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[awkmusik]

Hi everyone, long time lurker, just made an account so this is my first post.

I'm looking for more atmospheric "Arty" games/virtual experiences. Feel free to post anything loosely related here that i might like and I'll post some of my own favorites to give you an idea or there might be some you're not familiar with you might like.
I've always loved games more for the world design, atmosphere and audio design etc over actual game mechanics and I'm currently learning unity to give it a go myself.

I'm looking for games along the lines of these..I'll start with the more obscure freeware stuff

Cactussquids old games - "Mondo Agency", "Mondo Medical", "This is infinity" - Actually some of the most immersive game experiences I've had, amazing stuff.

Tom van den Boogaart's stuff - Bernband mainly, i consider that a masterpiece of world design along with cactus's early minimal 3d stuff, both are pretty similar in their approach actually, different moods just.

And onto the more well known games.
NaissanceE
Stalker
Anti Chamber

Manifold Garden looks great too, can't wait to play that.

I think all those games share a fairly similar design in that its the world itself that makes the player feel immersed without any of the traditional narrative styles. Sure, some have actual game mechanics and plots but the games could stand on their own without them as worlds to just lose yourself in. I'm looking for more of that.

[DireLogomachist]

Starseed Pilgrim has some of the most interesting audio design I've come across. The game itself is pretty "arty" and leaves the player completely in the dark about its mechanics. It even has... *shudder* ...poetry.

But its a fun little puzzle game with amazing audio if you're willing to be patient with it.

[Magurp244]

Yume Nikki had some pretty interesting dreamscapes that taken together suggest things either of the main character or developer, nobodies really sure. There's also Gone Home wherein the environment and the possessions within the house tell the story of the main characters family after they left,  I also quite liked the level design of Psychonauts dream scapes and the way they reflected the characters personalities and deeper psychological turmoil. Pathologic's atmosphere and level design is also rather interesting, a play performed over the course of a plague taking on many different meanings.

[s0]

space funeral

[Mark Mayers]

There's this game called Desolus which I heard is pretty cool. (Cough, Cough).

[rj]

besides what's been mentioned:

off
inside
all of our friends are dead
au sable
looming
kentucky route zero
anodyne
.flow
knytt
within a deep forest
hyperlight drifter
fez (duh)
the fall
metroid prime
metroid fusion
fract osc
kairo
axiom verge

[Alevice]

all of our friends are dead
au sable

no mention of gyossait?

[ｂ∀ ｋｋｕｓａ]

THIS !

[rj]

all of our friends are dead
au sable

no mention of gyossait?

it isnt as good but ok

[FK in the Coffee]

Glum Buster

[Alevice]

all of our friends are dead
au sable

no mention of gyossait?

it isnt as good but ok

i actually found it better than the previous two

[s0]

space funeral

and most everything else by thecatamites

[Spram]

I don't know if it counts, because the gameplay is just a simple brawler and platformer, but El Shaddai is visually unique.

The game is just beautiful at parts

[awkmusik]

Thanks for the recommendations, ill give them a look.

There's this game called Desolus which I heard is pretty cool. (Cough, Cough).

I've actually been keeping an eye on this, looking great so far. That's pretty much spot on what I'm after.

[Chaotrope]

Darkest Dungeon.

Not really an 'art' game although the art is incredible, but the atmosphere of this game is just stunningly well created.

[valrus]

Proteus
Gardenarium
Sacramento
Naut
Endless Express

Alice O'Connor does the "arty virtual world" beat at RPS; that's where I tend to learn about these.

[Schoq]

another world still holds up/counts right?

[rj]

another world is still one of the best games ever made. it definitely counts.

on that note, flashback is a lesser imitation but it's a Good lesser imitation

on the first note again, dear god if you can play heart of darkness do it. some parts of that game don't hold up so great but for the most part it is so very solid.

[Tanner]

CRYPT WORLDS, GOBLET GROTTO and LSD on PS1 if you can find it/emulate it.

[JWK5]