9 Thought Provoking Games That I Still Contemplate

There are some videogames that tell a new story, utilize innovative mechanics, and present it all in a shiny package with plenty of style. But not every game can coax the player into pondering a game for extended periods of time after its conclusion. As such, I have compiled a list of games that I personally spent an extended amount of time sorting through the complexities found within their stories or gameplay.

Since the following list—in no particular order—is comprised of only games that I have experienced the entirety of, I am declaring a loud and resounding spoiler alert from here on. If you don’t want to know any details about the following games, please heed my warning!

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1. The World Ends With You

MetascoreNintendo DS: 88

iOS: 95

For a game that initially comes off as incredibly shallow (due mainly to the abrasive introversion of the protagonist), The Word Ends with You is a game that matures right alongside the wonderful cast of characters. Its story is good enough that even after playing it repeatedly, new things jump out at me about the characterization, themes, and plot twists throughout the whole experience. But what really charms me is how its tone abruptly shifts mid-game.

When I originally played TWEWY, my first impressions led me to believe that it was merely about a self-isolated teenage boy named Neku who wanted everything to go back to how it was before. And really, bearing in mind the trials he overcomes, restoring his world to what it once was would have been considered a win in my book. But what I discovered was so much better; Neku changed into a person who didn’t want to be isolated anymore. The people he once saw as beneath him became treasured comrades. The world he thought was cramped and crowded became open and inviting.

Conveniently, this change in Neku was something I needed to experience back in 2007 when the game initially came out. As an introvert, I saw many of my own qualities—both good and bad—in the protagonist. The fact that he could change so drastically gave me encouragement that I could do the same.

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2. Chrono Trigger

Metascore
Nintendo DS: 92

Following along the same Square Enix vein, Chrono Trigger is a game I appreciate for its grand story, flawless utilization of time travel, and gameplay perfection. Originally on the SNES, Chrono Trigger was released on the DS back in 2008. If you haven’t played this fantastic RPG yet, you should go back and do so. It has aged impeccably well.

Chrono Trigger makes me think mainly due to the implications of moving through eras and making history-altering changes as you go. Its cleverness shines in its many puzzles in which you must make a change in the past and watch it play out in the future. I hesitate to give examples here, because I really want anyone who bothers to read this to experience it for him/herself.

In addition to the time travel mechanic, there are some important quests littered throughout the story that give the characters some added depth. Lucca’s side mission in particular makes the player consider their own life and what changes they would make if they had access to a portal that could take them back in time. I mean this reflectively, not regretfully. By dwelling on the past, we become self-focused and crippled by remorse; by understanding our mistakes in the past, we can move forward in a fashion that is wiser.

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3. Braid

Metascore
X360/PS3: 93
PC: 90

This’ll be short. Braid is a thought-provoking experience for two reasons.

1) Braid has some of the most interesting puzzle mechanics I’ve ever played with. And as a lady who loves puzzle games, this is a significant accomplishment.

2) The twist.

The only thing that keeps Braid from being one of my favorite games is the condescending tone embedded within its script. It had a tendency to chisel away at my enjoyment when I played it. But I can’t deny the puzzles and story definitely engage your brain.

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4. The Last of Us

Metascore
PS3/PS4: 95

In 2013, my husband and I were vaguely excited about this zombie survival third person shooter. It looked interesting, although between it and Beyond Two Souls, I wasn’t sure which one would be more fun. What I realized a few days after its release was that this game wasn’t going to be “fun” exactly. But it was going to be gripping like a train wreck and just as unsettling to watch. My husband played for a couple hours each day following its release. I watched like the story enthusiast I am. As he got past particularly difficult parts of the game (both gameplay and story), I wanted him to keep trudging through the broken universe. However, the game was more exhausting than expected (in a good way) and had to be put down after the emotionally draining portions in particular.

After each stint of gameplay, my brain continued to reel. But that was nothing compared to the amount of consideration I gave this gem after it was finished. Over the next week, I contemplated the story that Naughty Dog told and had to come to grips with all the decisions that were made by the main characters. I didn’t fully fathom all the choices that the protagonist made at the time, but a lot of combing through the script and deliberation over his actions eventually led to what I believe is a decent understanding of the game.

The Last of Us is too complicated for me to summarize here, but I will say that every time I experience it, I see another layer of the onion get peeled back. Every single time. The writing in this game is phenomenal thanks to the efforts of Neil Druckmann. Every inch of its script has a face value, an underlying meaning to each character, and a thematic significance regarding what the story is trying to say as a whole. I can honestly say it is the most well written game I have ever played.

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5. Ghost Trick

Metascore
Nintendo DS: 83
iOS: 87

Here’s another one of those puzzlers I love. Like Braid, Ghost Trick is on here both for its gameplay and for its story.

Ghost Trick takes a new approach to the puzzle genre by allowing the main character to systematically manipulate objects in the game to achieve a desired outcome. You can open an umbrella to startle an enemy or turn on a light to get the attention of an NPC. There are other mechanics as well, such as switching objects’ locations as long as they are both of the same shape. The goal is to save lives by altering the four minutes before a person’s death.

Not only is this another one of those games where time travel is a huge factor, but the story behind it, while silly and “out there”, stays true to the laws of the game and provides several meaningful twists. There were a few times during this deceptively childish looking game that I had to stop and wrap my mind around the final timeline that was formed and the events that led up to it.

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6. The Walking Dead: Season 1

Metascore
PS3: 94

I wasn’t sure I wanted to play this game after the first episode. It's pretty intense, and I can't even stomach the comics in all honesty. The idea of a zombie getting me simply because I did not do a QTE properly was a little unnerving, and the puzzles seemed relatively simple. However, this game really shines through its depiction of decision making. The player is frequently given four choices to either say or do under a time limit. While this sounds easy, I found some of the decisions to be incredibly difficult.

One that I remember mulling over involved my cold and hungry group of survivors coming across what appeared to be an abandoned vehicle full of food and other supplies. I was given the choice to take the rations and gear or not. I remember quickly weighing my options. Chances are whoever owned the vehicle was already dead. It would be a waste to let the supplies sit there if that was indeed the case. And right in front of me I have starving people who need the food to survive. I am supposed to be leading them, and I know I’ll lose their respect if I choose not to take this opportunity. But I lose respect from someone close to me if I do take it when there is a chance the owner of the vehicle is still alive. Also, if the owner is still alive, I would be stealing from them. There is no scenario that makes everyone happy (which makes me very uncomfortable), not to mention I only had about 5 or 10 seconds to make the choice. So I took the food.

I know. I’m terrible.

But the real beauty of The Walking Dead is that eventually, you get confronted with the choices you made in the past. There is no hiding from them, no excuses, no explanation that can make everything look better in hindsight. And yes, I know the game tends to funnel all your decisions into a single, relatively linear game. But it never feels that way.

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7. The Zero Escape Series (Volumes 1, 2, and maybe someday 3)

Metascore
Volume 1 (999) on Nintendo DS: 82
Volume 2 (VLR) on Nintendo DS: 88
Volume 2 (VLR) on PSVita: 84

Both volumes in this series alternate between two game modes as they progress through a suspenseful mystery involving 9 strangers forced to put their lives on the line.

The first game mode utilized is that of a graphic novel with lots and lots of text. I have to stress, however, that as boring as games with a lot of exposition can be, this game is anything but. Every written word has voice (despite no voice acting in the first entry) and the urgency with which everything is happening will hold your interest as you progress through the story. This game is filled with everything from basic psychology to mathematics to quantum physics, so it's not just a bunch of meaningless text to fill time. Every line is important later on.

The second format the game takes on is that of escape puzzles. You've probably played escape games before, and I often find they are fun but often meaningless ("Why am I trapped?"). 999 gives purpose to the typical escape game, and you feel like you've really accomplished something as you solve each puzzle.

I will not say anything of the plot; even with the warning at the top of the page, I cannot bear to let someone accidentally stumble across a spoiler on this one.

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8. Persona 4/Persona 4 Golden

Metascore
PS2: 90
PSVita: 93

Persona 4 is about a group of high school kids who try to solve a murder mystery in their small country town. This isn’t the most mind-bending game, and there really aren’t puzzles or crazy decisions to make due to it being a dungeon crawling JRPG. However, there are two reasons I still let this one join the list.

First off, the battle system is genius. That’s not something I contemplate, exactly, but it is worth noting. It manages to be both simple and deep in all the right ways, and I never got bored of taking out enemies.

Second, there are a few points in the game where your entire perception of things is completely 100% wrong. Your deduction regarding who is responsible for all the terrible things happening in your hometown, while logical, still manages to be fallacious. Time and time again. And the real cause of troubles is an even bigger surprise than all the other twists in the game. That being said, the final few hours of Persona 4 are incredible.

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9. Danganronpa 1 and 2

Metascore
Danganronpa 1 on PSVita: 80
Danganronpa 2 on PSVita: 81

There is no video here because everything I found either spoiled something or was too weird out of context. Just play this and the weirdness will all make sense. Kind of.

Frequently described as Phoenix Wright meets Persona meets Zero Escape (three of my favorite franchises), Danganronpa is a creepy teen life/mystery game in a mostly visual novel format. Game segments alternate between spending time with your friends and solving mysteries all while trying to escape a high school.

Danganronpa struggles a bit with its execution of puzzle gameplay. I love challenging puzzles as much as (or more than) anyone, but the player should never feel like a puzzle is unfair. Unfortunately, Danganronpa can sometimes feel this way due to its sometimes-too-large jumps in logic and a few terrible mini games. But don’t let that scare you away from a very unique and fun experience.

Again, my reason for including Danganronpa is twofold.

For one, the mysteries are pretty decent. There were a few really clever ones in there that got me to gasp out loud (or yell with excitement) when I solved them.

But my main reason for including Danganronpa is for the plot twists. As you’ve probably figured out by now, I love a good twist. Danganronpa has several of them. 

Usually all in quick succession. Twist after twist after twist. I remember thinking about the endings of both games for several days after beating them. Even the idea of playing them again and experiencing all the twists again is appealing.

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Honorable Mention: Mario Party (any of them)

Because I end up contemplating whether a few hours of fun was really worth losing all my friends.

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So there you have it. I understand the games that made the cut here are ultimately skewed in favor of the games I enjoyed or spent more of my time on. But then again, this is my blog, so you’ve gotta deal with it.