponent's mistakes while avoiding making any of your own. Granted, this isn't sophisticated like an art-house movie; rather, it's sophisticated like a game of chess. And if you disagree, if you think that a fighting game can be played brainlessly, I'd be happy to play a match against you and prove you wrong.
Cuvis the Conqueror

Sun Stones
Sunstone Games, 2012
iOS / Android
Sun Stones is a Hopi-themed puzzle game. It takes a simple tangram-esque task for each level, and unifies them brilliantly. Without words, it tells a story through the puzzle sequence. Without instructions it guides players into really sophisticated, unique mechanics. It ends up laying in a really interesting middle ground between puzzles and exploration, and it does so with an aesthetic grounded in something simultaneously familiar and alien.

It feels important when I work through it, because I feel like I'm really learning. Participating.
Adam LaVelle

Super Crate Box
Vlambeer, 2010
PC, iOS
Super Crate Box is a poem of profound meaning. Its mechanics only require players to collect crates, the sole source of a "score" providing validation of your advancement. The crates themselves provide the final piece of the puzzle, randomly changing the player's weapon with each box collected. Not all tools are equally effective, with the disc gun particularly notable for being harmful to both the player and enemies, adding a force outside of the player's control. However, progress is impeded by an unending deluge of foes. Combating enemies offers safety, making indefinite survival fairly simple with the right weapon, but resigns the player to stagnation. Meanwhile, letting enemies pass allows them to return even faster, and with ever-growing numbers, ensuring that they cannot be ignored.

It is a thoughtful metaphor for work and ambition. Does one still reach for advancement when the reward is uncertain? Success is dependent on balancing one's personal safety with taking risks outside of one's comfort zone. Ultimately, it is versatility that becomes Super Crate Box's thesis, as the capacity to adapt offers the skills necessary to persevere through life's gremlins.
Scott Nichols

Super Mario 3D Land
Nintendo, 2011
Nintendo 3DS
Mario isn't a character so much as he is an idea--an idealistic expression of everything wonderful about the joys of play. Arguably no game in the decades-long series has expressed quite as much sheer joy as Super Mario 3D Land.

It is a game, like all Mario games, where the bond between the player and the character on screen is formed not by complex narrative, but by a fluid, satisfying, and indescribably fun level of control. But what makes this particular game in the series so artistically brilliant is the way in which it teases and plays with our sense of perception in ways that only a videogame can. Stereoscopic 3D is used here to surprise players at every turn with level design that changes perspectives at a blink of an eye--each level is a joyous, colorful toybox of sensory disillusionment. From its clever manipulation of perception, to its bright, shimmering color palet, to Mario's perfectly satisfying balance of rise and fall Super Mario 3D Land is a videogame that could only be a videogame. Some games try and grab us with complex narratives driven by player choice. Super Mario 3D Land grabs us with physics, depth perception, and wonderful colors.
Jacob Crites

Super Mario Bros.
1985
NES
There is a quote from german philosopher Theodor Adorno that he said during one of his discussions with his cinema-loving fellow Siegfried Kracauer in the 1920's: "Ich bin noch immer aus einem Kino dümmer herausgekommen als ich hineinging". ("I'm still leaving a movie theater dumber than I went in"; sorry for the bad translation.) Yet today, how do we perceive the early silent films from Murnau, Lang, Chaplin, Keaton, or---even earlier---Eisenstein, Vertov, Griffith, Melies, Porter? Today, we say they are great works of art and precisely mean that in the 'artistic or intellectually sophisticated' sense. We look beyond what we may perceive as clumsy today and see more subtle art than ever before. We see that the basic mechanisms of early film reach deeper than we thought for a long time, that something simple like changing frame 1 can totally alter how we perceive frame 2. Today, no one would say that the early works of Murnau are not 'great art', yet still it took another 40 years before something like '2001 - A Space Odyssey' came out. Early video games are nothing less subtle and great than early film. I think we will see this clearer the greater the distance to early video games becomes.
Thomas S.

Super Mario Bros. 3
Nintendo 1988
NES
Super Mario Bros. 3 cleverly and subtly introduces players to new game mechanics through gameplay and level design -- without forcing the players to stick to a set, linear path or by holding their hands with tutorials. The different placement of the bricks, enemies, and "? blocks" are more than scenery and obstacles, they're hints to the player. When approached with an open mind, it's a perfect example of the rule to 'Show, not tell'

Of course this article says it better than I ever could.
http://www.gamasutra.com/blogs/RadekKoncewicz/20110225/7089/Super_Mario_Bros_3_Level_Design_Lessons_Part_1.php
Uptown_SlimJim

Super Mario series
Nintendo - 1985-Present Day
NES, SNES, N64, GameCube, Wii, Game Boy, DS, 3DS
The main Super Mario series should by all rights be considered as the greatest work of surrealistic art of the last 50 years, if not longer.

An over-weight mustached man who needs to save a princess from a fire breathing dinosaur in a kingdom that's inhabited by mushroom headed people, as he travels through pipes, collects giant coins that stand in mid air, jumps on turtles and grows large and small depending on his health. He can shoot fire, ice and who knows what else from his hands, too, and leap from planet to planet as he travels different galaxies.

It's incredibly strange, yet in some inexplicable way it completely makes sense.

The series didn't follow the trend of strange video game concepts, it defined it. And in some insane stroke of luck it became one of the most iconic and popular works of the last 27 years. If you haven't thought about how strange Mario games are, it's only because you're so used to it. It's been around for so long that it became an inseparable part of popular culture. It looks at real life and twists it as much is it can, while making it all look appealing and lovely: almost always manages to capture some sort of magic and spark. It portrays the pure joys of play like no other series. It doesn't attempt at mimicking any other medium, it only tries to show what can be done when using limitless imagination and creativity in this one. It's every bit as brilliant, magical and beautiful as it is loony.

It's been said millions of times, but it's true: it's pure joy. And that's one of the greatest things art can achieve.
Shai L.

Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island
Nintendo EAD, 1995
Super Nintendo
While Yoshi's Island isn't dedicated to storyline, it is obvious that the game's developers paid the utmost care to keep a constant fairy tale/bed time story aesthetic. The pastel color scheme of pencil/crayon drawn backgrounds are still surprising nearly twenty years later, as though the entire game is a foggy memory remembered through the eyes of Baby Mario. Similarly, the emotive score constantly evokes a sense that the gameplay is accompanied by a child's music box.
Yoshi's Island incorporates some of the series' most diverse gameplay, serving as a predecessor to the kinds of innovation it would inevitably undergo during the N64 generation. In my opinion, Yoshi's Island is one of the most outgoing projects that Nintendo has ever undertaken. It's a shining example of how simplistic fun can be brilliantly developed and refreshing, even so long after its development.
Zack Fish

Super Metroid
Nintendo R&D1 1994
Super NES
While an initial run through Super Metroid may seem brainless, it is the subsequent playthroughs that prove the brilliance of the game. It is a game that promotes breaking the standard sequence of events.

The atmosphere alone makes Super Metroid art.
philip

Superbrothers: Sword & Sorcery
Capybara Games 2011
iOS 2011, Steam 2012
A dreamlike, slow-paced excursion into a mysteriously pixelated yet refined landscape where interaction is highly musical. I think creator Craig D. Adams describes it best: "It's like a record...but you can hang out in it." People who experience it (especially in its original iPhone version) while find an intimately private, linear yet highly interactive meditation on some of gaming's key concepts, such as: sacrifice, escapism, holy relics and nocturnal mystery.

One of the reasons it deserves to be here aside from its innovative techniques (including the under-the-hood implementation of a curious social media aspect through Twitter) and highly ambient audiovisual wizardry is its accessibility. Nongamers like Taylor Clark will find that there are no distinct skills required to explore its poetic universe aside from an open mind and an appreciation for an artistic, sophisticated vision. On the other hand, lifelong gamers are able to admire its many references to this culture of ours.
Leo Faierman

Superbrothers: Swords & Sworcery EP
Superbrother & Capybara Games, 2011
iOS, PC
One of the most beautiful games in so many ways. The pixel art is visually stunning, the characters, eccentric, yet likable, and the music by Jim Guthrie, is absolutely out of this world. I can't count the number of hours I spent with this up on my phone, and was when I started to consider mobile devices as an platform where really powerful, exciting, and intriguing games could happen. This was a game where I wanted to constantly sit down and escape to this fantastic world that was in my phone. I could just sit down, plug in my earbuds, let the music take hold, and then enjoy as I guided my character on her journey, and through her own story that had so many parallels to the journey we all go through, and the demons we face. Overall, one of the most purely artistically stunning games I've played, and well worth the hours staring at a small screen
AJ S.

Syberia 1 and 2
Microids 2002 and 2004
PC
From Belguim videogame developer Benoit Sokal, Syberia is a beautiful point click /puzzle adventure game about a lawyer named Kate Walker who initially arrives in the French Alps to settle the paperwork of the local toy factory only to have to find the heir of the toy company before the deal can go through. A journey across Europe, and Russia looking for this man named Hans and fulfill his wishes of seeing mammoths alive on the island of Syberia.

The first half of the series of the series deals with the search for Hans and learning about his obsession with mammoths and automatons(steam punk robots) by visiting the significant places of his life across Europe, encountering his inventions and studying research material related to his passions. The second half deals with escorting Hans physically to Syberia before he succumbs to old age.
Hannah

System Shock
Looking Glass Studios, 1994
PC
SHODAN and the world of System Shock is a meditation on humanity and parenthood and the lack of freedom inherent in both. A terrifying place, a paradise lost, the greatest ambitions of humanity cast down by one of their own creations. A place where the balance between the organic and the technological has been tipped almost to breaking point. Where the last hope of humanity is an individual almost as far removed from human kind as from SHODAN herself. An individual propelled forward by the memories and sacrifices of the dead, forced to change and adapt in order to overcome. These concepts are reinforced through every facet of the game design and by the conclusion you have been forced to master both yourself and the environment. You have earned your power and so you better understand how to wield it; more than that, when that final moment of confrontation does arrive you understand why you must wield it. System Shock is a game that asks what it means to be human, and is smart enough not to try and tell you the answer.
Justin Keverne

Terraria
Re-Logic 2011
PC
This creative action oriented game has taken many hours away from my life and those were hours well spent. From creating my own house to taking down bosses to collect the next piece of gear, Terraria is a great game a rewards creativity and those who plan and prepare for boss fights. Terraria is a game for everyone.
MooMooKittyClam

The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
Nintendo, 2000
Nintendo 64
The Zelda franchise has always had the same premise, but while this one kept the same foundation (a game filled with dungeons, mini games, fech/trade quests, etc.) it changed the whole meaning behind them. The world is so much more rich in emotion and sense of belonging; having to go through the same 3 days constantly allows for you to understand the sorrow plaguing the land of Termina due to it's recent tragic events. The game not only sets Link as the stereotypical hero archetype but it also involves him as a spiritual mender for the land and it's inhabitants, and it shows. As you progress through the games main/side quests, visual queues appear in response to your actions. Whether it's a change of an inhabitants routine or revitalizing a certain ecosystem, it's all there with a sense of gratitude. It's these thematic moments that set the game apart from any I've ever played whether it be Zelda or something else entirely.

Never will I forget the sense of despair I felt while caught up in so much joy when I discovered a father's loss of a son, a boy who he saw in you.
Omar Lozano

The Longest Journey
Funcom, 1999
PC
The Longest Journey is a fantastic point and click adventure. While it's story of a young artist being thrust to save two worlds, once of science and one of magic is great, it's really the well thought out worlds and the development of her character that game this a worthwhile journey.

April is ultimately, a very normal person, using the examine feature you can look at most objects in the game, and these moments really help define her character greatly. April's life overall and her personality have little to do with the story, so for her to actually have one so well defined and so masterfully covered throughout all the minor aspects of the game really makes this title special.

Alongside all that, the worlds establish themselves well, much of the mythos draws on ideas we might already have and just twists them slightly, making them engaging and understandable, cultures are distinct and the voice acting is wonderful.
Rowan Carmichael

The Operative: No One Lives Forever
Monolith Productions, Inc. 2000
Windows
A big heap of delightful James Bond parody with mostly great actors and emancipation icon Cate Archer in her prime. Surreal, often frightening and highly hermetic and sensical, it is furthermore a technical achievement and shows HL1 how to tell a story. Dozens of unforgettable action set pieces, a fall from grace and a sudden comeback, fistfights and a duel-like finale. And did I mention that it spans the whole globe and the lower orbit? Also addictive 70s MIDI(like)-music by Nathan Grigg.

Contains a heartfelt dialogue about nature vs. nurture, cold war socket puppets, spontaneous human combustion, lots of unspeakable gadgets and Richard Wagner, and insight into super villain organizations/ bureaucracy, and crime and punishment.
Lil

The Sims
Maxis, 2000
PC
The Sims is more than a strategy/management game - although it is one of those, and a brilliant one at that. The primary mechanic - managing your Sim's behavior and living space in order to satisfy his/her/your needs - is conceived and executed with great skill. I became addicted - I found myself constantly thinking of ways to optimize my Sim's lifestyle to meet those career and life goals I'd made for him. It also got me cleaning my apartment more regularly.

But the primary reason I consider The Sims to be worthy of artistic consideration is because I believe it shows us the correct way - or at least a correct way - to tell stories in videogames. The Sims doesn't deliver a specific narrative with cutscenes and dialogue; instead, it puts the story in the objects you buy, the relationships you make with other Sims, and the activities you choose to do to make your Sim happy (or miserable). The narrative spins elegantly out of the mechanic; as I interact with the Sim and his world over time, I begin to project a story onto the game. Each game decision becomes laden with a dual significance: I must think about how each decision contributes to the optimization of my Sim's needs (the mechanic) and how it advances the story of my Sim's life (the narrative).

This narrative "embedding" of The Sims' game world showed me that games can tell stories, and that they even have wholly unique ways of telling stories. Movies and television don't provide the kind of interactivity and creativity that The Sims provides. I think that everyone interested in designing "narrative-driven" games should look at The Sims as a model on how narrative can truly be seamless with gameplay.
Dennis Lever

To The Moon
Freebird Games, 2011
PC
Everything about this game is a masterpiece. The characters are unique and layered, the 2D sprites are beautiful, the story is so well told and written that it could win an Oscar, and the soundtrack is a real piece of art.

Put all this things together and you'll cry like a little baby, unless you have no heart.
Juan Montemayor

Today I Die
Daniel Benmergui 2009
PC (Browser game)
Today I die is hard to describe.

It's a puzzle game with words, about a girl committing suicide. You must click on the worlds to change her setting as she drowns, trying to find positive worlds and her dark sorroundings.

You will eventually have to fight back her demons. Little fish-like monsters who want to bring her down.

A really incredible game
Jaime Roberto Castro Hernández

Tomb Raider
Core Design 1996
Multi
Tomb Raider is frequently overshadowed by both the main character and related unfortunate marketing (more on that later), but it's true importance is in it's subversion of (perceived) mainstream tastes at the time.

While games that had a focus beyond pure action existed before TR, they were almost always consigned to specific genres such as "adventure" games. The few exceptions, such as Another World and Prince of Persia-some of TR's biggest inspirations-weren't at all failures in terms of sales, but they still had nowhere near the popularity (and influence, by extension) of TR at it's height. In contrast to most popular series at the time, action was almost an afterthought, and the true focus was on the gradual exploration of locations and solving puzzles. Along with that, it was one of the first 3D games to experiment with things such as set-pieces (the T-Rex being the most iconic example) and environmental storytelling. As an extension of the this, when Tomb Raider 2 came out the single biggest complaint (among both those who liked and disliked it as a sequel) was the overuse of combat and similar action; the original TR was one of the first high-profile non-pure adventure games to get people in general judging games on things beyond how much action was stuffed into them.

Lara herself is somewhat symbolic of that subversive design, even despite the questionable aspects of her appearance and marketing, given she is pretty much the first overtly (in contrast to a character like Samus) Female main character to star in a massively popular game.

There was also a certain artfulness in how it's frequently beautiful sights and perfectly-placed music cues were designed to give the player the same appreciation for ancient cultures that Lara herself had (subtly informed by a cutscene where you almost hear her voice break as she reads the obituary of one of the last kings of a lost civilisation), along with the previously mentioned environmental storytelling that gave enough details for you to imagine the stories of the places being explored despite providing very little overt "lore".
Shaun Friend

Total War Series
Creative Assembly (2000-2011)
PC
Not only do you need the tactical and strategic knowledge to upgrade your armies in this game. You need battlefield tactic knowledge to conquer your foes.

On top of the aspects of waging war across massive maps. You also have the job of ruler keeping the people of your territory happy to further advance your lands.
Viz

Touhou Project (Project Shrine Maiden)
Team Shanghai Alice (Junya Ōta "ZUN"), 1995-2012+
PC
If there was ever such a manly thing were I thought cunning and twitch reflexes were needed in a game full of beauty and depth, I never would have thought it was in a video game about cute girls shooting lasers at each other. That was only my first reaction, the second was how jaw-droppingly beautiful it could be.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-A6w_cqPGow

While the series lacks an overarching plot, the characters and settings are fully realized with unique personalities and original designs over the 120+ cast; bad portrait art not withstanding. It's not just the dialogue either, but the types of attacks and the theme music playing while you're in battle with them makes the each battle a stand out from anything else, making each encounter and game unique. t's easy to latch onto any one of the characters and be sucked into the colorful world.

The games were originally created so ZUN can sell his indie music. The series itself should be Grammy worthy with songs like 'Voyage 1969', 'Solar Sect Of Mystic Wisdom - Nuclear Fusion', 'U.N. Owen Was Her?' (Haha Agatha Christi reference), 'The Dark Side of Fate', 'Reach for the Moon, Immortal Smoke', and I could go on, but the music speaks for itself. They have a power and elegance that suits the series, atmosphere, and each characters personality. No surprise I have the entire collection on my phone along with the hundreds of remixes available.

And did I also mention this "Team" is only 1 employee and has made almost 20 games for the past 15 years?
Jim Kieger

Trauma
Krystian Majewski, 2011
PC
There is no better way to describe trauma than its description:
"TRAUMA tells a story of a young woman who survives a car accident. Recovering at the hospital, she has dreams that shed light on different aspects of her identity - such as the way she deals with the loss of her parents."

It is an easy and rather short point and click game that makes you click photos to travel and leaves small ideas concerning life to think about. It is free online.
a

TRAUMA
Krystian Majewski 2011
PC/Mac/Linux
TRAUMA is an experience like no other. You never completely know what to do, but that is part of its charm.

The game tells a story about a woman recovering from a car crash, dreaming dreams about different aspects of herself and her past. It is a deeply moving psychological game.
Markus Mosbech

Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar
Origin Systems, 1985
PC
Still one of the best and most engaging "alignment" systems implemented, as it often pulled the player in multiple directions at once (Justice says these innocent rabid beasts should live, but Valor says we cannot retreat... etc). Especially for the tech available at the time it was an amazingly epic story that engaged the player to think about popular "virtues", their interaction and tension with each other, and what it means to truly embody them.
Yobgod Ababua

Uncharted (Series)
Naughty Dog
PS3
"And they’re not just dumb in the gleeful, winking way that a big Hollywood movie is dumb"

While Uncharted may not exactly be "intelligent" it is the video game equivalent of the fun romp Hollywood summer blockbuster. Filled with well crafted set-pieces, loveable, charming and flawed characters and just all around good time its a great example of a game, while not overly "brainy" is certainly worthy of your time. It is dumb in a gleeful winking sort of way
Andrew C

Uncharted (Series)
Naughty Dog, 2006
PS3
Uncharted broke the bounds between movies and video games. The exceptional writing and voice acting is really inspiring. Hearing the voice actors at work you make you wanna try it and prove that YOU can do it also. And listening to the writing and how it effects the story, you get dragged into it. Twists and turns with action and romance with comedy.

Now the story of Uncharted. You play a treasure hunter, Nathan Drake, trying to uncover the secrets of El Dorado, Shambala, and The Atlantis of the Sands. Going to places like Nepal, London, India, and The Rub' Al Khali desert. Completing small little puzzles to find your way though, to get to where you need to be. And being the ultimate treasure hunter.
Andrew Price

Unmanned
Molleindustria - 2012
Browser
Play as a US drone pilot:
The most socio-realistic take on modern warfare & Modern Warfare to date
Makes a strong statement

Thomas Vigild

Vagrant Story
Square, 2000
PlayStation
Vagrant Story is an RPG with weapon and armor customization trees which are unparalleled.

The story centers on Ashley Riot, an elite agent known as a Riskbreaker, who is blamed for murdering the duke, and the game discloses the events that happen one week before the murder.

Ashley has lost his memories, and with them his abilities. As he progresses through the game, upgrades and new skills are "REMEMBERED" instead of developed!

Vagrant Story is unique as a console action/adventure role-playing game in that it features no shops and no player interaction with other characters; instead, the game focuses on weapon creation and modification, as well as elements of puzzle-solving and strategy.

The most profound aspect of the game however is the storyline. You are continuously haunted by visions of your family being murdered. Along the way you may discover that the cause or even the instigator of their demise was yourself and while you tear your subconscious inside out searching for the truth, you also recover memories of your skills.

The revelations made in the final conclusion of the story, stay with you as life lessons in pride, agony, duty and forgiveness.
Blake Redfield

Valkyria Chronicles
Sega 2008
Playstation 3
On the surface, it is easy to see why Valkyria Chronicles is considered by many to be an example of an artistic video game. The visual and art style is similar to Japanese anime. Art styles and visual influences are present in video games for the decades. I've played other games influenced by anime ranging from Grandia II (2000) to Persona 4 (2008) to Catherine (2011), but I believe Valkyria Chronicles is one of the better, if not the best, achievement for its high quality visuals and cut scenes and for how the art style is carried over effortlessly from a character to a building to an explosion to a blade of a grass.

Unfortunately two paragraphs alone can't do the game justice, so I have to gloss over the other great elements. The story and characters are handled with care. The themes in Valkyria Chronicles range from love, death, war, prejudice, racism, hope and friendship. The characters sell the drama and the game avoids being exploitive. As for gameplay, Valkyria Chronicles is a third person shooter/strategy game. The farther you get into the game's story, each battle felt like a struggle. There are multiple times when I felt like I was going up against insurmountable odds. If you are not careful, you can permanently kill someone on your squad, making them absent for the rest of the game. Success for each battle depended on knowing the map, enemy troop formations, and your own squad's strengths and weaknesses. Even though it is a "third person shooter/strategy game" it is closer to chess than something like Resident Evil 4.
Michael Mazurek

Valkyria Chronicles
Sega WOW, 2008
Playstation 3
Have you ever stared at a painting and wondered just what it would look like in motion? Valkyria Chronicles attempts to answer this with the use of it's CANVAS graphics engine. Many have described the title as a watercolor painting in motion. The opening of the game even draws the picturesque scene for you to give the user an idea of what they can expect. Combined with a beautiful orchestral score, these combinations of elements fuse to make an amazingly unique game on a visual level.

The games story even attempts to address issues in war that many other war games brush off or ignore all together. Such issues include: Reasons for fighting and dehumanizing of the enemy. Far too many games have a faceless, bland enemy with no emotions or regards for anything other then their single minded goal. Valkyria Chronicles attempts to paint it's enemy in a better light, showing that they are just as human as the party you control. They have families and friends back home they want to protect, same as you. While you are on different sides, both the players character and the enemy are still human. Even a couple of the major antagonists of the game are given a more sympathetic light and are shown to have morals and ambitions that are just as strong as your own. The game tackles these issues and gives the players a unique experience not found in many of its contemporaries.
James Strickland

Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines
Troika Games 2004
PC
From Wikipedia:
Kieron Gillen of EuroGamer admired the accomplished and "effortlessly intelligent" script, claiming that "no other game has come close. Nothing's even tried."
Duffadash

Velvet Assassin
Replay Studios 2009
Windows
With an hateful view of the Germans of the period, reducing the sneaking mechanics to its unforgiving, bare bones (every centimeter in the shadows and every second counts), its slow pacing and an impossible difficulty to the end (all playing is a playing to the death) this becomes a tribute to the courage of the resistance fighters and an "different view of the cruelties of WW II". The unsettling fetish for female uniforms not withstanding.

Contains plenty of blood bath, silk negligee, morphine abuse, sneaking in Gestapo torture chambers, and drug influenced ramblings over the darkest, deepest Black in the old Dutch Masters. Could induce Holocaust trauma.
Lil

Viewtiful Joe
Clover Studio, 2003
GameCube, PlayStation 2
Smart games don't necessarily need bright main characters. The Viewtiful Joe series is the pride of side-scrolling beat'em ups; taking a simple genre and infusing it with creative gameplay elements and puzzles. Joe's VFX powers allow him to augment time by slowing it down or speeding it up. The most basic puzzle involves floating platforms with propellers, raising it up by speeding up time (and the propeller) or slowing it down and bringing it down to earth. From there you control the flow of water, traffic, cheat at slot machines, and even burst into flame at extreme speeds to navigate each stage. Such a deceptively simple gameplay mechanic can lead to really frustrating puzzle segments, and sequel Viewtiful Joe: Double Trouble for the Nintendo DS delivers even more brain-busters with the added ability to manipulate the environment by splitting the screen in half and dragging the stage around. Despite the humor and kid-friendly art style, it really is a thinking man's game.

Henshin-a-go-go, baby!
Jay Morton

VVVVVV
Terry Cavanagh 2010-11
PC; Mac; 3DS
This game's simple mechanic - that of being able to reverse gravity while standing on a surface, but not jump - lets you adapt the way you think about traversing 2 dimensional space. This leads to a few sublime moments of discovery and realisation that I feel is unique to the joy of good mechanics in games.

Years of training on classic platformers had led me to perceive 2D space in a certain way. Early in the game you can use two gravity flips (to ceiling then to floor) to simulate a jump. Later on, lacking the ability to jump means even crossing the smallest bump in the floor makes you "plummet" off into the sky. Working out that using moving platforms as stairs works in *both* directions is a moment of genius. These brilliant realisations are part of what I enjoyed so much about Braid, and this game has a few (if not as many) of its own.
Aidan

Wander and the Colossus
Team Ico 2005
Ps2
Rare are the games which speak about feelings strong as love , courage,fear and death very precisly.
Like Romeo and Juliet of Williams Shakespear, this tragedy game brings you deeply in the foundation of Humankind. More than classic battles, everyone you finish smells like sad and pity.
For the first time in art production, you're not just an audience...you follow and are a young man into his powerfull quest for bringing his lover back.
Thibaut FR

When Doves Cry
Lance Lockwood, Justin Scott, David Rosen, and Chris Ainsworth (2012)
PC (Flash Game)
"You are a Pigeon who must go around the city trying to persuade business men not to jump off buildings by retrieving items from their home."

The premise is simple enough. Unique, yes, not something one would expect to have a deep, lasting emotional impact. The graphics are reminiscent of the Atari 2600 days, and the game opens with a dove in the big city right around sunset. The player controls this dove, as they fly past the buildings, with a sad and melodious tune playing throughout. It is not long before the first "business man" is located, standing atop a skyscraper, positioned such that his suicidal contemplations are fairly obvious. He utters a phrase concerning his guilt, the countdown timer starts, and the quest is begun. Each business man is a singular color, and the dove must locate a window somewhere in the city with the same color, fly by it, and pick up an item pertaining to the person. Once the item is retrieved, the dove must return it to the owner before time runs out.

As the dove returns, phrases leave the object, apparently uttered by the owner, giving further insight into their own guilt. When the item is successfully given back, the business man says something positive, deciding to better themselves and do something good with their lives. If the item is not given back in time, then they jump. Eventually there are so many different business men that the task becomes daunting. So what does it mean? Well, what does any work of art mean? Is it metaphor? Does the dove represent nature or the animal kingdom as it tries it's best to communicate with mankind, to stop it from destroying itself? Is the dove a child desperate to help a parent? Could the dove be a Christ-Figure, attempting to save mankind? Interpretation is in the eye of the beholder. One way or another, however, the game is art in a truly pure sense. And, who knows, maybe that little dove has even saved a player or two. That has to be worth something.
Johnny Dorel Bud

Windosill
Vectorpark, 2009
Mac, Windows, and Linux
Windosill is a sparse, atmospheric game that requires the player to manipulate objects with the mouse to get a car through a series of rooms. Each new environment is presented like an interactive painting. These vignettes are very clearly inspired by surrealist paintings and drawings from the early 1900's, and every frame of the game could easily stand on it's own as a piece of static art.

The game never forces the player along, but instead encourages experimentation and strives to create a sense of wonder and mystery. There is no text or tutorial section of any sort. The only constant as the player progresses is the car at the bottom of the screen and the small white cube that the player must find in each environment to move on to the next stage. The "puzzles" aren't at all difficult and the experience is very short, but Windosill constantly challenges the player in its own way by presenting him with fantastical situations and forcing him to make sense of them using the game's internal logic.
Bryce

Witcher 2, The: Assassins of Kings
CD Projekt Red 2011
PC and Xbox 360
Video games have been offering moral choices for the last decade. While many are incredibly bipolar with their options this is starting to fade. A great film can give you insight into what someone thinks about loyalty or honor, and a diligent filmgoer can reflect on these themes later. But video games are the only art that can demand you make choices and show you something about yourself.

At one point in The Witcher 2 (an admittedly dumb name) the player is escorting an ally who has his hands tied as part of a ruse, a rival of this ally (though a friend of the player) attacks in a racially motivated assault. The player is given three seconds to decide if he wants to free his bound compatriot and give him a sword or leave him to his death. This moment shocked me more than almost any piece of art I've seen. Both characters were friends of mine and had honorable motivations for many things, both had helped me before, both headed causes that were just. I had seconds to decide and I chose based on fairness, based on the notion that no man should be slain without a weapon. But I could have chosen based on opposition to racial persecution. Or I could have chosen differently based on gratitude for the racist character saving my life. My choice, forced by the game to be made in 3 seconds reflects my values in a way that no other art could reveal to me.
Grant

World Ends with You, The
Square Enix, 2007/2008
Nintendo DS
The World Ends with You was a surprisingly fun and involved game that had a lot to it. The art style is very much manga/comic book, but it fit within the very urban setting so that cutscenes played out like a graphic novel and the sprites matched their portraits easily. The modern, urban setting for an RPG, while not new, is not something used a lot yet in The World Ends with You it works and works well. There are no dungeons to crawl in, no wizards with beards and robes, no knights in shining armor- just people navigating a very busy, and very real, city.

The story involves death and what one would give up if given the chance to escape death. Memories, physical appearance, whatever it is, the characters who all seemed so nice or so upbeat turn out to have secrets behind the smiling facades and not all of them are easily reconcilable. Yet the player still has to work with them in a battle system that requires the player to focus on both the top and bottom screens while working with a character that he/she may not really trust anymore. Plus by deciding on what clothing, pins, and accessories to wear- and even what food to eat- the player has to think about what will best help him/her succeed in battle. Even the level slider, which would allow the player to bring his/her level back down to 1 created another depth of strategic planning. How can one defeat hordes of enemies with little HP and strength to get the ultimate prize of a rare drop- much like how in the story it's a question of what part of one's life can one give up to get the ultimate prize of life.
Ryan S.

World of Goo
2D Boy 2008
PC, Mac, Linux, iOS, WiiWare, Android
While _World of Goo_ appeals to the player with bright colors and joyful concepts of building goo towers to the sky, the game fulfills a narrative form far beyond that. _World of Goo_ is, effectively, a fairy tale, following all of the form's archetypal steps and roles.

It begins with a departure and a warning; the player is hounded by a seemingly obvious villain in the world that the goo tries to overcome, and by a far more subtle and undermining villain in the Sign Painter; at times the player uses to goo to the benefit of both villains, tricked by the narrative; the game proceeds through a journey of counter-action against those villains, gifted with insight by a techno-magical-agent in MOM; and the game concludes with the exposure of the villain and the transcendence of the player/goo.

In sum, the game holds, if nothing else at all, literary merit as a piece of archetypal storytelling. The fact that the game accomplishes this storytelling through, primarily, gameplay and art (with minor commentary from the Sign Painter) suggests a tremendous amount of craftedness and a narrative value beyond strict cinematic or scripted storytelling.
Geoffrey Hagberg

X: Superbox
Egosoft, 2010
PC
Actually, this is a compilation of all games in the "X" series by the german developer Egosoft. I decided not to mention just a single one, because each of the games takes part in the same universe and tells a part of its story.

The games feature a large universe made of interconnected sectors full of options for the player. The sandbox style gameplay offers an almost overwhelming amount of possibilities, but also an outstanding amount of freedom. A complex trading system with a fully simulated economy, relationships to alien species affecting the gameplay, the amount of strategical choices and the freeform gameplay itself make these ones intellectually sophisticated titles.

The artwork is beautifully done, X3 Reunion and X3 Terran Conflict have still some of the best visuals in the space simulation genre - especially given the amount of content in these games. The soundtrack is very atmospheric and contains some remarkable themes.
Tobias A.

Xenoblade Chronicles
Monolithsoft, 2010-2012
Wii
Xenoblade Chronicles combines over 20 years of design and innovation within the JRPG genre into one cohesive package. The game takes the scale concept of Shadow of the Colossus and expands on it tenfold by have the game take place on two gigantic titans. These two titans, Bionis and Mechonis, fought each other until they each landed their respective killing blows. Here, they become frozen in time. Eons later, civilization grew and flourished on the remains of these two titans. In poetic fashion, the war that the Bionis and Mechonis waged on each other continues on with the civilizations of each titan invading the other and, in some cases, claiming territories.

The locations of the Bionis (where much of the game takes place), are massive and beautifully structured. Everywhere you look inspires you to explore it. Along with Day/Night transitions come the ability to change the time at will. The music complements the settings wonderfully. Sometimes, you can't help but just stop for a bit and take in the atmosphere of the greenery, the music, the sounds, and the sky. All while taking place on the remains of a titan. Playing to the strengths and weaknesses of the system it's on, the artstyle gloriously shines through and shows the world that sometimes, you don't need to be powerful to be beautiful.
Steven T.

Xenogears
Squaresoft 1998
PSX
This game is a science fiction re-imagining of the Bible laden with psychological and philosophical references. While remaining accessible on multiple levels of interpretation the game was deemed religiously offensive enough to be considered for ban in North America. The characters are multifaceted and conflicted, the storyline is a allegorical riff on a story we all should know, and the back-story is far more expansive than your typical science fiction.
Philip Spann

Xenogears
Square Soft October 20, 1998
Playstation; Rereleased for PS3 on PSN in 2011
This game delves deeply into themes of psychology, religion, racial profiling and mass consumption. The main character has multiple personality disorder and his personal journey to come to terms with that is one of the most compelling aspects of the story. However, that is not all. There is religious symbolism peppered throughout and one of the main religions features tenants similar to Christianity, with a critique of corruption handily built into it. There are also elements of racial profiling in the game as several characters are animal human hybrids who are frequently discriminated against. Finally, there is a chilling critique of mass consumption in the later parts of the game where the components of certain monsters and food are discovered Soilent Green style.

Xenogears is a masterwork of storytelling, but also deals with very serious, complex, and intellectual themes. To top it all off, it's a unique and genuinely enjoyable game.
Stephen Rosebaugh-Nordan

Xenosaga
Monolithsoft 2002
ps2
Concepts of Nietzchean philosophy evolved through out a deep emotionally explorative science fiction opera. Much akin to the themes of Philip K. Dick's Vallis series. Tactical combat that is deep, rewarding, at times cumbersome but adds to the strategy you take into consideration when playing. The carrying over of the themes from game to game, the amount of story, back story, intra personal connections, the themes addressed make this game in summation beautiful.
Alex

Yume Nikki
Kikiyama 2003
PC
Yume Nikki is a game without actual gameplay. There is no dialog, but that doesn't mean there is no story. As you explore the twisted and often disturbing dreams of the young girl named Madotsuki, through layered symbolism, we begin to piece together a tortured portrait of a girl who attempts to escape the suffering of her life through her dreams.
Nolan Joseph

Zork: Nemesis
Activision, 1996
PC
An incredibly dark and complex adventure game, Zork: Nemesis tasks the player with solving a series of intricate puzzles, all based around the concept of alchemy, whilst also trying to unravel a carefully woven tale of murder and revenge. Players will frequently be faced with complicated riddles and puzzles from more simple pattern-recognition and comprehension, to multiple-part conundrums where only logic and lateral thinking can prevail. All of this is accompanied by stunning pre-rendered environments and a world-class orchestral score, making Nemesis a truly mind-bending digital experience.
Paul S