Which games blow your mind, but only if you know nothing about them in advance?

Best examples I can think of are:

  • Outer Wilds
  • Doki Doki Literature Club
  • The Stanley Parable

What are yours?

(please no spoilers)

  • PM_Your_Nudes_Please@lemmy.worldEnglish
    10·
    20 hours ago

    Surprised I haven’t seen Undertale yet. The online fanbase is hilariously toxic, (seriously, don’t go looking for any extra details about the game after you finish it) but it’s a solid game that should be experienced 100% blind. All I’ll say is that it’s a game that is written to subvert expectations; If you go into it expecting to play it like a traditional RPG, you’ll be in for a big surprise.

  • Blackmist@feddit.ukEnglish
    5·
    19 hours ago

    The real answer will always be Outer Wilds.

    But also…

    Fez. It definitely inspired Animal Well and Tunic.

    • filcukEnglish
      1·
      18 hours ago

      I dislike two types of games the most: >!ones that make me replay the same thing and puzzles!<.
      (very minor spoiler)

      Outer Wilds is amazing. Top of my list if an alien landed on our plannet and had time to try one game only.

  • ApatheticCactus@lemmy.worldEnglish
    2·
    17 hours ago

    Nobody said Firewatch yet?

    I’ll also add To The Moon as well. I could list more, but almost any game where narrative is the main focus and gameplay is secondary.

  • BigDanishGuy@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
    2·
    18 hours ago

    Way to make me feel old, I don’t know any of those games.

    Where’s my late 90s early 2000s gamers at?

    I’m going to nominate:

    • Fallout (1997) for plot twists and introducing (to me at least) open world role playing.
    • Fallout 2 (1998) for further plot twists
    • Max Payne (2001) for stealing bullet time from the matrix and putting it in a game
    • Mafia (2002) for being a kick ass game that would blow your mind, by making 6 hours of your night disappear, and not lifting the lid on that plot twist before you heard the birds start singing, and realize that you should probably hit the shower and get to school.
    • superkret@feddit.orgOPEnglish
      1·
      18 hours ago

      If Fallout introduced you to open world RPG’s, that means you missed Daggerfall.
      Arguably the greatest open world RPG of all time.
      That was the game that absolutely, completely blew my mind with its openness, freedom, and scale (none of which were matched by any following TES game).
      Well worth blocking the phone line for an entire night and running up a phone bill that’ll get you yelled at by your parents, to download the 140MB installer.

      Luckily today, it’s available for free:
      https://www.gog.com/de/game/the_elder_scrolls_chapter_ii_daggerfall

    • kazerniel@lemmy.worldEnglish
      4·
      23 hours ago

      I wish I could erase all my memories of Obra Dinn, just so I could experience it again for the first time 🥺 Also that soundtrack slaps!

  • darreninthenet@lemmy.sdf.orgEnglish
    11·
    1 day ago

    Brothers - A Tale of Two Sons

    An astonishingly good story line that can only be really appreciated blind.

    For those of you who remember TotalBiscuit, he rated this as one of his favourite games.

    • tigeruppercutEnglish
      1·
      1 day ago

      Maybe literally the only game that’s ever done storytelling through gameplay mechanics-- really cool concept

        • tigeruppercutEnglish
          1·
          22 hours ago

          haven’t played it-- how do the mechanics change with the story?

          • prole@lemmy.blahaj.zoneEnglish
            1·
            12 hours ago

            Honestly… I would say that the game fits with the theme of the original post, and explaining it would ruin the magic.

            I will say that not only do the mechanics change based on the story, but there is an entire asynchronous online system where users help other users (that they will never see or meet in game) to construct be infrastructure to make travel for others (they will never see or meet) easier.

            Then those mechanics feed back into the actual story. It’s kind of wild.

            I know it’s a divisive game, but I will say it’s a masterpiece imo. Even if only for those mechanics.

            And yes, the controls change based on how the load you’re carrying is balanced. I believe the definitive way to play is the Definitive Edition on PS5 with the DualSense controller since the adaptive triggers become harder to press as your load increases.

        • tigeruppercutEnglish
          1·
          22 hours ago

          sorry, badly phrased-- I was trying not to give away the mechanic. In the game the literal controls on your keyboard/controller get altered in order to advance the story

    • Cavemanfreak@lemm.eeEnglish
      1·
      22 hours ago

      I haven’t played in a couple of years now, since they released the big open world plains. I did install it earlier in the fall, but still haven’t gotten around to it yet…