Most Surreal Video Games

Key Takeaways

• Spore offers a unique life simulation experience with strange creature evolution in colorful worlds.
• Pools creates a dreamlike atmosphere with eerie vibes despite lacking traditional horror elements.
• The Eternal Cylinder stands out with its unique survival gameplay, mutation mechanics, and colorful alien world.

In recent years, the video game industry has become a global entertainment juggernaut, producing games that appeal to mass audiences. However, some games strive to be different, pushing against the grain and creating wholly unique experiences. Often taking on a surreal or absurd form, these games can be labeled “weird” or “strange” but, in reality, are groundbreaking games that push the industry to new places.

While they may never experience the success of games such as Call of Duty, Minecraft, or Resident Evil, many have grown a dedicated cult following. Some are considered video game classics, while others are rising indie stars, all of which deserve a place in every gamer’s library.

1 Spore

Create Life, But Not As We Know It

In this successful life-simulation game, players assume the role of a god, seeding a planet with simple single-celled life and watching as it grows. The game is broken up into different life stages, where the player develops their species into more complex creatures. This goes from the cell stage, where the simple life forms inhabit the ocean, all the way to the space stage, where the player has developed the species into an intelligent spacefaring race.

In the game, players can create some truly strange creatures, evolving them in weird and wonderful ways. The game style is vibrant and colorful and has a lot of replay value. Spore has become a cult classic with a dedicated fan base that still highly praises the game today. It also won several awards for its groundbreaking gameplay.

2 Pools

A Terrifying Dreamlike Atmosphere

• Platform: Microsoft Windows, Linux, macOS, Mac Operating Systems
• Released: 2023
• Developers: Tensori
• Genre: Adventure, Simulator
• Steam Reviews: Very Positive

“Liminal Space” games have become a popular sub-genre in indie gaming, with Pools being one of the best available. Pools is a walking simulator game where the player traverses an empty building dripping with a strange, unsettling atmosphere. While Pools isn’t a traditional horror game, as it features no enemies, its echoing passages and shadowy corners create a nightmare world that feels off.

Nothing quite makes sense as players move through the game world. It invokes the feeling of loneliness or being lost like no other. The repeating theme of swimming pools with plain white tiled floors, walls, and ceilings gives the game a labyrinthine feel, like a vivid dream that doesn’t make sense.

3 The Eternal Cylinder

Escape, Mutate, And Survive

• Platform: Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Series S, GeForce Now,
• Released: 2021
• Developers: ACE Team
• Genre: Survival, Adventure
• Steam Reviews: Very Positive

The Eternal Cylinder is a unique survival game where players take on the role of a Trebhum, a small, intelligent creature with the ability to mutate itself for different tasks. The game follows the creatures in their desperate struggle against the Eternal Cylinder, an unstoppable and colossal tube slowly destroying the planet.

Players must find other Trebhum on their journey, mutating them in different ways to progress further. Throughout the game, a voice narrates the story as it happens, giving the game a storybook feeling. The game world is both vibrant and alien, with strange and surreal monsters roaming the land. The Eternal Cylinder is like no other game around and a must-play for fans of indie titles.

4 Pathologic 2

A Dark and Twisted RPG

Pathologic 2 is a challenging survival RPG that is a part sequel and part remake of the 2005 cult classic Pathologic. Set in a remote Russian town, the player controls Artemy Burakh, a surgeon who returns to his hometown to find his father dead and a plague spreading through the population. Players have only 12 in-game days to solve the mystery of the plague while navigating the town’s politics and problems.

During a playthrough, the player must constantly question what is real, as every character has a unique motivation. The game is played like a grand theatrical event, with a theater director often breaking the fourth wall by commenting on the player’s progress. Pathologic 2 is a game designed to make the player uncomfortable and stressed, with characters and quests pulling in all directions. The game is a masterclass in atmosphere and a must-play experience for fans of the strange and disturbing.

5 The Stanley Parable

An Experimental Journey Through an Office

This story-driven game follows the strange story of Stanley, a seemingly ordinary man whose world starts to unravel. The game features a narrator who reacts to the player’s choices as he tells Stanley’s story. The game is a surreal nightmare where the ordinary office setting features divergent paths and circular narratives that reset the game.

The Stanley Parable became a cult hit, with critics praising its genre-breaking narrative and emphasis on player choice. The reactive nature of the game opens new possibilities for immersive experiences, where the lines between the player, the developer, and the story blur.

6 Hylics 2

Surreal Turn-Based Combat

• Platform: Microsoft Windows, macOS, Mac Operating Systems
• Released: 2020
• Developers: Mason Lindroth
• Genre: Roleplaying Game
• Steam Reviews: Overwhelmingly Positive

Hylics 2 is one of the most unique-looking games available. Highly influenced by surrealist artists such as Salvador Dalí, the game takes players on a journey through the absurd, with turn-based combat, 3D platforming, and even dungeon-crawler segments.

Players control Wayne as he builds his party and adventures through the world, defeating enemies and finding treasure. The visual style makes excellent use of claymation and stop-motion animation, creating a high-art surrealist style that is wholly unforgettable. The game received critical acclaim on release, with critics particularly praising its visuals and music.