Best Games With Introspective Storylines

With gaming as a medium progressing so far in the last couple of decades, a wealth of different narrative styles and deeper stories are making their way into games. While plenty of gameplay-centric titles are still being released, you’ll find just as many games with hefty narrative ambitions as well.

In recent years, a style of storytelling that has become more popular is games that have an introspective story. Instead of focusing on a more solid narrative, these stories are more internal and character-focused. There are quite a few games that attempt this, but only so many do it successfully, so which are the best?

8

Gris

An Abstract Journey

Most introspective games are more descriptive with their storytelling, choosing to take a dialogue-heavy approach, but Gris goes in the complete opposite direction. Gris features minimal text, and the protagonists’ development is instead reflected in the beautiful watercolour environments.

Throughout the story, our heroine will literally bring colour back into her life by platforming through the game’s abstract world. While developers have hinted at the true meaning of the story, part of the game’s simple charm is being able to interpret your own meaning from the narrative.

7

Sable

What To Do With Your Life

In Sable, you control the eponymous hero as she travels around the vibrant and mysterious open world as part of her Gliding. The Gliding is an in-universe coming-of-age ritual where you travel between different areas and hubs of civilisation collecting pins and masks.

These pins and masks align with different lifestyles and occupations and your goal is to choose one for Sable while completing different missions. Working out what path Sable should take is completely up to you, and the calm atmosphere of the game makes playing it almost meditative.

6

A Short Hike

A Quick Moment To Reflect

If you’re looking for something quick and charming, then A Short Hike is a perfect refreshing choice to play. However, you’ll probably be surprised by just how much the introspective narrative will stick with you.

Controlling Claire as she makes her way up the mountain in the middle of the open-world island is both relaxing and satisfying. While it isn’t given too much attention, there are small details about Claire’s mental health included to make the journey more impactful and give her character a little more depth.

5

What Remains Of Edith Finch

A Family History Lesson

While most introspective games tend to focus mainly on one character, What Remains Of Edith Finch instead has you learning about the various members of the Finch family and how they all met their untimely demise.

Such a bleak premise might be off-putting, but each of these vignettes is tastefully presented and uniquely beautiful in how they play out. As you explore the Finch household, you’ll quickly realize there is more to be uncovered than you might have initially expected, making the short game a memorable experience.

4

Superliminal

Not What It Looks Like

Perhaps taking the introspective story aspect too literally, Superliminal has you playing through an experimental dream therapy sequence. The puzzles presented will challenge you to think like you’re actually in a dream, with perspective and size constantly shifting and keeping things fresh.

Superliminal is a bit lighter on the story, with more focus on the puzzle gameplay, but there is still an overarching narrative. However, you’ll have to pay close attention to pick up on all of its nuances, encouraging replays for eagle-eyed fans.

3

Omori

Parallel Worlds

Retro-inspired turn-based RPGs often feature more external world-changing journeys, but that’s what makes Omori, and its introspective themes of mental health stick out from the crowd.

The overarching narrative remains mysterious until the very end, but switching between the parallel real and dream world keeps the internal struggle engaging. Even though the themes give the game a darker tone, it’s balanced out with light-hearted moments to keep it from becoming monotonous.

2

Night In The Woods

Mae’s Reflection

In Night In The Woods, you follow our feline protagonist Mae as she returns to her hometown to live with her parents after dropping out of college. While Mae works through her internal struggles, you’ll also explore the beautifully stylized town as Mae sees how it has changed since she was last there.

Choosing how Mae spends her time impacts her development, and the overarching narrative keeps the well-paced plot engaging. The airy but slightly unnerving atmosphere of Mae’s hometown will keep you interested, and the well-written characters make it all the more fun to play through.

1

A Beginner’s Guide

Untrustworthy Narrator?

A lesser-known game from the creator of The Stanley Parable is the arguably even more unconventional A Beginner’s Guide. Narrated in a similar style to the creator’s previous game, here you work through a series of unfinished minigames as you’re told about the friendship between the narrator and their developer.

While the games are all unique, some even being edited as you play through them, where it gets truly interesting is when you question the truth of what the narrator is saying. The whole premise of the game could be completely fictional, but there’s just as much chance that it could be the truth. Coming to your own conclusion as you play through the narrative is part of what makes the introspective story so unique and enjoyable.