Four Art Games That Are Actually Pretty Good

There are games out there that are designed with the expressed purpose to being considered art. Most of the time these games end up being pretentious walking simulators. Games like Anna and The Path which which use flowery dialogue and subversive or contradictory mechanics to waste the time of the players to show how "deep" and "meaningful" they are. However, there are several art games that are truly great and don't have to rely of obtuse complexity. I would highly recommend at least checking out of the the following games as they are truly great experiences and deserve as much attention as possible simply because of how.

Journey
Let's start with a game that has gotten a lot of attention including a Grammy nomination for it amazing soundtrack. In "Journey", you play as a mysterious pilgrim crossing a desert to reach a mountain in the distance. It sounds underwhelming at first but thatgamecompany's "Journey" is far more then simply getting from point A to point B. "Journey" is the human experience condensed into a single two hour interactive experience cycling through every emotion that you can possibly think of. "Journey" is also a game designed to be as universal. It has no dialogue, and yet it manages cross almost every cultural barrier imaginable. It is truly a magnificent example of what video games are capable of and how they can convey complex emotion in a way no other medium can.

Flower
Another game made by thatgamecompany, "Flower" is follows roughly the same formula as Journey. In Flower you play as the wind carrying flower petals and coloring the landscape and bringing it to life. It is a calm relaxing game that explores themes of nature and human explanation without a single word. While not as emotionally powerful as Journey, Flower is still well worth your time and I can tell you from experience that it is a game that will always make you feel calm and serene while playing it.

Thomas Was Alone
Who ever thought is was possible to write a story that makes you feel a deep emotion connection to a red rectangle and yet "Thomas Was Alone" manages to do it. "Thomas Was Alone" puts you into the role of Thomas and his friends, as they travel through the mysterious computer program they call home. The game has an extremely minimalist art style with characters literally being different colored geometric shapes and yet every single character is fully rounded, rich with personality, and unique to play as. This is due to the game's fantastic writing by Mike Bithell and the masterful narration from Danny Wallace. If there were any problems I could point out it that's the game tries to shove in a last minute antagonist that sorta conflicts with the rest of the game. But in spite of those flaws "Thomas Was Alone" is truly a testament to minimalist, interactive storytelling.

The Unfinished Swan
A game from little known developer Giant Sparrow, "The Unfinished Swan" is a minimalist first person adventure game that places players in the shoes of a boy named Monroe shortly after his mother's death. Monroe is allowed to keep only one of the hundreds of unfinished paintings his mother left behind and he chooses the painting of an unfinished swan that was always his mother's favorite. Then one night the swan comes to life and lead Monroe into a strange world rule over by a childish king. "The Unfinished Swan" is a fairytale that tells a very sad, but ultimately heartwarming story and, in spite of a few sections of the game that drags on, the game always has you doing something interesting and new every other level. If you looking for something interesting I highly recommend "The Unfinished Swan."

Well there are some fantastic art games that you can check out. All of these games are available on Playstation 3, "Flower", "Thomas Was Alone", and "The Unfinished Swan" are available on Playstation 4 with "Journey" on the way, and "Thomas Was Alone" is available on all major game systems.