Games That Are Surprisingly Thought-Provoking

Video games are a unique medium that is able to push the boundaries of story-telling and audience-media interaction. The industry is home to some of the most thought-provoking and emotional narratives ever created, and only in the last decade have these works of art truly been appreciated.

Some games are incredibly good at disguising their intentions, and before they realize it, players can end up knee-deep in a deeply affecting and complex story. Other games are expected to have deep and complicated plots, but still leave players with thoughts and ideas they weren’t expecting. Either way, there’s a phenomenal selection of games that will have gamers going over every little detail and rethinking everything they thought they knew.

6 Shadow of the Colossus

The Consideration Of Sacrifice, Life, And Death

Shadow of the Colossus is a 2005 action-adventure video game that has garnered well-deserved critical acclaim over the nearly two decades since its release. It is often cited as an example of one of the best and most impactful video games ever created.

Although it appears to have a relatively simple plot, first-time players may be surprised to find themselves embroiled in a tense deliberation of sacrifice and dedication. As players control the ever-driven Wander, they’ll likely find themselves wondering how far one should go in order to revive another, and whether the value of love outweighs that of the greater good. The ending is heartbreaking and will have players thinking about it for years to come.

5 The Last of Us Part 2

Forgiveness, Revenge, And Empathy

The Last of Us 2’s story was not exactly popular upon release. In fact, many players were incredibly angry and unhappy with the direction the game went, and some even decided to stop their gameplay early in the story. While next to nobody was surprised that The Last of Us 2 would be thought-provoking, very few managed to anticipate the choices made by Naughty Dog.

The Last of Us 2 asks players to grant Abby the empathy that she didn’t grant Joel. It’s an incredibly difficult and challenging notion, especially since both Joel and Ellie are so dear to players all over the world. That’s what makes the game so unexpectedly thought-provoking. It challenges notions of forgiveness and revenge, and ultimately permits Ellie the growth that Abby could only experience by coming to love Lev.

Some of the best pieces of media can be the most polarizing, and it would be hard to argue that most players weren’t utterly caught off-guard by the themes and narratives in the game.

4 A Short Hike

Fear, Growing Up, And Believing In Oneself

A Short Hike is a surprisingly emotional and whimsical game that uses its simple gameplay and adorable art to evoke deeper themes and ideas. It’s a short and endearing game that many players might easily assume to be lighthearted fun, but there is an evocative and heartfelt story at its core.

Essentially, Claire has been sent to stay with her aunt while her mother undergoes surgery. She intends to reach the top of Hawk Peak in order to get cellphone reception and receive a call from her mother to confirm that she’s alright. Claire’s quest represents her fear and worry about her future and her mother’s well-being. Claire is able to climb Hawk Peak alone, proving to herself that she is capable and strong and that she can move forward no matter the obstacle – and literally represents her coming to terms with her mother’s illness.

3 The Sims 4

Existentialism, Fulfillment, And Contentment

The Sims 4 might seem like an odd choice for a thought-provoking game, but The Sims has always had a meta aspect to it that is existential in nature. The Sims 4 is no exception and is littered with strangely self-aware moments as well as frighteningly realistic scenarios. The range of emotions available in the game keeps it fresh and complex, making for some really realistic scenarios.

Some key examples of this are moments where players’ sims might have a crisis about feeling like they aren’t in control of their own lives, which is a purposefully meta and complex notion. As well as this, sims can spiral about creative fulfillment, fears of death, and the purpose of life – all things that gamers probably weren’t expecting to contemplate when they booted up the game.

2 Papers, Please

Grey Areas, Survival, And The Greater Good

Papers, Please is easily one of the most unexpectedly morally challenging games of all time. What appears to be a simple border control simulator game with a creative and distinct art style can quickly turn into a series of moral quandaries and complicated choices that will leave players wondering where it all went wrong.

The game does a brilliant job of bluntly demonstrating the complexities of an overbearing government, and the difficulties of doing the right thing – potentially at the cost of your own life. There are multiple endings and storylines that players can discover, anything from taking a bribe to help feed the family, to smuggling illegal rebels through the border. Luckily, the game has great replayability and is bound to leave players questioning what right and wrong really mean.

1 Undertale

Empathy, Morality, And Hope

By now, Undertale is known far and wide for being philosophical and thought-provoking. But, upon its release, almost nobody anticipated that this endearing RPG would raise all the complicated notions it did – or challenge the form of gaming itself to such a massive extent. Now, it’s well-known as a genre and medium-defying game, but Toby Fox’s charming title wasn’t always expected to achieve things.

Undertale questions the very concept of gaming itself, querying the player’s willingness to kill any monsters it may encounter and challenging the notion of linear gameplay. It unprecedentedly allows players to befriend ‘enemy’ NPCs and presents an entirely different perspective on RPG narratives. Depending on the playthrough gamers choose, it will raise all sorts of moral dilemmas that range from letting Papyrus’s romantic intentions down gently, to forgiving Asgore for his hatred of humans.

Ultimately, Undertale asks players to treat everyone they encounter with a little bit of kindness and understanding. If players choose to reply to that with violence, then they must suffer the consequences.